Sophister to confound natures freedome in her specificall brood differenced by reason and sense and so leaue quite out the third vniuersale as rationale and irrationale or thus naturall reason and naturall sense the former being naturally as free to change as the latter is naturally bound to his obiect Neither is any so sottish as not to know the distinction of naturall actions in creatura rationali irrationali sensibili insensibili and that by a liberty naturally inserted in the will of man it is as free as common and as fitly agreeing to the law of God and nature that man should be mutable in all his humane actions and by consequent as naturall for him vt creatura rationalis to alter his forme of gouernement and manner of succession as it is of necessity voide of all liberty or choise by the same lawes in him vt homo vel creatura humana sensibilis mortalis to be immutable in his naturall actions as it is immutable by natures law for smoake to ascend vpward and a stone fall downeward and yet God and nature common and all one in their ordinarie concurrence granted to secondarie causes to the one as well as the other But for this and other some halfe score of grosse errours like vnto it you shall see I hope sufficient matter in confutation of things in the Antiperistasis to the first part of Parsons Doleman concerning his many many grosse abuses of both Canon Ciuill and common lawes decrees and customes Another principle or proposicion of a Iesuit concerning their false doctrine contrary to the beleefe of the Romane Catholike Church is that the stewes are in Rome cum approbatione as lawfull as any Citizen Magistrate or order of religion or yet the Pope himselfe Another like hereticall and most dangerous assertion of theirs is that the auncient fathers rem transubstantiationis ne attigerunt A like to this is their scoffe and iest at Priesthood affirming it to be but a toy that a Priest is made by tradition of the Challice patten and oast into his hands c. And a not much vnlike contempt of Priesthood is collected out of the three farewels of the soule made simply God-wot by a wiseman and yet commended to the skies by the Iesuits and their faction because forsooth if that absurd booke might haue taken place none should haue had any ghostly father but a Iesuite or some substitute Priest vnder him Yea the Author of that false doctrine and most arrogant hypocriticall or Pharisaicall errour being friendly admonished in a letter from a reuerend Priest to be warie of his writings and not to be so lauish of his pen nor rash with his tongue as he had bene rescribing backe in a most saucie and peremptorie manner taking it in scorne to receiue any charitable admonition much lesse such correction as he had iustly deserued at anie secular Priestes hands was grosly bold to tell him amongst other things that whereas he acknowledged a dutie and respect to be had to religeous Priestes meaning Iesuits as the tenor of his letter imports yet to him he acknowledged none be being but a secular Priest and himselfe a secular gentleman and no difference vnlesse it were in this that he might minister the Sacraments to him which he could not c. A like to these is there no lesse absurd then erronious doctrine concerning their Generals in fallability of truth for deciding of matters their absurd paradoxes of equiuocation malepert bold and damnable doctrine in preiudice of the Sea Apostolike secretly laboring to infringe the appeale admitting a company of silly women to be the Archpriests and Iesuites graue Counsellors an odde conceit fit to haue bene laughed at by the Romane Senate whiles gentilisme there ruled When the wily wagge told his curious mother the Senators were consulting about pluralitie of wiues c. Well yet our English gossippes thus fawned vppon by these seducing guides and thereby poore soules made fond of them must be set on with a companie of greene heades God wot and some but base fellowes for so their base conditions and vnhonest dealing makes them where otherwise being some of them gentles of auncient houses yet deserue to haue their armes reuersed and their coates pulled ouer their eares for speaking or officiously intruding them selues for bribes and gaine to bee brokers of these seditious Iesuites errours against their owne consciences to conicatch those as ignorant as themselues and to worke as much as in them lyes to make all Catholikes abhorre contemne and loath both Priestes and all or any of the seculars that are in the appeale yea which is most odious and seditious they maintaine a popularitie to set all subiects on against their Princes as hereafter shall be touched at large Which with many the like if they should maintaine in any Catholike countrey they would be burnt at a stake for it as absurd heretikes one after another I shall be too long perforce but for the rest I referre the reader to sundry bookes set out and to be published against them For it is high time for all Christendome to looke to them and either to infringe their insolencie and make them keepe their cloisters and meddle onely with their bookes and beades if they be religious as they would be counted or at least if to teach preach heare confessions and minister Sacraments they would haue leaue yea I say leaue for leaue they must haue how proudly soeuer they looke and submit themselues to Bishops Prelates secular Cleargie and the state Ecclesiasticall though this word I know will make them startle and looke as wild as March hares or rather sauage Canibals as some haue sayd that were they not religeous men I must account to find them if euer they get me within their clooches Well esto quod sic in the meane time yet so it must be in spite of their arrogant vsurpate authoritie or else not allowed of so much as to heare any one confession nor to say Masse abroad at all then let them not presume to take state and iurisdiction Ecclesiasticall vpon them and thereby to censure secular Priestes at their pleasure vnder whom they must perforce liue or else runne out of their order and abiure it as preiudiciall to their preferment THE V. ARTICLE WHether any of them haue stood in defence of any of the premises or of any other error or heresie by them No one thing â—â—â—deth greater â—â—â—ed and danger to all Catholike in England then the Iesuits aâ—â—se of equiuocating making it indeed nothing else but an art of being cogging â—â—â—sting and â—oâ—ging and that without all respect of matter time place person so it be not to a superior Iesuit or other circumstance whatsoeuer All is one vtiscuentia â—â—ra partura secretuÌ„ prodere noli either published in bookes or insinuated openly or taught secretly or not any at all THE ANSWERE THere haue sundrie of them apostataed fallen out of Gods
doe begin will daily more and more looke as well into their peruerse hypocrisie and irreligious policy as also into the secular priests sincere loyalty and catholikes innocency howsoeuer for the time present both Iesuits puritanes seeme couertly to applaude the one to the other in exclaâ—ming against her Maiesties more ioy all catholikes subiects then themselues are But a woonder lasteth but nine daies and when passionate clouds are vanished then will all true English harts of whatsoeuer religion giue thee thankes c. to wit that whereas before the Iesuits had vs all vpon the hip for god a mercie and threatned vs with all disgrace bondage and staruing which they brought to passe for nothing whiles we kept silence Now by our writing they are and shall be forced to let corrupt Angels fly and pay sweetly for it as well to preuent their iust deserued expulsion out of the land as also to bring vs into the former obloquie For what is it that god Mammon cannot worke amongst mortall men and they whose harts were hardned to see our great wants whiles they wallowed in worlds wealth giuen of deuout catholikes at the first for all our reliefes it were contrary to Gods iustice and the Iesuits deserts if they should not finde some crosse encounters to make them spend all againe contrary to their wretched intents and mindes for the saying is not more old then true that one euill gotten penny sets away a pound and that which passeth ouer the diuels backe must needs repasse ouer his belly againe and so it is of the Iesuits euill gotten riches whiles many a soule meane while doth perish They say moreouer that in the said booke of Important considerations I doe condemne all priests and by consequent then my selfe if that were true in generall that are or haue come into England to be equally traytors as well as the Iesuits and their confederates Good Lord how these cogging mates belabour themselues in sophistication and wrangling without any proofe sense or reason Well let it goe as a false lye calumniation and slander as I both there and more expresly in these Quodlibets haue manifested it to the contrary setting downe conceptis verbis what a reuerend conceit I euer had and haue of all priests that are not Iesuits in re or in spe and directly acknowledging all the seminary and secular priests as in my very hart I do beleeue it and esteeme of them with all respectiue reuerence for no lesse then so to haue died glorious martyrs as suffering only and wholy on their parts and in their deuout holy and catholike intents for religion and conscience sake And all that I said to the seeming contrary was that our aduersaries said and say still they died for treason but not any of vs euer said or thought so and my selfe without preiudice to any other of my brethren be it spoken least of all bicause most of all and in plainest tearmes I haue named aboue thirty twice told of our company most iniuriously defamed slaundered and detracted by the Iesuiticall faction all which said I in that same place are now glorious martyrs in heauen And further I yeelded a reason of our aduersaries opinion why they account them for traitors to be this scil for that they knowing directly by bookes letters and their owne hand writings together with many witnesses and testimonies that the Iesuites had dipt their hands too deepe in plotting practising and contriuing the meanes how to shed their natiue Prince and naturall countrey men women and childrens blood the state iudging of vs all promiscually Any man that readeth those bookes set out with the Epistles before them may easily discerne them al to be different from one another and neither the stile of and in all the said bookes to be out neither yet the Epistles to be of the same authors that the bookes themselues are of Onely the question is whether the said bookes were set out by any secular priests or other catholikes of the laytie or else by some Bishop or other person of the English religion the latter is vtterly denied as well by reason that there is nothing in these bookes of any materiall point but all those in the appeale yea the rest of priests and catholikes or so many as are not Iesuited or puritanized doe agree in allow ratifie and confirme the same And for the former the speech the phrase the whole terme is such as any may discerne it to be of a catholike recusants worke no Bishop nor other Protestant in England this day that will or would by word or much lesse by writing haue giuen so many pretogatiues or spoken so much in defence of the catholike Romane church and secular seminarie priests as in these bookes are deliuered at large But it spites the Iesuits and Puritanes to be compared together and therefore the one doth preach the other speaketh and both of them fretâ— so much against the secular priests Englands present state as they do not conceiting at that time any difference in points of hostile inuasion to be amongst vs nor and much lesse knowing who were guilty and who were free and hauing withall iust cause standing the Queene state oppositely affected to vs all in general for religion to suspect vs all alike as comming all from those places where these conspiracies were set abroch and professing all one kinde of doctrine in all these matters to outward shew I therefore said and so say still that as on the one side our single harts did and doe iustifie our cause before God and in the face of the catholike Romane church that we suffered directly for our conscience and religions sake so on the other side the Iesuits prouocations exasperations and incentiues did iustifie the state here in their dealings and sharpe lawes made against vs. And thereupon I said that caeteris paribus her Maiesties proceedings had beene both milde and mercifull and that we are not so much to exclame against the crueltie of the persecution as to admire how that any of vs are left on liue to talke of religion the premises considered of the contrarie affectation of religion in the state one way and the occasion giuen another way forcibly in all humane policie moouing our aduersaries to haue left nothing vndone for securing of themselues from those dangers they sawe hang eminent ouer their heads They say besides this that I haue renounced or denied the said booke to be mine that we are at contention amongst our selues about it and that all the secular and seminarie priests doe dislike and condemne it as much as the Iesuits doe if not more Which notable Iesuiticall deuise setting neuters a worke for this and the like blazons as I said before I answere at one bare word that all this is most false For neither did I neither doe I neither will I euer denie whatsoeuer I haue written concerning that matter And againe neither did neither
regard or esteeme to be had of him aboue a Seminarie or secular Priest or no. Thirdly the authoritie of the See Apostolike is here made doubt of sci whether the Priests might lawfully appeale from this mock-powerable audacious blind authority of the Ies Archpriest or no. Fourthly the inextinguible inexpugnable indelible vertue of the sacraments of Christs church is here weakned and made scruple of scil whether it be of equall force and validity in a secular Priest as in a Iesuit c. Fiftly the temporall state and common-wealth of this land especially all Catholike subiects vnder her Maiesty are indangered by running of the Iesuits fatall course as hereafter shall be proued Sixtly the innocent laitie of the simpler but well meaning harts are already seduced by the Iesuits factioÌ„ moe will be nay vtterly ouerthrown and led away in errour aswell against the Catholike church as their natiue countrie and common wealth if the seculars let the play fall and now sleep in silence Seuenthly the life maners good name all that is in priesthood in religion in conscience to be respected stands now vpon to be tried betwixt the Iesuits and the seculars Therefore I say that for these and many other waighty reasons they ought in bounden dutie to prosecute so laudable memorable and spiritually heroicall an act begun to the vttermost and nothing to doubt of aiders throughout all parts of Christendom to assist theÌ„ to the pulling downe of these seditious Templarian Iesuiticall sectaries THE VIII ARTICLE VVHether then is not the former charity zeale feruor of Catholikes on all sides much hindred by these vnsauorie contentions or no how it comes and whether the like haue euer bene before amongst Catholike Priests THE ANSWERE FIrst whosoeuer was Catholike a 20. yeares or but 16. yeares agone about which time there was a muttering of this Allobrogical gouernmeÌ„t of Fa. Westons my selfe being one though minimus fratrum meorum of 22. Seminarie Priests and so many moe of the Catholike laitie of honorable worshipfull and meaner calling all prisoners together in the Marshalseas he should there haue seene so palpable a difference betwixt the loose Catholikes that were then the strictest that are now as the first might haue bene patterns of pietie to the second for all religious charitable and Catholike actions Secondly no question there is in it but that the like contentioÌ„s haue bene in Gods church heretofore and will be to the worlds end otherwise could not the church Catholike be called militant here on earth nor be fitly coÌ„pared to a ship tossed vpon the sea one while in danger of sinking another while of splitting and then again of running vpon some rock or on ground and still interchangeably fleeting betwixt stormes and calmes nor yet parabolized with a net cast into the sea gathering containing in it all kinds of fish and frie or with new sowne seed which growing vp is intermixed with weeds Thirdly although it be rather to be accounted of as a miracle that all this while there hath not then to hold it as a scandale that now there hath fallen out such coÌ„tentions amongst Gods seruants Priests seeing that in heauen and that in a second instant of time or third of angelicall existence there was high ambition in paradise and that as some learned Diuines do hold within 3. houres space there was too much curiositie in the Apostles schoole and that within 3. yeres space there was too deep emulation contention auarice and treason wrought against the supreame Maiestie What should I say more if in the Catholike Roman church and Apostolicall chaire of Peter there haue bene already 23. schismes past although then no wonder to heare see the like contentions to these of ours yet that the first brochers of any such went away scotfree it was neuer yet heard of without a curse as Lucifer as the serpent as Iudas or else that they were the beginners of some new heresie or other in the end as Nicholas as Arius as Donatus as Nouatus all as rare men as great shew of zeale in theÌ„ as Catholikly bent and as many deuout graue and learned men to side with them at the first as either Fa. Parsons or Maist Blackwel hath Fourthly it is cleare that the Iesuits contempt of priesthood and irreligious doctrine was and is the originall cause before God and man of the decay of charitie piety and deuotion And therefore wo to the first brochers of these mischiefes Sed nunquid in aeternum irascetur Deus no God forbid THE IX ARTICLE VVHether then all religious zeale being turned into temporized platformes to cast omnia pro tempore nihil pro veritate all Christian charitie counterfetted all iustice violated all pietie decayed and gone and that spirit of humilitie innocencie and simplicitie of heart which earst was in the late Primitiues of English Catholikes being lost expelled and almost quite extinct amongst vs. Is it not the cause of withholding others that would come into Gods church or is it no let at all and if it be then by whose meanes THE ANSWERE IT is questionlesse the hinderance to some and rock of scandale to many that otherwise wold be members visibly of the Catholike church militaÌ„t on earth though not one soule is nor can be kept out thereby that is of God chosen though to vs vnknowne to be of the same church triumphant in excelsis and all this by the slie deuises and Machiuilean practises of the Iesuits as is manifest First for that sundrie Schismatickes and well willers to the Catholike church and religion standing out hitherto vpon worldly respects as being more prudent in their mundane muddy generations said our Sauiour then the children of light and feares of losses troubles and the like are now brought into a fooles paradise of conceit that they are in a better state or at least more secure for the time then those that are alreadie catholike Recusants by reason of these daungerous contentions they heare of to be betwixt the secular cleargie and this should be Monasticall now mock-religious whilst the Catholike laitie following the parts of this and that faction contend with Ego sum Pauli ego Apollo for a supremacie And thus thinke worldlings to haue a good excuse to hold out and so be of neither side but be as neuters or impersonals in terra Secondly amongst many Atheall Paradoxes taught in the Iesuits conclaue or close conuenticles I remember an honorable person and Lord of high degree It was a flat Atheall doctrine secretly taught in Scotland where these three things are common to eate flesh as company occasioneth to reade al kind of bookes indifferently and to go to the masse in the forenoone and to a Puritans serâ—on the afternoone All 3. acts indispensable of the Pope himselfe respecting persons time and place once obiecting vnto me that the Seminary Priests were too scrupulous nice and precise in state cases of conscience said that herein the Iesuits
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
few Often and often againe must the Iesuites arrogancie and deceitful dealings in euery action transforming themselues into Angels of light be made knowne to the world and inculcated into the simple and some wilfully blinded ignorant peoples heads that will beleeue any thing they fable of against any secular Priest whosoeuer be he Seminarie Bishop Card. or Pope yet will beleeue nothing on the contrarie writteÌ„ or spoken by any whosoeuer against theÌ„ though the affirmer or apellant will euer seale it with his bloud which blind drowsie coÌ„ceit of many doth argue some horrible monster to be in breeding amongst them whom sundry of their fautor will honour as a God Otherwise sure they would neuer be so besotted as to thinke but that a religious man may be exorbitant a wise man forget himselfe a bad liuer creepe into fauor and so Fa. Parsons to be familiar with Princes and yet a starke c. For what greater meanes to worke mischiefe theÌ„ wit and fauor what sooner deceiueth and longer cloaketh deceit then a religious habite vpon a lewd person when doth the Wolfe rauine more cruelly then when he is cloathed in a sheepes skin And when did euer any heresie arise but vnder zealous pretence at the first of the churches aduancement Then seeing a veluet hearse may couer a vile and stinking hide a noysome action abuse an innocent meane and a religious yea and that truly a holy and blessed order and habite be abused by bâ—â— persons irreligiously liuing in it Let none hereafter be seduced with outward signs of religious pietie where apparant verities are of iniquity the common lawes must be wholly annihilated abolished and troden down vnder foot and Caesars ciuill Imperials brought in amongest vs and sway for a time in their places All whatsoeuer England yeelds being but base barbarous and void of all sense knowledge or discretion shewed in the first founders and legisers and on the other side all whatsoeuer is or shall be brought in by those outcasts of Moses staine of Solon and refuse of Licurgus must be reputed for Metaphisicall semie Diuine and of more excellencie then the other were The fift statute there made was concerning calumniation not much vnlike that statute of Association I meane in Father Parsons sense as he in Greencoate makes it seeme to haue bene put in at the procurement of the Earle of Leicester or like the Proclamation he there talkes of to haue bene made by his Lordships procurement against talkers of such great mens doings as he was whilst be himselfe might calumniate and call in question whom he pleased And so conformably hereunto doth this Iesuiticall act of detraction or statute of calumniation tend scil to bar all men from speaking of Fa. Parsons that blessed liue Saint or any other Iesuit whosoeuer they being such rare men as neither are their actions to be sifted canuassed or discountenanced by any secular Priest whosoeuer perhaps the Pope excepted if he keepe silence and seeme not to dislike of theÌ„ which if he do not haue at him amongst the rest with heaue and hoe rumbelow neither can it be otherwise thought of but as an act and signe of an euill spirit and vnsound in religion for any one that dare take that course they being religious men nay Iesuits and Fa. Parsons of all the rest the rarest wise man of our nation most familiar with Princes admired at in Spaine reuerenced in Italy only hated in England which is a sufficient argument of his integritie a manifest token of their euill affection to the Catholike church and religion that talke against him This collusion of Iesuiticall sanctitie caused a prouiso in the foresaid statute that whosoeuer did offend a Iesuit or speake against this high councell of Reformation it should be lawfull for the Fathers or their Syn-odicall ministers to defame destract and calumniate him or her at their pleasure be who they shall be Noble Peere or Prince Bishop Cardinall or the Pope himselfe For which cause and for the better vnderstanding of the said statute they hold two propositions one is that detraction is lawfull in generall and so was it practised at Wisbich by a Iesuit affirming that there were so many and grieuous enormities there committed amongst the prisoners that Fa. Weston and his adherents were constrained to separate themselues from the other Priests and being charged to name some particulars or if he could not he was to be reckned of for an iniurious calumniator so therein to haue offended greatly in slaundering the whole house he answered nay my words were generall and therefore I offended none Another proposition is for particulars scil that whatsoeuer particular person be he priuate or publike and that eminent or a chiefe is directly bent against them they neuer must leaue him but calumniate slaunder and inuent new matter against him to death Thus did they calumniate Doctor Gifford and maligne him to this day a man of good desert and of as many good parts abilities and graces as euer past the seas in this age and hath not his better if any be his equall of any English man beyond the English Ocean now aliue This reuerend Priest then for that he did not admire these monsters nor applaud with Panigeries of praises to their worthlesse designments for in very deede they had no other cause to calumniate or dislike him they presently deuised sundrie most vile and vniust calumniations against him They defamed him in England for a sower of sedition an informer against the Iesuits and an exhibiter of the Memoriall to the Pope They procured him to be examined before the Nuncio in the Low countries and failing of their purpose that way the Nuncio after long delaies affirming in plaine termes that he was wronged one Fa. Baldwin a turbulent fellow of a Belial breede dealt with the Nuncio for a generall pacification remission on all sides and Fa. Baldwin in the name of Father Parsons and all the Iesuits asked him forgiuenesse So shamelesse are the Iesuits as the very pulpits are prophaned by them wheÌ„ it stands them vpon to maintaine their reputation per fas aut â—efas they care not how nor what tyrannie they commit against any as poore Fisher if aliue can witnesse whom some say they sent to the Galleys at Naples after they had got what from him as they cold where he remained a galley slaue euer after and so is full if aliue or not murdered as it is lately reporâ—â—d by Parsons meanes in his way to Naples and the Doctor for his owne part for ciuilitie sake performing asmuch with this addition if he had offended any of them Which being done and the Nuncio commanding them both to be secret of what had past in fauour indeed of the Iesuits yet Father Baldwin gaue it out in a glorious sort that the Doctor had asked Father Parsons the Iesuits forgiuenesse and thereby to disgrace him a new and to make their former
bestowed that silly simple man if the Spaniard had preuailed in the yeare 88. For to haue made him onely a Pater minister they could not with honestie because he was then a Cardinall and to haue made him Archbishop of Canterbury or Yorke or Bishop of London these were all too high places for him as not a man of sufficiencie to gouerne or deale in such affaires as these places did require And againe the Spaniards should haue bene our Bishops for a time and the English Iesuits their Interpreters So as it was a very difficult and doubtfull case what should haue become of the poore Cardinall till at length considering he could not liue long they determined to haue bestowed some of the meanest Bishoprikes in the land vpon him as Carlile or some such like Sed parturiant montes nascetur ridiculus mus all turned to a iest there was no such matter THE III. ARTICLE VVHether then do the Iesuits intend in that case the preferment of any temporall person seeing they intend no secular of England or not in the temporall state THE ANSWER THey do questionlesse intend it for the preferment of some for a while at the first otherwise they had no pollicy in them for I doubt not of their ingratitude further then to serue their turnes withall First for that some of their greatest aduersaries of the temporall Lords as the Lord Dacre c. are no way to be bearded out but by their ioyning with some such honourable persons as may and will make the Iesuites quarrell theirs against him for their owne aduantage Secondly for that it cannot otherwise be but that there are many secret promises with bonds vowes and protestations deepely made of sundry great and high preferments to those that now are sticklers for them Thirdly for that they haue receiued large summes of sundry great persons alreadie and therefore must repay them vpon other mens lands c. Fourthly for that they are not able to win nor yet keepe this so mighty a Monarchie but by the ayde of such c. But yet shall none of these be so aduanced but that they shall stand at the Iesuites deuotion as now the Archpriest doth to continue so long and no longer then is for their turne and that they shall be ruled and subiected vnder them THE IIII. ARTICLE WHether then seeing it appeares plaine we shall haue a change if the Iesuits preuaile do they intend a change of gouernement in the Monarchy onely or therewithall in the Vniuersities Innes of Court Chancery and in all other Colledges corporations companies and societies also or do they onely aime at some few chiefe houses c. THE ANSWERE NOw when you talke of societies you make me remember the new buildings in Edenborough called the Colledge or society house of the City where the Puritanes haue many prety orders obseruations and rules set downe amongst them for gouernement not much vnlike the orders of the Iesuits society For all these new illuminates must haue one tricke or other of innouation and singularity in euery thing And so I make no question of it but if the Iesuites preuaile they intend and will turne all things topsie turuie vpside downe sincke shal vp and sice shall vnder a dead man shall rise and do great wonder not so much as the society drinke but shall quite be changed and a lacke what ailes my minnie at me heigh hoe In Parsons high Councell of Reformacion wherein as those report that haue seene it this whole monarchicall Ile containing England Scotland and Ireland is made a Prouince depending vpon Spaine and Iesuitisme all the whole state must be changed as I told you before and the lands and seigniories of Cleargy and Nobility Vniuersities Colledges what not must be altered abridged or taken quite away Yea these popular Francklines great rich farmers or muckle carles of the countrey these Kentish yeomen vntriall Gentlemen the Iesuites officers must be authorised to confiscate certaine houses of speciall note in particular as this ignoble bastard Parsons in his vaine childish but arrogant hope hath already in conceit confiscated Cecill house to be Casa professa and another there by it to be Nouitiatum and so of others all must be changed into noua vitia yea such vices as were neuer heard of before For it is an imagined principle amongst the Iesuits which infatuates them to aduenture credit conscience and all that where they once set footing they must preuaile Vpon which vaine conceit their tormenting and troubling euery nation where they come causeth religiō to be blasphemed neuer any thing prospering in Gods Church where they come haue anie medling or dealing France abounded with Hugonites a kind of Puritanes and was neuer quiet so long as they were there yet now we see the Catholike religion hath maruelously increased since they for their sedition treacheries conspiracies were iustly banished thence How mightily Polonia was pestered and troubled by them it appeares in a booke intituled Equitis Poloni in Iesuitas anno primo Yea the Danskers made it an obiection of not admittance of the Sweden king to be their Soueraigne without condition of expelling the Iesuits from his Court and Counsell what fruite the Indians haue reaped by them the Spaniards shall themselues report it But so it is that by the crueltie of the Iesuits and Spaniards together let them take it betwixt them they are brought into that hatred as there is expected rebellions and reuolts from vnder King Philips allegiance euerie houre The like is of their garboiles in Italy Spaine Germany and other places and for England we haue said inough already all the world seeth it what mischiefe they haue brought and wrought amongst vs. Neither I will warrant shall you heare of one Iesuit that euer will acknowledge himselfe faulty nor say with Ionas Si orta sit haec tempestas propter me proijcite me in mare no it stands not with their lofty humilitie nor Atheall obedience nor Pharisaicall zeale to do so sed ex fructibus eorum cognoscetis eos Name me that nation that euer prospered in those actions wherein the Iesuits dipt their fingers in the fat or had any speciall commoditie or gaine in re or in spe thereby What good haue they done in the Low-countries or in Germany or in Scotland or in any other place where they come Onely this they haue done they come in with gloria patri euery where and vntill they haue like great fawcons or hawkes of the Tower firmely seazed vpon the pray kild at randon wing or souce they proceed forward with filio holding the panting heart fast in their talents for euery puny Iesuit though he be scarse able to say boe to a goose yet must he be as a correlatiue to his admired at holy father his Iesuit predecessor that went before him and so by consequent a rauening bird of pray to make poore foules I should haue sayd silly fooles sweet soules to tremble
Article proposed after so many reasons in confirmation of what I speake with that most famous Vniuersitie of Paris which spite of their malice hath a better authoritie to define of such matters then any Iesuit hath deciding the case to be cleare that the seculars committed neither schisme nor sinne in resisting or but onely indeed not consenting at the first to the Archpriests authority For to say troth they resisted him in nothing but onely of desire to be satisfied sent to Rome liuing in the meane while without willing offence giuen to him or any of his And yet the peeuish felow could not be quiet to suffer thē to winke at him vnlesse they either put out both their eyes or stared him full in the face So hard a matter it is to stay the impotent violence of an ambitious heart where it comes to be in any conceit of neuer before cōceited Soueraigntie And so by consequent seeing they neuer might nor ought to haue accepted of him to gouerne them who knew not how to gouerne himselfe it was an act of iustice in the secular Priests and al others to resist his cousining foisted in banded intruded vsurpate tyrannicall vnnaturall Atheall barbarous mocke authoritie THE V. ARTICLE WHether seeing by the precedent Articles the chiefe daunger for the present incurred by the Archpriest came to Catholikes by this occasiō scil that it was procured from the Pope Sea and Court of Rome and that by a Bull and in such maner as not only a premunire was incurred therby by ancient lawes of this land as before I sayd but also and much more by recent statute lawes there being treason vpon treason committed in this action may then the seculars appeale to the same prohibited court against this Archpriest and these Iesuits and yet be in no danger of a premunire at least by so doing or not THE ANSWER THe case is quite altered in the Iesuites procurement of a Bull for establishing the Archpriests authoritie and the seculars appeale to the same Sea against it vz. First cui enim iniuria fit ei accreuit ius vindictae But the Pope his Holinesse was iniured by their suggestions in obtaining the Bull ergo Secondly the Iesuits in procuring that Bull and authority made it a matter of state in preiudice of regall maiesty But the seculars in appealing made it a matter of conscience thereby to refell infringe and abrogate all such premunireall treachery Thirdly the pretence was made outwardly by the Iesuits to be wholly for matters pertaining to the Catholike Church religion and order in workes of charity piety deuotion c. ergo the seculars approuing the contrarie that they neuer had such a meaning neither did the Archpriest practise any such matter meddle no way in any thing by their appeale whereby a premunire can be incurred no not so much as interpretatiuely Fourthly the Iesuits bolster out and build aswell the intruded vsurpate authority of the Archpriest as also their owne treasonable attempts plots and practises vpon the sayd Bull and his Holinesse authority ergo none other to appeale vnto for iustice against them Fiftly the seculars by their appeale clearly exempt redeeme and keepe out themselues from acknowledging any obedience to that already premunirized Archpriest and by consequent from all danger of incurring a premunire Sixtly they labour by their appeale for security to her Maiesties person for quiet to the State for auoidance of all inuasions for cutting off all conspiracies State tamperings exasperating libels c. and for an assurance of relaxation and freedome from their heauie persecution procured by the Iesuits against them aswell by false suggestions to his Holinesse as also by stirring vp other Princes against our Soueraigne and nation and thereby bringing warres and feares vpon all and hart-breaking frownes to be cast vpon the innocent ergo so cleare and farre from all danger of any offence committed by appealing from the Archpriest to the Sea of Rome as most dangerous vniust vnnatural indiscrete irreligious preiudicial to all both Pope Prince Church common-wealth and all estates if they had not appealed but let the matter lye dead in discontent obloquy and danger of forest trials THE VI. ARTICLE VVHether any daunger for the appellants to side wholly with the Archpriest hereafter by making a generall peace vpon his assurance made and giuen of a non partiality hereafter and so let the appeale faile and the pursuite cease or not THE ANSWER IN two cases it were no danger but a happy yeeld to the great content comfort and quiet of many a deuout soule whose tender harts lye a bleeding to heare and see into what pickle we all are brought by the wicked Iesuits seditious brables broiles made and raised amongst vs. The one case were thus if that his Holinesse her Maiesty and the whole realme wherein I take partē meliorem pro toto excluding all Iesuited or Puritanized neither of which will euer like of or consent to any good that to our whole nation in this case would be should make a generall attonement league and peace together vpō such conditions as in their sacred wisdomes princely prudence should seeme meete with mutuall consent to expell and call all the Iesuits and other seditious persons out of the land or otherwise to haue iustice done vpon thē where they shall be taken The other case might be this to wit If the Archpriest could wold cleare himselfe shake off these turbulent Iesuits and vtterly renouncing them their counsell aduice and company sticke fast hereafter to the seculars which as it were his best and surest way to deale for his owne quiet safety and security both of body and soule letting passe these brablings medlings in matters aboue his reach thrust vpon him by the Iesuits of purpose to make a gull a stale a laughing-stocke and but an officious instrument of him to serue their turne withall so if the vaine conceit of honor to be of due right belonging vnto him by his place office and title of Archpresbitery do still second his former course in proceeding against the seculars on the Iesuits behalfe then may there no condition be admitted of by the appealants for peace with him and them but with the indangering of themselues to incurre a Premunire and be in the same state wherein the sayd Archpriest and all that seditious faction now stand which is to be all hanged for traytors if the lawes be suffered to passe against them as now they are and as the case stands Yea the seculars by putting vp the matter with a colourable peace betwixt them and the Archpriest before any order set downe by his Holinesse for courbing the insolencie of the Iesuits would be preiudiciall not onely to themselues but also to his Holinesse on whom they will vndoubtedly father all their wicked practises hereafter and so by consequent this yeeld would also turne to the preiudice of the Catholike Church the common-wealth of this land and
cause so hereafter also being stopt as if it be possible no doubt he shall from euer comming to know the sum of the seculars appeale he may no doubt both erre and be partiall therein THE X. ARTICLE VVHether seeing the Pope may without preiudice be sayd to be partial vpon wrong information giuen without hearing what the plaintife hath to say and thereupon iudging secundum allegata probata may also excommunicate c. the innocent and set the guilty free if any excoÌ„munication then should be gotten vtcunque against all the seculars and others that resist the Archpriest commanding all to side with the Iesuits either on the Spanish or any other inuadors behalfe or admit which is impossible scil that the Iesuits and Archpriest had right on their side in the pretended authoritie of and for maister Blackwell and that thereupon for the disobedience and contempt as the Iesuits tearme it the sayd seculars should be suspended with losse of all faculties c. And further hauing thus farre preuailed against them and that iustly as in the case proposed we must imagine If then and from thencefoorth an excommunication suspension interdiction or other Ecclesiasticall censure shold passe conceptis verbis from the Sea Apostolike with generall consent of the Cardinals or procurement of the greater part of them on the Archpriest and Iesuits behalfe against all their opposites in whatsoeuer were it to be obeyed or not or if it were in what sort and whether vsque ad aras or how farre c. THE ANSWER IN this Article are many crosse Interrogatories as scil First whether if an excommunication should be procured on the behalfe of an inuador as questionlesse it will if the Iesuits and Archpriest preuaile and as assuredly it will be stopt if the seculars may haue audience against all that should aide our Soueraigne and natiue countrey The point of forraigne conquest and inuasion vnder colour of restoring religion toucheth all English Catholikes as neare in effect for their liues as it doth the Protestants And by consequent both Catholiks Protestants haue iust cause to beare with and defend the one the other in these temporall and morall matters against the Iesuites and Puritanes who onely seeke to stir rebellions of subiects against their Soueraignes and vrge conquests inuasions of forreiners against their countrey both of them vnder colour of religion to cast a combustion mixt of sâ—te famine and sword vpon our countrey without sparing of any man woman or child as the doctrines and proceedings of both make it manifest that no Protestants life shall be saued if the Puritanes preuaileâ— nor any Catholike if the Iesuits preuaile yea questionlesse the Protestants shall sooner go to the pot then the Catholikes if the Puritanes preuaile and the Catholikes sooner then the Protestants if the Iesuites though in conclusion neither shal be fauoured not spared And this was plaine by the Duke of Medinaes words who being told that there were diuerse Catholikes in England answered I care not I will make the best Protestants in England as good Catholikes as they if once I have them vnder my sword c. This hath he spoken often in the hearing of maister Wencelâ—de a Deuonshire man and others So as this and other intelligences had of the Iesuitical deuotion and Spanish fauors towards our nation and vs Catholikes doth manifest their pretence of religion to be a bloudy presage of a massacring intended conquest were it to be obeyed or not the inuadour comming with hostile power vnder colour and pretence of restoring the Catholicke faith and religion in this land And to this I answere that it were not to be obeyed For that although euerie Catholike be bound to receiue succour releeue and aide to his power any one that should absolutely without any further intent come to restore plant and confirme the Catholike faith and religion in this land yet because intentio perficit actum and as I sayd in another Quodlibet before that act which in it selfe is good may both by circumstance and intention be made naught And further for that mans iudgement in humane actions whiles he liues vnder a mortall sword comes by senses obiects which are externall vt sonus obiectum auditus color visus c. and for that the outward obiect moues the inward sense then that outward presents it to the inward phantasie and imagination of man called sensus internus and that againe by office brings it into the Court of reason which reason reflecting vpon the primarie obiect iudgeth ex cognitione sensibili de intelligibili obiecto and so we say that Sacramentum est visibile signum inuisibilis gratiae Hereupon it cometh â—hat be the protestations neuer so great to the contrary morally without approuing the intention to be good by miracle yet if the externall signes be such as they implicate a contradiction verbi gratia as he that shold cast a fire-ball into a house yet protest he intended not to burne it or shoot off a peece at his supposed friend charged with powder bullet pellet or shot yet intended not to kill him or violentlie vrge and force a yeeld to rape yet protest his intention was onlie to trie that woman but not to rauish her no man will beleeue him And so in the case proposed the old Lord Mountacute of worthie memorie Sir Anthony Browne Vicount Montacute gaue a no lesse catholike then loyall answere to the like question saying to this effect That if the Pope himselfe should come in with crosse key and gospell in his hand he would be readie with the first to run vnto his holines to cast himselfe downe at his feete to offer his seruice vnto him in all humblenes of hart and what not to shew himselfe a dutifull childe But if in steede of comming in solemne procession with crosse booke praiers and preaching he should come in a sounding royall march with heralds of armes into banners of blood displaied trumpets alarum pikes harquebuse and men of armes all marshald in rankes set in battell aray then would he be the first man in the field armed at all points to resist him in the face with al his might and power he were able to make and what not would he doe to shew himselfe a dutifull subiect naturalized in an English soile on that behalfe To the like end did his brother in law the euer honorable Dacre his words tend euen in the middest of his prince and countries enimies And the same should be euery true catholike English mans resolution For let the colour pretence and protestation be whatsoeuer it be may yet for that one and the same person may come as an Apostle of Christ or knight of Mars and that the markes for others to know him by which of these two he is are not his intentions protestations or meaning but the signes and tokens he brings with him together with the manner of his outward actions and proceedings we iudging as
or otherwise left in the Church dictante spiritu sancto therefore called the Law diuine bicause it is of diuine institutioÌ„ Though in very deed the law primary of reason depending vpon synderisis the Law diuine or of God relatione ad creaturas and also the Law of nature be often taken for all one vpon which coniunctions diuisions and distinctions I haue treated at large in the answere to the first part of Parsons Doleman and therefore thereupon we will not now stand Onely this is inough to know for the present that all humane lawes are subordinate to natures Lawe and natures Lawes to the Lawe Primary of God himselfe which we call Diuina voluntas or the aeternall Lawe and by consequent the legifers of the same lawes are so subordinate one vnder an other as when a case comes once to the highest Legifer on earth there is thence no further appeale to be made but all wholy left to Gods iust iudgements Primam enim sedem nemo iudicare potest Out of these grounds then I gather these corolaries First that the Popes excommunication c. for any matters vnder his Pontificall iurisdiction and power although vniustly inflicted were to be obeied in not ministring nor receiuing of any Sacrament vntill the party were absolued c. Secondly that no excommunication can stoppe any man from seeking of iustice Thirdly that no excommunication of his for disobedience to his holinesse selfe in things commanded by him contra ius diuinum vel naturae doth or can take place either in foro conscientiae vel ecclesiae bicause these lawes and legifers are aboue him and his law Fourthly that master Blackwell and his Iesuits with all those of their faction are ipso facto thought to be excommunicated for vsurping the Popes authoritie c. Fiftly that he can debarre no man froÌ„ appealing to the Sea apostolike for any cause whatsoeuer the worst being the appellants if the cause be naught as thereby incurring sometimes an excommunication suspencion c. Sixtly that it is meere calumniation falshood and slander for that seditious faction to giue out that any one of the Catholikes are excommunicated Seuenthly that neither he nor any Iesuite in England dare for their liues stande to it to affirme that all or any of the appellants are excommunicated for that action Eightly that he is a flat antipope in presuming to command any not to seeke for iustice against him to the Sea apostolike and the like is for his and his Iesuiticall faction in their extreame arrogancy in blazing it abroad that it is an act of disobedience contempt c. Ninthly that no such authority can be giuen him as to command any to obey him in all things Tenthly that not the Pope himselfe can command any in and by such generall termes of obedience in all things Eleuenthly that if the seculars had beene iustly excommunicated for any matter depending vpon the appeale it had and ought to haue holden still hanging the same appeale bicause no dispensation can be granted where the partie is bent to continue in that state for the prosecuting whereof the excommunication suspencion c. past against him Twelfthly that if the seculars had beene excommunicated for any other matter independent vpon the appeale there is not a priest in England almost but hath authority to absolue him and so doth it shew the malice of the Iesuits to be so much greater seeing no such thing but that if it were yet an absolution did free them againe they notwithstanding doe driue conceits into the peoples harts as though they remained still in a damnable state which is as much to say as they cannot be absolued the grossest absurdity and greatest impiety that euer was heard of euery one seeing and knowing that the greatest heretike that is may be absolued and restored to his former state againe And therefore they denying this benefite to a Catholike priest shew themselues flat vsurpers as before and a woorse thing besides 13. That there is no question to be made of it but if it be possible the Iesuits will procure an excommunication against the seculars to confirme their former false reports and slanders that they were excommunicated c. before 14. That no excommunication on the inuadors behalfe doth bind any man to take his part against his prince and countrey 15. That to this day was there neuer any excommunication suspencion interdiction c. gotten from the Sea of Rome and denounced against any Prince person common-weath or other state on the behalfe of any one ceteris paribus like to this procured already by the Iesuiticall faction against their Prince and countrey on the behalfe of Spainiards 16. That as the prudent Greeke appealed from Alexander furious to Alexander sober and bishop Crostate from Pope Adrian priuate to Pope Adrian publike and as Summus pontifex in cathedra Petri so may the seculars notwithstanding any decree set downe by his holinesse to the contrary by wrong information giuen appeale euen from the Pope as Clement vnto his holinesse as Peter on their owne and their Prince and countries behalfe THE ARGVMENT OF THE SEVENTH GENERAL QVODLIBET THe reasons alledged in the last Quodlibet against the mischieuous plots and practises aswell in esse as intended by the Iesuiticall intruded authoritie of Blackwels vsurpate Archpresbytery ministreth occasion to speake in this place of matters concerning aswell the seculars as the Iesuits proceedings with and on the behalfe of the catholike Church and common-welth Of which subiect there are two distinct Quodlibets occurring fitly to our purpose to be discussed and reasoned of and both of them tend to one end but by a diuersitie of plots casting in the way and manner of progresse to the thing they ayme at on both sides And therefore shall the first be a Quodlibet of plots by religion that is in what sort and how farre both seculars and Iesuits do and may deale on the behalfe of Gods church for conuersion of their countrey and re-establishing of the catholike faith and religion The other generall Quodlibet shall be of State affaires as how they either do or may meddle therein on the behalfe of their countrey pretending religion as the ground of all the controuersie THE SEVENTH GENERALL QVODLIBET OF PLOTS by Religion THE I. ARTICLE VVHether the seculars or Iesuits seeke more soundly the conuersion of their countrey from all schisme and heresie THE ANSWERE IT is without all question the seculars seeke it more soundly sincerely religiously and Apostlelikely pêª for that the seculars take the very direct course that our Sauior Christ left for and to all his apostles to imitate scil First to seeke the conuersion of soules by preaching and teaching and good example giuing by word and action Secondly by doing all things gratis taking onely things necessary for their maintenance and relieuing of their present wants Thirdly not fishing after vnlawfull gaines to inrich themselues by couine and hypocrisie or other meanes Fourthly
told you before when he was so vehement against the peace in speech to haue beene betwixt her Maiestie and the king of Spaine in that league with Fraunce c. And did not the same tend to the same effect in France when one saide I pray God it be for good that this peace is made betwixt Spaine and Fraunce an other the king of Fraunce is but a dissembler and neuer meant nor wil meane well to the catholike church or setting vp of religion and an other that he was a reprobate of God forsaken and therefore made but shew of religion for a time to intrap the catholike more cunningly thereby And euen so say they heere in England that this extraordinary fauour granted to some in speciall is but to intrappe all in generall to get out the number of concealed catholiks by this meanes and to take aduantages of I cannot tell you what nor they much lesse haue any reason to imagine what they malitiously babble of As though the number of catholiks yea and of those that are catholike affected were not known in euery shire citie towne and parish throughout England ere euer any of those fauors were shewed or as though there neede any fitter speedier or more assured meanes to intrap whom they please then are already and of long time haue beene vsed by spies searches and other meanes or finally as though fauour in mitigation were as dangerous as rigour in execution of iustice or inflicting of punishments ordained by lawes already made of no lesse force then to take away the liues of what catholike soeuer they please if extremitie were shewed against them according to the statutes as now our ticklish state by meanes of these Iesuiticall conspiracies stands Therefore still say I and euery day will pray for it on my knees in my best poore deuotions God of his mercy send vs peace that we may liue without feare of seruing our Lord God in any the closest manner secretly in our chambers And further it is to be both wished and praied for that God may mooue First his Holines hart to call these seditions out from amongst vs who hinder of meere spite pride and enuie all good acts done by any that are not theirs Secondly then her Maiestie and honorable Counsell to looke vpon our miseries not to impute to the innocent these malignant speeches of the Iesuits in preiudicial iealousies suspicions had of this greatly and onely hoped for fauour to ease languishing harts with all Thirdly and last of all the deuout catholike laitie that they may no longer be blinded with the workers of their woes such as they may see daily more and more Quaere quae sunt deorsum non quae sunt sursum and care not what miserie danger persecution or other affliction any or all the catholikes in England suffer so their turnes may be serued thereby THE VI. ARTICLE WHether then if no danger can possiblie come to those that side with the seculars in labouring for this generall good ease and safetie of and to all catholikes or schismatikes that would be catholikes but for feare of imprisonment losse of lands and goods and life it selfe or other sharpe punishments ordeined to be inflicted vpon catholike Recusants by penall lawes can any danger come to the countrey to such either catholike or schismatike as either ioyne or at least seeme to fauour the Iesuits more then the seculars and speake all wholly on their behalfe against the other partie or if they stand neuters and indifferents to both yet refuse either to subscribe to the generall appeale on their Prince their countrey their owne and the seculars behalfe or to be Vmpiers in the matter for the conditions to be agreed vpon betwixt her Maiesties honorable assignes on the one side and the catholikes her loyall subiects suppliants on the other side or otherwise deny their consent yeeld and concurrence to the furtherance of this so gracious and in very deede miraculous incline of her Maiestie and honorable Counsell to mitigate our generall heauy persecution and affliction or how stands or is like to stand the case with such as refuse in the premisses THE ANSWERE MIght it be without offence to exemplate out of Parsons Philopater by what meanes the change of religion came I could descrie the coast by colour of the sand and set you downe the case cleere and easie to be vnderstood of euery one But letting former examples passe I say no more thereof then this that be you fully perswaded and assured what bribes can worke what gifts can winne what women can mooue and none more potent in moouing then they said Parsons in Greenecote what lying can deceiue in what impudency can face what flattery can allure to what promises can intice to what hope can vrge what protestations can perswade to what wit can inuent to hinder all furtherance aide consent or good liking to be had of this fauour to be shewed that same shall not be wanting to the vttermost But yet this withall will I giue them to weerds that those who are now furthest of from liking or consenting to the seculars in their action shall wish when they cannot helpe it that it had beene neerest them in smothering of them and it both with all their might and so to the diuersly membred article I answere thus diuersly First that these lay catholiks as are eager on the Iesuits or Archpriests behalfe are heereafter in the same predicament of a praemunire treason c. that their good ghostly fathers before spoken of are in Secondly that ere these matters came to light before the appeale was made there was no more danger in following of a Iesuit or the Archpriest then in following a Seminary or other secular priest bicause they were not then discouered the one from the other nor euer should haue beene in those cases if the Iesuits might haue had their wils as the only Scugge buckler and sconce they had to beare off all the blowes that of due right should haue fallen vpon them and not of the innocent seculars which was and is one speciall cause why they labour so mightily to make all bookes written of these matters in discouery of their egregious impietie both against the Church and common-wealth to seeme so odious and to suppresse so much as lieth in them the Printing and if not the Printing yet the reading and if not the reading yet the beleeuing of any thing in them to be true though the authors haue and doe still offer body for body to burne at a stake or hang on the gallowes for triall in auerring or recanting of whatsoeuer in substance hath beene written or spoken against them Thirdly as for neuters or indifferents they do but themselues wrong in causing a iealous conceite perhaps causelesse to be had of them Fourthly for those that refuse to deale being moued to be vmpiers or otherwise to further so good commendable and memorable an enterprise which no doubt
against the Iesuits which euery catholike priest is bound vnto to make things knowne and euery loyall subiect and dutifull childe is to take notice thereof for auoiding their owne danger both of body and soule Therefore must it needs follow that forasmuch as a libell or inuectiue imports a calumniation or slander against any or many publike or priuate persons vpon a special peculiar intent either of reuenge or preferring a priuate faction or action in opposition against a publike cause the matter here handled and the wrong done being no priuate hurt but a publike harme no sole foule danger but a common-wealth damage no indiuiduall action of the person but a specificall or rather genericall faction of the case that is heere in request amongst vs on the behalfe of the catholike church in generall and our natiue countrey togither with all other common-wealths * It may not be left nor accounted of as a libelling against the seditious Iesuits and their priuate faction but turning backe the diuels malice vpon himselfe and their slanders of the innocent vpon their owne heads I conclude that as the relinquishing of the Iesuits for Pharisees and conspirators against God and their countrey as they are were the safest way for all catholikes schismatiks or other of their and the Puritanes fautors so were it also the Iesuits best course to auoide the lande and those pure spirited children of theirs that will come now at no seculars nor much lesse heereafter if they euer depart it were best for them to be packing with them and make triall what will be the end of them both if they delight so much as it seemeth they doe in nouelties and change and when they are all gone and the great new Abbot with them or whether they be all exiled and banished the land or no which were great pittie but they should let them know this that the Church of God hath no neede of any of them and the common-wealth much lesse as both being now so pestered with them as a greater securitie could not come to either state Ecclesiasticall or temporall then to concurre by one consent vtterly to expell them the land And although it greeues my very hart to thinke that so many vertuous and truely sincere catholikes and religious men and women are deluded by their Pharisaicall life so much as greatly it is to be feared because greatly if it happen to be lamented that if they should fall into manifest Apostasie or open rebellion as they are in a great forwardnesse to both or any other execrable error these fondlings would follow them euen into hell mouth spite of priest or pope himselfe so vainly are many perswaded of them Yet false prophets shall they prooue and so let them trust vnto it as a generall receiued veritie of all true catholikes throughout the world and flat heresie to defend the contrary that shall dare presume to affirme the fall and stand of the catholike church faith and religion to depend vpon them No no if euery one of their brokers were a professed Iesuit and euery professed Iesuite a prouinciall ouer a 1000. Rectors and euery Rector had vnder him 10000. ministers and euery minister so many nouices euery nouice a Parsonian spirite and after all this if the prowd gates of infernall dungeons were broken vp and that they had all the helpes out of Stix Corceris and Fligiton that olde satanas Segnior Belzebuh Don Lucifer or Damp. Bemoth could affoord them yet neither should they neither could they euer preuaile against the impregnable rocke which standing post alone would split them all one after another THE VIII ARTICLE VVHether was it of secret intelligence giuen from some of the Lords of the Counsell or did it rise onely of a Iesuiticall Machiuillian deuise that catholikes should haue such a iealousie and feare as many seeme to haue least these proceedings of certaine secular priests against the Iesuits togither with the extraordinary intercourse betwixt them and the State be like to occasionate all the said catholikes ouerthrow heeretofore or not THE ANSWERE IT was spoken of late as from a Lady of high renowne to one of her women in her bed chamber but I will not say the Countesse spoke it because her woman not her Lady was Iesuited and therefore likely to be a plot of her ghostly fathers fathered vpon her honorable Mistres that neither her Maiestie nor the Lords of her Highnesse honorable Counsell ment any more good or scant so much to the seculars as to the Iesuits but only for the time present to get out of the seculars being but simple men what they coulde by this meanes and first set them forward to worke out the Iesuits and then to picke a quarrell at the saide seculars to make them all away c. Which wordes smell so ranke of a Iesuiticall breth as they can not be imagined to come of any other spirite First for the great indignitie included in them to regall Maiesty especially against our dread Soueraigne and honorable Counsell as to impute vnto them so cruell and neuer heard of the like tyranny to massacre the innocent who labouring wholy for her Maiesties realmes safety desire nothing to themselues but an abiect quiet in a frownd on state Secondly for the accustomed arrogancie of a Iesuiticall spirite in that in contempt of priesthood and all seculars they would impute this danger to come as their manner is by reason of the seculars want of experience c. Thirdly be it so as it were too to preiudiciall presumptuous and saucie a part for any subiect especially liuing in like to this of our frownd on state to cause any such iealousie to be had of their Soueraigne and honorable Counsel that no good were ment but hard measure intended to be offred to the innocent by shedding of guiltlesse bloud adding affliction to affliction and so increasing all our miseries by this small comfort of liberty graunted to some few particulars yet three commodities would ensue heereof which now we al do want one is that we should then suffer but one kinde of persecution whereas now we suffer two at once the Iesuits tongue torments being more cruel and heauie vnto vs then our aduersaries racks ropes or Tiburne tippets an other is that if we may by meanes of his holinesse commaund get riddance of the Iesuits hence out of the land and an absolute confinde libertie granted to all catholike prisoners we should not then feare to die of famine which now many are very like shortly to die of vnlesse her Maiestie take pittie of them euen of her innate princely disposition and of her meere mercy all that be in Framlingham castel readie to starue already as receiuing no maintenance nor reliefe of the common beneuolence And a third but not the least is an assured hope that by such a means al should die glorious martyrs as freed from those factious seditions and trayterous dispositions wherewith Parsons that traitor attainted hath
for contempt of all authoritie power and soueraigntie in regall maiestie Whereupon entring into a new league of confederacie that from thencefoorth they would neuer come at the Queene though she sent for them without consent of their companie they animated their faction to be alwaies readie and to stand vpon their guarde They gaue their Queene the lie diuers times and vsed her with most despitefull speeches They sawcily termed her part a faction euen iust in all things like to the Iesuiticall proceeding and renouncing their obedience vnto her protested that whosoeuer should take her part should be punished as a traitor whensoeuer God should put the sword of iustice into their hands They consulted with Wilcocke Knox and other ministers for deposing of the Queene regent from her gouernment who assuring the rest that it was lawfull for them so to doe processe was made sentence was giuen and her highnes was depriued of all regiment by a formall act set downe in the same storie penned by Knox and printed in part afterward here in England Sixtly another most grosse antistatisticall principle of theirs is that they of their exorbitant word and authoritie might call a parliament and enact what they pleased without consent of king Queene or other state Whereupon holding a mocke parliament ann Dom. 1560. by consent of the French king and their Queene his wife they forsooth therein reformed religion and set out a confession of the Christian faith And vpon intelligence giuen to the said king and Queene denied to confirme or ratifie the actes thereof being mooued thereunto the confederates answered We little said they regard it for all that we did was rather to shew our dutifull obedience then to beg of them any strength to our religion And when it was obiected that it could not be a lawfull parliament where there was neither scepter crowne nor sword borne They made light of it saying that these were rather pompous and glorious vaine ceremonies then any substantiall points of necessitie required to a lawfull parliament Thus much for their principles of practise Now for their doctrine of statizing the principles are also of like condition whereof these are chiefe scil First that reformation of religion belongeth to the commonaltie Secondly that the commonaltie by their power may bridle the cruell beasts to vse that beast Knox his words the priests Thirdly that the commonaltie if the king be negligent may iustly prouide themselues of true preachers and maintaine and defend them against all that doe persecute them and withall deteine the profit of the Church liuings from the other sort Fourthly the commonaltie and nobilitie ought to reforme religion and in that case may remooue from honor and punish such as God hath condemned he meaneth idolaters in the Deuteronomicall law of what estate condition or honor soeuer Fiftly it is not birth-right onely nor propinquitie of blood that maketh a king lawfully to raigne aboue a people professing Christ Iesus Sixtly if princes be tyrants against God and his truth their subiects are freed from their othes of obedience Seuenthly the people are better then their king and of greater authoritie Eightly the people haue right to bestow the crowne at their pleasure Ninthly the making of lawes belongs to the people and kings are but as Masters of the Roles Tabulariorum custodes Tenthly the people haue the same power ouer the king that the king hath ouer any one person Eleuenthly it were good that rewardes were appointed by the people for such as should kill tyrants as commonly there is for those qui lupos aut vrsos occiderunt aut catulos eorum deprehenderunt saith Buchan de iure regni Twelftly the people may arraigne their princes Thirteenthly the ministers may excommunicate the king Fourteenthly he that by excommunication is cast into hell is not woorthy to inioy any life vpon earth c. There are an hundred twise told of the like statisticall principles and practises to be collected out of Caluine of Beza of Buchanan of Hotaman of Vrsin as he commeth out from Newstad vindici contra tyrannos and of other puritan ministers of the consistoriall tribe fitly agreeing to the Iesuitical platforme in their high councels of reformation and other writings All which are such matters of state indeed as no true subiect can deale in allowing of them but is a ranke traitor for his paines THE II. ARTICLE VVHether the seculars doe or may preiudice the crowne common-wealth or both or either state or gouernment of England ecclesiasticall or temporall by dealing in these affaires now in hand THE ANSWERE NO way possible for them or any other loyall and naturall English subiect to preiudice hurt or offend any either publike or priuate person or body naturall ciuill or politicall dealing as they doe in seeking onely a relaxation of persecution on their owne and the catholiks behalfe and a securitie of state and quiet on the behalfe of their prince and countrie for both which nature conscience loue loyaltie and dutie doe binde them all to pleade as is euident by discourse vpon all the particulars As first for her Maiestie it is a preuention of all dangers to her royall person bicause hereby a singular meanes may in her high wisedome be vsed as well to finde out the puritane as the Iesuiticall faction as also to roote both out of the land by information giuen and discouerie of the one faction on the part of the protestants of the other on the part of the catholikes Secondly for the state present in generall it giueth an assurance that by no word writing or other practise there can be any thing attempted without their priuitie bicause euery one for their owne indemnitie will be ready to reueale it and thereby stop the impotencie of traitors from so attempting for feare of discouerie ere euer it come to acting Thirdly to the Lords temporall or ciuill state there cannot come any thing for them to dislike of as there being nothing desired at their hands by the seculars and other catholikes but onely a good word on their poore distressed countrymens behalfe to her Maiestie that they may be hereafter without feare of losse of life lands or goods or to be sackt ransackt pild and polde as by inferior officers they haue sometimes hitherto been And that the penall lawes for paiment of money for their recusancie may so be tempered as both her loyall catholike subiects may be able to liue her Maiesties cofers more inriched their seruice done with more alacritie to her Highnes in time of neede and all better appointed and able to performe what they take in hand on her royall person and countries behalfe by this meanes Fourthly to the Lords spirituall there can in like sort no inconuenience grow thereby for that there is no suite either made or intended in preiudice of their present incumbencie or hinderance of one farthing they inioy of the ancient catholike church reuenues or abatement of one inch of their honor knowing that the gift of the Bishoprickes in England as well by ancient catholike as also by recent lawes are in the prince to bestow where her Maiestie pleaseth And therfore committing the controuersie of religion succession
England were Catholicks and those of the bloud royall so in esse with all yet were her title as good as the best saith he and by consequent concludes with this bobbe giuen to all our nation that the gift of the crowne of England was in the oldking Catholiks hands who perhaps quoth this patch Parsons may be perswaded as also his sonne the now king may be to the like set to giue ouer his claime and surrender vp his whole interest and right thereunto to his daughter Clara Eugenia Isabella yeelding her aide for atchieuing of the same to her and some such chatholicks Noble as his Maiestie shall thinke fit for a husband to a Lady of so high parentage Who being now the Archduke Albert late Cardinall c. if followeth that he is the Peere must be our Prince by Coruester Parsons designements And seeing he there insinuates as much and that the foresaid Cardinall Allan had dealt with the king of Spaine as he would make the world beleeue to that intent and purpose the case then and therein is cleere that this same booke here mentioned and that Appendix were both of Parsons owne doing as birds of one nest feather and wing hatched by the vnnaturall heate of his ambitious hart Secondly I obserue both heere there that there was great difficultie and doubts put in perswading the king of Spaine to this exploit for the conquest of England and that there was much adoo to draw him vnto it had not the parties mentioned importuned him to our countries ouerthrow Thirdly they account the intended massacre of her Maiestie and of so many thousands of her good subiects as must haue died if the Spaniard had preuailed as before I prooued it vnto you by the words of the Duke of Medina and other testimonies to that purpose a holy and glorious acte and to haue beene vndertaken of an vnspeakeable zeale and pietie c. Loe Nobles and Gentiles you deere catholikes of both sexes and all degrees Medina vowes he will spare none be he or she Catholicke Protestant or whosoeuer this booke affirmes the massacre intended is an acte of zeale what case are you now in if your Soueraigne forsake you also and who shal can or will defend you if she giue you ouer to the persecutor what haue you to say in your owne defence to saue your liues if her highnes draw the sword of iustice and lay it vpon you Truely nothing at all but so many of you as are loyall subiects your religious catholicke consciences reserued being as innocent as ignorant of those practises whereof I dare boldly speake it in the worde of a priest many thousands in England neuer heard of before the publishing of these Quodlibets might iustly haue fed your dying soules with hope of Beati qui persecutionem patiuntur propter iustitiam quoniam ipsorum est regnum caelorum But for other hopes you could haue none Fourthly the false harted Cateline inuolueth all the catholicks that were then beyond the seas in that his most Turkish Iesuitish Puritanian and barbarous designements Fiftly he intangleth such as receiued so great fauors at her Maiesties hands and the state heere as that where by the lawes they might all haue beene put to death they were onely banished Yet notwithstanding he forceth them to become intercessors both for the destruction of her Highnesse and of her kingdome Sixtly what iust cause is heere giuen to her Maiestie and the state of seuere proceeding against all such catholicks as were then beyond the seas when they should come home in that they all sought and thirsted after the blood of their countrey vos iudicate But I hope and in part I know it that the false bastard Iesuits pen when he writ those words did but expresse the traitorous harts of himselfe and some fewe of his consorts and that he hath most egregiously belied many For of the Lord Dacres and sundrie others as well of the cleargie as laitie it is well knowne they were euer most opposite to those traitorous practises and therefore most mightily persecuted by Parsons and his confederates notwithstanding they still helde and do holde out as loyall English subiects vsque ad sanguinem as obedient catholicke children vsque ad aras and as seruiceable in hart to both God and man Pope Prince and to the catholicke Romish church and the English common wealth as soule and body in one person can affoord or faith fealtie religion and loyaltie diuine loue and naturall affection can expect or demaund at their hands And for the rest if any were so sotted and bewitched with Iesuitisme or infected with the Spaniards as I doubt too many were I wish for my owne part euen from the bottome of my poore but resolued catholicke loyall hart so many of them as remaine obstinate with Parsons in that vnnaturall combination faire and well buried in their graues Thus hauing made the first part of the Interrogatory most apparant and manifest I wil now prosecute the answere to the second in as briefe and plaine a method as I may Say then for the present which yet is more then I would willingly put to mainteine the time and our afflicted state considered that his Holinesse and the king of Spaine might lawfully haue taken armes against her Maiestie and this her kingdome our natiue land yet it was shamefull part of father Parsons his companions to be the contriuers or instigators of it as it is to be prooued by many memorable examples agreeing to this purpose scil First out of holy writ it is manifest and apparant that the Iebusites and other inhabitants of the land of behest were permitted there to liue euen after the Israelites had obteined the land as their owne ancient inheritance ergo a forreine people of a natiue broode are not to be by Gods lawes subiected in their natiue soyle by strangers of an alien land Secondly Gregorius magnus when he might haue ridde the parts and coasts of Italy from the tyranny of the Gothes and other sauage peo-people if he would haue intermedled in matters of blood refused so to do accounting it to be a course not fitte for a man of his calling to deale in Thirdly by the lawes customes and practise of all kingdomes such persons as shall machinate and deuise to execute such outragious designements against their prince and countrey haue euer beene iustly condemned and detested of all honest men and good subiects yea and euen of those same princes inuadors or vsurpers that comming to sway the scepter royall of a kingdome by such meanes neuer suffred such traitors to passe vnpunished nor without the iust guerdon of treason deducere canes ad inferos as by sundry examples in the Antiperistasis to Parsons Doleman I haue prooued it true Fourthly it had beene Parsons dutie and so also the dutie of all other priests Iesuits and religious persons to haue praied for her Maiestie and their countrey and by preaching to haue sought the reformation
how iniuriously he hath dealt against his natiue Prince countrey catholike and all his friends and how preiudiciall he hath been in his proiects principles and practises against the See Apostolike and S. Peter by his audacious refusall to take his holinesse for a patterne and sampler to imitate in these his so weightie eminent difficult and dangerous proceedings He being but a poore silly impotent priuate man forbibden latenter euen by his order by his function by his priesthood by his profession by his religion by his calling to vrge or vse any passionate violent exasperating furious course against his Prince and countrey quite contrary to his holinesse direction minde and commission giuen vnto him Who most agreeable to the practise of the tressacred Apostolicall catholike Romane Church as most wise sweete and truly compassionate louing mother hath euer esteemed it the best safest and readiest way to draw and gaine such Princes and common wealthes as are gone astray to the right and true religion by sacrifice prayer teaching preaching good example giuing and that aboue all of obedience to their soueraignes and ciuill magistrates in points of due right belonging to them in such cases yea and patiently to suffer their owne blood to be shed agreeing to the Apostolicall rule for conuersion of countries rather then once to lift vp their eyes with discontent or set downe their pen to paper in their passions to suffer a flying thought of reuenge to take repose vpon the buttresse of their brest or once to goe about to tamper with state and temporize with Princes in temporall affaires Which seeing he and his societie haue not onely plunged themselues in ouer head and eares but also he this father Parsons winding himselfe out of the dangers hath set all in an vprore by his seditious courses and not content therewith hath laboured by his preposterous agents to cast all the whole load burden and bundell on our backes with most extreme obloquie diffamation and disgraces that would not yeeld a free consent to his turbulent factions and dangerous stepe eminent downe falles in conspiracies Neither thinking this ynough but as a lunatike or one raging in his affectate soueraigntie laying about him like Will Somers on all sides opposing himselfe together with his confederates against Pope Prelate and priest against Prince peere and subiect and against all that are not Iesuites without al respect had of any that crosseth his designments in the way this then being so as too too true it is can any man that hath either true charitie or other vertue learning religion wit worship worth or valor of spirite in him but see what it is he aymeth at detest him as an egregious hypocrite dissembling Pharisie sly soule murthering parasite In pugna vi armis dentibus ensibus vsque ad aras all his false positions forgeries and foysted in authorities and make it knowne to all the world that he and his societie do most greedily affect soueraignty most traiterously aspire to an absolute monarchy most ambitiously ayme at a supremacy and most treacherously delude both Pope Prince and people with a seeming kind of zeale religion and holinesse to bring all in subiection vnder them THE IX ARTICLE VVHether seeing the Iesuits ayme not as it seemeth at a sole temporall monarchie such as Nabuchodonozer as Cyrus as Alexander as Caesar atchiued attayned vnto but such a monarchie as Adam by creation as Noe by preseruation as Christ himselfe by reparation or restoring of mankinde to his first right obtained possessed and enioyed ioyning in one person that the two chiefe diuine attributes mercy and iustice the former proper to a priest the latter to a prince and so by consequent their intended gouernment including in it as these three Adams Noes and Iesus Christ did the whole and absolute iurisdiction power and authority monarchiall of priesthood and princedome ouer the whole world Is there then any intent in the Iesuits platforme of any such gouernment as may beare the name and title of a monarchie indeed or intend they a Democracy nor an Aristocracy or an Ologarcy or what kind of gouernment is intended by them THE ANSWERE I Am of opinion that no man on earth can tell what gouernment it is they intend to establish ratifie confirme when they come to their preconceited monarchie No not any of their plotcasters be it the exlegall legifer Fa. Parsons can tell before hand what gouernment he will haue and continue withall For considering that he intends to alter and chaunge all lawes customs and orders which make me often remember some mens strange conceits that he should either beget or immediately procure Antichrist it cannot be but that the popularity he now so greatly in couert wise commendeth will breake out vpon one occasion or other ere euer he be settled or well warmed in his kingdome into some open rebellion against him otherwise should such a rable loose the name of Mobile vulgus And further admit that his prouidence fore cast and foresight were such as euen in the establishing of the Iesuiticall state there should be such gouernors as lay brothers of the societie appointed at the sacke of euery city winning of euery hold fort or sluce and conquest of euery kingdome countrey or prouince as by their marshiall prowes combinde with ciuill policie might keepe them all in order subordinately one vnder another and all vnder their Generall-Pope-monarchiall-sole Emperor ouer the whole world yet considering the extreme ambition of that kinde of people as before hath beene passantly touched here and there especially noted in the brabling contentions betwixt the two great emperors Fa. Parsons and Fa. Heywood this order whatsoeuer it shall be or how orderly soeuer obserued for the whole vntil they haue gotten that into their hands they all do gape after No question but it will breake off in short time and that they shall be forced to alter chaunge and make new lawes againe And this being fitly agreeing to a principle of their owne set downe by M. Paget as he hath obserued in them scil Omnia pro tempore nihil pro veritate no question of it but their gouernment shall be as vncertaine as their new conceited monarchie their monarchie as mutable as their raigne and their raigne as variable as the weathercocke in the winde or Protheus in his Complements or the sea Euripus in his crosse tyde ebbes and flowes who for his in constancy hath not of olde beene holden for more infamous then Fa. Parsons for the like offence is iustly iudged and accounted as most monstrous in our daies But to answere directy to the Article proposed no question is to be made of it but that the gouernment they do directly intend at this present is a most absolute soueraigntie dominion and state cleerely exempted from subordination to any lawe or legifer diuine or humane and therefore it is rightly called Despoticon in the highest degree of exemption immunitie imperialtie and absolute
silent c. it is manifest by demonstration in it selfe yet bicause many can not and most will not see into it therefore is it of necessitie that the way meanes and occasions of the one and the other should be set forth to the viewe of the ignorant multitude that are led away through misconceite into error If you aske of the Philosopher or Naturian how to make the very quintessence and naturall qualitie of any thing best made knowne he will say that contraria iuxta se posita magis elucescunt Now what can be more contrary then the Iesuits secular priests proceedings therefore by consequent there is no other course to be taken for clearing of the innocents then to haue both their dealings intents and purposes made knowne in opposition set one against the other as in these bookes they are at large If you aske a Phisition how to cure a desperat disease Doctor Atslewe if he were a liue would giue you a desperate yet a sound answere but any and all agree in this that as Calida frigidis humida siccis sic contraria contrarijs curantur And alwaies the more dangerous the disease is the more desperare is the cure sharp corasiues are to be vsed and few or no lenitiues will serue for the purpose Now I report me to you whither a more dangerous desperate and infectious a plague could euer haue light amongst you and vs all deare catholikes or not then this Iesuiticall poyson is which makes you runne ryot after them and so infatuates your Galathian mindes as some of you haue fared like infernall furies when you had heard or read of any fault in a Iesuite or of any defence of a secular priest therefore maugre the deuill and a Iesuits malice corasiues shall they haue as fast as this hand can trot and shall be lanced into the quicke spite of spite it selfe without euer giuing ouer vnto you deare catholikes be freed from further infection by them the innocent cured of the deadly wounds which they wilfully and you witlesly haue giuen them And these friendly admonitions giuen with harty desire of an vpright conceite of things as they are in themselues not as you or I or any other sound catholike and right English nature could wish them to be I will now enlarge my selfe a litle in more particulers wherein my credite is touched and lieth ingaged by the Iesuiticall faction in censuring and putting into your heads deare catholikes a deformed censure of my vniforme and vpright meaning in the foresaid pamphlet The Iesuites and their fautors doe obiect against me or rather suggest to you deere catholikes many odious points of great importance and no lesse scandalous then irreligious at least if not hereticall to be contained in my writings and by name in that booke intituled Important considerations c. The epistle whereunto they and many of you deere catholikes say still deluded by them through your too too scrupulous credulous deuoute simplicity haue rashly preiudicated to smell of an hereticall spirite which they vrge as maliciously iniuriously and vncharitablie as falsly senselesly and irreligiously vpon such friuolous wrangling grounds calumniations and surmises as in particular shal be here laid downe with the answeres vnto them making this humble confession in generall before hand in forme following I W.W. from the bottome of my hart plainely and sincerely without all equiuocation or doubling in the presence of the diuine Maiestie and all his holy Angels and Saints in all dutifull and obedient manner offer and acknowledge by these presents an humble submission of my poore selfe and of all my worthlesse works and writings to the censure of our holie mother the catholike Romane church to correct and amend by her sacred wisedome whatsoeuer hath beene is or shal be found amisse in me And I wish no longer to draw breath on earth then I haue the least auersion of mind from her holy censure and decrees in any one word sillable tittle or title by her defined deposed or decreed humblie acknowledging that if any thing in that booke or else where in any other of my words or writings be fault worthie it is mine and not our holie mother to be stained therewith but if any quintessence of grace or other good guift be in me it floweth from her and is not mine but as a wretched poore miserable yet a liuely member of that body misticall from whence it is deriued and giuen vnto me to vse to her spouses and her owne honour and glory And if I knew but one drop of my deerest hart bloud or the swiftest turne of a thought in my braines or a word falling frō my lips or but a leter dropping from my pen in preiudice of Saint Peters chaire the See apostolique the catholique Romane church faith and religion our mother citie to be harbored fostered or fauoured by me as such I wish and attest it in verbo Sacerdotis vnfeinedly from my naked hart both the one and the other hart head hand and all burnt into ashes and consumed in open sight In regard whereof I charge and challenge the purest and prowdest spirited Iesuite or whosoeuer shall dare so malitiously to call my name in question on Gods behalfe and in defence of that body whereof how vnworthie soeuer yet a visible member I am I haue resolued to remaine and hope by Gods speciall grace concurring with my good will to die and wish not otherwise to liue to name the least point or title for triall of toutch tast or smell of heresie wherin they as appellants and I defendant may be first be found creant And hoping this in generall may suffice for your satisfaction deere catholikes on my behalfe and not to beleeue these false harted Iesuites calumniations and slaunders raised on me hereafter vntill you find by proofe toutch and tryall made of my workes writings whether they be such or no as they terme them I will now goe to the particulers thereby to make knowen their Matchiuilian spite more apparant to lay downe here more plaine your ignorance simplicity and folly Patience deere Catholikes for I am angry at the diuell and malice which two haue so mightily possessed your harts with error as I know not with whom first to chide whether with them in suggesting or with you in consenting c. They say and many of you deere Catholikes confirme it in a doubtfull speech that I haue written against the Pope his holines and in preiudice of the See Apostolike because I affirme that the bulles and excommunications past against her Maiestie were wrongfully procured and therefore of no validity and againe for that I say that if the Popes holines should charge vs to obey the Archpriest and the Iesuits yet we would not yeeld to it In which two cauilling obiections they play the right puritans or other heretikes that stand wrangling about the text and leauing the common sense and spirit of the church they follow each one
of them their owne priuate foule spirits of deceit and error so quot homines tot sententiae So many men so many minds But to the purpose I say if they or you deere Catholikes will not be smattered with any smacke or smell of heresie then doe not wrest the text otherwise then the letter importeth nor do not mince nor mangle it in leauing out the principall part which giues light and life vnto it For wheresoeuer I talke of the non validity of bulles c. or the wrong done to her Maiestie in procuring of them I therewithall do shew the case and cause why they were so sory for that they were procured either merily by subreption or wrong and false information and erronious grounds as that of Pius Quintus whose holines was made beleeue that the Duke of Norfolke was a Catholike and yet he died a professed enimy to the Catholike church and religion also that the Spaniards pretence was wholy merely and absolutely for restoring of religion and yet both by bookes words and actions it hath and doth proue to the contrary scil that he pretends a conquest of the land if by Parsons proiects he cannot otherwise haue it by compremise and composition giuen him And for our disobedience to the Popes commaund in subiecting our selues to the Iesuits or Archpriest the very words following to wit to aduance an enimy to the English crowne together with the whole context tenure of my speech in that place and throughout the whole booke doth make it manifest that it is absolutely meant in causes meere temporal yea marshiall nay bloody inhumane vnnaturall hostility in betraying our Prince or countrey or both and all our posterity into aliens and strangers hands by the Iesuits vrging and procuring an inuasion and conquest of this land and setting vp an Archpriest principally for that intent as an ignorant plaine man God wot fittest for their purpose to worke withall And this being not onely a cleering of the Pope of Rome for sending foorth bulles c. as most irreligiously abused by the Iesuiticall Spanish faction making many sacrilegious lies to incense his holines against our countrey Soueraigne and state and against vs all that be natiue subiects of the English blood vnder pretence forsooth of religion when the very ground was ambition and greedie affectation of English Soueraigntie but withall a plaine manifestation of high preiudice offered by that vnnatural Iesuiticall factiō to the See Apostolike I know not whether to inueigh more against their malice or your folly in storming against me for that booke as you doe For considering that the whole contents tenure scope and drift of that booke is to lay open the Iesuiticall conspiracies to set before your eies the plaine intent and meaning of the Spanish faction for inuasion to shew the danger wherein you stand that sway with those alien Princes and their procurators the Iesuits who labour for nothing more then to sway the scepter royall of this Imperiall Isle and to manifest vnto you our great dislikes of such vnnaturall practises our intent to draw you if it be possible from applauding vnto them hereafter our deepe desire to take away all occasion on our side of the argument and augment of our miseries and our publike confession of our owne and harty wish of your continuance in the Catholike Romane church and faith constant to death These things well weighed and withall that there is few or none of you but will acknowledge as much if you come before any ciuill magistrate yea some of your hot spurres haue already confessed and acknowledged more and that by vertue of your solemne oath then I haue written concerning this kind of disobedience to the See Apostolike who notwithstanding hauing rayled and scolded against me since in the fury of your zeale thrown the said booke into the fire I cannot see what equiuocation can excuse you from at least a mentall periury This it that which makes me amased to see your great simplicitie in murthering your selues with your owne weapons at a Iesuits craftie perswasion in finding fault you cannot tell with what or at most with that whereof when you are examined from point to point not one of you all but will acknowledge as much and euen the Iesuits though with a false hart in all or most part of them in their Apologies and other writings and examens haue and will confesse as much as I haue written concerning that mattter They say I vse certaine rowling phrases and Rhetoricall wordes which smell of heresie as in affectation of speech by often repetition of one thing vz. Disobedient we are c. and neuer shall c. these words Romish Iesuiticall and the deuill c. To which I answere as to the last first that if some words be placed or printed amisse as Romish for Romane alas for pure neede what beggerly quarrelling obiections are these but yet to make a direct response deare catholikes I was not present at the printing to be a corrector nor had I the sight of one proofe vntill the whole booke was out in print and sold and then too late to set downe errata which in that word Romish and in sundry others I found A reason whereof aswell to confirme my sound conceite as also to excuse the Printer in some sort may be this that where I had written Romane out at length there they printed so which you may find both in the beginning and ending of the Epistle and thereby iudge of me aright and where they found I had written short Rom. there they printing it out at length added ishe and so made it Romish thinking it to be so as English Scottish Irish Flemish c. To the next to wit Iesuiticall I cannot maruael though they cauil about it for some 3. yeeres agone I remember a reuerend graue and vertuous priest yea and as sound resolute and constant a catholike as the purest Iesuite among them all that I goe no further hauing written a very learned religious and priestlike apology or reioynder to the Iesuiticall calumniation about the Archpriest and other matters bicause he vsed this word Iesuite very often did not forsooth call euery puny or nouice of theirs by the name of a father of the societie or breefly the fathers therefore was he censured then to smell of heresie and onely for that word and none other But to answere these carping Cynickes directly I vse that word Iesuiticall not in contempt of their societie nor of themselues in generall for I alwaies esteemed of it as of a holy good and religious institution as well in the intent of their founder Ignatius as also in the forme and manner prescribed for obseruations of the rules set downe by him and the more holy bicause confirmed by the Pope his holinesse and for that sundry good deuout religious men haue beene of it though no sance peres Neither doe I call them Iesuiticall by way of analogy as
hoping that the more they haue to side with them against vs the greater feare they will put the state in and make it more ready and willing to pardon and accept of them vpon any condition at their pleasure For to that sense doth tend their banding it out with friends their threatening of opposites their vaunt made of moe honorable and great persons in cour◠and countrie that fauor their Spanish faction and cause then we haue that labor to withdraw all English harts from such vnnaturall intents attempts and proceedings To the third obiection of our common aduersaries disgracefull speeches giuen out against vs more then against the Iesuits it is a senselesse forgerie and smels of a Iesuiticall spirit whose Luciferian pride is such as it delighteth to be counted famous in mischiefe extraordinary in suffering of torments and to haue none to equall him in impietie but all base and meanely esteemed of compared with himselfe in villanie Which proude conceit seeing the Iesuits haue it much good or mischiefe whether they more delight in may it doe them I will promise them we will neuer compare with them mary to say that any honorable person should haue vs in contempt and them in grace and fauor for our opposite courses taken that is as far from sense to thinke it as neere to sottishnes to beleeue it vnles they could make vs beleeue that all the state or those honors they meane of are throughly spanified and entred into a trayterous league confederacie against their Prince and countrey And the like answere may serue to the fourth obiection of making one of vs cut one an others throte c. which are childish arguments and but bugges bulbeggers or hobgoblins fit to feare babies withall as these patches by their cogging foysting and deuises make you all deare catholikes none other and yet you will not see into it For what can the councell or state get out of vs more then is in our harts and inward intents and meanings and what is inwardly in vs which outwardly we doe not professe and make knowne to all the world to wit a catholike resolue for our Romane faith church and religion an English resolution for our natiue Prince state and countrey and a resolute intent euer God before assisting vs with his grace in well and in woe to remaine constant loyall seruiceable and faithfull to both to death And more then this neither Angell man woman nor deuill can get out of vs bicause more then this we haue not in vs and if this will cut our throts or make one of vs vndoe an other or vrge the state against vs or cause vs to be euil thought of and in the end cut off when they the said state haue gotten out of vs what may steed them and the like vos iudicate Of this I am sure we shall dye for religion and not for treason and this is also morally certaine that the state will neuer in policie if we would like Iesuites conceite them full of all impietie seeke the secular priests destruction who labour wholy for the preseruation of our Countrey and in excuse of their law made so farre as is possible to excuse them against vs all in generall for some priuate persons offences and on the other side leaue them scotfree whom they know for professed enimies against them and all the world seeth how vnnaturally they haue sought the destruction of our countrey This also is probable that if the Iesuites haue so many great persons in Court of the Spanish faction and their fautors as they make boast of they may vnder hand preuaile so farre as to get vs all cut off together with them without daigning vs any notice to be taken of our loyalty more then theirs but if such an extremitie should happen as questionlesse no one thing that craft of deuill or wit of man or waight of Mammon can afford shall be left vntried to effect it yet what then shal we for that cōsent to the desolation of our countrey and vtter extripation of all your deare catholikes posterity only to reuenge our selues of so inhumane cruelty and extreme wrong offered vs no certainely we will all rather dye in miserie one after an other and leaue our innocent blood to crie for vengeance to him who both can and will take vengeance on those should so afflict vs knowing as they doe our intent and harmeles harts And last of all for the preachments of some at Paules crosse and other places against vs equally as against the Iesuites that first doth manifest that we are accounted of as opposite to our aduersaries in points of Religion and therefore no such yeelde as the Iesuiticall faction report we haue made Secondly it is no maruaile though they preach against vs seeing those who are most noted to haue done so are knowne to be Puritanes by common report and also by their inueighing against sundry great persons in authority who are thought nothing to fauour their Allobrogicall gouernment And no doubt the more earnest and outragious they are against vs by reason that they heare alredy of these Quodlibets wherein they and the Iesuits are coupled together in matters of state medles sedition faction and trechery Thirdly who so looketh into the ticklish state of things as by these turbulent persons meanes they now do stand euery one being already brought into such iealousie and suspition of one another as hard to tel whether more dangerous to speake or keepe silence in these nationall contentions and factions it is easie to be seene from what spirit such preachmēts do proceed euen none other questionles then from the like blowen abroad in the Court to the same effect scil that these bookes haue done the secular priests great harme hindered our common cause giuen great aduantage to be taken against vs and that it makes the Iesuits laugh in their sleeue c. which is nothing else but an old stale principle of Machiauel or a new Atheall canuasse of Iesuitisme which you please and in very deed but a ridiculous iest to see what poore shifts these polititians are driuen vnto to packe and sacke vp sackes of money to bring and binde mens toongs therewith to preach and prate in Court countrey and pulpilt what they will haue them to keepe themselues in that they be not banished the land or put to exquisite deathes And if any hurt come to vs or hinderance to our cause by these bookes it is this No maruell though the Iesuits faction stop all waies meanes of making knowen their impietie being forced by this discouery to pay lay out their euill gotten gold whiles many a catholike starued for want to keepe in that they be not vtterly cast out on all sides as well amongst catholikes as Protestants and schismatikes None vnlesse it be puritanes and such like factious statisers that begin already to discouer themselues by storming against these bookes and the authors in open pulpit but
Portingals and Spaniards continued kept the honours point for Martiall exploits these latter yeares but who shall carie away the price in the cadences of the Spaniards God only knoweth Thus came the foure Patriarkes of Hierusalem Antioch Alexandria and Constantinople by succession of honor wealth and fame in Gods Church to rise and fall one after another and now all decayed dead and gone from their auncient state renowne and dignitie in the Church of God here militant on earth Thus came all Monasticall Heremiticall and religious orders of Saint Anthony of Saint Basill of Saint Augustine of Saint Hierome of Saint Benedict of Saint Bernard of Saint Dominicke of Saint Frances of Saint Clare of Saint Briget and sundrie other religious orders of men and women to haue their generation and corruption by the freedome left of God in humane actions and mans choise to be good or bad vertuous or vicious and to rise and fall by succession one after another by merited fame and iust desert of their life manners and graces giuen and employed by them to Gods glorie In few thus came the spirituall Knighthoods of the Templers the Knights of Saint Iohns the Knights of Rhodes and now of Malto by a lineall succession of fame renowne and worthinesse to haue panigericall histories set foorth of their prayses And the like is of later orders and societies of Carmelists Carthusians Capouchians Theatines Iesuits Bonhommes c. all which set vpon the worlds Theater represent a mournfull tragedie of mans miserie how like to flowers they haue now one and then another order companie or societie burgened blossomed bloomed and flourished and yet subiect to the fates of free-will in all humane wights their deriuatiues are strayed abroad haue left and are gone from the obedience deuotion pietie pouertie chastitie charitie humilitie patience and religious zeale which was in the primitiues and founders of their Orders What shal we say more the whole body mysticall of Christ consisting of the three estates Ecclesiasticall Temporall and Monasticall do auerre the Peripateticall Prince his principle to be true in all things depending vpon chance and chaunge concerning the conuersion of countries people and nations to the Catholike faith For was not the generation or beginning of the Mosaicall law a plaine corruption fall and decay of the law of nature all the Gentiles presently vpon the Orient rise bright shine and flourish of the Israelites Church and their Hebrew Monarchie being giuen ouer into infidelitie and Idolatrie contrarie to the law of nature vnder which the faithfull had liued aboue two thousand yeares without distinction of Iew or Gentile vntill this Mosaicall law began And when for the Iewes sinnes and offences the period of their Monarchie and end of their synagogues and temples honour and religion came did not then the primitiues of the East Church amongst the Christians carry away the auriflambe of all religious zeale After that when the heauie cadens of the East Church came did not also then the Sonne of iustice tanquam sponsus procedens de thalamo suo spread abrode the bright beames of his spouses glorie in a transparant light throughout these our West Ocean cloudes of heathenish darknesse and giue to these Northren Isles the prerogatiue regall of Prime-birth to his inheritance if the Britons and afterwards the English Saxons could haue kept it When by succeding turnes the most part of Asia and Affricke was corrupted and fallen away and all Europe conuerted to the sacred Apostolicall Romane faith when Monasteries began in this North Christian world to be built and great multitudes of Monkes Friers Canons regulars Nunnes and other sacred Saints and holy persons to consort themselues together when Emperors Kings Queenes Princes Lords and Ladies of all degrees fled from their regall Palaces to priuat Cels and left the triumphes of their conquests the trophees of their loues and pompes and pleasures of their Courts to who so would possesse them when here an Anchoresse there an Hermit and in euery wood wild and desert some sacred virgine valed inuested interred dead to the world was to be found when all fertile soyles all places of pleasure profite and content all earthly wealths and reuenues of most woorth were turned into Abbey and Church lands liuings and liuelyhoods when holy emulation was who might giue most all gaue of the best and made this flourishing Isle our Ladies dower when Kings and Queenes Priests and Prelates Lords and Ladies Monkes and Friers sacred Virgins and chast Matrons and all sorts of persons knew their duties first to God to his Church to her Priests then to their Prince to the Commonwealth and to her Peeres and lastly each one to another how when and where to commaund or obey when all things sorted to so sweet a sympatheall harmonie in English hearts as England by a prerogatiue royall of grace diuine merited to be called Anglia chara Deo gens when flying fame of their rare Angelicall conuersation had fronted the coasts of furthest countries and occupied with great admiration of mind the mouthes of most men in the world when England Fraunce and Flaunders Italy Bohemia and Germany Spaine Portugal and Hungary Sicilie Naples and Cyprus Denmarke Poland and Sweden Scotland Ireland and Norway did striue for a supremacie to carry away the garland of vertue deuotion and religion on all sides Then inimicus homo enuying at mans felicitie to conforme by permission diuine Gods concurrence with secondarie causes to the Philosophers prescript of generation and corruption in tract of time corrupting all these Northren and Westerne parts of the world with contention ambition Turcisme heresie and Pharisaisme a new generation of Catholike truth and religion begins to labour and bring soorth their children amongst the Indians Antipodies and new found world before vnknowne vnto these Northren and Westerne parts discouered first by Portingals and Friers and after proceeded in by Spaniards and Iesuits And now listen what followed Amongst many other cadences and fals the heauiest of all the rest hath bene iudged by many to haue bene our English calamities begun at first by the ambitious aspires of Cardinall Wolsey who affecting the highest Soueraigntie in causes Ecclesiasticall on earth made a great breach by his contrarie plotting betwixt King Henry the eight of famous memorie and the Sea Apostolicke And afterward when vnder her Maiestie Queene Elizabeth our Soueraigne now regnant sundrie persons of rare indowments graces and abilities had retired themselues to places of studie and seruice of their Lord God beyond the seas where they liued in diuerse Seminaries and Colledges leading there a right Monasticall and religious life in a most perfect state of religious profession calling and order as both all other religious Orders and Ecclesiasticall persons that conuersed with them or knew their manner of life and whereunto their whole studie tended did acknowledge somtimes in teares proceeding after their returne hither in simplicitate cordis with all humilitie patience
affliction and calamity then any of these their young maisters euer yet tasted of And last of all the fire bursting out there first though first enkindled at Rome as earst I sayd then began the like of fresh at Rome againe where it burst out into so furious and mercilesse a consuming flame for fire and water haue no mercy as sundry reuerend Priests burnt therewith haue deepely protested they would rather chuse if it were in their choise to liue captiues vnder the Turke for security of their soules then vnder the Iesuits gouernement or rather indeede captiuity the temptations suggested by them are so many dangerous intricate and difficult which way to ouercome them And so by succeeding turnes Spaine Fraunce Flanders and all England became infected with these Iesuiticall contentions and garboyles the grounds originals causes and continuance whereof were onely wholly and absolutely the Iesuits ambitious aspires fallen downe now vpon their heads to their owne destruction that were the first plotcasters of their innocent brethrens ruines THE II. ARTICLE VVHether the Seminarie Priests or the Iesuits haue giuen greater scandale by publishing of matters abroad in proiects to the worlds theater concerning these contentions before in secret at the first vnknowne to the Catholike Laity and much lesse to any Protestant or other of a contrary Religion and which side part or faction was the first beginners of spreading abroad infamous letters and libels against the opposits to their designments THE ANSWERE THe Iesuits were both the beginners of the contentions as before is shewed the fewell cariers to the seditious fire-feedings and the first brokers breathers and brochers of them abroad both to Catholikes Protestants Cleargy Laity men women children home-borne and foreyners as by sundry of their letters libels and other infamous seditious and inuectiue writings is yet extant to be seene aswell in printed bookes as in many manuscripts of maister Blackwell father Parsons Creswell Currie Gerard Martin Array Baldwin Lyster and sundry others whose false malitious and most exorbitant dealings to detect defame and vtterly exterminate the name fame and memory of the Seminarie Priests and Cleargy aswell in generall as in speciall will be brought out in deposition against them when competent iudges may be had and the cause iustly tried Nay when did euer any Priest write and much lesse commit to the impression of a pamphlet any one word against them The most part euen of those that had suffered most longest and greatest disconsolation and wrongs put vp at their hands accounted that the touch of any Catholike Priests good name was tangere pupillam oculi sui so dainty nice and precise a conscience had they to detract defame or speake euill of any man or woman yea though the reports were true And vntill all was in an vprore all Priests that sided not with the Iesuits in all things were brought into obloquie contempt and disgrace all shunned auoided and such slanderous speeches raised by the Iesuits faction against them as they knew not possibly how to liue quiet or to liue in truth at all by them Vntill then I say they winkt kept silence and let passe all their letters libels and iniurious slanders vnanswered They sayd little or nothing to those erronious and yet to the Iesuits most plausible bookes of choise of ghostly fathers They let passe that erronious speech in the Wardword to Sir Francis Hastings watchword making Iesuits Christ his equals in a way of absurd comparison and insinuating Seminarie Priests and other Catholikes to be but the Churches refuse They friendly admonished the Author of the 3. farewels of the soule giuing to the Iesuits that which no religious order would accept of or durst desire to cease from publishing such grosse errours which otherwise had gone to the presse and print as extolling the Iesuits therein to the skies aboue all possible humane deserts vnder the title of religious persons distinguished thereby from meere secular Priests as they tearme the rest but neuer did they publish anything against it They suffered with patience that long lowd lye to passe vnrecalled wherein the Cardinals and by Cardinall Caietane the Popes Holinesse was informed that the cause of sending to the Sea Apostolique to haue superiours appointed ouer the English Priests was grounded vpon great and dangerous contentions risen vp betwixt the Seminary Priests and the Catholike laity in that nation knowing in their owne conscience there was no contention mouing thereunto but betwixt the Seminarie Priests and themselues and those of their and the Spanish faction They sought not to controule that seditious false infamous booke intituled Against the factions in the Church applied directly by the Archpriest to the secular Priests and those that sided with them on the Catholike Church and their natiue countries behalfe They labored not to call in question those stained records with all falshood impiety and arrogancy on the Iesuits behalfe of the memorable acts done by their society forsooth here in England viz. how that they onely were persecuted and not the Seminary Priests how such and such and in generall all that opposed themselues against their proceedings had suffered disgrace and shame and came to miserable ends notwithstanding and they cannot deny it neither are they ignorant thereof that there be a whole browne dozen twice ouertold of glorious Martyrs all Seminary Priests all defamed by them all noted for malecontents as opposits to their proceedings These indignities calmuniations iniuries lies and irreligeous vanities with many the like vnchristian practises did they let passe and neither did neither euer would haue set hand to paper to write of these contentions betwixt them vntill their long silence condemned them all as guiltie and the Iesuits preuailed and did what they list by backbiting and writing most opprobriously against them THE III. ARTICLE WHether the Seminarie Priestes gaue any scandale or committed any sinne or incurred any danger of falling into schisme by resisting the Archpriest after the first sight or hearing of the Cardinals letters and now of late since the generall admittance of him vpon sight of the Popes Holinesse his Briâ—fe whether they incurred the like offence by writing Apologies in their owne defences or was or is it no sin scandale nor offence at all in them so to do THE ANSWERE IT neither was nor is any more sin schisme scandale nor offence in the one or the other they being in iustice charitie loyaltie and obedience for defence of Christs church and their countrie bound to both then for a guiltlesse man condemned to say you do me wrong or for an appellant against a knowne Rebell in act word or thought conuinced by demonstration vel à priori vel à posteriori i. either of the cause or of the effect to haue intent to say thou art a traitor For who of common sense would not haue bene touched with scruple if but hearing of a plaine simple man vnexperienced either in the Church or his countries affaires as liuing
the Puritanes may dispense with some of their confederacy to insinuate themselues into the Ministery and to vse Surplice cap crosse ring and all according to the Queenes iniunctions which is quite contrary to their doctrine but that they do it for loue of their benefices and euen so the Iesuites may dispense with some of their close confederates or society to passe vnder the name of secular Priestes for their priuate gaine and more aduantage though otherwise their profession be quite contrarie Fourteenthly the Puritanes will haue no superiours no more will the Iesuites Fifteenthly the Puritanes will acknowledge no obedience to any Ecclesiasticall dignitie no more will the Iesuites but yet both of them counterfeitly and dissemblingly do yeeld Sixteenthly the Puritanes labour to pull all Bishops downe and to haue none but Superintendents in England and haue made hauocke alreadie of all such in Scotland and the Iesuites will let no Bishop be in either Realme if they can keepe them from that superioritie ouer them Seuenteenthly the Puritanes seeke to pull downe Kings and Princes and so do the Iesuites Eighteenthly the Puritanes would bring all Kings and common-wealthes to a popularitie and Oligarchicall gouernement and so would the Iesuites Nineteenthly the Puritanes controull both Princes and Prelates as if they were their superiours and the Iesuites checke and controule both Pope and Prince as at least their equals Twentiethly the Puritane Ministers must be of counsell with the Prince in the highest affaires of his Realme so must the Iesuiticall padres or else all is out of frame One and twentiethly the Puritanes must appoint Prince Court and Counsell what to set downe and define in all matters of gouernement and state and so must the Iesuits Two and twentiethly the Puritanes must haue the perusing ratifying and confirming of whatsoeuer doth passe from the Prince or Lords spirituall or temporall of the land and so must the Iesuites or else it shall be despised reiected and holden for ridiculous and not worth the setting foorth or publishing Three and twentiethly the Puritanes must haue all Princes Nobles or other states so dutifull and seruiceable vnto them as they must not laugh they must not play they must not walke they must not talke they must not giue or receiue any gifts or vse any priuate conference or decent recreation c. without their consent or priuitie and onely so much and no more then they appoint them and euen iust so is it with the Iesuits Foure and twentiethly the Puritanes hold he cannot be a good Christian that doth resist them and the Iesuites that he cannot be a sound Catholike that speakes against them c. Fiue and twentiethly the Puritanes count themselues the new illuminates c. and the Iesuits that they are freer from errour more familiar with God more precisely and peculiarly illuminated and more specially indued with the spirit of guiding soules then secular Priests are c. Innumerable of the like comparisons may be made betwixt them in matters of life and manners and I pray God not too many in matters of faith and religion which seeing they both square and differ herein from the Protestants it followeth that the Iesuits and Puritanes do come neerest together in platformes though both opposite one to the other in intention as farre as farre may be THE III. ARTICLE VVHether the Iesuits doctrine smell of innouation and by consequent of heresie in any thing or else is it onely a singularity in matters of manners in all things done or maintained by them THE ANSWEE IT is one thing to smell of any corruption and an other to be infected with a pouant or stinke of the same and therefore that the Iesuits smell most horrible of both and that in a most dangerous manner it is cleare by all these fiue and twenty degrees comparatiue betwixt them and the Puritanes And the like may be sayd of their new institution of an Archpriest a plaine and manifest innouation as a word title and authority quite out of vse in the Church of God at this day All you deuout but maruelously seduced Catholikes for the loue of our sweete Sauiour I desire you and on Gods behalfe I charge you as you loue your owne soules to lay aside all blind affection and partial doom and conferre one of these Quodlibets with another and then weigh well with your selues what cause you haue to moue you to be so eager in defending these moâ—e dangerous aduersaries of your soule then any other professed enemy to the Romane Catholike faith and neuer at all taken or appointed to gouerne in that sense and to that intent and purpose as he is taken to be and is by them instituted and appointed How they smell of other dangerous innouations it will bewray it selfe in time THE IIII. ARTICLE VVHether any of them haue published in printed bookes or openly or in priuate conference taught any thing contrary to the beleefe of the Catholike Romane Church or not THE ANSWERE THey haue and that euerie way in printed bookes in written copies or manuscripts and but most of all in priuate conference Which contrary to their opinion will not be hardest to get witnesses of to auouch it to their face especially in matters of confession and other points which I blush to write of as I haue had relation made vnto me But to the purpose whereunto otherwise do all their libels letters and suggested slaunders spread abroad against secular Priestes the Ecclesiastical state and the resemblance betwixt them and the Puritan Zuinefeldians Anabaptists or family of loue c. tend saue onely to the broaching abroad of most abhominable heresies And in particular whereunto doth father Parsons popular doctrine in the Ciuilians discourse tend saw onely to an absurd heresie of denying free will in humane actions when as in the first part and neere the beginning thereof to cut off all right of succession by birth and bloud he sets me this downe for a generall rule maxime or exioma scil Those things that are of the law of God and nature are common to all nations as God and nature are common to all ergo if the gouernement and regall right of succession were by the law of God and nature descending by birth and bloud the same should be common and alike in and to all nations as God and nature are c. But we see that is false for some nations haue one kind of gouernement and manner of succession and some another c. ergo gouernement and succession by birth and bloud are not of the law of God and nature This Elenchiall fallacy for he will not dare stand syncategorematically to approue it denies slatly free-will putting no difference betwixt the law of God and nature in man and the same law in bruite beastes whereas there is not a boy of any wit that rightly vnderstands onely Porphiries predicables but wold hisse him out of the schooles for a fond wrangling and vnlearned
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
and sellers of their deare countriemens bloud they go about busily to perswade such a reciprocation to be betwixt the King Catholicke of Spaine and the faith Catholicke of Rome that as reall relations the latter relatiue cannot be without his former correlatiue which must giue him his being and essence in nature Insomuch as it is become a point of necessitie or as they absurdly and heretically would make men beleeue a thirteenth Article of our faith that either all Catholicke Christians must endeuour to put all Europe into a Spaniards hands or otherwise that the Catholicke religion will be vtterly extinguished and perish and so by consequent all runne Hysteron Protheron a milne horse a King Pope a Curch Spaniard and the faith of S. Peter and his successours must hang vpon the monarchie of King Philip and his heires And how long forsooth Mary euen so long as the Iesuits shall please which is vntill they may be able to pull him and all other Princes downe from their thrones by causing popular rebellions as hereafter shall be proued Well well these fellowes must be talked withall in time and made to know themselues and their grosse errours against al diuinitie philosophie policie pietie and order Meane while we leaue them to chop logicke in barbarisme and feede their chimericall conceits with Relatiues of Ens rationis or rather Ens insensibile insensatum irroale infatuatum fictum and so passe on to the next point of plot-casting by Fame and Report of the vnworthie heroicall matchlesse magnificall Mecenates THE ARGVMENT FOR THE THIRD GENERALL QVODLIBET ONe naile driues in another the first partie prouokes a reioynder by a second encounter and vpon occasion of plots cast by doctrine principles rules and obseruations of practise doth necessarily follow a Quodlibet of new plots cast by Fame and Report and how the Iesuits come to be enriched honoured and regarded with preferments aboue their deserts by that meanes THE THIRD GENERALL QVODlibet of plots by Fame and Report THE I. ARTICLE WHether the Iesuits or any other religious order be to be preferred before secular Priests or not or if not whether the said Iesuits are to be preferred before all other monasticall or religious orders or which and how many are before them THE ANSWERE IT is neuer enough to be admired at that religious men being by vow and profession dead and buried to the world should be blinded with a conceit Note here a simple coÌ„ceit of good father Gerard to inferre a Iesuits place to be aboue a secular Priestes because forsooth an old Queen Marie Priest told him that he had seene religious men sit aboue other priests at Table Well poore man I pitie his simplicitie in that being otherwise of a good nature he is much blinded and corrupted in his life maners by being a Iesuit which societie would God he did and would forsake considering how it is now corrupted as any one amongst them But for his author God wot many Priestâ— other men women were and are too submissiue at somtimes to their inferiors though in carresie a religious person as a stranger be placed aboue a priest as an ordinarie guest or friend or in his owne house which is ciuilitie so to do yet it is no way of due right nor euer was so taken that they can possibly simul semel sub vno eodem subiecto be dead and aliue mortified and made liuely yea and that spiritu carne simul for to be mortificatos quidem carne viuificatos autem spiritu is no lesse then euery Christian Catholicke may and should be to be wholy sequestrate from the world in body and mind and yet withall al wholy substantially actually plodding in it with bodie and soule ouer head eares Yet we must beleeue that such is the Iesuits rare calling and state that forsooth they are wholy dead and wholy aliue absolute spiritual men and yet meere worldlings which if they can make good and go through with it I say it is a greater miracle to speak ad homineÌ„ for in respect of Gods omnipotencie miracles admit not maius minus then to raise a triduane Lazarus from death to life againe yea onely to the patible and withall impatible body of our Sauiour Christ was this priuiledge left as a prerogatiue royall reserued to his sacred Maiestie diuine that it should be simul semel dead and aliue And this only by reason of the hypostasis or hypostaticall vnion of his deitie to his humanity By meanes whereof restraming infringing and holding in the impregnable force of the first in the time of his bitter death and passion for otherwise he could not haue suffered in speech of miracles we say it was more miraculous because more seeming impossible how that euer he could suffer death then for him to rise from death to life againe suffering the same power diuine to haue his yet limited force againe after that fearefull and last gaspe in giuing vp his blessed ghost vpon the crosse it followed that the same tres-sacred bodie or totum compositum Christ himselfe was both dead and buried and yet the same Christ aliue both in soule descending into hell vntouched and also in body lying three dayes and nights in his graue and yet not corrupted as powerably preserued per concomitantiam diuinitatis so as no corruption of mans mortality could then take place And therefore the Iesuits striuing for a superiority aboue seculars would go an ace aboue both their and our Lord and maister Iesus the circumstances considered in this their miraculous working of wonders in themselues by their spirituall death and temporall resurrection Here may be well remeÌ„bred a merry iest of a Gentlewoman in Fetter-lâ—ne who talking of one maister Edward Cossin a sorry fellow god-wot but who is so bold as blind Bayard and none more arrogant in place taking then this punie father a Priest gone then ouer to be a Iesuit yea quoth she is he gone now truly then I see he will seeke to a state of more perfection Well yet pure Lady by her leave this thogh a Iesuiticall fond perswasion was quite contrary to a solemne protestation made by a chiefe father at Rome in excuse of inticing the English youth who said that â—f hee were to chuse a state of perfectioÌ„ he would sooner chuse to go as a Seminary Priest into England theÌ„ to enter into or be of the strâ—ctest order of religion whatsoeuer Of this matter I haue written a peculiar Treatise which is one of the 10. volumes or bookes I meane to set out against these new masters the Iesuits and their especially father Parsons errors as time place approbation and other occasions shall permit perswade allow me wherein I haue made an historicall discourse or chronicle of the conuersion of all countries to the Christian faith the beginning progresse end and fall of such and so many as are gone of euery religious order as
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
with either in allowing or forbidding the reading or printing of it A third was his presumptuous boldnes in that he would by vertue of his authoritie suppose it were such so great and so inuiolate as he takes vpon him to haue it intrude himselfe to meddle with forbidding bookes to be either read or printed in Scotland without either asking leaue or at least giuing the Catholike Bishop of Glasco to vnderstand thereof beforehand A fourth was the insinuated suspition of a Premunire he hath incurred alreadie he may thank his good fathers for it by his authoritie to be increased hereby as seeking by this inhibition of printing or reading of anie booke that may touch a Iesuite especially that so daungerous a Polipragmon Father Parsons he shewes plainely that he would haue all the treasonable practises concealed not regarding what daunger of both bodie soule and common-wealths wracke happen to anie so as these new Fathers may haue their wicked designements Many other particular points haue I noted as being collected by necessarie sequele to ensue vpon that Letter whereof in the Apologie I intend to imptint of mine owne peculiar purgations I meane to treate at large Onely this for the present he may please to know that I neuer writ nor spake word in my life that I dare not publish in anie Court of Christendome concerning these matters so farre I am from all feare of exasperating anie Prince or Peere or incurring of anie daunger either in England which I am bound in all respects to my dread Soueraigne and natiue land to be most warie of offending or hurting anie maner of way or elsewhere And if as I haue suppressed the printing of that booke and sundrie others for a time let him not thinke it came vpon anie account or reckening I made of his suspension for that cause but for other reasons which he and his may and yet do both misse of though some of his assistants haue taken vpon them to know the causes why And hereupon one of them of a brauado hath made his vaunt since my returne last out of Scotland that he another maner of man then I poore wretch to deale with Princes hath written to his Maiestie King Iames exhorting him to embrace the Catholike faith and religion Were it not that the Iesuits haue a special priuiledge in two things one is to make all things to be beleeued as Gospell be it neuer so fals that they speake or write another to make al things to be iudged false be it as true as the Gospell it selfe that any other shall write or speake without their approbation But if directly against them out vpon it it is not to be heard spoken of or once looked vpon If these were not and withall that the vilest parts that can be played are counted acts of zeale amongst them if done by a Father so as it may be any way couered with either of their two principles scil propter bonum societatis vel ordine ad Deum otherwise I should greatly muse at the faire glose of father Southwell concerning father Parsons birth and education It being most vntrue that Fa. Southwell reports of him scil that hauing placed the vttermost of his ambition in the contempt of honor and the highest of his wealth in voluntarie pouertie will easily acknowledge his birth to haue bene of more honest then great parents Yet were they not so meane but they were able to affoord him such education as might haue made his good parts a way to no small preferment c. All which is most false a bastard he was vnhonestly begot basely borne a Wolsey in ambition a Midas in mundicitie a traitor in action which here I had not touched had he spared his owne Soueraigne and bloud royall of this land which if he do then all all all euery true Catholike should take his part for the English Crowne by this new statists procurement But what answer he had let himselfe report I thinke it will be but a scorne and he laughed at for a stale in shewing his exorbitant audacious folly I may not here forget a fifth Statute which I make no question of but that Father Parsons would be most carefull to haue it throughly perfected in that high Councell of Reformation for England and it is to be thought that it goes also vnder the tenure of a prouiso for legitimation of bastards For we may not imagine that Father Parsons was ignorant of his owne base estate as being a sacrilegious bastard in the worst sense scil a spurias begotten by the Parson of the Parish where he was borne vpon the bodie of a very base queane This then being so and he not so senslesse as to thinke but that he will find the Canon law more strict in dispensatiō with him for his irregularity then the Ciuill or common law wil be for dispensation to inherite c. which may be a good caueat to him to looke to his orders lest otherwise he lose his Rectorship perhaps a better thing besides there is no question to be made of it but that some close statute and prouiso was closely made and couertly foisted in for enabling some bastards in the spitefulle◠sense to be capable of any honour or dignitie either in the Church or Common wealth And true it is that this good Fa. Parsons altas Cowbacke filius populi filius peccati or the verie fiend him selfe might be chosen to a kingdome by his doctrine if any people would be so mad as to chuse him for their king because the said fury can translate himselfe into an Angell of light for an houres space though he turne into his hellish vgly shape within a minute of an hower after c. Happie were some men if they might haue a sight of that statute booke or huge volume of the high councel of reformation for England no doubt but he should find notable stuffe in it that would serue for many purposes But here I make an end concluding out of the premises 1. That the Iesuits would take it in scorne to haue any poore secular or Seminarie Priest cōpared with them in prudence pollicie considering that they dare beard the greatest and highest persons on earth in all things 2. That in generall England for this age were able to set Nicke Machiauell to schoole either in a good or a bad sense of pollicie 3. Yet taking Politia as S. Thomas and Diuines do for a chiefe branch of prudence with relation to gouernment of a bodie politicall or common wealth ciuill there are that excell both Machiauell and the Iesuits their politia being but an extrauagant or apocriphall vertue at the vttermost 4. But take it as a she craftie dissembling wilinesse with a relation to Atheisme or a non religion and then therin the Iesuits do farre passe Machiauell and I verily thinke any whomsoeuer of and in this age THE III. ARTICLE VVHether then if this kinde of Iesuiticall pollicie tend to
coeur how to insinuate a detraction vnder colour of zeale religion affection or otherwise against any whom it stands them vpon either to haue as an affied friend on liue or else pull down as an infest foe vpon his knees to death or may they not do so THE ANSWERE IT is a most vnchristian Turkish hereticall and traiterous ground they stand vpon and a promontorie farre beyond all the capes and points of pietie lying out into the dead sea Persian gulfe or Stigian lake of perdition to affirme that all whosoeuer without exception of person time or place must be defamed detracted backbitten despised and borne down that are opposite to them and their designements And therfore by consequent their suffering if not vrging maintaining commanding the simpler sort so to do on their behalfes is a new way discouered by a backe doore set open to the entrance of the sorest hatefullest and most dangerous heresie that euer yet was in the Christian world which all true Catholike hearts will tremble to thinke on when they see the effects of it apparantly before their eyes as partly we haue alreadie and meane God willing to touch it a little further to the quicke ere these Quodlibets be all ended and bewaile they shall with feare griefe and anger at themselues that euer comming into the Catholike church with religious deuout sincere meaning care desire of sauing their owne poore soules for I am not of that wretch Parsons mind that none can be a right Catholike or established in Gods fauour vnlesse he runne his restlesse cursed race against his Prince countrey and deare friends none I verily thinke vnlesse it were some such Atheist as Parsons or an odde reprobate amongst a thousand but come to be Catholique of meere remorce of conscience for the loue of God and resolute beliefe that howsoeuer any other is perswaded this is the onely truth and way to walke in In which though they may be damned by dying impenitent for their offences yet out of it they cannot be saued liue they otherwise neuer so morally vertuous Comming then with this consolation as a speciall grace and meere gift of God infused into the soule of man fully bent to hazard credite honour fauour fortune goods lands life and all rather then to loose their soules by doing any one act against their owne conscience in points of religion and seruice of God for therein onely not in other affaires doth Saint Peters sentence hold obediendum maius est Deo quà m hominibus And being thus quieted in their mind voyding their thoughts of all temporizing statizing and seditious medlings with the affaires of Prince or Peer that they shold notwithstanding haue bene so readie to beleeue these new teachers of innouations rebellions inuasions conspiracies hatred of their Prince defamation of the blond royall of the land wishing for population to their natiue countrey hauocke spoile destruction of all for their ambitious vnnaturall vnlawfull pleasures and desires this shall grieue many a deuout Catholikes heart that euer after so many memorable constant worthie and happie conflicts with themselues in these daungerous times of soule-wrack they shold become so senslesse as to follow such false teachers and the erronious doctrine of the Iesuites in these cases this shall one day cause many a vertuous Ladie wring their hands for woe that euer they were so forward on these new Pharisees behalfe vnnaturally disloyally inhumanely bent against their Prince and countrey and indiscreetely irreligiously vncharitably against secular Priests This I say shall make them readie to eate their owne nailes to remember their rash vehement and cruell begunne persecution of their secular Priests their owne ghostly fathers the present Apostles of their countrey their dearest nearest and carefullest tender hearted friends prepared euery houre to come vpon their hands knees if need require to expose their poore worn out bodies for their sakes to the sorest trials on earth rather then any the least danger of soule-wracke should happen vnto them by their meanes or want of instruction comfort and consolation in their sufferance for Gods cause And considering that notwithstanding the Iesuites fautors a most seditious faction haue whetted their teeth to so sharpe an edge causelesse against those that neuer did them wrong but much good many waies as none of the common aduersaries were euer so eagerly bent against priesthood Priests in generall then they shew themselues to be therein by these cony-catching hypocriticall mates procurements yet still all being readie to shed their bloud in defence of one and the selfe same vniforme Catholike faith and religion maintained outwardly on both sides alike I say outwardly on both sides alike because no Iesuite dare as yet openly maintaine the contrarie It would seeme impossible how that euer such malice hatred deepe disdaine and contempt of any either Prince or Priest could rest in a Catholike heart as it doth generally in the Iesuites faction were it not that in like cases we find how many thousands of seeming good Catholikes and no doubt for the present were so morally outward for who doth see the hearts of men but God alone qui scrutator cordium est c. haue bene abused seduced and drawne by peecemeale into most horrible blasphemies heresies contempt of the chiefe mysteries and points of our saluation by such as at the first did hoyst vp sailes aloft bare as great a countenance and were as sound Catholikes as any Iesuite nay as any the most religious Priest Monke Nunne or Frier that is on liue and yet iust by like singularitie ambition arrogancie and aspiring humours fell away into such grosse errours and heresies as afterwards they did maintaine euen to death For neither Pelagius nor Beringarius nor Nouatus nor Arius nor any other but had as good holy vertuous deuoute religious and seeming setled and established men and women in the grace of God that were their followers at the first and that stoode in defence of them as earnestly faithfully resolutely deuoutly and zealously in their kind as any pure spirite these new illuminates haue at this present to pleade for them Neither did neither durst any of these heretickes maintaine their errour openly at the first but by degrees being crossed in their proud conceipts First they raised a sedition and dislike of their auncient fathers teachers and gouernours then taught secretly straunge paradoxes and opinions amongst the ignotant people which might be interpreted diuerse waies after that vt est natura hominum nouitatis auida finding how that new names straunge words and other nouelties out of vse in the Church of God as hereafter shall be proued of the Archpresbiterie did breede an admiration to be had of them as rare learned men and I know not what then from the mobile vulgus they proceeded further to draw great persons Nobles Honours and Graces promiscually vnto them vpon that againe perceiuing exceptions to be taken against them as there is alwaies some dogge in
them like fooles as they are and made them become a most seditious infamous pragmaticall treacherous diabolicall faction to set vp and defend a bastardly fellow in all his mischieuous plots and deuises and that the seculars are of no faction at all vnlesse they will call it a faction to ioyne against these vsurpers with the whole Church of God and so may they as probably like right heretikes they will do so one day say that all Catholike nations throughout Christendome are of the faction there being no Catholike countrey people or nation in the world this day but doth dislike of them and is against their wicked proceedings or else for speaking in defence of their Prince and countrey I meane in matters of gouernement succession and state affaires clearly abstracted from points of faith and religion and then and therein also if they say the seculars are of the faction they may aswell say that her Maiestie and honorable Counsell and in few all that are exempted from trayterous attempts and conspiracies either within or without the land are so And then by consequent all are of the faction throughout the world that will not yeeld to a Iesuiticall supremacy in the state Ecclesiasticall and to their Monarchy in a state temporall and in both to make father Parsons a king Cardinall Concerning this matter it is worthy the noting to see how this Camelion Iesuit Parsons hath banded off and on with time like a Protheus His and his fautors ostentation in outward shew is wholy for religion and that they do most earnestly desire the conuersion of their countrey and of such and such particular persons by name yea they would I marry would they all follow and prosecute the king of Scots title if he would become Catholike but if not they would all dye one after another against him And yet contrary to this ostentation made both in a letter of father Parsons to the Marques Huntley whom they account to be a speciall fautor of their faction as also contrarie to sundrie other of their writings schedules and passages they haue dealt both priuatly and openly to the contrarie In somuch that omitting particular practises as with the late Earle of Essex to whom father Parsons sent a Iesuite Priest to haue had him to take a pension of the king of Spaine priuatly for aduancement of his designements neuer mentioning any Religion to him off or on but be as he be would and so with others hath he dealt besides the viper shewed his malice most in the treatie of peace betwixt the kings of Fraunce and Spaine For at that time there was a rumour runne abroad that the Queene of England would enter into that league and so graunt a tolleration of religion But this father Parsons vtterly disliked of saying that either they would haue all or none that they would admit of no conditions His reason was this because quoth he a tolleration would make the Catholikes of England dull and without spirit c. But the reason indeed was this and in good faith when I first did see the Articles here drawne out in England of the conditions for peace before euer any newes came of this great Statists censure I sayd to a very friend of mine that it would cost the Iesuits a brace of a thousand pounds to stop it for that it stood not with father Parsons platforme to haue any relaxation of persecution in England so long as either her Maiestie liued or yet after vntill he were ready to come with Montioy Saint Iames of Spaine and Parsons for the Britons Monarchy because a tolleration for religion would breed these inconueniences all making against him and his faction First he could not then haue any colour to set out bookes or anticke shewes as he hath or to blaze it abroad in all nations how cruell tyrannicall and inhumane the persecution of Catholikes is in England Secondly he could no longer after haue blowne the infamous blasts that course both sea and land he affirming England to be the nurcery of faction sedition and of all mischiefe wrought throughout the world setting all Princes Monarches and States together by the eares liuing in league with one to make warre against another and maintaining of rebels against their Soueraignes Thirdly he could not by al likelihood haue had any Catholike Prince or other in Christendome to haue banded on his side For with what colour could either Spaine or Austria or any Catholike Prince haue inuaded England if Catholikes might liue here as freely as they did in France or as the Hugonites do now liue there and the Protestants in Germany and the Christians in Turkey and the Mahumetanes in Tartary the Pagans in Presbiter Iohns dominions Fourthly he could neuer after haue gone forward with this platforme for aspiring to the Monarchy For whereas now all Catholikes must depēd vpon the Archpriest the Archpriest vpon father Garnet Garnet vpon Parsons Parsons vpon the diuel the author of all rebellious conspiracies treasons murthers disobedience heresies all such other diabolicall bloudy designements as this wicked Iesuit hath hitherto deuised then and in that case this dependency had bin vtterly voide For we should haue had Catholike Bishops as Suffragans or such like that might haue giuen holy orders cōsecrated holy oiles ministred the Sacrament of Confirmation exercised their Episcopall authority in all things necessary priuatly as it was in the Apostles time and Primitiue Church without either any the least incōbrance or perturbance of the state or present incumbents the Bishops Archbishops that now are or admittance of any seditious Iesuit or other factious person to come within the lād Fiftly his malitious deuises cruel hard hart towards al Catholiks had herby bin discouered as neuer able hereafter to haue stirred vp her Maiesty or incensed her honorable Counsell against all her loyall and most dutifull subiects for his treacheries treasons cōspiracies Because al in that case wold haue bin ready to haue reuealed the least thought of any cōfederacy against her royall person kingdome and state Sixtly his baits had bene worth nothing for enticing and alluring of any subiect to rebellion either for the time present or to come because a league being once made with the French and Spanish nation all Catholikes of England being withall naturally inclined to loue and loyalty of and to their Prince and countrey all promises or hopes of preferment vnder forreine Princes would haue bin and seemed hatefull ridiculous and senslesse vnto them No nation vnder heauen affording greater honors comforts and content then England and our Soueraignes both are able do affoord to the inhabitants that liue in grace and fauor as in this case vtcunque the afflicted Catholikes should Seuenthly this tolleration or liberty of cōscience wold quite haue cut off two bloudy hopes which Parsons hath in al his practises to wit aswel the indāgering of her Maiesties royall person as also the fauoring furthering cōsenting
men not as Gods in these cases knowing that the words inuasion and hostile power denotate a generall subuersion population and ouerthrow of the whole common wealth and state with slaughter of body soule and all together and not the conuersion of any one no nor preseruation or safetie of the already conuerted for so said the Duke of Medina in plaine termes scil I will respect neither one nor other if I haue them once vnder my sworde for I meane to make roome place and space there for my master c. Neither in very deede in such a case could he almost choose to doe otherwise though he had a more compassionate religious and humane hart then any Spaniard seemeth to haue For how should he knowe a catholike from a protestant in the open field where is no time to bow nor kneele vnlesse it be against their wils But when besides this it is manifest by the Dukes speeches yea and the Iesuits too at sundry times affirming the same as father Southwell at Wisbiche did confesse no lesse in the hearing of diuers priestes there prisoners that though the inuaders might yet would they not spare one catholike in England more then a protestant nor so much as they would spare the puritanes The reason whereof may be this in their barbarous policie scil least vnder that pretence if shew of religion might saue their liues all for the time becomming wholy catholikes would be too many and too strong a partie to remaine on liue and readie vpon euery the least occasion offered to rise in armes and take the crowne off from the inuaders head if inuested therewith thrust all forraigners out of the realme and set vp a catholike king of their owne countrie and nation againe Therefore seeing that to preuent this inconuenience the inuader whosoeuer will make sure worke if once he got footing without sparing of man woman or childe besides those traitors of Iesuits or puritanes that shall escape perhaps for a time as comming in vnder his banner to betray their natiue countrie into his hands I hold that man for woorse then mad that will runne vpon his owne death euery way as those English doe be they of what religion or profession soeuer that should vpon any false perswasion or feare of excommunication or otherwise oppose themselues against their natiue prince and countrie And if when no such danger was of vtter subuersion and destruction of all yet in these temporall and martiall causes we finde that no excommunication suspension or interdiction did take place so but that those punished by ecclesiasticall censure did still prosecute to death their prince and countries cause were the said excommunications or other ecclesiasticall censure iustly or wrongfully inflicted which when hot bloods are vp is not regarded of any as in the strife betwixt prince Lewis of Fraunce and king Iohn of England and his sonne after him king Henry 3. and the Baliol and Bruse of Scotland and sundry other examples it may appeere euen in catholike times when there was no religion but one then à fortiori in the case proposed like to a Danois conquest when the pretence is coloured with a religious maske and the pretendor intendes notwithstanding a generall massacre of all indifferently to plant a new people there with vtter extirpation of the ancient inhabitants there is no sense religion nor signe of humanitie in that English hart that would so vnnaturally be deluded with scruples doubts and sophisticall buzzes put into his head in the premises as not to resist Secondly an other interrogatorie point or question in the article proposed is that supposing the Iesuits and Archpriest had right on their side in the matters of contention betwixt them as they seeme to make the case as cleere for them as the seculars doe on the contrarie that thereupon they should iustly procure an excommunication with other ecclesiasticall censures to be inflicted according to the qualitie of the person the occasion giuen vpon the part of the appellans and all their adherents for their contempt disobedience c. formally reestablishing ratifying and confirming ad amplius the saide Archpriestes authoritie whether then ought not the seculars and all other catholikes obey and surcease from further pursuite against either the Iesuites or Archpriest or no And to this I answere that a supposed proposition must haue a supposed solution scilicet that supposing all were right iust lawfull and necessarie on the Iesuits part and the quite contrarie on the seculars then were the seculars not onely bound to obey and surcease but also to cry peccauimus and submit themselues to doe such penance as should be inioyned them c. 2. in the case proposed although they were to surcease from pursuite of the appeale in that matter yet were they not bound to let fall their plea on the behalfe of the Catholicke Church and common wealth in generall or of their owne natiue countrey in speciall for that the matters of contention betwixt the seculars and Iesuits being of two kinds the one proper as cōcerning the iniuries wrongs done one to the other and the other common as concerning the iniuries and wrongs done to the whole Church the common wealth the supreme power and soueraigne Maiesties in both states they being instrumentall agents and yet withall liue members of the two bodies misticall and politicall were bound to respect Bonum publicum before priuatum and by consequent not to desist from prosecuting the appeale in those cases wherein the interest is in the whole Church and commonwealth and not in themselues alone 3. I say the supposition is but a meere metaphisicall or rather chymericall supposall or conceite neither doe I thinke that there is any Iesuite in England this day but in his owne conscience he knowes he is in the wrong and that the seculars haue the right on their side as well in the particular as generall action and by consequent it is impossible as I said in the former article but that if euer the matter come to pleading it will goe on the seculars side against them 4. I say more that admit an excommunication should be gotten procured suggesto mendacio against them for the one cause or the other yet were the excommunicated suspended c. onely propter obedientiam to forbeare comming at or hauing the vse of the Sacraments But no further so as in prosecuting their appeale or doing of any other act for the furtherance of their cause they were as free as before from all sinne or other offence in not obeying any charge laide or commandement giuen them to the contrary 3. A third interrogatorie point doth seeme to import thus much in this article scz whether an excommunication suspension c. being gotten quo iure quaue iniuria against the seculars and their adherents hanging the appeale were it to be obeied or not in forbearing to come at the altar or Sacraments Whereunto I answere 1. That Post
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
busie to stone Saint Stephen to keepe their clokes that ran after him to beate him downe to get letters with great eagernes and zeale in his kinde to take examine and bring all vp to Hierusalem that should call vpon the name of Iesus and to leaue nothing vndone pertaining to a Pursiuant a persecuter a cruell tyrants part Who that had heard and seene these things would euer haue thought to haue heard it oracled frō heauen of this same man that vas electionis est mihi vt portet nomen meū coram gentibus c And finally who that had seene S. Marceline Pope offering incense to idols S. Boniface polluted in his lust with Aglae a noble Romane matrone The blessed Magdalene pointed at in the streets as a cōmon woman would euer haue looked for to haue heard that the two first should haue bin martyrs or much lesse the last to haue bin a womā of rarest vertues our blessed lady excepted that euer either before or since was borne Sed non sicut homo iudicat Deus Sixtly I say last of al that as there is no assurance of any catholikes perseuerance not any impossibilitie of any ones conuersion that liues on earth So be the profession whatsoeuer it shal happen yet may an affied trust be put for matters pertaining to ciuill conuersation and other affaires in men of good morall life and conuersation be they of what religion soeuer they be shall And if experience haue tried it in Queene Maries daies that a Throckmerton Sir Nicholas by name knowne to haue been a hot protestant was one and the first by Parsons owne confession in Greene-coate that informed the said Queene of such attempts as then were to haue preuented her raigne ouer vs then should we wrong our owne harts cause and actions if any the least-scruple should be in vs not to reueale whatsoeuer trecherie or treason were intended by any against our now Soueraignes royall person crowne or state and by consequent doe both our selues and those vnder her Maiestie wrong if we should be distrustfull to vtter our mindes freely or to enter into familiaritie with any for to doe either our afflicted friends as we are catholikes or our countrie as we are English any good that can be possible THE ARGVMENT OF THE EIGHT GENERALL QVODLIBET IN the argument of the seuenth I told you of this eight Quodlibet which by many particular points there glanced at you may perceiue must directly tteate of matters of state in the highest degree And therefore is it of all other the most dangerous point to deale in without offence of any whom I would not willingly offend for mine owne part in any thing by reason of speciall occurrents which being handled as some heretofore haue handled them might breede great apparant and manifest danger either to body or soule or both together For here I am to intreate of excommunications and depositions of princes of pontificall power and regall maiestie and of other points of most importance that in a world can be found And bicause I am a catholike by profession and an Englishman by birth and education in respect of the former religion doth inioyne me to acknowledge to death an humble obedience to the one and onely tressacred apostolicall catholike Roman Church the See Apostolike and our mother Citie And hereupon I say with that reuerend prelate the last catholike Archbishop of Yorke that howsoeuer his holines hath beene heretofore or may be hereafter durus Pater vnto vs and our nation by inflicting excommunications or other ecclesiasticall censures vpon our prince countrie or our selues and thereby occasionating our heauier persecutions yet must we alwaies be dutifull children And againe in respect of the latter naturall loyaltie doth binde me to wish no longer to liue then vntill the swiftest flight of a thought shall crosse my dutifull obedience to my prince and countrie And vpon this ground doe I build firmely to death neuer to attempt by act word or consent any thing that may preiudice the one or the other and so keeping a golden meane betwixt the two extremes yeelding to Caesar that which is Caesars and vnto God that which is his owne I will now proceede to the effectuall points whereupon all true catholikes doe and ought to stand THE EIGHT GENERALL QVODLIBET OF PLOTS by statizing THE I. ARTICLE VVHether any ecclesiasticall person may or ought to deale in matters of state And if they may then whether any catholike priest may doe so on the behalfe of the catholike Roman Church or the English Bishops on the behalfe of the Church of England or Scots ministerie on the behalfe of the Church of Scotland or how and in what sort these doe differ from one another in freedome to deale in state affaires THE ANSWERE THat it is now and euer hath been lawfull for the clergie in generall to deale in state matters and affaires practise experience and consent of all persons nations times and ages doe approoue ratifie and confirme it not a legifer not a lawe not a parliament not an act enacted nor decree made without the Lords spirituall yea the word State it selfe when we talke of state affaires hath a relation to an ecclesiasticall state which being the first and principall of the two members in a bodie politicall once depriue the clergie of all dealings or medlings any manner of way in state matters and then repeale reuoke reuert all statute lawes and put out those words Lords spirituall for euer after the first most ancient and woorthily prime inuested Barons of this land as all Bishops of England are being these Lords spirituall or ecclesiasticall state Therefore can I not but often smile in my sleeue to heare and see the Iesuits coggery in euery thing and how that now of late it is blowne abroad amongst catholiks that the secular priests forsooth are become prophane lay persons in conuersation studying onely state matters and practizing with the ciuill magistrate in state affaires Vpon occasion of which speech a gentlewoman in a passage of these matters at her table saide to a secular priest my selfe being there present vnknowne and therfore freer to laugh as I did hartily to heare her nay my masters quoth she if you once become statesmen and haue dealings with the Lords of the Counsell or other ciuill magistrates then I haue done with you For I neuer could heare of anie Iesuit that did so As though there coulde be no dealings in matters of state but that the party must be accessary to an acte of treason and be holden for a statizer in a sense detestable Well let it passe for a Iesuiticall iangling and leauing the etymologie we will come to the common phrase and acceptance of this worde State and Statiste as they are now taken and thereby shall be seene ere this Quodlibet be ended whether the seculars or Iesuits are greater statists that is intermedlers in state affaires And for the time present I say as followeth In
and calling to silence in points of pacification and humble suite for release of affliction they yeelding to them the honor of Earles or Barons as their place by gift of the prince doth inuest them withall there is no cause moouing them to disswade from toleration but rather in truth both states and persons ecclesiasticall and temporall in respect of the premisses for the safer continuance in their present interest may conceiue iust cause and many weightie reasons moouing them on the seculars and other catholike recusants behalfe against the Iesuiticall and puritanian faction to commence their humble suite to her highnes for libertie of conscience with a repeale or at least a gratious milde and comfortable mitigation of former sharpe penall lawes made aswel against the seminarie priests themselues as also against all those that receiue or relieue them any manner of way Fiftly to the catholike recusants themselues there is none sanae mentis vnles bewitched with the Iesuiticall vaine hope of future aduancements but may and no doubt but doe and will daily more and more easily perceiue it that this betwixt the seculars and Iesuits was the happiest contention that euer rose and that all discreet vertuous and sound catholikes in deede haue iust cause especially if of a naturall humane breede and not mungrels nor bastards to giue God thanks euery day vpon their knees for this so sweete vnexpected extraordinarie comfortable and to be admired at meanes to all posteritie scil how euer such hart-breaking broiles should haue turned to so great a good on all sides as doubtlesse if the diuell play not the knaue too too egregiously and preuaile more then ordinarie these cannot choose but turne vnto First in receiuing hereby a holesome mithridate or antidotum to the spirituall health and recouerie of many a deuoute soule against the most dangerous infections and by all other meanes irremedilesse poyson of the Iesuiticall doctrine then by banishing out of their mindes this vnsauorie comparison and distinction of persons in bestowing of spiritual graces with ego sum Pauli ego Apollo c. after that by breeding in euery vertuous sincere religious catholike hart a more reuerend regard to priesthood in generall and to their ghostly fathers in speciall then now they haue by the Iesuiticall policies and most Machiuillian perswasions And last of all there would be then the woonted ioy at meeting of priests and catholikes together whereas now and so long as the Iesuits remaine in this land there is none other to be expected but mutinies brabbles detractions defamations watchings intrappings betrayings of one another and nothing but a mournefull blacke sanctus in steede of a ioyfull Alleluia at the conuersion of any soule or furtherance of any good catholike and charitable action THE III. ARTICLE VVHether any religious person may or ought to meddle or haue any dealings in state matters or secular affaires as other ecclesiacticall persons or as now the secular priests do deale or not and if any other may then why not the Iesuits THE ANSWERE TO this interrogatory I answere First that Ex officio de iure no religious person one or other ought or may lawfully deale either in state or any other secular affaires bicause the worde secular à fortiori stat are wordes resumed into wordly actions in their practise and therefore as farre from a religious profession to meddle withall in regard of their vowe of pouertie whose essentials are humilitie silence solitary life renuntiation of the world and a ciuill voluntary monasticall death as for them to breake out of their cloisters and take a benefice without leaue in regard of their vowe of obedience or to take a wife in regard of their vow of chastity c. Secondly as notwithstanding their vow of voluntary pouertie they may haue and possesse lands and all other things in common so may they also carry a kind of state amongst themselues and thereupon being subiects also to their prince and members incorporate to the common wealth wherein they liue their Abbots Priors Guardians and other superiors chosen amongst them to rule ouer them may be admitted by the two states ecclesiasticall and temporall to deale in secular affaires and matters of state as other Bishops and Parsons ecclesiasticall may and so was the custome of old in this land that commonly the Abbot of Westminster was Lord Treasurer of England the Archbishop of Yorke Lord president of the North and sometimes one Bishop and other while an other was Lord Chauncellour of the realme Thirdly yet was neither this a freedome to the monkes of their cloister to liue secularly neither was it allowed of as generall to all religious orders to be aduanced so bicause some are bound by vow to the contrary and as repugnant to their profession they beare no state amongst themselues but liue all in humiliation without possessiōs lands or any thing that smels of the world saue onely a house to shrowde them from cold a church to serue God in and meate and drinke to keepe life and soule together as of almes shal be giuen them c. Fourthly of all other religious orders the Iesuites by profession should be furthest of from all secularity statising or other worldly dealings and yet on the contrary they of all the rest are become not onely most secular and ecclesiasticall but also most laicall temporall and prophane yea most treacherous ambitious seditious and daungerous both to themselues and all others where they liue as these articles here shall discouer of our owne countrey Iesuites more at large THE IIII. ARTICLE VVHether any clergy person of what religion profession or sect soeuer he be for I take it to be all one when we talke of state affaires whether the statist be catholike protestant or puritane euery one thinking his owne course to be best may or ought to labour for planting of his owne religion or onely ought he to seeke the temporall good of his country letting religion goe where and how it pleaseth God it shall THE ANSWERE THere is no question in it but abstracting in this point of statizing from a matter of faith to a matter of policy all men of what religion soeuer supposing they haue and thinke in conscience that they haue the truth on their side are bound to propagate plant and establish the religion they are of to the vttermost of their power yet so as all may be ad aedificationem non ad destructionem And whosoeuer thinkes his religion best must thinke this withall that the meanes of restoring it be it the puritanes amongst protestants or protestants amongst catholikes or catholikes amongst either of these or any other must not be by treasons conspiracies and inuasions The conuersion of any country by such attempts did
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
any especially so neere her Maiestie as those were c. But amongst many woorthy examples and reasons alledged by these ancient fathers to the heathen emperors in the primitiue Church why they should grant libertie of conscience to Christians arguments deduced from policie ciuilitie humanitie and their owne princely benignitie for they not accustomed with matters of faith religion conscience being infidels onely morall ciuill politicall and humane respects such as some sparks of Synderesis the lawes of reason of nature and nations are in man were motiues to moone them to surcease from persecution or else nothing Of all the rest Athenagoras in his Apologie to the emperor Commodus on the behalfe of the Christians frameth his speech to the best construction and fitliest agreeing to the matter now in question to the iudgement of many on the English catholikes behalfe to our Soueraigne For the summe of Athenagoras speech consisting as it doth in this that one and a chiefe reason why the emperor should grant free vse and libertie of conscience to the Christians was for that his Maiestie together with all his predecessors freely granted the same freedome to all other sects sectaries professors of religion and worshippers of sundry gods and goddesses as far different in the worship done to and derogating from the Maiestie and honor of Caesar as the God of the Christians or worship done vnto him did or could any way differ or derogate And seeing that euery particular prouince countrie and people had their peculiar gods to themselues whom they worshipped with a kinde of singularitie vsed in one thing or other towardes them that others wanted where euer they went or liued either in the prouince of their birth or else transported to some region further of or nearer hand and yet neuer once examined nor asked the question why they did so then ab inductione Athenagoras did conclude euen iure gentium that the Christians throughout the emperors dominions ought to haue the like libertie tolleration and conniuence granted them Whereupon our catholikes in England bringing in an argument à simili that if there wâ—re reason why the Emperor should permit the Christian religion as well as other religions opposite to the Romane rites in gentilisme that were then allowed of with all their pluralities of like sort then say ours seeing her Maiestie permitteth Puritanes Brownists or Barowists Familians c. to liue quiet within her dominions it were agreeing as well to mercy suited alwaies best with maiestie as also to if not our iust yet our lawfull desires for to haue the like libertie or at least not to bee haunted with continuall searchings hazard of life ordinarie taxations and losses of lands and goods taken from them as the catholike recusants are and haue beene long in these vexations troubles and dangers from whence all other are free Amidst this argument they vrge further for that the emperors in those daies were heathen our Soueraigne a Christian their 's often strangers to the Romanes yea alwaies strangers to one nation or other ouer which they gouerned especially during the raignes of some thirty emperors euen vntill Constantine the great his time by reason that the emperiall crowne of Caesar went by meere election that while whereupon followed so many bloodie murthers massacrings and open warres against one another for aspiring to the emperiall soueraigntie Here one proclaimed emperor in the field by a rabble of vnruly soldiers there another denounced installed and crowned emperor by the Senate and he sometimes an Italian otherwhile a Spaniard otherwhile a Frenchman then a Britane borne in this lande and after that perhaps a Grecian c Whereas now our Lady and Soueraigne is of our owne nation birth blood education naturall incline and all things to mooue to lenitie Againe their pluralities of gods and diuersities of worships sacrifices and ceremonies tended onely to points of religion sects and opinions amongst themselues no way otherwise derogating to the imperiall crowne of Caesar But these in England which yet as I said are permissible differ not onely all of them in generall from the present church of England yea and one from another in matters of faith and points of religion besides as much as the catholikes do differ from the Protestants if not more but euen also in matters of state in the highest degree the Puritans as eagerly seeking and wishing the death of her Maiestie and both writing and speaking as boldly vnto her as any traytor euer did or durst speake to his prince and yet they are permitted to liue and enioy their liberty whereas the catholiks can not be any way endured which to nations abroad giueth no little cause of admiration Fourthly they otherwhiles turnd ouer their bookes wherein they had registred the imperiall decrees of Caesar and finding amongst other points of importance belonging to this great cause of our heauines and woonder how that euer so sore an affliction of catholikes should haue fallen out in our infortunate age and that in our natiue countrey and amongst our owne deerest and neerest friends by all coniunctions of lawes orders motiues they had there quoted how that in time of Arrianisme other afflictions persecutions of the church vnder Iulian vnder Valens vnder Constans vnder Constantius vnder Theodoret and others the like when the same emperors were fautors yea and earnest persecutuors protectors and patrons of the catholikes aduersaries and that all the Christian world was infected with those heresies which continued 400. yeeres ere they were quite extinct yet were these great Monarches and mighties of the world so far from inflicting such a generall affliction vpon all catholikes in those daies as now the English catholikes do sustaine that they thought it enough to haue them and that but in some places for to be depriued of their Benefices Bishopricks and other as well ecclesiasticall as temporall dignities and offices suffragating Arrian Bishops and others in their places without further taxes laide vpon them or other troubles and vexations in generall For what was done in speciall against Saint Siluester and Saint Siluerius martyr against Saint Basill and Saint Martin martyr against Saint Iohn and Saint Donatus both martyrs against Saint Athanasius Saint Chrysostom and others it was of priuate grudge and no generall cause Nay which was more euen those same emperors that persecuted the catholikes most yet often of their owne princely benignity and meere motion proceeding of their innate clemencie they would and did authorise graunt and make offer from their imperiall throne to sundrie catholike Bishops and other prelats euen vnder their hands For as I said before in places prouinces and countries further of though subiect to the Romane empire there was no question made of hauing catholiks or Arrian Bishops equally alike as the number of the one or other religions did sway most that they might vse their Episcopal iurisdictions and other rites and ceremonies agreeing to the custome of the catholike
church c. And at Millane at Antioch at Constantinople and elsewhere were sometimes offers and often graunts made to catholikes to haue their churches chappels to themselues apart from the Arrians and other infest enimies of the catholikes suffering them the saide clergie on both sides to do it by dispitions amongst themselues neuer persecuting any catholike for that cause vnlesse some speciall grudge or occasion of high displeasure taken by the emperors against some particular person which for the most part proceeded on the Arrians behalfe and suggestion made by them had mooued them to the contrary Which being so and that the princely disposition and royall hart of our Soueraigne is behinde none of the woorthiest emperors that euer sat enthronized with imperiall crowne for a flexible milde free nature and sweete incline to mercy bountie pittie grace pardon fauour and compassion taken of her subiects be as they be may in different affections of religion aliened from her together with her magnificencie liberalitie and maiestie equalling if not before them either great Alexander or Iulius the woorthy Caesar Of which two although it were said of the former in Greece and of the latter in Rome that Alexander the Conquerour in vsing liberalitie and Iulius Caesar in pardoning of iniuries none euer equald or at least went before them yet was it spoken and so it is vnderstood of precedent ages not of future heroeces we no way yeelding in our heauiest thoughts of hart burning griefes sustained to heare our noble Elizabeth prince peregall paramount and paragon the so admired at Saba of Europes England as all the world hath woondred at her more then ordinary indowments of princely nature otherwise accounted of then as a Sance-pere giuing place to none of former present or future times persons or ages for and in all points attending at the gates of royall honor or throne of regall Maiestie That then notwithstanding all this her Highnesse worne out subiects suppliants poore afflicted catholiks in her prisons in durance dangers and distresse euery where should haue so hard a happe as not onely to be depriued of all ecclesiasticall and temporall dignities offices preferments any manner of way which yet were more tollerable as a thing they nothing lesse expect wish for or desire it being so that both clergie and laitie of the catholikes take it as a sweete chasticement and fatherly scourge sent them from God to be humbled with so heauie a downefall but also which doth grieue them most to liue in sorrow heauines and suspition had of their vnattainted loyalties in generall for some priuate offences in speciall that they of al other should feele the force of these vnaccustomed frownes which pearce those harts the deepest whose faithfull seruices haue beene deerest to their Soueraignes in their owne and their forefathers daies That not one noble will speake for them that no solace should be left them no comfort euer affoorded them no hope at all this long time giuen them of euer receiuing a glympse or glance of those accustomed gracious smyles which ordinarily do flowe in pearld streames from lions hart of truest golde gushing out at siluer lymbecks of egles eies all royall in their rarenes That this should be all catholikes heauie case her highnes a prince and second to none in maiestie mercy and magnificencie her catholike subiects seconded with as fewe for seruice submission and loyaltie and yet that they should be put from time to time to such sore trials and indure so many calamities is a sutable cause with the rest of admiration and woonder Fiftly they sometimes cast their eies aside to Turkes to Persians to all Pagan prouinces to see if they can espie any one sect profession or professors of religion tossed turmoilde and tormented as the English are and throughout all this vaste Macrocosme they finde not one patterne sampler nor example left to posteritie to bee recorded like to ours The Sophy indeede hath a long time had great and mortall wars with the Ottomane race family and successors in the Turkish tribe so hath great Mogor great Cam of Catay Presbyter Iohn and other monarches adioyning and affronting him but yet omitting the generall contention amongst the Mahumetans about the heires of Ella and the body of Mahomet there is a libertie graunted for religion to all men in a sort more tollerable then in England is to be heard of for catholiks to enioy The very Turke who hath the straitest lawes forbiddeth indeed all talke disputation or controuersie to be about religion but yet he permitteth either Christians or any other to liue quiet vnder him vsing their owne rites seruice and ceremonies for paying a certaine yeerely tribute which is not much more then catholikes pay in England euen to their naturall Prince and Soueraigne and yet cannot haue the like securitie safetie and quiet from inferior officers but still in one place or other within her Maiesties dominions they are pild and pold to the vttermost So as when all is quiet at London then are they aloft in Yorkshire and throughout the North when quiet there then vp in Wales and the marches that way And thus persecution running per circulum the lande neuer wholly at rest and quiet these things manie learned men and others haue woondred at not knowing what were the causes Sixtly sometimes those graue and reuerend prelats cast backe their eies to these our latter ages and present times wherein now we liue and to the bordering kingdomes and princes round about vs to see whether any like to these our English miseries and catholike distresses can be found And in Germany howsoeuer there be some slacknes and dislikes at their Diets and election of their Caesar yet in ciuil conuersation one with another and for life gouernment and order the emperour though a catholike findeth as great seruice and concord amongst his subiects and they againe vse and enioy all their immunities freedomes and liberties with as great content and quiet liuing in one Prouince in one citie in one towne in one streete yea and in one house sometimes together of diffrent as if they were all of one minde faith and religion In Fraunce we see what libertie of conscience wrought Did it not as well animate the Hugonites to ioyne with king Henry of the house of Valois then a catholike in shewe howsoeuer the Iesuits censure of his hart as it did of like sort the catholikes to ioyne with the now most Christian and catholike king Henry the 4. then a Protestant yea did they not sticke as sure fast to his christian Maiestie as if he had been of their owne catholike religion profession that with as great alacritie of minde in regard of his present right to that crowne and their future hopes of his conuersion to their church and faith as afterward it hapned God sweetly so disposing that he who could not by rough handling be made flexible by experience of his subiects loyaltie is
of a lyon becom a lambe In few we see in Polony in Sweden in Scotland in Flaunders and euery where that catholikes are together with those of other professions sects and opinions vnlesse it be where onely the Consistorian Caluinian Cartwrightian puritans rule the rost and that a company of ministers or exorbitant superintendants ouertop both Prince prelate and all as in Scotland and at Geneua c. Otherwise all kings and princes of this age haue iudged it in pollicie the fittest wisest safest and most honorable and princely course they could haue taken to graunt libertie of conscience to their subiects Which seeing our soueraigne Queene Elizabeth hath not granted and yet is knowne to be in her owne high towring princely wisedome of as high a pitch sound and deepe conceite censure and iudgement in reach not to be seconded of any of these adding heereunto that for gouernment of her land for policie in her state for noblenes in her court her Highnes hath the choice of as fine delicate and daintie breed of gallant graue quicke wits as Europe nay as Afrike nay as Asia nay as the world this day enioyes The Italian the Spaniard the Polonian the Sweden the Moscouite the Turke the Persian and who not is willing to aduaunce her Maiesties meanest sort of subiects sometime to the highest types of honor to winne them wholy to be theirs to learne witte sleight and pollicie out of their practise and experience These Boreas blasted lads borne vnder the Britaine Ocean able to fire with their wits the hotte climatical Southerne Sages witnes our Stukeleyes our Candishes our Furbishers our Drakes our Hilles our Sherleys our Parsons c. All these circumstances duly weighed that this heauie yoke should be laide by so mercifull wise and prudent a prince vpon the weake neckes of her poore subiects with weight importable for them to carry vnlesse her highnes should stretch foorth her accustomed Atlantike armes of clemencie to support them before they sinke downe right vnder their burthen That this seueritie should be more vsed against catholiks in England then either any catholike king or prince of other professions either Christian or heathen vse against either subiects or forrainers of contrary religions vnto the said princes throughout the worlde this day This is the point which many stande vpon in admiring how euer things should haue come to that passe they are at in England concerning the affliction of catholikes and cannot finde out the causes This then to make manifest to all the world by an historicall discourse and that howsoeuer we haue matter enough against our aduersaries euen for religions sake yet neither to aggrauate more then is necessarie nor to accuse further then is expedient nor to excuse more then is conuenient nor yet to lay the fault of any that is faultlesse therefore shall it be made knowne that as the affliction of catholiks in England hath beene in very deed extraordinary as is heere set downe and many an innocent man lost his life so also hath the cause thereof beene extraordinary and so farre beyond the accustomed occasions of persecution giuen to any prince in christendome or monarchie that is or euer was in the world to this hower vnlesse the Puritanes of Scotland which may in some sort equall the offence heere to be set downe as rather it is to be woondred at all things duly considered that any one catholike is left on liue in England then that our persecution hath beene so great for name one nation I know none can vnder heauen where the subiects especially if they were catholikes euer sought the death of their Soueraigne though of a different religion frō them the conquest of their natiue land the subuersion of the state the depopulation of the weale publike the alteration change of al lawes customs orders in few the vtter deuastation desolation destruction of al the ancient inhabitants of their land in so vnnatural vnchristian vncatholike a maner as the Spanish faction haue sought it in our owne flesh and bloud against this realme which treacherous courses although they were but some fewe and those priuate persons offences and by consequent in a court of conscience and in rigour of iustice the rest neither acting nor concurring nor consenting to their conspiracies were innocent and no way to be vsed with that seueritie as many catholiks haue beene Yet forasmuch as the pretences of such practises were generall and common to all catholikes alike all maintaining one and the same opinion concerning what might be done by apostolicall power and authoritie and neuer talking of what was necessarie therefore was it that her Maiestie and the state standing on the other side affected in religion as they did had both cause to iudge secundum allegata probata in foro externo and also can not otherwise be thought of but that the circumstances on all sides considered as well making for her owne securitie as also for a Non-knowledge what catholiks were guiltie and who were free her Maiesties lawes and proceedings against catholikes haue beene both milde and mercifull And as we are to thinke in deed our happe now to be hard if no mitigation nor prouisoe should be made for the innocent now that the way and meanes is knowne for discouery of traytors distinguishing betwixt state catholiks catholike loyall subiects so also are we to giue her Highnes humble thanks for our liues that we were not al cut off whiles no difference was made put nor knowne betwixt the secular priests Iesuits that we haue been permitted to liue to this happy houre of manifesting our catholike cōstancy obedience to the See apostolike in al our actions and our naturall loyaltie and seruiceable harts to our Prince and countrey in all our proceedings in neither stayning our catholike religion with vnnaturall treason nor priestly function with factious dispositions and state affaires But of this matter I will heere be silent referring you to a treatise lately set out by my brethren intituled Important considerations c. whereunto I haue prefixed an Epistle By both which you may see at large what statizing by acts wordes and writings in most treacherous and treasonable manner hath beene against her Maiestie against the present state against the whole common-wealth against vs all without exception her Highnes loyall and naturall subiects of what religion soeuer we be which seeing her Princely hart hath forborne as no Soueraigne on earth would euer haue suffred the like to haue past vnpunished as she hath I must conclude and end as we began that her lawes and proceedings haue beene both milde and mercifull THE X. ARTICLE VVHether then the premisses considered is it fit that Catholiks should send their children and friends to be brought vp in the Seminaries beyond the seas or not If not then how should the salt of the earth be kept vncorrupted or the seede of priesthood be continued for restoring of the catholike Romane
infection with Iesuiticall conspiracies euer heereafter when as such seditious rotten weedes should be rooted out which both indanger her royall person and present state and bring vs all her faithfull subiects to be suspected by their meanes And as for study learning and other catholike exercises let this good motiue deere catholikes be no waie heauily taken nor rashly censured as though there were no learning nor method of teaching nor any gouernment or vertuous exercise but where a Iesuite beares the stroke For know you this that as there are their betters in England and out of it that are no Iesuits euen of our owne nation this day in all things required in teachers masters and gouernors so before euer any Iesuits came or were in rerum natura the Vniuersities of Oxford and Cambridge florished amongst the most famous schooles in Christendome either for schoole method or positiue doctrine in Diuinitie Philosophie or any other studie And seeing it cannot be denied but that for all the Iesuits boast of their learning gouernment method of teaching and I can not tell what yet still haue the seculars Seminarie priests beene the chiefe Readers profoundest Clarks either in Diuinitie or philosophy that haue gone out of our Nation in these daies witnesse our Allans our Stapletons our Giffords our Hardings our Parkinsons our Elyes our Kellingsons with sundrie other Doctors schoolemen to omit those that are in England at this present togither with diuers religious Englishmen of S. Benedicts of S. Dominicks of S. Fraunces and of other religious orders al of them to be preferred before our new illuminates these vainglorious vanting men Besides we see that for al our Seminaries vnder the Iesuits yet the most famous men from time to time haue beene brought vp vnder the secular clergie or the Dominican preachrers and teachers in all nations Also it is well knowne that there is nothing wanting in our Vniuersities heere in England for making profound clarks and learned men in deede saue onely that sound catholike doctrine and schoole method which was vsed in Gabrell Beoll in Alexander of Hales and in Iohn Scots daies For otherwise neuer was there a finer breed of wits nor brauer Orators nor more pleasant Poets nor perfecter Grammarians nor more copious Linguists nor riper men in all studies of humanitie then are brought vp in our English Vniuersities Therefore seeing that which is wanting might be supplied by catholike doctors and teachers of our owne nation any Iesuits equals and that we see sundrie of the finest wits resort to our side daily notwithstanding all these either contentions betwixt vs and the Iesuits or yet the present affliction and danger we all do liue in of our common aduersaries then thinke deere catholiks as true it is that there can no question be made of it to the contrary but that where one commeth now vnto vs there would then come ten of all sorts by such carefull diligence and choise of tutors as vpon this so gracious a grant O happie who may liue to see it of her Maiestie might be vsed both in Oxford and Cambridge as that you might haue your children there inclined and trained vp with some such good conceits of the catholike faith and religion as nourished and cherished therein by you that are their friends in natural loue and affection and confirmed by vs that are priests as in christian charity and catholike dutie we are bound there would quickly follow a ioyfull forgetfulnes of the Iesuits exile as the perturbers of both the catholike church and Englands common-wealth and ruine of vs all if they remaine amongst vs. And thus hauing brought this long tedious intricate and most dangerous difficult and doubtfull Quodlibet of plots by statizing to an end in some sort though not halfe so much said heerein as both the waight of the matter it selfe doth require and also as willing I was and am to haue written thereof as well in respect of iustice as of charity both mouing me to speake were I not infringed vpon other considerations iustly compelling me to silence Therefore vnwilling to holde you any longer in this so discomfortable a party as necessarily the talke of these matters must needs be to many deuout soules which no doubt will be assaulted with variable cogitations in the peruse of this discourse wo be to them who haue occasioned such straite passages of our heauines I now end in harty praier vpon my knees that God may turne all to his glory as well for religion as state and so proceed to other matters in hand THE ARGVMENT OF THE NINTH GENERALL QVODLIBET HAuing said more in the last Quodlibet then I shall haue thanks for at the Iesuits hands but that I am Iohn Indifferent and a Wilfull Will that wil neuer force a friend nor feare a foe in an act of publike iustice as I hold it for such that a greater act both of iustice of chatity could not be then if my poore cōceits by pen expressed can do it to defend Gods cause quarrell my prince countries right the gaulelesse catholikes innocent harts and to firret these cony-catching Iesuits out of conceit from all English berries or warrens that carrie either oile of perfect charitie in their lampes or fire of true catholike zeale within their breastes or naturall affection to their prince their countrie their parents children flesh and blood their deerest friends Hereupon there doth occurre to my memorie two generall Quodlibets which make as much for our purpose as any we haue hitherto handled scil to make knowne to the world the surmised forme but in deede very weake foundation the Iesuits haue laied especially this most Atheall Polypragmon father Parsons to perfect the platforme of statizing mentioned in the last Quodlibet precedent for the ouerthrowe of all that are not as they And therefore shal the first of these two Quodlibets be of plots by succession the second of plots by presages The former then consisting of such deuises engins and baites as the Iesuits haue cast abroad into euery mundane puddle◠pond and poole of Christendome to fish for an absolute monarchie that as there is but one God and Sauiour Lord and king Iesus in heauen so but one sole regiment by Iesuits on earth the articles concerning that point are these 10. following THE NINTH GENERALL QVODLIBET OF PLOTS by succession THE I. ARTICLE WHether is the practise of the Iesuits agreeable to christian charitie and the dutie of true subiects to interprete euery thing that their Soueraigne and the state of the countrey doth in the woorst part to slaunder depraue and calumniate the king their Lord and his proceedings by libels and sundry sorts of chartals bookes and pamphlets of purpose both to make his highnes his gouernment and his whole kingdome as much as in them lieth offensiue to other princes now and odious heereafter to all posteritie or not THE ANSWERE THe Quodlibets of state and succession hauing such an affinity by
life from God our nobility from our parents our kingdome from our subiects our religion from the church of Rome the which if you maligne vs for it we sende you backe againe by these presents then what shall we thinke or can we imagine that soueraigne princes of this our infortunate age will brooke it well to finde his holines to be tam durus Pater towards them But for meane subiects to presume as the Iesuits do neuer was it and now is it least tolerable THE IIII. ARTICLE WHether it is a fitte point of doctrine to be broached and diuulged to the world in these daies by the Iesuites that subiectes are no longer bound to obey wicked Princes in their temporall commandements and Lawes but till they be able by force of armes to resist them THE ANSWERE THat this is a most dangerous doctrine and most vnfit to be published in this age there is no one Catholike in England this day but I thinke will confesse it and therefore I hold it meet before I come directly to answer this Article First to make it apparaÌ„t that the Iesuites and their seditious faction do broach publish such a kind of doctrine for otherwise it might well seeme a slaunder malitiously imputed vnto them Amongst others father Parsons in his admonition before mentioned giueth this reason why the Popes sentence hath not beene put in execution since it was first giuen bicause forsooth her Maiesties forces were so great that they could hardly be resisted by the onely Inhabitants of the Realme without euident daunger and destruction of very many and noble persons c. in which case the censures of the Church doe not binde which is as much to say as if they had beene of might sufficient they had been bound to haue put the said sentence in execution against her highnes and the ouerthrow of the whole state and common wealth of their natiue land The same Iesuite also in his booke intituled Philopater is very peremptorie sly and sawcie as his manner is very boldly affirming that when kings doe deflect from the Catholike religion and drawe others with them Liberes esse subditos c. posseque debere si vires habeant buiuscemodi homineÌ„ dominatuÌ„ eijcere Subiectes are free and both may and ought if they be able to cast such a man out of his dominions Secondly when Henry the third of Fraunce had procured the death of the Duke of Guise and some other whereunto the French writers doe affirme he was compelled except he would haue suffred the Duke to haue puld the Crowne from his head it was not long after but that by the secret practises of the Iesuites he himselfe was murthered And not resting thus contented they writ such a discourse against him being a Catholike as if it had beene hatched in hell intituled De iusta abdicatione H. 3. In which treatise they affirme that it is lawfull for a priuate man to kill a tyrant for so they termed that king though there be neither sentence of the Church or kingdome against him Now in this booke to come to my purpose he propoundeth this obiection how and why it was that in the Primitiue Church the martyrs attempted no such course against the tyrants that then raigned and doth answere it in this sort Vâ—â—d laudable est cum resistere nequeas ita vbi pâ—ssis nolle resistere religionis patriae hosti nefarium ac pernitiosum est As much to say as thus in English As it is laudable to doe as those martyrs did when thou canst not resist so not to resist when thou maist the enimy of Religion and of thy countrey so they terme all kings that they dislike is a pernitious and horrible sinne Thirdly an other at that time with a Iesuiticall spirite doth tell vs his mind in plaine termes so as I shall not neede to proue the matter by any consequence The quarrell for Religion saith he and defence of innocencie is so iust that heathen Princes not at all subiect to the Churches lawes and discipline may in that case by the Christians armes be resisted naming none but speaking in generall termes without exception of persons so indefinitely or rather peremptorily and dissemblingly as all Iesuites doe that as well seruants as souerâ—ignes may by his principle take armes at their pleasure c. And might lawfully haue been redressed in the time of the Pagans and first great persecutors â—hen they vexed and oppressed the faithfull And againe There is no question but that the Emperor Constantine Valens Iulian and others might haue beene by the Bishop excommunicated and deposed and all their people released from their obedience if the Church or Catholikes had had competent forces to haue resisted Loe what doctrine this is to be diuulged in this so daungerous an age I leaue to others to conceite these things in as good sence as may make for our generall safety and common good of the Catholike cause onely I wish such passages had neuer fronted any English Port nor come to our aduersaries eares or knowledge And an other Iesuite to the same purpose saith Quod si Christiani olim non deposuerunt Neronem Diocletianum Iulianum Apostatam ac Valentem Arrianum alios id fuit quia de erant vires temporales Christianis Nam alioquin iure potuissent hoc facere In that Christians in times past did not depose Nero and Dioclesian and Iulian the Apostata and Valence the Arrian and others it was bicause Christians did then want temporall forces for otherwise they might lawfully haue dealt so with them Now what thinke you if such a doctrine had been heard or spoken of in Iulians Neroes or Dioclesians daies what thinke you would haue ensued thereof Questionlesse though the persecution were great yet probably it would haue beene double increased and augmented thereby And as for the scholemen which they alleage for this doctrine one and the chiefe is S. Thomas who hath some such point For Christians saith he obeyed Iulianus Quod illo tempore Ecclesia in sua nouitate nondum habebat potestatem terrenos principes coercendi ideo tollerauit fideles Iulano Apostatae ohedire in ijs quae non erant contra fidem vt maius periculum fidei vitaretur c. Bicause the Church then being in her infancy had not yet power to bridle Princes and therefore she did tollerate the faithfull to obey Iulian the Apostata in those things which were not against faith for the auoyding of a greater daunger which might otherwise haue insued to the Christian faith The other is Dominus Bannes vpon Saint Thomas who alleaging that the cause why catholikes in England do not rebell against her Maiestie is Quia facultatem non habent c. Both whose opinions and words as they may carry a diuerse construction so were they not set downe by either of them as conclusions but as argumentall reasons of doctrine disputatiue in the schooles Which
in this point of rebellion and popularitie saith that where Salomon affirmeth By me kings raigne and Saint Paul auoucheth that authoritie is not but of God and therefore he that resisteth authoritie resisteth God these places are to be vnderstood of authoritie power or iurisdiction in it selfe according to the first institution for otherwise when it is vniustly vsed it may be resisted in manie cases euen by the commons or multitude whom in his Appēdix he bindeth in conscience to rebell c. which kinde of shifts we haue euer detested and therefore nowe you shall heare what we thinke of this doctrine To speake plainely my minde in this case with all humble submission to the Catholike church and censure of my opinion herein I hold this doctrine of the Iesuits in these daies to be an open way to Atheisme so to expound the Apostles as that they might be thought to temporize which is a plaine kinde of dissimulation For there being question made concerning the doctrine of the Catholike church and Gospel of Christ as though it had impeached the authority of the ciuill Magistracie the Apostles to cleare themselues of so false an imputation did of purpose propose the contrary and prescribed such obedience and duty to all subiects as was by the lawes of God and all nations due vnto them But if the Apostles had beene of the Iesuits opinion in this matter and would haue dealt truely sincerely and directly as the Iesuits do neuer when such a doubt was made by the States where they preached they should haue answered to this effect scil If you that are Emperors kings and worldly gouernours doe meane to continue your wicked courses in opposing your selues against Christ and vs his seruants we are by the doctrine of our Master Christ and authoritie committed vnto vs to seeke your confusion and to depriue you from your Empires kingdomes and gouernments as soone as we are able to make head against you or if any of you will be content to heare and obey vs we must tell you that wherunto you must trust which is that when once you haue submitted your selues to this our said doctrine If you shall not foreuer afterwards conforme your behauiour and conuersation according to our rules and prescription we must be bold with you and do the best we can to mooue your subiects to rebellion and to depose you likewise as soone as they shall haue competent strength to incounter with you and in default thereof it is our duety to perswade by all the policies we can deuise some of your neighbour princes to take your subiects parts for your vtter ruine Inter bonos bene agere oportet We professe our selues to be teachers of the truth and therefore we cannot chuse being vrged vnto it in this particular but to signifie the truth vnto you after our plaine and direct proceedings with all men Now if such a kinde of answere to haue beene made by the Apostles do seeme most absurd then what wicked and absurd wretches are these good fathers who by their interpretations do impose it vpon them if they had dealt sincerely Or if the Apostles should haue meant indeed as these men would haue them and as it is before expressed then what might the world haue thought of them that to couer such tragicall points of blood and rebellion and to abuse princes they did pretend nothing but prayers paying of tributes honoring of kings and obeying of them for conscience sake But this course was farre from the blessed Apostles It is indeed very well befitting the puritanes the Iesuits such as Parsons Creswell c. who are the mē that teach practise it For it is their doctrine by dissimulation hypocrisie by lying equiuocating to seduce their hearers But what saith Master Blockwood to Buchanan Paulus vtendum fore precepit Laruatam hypocrisin sub persona religionis latere voluit Potestatibus obediendum edixit quia resisti non posset Christianos viribus admotos ad armacessantes ad arma concitat imperiumque frangit Did Saint Paule commaund vs to be time seruers Was it his minde that religion should be disguised with such a visard of hypocrisie Did he command men to obey the magistrates bicause they were not able to resist them Did he prouoke them to armes when their number and strength serued and bad downe with the Emperor This is right Mahumetisme tendeth to the ouerthrow of the Gospel and church Catholike the sweete spouse of Christ and therefore is to be detested cane peius angue Fiftly this Iesuiticall dreame doth derogate so much from the Maiestie of holy Scripture and the churches authority as thereby the vanity of it is very manifest and apparant For what saith Master Blockwood to Buchanan Itan ' diuinas leges vt humanas Aristotelis mensurarum similes esse putas Doest thou thinke Gods lawes as Aristotle speaketh of humane lawes that they are like measures that they should turne with the weathercocke and chaunge with the conditions of times and places No no much more truely and as it were by diuine inspiration doth he expresse the strength and constancie of diuine lawes who saith Non erit c. There shall not one lawe bee at Rome an other at Athens now one and then an other but there shal be one immortall lawe for all Nations and all times Imperator omnium Deus and God shall be Lord and Emperor of all He is the Inuenter the expounder and the giuer of this lawe which he that will not obey is his own enimy maximas poenas luet and he shal neuer escape greeuous punishments And such were Christs and his Apostles precepts not subiect to alteration and chaunge not framed to serue the time not fitted to this or that priuate person or plebian multitude one while commaunding obedience to tyrants and presently after to take vp armes against them but as we are to thinke of the very lawes of God their rules of obedience are permanent and to continue vnchangeable whilest this world endureth Furthermore it is to be supposed that the Church of God in the times of Iustinus Martyr and Tertullian did vnderstand the meaning of Christ and of his Apostles in this point as well as Parsons or any of his crue But it would haue seemed a strange doctrine both to them and all other Catholikes that had the feare of God before their eyes or any sparke of true and vnfained Catholike religion in their harts in those daies to haue heard it set down for positiue Diuinitie that notwithstanding any thing that Christ or his Apostles taught as touching obedience to kings and Princes yet it is to be accounted a pernitious and vnspeakeable sinne for subiectes being of sufficient force and ability not to resist for to that effect are father Parsons words in his Appendix and take armes against them if they be euill and wicked Instinus Martyr as I haue before obserued hauing set downe the duety of
right stampe hath be laboured with his pen to winne vnto his byace and to bring her Ladiship in dislike of the secular priests as others haue sought but all alike preuayled she being both too wise constant and vertuous to be carried away with gloses you would maruell that euer any bearing the face of a religious man would write so exorbitantly as he there hath done to his vtter shame and discredit as you shall well perceiue when it once comes foorth in Print with the discouery of his arrogancy ignorance lies on the one side and of his malice slāderous toong contēpt of the secular priests on the other side But to returne to our former speech These circumstances of Parsons actions and names giuen to offenders demonstrating a soueraigntie or superioritie in cheefe to be in Master Blackwell it followeth that he being notwithstanding all this subordinate or for feare or want of wit experience and knowledge due to such a superior as he takes vpon him to be at the command of Fa. Garnet betwixt whom by a priest of their owne faction it hath been told that there is continuall intercourse once in euery 24. howers at least there can no lesse be aymed at by the Iesuits in this Isle then a supreme power imperialty and dominion ouer all And so I conclude that they ayme at the succession themselues to rule vnder the Spaniards or rather to cloake their intended ambitious aspires vnder the Spaniards wings a while vntill they haue gotten all subiected vnder them Sed caueat Hispania praelio partu venditur proelis fides THE VI. ARTICLE VVHether then seeing they shoote at the whole monarchie of great Britanie together with Ireland Doe they intend any thing against Fraunce or not Or whether their practise for England may hinder or further their attempts for Fraunce more then their like practises for Scotland one while and for Ireland another while may do or no THE ANSWERE ENgland is made the maine chaunce of Christendome as our countries heauie case is at this present by seditious factions tampering and aspiring heads Wherefore we haue iust cause so many as loue to liue in quiet to pray hartely for the preseruation of her Maiesties life For afterward great calamities are we sure to see so many as liue to that wofull hower by all probable coniecture And by consequent then it followeth that England is the onely butte marke and white they aime at as well in intention as in execution of their pretended expedition exployte and action Which failing farewell a Iesuits monarchie for euer But holding their plots cast for England then haue at all Fraunce and other nations by peece meale in succeeding turns of conquests And therefore standes it both the state ecclesiasticall and temporal vpon of England in chiefe of Fraunce next and so of all other states and princes to looke to them in time and to ioyne in aide fauour and assistance of the Seminarie and secular priests in this their appeale This conclusion needes no further better nor other proofe then a relation with aduisement of this discourse Quodlibeticall First for that as you may gather by the second reason in the last Article and perceiue more at large if you read father Parsons Dolemanian succession he bringeth all his chiefe and strongest arguments for intituling the Lady Infanta to the English crowne from that head scil for that she is the right heire of Brytaine and France c. Now then if she be the heire of France and Brytaine as in precise termes he calleth her in his Appendix and that thereby she be intituled to our English crowne then questionles if once she get or I should haue said they get possession of this Isle in her right which they aime at in chiefe their title therunto comming by this meanes it standes with no sense that they shoulde giue ouer their clayme on her graces behalfe to that kingdome whereof they say she is already heire hauing obteined that monarchy whereunto she is intituled by the foresaide claime of heritage and whereby withall reciprocally she is againe reintituled to the same French kingdome and crowne Neither will the law Salique keepe them out from aduauncing her royall ensignes in the middest of them For I holde it but for a kindly canuase banding bob or taunting effect to confront with France for Burgundy Britany and other states and seigniories of old depending vpon the French crowne affirming as father Parsons doth in Doleman that though by the law Salique the Lady Infanta may be defeated and put from her rightfull title of inheritance and lawfull claime to the whole kingdome of France in concreto or in sensu composito as a man may terme it yet no reason saith he there but that so many states prouinces as came to the crowne of France by heires generall or women but that the same should diuolue vnto the Spaniard by women heires againe Which if he can bring to passe for all those seigniories come by women then shall the French be so fleeced in abstracto or in sensu diuiso as let them rest assured to be distracted out of their wits ere the Spanish Iesuiticall faction haue left them vnlesse they surrender vp the whole into their hands and yeelde perforce to abrogate the authoritie of their Salique lawes it holding no way either in piety or policie with father Parsons principles that taking vpon him in his said booke of titles and high counsell of reformation to abolish vtterly the auncient municipall lawes of this lande which were established by highest authoritie then the lawe Salique of France and that before euer the saide lawe was heard of amongst them that they should not tender thrust vpon and compell the French to chaunge their forme of gouernment lawes customes and all at his designement Secondly although during the time of their I meane the Iesuits rebellious practises conspiracies against the last king Henry the 3. of France of the house of Valois and this king regnant Henry the 4. before king of Nauarre it was not directly knowne that the Iesuits had cast at the crowne and whole kingdome of France in those warres then maintained by aide of the Spaniard but as a great part of catholikes heere in England in former broiles and conspiracies as well by the dukes of Norfolke and of Guise as also by captaine Stukeley and doctor Saunders aided with Italians and Spaniards c. and finally by the attempt in the yeere 1588. did thinke that the Iesuits and their faction had done all of zeale though indiscretely and for the aduancement of Gods glory and the catholike cause pretended by them to be religion So the French catholikes many of them of ignorance folowing the parts of Spaine and other rebels against their Soueraigne and country by Iesuiticall perswasion hauing had the like good opinion of these religious men and thereupon following their direction at an inche yet since their expulsion thence for their treasons and
be so much the more probable that they both aspire ayme and shoote at an absolute imperial marke and withall will be able to giue a greater assault pushe and put for it when time comes then euer any of the fower monarches or other vpstart imperiall states gaue before them to this day by how much as they are more dispersed and haue greater fatours in all Christian kingdomes then any other rebels or aspires to soueraigne dominions had in any one of these regions where they first began tyrannically to rule For if Ottoman alone could passe out of Persia with other vacabonds and in the end become so mighty a Lord in a strange land vanquishing in short space the rest of his fellowes all great princes by fortune of wars and other meanes that now his successor called Imperator Turcarum is the most powerable Emperor of the world yea aboue the Spaniards by reason that his dominions are vnited together round about him whereas the Spaniard is rather hindered and his strength diminished by multitudes of kingdomes intituled subiected and gouerned by him then otherwise by reason that they lye so far a sunder disioynted by intercurring countries betwixt him and home on each side then considering what manner of men they are none can deny but that there is great likelyhoode of the Iesuits aduancement to soueraigne dominion with inlargement of their territories further then euer it was like that the Turke should haue enlarged his vntill the effects did demonstrate it vnto the worlde that so it was Secondly this is confirmed not onely ab inductione for euery particular Nation how many great potentates side with them to second their aduersaries euery where but also by the meanes they haue to worke that feate withall scil to increase their faction by winning inueigled single harts vnto them which they do sundry waies but especially by three deuises that are the cheife aides and hopes of conquests none of which the Ottomans had when they began their enterprise One is wit practise experience and policie for in vaine are warres abroad nisi sit consilium domi neither Matchiuel nor any that euer yet was in Europe comming neere vnto the Iesuits for Atheall deuises to preuent the stoppels of their stratagems and to further their owne proceedings An other is pretended piety whereby through helpe of the former to put their rules and principles in execution in due time and place respecting the person and other circumstances and occasions offered they haue and do not onely allure multitudes vnto them dayly encreasing the number of their faction but withall there can be nothing done nor almost intended against them or for the strengthening by counterplots of their aduersaries where euer they liue but presently know it and thereby hauing their spials in euery princes court and place of most intelligence that may informe their Generall as they doe once a moneth ordinarily from all parts of Europe what is there done or intended with or against them they haue the aduantage by being thus dispersed to saue themselues from all vniuersall or any notable danger And if possibly it can be preuented or their aduersaries ouerthrowen in their owne courses taken against these fathers they haue the meanes for it else it is not in the world to be heard of or found The last is plenty of money which Ottoman also wanted And seeing to speake morally there is not that exploite to be done which money cannot compasse then consider what huge masses of money and infinite treasure the Iesuits haue euery where It is credibly reported by some reuerend priests as I told you once before that they lost at their expulsion out of Fraunce three millions at the least Adding hereunto what large collections they make yeerely here in England which is the least they haue in any other Nation vnlesse Scotland c. where they are resident little or nothing at all sometimes comming to any afflicted Catholike so mercilesse hard and cruell harts they haue of many 1000. l. which some one of them hath reeceiued as before is touched in part and more at large in other bookes written of their conni-catching deuises to get money is to be found Then I say none euer had fairer meanes or greater helpes and likelyhoods of preuailing in their ambitious aspires and affecting of soueraigne dominion in an absolute monarchiall state then they haue Thirdly that the Iesuites practise is as well against Spaine and by consequent against the whole house of Austria and the Empire as against any other Nation it is apparant by that I told you of in part before concerning Fa. Parsons winding twinding doubling and boutgates in intituling the Lady Infanta to the English crowne meaning it directly for himselfe and his societie as is manifest also by his said books of succession c. which here you may please to confirme as wel by general collections out of the same bookes as likewise by the common report giuen out by him and his faction that not onely the said king catholike was priuie to the setting forth of that luckles labour but also patronized it as a speciall worke and peece of seruice done on his maiesties behalf to the greatest preiudice that could euer haue been offered to the king catholike as well ancient as recent and now regnant in esse For first he makes his maiestie the author in a sort patron and protector of all the conspiracies treasons and treacheries that are or can be brought against himselfe or any other soueraigne prince built vpon the erronious principles and grounds there laid downe by the many wide open gaps made through his popular doctrine For all rebellious multitudes in euery prouince court or countrie liuing vnder the Spanish gouernment or else where to enter and claime authoritie ouer him if in any thing they take pepper in the nose by least conceited dislike and all this vnder pretence of glorious stiles titles of common wealths and states Then he insinuateth as though the right title as well to the crowne of England as also of Fraunce and by consequent to the crowne and kingdome of all Europe there being not one but his title to it is as good if not better then it is to England were wholy in his highnes guift and free for him to bestow where he pleaseth And out of this grosse conceit he bringeth for an assured assertion for concatenation of the catholike religion and king catholike together as bellum sacrum hath beene euer since made odious euen to a Christian catholikes eares and the Spaniard had in suspition of all other Christian princes that he aspireth to a sole absolute monarchicall gouernment despition whereas it is this said father and his societie that aime at it in very deed Which no indifferent valorous or wise man hearing of but will thinke that all princes in christendome haue iust cause to looke hereafter to their stand and to haue a iealous watchfull restlesst eye aswell vpon the
impersonals in terra viuentium And fame being the swiftest bird of wing that euer seased on pray no sooner had these neuters set on thus by the Iesuites cast off that haggard hawke from a false fist but presently taking her irreuocable gate in a gadding mount she flew a foule flight in windings twindings and girdings ouer all making many a sweete bird to tremble quake when they heard that a catholike priest should haue written such vild matters against all conscience religion sense or reason as to them at first it seemed But I build so much vpon the equitie of our common cause and mine own innocencie and sincere intent therein as were that Epistle to write againe I would write verbatim as it is and nothing doubt but that their impiety plots and sly deuises will turne at length to their shame and my credite for the same Secondly the most I doe wonder at in these strange conceits of you deare catholikes is your simplicitie and extreame folly pardon me for God sake if I speake home for deepe is the wound that pearceth to the hart and dead is the stroke that cuts life and soule a sunder in that you thinke it a hinderance to our cause to haue such bookes set out in painting forth the Iesuites in their proper colors Which conceite of yours by your leaue deare catholikes may perhaps in it selfe haue I doubt not but it hath in your charitable deuout harts and intentions some sparks of pietie but certainly not at all of policy as manifesting that to be true which they report of you vs all for this point in declaring your iudgement to be very weake your wits shallow your appreheÌ„sion meane your reach short your selues fitter for a cloyster then in very deed the Iesuits are but withal they more fit to manage a matter in a ciuil political secular temporal common wealth yea or in the field of war then any of you are that haue such pusillanimous spirits as they affirme we haue all and therefore ride vs like fooles lead vs which way they list and make vs beleeue what they please to serue their owne turne withall For if you were of iudgement and discourse you would not but conceiue and see what here I meane God willing and if in nature it be possible to driue into your heads to wit that the chiefe and originall cause and occasion giuen of temptation on our part to the Iesuits hath beene our serupulous remissnes childish nicenes and womanlike tendernes in speaking writing or vttering of our griefes and wrongs put vp at the Iesuits hands which made them so bold to attempt and peremptory to control so that accounting of vs all to be but silly bodies and sorie fellowes of no talent gift or ability like Storkish kings they came vpon vs poore frogs with minaces of death to him that first should leape out of the puddle from vnder their tyranny And thus the erroneous conceit you had of their worth and our and your owne vnworthines puffed them vp in pride puld vs all downe in miseserie and blew the coale of their perdition through your indiscreet humility renuntiation and silence Note the Iesuites immitate Lucifer in pride for he cannot endure to be despised or to haue any creature accounted of for rare indowments of nature but himselfe and the Iesuits cannot abide to be counted of as good deuout simple religious men but must be holden for the rarest polititians the wisest sages the perfectest statesmen c. fit phrases be they not for religious persons to boast of and the secular clergie disgraced to the vttermost else cannot that Luciferian spirit of theirs be quiet By this shall you know a Iesuits spirit in that hauing presumed to haue their brokers reuile priests and princes in the vilest manner as an act of zeale yet are they and theirs ready to fly in his or her face that shall but seeme to dislike of a Iesuite Thirdly to enlarge my speech a little with your folly you should haue considered that the chiefe vice noted in the Iesuites is ambition and pride which being a stately sinne sitter for feinds then for beggers to boast of as nothing torments the diuell more then to be contemned abased and not feared or regarded so questionlesse the Iesuits hauing gotten an admiration of rare esteeme to be had of themselues aboue all priests who are to be had in contempt in respect of them and their followers there is no torture in the world like this vnto them scil to be made knowen what lewd mocke religious persons they are and that those who are the best of them yet if they fall into comparisons they are the meanest inferior and last of al other religious orders And now because these bookes doe touch them to the quicke and make them both know themselues and all others to looke into them therefore should they want wit or else haue more grace then most of them seeme to haue if they should let these discoueries of their trecheries and impieties passe vncontrold or spoken against in hucker mucker and not hinder what they can possibly that none of these pamphlets come abroade to be seene nor and much lesse beleeued of any And this you deere Catholikes do not see into neither how that all these commisserations and hypocriticall pitie taken had their origine sourze and spring from a Iesuits sconce and issued out in armes of maines from them amongst vs to helpe themselues drowne vs in the ditch they haue made for vs. Fourthly I desire you all deere Catholikes serch out the corners of your harts and tell me of your conscience which of you all be you priests or lay persons haue suffered a sorer persecution of a Iesuits toong since these bookes were written then you did suffer before any of our company set pen to paper or who that hath not written but rather spoken against all writings of a kinde of scruple as I said before hath beene more spared or freed from their cruell bitings alwaies supposed he be no current of their course then if he had written with the most and as bitterly as any Which being so It is most strange to see the Iesuites surfeit in persecution of their opposites for long ere euer any booke or letter was written or intended did the Iesuits so mightily preuaile in seeking the priests ouerthrow as it was a woonder that one priests was left on liue in England to make knowen their bad dealings and extreame cruelty But more strange it is that Cathol kes knowing how the priests haue beene and are brought into an intollerable contempt and disgrace by them Will not yet looke into them nor acknowledge that the Iesuits are men at most and therefore may sinne as others may Certainely I thiâ—ke their followers being otherwise good Catholiks are al bewitched for else they would neuer be so sottish sencelesse and irreligigious in contempt of priests to beleeue none but Iesuits
it must needs follow that silence hath mightily disaduantaged our cause it is the only point the Iesuits doe and must if they will be holden for politikes stand vpon to suppresse all writings to death and seeing they cannot shew their extreme hatred neuer merited by any of vs at their hands towards vs more then they haue already shewed it be we silent or speake we out then conceiue deere Catholikes of our cause and case directly as it is that these bookes do onely the Iesuits not vs nor any of you the harme if any be in publishing them abroad and it proceedes of great simplicity in you to conceiue otherwise yea or not to see that it riseth of a Iesuiticall deuise to put such a conceit into your heads But be you fully assured when we are all dead and gone these bookes will worke good in your posterity to the extirpation of al Iesuitisme puritanismout of England for euer they are so throughly discouered therin Fiftly admit all were true that their brokers haue set a broache concerning that booke and those matters and that it were such odious stuff as they would beare you in hand yet will you be so simple deere catholikes as to beleeue them in this that they haue gotten any aduantage thereby against vs or that they laugh in their sleeue to see vs at varience amongst our selues about it as they say but falsly as shal be shewed anone For what aduantage shall they get by it when they are detected for seditious turbulent factious persons ambitious aspirers traitors the secular seminary priests cleered of their conspiracies Wil this bring good men to be hated to haue irreligious persons made knowne or if they say the word will all others run riot with them and so to hell for company No no deere catholikes I wil tel you what the mistery meaning is of al that blazon Nothing doth more torment an enuious man then to haue others liue prosper by him And so when the Iesuites saw that the priests found more fauour at the ciuill magistrates hands then they could find bicause they had cleered themselues of all state meddles which the Iesuites to death can not doe then enuy burst out as all the world may see it in them Againe nothing is more duly obserued in Machiauels schoole thē alwaies to cast plots by cōtraries As for example if you would haue any thing done or said by your enemy for your aduantage then put on a cowardly face of feare least such a thing should happen that seeming kind of trembling vnwillingnes shewed in you wil make him more eager in despite to prosecute it But if you feare such words writings or other acts indeed and that it be so as possibly you cannot stop nor hinder it then laugh at it make it seeme odious or ridiculous and in disgrace of the actor or author seeme to make small or no account of it and retort it if it be possible by hooke or crooke vpon your aduersary or at least band it out with outward shew of aduantage on your part against him to as many as you can come or send vnto and especially those such as are or may be thought to side on his side against you And this is iust the Iesuits crafty drift and your ignorance in not seeing into their policy For whether any thing make for vs or not it is not the question but would they trowe you be so carefull and diligent by their neuters to haue vs know before hand how mightily we are disaduantaged by our writings if it were so No no we neuer yet could find that charity in them and so letting it passe for an ordinary cog amongst them a halfe witted man may see there is nothing makes for them nor their aduantage Sixtly you deere Catholikes by this your childish compassion and womanlike lenitie goe against the principles grounds and rules of all arts sciences lawes customes and orders you goe against that Generall maxime in the lawes which is that fiat iustitia ruant coeli For wherein deere Catholikes should iustice take place in the case proposed if we keepe silence in concealing the Iesuits great impiety together with their and the rest of the Spanish faction their fautors and followers vniust calumniation irreligious abuses and high contempt of priests and all ecclesiasticall iurisdiction and state together with their vnnatural attempts practises and confederacies against our Prince and countrey and vs all that are not of their faction You goe against all custome and order For what is more innouate preposterous and beyond all gods forbid then this new fanglenes in you to prefer a company of Iesuits whose society began but yesterday in respect of many other religious orders not onely before all other monasticall persons but also euen before all secular priests and the state ecclesiasticall whereupon they and all others doe and must depend in soule points and not onely so but you forestall vs in iudgement you condemne vs you iustifie them you take vpon you to be paramount to censure of vs both before you heare our case and cause nay you will not heare nor reade nor vnderstand what points we stand vpon but as blinde affection leades you so wilfull ignorance eggeth you forward to censure vs at your pleasure And this deer catholikes is out of all order farre from all ancient catholike custome voide of all reason conscience or religion in you running headlong vpon your ruines through your simplicitie wilfulnes and follie You goe against the diuine rules and principles of charitie wherein per legem Talionis oculus pro oculo an eie for an eie a tooth for a tooth a tongue for a tongue a hand for an hand is giuen on the one side to defend for you know vim vi repellere licet and on the other to make satisfaction To perswad a Iesuit to make satisfaction were as hard a matter as to wreest the club out of Hercules fist to wring water out of a flint or to drinke vp the Thames at a haust To put them to silence by our silence it were a thing impossible for the more silent we were the more fiercely like false harted cowards they insulted ouer vs. To liue disgraced defamed and contemned for atheists apostataes and reprobates as they accounted vs was a crueller death then to haue beene torne in peeces and eaten vp aliue amongst Anthropophagies What should we doe then To escape their tongue torments yea and hand tortures we could not and yet againe common charitie commands vs our legifer preached it his apostle affirmed it that he who is carelesse of his good name is woorse then an infidell and carelesse should we be as hitherto we haue beene as too too scrupulous in these points God forgiue vs for it if we should still sleepe with a broken head with a wounded hart with a mangled conscience torne in peeces by them and neuer seeke redresse nor for