with his hand at Madrit in the same manner as King Iames did at Westminster as this Mercury assures us and I presume his Majesties own conscience and followers can attest Before I proceed further I shall desire thee kinde Reader whosoever thou art especially if an English Scotish or Irish Protestant to pause a while and moâ—â— seriously to ponder these premised Passages Articles Oaths worthy thy most serious consideration if not thy admiration and when thou hast so done then let me propound these few Queres to thee from them to the Honourable House of Parliament too First Whether the heart of Kings as well as of other persons be not unsearchable yea deceitfull above all things and desperately wicked So as no man can truly know or discerne it as Prov. 23. 3. Ier. 17. 9. resolve past all dispute Secondly Whether King Iames were really so zealous a Protestant and Anti-Papist as the ignorant world reputed him especially in his declining age Thirdly Whether those who have willingly without any compulsion and for ought appeares cordially entred into such Romish Alliances Articles Covenants Oaths can be ever sincerely affected to the Protestant Party or Religion or really opposite to Popery or Papists notwithstanding all outward Protestations Proclamations or flourishes to the contrary to blinde the over credulous vulgar ignorant of the Premises Fourthly Whether his Majesty having thus twice taken two solemn Oathes at least upon both his Treaties of Marriage with Spaine and France of which more anon to protect and maintaine to the utmost throughout his Dominions the Roman Catholikes Church and Religion yea to suspend and abrogate all Lawes against them and that before ever he made any Promise or Declaration at all to maintain the Protestant Religion whether he be not thereby now farre more deeply engaged by vertue of these Oathes and Articles to protect favour and defend the Romish Catholike Faith then the Protestant and his Romish Catholike Subjects in all his Dominions then his Protestant Lieges having never entred into any such Solemn Articles Oathes and Covenants unlesse lately in Scotland much against his will with which his Holinesse of Rome will easily dispence being quite contrary to his primitive Articles to defend and propagate the Protestants and Protestant Religion as he hath done to defend Popery and his Popish Subjects Fifthly Whether all the premised Letters of Grace Protection Indulgences to Priests Iesuites and Popish Recusants be not the reall results and effects of these Oathes and Articles and of the ensuing Articles and match with France as the French Mercury Tom. 9. An. 1624. p. 28. 29. expresly resolves Sixthly Whether the true and reall designe of the Pope the Realmes of Spain and France and all Promoters of these matches Articles were not to re-establish Popery in its perfection and extirpate the Protestant Religion throughout all his Majesties Realmes by meanes and vertue of them by degrees Seventhly Whether his Majesty doth not hold himselfe now bound in conscience by vertue of these Oathes and Articles what ever his outward protestations and pretences be to side with his Roman Catholike Subjects both in England Ireland Scotland and Arm them against his Protestant Subjects and Parliaments in all three Kingdomes of purpose to make good these his Oathes and Articles and to protect them against the due execution of all antient Lawes already enacted and all other new Lawes and prosecutions now really intended against them in England Scotland contrary to these his Oathes and Articles And whether this be not the very true and proper cause of all his former and present Wars Proclamations Declarations Remonstrances against the Scots the former the present Parliament yea the very ground why he proclaimes them Traytors Rebels no Parliamment but a faction c. Why he brake up all the former Parliaments since his raign by discontinuances and endeavours to dissolve and cut off this by the sword of Papists and Atheists against the very Act of Parliament so lately assented to by himselfe And whether upon this ground he would not rather his Parliament his Protestant Subjects Kingdomes should now perish then his Catholikes Subjects or their Religion suffer or miscarry as he descernes they are like to doe if the Parliament should prevaile of continue Eightly Whether these Oathes and Articles bee not the reall ground of the late horrid Irish conspiracy massacre Rebellion Pacification Toleration and his Majesties connivance at if not approbation of these horrid bloody execrable practises of the extraordinary favours lately indulged to those cursed barbarous Rebels by his Majesty and his most gracious entertainement of them not only into his Royall favour but Court Army and Realme of England as his securest Life-Guard Ninthly whether it be not then high time for the Parliament and all the Protestants throughout his Dominions to look about them and enter into solemn Protestations Covenants Engagements mutually to defend themselves their Religion Lawes Liberties Lives Estates when they are thus endangered by the Popish party and the King himselfe to omit the Queen by Oath and Articles is thus confederated with and engaged to protect them and their Religion to the uttermost Tenthly Whether these Oathes and Articles considered it can possibly bee believed that his Majesty ever took up Armes and joyned with Papists to maintain the Protestant Religion Or that if his Majesty by force of Armes should prevaile against the Parliament or Protestant party there be or can bee any probability or possibility in humane reason left us to believe or conceive that the Protestant Subjects should ever freely enjoy the Profession of their reformed Religion just Rights Lawes Liberties Estates or Lives or Papists be prohibited the free publike toleration and open practice of their Antichristian-Religion And whether then it will not inevitably follow by vertue of these Oaths and Articles that all Lawes whatsoever now in force against the Pope Popery Papists shall and must be presently repealed even by a packed or forced Parliament and a publike toleration at least of Popery if not totall suppression of the Protestant Religion settled by Parliament and all attempts to draw the Queen or any else from Popery be prohibited by Oath to all Protestants under paine of High Treason without any restraint at all on Papists not to endeavour to seduce the King and all his Subjects by all the wayes and arts that may be This being the very purport of the premised Letter the Spanish Oath Articles and of the French here following If any after the perusall of all these Letters Articles Oathes Queres will still be wilfully blinde or secure let them be so at their own utmost perill and if they suffer perish through their folly let them thank themselves I have freed my own soule though theirs miscarry through their own sottishnesse or incredulity This Spanish Match after it had been in a manner fully concluded on all hands unexpectedly breaking off in a moment to the exceeding dejection of
the Papists throughout all England The Kings Marriage with the Lady Mary of France of the same Romish Religion with the Spanish Amira was soon after concluded and that as is more then probable by the Queenes Bishops Priests Capuchines with other such Romane Locusts who accompanied her Majesty hither the entertainment of a Popes Nuncio from Rome and an Agent at Rome and the subsequent favours Protections which the Papists and Priests in England have ever since obtained from the King by Her most prevalent mediation as is manifest by the premised Letters Warrantsâ— upon the selfe-same Articles in favour of the Papists as were assented to in the Spanish nuptiall Treaty But that which puts it out of question are the generall and private Articles of agreement long since published in some French Mercuries printed at Paris with Royall Priviledge and passing from hand to hand in private English Manuscripts among the most intelligent men some of which Articles I shall here annex as I finde them in English Manuscripts agreeing with the French Originall â— THat the above named the Lords Embassadours have promised and doe promise for and on the behalfe of his Majesty of great Britaine now reigning that hee shall take to Marriage for his deare Consort and Wife the Lady Henretta Maria Daughter of France and Sister to his foresaid most Excellent Majesty in person or otherwise by Proxy so soone as conveniently the same may be done and that also the foresaid Lady at the good pleasure and consent of his foresaid Christian Majesty and of the Queen her Mother after his FORES AID MAIESTY HATH OBTAINED A DISPENSATION FROM THE POPE doth promise to take for her deare Consort and Husband Charles the first King of Great Britaine and according to the foresaid reciprocall promise he shall be affianced and contracted after the manner accustomed in the CATHOLIKE AND ROMISH CHVRCH 7 It is likewise agreed upon that the said Lady and all her Followers as also the Children which shall be borne to her Officers shall have free exercise of the Catholike Apostolicall and Roman Religion and to that end the foresaid Lady shall have a Chappell in each of the Kings Palaces or Houses or in any other place of his Majesty of Great Britaine where she shall chance to come and continue and that the foresaid Chappell shall bee adorned and dâ—â—ked as it is fitting and that the keeping thereof shall be committed to whom it shall please the said Lady to appoint in which the preaching of Gods Word and the Administration of the Sacraments the MASSE and all other Offices shall be freely and solemnly done according to the use of the Romish Church yea all Indulgences and Iubilees which the said Lady shall obtaine or get from THE POPE may bee done and executed there There shall bee also one Church-yard in the City of London given and appointed to interre and bury such of her said Ladiships Followers as shall chance to depart this life according to the manner and forme of the Church of Rome and that shall be modestly done the which Church-yard shall bee in such sort inclosed or walled about that no person shall come therein to prophane the same 8 It is also agreed upon That the said LADY SHALL HAVE A BISHOP FOR HER GREAT ALMONER who shall have all Iurisdiction and necessary Authority for all matters or causes concerning Religion and who shall proceed against the Ecclesiasticall persons which shall be under his charge according to the Canons constituted and appointed 9 And if it shall at any time happen that any Secular Court shall take any of the foresaid Priests into their power by reason of any crime or offence against the State by him committed or done and do finde him to be guilty thereof yet shall the said Court send him back to the said Bishop with the informations which they find by him because the said Priest is priviledged from their power and the said Bishop when he shall understand and know so much shall degrade the said Priest and afterwards send him back unto the foresaid Secular Court to doe Iustice upon him And for all kind of other faults the aforesaid Priests shall be sent to the Bishop to the end that he may proceed against them according to the Canons in that case provided and in the absence or sicknesse of the said Bishop the Priest which is by him appointed to bee his great Vicar shall have the same power and authority 10 It is likewise agreed upon that the said Lady shall have 28 PRIESTS or Ecclesiasticall Persons in her House comprehending therein her Almoner and Chaplaines to serve and keepe the foresaid Chappell according as they are appointed and if any of them bee a Regular or Canonicall person living under more prescript Rules then the rest yet he may hold and keep his habit Also the KING OF GREAT BRITTAINE is by OATH BOVND NOT TO INDEAVOUR BY ANY MEANES AT ALL TO HAVE HIS SAID QVEENE TO RENOVNCE THE CATHOLIKE APOSTOLIKE AND ROMISH RELIGION NOR COMPELL HER TO DOE ANY THING WHATSOEVER THAT IS CONTRARY TO THE SAME RELIGION 11 The said Queens House shall bee maintained with so much Dignity and with so great a number of Officers as ever any had that was Queen of England all the houshold servants which the said Lady shall carry into England shall be Priests Catholikes and French by birth and chosen or appointed by his most Christian Majesty And if it happen that any of them die or that the foresaid Lady shall bee willing to change her said Servants then Shee will take in their steeds other Papists Catholikes French or English alwayes provided that his Majesty of Great Brittaine consent thereunto 16 The children which shall by reason of the said inter-marriage be born and live shall bee nurst and brought up neere unto the said Lady and Queen from the time of their Birth untill they come to the age of fourteene yeares These Articles with others agreeing with the Spanish and French printed Copies were subscribed and signed by the Earles of Carlile and Holland Embassadours and Commissioners for King Charles and by other French Commissioners and afterward signed and sworn to by King Iames the French King and Prince Charles the 10 of November 1624. and after King Iames his death new signed subscribed by these Embassadours and sworn unto by both these Kings Thurseday the eighth of May 1625. Besides these generall Articles there were as the French Mercury informes us these three particular ones condescended unto Outre ces Articles generalx il yâ— eu ceux trois de particuliers the same with those of Spaine forementioned Le Premier touchant les Catholiques tant Ecclesiastiques que Seculiers Prisonniers depius le dit dernier Edict lesquels serroient tous mis en libertè Le second à ce que les Catholiques Anglois ne serroint plus recherchez pour leur Religion Et le troisiesme
a Writ of Error in the Kings Bench to reverse this ancient Indictment upon which the Marquesse was outlawed and his Attorney Generall Sir Iohn Bankes assigned severall Errors to reverse the Kings owne suite and proceedings against this Grand Papist who had no meanes to avoyd it And because that learned stout upright Iudge Sir George Crooke did often declare his opinion in Court That the King could not bring a Writ of Errour to reverse his owne Iudgement given for him that it was both a dammage and dishonour to the King and a meere deluding of this Statute to admit of such an unheard of Writ as this The Attorney Generall averred in open Court THAT THE WRIT WAS BROVGHT BY SPECIALL WARRANT AND COMMAND OF THE KING Whereupon afterwards in Trinâ—ty Terme 14 Carolâ— the Indictment was quashed by Iudge Bramston Iones and Berkely upon this Writ much against the good will and opinion of Iudge Crooke and that upon these two â—rivolous Errours First because the Iudgement was that the Marquesse forisfiat 20â— where it ought to be forisfaciat Secondly because that in the entry of the Iudgement this word Capiatur was omitted And Iudge Ioanes said that for want of Addition or other errour in sait the King shall not reverse an Indictment on this Act but otherwise it was of an Error in Law But I feare the greatest Error in this Case was in the King and these Iudges in opening such an illegall gap for Popish Recusants wholy to evade this Law penned with as much care and judgement as possible upon the horrid Popish plot of the Gunpowder Treason which would have blowne up this Parliament The record of this notorious case and the Iudgement given upon it is extant in the Crowne Office In few words the Papists have lately gained such an high opinion in his Majesties judgement and affections that he not onely â—tiles them his Loyall dutifull trusty and wel-beloved Subjects in all his forementioned letters of Grace but even now principally relies upon their forces contributions as his best and faithfullest Subjects and Guard insomuch that divers of our Prelaticall Clergy have cryed them up in their Pulpits as well at the King and others in Court for his Majesties best and most bountifull Leiges witnesse the speech of Iohn Wells Parson or Shimplin in Suffolke sequestred by the Parliament who affirmed THAT THE PAPISTS WERE THE KINGS BEST SVBIECTS And of Iohn Squire Vicar of Shorditch who in his last Printed Sermons stiles himself Iohn Squire Priest sequestred for that he hath publikely Preached in his Sermons That the Papists are the kings best Subiects for their loâ—alty and for their liberality many of them like Arauna having given like Kings to the King and for their patience that enduring very many grievances under his Majestie they had buried them all in oblivion exhorting that none should come to the Sacrament unlesse they were so affected to his Maiestie as the Papists were And comparing his Majestie to the man that went from Hierusalem to Ieriche who fell among theeves that wounded him in his Honour robbed him of his Castles and hearts of his people he said that the Priest passing by was the Protestant the forward Professor the Levite but the Papist was the good Samaritan Especially the Irish Papist and that the Subjects and all they have are at the Kings Command From all these Premises compared with the Plot and conspiracy of the Popâ— Jesuites Papists of all sorts against our Religion discovered in Romes Master-peece the Rise and Progresse of the Irish Rebellion The Articles of Pacification made with the Irish Rebels there stiled neither Rebels nor Traytors but his Majesties Good Roman Catholicke Subiects authorised by Commissions from his Majesty under the great Seale now at last if not at first to take up Armes against all Protestants who shall not submit to this strange Pacification there after the bloody slaughter and butchery of above an hundred and forty thousand Innocent Protestant whose blood must passe altogether unrevenged by the hands of Royall publick justice and by speciall Commissions as we are most certainely informed a very probable argument they had not onely pretended but reall Commissions from the King at first for what they acted against the Protestants in Ireland are now sent for over into England where thousands of them are lately arrived and more daily expected to sight against the Parliament and Massacre English Protestants in their owne Countrey as freely as they did in Ireland his Majestie making base Irish monies currant in England by speciall Proclamation in favour of the Irish rebels to be transported and made current good Subjects here to murther us the late intercepted Bull with other Papers and Commissions newly intercepted and ordered to be forthwith published in Print By all these our whole 3. Kingdomes if not the very blindest and most incredulous Malignants unlesse given over to a reprobate sence must of necessity now see and acknowledge that there is and hath bin all his Majesties Reigne till this instant a most strong cunning desperate confederacie prosecuted wherin the Queens Majestie hath bin cheife to set up Popery in perfection and extirpate the Protestant party Religion in all his Majesties Dominions which plot now visibly appeares above ground and is almost ripened to perfection unlesse Gods owne Almighty Power and our unanimous vigilant strenuâ—us opposition prevent its finall accomplishment For my owne particular I many yeeres since through Gods goodnesse to me by many infallible Symptomes clearely discovered and to my power publikely detected oppugned this prevalent growing confederacie in sundry Printed Bookes especially in my Perpetuity of a Regenerate Mans estate Anti-Arminianisme Dr. Cosens his Cozening Devotions Lame Giles his â—altings The Vubishoping of Timothy and Titus The Antipathy of the English Prelacy to unity and Minarchy A Looking-glasse for Lordly Prelates but especially in my Quench Coale written in the Tower of London for which good publicke service what a strange ingrate requitall I received from the pretended Fathers of our Church and defendors of our faith is too well knowne to the world During my Imprisonment in the Tower I met with some more speciall passages in Popish writers which much confirmed me in the reality of this Conspiracie against our Religion and to re-establish Popery which because then unobvious and unknown to most I had an intention to have published as I could gaine oportunity but my close Imprisonment there and Exile into Wales and Iersie prevented this designe Wherefore I shall for a close of this Narration present you now with what I then intended The first was these ensuing letters of the Pope to the King when Prince of Wales and in Spaine and of the King to the Pope in answer thereof recorded by Andrew de Chesue Chronographer to the King of France in his History of England Scotland and Ireland l. 22. f. 1162. Printed at Paris Cum Privilegio the last Edition p. 509. 510
admitted into the Ministery by our Bishops Eightly In pursuance of this design his Majesties greatest Favourites and those in highest authority under him were all either actuall Papists in profession or well inclined to Popery in affection altogether swayed by popish Councels witnesse the first Grand Favòurite the Duke of Buckingham who laid the foundation of the Spanish and French Marriage-Treaties Articles and was a chiefe Actor in both swayed wholly by his Iesuited Mother and Dutchesse professed Papists and their Cabinet counsell of Iesuites by whose Treachery Rochel was lost The great Lord Treasurer Weston steared by his Popish Countesse kindred Sir Toby Mathews Sir Basil Brook and other Papists whiles he lived and reconciled to the Church of Rome receiving extreame Unction and Absolution from the Popish priests and Capuchins when he died Besides these they had Windebank a popish Secretary of his Majesties Cabinet Councel for their Intelligencer Patron Protector Liberator Assistant the Earle of Arundel and other friends in his Privie Councell Endymion Porter in his Bed-Chamber with many other Agents of all sorts all Sexes in his Court mentioned in Romes Master-Piece to further their design in the State The Arch-bishop of Canterbury Wren Montague Cozens with many other Prelates and Priests to introduce establish their Popish Doctrines Ceremonies Superstitions in the Church of England the great Lord Strafford Lievtenant of Ireland with sundry others in that Realme to countenance and protect them in Ireland where they had absolute toleration yea open profession of their Religion And which was instar omnium they had Queen Mary her selfe in the Kings own bed and bosome for their most powerfull Mcâ—atrix of whom they might really affirme in reference to his Majesty what some of their popish Doctors have most blasphemously written of the Virgin Mary in relation to God and Christ That all things are subject to the command of Mary even God himselfe That she is the Empresse and Queen of Heaven and of greatest Authority in the Kingdome of Heaven where shee may not only impetrate but command what soever shee pleaseth That shee sitteth as Chauncellour in the Court of Heaven and giveth Letters of Grace and Mercy to whom she pleaseth That shee is the Fountaine Treasurer and Dispencer of all Gods Graces Favours the very neck and conduit-pipe through which they are all conveyed That God hath freely bestowed on her the better halfe of his Kingdome to wit all his mercy reserving only his Iustice to himselfe yet so subject to her restaints That if any Roman Catholike doth finde himselfe aggrieved in the Court of Gods or the Kings Iustice for being prosecuted for his Recusancy or seducing the Kings people he may safely appeale to Maries Court of mercy for reliefe shee being the Throne of Grace of which the Apostle speakes Hebr. 4. 16. Let us go boldly unto the Throne of Grace that wee Catholikes may receive from her grace to helpe us in time of need And to further this Catholike work more effectually the Queen Mother must be sent over into England to contribute her assistance to the Catholike party here which she had so much assisted in France and forraign parts No wonder then if the designe succeeded prevailed so much of late since assisted promoted by so many powerfull active agents 9. By vertue of the former Articles and Oaths all the Parliaments during his Majesties raigne till now urging the execution of old Lawes against Recusants Priests Iesuites and endeavouring to make new stricter acts against them have contrary to the practice of all former ages been broken up and dissolved in discontent And to crosse their execution of Priests and Iesuites in a politicke Pleasing covert way divers Proclamations have been published every Parliament to banish them the Realm by a set day after which if they departed not they should be executed which the common people and plaine honest-minded Parliament men conceived to be done out of rigour and justice against them and so rested satisfied with these Proclamations onely which in truth were meere policies to free the imprisoned Priests and Iesuites out of prison under pretext of sending them away and to stay all proceedings against them whilst the Parliaments sate by allowing them so many weeks respite to depart the Realme before which the Parliaments commonly were dissolved and so by this policie were secured inlarged to do more mischief and either departed not all or returned presently againe into England as soon as the Parliaments ended as the premisses and experience manifest 10. By meanes of these Articles proceedings of the Papists Priest and Iesuites have grown so stupendiously powerfull as during the late Scottish troubles to hold a Parliament and generall Councell of State among themselves even in London wherein not the King but the Popes own Nuntio sate President in which Parliament the chief Papists out of all parts of England and Wales assembled and made severall Lawes and Ordinances for imposing taxes and raising monies upon all Roman Catholiques for maintenance of the Scottish wars which were seconded with the Queens own Letters and Instructions to the Catholikes reciting VVhat great liberties and favours her Highnesse had procured for them from his Majesty and exciting them to a most liberall contribution toward these wars because the maintaining thereof concerned them not onely as they were Subjects BUT AS THEY WERE ROMAN CATHOLIKES TOO The verity of which Popish Parliament orders instructions taxes was fully proved and manifested before a speciall Committee of the Commons House specially appointed for Recusants and their Popish Nuncio Novemb. 9. 1640. and at other dayes of meeting in that and the following moneths both by the orders letters and instructions themselves and the examinations of Sir Kenelm Digby and many other Popish Knights chief actors in that Parliament now remaining in the safe custody of Master Raynolds then Chaire-man And were not the Papists then think you growne to an extraordinary exorbitant power and the Pope revested in his long exploded usurped supremacie in our Realme when they should thus be permitted to hold and keepe a Parliament without interruption when the Protestants and Kingdome might hold none at all or at least one presently dissolved in discontent and the Popes owne Nuncio sit Lord President to rule the rost when they should be thus openly tolerated to hold a Parliament both to make and maintaine a warre against the religious Protestant Subjects even with the Kings owne actuall consent as is cleare by his forementioned answer under his owne hand to Master Pulfords Petition where he not onely takes notice of these contributions granted him by the Papists but makes them the ground of his stay of all proceedings against them upon penall Lawes And that these Scottish wars were then raised by them to get the king into their power and extirpate the Protestant Religion is evident not only by the plot detected in Romes Master-piece found in the Archbishops chamber and the observations
THE POPISH ROYALL FAVOVRITE OR A full Discovery of His Majesties Extraordinary Favours to and Protections of notorious Papists Priests Jesuits against all prosecutions and penalties of the Laws enacted against them notwithstanding his many Royall Proclamations Declarations and Protestations to the contrary As likewise of a most desperate long prosecuted Designe to set up Popery and extirpate the Protestant Religion by degrees in this our â—ealm of England and all His Majesties Dominions Manifested by sundry Letters of Grace Warrants Writings under the Kings own Signe-Manuall Privy-Signet His Privy-Councels and Secretary Windebanks hands and Seals by divers Orders and Proceedings in open Sessions at Newgate in the Kings Bench and elsewhere all extant on Record in the Sessions-Books Goal-Books Crown-Office where all who scruple their indubitable verity or reality may peruse them for their better satisfaction As likewise by the Kings Letter to the Pope His marriage Articles Oaths and other pregnant Testimonies worthy publike knowledge and Consideration Collected and published by Authority of Parliament By WILLIAM PRYNNE of Lincolns Inne Esquire 2 CHRON. 19. 2. Anâ— Iohâ— the son of Hanani the Seer went out to meet him and said to King 〈◊〉 Shouldest thou help the ungodly and love them that hate the Lord therefore is wrath upon thee from the Lord. ESAY 29. 15. to 20. Wo unto them that seek deep to hide their counsell from the Lord and their works are in the dark and they say who seeth us and who knoweth us Surely your turning of things upside down shall be esteemed as the potters clay And in that day shall the deaf hear the words of the book and the eyes of the blind shall see out of obscurity and out of darknesse the meek also shall increase their joy in the Lord and the poor among men shall rejoyce in the holy One of Israel For the terrible one shall be brought to nought and the scorneâ— shall be consumed and all that watch for iniquity shall be cut off Imprinted at London for MICHAEL SPARK Senior and are to be sold at the Blue-Bible in Green Arbour 1643. IT is this seventeenth day of Novemb. 1643. ordered by the Committee of the House of Commons concerning Printing that this Book intituled THE POPISH ROYALL FAVOURITE c. be Printed by MICHAEL SPARK Senior JOHN WHITE A matetiall Observation THe Rebels in Ireland declared the Parliaments proceedings and intendments against Papists the only ground of their Rebellion The Queen soon after for to ayde them and the English Romanists departs the Realm with the Kings Jewels to raise Monies Men provide Armes Ammunition the which she strenuously performed The King immediatly upon her departure deserts the Parliament altogether notwithstanding all Petitions Messages to reduce him raiseth an Army first of English Malignants then of Papists to divert all supplies from hence against the Popish Rebels in Ireland and secure the Catholike party in England and Scotland Upon the Queens return the Irish Rebels are first supplyed with Armes and Ammunition from the Queen then after some negotiation received into the Kings Royall favour as his good Catholike Subjects by Articles of pacification under the great Seal contrary to two expresse Acts passed by him this Parliament to the undoing of the English Adventurers and Protestant party there And finally they are sent for hither to aide the King and English Catholiks against the Parliament Judge then whether the Kings departure from and taking up Armes against the Parliament be not only and wholly to maintain his Roman Catholikes and their Religion according to the tenour of his ensuing marriage Oathes and Articles what ever be pretended protested to the contrary The King besides the generall and speciall Articles of the Spanish match hereafter mentioned took this further Royall Oath Ex abundanti as the French Mercury records To permit at all times that any one should freely propose unto him the Arguments of the Roman Catholike Religion without giving any impeachment thereunto and that he would never permit neither directly nor indirectly that any one should speak to the Infanta against it taking since the like Oath with reference to the Queenâ— by which he hath irresistably exposed himself to all temptations seducements to the Antichristian Religion and bound himself neither by word nor deed to make the least opposition against it but to give it all the protection and incouragements that may be and to the professors of it as appears by the Articles ensuing p. 48 49 c. TO HIS EXCELLENCIE ROBRT Earl of ESSEX c. Lord Generall of the Forces raised by the Parliamentâ— for the defence of the Kingdome King Religion Laws Liberties against the Popish and Malignant Party who by force of Armes invade them and intend their utter ruine Right Honourable THe goodnesse of the Cause for which Armes are taken up is the Generals Souldiers greatest encouragement where Religion and Iustice are the reall Causes Victory and Successe will certainly be the effects of War That these are the true unfeigned grounds of the Parliaments and your Excellencies defensive Armes is sufficiently manifested to the world by sundry late Printed Discourses but by none more perspicuously cleared then by these Collections which upon this consideration especially I humbly recommend to your Honourable Patronage The extraordinary presence and admirable Protection of God with that victorious successe which hath accompanied your Excellency in two Signall Battels at Edge hill and Newbery wherein the Enemy by reason of their many advantages assured themselves of a full and totall Conquest are an undubitable evidence that you are the Generall of the Lord of Hosts and the Cause you fight for His. Therefore No Weapon that is formed against your Excellency in this quarrell shall prosper and every malicious tongue that shall rise against you in judgment for fighting in this just cause you shall condemn This work is not of men but of God therefore the very gates of hell the Antichristian adverse power of the Romish Malignant Party shall never prevail against it can never overthrow it Your Lordship and our Reformed Church now really Militant resting upon this Rock of assurance may in expectation of future successes confidently take up these triumphant speeches of the Heroick Psalmist Thou art our King O God Command deliverances for Jacob through thee we will push down our Enemies through thy Name shall we tread them under that rise up against us The Lord of Hosts is with us the God of Jacob is our refuge But the wicked shall perish and the enemies of the Lord now in Armes against our Church Parliament Religion Laws Liberties Properties Lives Estates shall be as the fat of lambs they shal consume into smoak shall they consume away Yea though they have taken crafty counsell together against Gods people and consulted against his hidden ones and have said Come and let us cut them off from being a Nation that the Name of
cordially intended Be astonished Oye Heavens and horribly afraid at this most grosse hypocrisie most apparent dissimulation most palpable contradiction of regall Protestations and Actions which the great King of Kings and righteous judge of all the earth will not suffer long to go unrevenged if not speedily repeuted reformed Far is it from my heart to wish or imprecate the least evill to his Majesty his Royall Consort or Posterity for whose reall happinesse and prosperity I shall ever be a dayly Orator to the Throne of Grace yet this I cannot but in loyalty fear if not informe them that if they persevere to dissemble thus with God and men to oppose Papists in words yet cherish protect them all they may in deeds openly siding with Irish English Popish Rebels against the Parliament and their Protestant Subjects and professedly arming them with other Out-landish Papists to waste spoil ruin destroy their Protestant Kingdoms Subjects with Fire Sword as hitherto they have cruelly done taking counsell against the Lord and his Anointed Son Servants to cut them off from being a Nation that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance though Earth be silent or Men patient at this Scarlet impiety yet Heaven God will not be so but he that sitteth in the Heavens will speak unto them in his wrath and vex them in his sore displeasure he will break them with a rod of yron and dash them in pieces like a Potters vessell He who poureth out contempt upon Princes who is terrible to the Kings of the Earth who cuts off the Spirit of Princes yea striks through Kings in the day of his wrath as he smote King Pharaoh Sehon King of the Amorits Og King of Bashan all the Kings of Canaan Eglon Nebuchadnezzar Belshazzar Herod with infinite other Monarchs He who accepteth not the person of Princes nor regardeth the rich more then the poor for they are all the work of his hands but without respect of persons rendreth to every man according to his works will most certainly avenge this detestable hypocrisie with all the blood of his Saints which hath been spilt and the injuries done to his Elect who cry unto him day and night Yea he will avenge them speedily For if he by his Prophet Esay thus threatned to cut off the King of Babylon and his posterity onely for destroying his own Land and slaying his Idolatrous Pagan Subjects that knew not God Isa. 14. 19. to 23. But thou art cast out of thy grave as an abominable branch as a carcase trodden under feet thou shalt not be joyned with them in buriall BECAUSE THOU HAST DESTROYED THYLAND AND SLAIN THY PEOPLE Prepare ye slaughter for his children for the iniquity of their fathers that they do not rise and possesse the Land for I will rise up against them saith the Lord of Hosts and cut off from Babylon the name and remembrance the Sons and Nephews saith the Lord. Then what severe judgement may such Christian Kings expect from the God of Heaven who contrary to their own frequently reiterated solemn publique Vows Protestations Imprecations most inhumanely destroy their own flourishing Christian Realms with fire and sword plunder pillage captivate slay murder their most pious Protestant Subjects every where without pitty or remorse If Ahab Jezabel with all their royall Posterity were utterly cut off extirpated in a moment for countenancing Idolaters and putting Naboth unjustly to death onely for a pretended blasphemy against God and the King of purpose to gain his single Vine-yard then what will become of those Kings Jezabels and their posterities who not onely cherish and protect many Romish Idolaters Priests Jesuits but likewise use their armed power to murder plunder ruin many thousands of innocent Protestant Naboths yea seize upon their whol estates as forfeited under a pretence of Treason or Rebellion and think they do God good service in it Certainly if they impenitently persevere in this their tyrannicall violence they cannot but expect the self-same judgement which these under went from that Soveraign God who removeth Kings and setteth up Kings and ruleth over the Kingdomes of men giving them to whomsoever he will at lest they may justly fear the undergoing of that exemplary sentence given against proud tyrannicall Nebuchadnezzar Dan. 4. 32. to 37. c. 5. 20. 21 22. who when his heart was lifted up and his mind hardned to deal proudly he was deposed from his Kingly Thron and they took his glory from him and he was driven from the sons of men and his heart was made like the beasts and his dwelling was with the wild Asses they fed him with grasse like Oxen and his body was wet with the dew of Heaven till he knew that the most high God ruled in the Kingdome of men and appointeth over it whomsoever he will Not like Butchers to slay but as Shepheards to feed and protect his people not to be a terrour to good works but evill to render punishment to evill doers especially to Popish Idolaters and praise or honour to those that do well and to be tender nursing fathers to the Church of God which God grant all those whom it now concerns may seasonably and effectually consider In the mean time it behoves all those who have any sparkes of love to God or Religion in their brests to have their eyes in their heads not heels to be as wise as Serpents though as innocent as Doves To take heed that they walk circumspectly not as fools but as wise weighing all mens actions not their Protestations redeeming the time because the dayes are very evill deceitfull beyond all former ages yea far more dangerous than most men apprehend them Let the consideration therefore of the ensuing Papers together with Romes Master-peece the English Pope the Parliaments late Declaration of the rise and progresse of the Irish rebellion the Articles of the Irish pacification to the ruine of the Protestaâ—t Party there with the Parliaments Remonstrances concerning it the many ships latelyâ— sent from Bristoâ— besides those from other parts with Commissions to transport Irish Popish rebels into England to cut all our throats with other daily fresh experiments of the Papists great power proceedings treacheries to re-erect their own and root out our Religion throughout His Majesties Dominions now at last awake and rouse us all out of our over-long desperate sencelesse security yea fully open our eyes to behold the extream imminent dangers our Church Religion Laws Liberties Estates Lives Parliament Kingdome Nation are now actually threarned with from the prevailing blood-thirsty Popish party in highest authority and favour with His Majesty now wholly captivated possessed swayed by them at their wils and then speedily engage us all ere it be over-late with one unanimous consent according to our late solemn Protestations Covenants to put forth our utmost strength of body mind estate prayers to prevent that
the 15 yeare of Our reigne To the keeper of Our prison of the Clink Secretary Windebank by his own ensuing Warrant without any expressed directions from the King undertakes to release this Priest committed by the K. himself THese are to will and require you forthwith to enlarge and set at liberty the body of Edward moore now prisoner in your charge upon suspition of being a Priest and hereof you are not to fail Dated at Whitehall 14. Mar. 1634. Fran. Windebank To the keeper of the Clink and to his Deputy The like Warrants of release and discharge are under the said Secretary Windebanks hand to the keeper of the Clink for William Drury a popish Priest 24 mar 16 4. for Thomas Holmes a Priest 9 May 1634. for Humfrey Turbervill a Priest 1 Decemb. 1634. for Iohn Fisher alis Percy a popish priest committed by warrant from the Lords of the Councell to the Gate-house 12 Decemb. 1634. and released by the said Secretaries warrant to the keeper of the Gate-house 12 August 1635. for Thomas Rainolds a Priest to the keeper of the Gate-house 17 April 1635. for Iohn Goodman a noted priest to the keeper of the Gate-house 17 Sept. 1639. with infinite others whom I now omiâ— It was the usuall practice of this Iesuited Secretary who had a pension from the Papists and was a Lay-Iesuite brought up by the Archbishop of Canterbury whose scholar he was and made Secretary of State at his suite as the memorialls of his life attest First if any Priests were brought before him by the Officers if he could not discharge them without commitment to commit them to prison for 4 or 5 dayes for a shew and then to discharge them I shall give you one late instance in stead of many out of his own Warrants in the case of Arnold Gerard. THese are to will and require you forthwith to receive into your custody the body of Arnold Gerard A ROMISH PRIEST herewith sent you and him to keep till you shall have further order And hereof you may not fail Dated at my house in Drury-lane 25 may 1640. Fran. Windebank To the keeper of the Gate-house in Westminster or his Deputy within five dayes after he discharged him again by this warrant under the Secretaries Seale THese are to will and require you forthwith to set at Liberty the body of Arnold Gerard whom I LATELY COMMITTED to your custody And hereof you may not fail Dated at my house the 30 th of May 1640. Fran. Windebank To the keeper of the Gate-house in Westminster or his Deputy So Thomas Reinolds a Priest committed by this Secretary to the Gate-house the tenth of April 1635. was absolutely discharged by him thence on the seventeenth day of the sâ—me moneth as appeares by the Warrants Iohn Southworth one of the 16 Priests released by the Kings forecited Warrant of April 11 sexto Car. to be sent beyond the Seas as was pretended continuing a dangerous seducer after his release was afterwards committed again to the Clink prison by the Lords of the Privy-Councels warrant but yet for all that had free liberty to walk abroad at his pleasure as most Priests during their imprisonment had the more safely to seduce His Majesties good subiects and open masses in their prisons to boote whereupon being apprehended and brought before some of the High-Commissioners and refusing to give bond to appear before them though the good men never did such Romish-vermin any harm in their terrible Court a Spanish inquisition onely to torture Puritanes and no other persons he was sent to the Clink by their warrant under the Seale of the Court dated the 24 of June An. Dom. 1640 to which they found him to be formerly committed by the Lords and to be then a vagrant prisoner to be there detained under the Keepers custody untill other order should be given for his inlargement all which is expressed in the warrant for his commitment But within few dayes after this Priest was absolutely released by this warrant THese are to will and require you forthwith upon the sight here of to enlarge set at liberty the body of Iohn Southworth lately committed to your custody For which this shall be your Warrant Dated at my house in Drury-lane 16 Iuly 1640. Fran. Windebank To the keeper of the Clink or to his Deputy or Deputies How dangerous a seducer this Southworth alias Southwell was appeares by this Petition of Robert VVhite Sub-Curate of St. Margarets Parish in VVestminster to the Archbishop of Canterbury the last great sicknesse 1636. MOst humbly sheweth That the Petitioner ever since the beginning of this grievous visitation in Westminster hath used all the pains diligence that possibly he could to serve the Cure in the absence of Dr. VVimberley and bein gimployd by divers charitably disposed people to distribute their alms among the most indigent and distressed sort of people he hath observed TWO POPISH PRIESTS to frequent VVestminster one of which is called Southwell who is and long hath been a prisoner in the Gatehouse but lies about Clerkenwel This Southwell under a pretence of distributing Almes sent FROM SOME OF THE PRIESTS IN SOMERSET-HOUSE or OTHER PAPISTS doth take occasion to go into divers visited Houses in VVestminster and namely to the house of one VVilliam Baldwin and VVilliam Stiles in the Kemp-yard in VVestminster and there finding Baldwin neer the point of death did set upon him by all meanes to make him change his religion whereunto by his subtile perswasions Baldwin easily consented and received the Sacrament from him according to the Church of Rome and so died a Romish-catholique And in the same maner he perverted William Stiles who also died a Romish-catholique And South-well to colour and hide these wicked practices doth see the Watchmen and other poor people thereabouts that they should affirm he comes onely to give Almes And thus under a pretence of relieving the bodies of poor people he comes onely to poysons their souls Now may it please your Grace the Petitioner having no means to apprehend these Priests or to stop this danger and dishonour to our Religion doth humbly implore your Graces favour and zeal that some speedy course may be taken to hinder the progresse thereof and that not onely for the confirming and setling of poor people in our Religion but also to prevent a great danger which may ensue to the Queenes Maiestie at her coming to Denmarke-house for that divers poor people newly turned Romish-Catholiques do commonly frequent the Masse at Denmarke-house And three of those poor people watched all night with VVilliam Stiles immediately before he died and the next day went thither to Masse A most wicked course if it should not be remedied Upon this Southwell soon after was apprehended indicted arraigned and the premises fully proved against him by sundry witnesses and yet by the Queens and VVindebanks powerfull meanes his finall triall was put off to the great discontent of the people
he not long after released even neer the verie time that D. Bastwicke Mr. Burton and Mr. Prynne were most grievously censured in the Star-chamber and most barbarously pillored deprived of their eares stigmatized yea sent away Close-prisoners and exiles into forraign Islands and there shut up so strait that not so much as their Wives of Friends might have accesse by person or letter to them nor set footing in the Islands where they were cloistered up under pain of imprisonment and the severest censures and all for opposing the Popish Doctrines and Innovations brought into our Church by the Prelaticall and Popish Confederates who conspired to undermine our Religion and boldly discovering this their conspiracy spiracie in printed bookes to the incredulous secure world who never dreamed of such an imminent danger to our religion which is since more palpably and experimentally discovered To such an exorbitant power and prevalency had the Priests and Popish faction then attained Secondly if any Priests or Jesuits were committed in the Countrey then it was this Secretaries ordinary practice to send for them up to London by his own Warrant and Messengers under pretence of proceeding against them here and so to release them to give you one late instance most Counties having made experiences of this practice Patricke Clerye a dangerous Priest was committed by the Earle of Salisbury to Hortford-Gaole by this Warrant YOu shall receive herewith the body of Patricke Clerye who BY HIS OWN CONFESSION made before me IS A SEMINARY PRIEST Wherefore these are to will and require you to take into your custodie the body of the said Patricke Clerye and him to keepe in durance till he shall be delivered by sufficient Warrant for that behalf And herein you may not faile at your perill Dated at Hertford this 26. of June 1643. Salisbury To the Keeper of his Majesties Gaole of Hertford or his Deputies there Within few dayes after this Priest was removed and released by Windebanke by colour of this juggling Warrant BY vertue of HIS MAJESTIES COMMAND to me given These are to wil and require you forth with upon sight hereof to deliver the body of Patricke Clerye now prisoner in your custody into the hands of this bearer one of the Messengers of His Majesties Chamber sent purposely for him who is to bring him hither to be proceeded with as his Majesty shal please further to direct and hereof you may not faile at your perill Dated at Whitehall 21. July 1640. Fran Windebanke To the Keeper of His Majesties Gaole of Hertford and to all others whom it doth or may concerne By such a Warrant as this Captaine Read that active Lay-Iesuite mentioned in Romes-Master-piece the common Host and Agent of the Jesuits Society in England and chiefe Agent in the late Irish rebellion was freed from the Gaole in Devonshire where he was imprisoned and then inlarged and especially protected by the King in manner following by the King himself and this Letter of Grace By the King VVHereas we have received good testimonie of the loyaltie and dutie of Our trusty and wel-beloved Captaine Iohn Read and because the may be subject to the penalties of the Lawes against RECVSANCY These are to signifie That We are GRACIOVSLY PLEASED to extend OVER SPECIALL GRACE towards him and doe hereby will and command that no Indictment Presentment Information or Suit in our Name or in the name OF ANY OTHER BEE HENCEFORTH commenced prosecuted or accepted against him by ANY OF OVER OFFICERS AND SVBJECTS WHATSOEVER for or concerning RECVSANCIE And if any such shall happen then Our will and pleasure is that upon sight hereof the same shall be discharged and made void or otherwise not prejudiciall unto him Given under Our Signet the 13. day of July in the tenth yeere of Our Reigne To all and singular Our Iudges of Assize Iustices of Peace Majors Sheriffs Clerks of Assize Basiliffs Constables Informers and all other Our Officers and Ministers whom it doth or may concern and to every of them This Letter of extraordinary grace and protection to this Arch-Traitor Conspirator and Rebell is entred of Record in the Sessions-booke of the Clerke of the Peace of Middlesex at the Sessions held 6. Oct. 13. Caroli pag. 261. and in the Crown Office too where those who please or doubt of it may peruse it at their pleasure 3. This Secretary committed some and much blamed other Officers only for apprehending molesting Popish Priests and released Iames a Priest taken in Execution for a debt by commanding an Officer to bring him out of prison to his chamber to examine him and there by collusion permitted him to escape for which escape thus fraudulently procured the Jailor and Officer were inforced to pay the debt The Warrants to free Priests and Jesuits out of prison before and without Indictments to prohibit them from Indictments to reprieve and release them after they have been arraigned and condemned are almost numberlesse The Jesuits apprehended by Justice Long in their new erected Colledge of Clerkenwell in the third yeere of the Kings Reigne were all bailed and released before they were Indicted and tried by speciall directions from the King which abuse was much complained of and examined in the Parliament held that yeer and how many scores of Priests have been since released without any prosecution and Indictment when apprehended the premised Warrants and the Goal-books thorowout England will at test Windebanke releasing above 80. as was proved in Parliament 4. Iunii 1633. A privie Seale reciting that one Iohn Broughton was indicted for a Priest was directed by the King to the Judges of the Kings Bench to stay proceedings against him which is recorded in the Crowne Office whereupon this Warrant was made under the Lord chiefe Justice Richardsons hand WHereas there is an Indictment remaining upon Record in the Kings Majesties Court of his Bench at Westminster against Iohn Broughton of London Clerke otherwise Iohn Crowder of London Clerk And whereas His Majestie hath directed his privie Seal to me and to the rest of the Judges of the said Court for staying of prosecution of the said Indictment against the said Iohn Broughton by the name of Iohn Broughton of Ruerdeane in the County of Gloucester the said Iohn Broughton being one and the self-same person though diversly stiled in the Privie Seale and in the Indictment Therefore let the Clerke of the Crown keep the said Privie Seale and stay Processe upon the said Indictment untill Further order be taken and this shall be your Warrant 4 Iunii 1633. Thomas Richardson Ch. J. This Broughton at the Sessions of Oyer and Terminer for the City of London 22. Febr. 7. Car. R. was indicted for a Priest which Indictment was afterwards removed into the Kings Bench returnable immediately and there stayed by this former Order Anno 1643. Henry Rivers Francis Foster William Atkins Francis Cotes and George Parret Priests Jesuits were all indicted in the Kings
in Spaine in many Languages discovers to us the very Root of all our present warres in which his Majesty hath sustained many incommodities hazarded both his estate life and Realms fully resolves us what Protection of the Protestant Religion we must now expect from himselfe and that Armed Catholick party to which he adheares and more he here resolves to suffer but one Religion to wit the Roman Catholike only in his Realms intimating our Reformed Religion to be but Novelty and Faction against the Roman Catholike faith I have seene a Coppy of these Letters in English long since the Kings letter who perchance writ two of this nature being some what different from the French in some expressions though not in substance Now that such Letters really pasted betweene the King and Pope during his abode in Spaine appeares not onely by divers ancient Printed Copies of it in sundry Languages but is also thus expressely attested by Master Iames Howell an attendant upon his Majestie in that expedition no friend to Parliaments but a Malignant now in custodie in his Vocall Forrest dedicated to the King himselfe the Queene and Prince Printed at London 1640. p. 128. The Holy Sire the Pope who was so great a friend to the intended alliance who had formerly writ unto and sent to visite Prince Rocalino Charles was taken away by the hand of Fate c. Moreover his booke farther informeth us p. 124. That Chenandra Olivares the chiefe Ingrosser of the Olives the King of Spaines favours welcomming the Prince into Spaine said That he doubted not but he came thither to be of their Religion And p. 134. The common voyce among those of Elaiana Spaine was that Prince Rocalino Charles came thither to make himselfe a Christian. But that which is most observable is this passage concerning the Articles in favour of Papists agreed on and sworne to by King Iames and his Majestie by the Popes sollicitation upon the Spanish Treaty p. 125. 126. 127. when Rocalino Prince Charles arrived matters were brought to that perfection by the strenuous negotiation of Sophronio that there wanted nothing for the consummation of all things but a dispensation from Petropolis Rome which at last came and before that time Rocalino Charlâ—s was not admitted to speake with the Lady Amira in quality of a sutor but a Prince Now the said Dispensation came clogged with an unhappy unexpected clause thrust in of purpose as it appeares to retard the proceedings of things which was That whereas there were certaine Articles condescended unto by Druina's Monarke King Iames in Fauour of the Petropolitans Papists that were in that Kingdome and other Crownes under his Dominion the great Arch-flamin the Pope demanded caution for the performance of them The Royall Oake answered that he could give no other caution then his Word and Oath and Recalino Prince Charles should doe the like which should be confirmed by his Councell of State and exemplified under Druinas Englands broad Seale but this would not satisfie unlesse some Petropolitan Soveraigne Prince should ingage himselfe for them Hereupon all matters were like to goe off the hinges and a buzze went abroad that Rocalino intended to get away covertly In these traverses Chenandra steps forth and said there were three wayes to conclude this businesse two good and one bad the first good way was That Prince Rocalino Charles Should become a Petropolitan Papist The second was That as Elaiana Spaine was obliged to him for his free comming thither so she might as freely deliver to him the Lady Amira trusting him without further condition The ill way was not to trust Rocalino at all with any thing but binde him as fast as they could Whiles matters were thus a canvasing and gathering ill blood Elaianas Spaines King stepped up and proffered to engage himselfe by Oath for the satisfaction of the great Arch flamine but with this proviso that he must first consult with his Ghostly Fathers whether he might doe it Salua Conscientia or no. Hereupon the businesse was referred to a Committe of the learnedst Yewes Bishops Divines and the State of the Question was Whether the Oliue might with safety of conscence take an Oath in behalfe of Druinas Monarke and Rocalino for performance of such and such Articles that were agreed upon in fauour of the Pepotrolitans throughout the Kingdomes of the Royall Oake This Assembly long demurr'd and dwelt upon the Question and after a long prâ—â—raction of time they concluded at last affirmatively and in case the Oake failed to execute what was stipulated the Olive was to vindicate his Oath and right himselfe By the Sword This difficulty being surmounted there was exceeding great joy and all the Capitulations were interchangeably sworne unto Both by the Oake and Olive and as Chenandra said in Elaiana so the Royall Oake himselfe was so confident that he said All the Devills in hell could not now breake the match whereto a blunt facetious Knight being by answered That there was never a Devill now left in hell for they were all gone to Spaine to helpe make up the match By all these observable passages dedicated so lately to the King himselfe by one of his owne servants who was privie to them it is apparent that not onely Letters passed betweene the King and Pope whilst he continued in Spaine but likewise That Articles in favour of Papists throughout England and all his Majesties Dominions even such as the Pope himselfe approved were at the Popes request condescended unto by King Iames and caution offered and given to the Pope for the performance of them even by King Iames King Charles and the King of Spaines regall words Seales Oathes That these Articles were to be confirmed by the Privie Councell of State and exemplied under the Great Seale of England And that the maine end the Pope and Papists aymed at in this Spanish match was the seducing of the King and Realme to the Romish Religion and reducing of them to their ancient Vassallage to the Sea of Rome which will bee more apparent if we adde to this that Hugh Simple a Scottish Iesuite being in the Court of Spaine when the King was there gave up divers Petitions and Advertisements to the King and Councell of Spaine that they should not conclude any match with England unlesse there should be erected in each Vniversity under our Kings Dominions a Colledge of Iesuites for the training up of youth in the Roman faith and Doctrine which Advertisements he printed with his Name subscribed and delivered to his friends in Court as Iames Wadsworth then presentâ— whose father was Tutor to Donna Maria the Spanish Lady and taught her English hath published in his English Spanish Pilgrim ch 3. p. 30. 31. It is very observable how King Iames to make the better way for the Popish Spanish Match to comply with Spaine and expresse his favour and affection to those of the Romish Religion
sent this ensuing Letter to the Lord Keeper Williams for the releasing of Imprisoned Recusants throughout England Trusty and welbeloved We Greete you well Whereas we have given you a former warrant and direction for the making of two severall Writs for the inlargement of such Recusants as are in Prison at this time either for matters of Recusancie in Generall or for denying the taking the Oath of Supremacie according to the Statute by removing them from the generall Goales of this Kingdome to be bailed before the Iustices of our Bench finding by experience that this course will be very troublesome to the poorer sort of Recusants and very chargeable unto Vs who out of our Princely Clemency and by the mediation of Forraigne Princes were desired to beare out the same We will and require you to make and issue forth two other Writs in nature and substance answerable with the former to be directed to our Iustices of Assises enabling and requiring them and every of them to inlarge such Recusants as they shall find in their severall Goales upon such sureties and recognisance and other conditions as they were enlarged by the Iudges of our Bench and this shall be your Warrant so to doe Dated at Westminster Iuly 25. 1622. Hereupon this Lord Keeper though a Bishop not onely issued out these Writs but likewise writ this letter to the Iudges After my hearty Commendations to you His Majestie having resolved out of deepe reasons of State and in expectation of like correspondence from forraigne Princes to the Professors of our Religion to grant some grace and connivency to the Imprisoned Papists of this Kingdome hath commanded me to passe some Writs under the Broad Seale for that purpose Requiring the Iudges of â—uery Circuit to enlarge the said Prisoners according to the Tenor and effect of the same I am to give you to understand for his Majesty how his Majesties Royall pleasure is that upon receit of these Writs you shall make no nicenesse nor difficultie to extend this his Princely favour to all such Papists as you shall find prisoners in the Goales of your Circuits for any Church Recusancy whatsoeuer refusing the Oath of Supremacy or dispersing Popish Bookes or hearing saying of Masse or any other point of Recusancie which doth touch or concerne Religion onely and not matters of State which shall appeare unto you to be Totally Civill and Politicall And so Ibid you heartily farewell Your loving Friend Iohn Lincolne Westminster Colledge August 2. 1622. By Vertue of these Writs and Letters all the Imprisoned Recusants and most Seminary Priests Iesuits were every where released who therupon grew very bold insolent and had open Masses and Seâ—mons in divers places wherof that in Black-friers on the 5. of their Nouember where so many of them were pressed to death and Drury his braines who then preached beaten out with the sodaine miraculous fall of the Roome where they assembled is most memorable in hope of the match with Spaine and of the publick toleration promised and resolved on as appeares by King Iames his insuing speech at the Councell Table upon his proposall of the Spanish Match to the Lords of his Privy Councell Now because his Majesties and his Royall Fathers intended Popish match with Spaine and the proceedings thereupon have beene the Originall Fountaine whence all the forementioned favours and suspentions of our Lawes against Papists Priests Iesuits together with the extraordinary increase of them and Popery if not our present warres have proceeded I shall give you a further true and reall account therof out of the French Mercury Tome 9. Printed in French at Paris Anno 1624. with speciall priviledge of King Lewis the 13 th Where in all the particulars of the Kings voyage into his entertainment and proceedings in and returne from Spaine with all the Articles and passages touching that marriage are most punctually and truely related I shall present you onely with some things in it which are most considerable and worthy our present publike knowledge Count Gondemar the King of Spaines Embassad or returning to his Master into Spaine in the yeare 1623. with Propositions of a marriage to be made betweene Charles now King then Prince of Wales and the Infanta Mary second sister to the Catholick King of Spain and the Lord Digby Earle of Bristol long before sent extraordinary Embassador into Spaine to pursue this marriage Treaty the Prince soone after accompanied with the Duke of Buckingham the Lord Cottington and Endymion Porter departs unexpectedly and secretly with King Iames his consent in disguised habits from England and posted through France into Spain where he arrived at Madrit and was there most royally entertained and all Artsâ— used to engage him not onely to favour but Embrace the Romish Religion Among others there was a most solemne Procession instituted wherein the King of Spaine and most of his Nobles bare a part and the Prince with his followers being placed in a Balconee where the Procession passed they all made very great humiliations and Genuflections when the holy Sacrâ—ment passed by Pope Gregory the 15. likewise writ a solemne Letter to the Prince the same Verbatim with that â—orecited recorded likewise in this Mercury which was brought and delivered to him by the Popes Nuncio with great solemnity accompanied with all the Italian Lords then about the Court and divers Spanish Dons whom the Prince received with grand courtesie respect and honour To which Letter the Prince returned the forementioned answer This letter of the Pope written in Latin together with the Princes answer to it was presently printed in divers Languages and the Articles propounded by the King of England were soon after sent by the King of Spain to the Pope to receive his approbation of them ere they were accorded The Pope hereupon adviseth with the Cardinalls of his conclave for the propagation of the Roman Catholick Religion about these Articles to some of which he intirely condescended without any alteration some of them he alters onely in part and returnes them back with his answers to and alterations of every of them written under each particular Article which alterations being sent to King Iames he condescended to most of them in direct termes to all of them in substance which Articles with the Popes owne answers to and emendations of them over tedious to insert you may read in this French Mercury Most of the articles were in favour and advancement of Popery and Papists and the same almost Verbatim with the ensuing Articles of the French match ratified likewise by the Pope But the Cardinals of the Propagation of the Faith not contented with these generall Articles which tended principally for the assurance onely of the Religion of the Infanta and her family perswaded the Pope to grant no Dispensation for this marriage till they had proposed to the King of great Britain certain Propositions for the right augmenâ—ation and weale of the
Roman Catholicke Religion to which he must condescend For the performance of both which Articles the King of Spaine demanded not onely the Kings and Princes Oathes and confirmations under the Great Seale of England which were accordingly given but an Act of Parliament and certaine Cautionary Townes in England when the marriage was accomplished the first whereof if not both were promised Whiles this match was in agitation King Iames assembled his Privie Councell together 25. of Febr. 1623. before the Princes departure into Spaine and there made a long Oration to them as the French Mercury never controlled attests some passages whereof are very observable That soone after he came to the crowne of England by the Popes exhortatory Letters to the King of Spaine and Arch-duke Albertus in Flanders there ensued a peace betweene the Crownes of England and Spaine That shortly after at the instance of many he caused the Image of the Crosse to be redressed and that men should not foule it under their seete That when he came first to the Crowne of England he spake among other points of the Apostolicke and Roman Religion and although it were the true yet then to avoyd all sorts of rumors which might then have risen to the prejudice of peace in the Re-publicke I said that in this Religion were many superfluous ceremonies the which deserved to be refused At the same time many Roman Catholikes our Subjects and members of our Realme presented us their requests by which they â—arnestly beseeched us to grant them the liberty of their Conscience upon the hopes they had to be so much the more comforted under our raigne as they had beene Dppressed under the raigne of Queene Elizabeth But as it oft times happens that those who ardently desire any thing imagine with themselves that it is very easie to doe or to be obtained and oftentimes prove the contrary so all the Catholikes who hoped to be releeved by us and to be disingaged of great and intollerable surcharges which haue beene imposed upon their Goods Bodies and Soules during the reigne of the said Elizabeth requiring onely of our Royall benevolence to be remitted to the enjoyment of their Goods Honours and Estates and to be maintained in the Religion in which all our Predecessours and Kings of Scotland have lived from Donaldus untill the time of our late beloved Mother who received Martyrdome in this Realme For Confession of the said Catholicke Religion A Religion which hath beene publikely professed so many ages in this Realme of England and which hath beene confirmed by so many great and excellent Emperours and hath beene so famous in all Ecclesiasticall Histories by an infinite number of Martyrs who have sealed it with their owne blood in their death were then deceived of their hopes by an apparent feare of certaine commotions which then might have ensued So that in all our Realmes for the sole respect of my person and not by Reason of Religion it selfe so as many of the said Catholikes have very well knowne there was no mutation or change at all had although they well kâ—ew There was in Us a Grand affection to the Catholicke Religion in so much that they haue beleeued at Rome that Wee haue Dissembled for to obtaine this Crowne of England But all this hath beene nothing else but the opinions of men the which one might have discerned in almy comportments during my reigne in not committing any Offices nor benefits to others than to those which have beene formerly purveyed for or appointed by the Lawes Now after that our bounty hath opened the doore to our Piety and that wee have maturely considered all the penuries and calamities that the Roman Catholikes have suffered in the exercise of their Religion seeing that they are of the number of Our Faithfull Subiects We have for this cause resolved to releeve them For which reason after we have maturely consulted upon this businesse we haue ordained and doe Ordaine and haue taken and doe take from henceforth all Râ—man Catholikes being our Subiects into our Protection permiting them the Liberty and entire exercise of their Religion without using in their behalfe and â—â—rt of inquisition processe or other criminall actions by which they may be grieued or molested from this day forwards permitting them moreover to celebrate the Masse and all other Divine Seruices concerning their said Religion We will also that they shall be reâ—established and restored in all their Estates Lands Fees and Seigniories Commanding our Maiestrates and Iustices in this behalfe to hold their hands in such sort that none of what quality or condition soever he be for what cause soever it be shall not attempt hereafter to Grieue or molest the said Catholikes neither in publike nor in secret in that which toucheth the liberty of the exercise of the said Religion upon paine of being reputed guilty of High Treason and a dissurber of the Peace and of the repose of the Country such is our Will and Definitiue sentence After which he justifies the lawfulnesse of the Spanish match notwithstanding the difference of Religion and danger of feminine seduction relates his resolution to proceede in it with the reasons of it prohibiting any under paine of severest censures to speake against it Loe here writes this Mercury the causes which moved his Majestie of Great Britaine to seeke after the alliance of Spaine by marriages the which many in England and especially the Puritans or reformed and those of the English confession adhearing to this Sect were no wayes well pleased with and cheifely having understood of the Prince of Wales his honourable entertainement at Madrit and of the Articles of the Marriage which were to be cxamined at Rome So the French Mercury which thus proceedes Hereupon two writings ran from hand to hand the one intituled A Discourse of the Archbishop of Canterbury Abbot to the King of Great Brittaine and the other Vox Populâ— the latter produceth many excellent reasons in point of policie and Religion against the Popish match with Spaine which you may peruse in the book it selfe being Common The first condemnes his Majesties toleration of the Roman Religion in his Realmes as being displeasing to God an anguish and griefe to his best Subjects professing the true reformed religion a great dishonour to himselfe who had publickely Writ and disputed often against that Religion which he knew in his owne conscience to be false and superstitious That his Edicts and Proclamations for the tolleration of it could not be confirmed without a Parliament which would never condescend thereunto unlesse he would openly shew to his Subjects that he intended to usurpe an absolute liberty to infringe and null all Lawes of the Country That it would produce many dangerous consequences and bring the just Iudgements of God both upon the whole Realme in generall and himselfe in particular With all it censures the ill advise of those who sent the Prince into Spaine
Que ce qui se trouveroit en nature des biens saisis sur les Catholiques tant Ecclesiastiques que seculiers depuis le dit dernier Edict publiâ— contra eux leur serroient restitues The first touching the Catholikes as well Ecclesiasticks as Seculars Prisoners since the said last Edict the which shall be all set at liberty The second to this effect That the English Catholiques shall be no more searched after or troubled for their Relion And the third of this nature that the goods seised upon the Catholikes as well Ecclesiastiques as Seculars since the said Edict published against them shall be restored Upon these Articles Oathes Proceedings of the King in these Treaties of Marriage with Spaine and France and his enter-marriage with the Queen a most sedulous Promoter of the Roman Catholike Religion these severall effects ensued First an extraordinary great multitude of most dangerous seducing Seminary Priests Iesuits Monks of all sorts especially Benedictines Nunnes and Iesuitesses came flocking over into England and other his Majesties Dominions without any restraint or inhibition whatsoever there being no lesse then 261 Romish Priests Monks Iesuites besides Popish Physitians Apothecaries and Chirurgions constantly residing in and about London in the yeare 1624. the Catalogue of whose names you may read in Iohn Gee a reclaimed English Priest by the fall of the Massing-Chamber in Black-Fryers where he hardly escaped in his I oot out of the snare Edit 4 London 1624. there being as hee then manifested in this Book at least foure times as many more Priests and Iesuits in other parts of England and well-nigh 300 to his knowledge in one single County alone and above 60 English Benedictine Monks from Doway besides those sent from other places Secondly There were many new Colledges Monasteries and Seminaries erected in Spaine and other forraign Parts for the training up of English Irish and Scottish Priests Monks Iesuites Nunnes to be sent over into his Majesties Dominions to reduce England to the Popish faith and obedience of the Sea of Rome as you may read at large in Iohn Gee his Foot out of the snare Lewis Owen his Running Register Iames Wadsworth his English Spanish Pilgrime London 1629. Pudesindus Barlo his ensuing letter The French Mercury Tom. 8. 9. 10. Nichâ—le Maistre Instauratio Antiqui Episcoporum Principatus and others and new Chappels built for Masse and a Cell for Capuchins here Thirdly There were many private Societies and Monasteries of Iesuites Monks Nunnes secretly erected and maintained in England but many more openly built stocked and professedly supported in Ireland as appeares by the Remonstrance and Petition of Grievances touching Religion presented to the King by the Lords and Commons in Parliament 3. Caroli The late Remonstrance of both Houses concerning the Rise and Progresse of the late Irish Rebellion Romes Master-Piece Romes Inquiry c. and other evidences here ensuing Fourthly There was a new Popish Hierarchy erected and Bishops Arch-Deacons c. created by the Pope both in England and Ireland to exercise all Episcopall Iurisdiction therein besides the Queens Bishop mentioned in the former Articles as is evident by Nichâ— le Maistre his Instauratio Antiqui Episcoporum Principatus and Rudesindus Barlo his letter recorded in it by Henry Flood his letter from Rome to F. Colleton Arch-Priest alias Arch-Deacon of London March 27. 1623. with other letters recorded by Iohn Gee in his Foot out of the snare p. 27. c. The Popes Briefe and Romes Inquiry and the evidences hereafter cited Fifthly All Lawes and Proceedings against Popish Priests and Iesuits were suspended by generall and speciall letters warrants of Grace and Protection forementioned and before the Kings marriage by letters sent to all parts by Bishop Williams Lord Keeper in King Iames his Name all Priests and Recusants then imprisoned for their Religion were released upon pretence of procuâ—ing like favour and liberty of conscience for the Protestants in France and other forraign parts Who soone after were generally persecuted every where in Germany France and all their Townes Forts demolished in France by force of Armes yea many thousands of them massacred and Rochel it selfe betrayed into their power by our English ships and the treachery of the Popish and Court party here Sixthly There was a speciall Society erected not onely in Rome but likewise here in England intitled The Congregation of Propagating the Faith consisting of foure Orders of most desperate active English and Scotish Iesuites residing in London of which Society The Pope himselfe was the head and Cardinall Barbarino his chiefe substitute And for the better advancement of this Romish design to undermine the Protestant Religion and set up Popery in all the Kings Dominions there was an Agent sent from the King and Queen to lie Leager at Rome one Hamilton a Scottish Papist and a speciall Nuncio sent over into England from the Pope to wit one Seigneour Georgio Con a Scot who kept his Residence here in London and was President of this new erected Congregation of Iesuites which held a constant Councell once or twice each week had weekly dispatches to and from Rome yea continuall free accesse to the King and his Court to seduce both the King and his People as you may read more at large in Romes Master-Piece the English Pope and The Popes Briefe Seventhly All Informers against Priests Iesuites Papists were discountenanced menaced and many of them imprisoned by Secretary Windebanke their Pentioner who not only released sundry Priests and Iesuites by his Warrants as you heard before but even by word of mouthâ— prohibited the Officers of Iustice to apprehend them and imprisoned one Robert Horward Vnder-Sheriffe of Southampton upon a pretence that he had proceeded against some Popish Recusants upon the Kings Writ directed to him to seise their Lands and Goods contrary to his Letters of Countermaund though its true he proceeded not till he enforced him by his Popish Secretary Read to enter into a bond of one hundred pounds to Henry Lord a Papist Never to prosecute Popish Recusants more ere he would release him All which was attested by Horward and others in the Commons House this Parliament as you may see in the Iournall Book of the House 11 12 20. Novemb. and in Mr. Glynnes Repoâ—â—entred therein 1 Decemb. 1640. On the contrary most of the painfull Orthodox Protestant Ministers Gentlemen and others throughout the Realme were disgraced persecuted silenced fined imprisoned banished and thousands of them enforced to flee the Realme by the tyrannicall unjust proceedings against them in the High-Commission Starre-Chamber Councell-Chamber Bishops Consistories and Visitation Courts the Printing Presses were also shut up against all Books in refutation of Popery and opened to all Impressions in defence or propagation thereof Popish Doctrines Superstitions openly maintained preached in Our Vniversities Cathedrals Diocesses Churches Chappels especially at Court Lectures suppressed and none but such as were Popishly affected advanced to Bishoprikes Deaneries Ecclesiasticall Preferments or
on it but likewise by a little English Booke then published in print by the Iesuits intituled The Iubilee of the Iesuites one copie whereof Thomas Chaude receiving from a woman-papist in Redriffe delivered it to Sheriffe Warner which he attested in the House of Commons Novemb. 14. 1640. as the journall records in which booke there was this observable Passage That the Papists should fish in troubled waters whilest the King was ingaged in the wars with the Scots with some prayers for their good successe and for THE HOLY MARTYRS THAT SUFFERED IN THE FLEET SENT AGAINST THE HERETIKES OF ENGLAND 1639. By which among other circumstances it is evident that not onely the Scottish war was plotted maintained by the Papists but that the Spanish fleet then happily incountered and vanquished by the Hollanders on our coasts during these troubles was directly designed against the Protestants in England by the Popish party here with whom they were to joyne to cut both the English and Scottish Protestants throats when all the powder of the Realme and the traine bands armes in most Counties were ingrossed into his Majesties hands and they thus incountering one the other which plot the unexpected pacification with the Scots and Holland fleet most happily prevented And in truth the improbability of any other likely designe our harbour and succour of them from the Dutch Fleet in the Downes our supplying of them with men victualls ammunition our guarding them with our ships against the Hollanders more then was meet our hindering the Hollanders to burne their ships which ran upon our shore the confession of an English man in that Fleet upon his death-bed out of remoise of conscience when he was brought on shore wounded in the first encounter with the Hollanders that this Fleet was designed for England the speeches of some Papists that they expected this Navie here about that time the landing of many hundred Spanish souldiers at Plimmouth in English Ships but a weeke or two before this Fleet arrived on our coasts upon pretence to transport them thence by land towards Flaunders designed as some then feared to surprise Plimmouth the Lord Portlands sudden journey to the Isle of Wight whereof he was Governour with the Lord Went worth Col. Goring and others where they shot away all the powder in the Castles and their clothes too in drinking healths in a most Bacchanalian fâ—â—â—ick manner just when the Spanish Fleet was before that Isle to the end they might the easier surprise it when they had no powder to resist them as some wise men then conjectâ—red are more then probable arguments that this Fleet was destinated for England to extirpate the Protestant party and that by the desperate confederacy of the predominant Popish faction and their great Patriots here who procured them so much favour and protection from us against the Hollanders and would never permit this mysterie of iniquity to be throughly examined No wonder therefore if we see the Popish Rebels brought over into England to murther Protestants now since the Spanyards were thus designed as is more then probable for that purpose then And whether we may not feare the like designe from France I leave to the grand Councell of the Kingdome to consider 11. Those Articles I doubt have beene the true cause of the late rebellion in Ireland and the massacres there of all his Majesties favours to these rebels of the late pacification Articles granted to them of his Majesties departing from taking up armes arming all English Papists and sending for Popish Irish rebels into England to fight against the Parliament and of his siding with relying on the Popish party to whom he is obliged to adhere and so ingaged against the Parliament for feare they should execute all old and make new Lawes against Recusants contrary to his premised Oaths and Articles 12. Wee may hence assure our selves that wee can never have any reall pacification with the King and his Popish party without a toleration of their religion and a suspention or repeale of all Lawes against them according to the preceeding Articles and in case his Majestie should prevaile against the Parliament we must expect an absolute establishing of Popery and suppression both of the Protestant party and Religion Yea seeing His Maiestie is both by Oath and Articles not to endeavour by any means at all to withdraw the Queen from the profession of the Romish Religion whereas she on the other side is left free by all meanes and arts that may be to withdraw the King from the Protestant Religion to her owne and his children too Wee have great cause to feare if Adams Solomons or Ahabs seducements by their wives be duly pondered that his Majesty now wholly alienated from his Parliament and best Protestant Subjects by the Queen and popish Counsellors and resigning himselfe up to the Councels Armies Forces Guard of his Roman Catholike Subiects who have the custody both of his person and next heires apparant to his Crownes may ere long be seduced to their Religion as well as to their party especially since he hath been informed That they have a poysoned Fig reserved for him in case he should refuse it as is more amply manifested in Romes Master-piece The next Authority of note which I then intended to publish was this notable Passage of N. Le Maistre a Sorbon Priest in his Instauratio Antiqui Episcoporum Principatus Parisiis 1633. Cum privilegio Regis Approbatine Doctorum dedicated to all Cardinalls Archbishops Bishops Priests and Clergie of the Church of France Lib. 2. p. 273. to 83. cap. 15. Thus intituled Corolarium libri secundi Vbi nonnulla de persecutione Episcoporum de Illustrissimo Antistite Calcedonensi For the clearer understanding of which Passage I must prefix this Prologue After the death of William Bishop of Calcedon in England most of the English secular Priests together with the Benedictines for the advancement of the Romish Catholike Religion became suitors to the Pope and his Conclave to have one or more Popish Bishops created by the Popes to be sent over into England to ordaine Priests give confirmation and exercise Episcopall jurisdiction there The Regular Priests and some others here did stifly oppose this design but the Episcopall Secular and Benedictine party prevailing Pope Urban by his speciall Bull bearing date the 4. of August An. 1625. which I finde printed in Censur a propositionum quarundam c. per facultatem Theologiae Parisiensis factae Parisiis 1635. p. 63. 64 65. created Richard Smith Bishop of Calcedon and sent him over into England to exercise Episcopall jurisdiction and to be superintendent over the Priests within the English Dominions according to the tenor of his Bull hereupon Nicholas Smith Daniel a Iesu Herman Lomelius and other Regular Priests writ divers printed Treatises against Episcopacie and the inconvenience of having a Bishop in England whose books were referred to the Examination of the faculty of Paris
in his Majesties royall presence and elsewhere for Altars bowing to Altars Crucifixes Auricular Confession bowing to the Name Iesus and the like the ordinary theams of most Court Sermons have combined together with Masse Priests and Iesuits to bring in the unbloody Sacrifice of the Masse the Epitome and maine part of Popery into our Churches and that very speedily unlesse manfully resisted and exemplarily punished for this their execrable conâ—ederacy against our established Religion since Altars Priests and all other appurtenances in most Cathedrals Chappels and Churches are already fitted for it as this Iesuit truly informs us If we now compare these passages of the Jesuits with the late practises and Specches of some of our great swaying Lord prelates as namely their corrupting of the Common Prayer-booke for the fifth of November to acquit Popery from the blemish of Rebellion and Faction and Papists from that execrable treason their purging of the late Fast-booke contrary to His Majesties Proclamation to free Popery from the just imputation of Superstition and Idolatry and justifie Fasting of it selfe to be a good worke and meritorious without regard to the end thereof which the Archbishop of Canterbury in his Speech in Starchamber avoucheth to be his own act by speciall command from the King Their inhibiting all old English bookes to be reprinted by a late Decree made in Starchamber unlesse reviewed purged from all passages against popery and new-licenced by them and their Chaplaines Their purging of divers passages against Masse Altars Masseâ—priests Sacrifices of the Altar c. with other points of popery out of divers bookes lately licensed for the Presse Their setting up Altars Images Crucifies railing in of Tables and raising the ground under them Altar-wise and then adoring and bowing down unto them like Heathenish or Romish-Idolaters with other particulars specified by these Iesuits mentioned at large by Mr. Henry Burton in his new printed Appeale and Sermon on the 5 of Novemb. last truely entituled For God and the King to which I shall referre you justified by Richard Shâ—lford Priest Edmund Reeve Dr. Iohn Pocklinton A coale from the Altar Teddar Dr. Laurence Brown and others in their late printed bookes and Sermons together with their publique Speeches in the High-commission in the late censure of Dr. Bâ—stwicke wherein against all Laws they were both enemies witnesses accusers Iudges as that Court often is for the divine authority of their Episcopall primacy and in derogation of the Scrirtures certainty authority related at large in his Apologeticus the Speeches of Bishop White now prelate of Ely and his now Archholinesse of Canterbury in the later censure of M. Samuel Ward of Ipswich where the first of them openly affirmed That Christ was in the Sacrament more then spiritually and by faith and the latter challenged all Divines to discover the â—â—â—us or manner of his presence and came up fully to Bishop Andrews his words for which Mr. Ward was questioned saying else it was impossible to answer the Fathers both of them in a manner maintaining a reall transubstantiation of the Bread and Wine and determining pointblanke against the 28 Article of our Church which defines that Transubstantiation cannot be proved by holy Writ but is repugnant to the plaine words of Scripture overthroweth the nature of a Sacrament and hath given occasion to many superstitions The body of Christ is given taken and eaten in the Supper Onely after an heavenly and spirituall manner and the meane whereby the body of Christ is received and eaten in the Supper is faith With their High-commission speeches likewise in the severall censures of Mr. Smart Mr. Workman and Mr. Chancey in defence of Images Crucifixes Altars Tapers Sanctum Sanctorums bowing to Altars and the like point-blank against our Homilies against the perill of Idolatry and others and punishing them onely for preaching and maintaining the Doctrine of our Homilies and Articles against all late Popish Innovations an insolency a bold impiety not sufferable in our Christian Church and State deserving the severest exemplary punishments All these I say compared with the Iesuits fore-cited passages are a most pregnant palpable visible convincing Demonstration to all but such who will be wilfully blind that these great Lordly Prelates resolved purpose practise designe is speedily to set up the Pope and popery in our Church and reconcile us once more to Rome as the Cardinall of Canterbury Poole with other popish Prelates did in Queen Maries daies And therefore the Popes Holinesse hath given these his Vice-popes instructions Commissions thus to do his Majesty and his Honourable councell may at their best leisure enquire of Seigniâ—r Georgio Con lately come from Rome some say as his Holinesse Nuncie and with a Cardinals cap for Canterburies Grace with whom our Prelates and court-clergie are over-familiar to the great scandall and offence of many To these I could adde some two or three bookes more of like nature one of them declaiming much against Puritans as the only men that are enemies to popery hindered the reconciliation of the Church of England to Rome relating the story of Dr Theodor Price Subdeane of Westminster his dying a Roman catholique not long before recommended earnestly to His Majesty by his Arch-grace for the Bishopricke of â—angor but rejected by his Majesty as a man altogether unworthy both for his vicious Epicurean life and unsoundnesse in religion together with the late speeches of Pierceson and Hodshan two Papists in Newcastle brought into the High commission at Durham and there coldly prosecuted for saying and affirming publickly that the Archbishop of York and Dr. Iohn Consens were both theirs and of their religion which other Papists also have openly averred in England and more commonly report in forraigne parts how truely I refer to themselves and others to determine From all these we may now clearly discover our great swaying Prelates concealed practices and intentions to set up Popery and easily conjecture that all their late Innovations Altars Images bowing to Altars raising and railing in Lords Tables Altar-wise Crucifixer and new licenced popish Pamphlets tend onely to this purpose to bring in the whole body of popery among us by degrees which they have well nigh effected and almost quite accomplished This therefore being their cleare resolution intention confederacy as most men plainely discerne and generally complaine of let us all now at last before it be too late ere our Religion be quite lost and betray'd beyond recovery begin to consider view and to the utmost of our powers by all just and lawfull meanes resolve manfully to oppose withstand these conspiratours practices designes and cry aloud to God and His Majesty for speedy justice upon them according to the greatnesse of their Offences that all others may be terrified from the like perfidious disloyall attempts O therefore let us now awake out of our drowise security and be no longer cheated with their faire words or specious pretexts which
have hitherto blinded the eyes of most Looke but upon their deeds and these their complices testimonies of them and then their fained speeches and pretences will vanish into smoke it being the ancient policy of Lordly Prelates the readiest men in all ages both to maintaine and set up popery with the Popes universall authority to speake most against popery when they are busiest to bring it in and to make the fairest pretences when they are plotting and executing the foulest designes of purpose to delude the over-credulous multitude I shall therefore close up all with the words of old Father Latimer in his fourth Sermon before King Edward p. 52 53. where he writes thus of Lordly unpreaching Prelates who bore greatest sway in Church and State but nâ—glected suppressed preaching It is to be thought that some of them would have it so to bring in popery againe This I feare me is their intent and it shall be blowne abroad to our holy Father of Romes eares and he shall send forth his Thunder bolts upon these bruits and all this doth come to passe through their un-preaching prelacy Are they not worthy double honour nay rather double dishonour not to be regarded nor to be esteemed among the people and to have no living at their hands For as good Preachers be worthy double honour so unpreaching Prelates be worthy double dishonour They must be at their doublets But now these two dishonours what be they our Saviour Christ doth shew Si sal c. If the Salt be unsavoury it is good for nothing but to be cast out and troden under feet of men By this Salt is understood Preachers and such as have cure of soules What be they worthy then Wherefore serve they For nothing else but to be cast out Make them Quondams out with them cast them out of their Office what should they doe with a Cure that will not looke to it Another dishonour is this 〈◊〉 conculcentur ab hominibus to be troden under mens feet not to be regarded not to be esteemed And well may they thus be served who have troden both the Lawes of God and the King yea King Subjects Religion Justice Rights Liberties under foot and being treacherous both to God himselfe and that Religion which they would seeme to professe can never be loyall faithfull to his Majesty or His people committed to their care and cure scarce one of our swaying Lord Prelates being able to say that he ever converted one Papist to our Religion or one soule to God either by life or doctrine though they have perverted murthered starved destroyed thousands This was that I then intended for the Presse If any English Protestant after all these visible most apparent evidences of the long prosecuted Court-designe to set up popery and exâ—irpate the Protestant Religion and the present proceedings of the Papists in Ireland and England by His Majesties Commissions and authority who wholly sides with and relies upon them as His best trustiest and loyallest Subjects as they formerly have stiled many of them will be yet so wilfully blinded as to believe that the Kings and Courts designes are really to maintaine the Protestant Religion the priviledges of Parliament the lawes and liberties of the Subject and still joyne with the 〈◊〉 Royall party against his Religon Countrey Liberties Priviledges believing their specious promises and pretences before their reall contradictory actions let him goe on and perish in his incredulity However I hope all intelligent Protestants who have hitherto sided with his Majesty and that party out of their overmuch credulity of their upright intentions and ignorance of this their secret designe upon the serious perusall of the premises and His Majesties late sending of at least 30 saile of ships from Bristol a sad effect of its unhappy surrender besides other ships elsewhere to bring over Irish rebels to ruine our Kingdome and cut our throats many of which are already arrived and have committed great murders and insolencies at Bristol elsewhere without restraint or punishment will now upon consideration of all the premises for ever desert that Aâ—tichristian party and henceforth unite all their hearts heads hands purses forces endeavours to the Parliament to preserve it our Church Religion Laws Liberties Kingdom Nation from that imminent ruine threatned to them by the malignant popish saction I shall close up all with these few Queres to all English Protestants who have any sparks of zeale to the protestant Religion or their owne deare native dying countrey remaining in their brests and yet adhere in person or affection to the Royall Popish party now in open hostility against our Religion Laws Liberties Parliament either out of meere ignorance and simplicity or over-much credulity of his Majesties and that prevailing sactions sincere intentions to our Religion and the Republique published in so many printed Declarations protestations of purpose to delude the world First what certaine or probable assurance they can receive from all his Majesties and his evill Councellours late Declarations and Protestations not to connive at Popery but cordially to maintaine the Protestant Religion in its purity and liberty to the utmost of his Regall power when as his Majesties ancient engagements by the forecited Articles and Oaths to Spaine and France his Letters to the Pope his entertainement of professed Nuncios from the Roman Pontise for sundry yeeres in London his maintaining of an Agent at Rome his forecited Letters Protestations Warrants in favour protection discharge of the most notorious Papists Priests Iesuits his extraordinnry fresh engagements to the Queen and Popish party his arming of Papists both in Ireland England against the Parliament and Protestant party his much distasted Articles of pacification with the Irish Rebels after their most inhumane barbarous massacres of so many thousand innocent Protestants without any provocation his extraordinary late favours towards Papists now most predominant in his Councels and Affections his toleration of open Popery in Ireland in all parts of England his present war in their behalfe with his entertaining of sundry Irish Rebels neere him heretofore and sending for many thousands of them into England now as his best and faithfullest Subjects on whom the most relies to murther his Protestant Lieges in England as they have done in Ireland with other his Majesties and his Councellors late proceedings infallibly proclaime a direct contrary intention and quite crosse long agitated designe to all the world Secondly with what confidence at all can they expect that his Majesty and his evill Councellours who have extraordinarily violated invaded the Subjects Parliaments indubitable just Rights Lawes Liberties Priviledges Properties all his reigne as hath been publikely acknowledged by the King himselfe and resolved by the Parliamâ—â—â— then fullest and since his departure from this Parliament practised it in farre higher degree then ever contrary to his owne confirmation of the Petition of right the very Acts passed by him this present Parliament his many