of Parliament because they yet strengthen and confirm the Truth of the said Conspiracy and that they do so must be confest unless Men will fly in the Face of that Parliament I have here inserted as I find the same in Rastal's Statutes The First is Intituled An Act for publick Thanks-giving to Almighty God every Year on the Fifth Day of November FOrasmuch as Almighty God hath in all Ages shewed his Power and Mercy 3 Jac. 1. ca. 1. Rast Stat. 2. Part. f. 588. The Act for keeping the Fifth of November yearly as a Day of Thanks-giving in the Miraculous and Gracious Deliverance of his Church and in the Protection of Religious Kings and States and that no Nation of the Earth hath been blessed with greated Benefits than this Kingdom now enjoyeth having the true and free Profession of the Gospel under our most gracious Sovereign Lord King James the most Great Learned and Religious King that ever reigned therein enriched with a most hopeful and plentiful Progeny proceeding out of his Royal Loyns promising Continuance of this Happiness and Profession to all Posterity and the which many malignant and devilish Papists Iesuits and Seminary Priests much envying and fearing conspired most horribly when the Kings most excellent Majesty the Queen the Prince and all the Lords Spiritual and Temporal and Commons should have been assembled in the upper House of Parliament upon the fifth Day of November in the Year of our Lord 1605. suddenly to have blown up the said whole House with Gun-powder an Invention so inhuman barbarous and cruel as the like was never before heard of and was as some of the principal Conspirators thereof confess purposely devised and concluded to be done in the said House that where sundry necessary and religious Laws for preservation of the Church and State were made which they falsly and slanderously term cruel Laws enacted against them and their Religion both Place and Persons should be all destroyed and blown up at once which would have turned to the utter Ruine of this whole Kingdom had it not pleased Almighty God by inspiring the Kings most excellent Majesty with a Divine Spirit to interpret some dark Phrases of a Letter shewed to His Majesty above and beyond all ordinary Construction thereby miraculously discovering this hidden Treason not many Hours before she appointed time for the Execution thereof therefore the Kings most excellent Majesty the Lords Spiritual and Temporal and all His Majesties faithful and loving Subjects do justly acknowledge this great and infinite Blessing to have proceeded meerly from God his great Merry and to his most Holy Name do ascribe all the Honour Glory and Praise And to the end this unfeigned Thankfulness may never be forgotten but be in a perpetual Remembrance that all Ages to come may yield Praises to his Divine Majesty for the same and have in Memory This joyful Day of Deliverance Be it therefore enacted by the Kings most excellent Majesty the Lords Spiritual and Temporal and the Commons in this present Parliament assembled and by the Authority of the same that all and Angular Ministers in every Cathedral and Parish Church or other usual Place for Common-prayer within this Realm of England and the Dominions of the same shall always upon the fifth Day of November say Morning-prayer and give unto Almighty God Thanks for this most happy Deliverance and that all and every Person and Persons inhabiting within this Realm of England and the Dominions of the same shall always upon that Day diligently and faithfully resort to the Parish Church or Chappel accustomed or to some usual Church or Chappel where the said Morning-prayer Preaching or other Service of God shall be used and then and there to abide orderly and soberly during the time of the the said Prayers Preaching or other Service of God there to be used and ministred And because all and every Person may be put in mind of this Duty and be the better prepared to the said Holy Service be it enacted by Authority aforesaid that every Minister shall give Warning to his Parishioners publickly in the Church at Morning-prayer the Sunday before every such fifth Day of November for the due Observation of the said Day And that after Morning-prayer or Preaching upon the said fifth Day of November they read publickly distinctly and plainly this present Act. The Second is intituled An Act for the Attainder of divers Offendors in the late most barbarous monstrous detestable and damnable Treasons The Preamble of which Act runs thus 3 Jac. 1. ca. 2. Rast Stat 2. part f. 589 An Act for the Attainder of the Conspirators IN most humble manner beseeching your most excellent Majesty your most Loyal Faithful and true Hearted Subjects the Lords Spiritual and Temporal and the Commons in this present Parliament assembled That whereas Arthur Creswel Jesuite who at the time of his Profession to be a Iesuite took upon him the Name of Joseph Creswel Oswald Tesmond Jesuite and Thomas VVinter late of Huddington in the County of VVorcester Gent. the last Day of June in the four and fortieth Year of the late Queen Elizabeth of famous Memory at Valedolide within the Kingdom of Spain and at divers other days within the same four and fortieth Year of the said late Queen at Valedolide aforesaid and elsewhere within the same Kingdom of Spain by the Means Procurement and Privity of Robert Catesby late of Ashby in the County of Northampton Esq Francis Tresham late of Rushton in the said County of Northampton Esq and Henry Garnet Iesuite assuming upon him to be Superior of the Iesuits within this Ream of England and others being all natural born Subjects of this Realm did Traiterously and against the Duty of their Allegiance move and incite Philip then and yet King of Spain then being at open Enmity and Hostility with the said late Queen with Force to invade this Kingdom of England and to joyn with the Papists and discontented Persons wiâ—â—in this Realm of England to depose and overthrow the same late Queen of and 〈◊〉 her Crown and of and from all Her Royal Estate Title and Dignity and to suppress and abolish the true Religion of Almighty God truly and sincerely professed within this Kingdom and to restore the Superstitious Romish Religion within the same and to bring this Antient Famous and most renowned Kingdom to utter Ruine and miserable Captivity under Forreign Power and for that the greatest Impediment unto the same Invasion would be the want of Help of good Horses the said Thomas VVinter the rather to incourage the said King thereunto was to offer unto the same King on the Behalf of the Papists of England to give him Assistance presently upon the Landing of his Forces with one thousand five hundred or two thousand Horses and that for their better accomplishing thereof he should move the said King to furnish the Papists of England with a good Sum of Money partly to be employed to
brought their Designs about and the Palatinate was irretrievably lost they broke off the Match and left the King and Prince in the Lurch Right Popish Jugling After this Treaty was dissolved the King thinks of a Match with France The French Match Rushw Coll. 1 pt f. 114. A Parliament called and the Lord Kensington was sent Ambassadot into France to feel the Pulse of that Court touching it and gives an Account that it would be accepted soon after which a Parliament was called to meet the twelfth of February in the 21 st year of this King 1623. and now the King is of the Mind to take the Parliaments Advice about his Sons Match as he told them and is grieved for the Increase of Popery if after all the foregoing Passages it be to be believed and promises a great deal and porforms never a whit And here I cannot omit what Wilson saith speaking of this Parliaments Petition against Papists and the Kings Answer both which he hath printed at large f. 272.273 274 275. to which I refer the Reader If the King saith he had seriously and really considered the very last Clause of this Petition wherein the Glory of God and the Safety of his Kingdoms so much consisted as the Parliament wisely express and foresee and which the King saith is the best Advice in the World and which he promised so faithfully to observe in the next Treaty of Marriage for his Son it might perhaps have kept the Crown upon the head of his Posterity But when Princes break with the People A good Caution for all Christian Princes and States in those Promises that concern the Honour of God God will let their People break with them to their Ruine and Dishonour And this Maxim holds in all Powers whether Kingdoms or Common-wealths as they are established by Justice so the Justice of Religion which tends most to the Glory of God is principally to be observed The Parliament followed the Chase close The Parliament displaceth Papists and bolted out divers of the Nobility and Gentry of Eminency popishly affected that had earthed themselves in Places of high Trust and Power in the Kingdom as if they meant to undermine the Nation Their Names Wilson saith were these Francis Earl of Rutland the Duke of Buckinghams Wives Father Sir Thomas Compton Their Names VVilson's Hist f. 276. that was married to the Dukes Mother and the Countess her self who was the Cynosure they all steered by the Earl of Castle-haven the Lord Herbert after Earl of Worcester the Lord Viscount Colchester after Earl of Rivers the Lord Peter the Lord Morley the Lord Windsor the Lord Eure the Lord Wotton the Lord Teinham the Lord Scroop who was Lord President of the North and which they omitted the Earl of Northampton Lord President of Wales who married his Children to Papists and permitted them to be bred up in Popery Sir William Courtney Sir Thomas Brudnell Sir Thomas Somerset Sir Gilbert Ireland Sir Francis Stonners Sir Anthony Brown Sir Francis Howard Sir William Powel Sir Francis Lacon Sir Lewis Lewkner Sir William Awbury Sir John Gage Sir John Shelly Sir Henry Carvell Sir Thomas Wiseman Sir Thomas Geâ—rard Sir John Filpot Sir Thomas Russel Sir Henry Beddingfield Sir William Wrey Sir John Counwey Sir Charles Jones Sir Ralph Conyers Sir Thomas Lamplough Sir Thomas Savage Sir William Mosely Sir Hugh Beston Sir Thomas Riddall Sir Marmaduke Nivell Sir John Townesend Sir William Norris Sir Philip Knevet Sir John Tasborough Sir William Selbie Sir Richard Titehborn Sir John Hall Sir George Perkins Sir Thomas Penrodduck Sir Nicholas Saunders Knights besides several Esquires popishly addicted either in their own Persons or by means of their Wives too tedious to be expressed here and these were dispersed and seated in every County who were not only in Office and Commission but had Countenance from Court by which they grew up and flourished so that their Exuberancy hindred the Growth of any Goodness or Piety their Malice pleased to drop upon Soon after which the Parliament was adjourned after they had made thirty five publick Acts and seventy three private ones but nothing was done with relation to the Papists Rushw Coll. 1 pt f. 154 155. VVilson f. 277. saith the King desired this Match above all Earthly Blessings The King admiring the Alliance of mighty Kings though of a contrary Religion desired the Match with France unmeasurably notwithstanding his Promise to the Parliament which the French perceived and though they were very forward before yet now abated of that Forwardness And whereas they were at first very modest in their Demands in favour of the Papists yet now inlarged those Demands and strained the King to the Concession of such Immunities as he had promised the Parliament he would never grant In August 1624. this Match was concluded and in November the Articles were sworn unto by King James Prince Charles and the French King the Articles concerning Religion were not much short of those for the Spanish Match Papists encouraged by the Treaty with France Rushw Coll. 1 pt f. 154. The Papists formerly daunted by the Breach of the Spanish Match were now again revived by the Marriage Treaty with France And at this time upon the Death of William titular Bishop of Calcedon most of the English Secular Priests did petition the Pope that another Bishop might be sent over into England there to ordain Priests give Confirmation and exercise Episcopal Jurisdiction Among others Matthew Killison and Richard Smith were presented And though the Regulars were opposite to the Seculars in this Matter yet those of the Order of St. Benedict joyned with the Seculars and Rudesin Barlo the President of the English Benedictines of Doway wrote a Letter in their Behalf at the Congregation at Rome named of the Propagation of the Faith. Dated the 12 th of December 1624. In which Letter was this Passage That there were above sixty Benedictine Monks in England and that it is not to be doubted said he for that it is already seen the good Success under the first Bishop that another Bishop being constituted there would be more joyful Fruits within two Years in the English Mission than hitherto hath been for sixty years now lapsed But not long after the Episcopal party of the Romish Church prevailing Pope Vrban the VIII created Richard Smith Bishop of Calcedon and sent him into England with Episcopal Authority over the Priests within the English Dominions The Close of this Kings Reign Rushw Coll. f. 155. And now I am come to the Close of this Kings Reign for after he had notwithstanding all his connivance at the Papists out of either Ambition or Cowardise recommended the Protection of the Church of England to the then Prince of Wales Charles the First advised him to love his Wife but not her Religion and exhorted him to take special care of his Grand-Children the Children of the Elector Palatine by his Daughter
submit themselves to the Romish Bishops and Prelates and the Histories of those times acquaint us that they were the Professors of the true Religion afterwards called Protestants By Colour of this supposed Act certain persons that held that Images were not to be worshipped Co. Inst 3 d. fol. 40. and such like Doctrines which the Protestants now hold were detained and tormented in Prison till they were compelled before the Masters of Divinity as they called themselves to take an Oath and did swear to worship Images which was against the Moral and Eternal Law of Almighty God. This these Popish Bishops and Prelates did by vertue of this Law which indeed was none for it was onely signed by the King at the instance of the Bishops and Prelates and never assented to by the Commons and therefore in the next Parliament the Commons preferred a Bill reciting the said supposed Act and constantly affirmed that they never assented thereunto and therefore desired that the same might be made void for they protested that it was never their intent to be justified and to bind themselves and their Successors to the Prelates more than their Ancestors had done in times past whereto the King gave his Royal Assent in these words y pleist au Roy. But in the Proclamation of the Acts of that Parliament Co. 12.58 and 3. Inst f. 41. which was 6. R. 2. the said Act of 6. R. 2. whereby the said supposed Act of 5. R. 2. was declared to be void is omitted and afterwards the said supposed Act of 5. R. 2. ca. 5. was continually printed and looked on as a Good Law and the said Act of 6. R. 2. was by the Prelates from time to time kept from the Print Such pious Frauds have been always practised by the Popish Clergy and always found necessary for the supporting of the credit of that Church CHAP. II. Hen. IV. THe Rage of the Popish Clergy against the Wicklivites or Professors of the true Religion increasing with the increase of the light of the Gospel and they fearing that the said contrivance might be detected to the end that they might be yet more able effectually if it were possible to suppress the truth when they had requited R. 2. for granting them that supposed Law with deposing him and assisting H. 4. to usurp the Crown they in the 2 d. H. 4. apply themselves to him for a further Law for the preservation of the Catholick Faith as they called it against Christ's true Religion by them miscalled Heresie and he in gratitude to them in assisting him in his coming to the Crown granted them a Law to their Hearts content which follows as it is printed in Rastal 's Statutes in these words Whereas it is shewed to our Soveraign Lord the King on the behalf of the Prelates and Clergy of this Realm of England in this present Parliament 2 H. 4. ca. 15. Rast Stat. f. 180. By this Law the Professors of the true Religion were to be burnt as Hereticks that although the Catholick Faith builded upon Christ and by his Apostles and the holy Church sufficiently determined declared and approved hath been hitherto by good and holy and most noble Progenitors of our Soveraign Lord the King in the said Realm amongst all the Realms of the World most devoutly observed and the Church of England by his said most noble Progenitors and Ancestors to the honour of God and of the whole Realm aforesaid laudably endowed and in her Rights and Liberties sustained without that that the same Faith or the said Church was hurt or grievously oppressed or else perturbed by any perverse Doctrine or Wicked Heretical or Erronious Opinions Yet nevertheless divers false and perverse people of a certain new Sect of the Faith of the Sacraments of the Church and the Authority of the same damnably thinking and against the Law of God and of the Church usurping the Office of Preaching do perversly and malitiously in divers places within the said Realm under the colour of dissembled Holiness preach and teach these dayes openly and privily divers new Doctrines and wicked heretical and eronious Opinions contrary to the same Faith and blessed determinations of the Holy Church And of such Sect and wicked Doctrine and Opinions they make unlawful Conventicles and Confederacies they hold and exercise Schools they make and write Books they do wickedly instruct and informe people and as much as they may excite and stir them to Sedition and Insurrection and maketh great strife and division among the people and other Enormities horribly to be heard daily do perpetrate and commit in subversion of the said Catholick Faith and Doctrine of the Holy Church in diminution of God's Honour and also in destruction of the Estates Rights and Liberties of the said Church of England by which Sect and wicked and false Preachings Doctrines and Opinions of the said false and perverse people not only most greatest peril of the Souls but also many other harts flanders and perils which God prohibit might come to this Realm unless it be the more plentifully and speedily holpen by the King's Majesty in this behalf namely whereas the Diocesans of the said Realm cannot by their Iurisdiction Spiritual without aid of the said Royal Majesty sufficiently correct the said false and perverse people nor refrain their malice because the said false and perverse people do go from Diocess to Diocess and will not appear before the said Diocesans but the same Diocesans and their Iurisdiction Spiritual and the Keys of the Church with the Censures of the same do utterly contemn and despise and so their wicked Preachings and Doctrines doth from day to day continue and exercise to the hatred of Right and Reason and utter destruction of Order and good Rule Vpon which Novelties and Excesses above rehersed the Prelates and Clergy aforesaid and also the Commons of the said Realm being in the said Parliament praying our Soveraign Lord the King that his Royal Highness would vouchsafe in the said Parliament to provide a convenient Remedy The same our Soveraign Lord the King gratiously considering the premises and also the laudable steps of his said most noble Progenitors and Ancestors for the conservation of the said Catholick Faith and sustentation of God's Honour and also the safeguard of the Estates Rights and Liberties of the said Church of England to the laud of God and merit of our said Soveraign Lord the King and prosperity and honour of all the said Realm and for the eschewing of such Dissentions divisions hurts slanders and perils in time to come and that this wicked Sect preachings doctrines and Opinions should from henceforth cease and be utterly destroyed by the assent of the States and other discreet men of the Realm being in the said Parliament hath Granted Established and Ordained from henceforth and firmly to be observed That none within the said Realm or any other Dominions subject to his Royal Majesty presume to preach openly
ingaging him at the little River Gelt after very many of the said Leonard Dacre's Men were slain he left the Victory to the Lord Hunsdon and withdrew himself to the next part of Scotland from whence shortly after he Crossed the Seas into the Low Countries and dyed a poor Man at Lovain The Queen by publick Proclamation pardoned the Multitude whom he had excited to Rebellion The third Rebellion was in Ireland in the same Year beaded by the Botelers Cambd. Annals f. 137. The Reason of these Rebellions was Pope Pius Quintus his Bull. Camb. Annals fol. 145. Baker's Chro. fol. 34. Foulis li. 7. ca. 2. fol. 325. Collection f. 3. Pope Pius Quintus his Bull. Cambd. Annals fol. 146. Fowlis 331. And as the Papists gave Queen Elizabeth these disturbances here in England so they were not wanting in Embroiling of Ireland So ungrateful were they for all the favour and kindness that she had from time to time shewn them Edmond and Peter Boteler the Earl of Ormond's Brethren engaged themselves with the Bishop of Rome and the Spaniard for maintaining the Popish Religion and outing Queen Elizabeth of her Kingdom of Ireland But their Brother the Earl of Ormond quenched this Flame by perswading his Brethren to submit themselves who by that means saved their Lives And no wonder it is that the Papists thus Rebel against Queen Elizabeth when Pius Quintus Bishop of Rome who had from the time he came to the See been continually plotting against her had the year before by his Bull declaratory without any previous admonition or Citation excommunicated her and did afterwards cause the same to be openly published and set up upon the Gates of the Bishop of Londons Palace in these words A Sentence Declaratory of our Holy Lord Pope Pius Quintus against Elizabeth Queen of England and the Hereticks adhering unto her wherein also all her Subjects are declared to be absolved from the Oath of Allegiance and whatever other Duty they owe unto her And those that from henceforth shall obey her are involved in the same Curse or Anathema Pius Bishop Servant to God's Servants for a future Memorial of the matter He that raigneth on high to whom is given all Power in Heaven and in Earth hath Committed his one Holy Catholick and Apostolick Church out of which there is no Salvation to one alone upon Earth namely To Peter the Chief of the Apostles and to Peter's Successor the Bishop of Rome to be by him govern'd with plenary Authority Him alone hath he made Prince over all People and all Kingdoms to pluck up destroy scatter consume plant and build that he may preserve his faithful People knit together with the band of Charity in the Vnity of the Spirit and present them spotless and unblamable to their Saviour In discharge of which Function we who are by God's Goodness so called to the Government of the aforesaid Church do spare no pains labouring with all earnestness that unity and the Catholick Religion which the Author thereof hath for the tryal of his Childrens Faith and for our amendment suffered to be tossed with so great Afflictions might be preserved sincere But the number of the ungodly hath gotten such power that there is now no place in the whole world left which they have not assayed to corrupt with their most wicked Doctrines and amongst others Elizabeth the pretended Queen of England the Servant of Wickedness lendeth thereunto her helping hand with whom as in a Sanctuary the most pernicious persons have found a refuge This very Woman having seized on the Kingdom and monstrously usurped the place of Supream Head of the Church in all England and the chief Authority and Jurisdiction thereof hath again reduced the said Kingdom into a miserable and ruinous condition which was so lately reclaimed to the Catholick Faith and a thriving Condition For having by strong hand prohibited the exercise of the true Religion which Mary the lawful Queen of Famous Memory had by the help of this See restored after it had been formerly overthrown by Henry the Eighth a Revolter there-from and following and embracing the Errors of Hereticks she hath changed the Royal Council consisting of the English Nobility and filled it up with obscure Men being Hereticks suppressed the Embracers of the Catholick Faith Constituted lewd Preachers and Ministers of Impiety Abolished the Sacrifice of the Mass Prayers Fastings choice of Meats unmarried Life and the Catholick Rites and Ceremonies commanded Books to be read through the whole Realm containing manifest Heresie and appointed Impious Rites and Institutions by her self entertained and observed according to the Prescript of Calvin to be likewise observed by her Subjects presumed to eject Bishops Parsons of Churches and other Catholick Priests out of their Churches and Benefices and to bestow them and other Church Livings upon Hereticks and to determine of Church Causes prohibited the Prelates Clergy and People to acknowledge the Church of Rome or obey the Precepts or Canonical Sanctions thereof compelled most of them to condescend to her wicked Laws and to abjure the Authority and Obedience of the Bishop of Rome and to acknowledge her to be sole Lady in Temporal and Spiritual Matters and this by Oath imposed Penalties and Punishments upon those which obeyed not and exacted them of those which persevered in the Vnity of the Faith and their Obedience aforesaid cast the Catholick Prelates and Rectours of Churches into Prison where many of them being worn out with long languishing and sorrow miserably ended their Lives All which things being so manifest and notorious to all Nations and by the serious Testimony of very many so substantially proved that there is no place at all left for excuse defense or evasion We seeing that Impiety and Wicked Actions are multiplyed one upon another as also that the Persecution of the Faithful and Affliction for Religion groweth every day heavier and heavier through the instigation and by means of the said Elizabeth and since we understand her Heart to be so hardened and obdurate that she hath not only contemned the Godly Requests and Admonitions of Catholick Princes concerning her cure and Conversion but also hath not so much as suffered the Nâ—ncio's of this See to cross the Seas for this purpose into England are constrained of necessity to betake our selves to the Weapons of Justice against her being heartily grieved and sorry that we are compelled thus to punish one to whose Ancestors the whole State of Christendom hath been so much beholden Being therefore supported with his Authority whose pleasure it was to place us tho' unable for so great a burthen in this Supream Throne of Justice we do out of the fulness of our Apostolick Power declare the aforesaid Elizabeth as being an Heretick and a favourer of Hereticks and her adherents in the matters aforesaid to have incurr'd the Sentence of Excommunication and to be cut off from the unity of the body of Christ And moreover we do
* Allen before named worthy Man but by the perswasions as they think of Parsons greatly disliked of many both Wise and Learned And especially it was wondred at a while until the Drift thereof appeared more manifestly in the year 1588 that the said worthy Person laid down this for a ground in justifying the said Stanley viz. that in all Wars which may happen for Religion every Catholick Man is bound in Conscience to employ his Person and Force by the Popes Direction viz. how for when and where either at home or abroad he may and must break with his Temporal Soveraign Let us now see what was further doing by the Pope and the Papists against the Protestant Queen and the Protestant Religion in England in the Year 1588 and we shall doubtless see very good reason for making the Statute of 35 Eliz. Ca. 2. which was the last Law that was made against them in Queen Elizabeths time The Pope some Religious Persons in Spain and several English Fugitives The Pope plotting again Camb. Annal. f. 402. Baker's Chron. f. 374. had called back the Spaniard to his former Designs for the Conquest of England which had been interrupted by the Portugal Wars earnestly exhorting him that seeing God had given him Success in laying Portugal and the East-Indies to his Dominions he would do something which should be acceptable to God and becoming the Grandeur and Majesty of the Catholic King that nothing could be more then the propagating and enlarging the Church of God which could not be more gloriously nor more meritoriously done then by the Conquest of England re-planting the Roman Catholic Religion and abolishing Heresie there They suggested that this War would be just because it was necessary as also because it was for the Maintainance of Christs Religion in regard That the Queen of England being excommunicate persisted contumaciously against the Church of Rome supported his Rebels in the Netherlands annoyed the Spaniards by continual Depredations suppressed and sackt his Towns in Spain and America and had very lately put the Queen of Scots to Death violating thereby the Majesty of all Kings That it would be no less profitable than just for so he should add to his Empire those three Kingdoms quell the Rebellion in the Low Countries secure his Voyages to the Indies without the Expence of Convoys To prove this they suggested that the Spanish Navy did far exceed the English in Number Largeness of Ships and Strength especially considering the Addition of the Portugal Fleet that England had no Forts nor defences that it was unprovided of Commanders Souldiers Cavalry and Munition bare of Wealth and Friends that there were many Papists who would presently joyn with him that so great was the Strength of Spain and so unmatchable their Valour that none durst oppose them and confidently assured themselves of Victory That this Opportunity was offered by God himself a Peace being then concluded with the Turk and the French embroiled in a Civil War That the Conquest of England would be far easier than the Netherlands in respect the Cut from Spain to England was much more short and convenient than from Spain to the Netherlands That in order to the Conquest of the Netherlands it was necessary first to conquer England and that England being once conquered the Low-Countries must of necessity be subdued The Spanish King being perswaded to believe all this resolves on the Attempt The Contrivance of the Spanish Invasion Camb. Annal f. 403 404. and the next thing considered was in what Way and Means to effect it And the Method agreed on was to do it with a well-provided Army from Spain and the Low-Countries to be landed by a powerful Navy at the Thames Mouth in order to surprize the City of London by a sudden Assault this being resolved on the Preparation was made which was so great throughout all Spain Italy and Scicily that the Spaniards themselves were amazed at it and named it the Invincible Armada Their Cause the Armada and Army they recommended to the Pope and to the Prayers of the Catholics to God and the Saints and set forth a Book in Print for a Terror wherein the whole Preparation was set down The Prince of Parma also in the Netherlands by the Spanish Kings Command built Ships and many Flat-bottomed Boats and other great Preparations in the Sea Towns of Flanders he had an Army of an hundred and three Companies of Foot and four thousand Horse amongst which were one thousand English Fugitives who of all others were least esteemed neither was * Sir William Stanley before named Stanley who had the Command of them nor others who offered their Service and Council once heard but for their unnaturalness to their Country they were debarred from all access and as most inauspicious Persons worthily and with Detestation rejected The Spanish Navy in the whole consisted of one hundred and thirty Ships whereof Galliasses and Galleons seventy two in which were Souldiers nineteen thousand two hundred and ninety Camb. Annal. f. 410. Baker's Chron. f. 374. The Number of the Armada Marriners eight thousand three hundred and fifty Gally Slaves two thousand and eighty great Ordinance two thousand six hundred and thirty for the greater Holiness of their Action twelve of their Ships were called the twelve Apostles the chief Commanders were Don Alphonso Duke of Medina and John Recalde a great Sea-man Sixtus Quintus Curseth Queen Elizabeth Foulis Hist li. 7. ca. 6. f. 350. Camb. Annals f. 410. Sixtus Quintus the Pope that he might not seem to be wanting in so good a Cause did not only assist with his (a) Ant. Cicarella in vità Sexti V. Allen sent into the Netherlands to carry on the Design Treasure but his Papal Curse to boot whereby he excommunicated the Queen dethroned her absolved her Subjects from all Allegiance and published his Croisado in Print as it were against Turks and Infidels wherein out of the Treasure of the Church he granted plenary Indulgences to all that gave their Help and Assistance with this goodly Stuff William Allen a little before made a Cardinal an English-man and an old Traitor to the Queen was sent into the Netherlands the better to encourage the English Romanists to Rebellion Allen pulls out his Papal Tool which he forgeth into a Pamphlet in the English Language which he prints at Antwerp calling it The Declaration of the Sentence of Sixtus Quintus Their Methods And as a farther Interpretation of the Papal Intent and the better to ingage the English to Rebellion he joyns a second Part to it called An Admonition to the Nobility and People of England And that the Reader may better understand the Honesty of the Paper take the Sum of it thus Em. Meteram Hist Belg. lib. 15. p. 473 474. Sam. Purchas Pilgrims vol. 4. l. 10. c. 11. p. 1895 1896. It begins with Calling the Queens Government impious and unjust her self an
How cometh Philip to be lawful King of England against their Country and notwithstanding withstanding all they should do they should but defend her bootless to their own present Destruction and eternal Shame What Mr. Foulis relates out of Clark a Secular Priest is so remarkable with relation to this Invasion that I cannot omit it saith he and quotes his Author As for the Jesuits you shall hear what (c) C. W. A Reply to Father Parson's Libel f. 64 65. Clark the Priest saith who with Watson suffered afterward for Treason against King James First It is most certain that all the World had very admirable Expectance of that Army and the Jesuits more than any Secondly It is plain by the Cardinals Book if (d) They would hint to us as if Parsons were the Compiler of the Admonition but its certain that Allen was the Author of it and Parsons with the other Romanists confess Allen to be the Author it were his writen as a Preparative to that Account that he was made Cardinal on purpose for that Exploit and to have been sent hither presently upon the Spaniards Conquest But Father Parsons saith that he laboured to set forward at that time the Cardinals Preferment if you will believe him which maketh it evident à primo ad ultimum that Father Parsons was a Dealer in that Account Thirdly It is certain that the Jesuits in Rome were great with the Spanish Ambassador Leger there and had great recourse unto him when the Matter was on foot doth not this then urge them to be Concurrers thereunto Fourthly It is likewise most certain that the English Jesuits in Rome appropriated certain Pallaces in London to themselves to fall unto their Lots when the Matter was in handling to wit Burghley-House Bridewel and another which I have forgot makeing themselves cock sure of their already devoured Prey This all the Students that lived in the (e) Viz. The English Colledge at Rome Colledge at that time will witness with â—e now would I demand of you what reasons they might have to be their own Carve◠〈◊〉 if they had not some Interest in that Affair Fifthly We know that they were more forward in Rome concerning this Matter than the Cardinal or any other insomuch as at the first News of the Spaniards coming down into the narrow Seas they would have had Te Deum sung in the Colledge for joy of Victory if the Cardinal had not stayed it And to conclude Doth not the posting of Father Parsons into Spain presently after the Overthrow of this Army for further dealing with the Spaniard for the time to come and his better information in English Affairs and Father Holt posting into the Low-Countries for the like Purpose to keep the Spaniard still in hope of future times that this Mishap might not withdraw him from ever enterprizing the like afterwards shew that they were Dealers in the former Doubtless all these Circumstances cannot but sufficiently prove it that they were in the Judgment of wise Men. Foulis Hist l. 7. cap. 7. f. 354. This Grand Invasion of the Spaniards so contrived and carried on by the Pope Spaniard English Fugities Priests and Jesuits being ruined and brought to nought England might now afford it self some ease her Enemies not being able on a sudden to recruit their great Losses this Defeat in a manner breaking their Back and cracking the Credit of Philip. But as by degrees he recovered so by the Instigation of the English Fugitives was he perswaded to carry on the same ill Will towards the Queen of England Camb. Annals f. 457. Bakers Chron. f. 379. the first step that is set is to send over English Priests who crept every day privately into England in great Numbers from the Seminaries of Rome France and Spain for the Spaniard had lately founded a Seminary for the English at Validolid who laboured to draw the Subjects from their Obedience to the Queen and to unite them to the Spaniards Party which being discovered the Queen put out a Proclamation that none should harbour any man whatsoever but upon Enquiry first made who he was whether he came to Prayers in the Church upon what Means he lived where he dwelt the Year before and other like Circumstances that they who could not answer these Interrogatories should be sent to Commissioners appointed in every Shire least the Common-wealth should receive any Damage Notwithstanding this Proclamation and the severity of the Laws one Hesket who was set on by Sir William Stanley before named undertook to persuade Ferdinand Lord Strange who a little after by the Death of his Father Henry Heskets Plot to depose the Queen and set up the Lord Strange Fowlis Hist l. 7. c. 7. f. 354. Camb. Annals l. 4. f. 477. became Earl of Darby to depose the Queen and take upon him the Title of the Crown making pedegrees for him drawing his pretended right from Mary his great Grand-mother Daughter to Henry the 7 th And for a better encouragement they gave him large promises of assistance of Men and Mony from the Spaniard but withal threatning him with assured destruction unless he would undertake the design and conceal it but the Earl far contrary to their expectation discovers Hesket who confessing all is executed This failing we have another more dangerous Lopez his Treason against Queen Eliz. Camb. Annals l. 4. f. 484. Fowlis l. 7. c. 7. f. 354. Bakers Chron. f. 381. set on by persons of the highest Rank but it seems not unworthy the basest Action of whom any Religion might be justly ashamed As a Prologue to this we may understand that Don Sebastian the forward King of Portugal having ruined himself in the Affrican Expedition and his great Uncle Cardinal Henry succeeding him in the Kingdoms and Dying unmarried several made claim to the Portugal Crown Amongst the rest Don Antonio Prior of Crato natural Son to Lewis Brother to Henry To him being a Portuguese many of the People bare an affection so that at last the rest let their Titles sleep and the quarrel only remained between Philip the II. of Spain and this Antonio But Philip having the longest Sword under the Conduct of Alva wan the Kingdom so that Antonio was forced to flee for refuge to our Queen Elizabeth who afforded him some assistance and favour by which means and protection many Portuguese Ship't themselves for England where they were received as friends with all respect and honour Amongst the rest was Roderigo Lopez a Jewish Physician whom the Queen entertained in her own Service making him Physician to her Houshold and Stephano Ferreira de Gama with Emanuel Loisie These three were enticed by the Spaniard to undertake the Murther of the Queen for which they were promised great rewards but Lopez was to be the main instrument Lopez confessed that of late years he had been allured to do service secretly to the King of Spain which he did by means of one
undertook to take this rub out of the way by killing the King to which purpose he went for Scotland but took England in his way At London one Daniel an Italian Fencing Master discovers the Plot to the Queen she seized them and sent them into Scotland Mowbray supposed Guilty is cast into Edenburgh Castle whence thinking one Night to escape out of a Window by his Bed sheets they proved too short and he fell upon the Rocks and so dyed his Body was hanged for sometime then quartered 1601. and set upon the Gates and several places of the City This Design failing another is in hand in Italy A design to poyson King James the First Ferdinando I. the Grand Duke of Tuscany by the intercepting some Letters discovereth a Plot to poyson the said King James The Duke by what reasons induced is not material but 't is conjectured in hopes to convert him rather pervert him to the Romish Religion resolved to discover and prevent it At this time one Mr. Henry Wotton sojourned in Florence 1602. and was well acquainted with Seigniour Vietta the Dukes Secretary upon whose Commendations Wotton is pitched on to be the Messenger The Letters and excellent Antidotes against Poyson such as were not then known in Scotland were delivered to him who disguised under an Italian Garb and Name of Octavio Baldi hasteth into Scotland cometh to the King discovereth himself and the Conspiracy and after some stay returneth to Florence he was afterwards Knighted by King James As the Popes are never without Designs for promoting some of their Nephews The Pope designs to exclude King James the First so Clement the VIII the then Pope in these Designs against the said King James his succeeding Queen Elizabeth was not wanting intending the Crown of England for some of his friends and perceiving that some in England English Papists to be sure were tampering to promote the Interest of the Lady Arabella in this case he thought it best to deal warily he was very desirous that the Duke of Parma should wear the Crown of England but finding that this was not feasible by reason Arabella's Interest was too strong for him he steers another course and thinks of Cardinal Farnese who being unmarried might take to Wife Arabella and so unite Forces and Interests to carry the Crown To carry on this design it was advised that all the Romanists in England should unite that their Cause might not suffer by any dissentions about this Succession amongst themselves a good Caution may hence be given to all Protestants in England that they do not divide upon their present Majesty's King William and Queen Mary's accession to the Crown who under God are the preservers of the Protestant Religion amongst us for vis unita fortior and nothing but division can hurt us to promote this union the Romish Clergy who then had and still have a great awe and authority over the Layety were exhorted by the Pope to be all of a Mind as to this Succession and to press it home upon the Layety that so the Layety might not be divided To which purpose it was concluded that there should be an Arch Priest who should have a Jurisdiction over the rest who are to â—it according to his Rules and Directions and in these designs Father Parsons who was not yet advanc'd according to his merit was a main stickler and contriver the Pope also had drawn up some Bulls and sent to his Nuncio in the Netherlands to Divulge and spread them abroad at convenient times wherein he declared that not any though never so near in blood should after Queen Elizabeths death be admitted to the Crown but such an one as would not only tollerate the Roman Religion but would swear to promote and resettle it and that in the mean time Cardinal Farnese might in this Island have the greatest vogue the Pope made him Protector of England as Pope Pius V. had before made Mary Queen of Scots Queen of England to carry on the same design as he was of other Countrys Nay rather then fail the same Pope had formerly exhorted the French and Spaniards to unite invade England and divide it between them nor did they neglect to instigate the Family of the Pools to have a Right Divers other Attempts were made by Winton Desmond and other Priests and Jesuits to exclude King James the First but all proved abortive as did the Treasons plotted against him after his Accessions to the Throne Queen Elizabeth's death Camb Annals f. 651. Bakers Chron. f. 403. On the 24th of March 1603. the Virgin Queen Elizabeth of every Glorious Memory exchanged her corruptible for an incorruptible Crown after she had Reigned Forty four Years and Four Months and in the Seventieth Year of her Age of whom her Successor gave this Character that she was one who in wisdom and felicity of Government surpassed all the Princes since the days of Augustus King James the First Proclaimed Camb. Annals f. 661. Bakers Chron. f. 403. A Conspiracy against him She being dead some few hours after King James was Proclaimed King of England the First of Scotland the Sixth and no sooner is he set upon his Throne even before he could well get the Crown upon his Head but we find a Plot laid against his Life for though the Papists could not keep him from the Throne they were resolved if possible that he should not sit long there This Plot I must confess is prima facie of a strange Complection but when 't is well viewed if we look upon the Majority of the Persons concerned we shall find them to be Romish Priests and Lay Papists and therefore if a thing may take its denomination from the greater part this may sure and we may safely call it a Popish Conspiracy for although some Protestants were inveigled into it Yet they were the smaller number and at that time under a discontent (a) Bakers Chron. f. 404. VVilsons History of Great Brittain f 4. which oftentimes carries Men beyond the Principles of their Religion and to do things contrary to the Rules of right Reason Whither their discontent was well grounded or not is not my purpose to enquire but taking it for granted they were Male-contents I shall now give an account of who were Actors in this Design and what the Design it self was The Names of the Conspirators Fowlis Hist li. 10. cap. 1. f. 499. VVilsons Hist. f. 4. Bakers Chron. f. 404. The main Actors in this Conspiracy were William Watson and Clark who had both writ against the Jesuits for their Treasons and Conspiracies Sir Griffin Markham Count Aremberg Ambassador from the Arch Duke of Austria Mathew de Lawrency a Merchant but an Instrument employed by Aremberg all zealous Papists Sir Edward Parham a Papist Bartholomew Roskesby and Anthony Coply Papists Henry Brook Lord Cobham and George Brook his Brother who seemed to be Protestants Thomas Lord Grey of Wilton a Protestant
which it appeared that Bates was resolved for what he undertook in this Powder-Treason being therein warranted by the Jesuits Also that Hamond the Jesuite the 7 th of November after the Discovery confest and absolved them The Confessions of Watson and Clark Seminary Priests upon their Apprehension was also taken notice of who affirmed that there was some Treason intended by the Jesuits and then in hand After the reading their several Examinations Confessions Their Conviction Condemnation and Execution and voluntary Declarations as well of themselves as of some of their dead Confederates they were all found guilty and having nothing to say for themselves were comdemned and executed Sir Everad Digby having likewise confest the same was found guilty condemned and executed for the same Treason Garnets Arraignment Tryal and Confeson Proceedings printed in 1606. Foulis l. 10. c. 2. f. 514 517. Henry Garnet Superior of the Jesuits in England was arraigned and tryed for the same Treason on Friday the 28 th of March 1606. at Guild Hall in London before Sir Leonard Holiday Lord Mayor the Earl of Nottingham the Earl of Suffolk the Earl of Worcester the Earl of Northampton the Earl of Salisbury the Lord Chief Justice of England the Lord Chief Baron of the Exchequer Sir Christopher Yelverton Knight one of his Majesties Justices of the Kings-Bench Lords Commissioners for that purpose He was a grand Agitator in this Plot and did himself at last confess thus much That Catesby had told him of the Plot but not by way of Confession that Greenwel had told him of this not as a Fault for how could they do so that approved it as meritorious but as a thing that he had Intelligence of and told it him by way of Consultation that Catesby and Greenwel came together to him to be resolved that Tesmond and he had Conference of the Particulars of the Powder-Treason in Essex that Greenwel asked him who should be Protector Garnet said that was to be deferred till the Blow was past that he ought to have revealed it to the King that nothing deterred him from the Discovery so much as his Unwillingness to betray Catesby that he had greatly sinned against God the King and the Kingdom in not revealing it of whom he heartily begged Pardon and Forgiveness Garnet Condemned and Executed Foulis Hist lib. 10. cap. 2. f. 514. Proceedings And for this Treason he was condemned and after his Condemnation he himself said That the Sentence was justly passed on him The third of May following he was executed at the West End of St. Paul's Church-Yard where he appeared in a troubled and amazed Condition still prying and peeping about for a Pardon although Henry Montague Recorder of the City pitying his Perplexedness assured him there would be none granted And thus died this Garnet after he had confirmed the Matters contained in the Confessions of them that had been before executed by this Confession of his own And that none that are willing to receive Truth as it is which ingenuous Men always are may remain in doubt take the true reason of his Confession from himself at Foulis relates it The reason of Garnets Confession Foulis Hist lib. 10. cap. 2. f. 515. The Jesuits being not a little offended that he should any way confess himself guilty which with some might be a Blot both to himself and their Order Garnet to vindicate himself to them and to shew the Folly of denying any longer thus writes to them What should I do First of all the rest of the Confederates have accused me Secondly Catesby always made use of my Authority amongst them whereby most of them were perswaded to have a good Opinion of the Enterprize so that all knew I was in it Thirdly two set on purpose heard me discourse the whole business with Oldcorn and tell him how I thought to answer all Objections Fourthly My Letters writ with the Juice of Orange to Mrs. Anne Anne Vaux are I know not how fallen into their Hands whereby I plainly enough discovered my Knowledge of it Whence I gather that the Jesuits did sufficiently tamper with him to conceal his Guilt and that he would have concealed it if he could and all that have writ in Justification of him are sufficiently answered by his own Confession and the four Reasons above mentioned that induced him thereunto to which add his further Confession That he had often vowed both by Words and Writings to the Lay Conspirators that he would never discover or betray any of them and his acknowledging his Offence wishing it were in his Power to undo that which was done and that if the whole World were his he would willingly give it to quit himself from the Guilt of Treason which now troubled his Conscience Moreover he himself owned in a Letter to Mrs Anne Vaux That he was sorry he could not die for Religion but for Treasons These Instances are certainly sufficient to convince any unbyassed Reader but to put the Matter out of doubt and if it be possible to convince even the Papists Thuanus himself one of their own Communion Privy-Councellor to the French King and President of the Supream Senate of that Kingdom was so fully convinced of the Truth of this Conspiracy and that all the Conspirators before named were ingaged in it that he writ a most ingenuous Narrative of the whole in Latin which was in the year 1674. faithfully rendred into English and printed where the Papists that do not understand Latine may if they please receive ample Satisfaction So detestable it seems this Conspiracy was to some of the English Colledge at Rome that being informed of the Discovery of this Plot sixteen of them abhorring such jugling and bloody Designs forsook the Colledge slipt into France Translation of Thuanus f. 1. and thence some of them came into England and turned Protestants But nothing will convince some Papists for notwithstanding all the Confessions aforesaid and Convictions Foulis Hist l. 10. cap. 2. f. 510. and Executions upon those Confessions there are not a few who would perswade the World to believe that all this was but a mear Cheat a Trick of Salisbury the then Secretary And Foulis saith he once heard a Story very gravely told that one lurking under the Council-Table concealed by the long Carper heard much of the Contrivance a Tale so absurd and ridiculous that after what hath been already said to endeavour to confute it would argue more impertinence then they were guilty of who broached the Story This Conspiracy being discovered in so wonderful a manner and the Deliverance attended with so many amazing Circumstances the Parliament took the same into their Consideration and in the first place made a Law for keeping an Anniversary Day of Thanks-giving on the Fifth of November and enacted the same Law should be read in the Churches publickly upon the same Day and then made an Act for the Attainder of the Offenders Which Acts
by her Authority from any other whatsoever c. Dated at Rome at St. Peters c. 1. Feb 1608. Birket upon the Receipt of this Breve draws up and sends abroad this admonishing Letter To all the Reverend Secular Priests of ENGLAND Most Dearly beloved Brethren WHereas I have always desired to live without molesting or offending others Birkets Letter to the Popish Clergy against taking the Oath and going to Church Foulis Hist l. 10. cap. 3. f. 530. it cannot be but a wonderful corosive Sorrow and Grief unto me that against mine own inclination I am forced as you have seen by the Breve it self to prescribe a certain time for such as do find themselves to have been contrary to the Points which are touched in the said Breve concerning the Oath and going to Church that they may thereby return and conform themselves to the Doctrine declared by his Holiness both in this and the other former Breves And therefore now by this Present do give notice unto you all that the time which I prefix and prescribe for that purpose is the space of two Months next ensuing after the knowledge of this Admonition Within which time such as shall forbear to take or allow any more the Oath or going to Church I shall most willingly accept their doing therein Yet signifying unto you withal that such as do not within the time prescribed give this Satisfaction I must tho much against my Will for fulfilling his Holinesses Commandments deprive them and denounce them to be deprived of all their Faculties and Priviledges granted by the See Apostolick or by any other Authority thereof unto them or to any of them and so by this Present do denounce hoping that there is no Man will be so wilful or disobedient to his Holinesses Order but will conform himself as becometh an obedient Child of the Catholick Church And so most heartily wishing this Conformity in us all and that we may Live and Labour together Unanimes in Domo Domini I pray God give us the Grace to effect that in our Actions whereunto we are by our Order and Profession obliged Your Servant in Christ George Birket Arch-Priest of England and Protonotary Apostolical This 2d of May 1608. There was by reason of these Bulls great Writing against the Lawfulness of Papists taking the Oath And it can't be but all of them who writ against it make this their Foundation That it takes away the Popes power of depriving Kings and absolving Subjects from their Allegiance So that certainly it was high time for the State to take care of the safety of their Religion and their Prince the Defender thereof The Parliament therefore in the Seventh Year of King James the First that they might know who were Friends to a Foreign power and consequently Enemies to the established Government made an Act of Parliament Intitled An Act for Administring the Oath of Allegiance and Reformation of married Women Recusants Which is the last Law I find made in this Kings Reign relating to the Papists The Preamble runs thus 7. Jac. 1. cap. 6. Rast Stat. 2. part f. 666. For taking the Oath of Allegiby Protestants as well as by Papists And Feme Courts Papists to Penalties VVHereas by a Statute made in the third Year of your Majesties Reign intituled An Act for the better discovering and repressing of Popish Recusants The form of an Oath to be ministred and given to certain Persons in the same Act mentioned is limited and prescribed tending only to the Declaration of such Duty as every true and well affected Subject not only by Bond of Allegiance but also by the Commandment of Almighty God ought to bear to your Majesty your Heirs and Successors which Oath such as are infected with Popish Superstition do oppugne with many false and unsound Arguments the just defence whereof your Majesty hath heretofore undertaken and worthily performed to the great Contentment of all your Loving Subjects notwithstanding the Gain-sayings of contentious Adversaries And to shew how greatly your Loyal Subjects do approve the said Oath they prostrate themselves at your Majesties feet beseeching your Majesty that the same Oath may be Administred to all your Subjects To which end we do with all humbleness beseech your Highness that it may be Enacted And then To shew how greatly they approved the said Oath they desired it might be Administred to all the Subjects of England and accordingly it was Enacted That it should be taken by all Persons above the Age of eighteen Years The penalty for the refusâ—ing upon tender is Imprisonment without Bayl or Main-prize and disability to execute any place of Iudicature to bear any other Office to use or Practice the Common or Civil Law Physick or Chirurgery the Art of an Apothecary or any Liberal Science for His or Her gain By this Act a married Woman that is a Papist convict if she doth not within three Months after Conviction conform shall be committed to Prison without Bayl or Main-prize unless her Husband will pay ten Pounds a Mouth for the Wives offence or the third part of all his Lands c. for so long time as she remaining a Papist convict shall continue out of Prison during which time and no longer she may be at Liberty The Penal Laws in this Reign justified And certainly Watson and Clarks Plot the Gun-Powder Treason and the restless endeavours of the Pope and the Jesuits by his sending and their bringing over Bulls to alienate the Kings Subjects from their Allegiance will highly justifie the State in making these Laws against the Papists that were made in this Kings Reign And the more reasonable will they appear to be if it be considered that we do not find that he ever Executed one Person Priest Jesuit or other for Religion but all Died for Treason even Garnet himself was sorry that he could not Dye for Religion his guilt of Treason being so notorious And therefore these Plots Conspiracies and Treasons carry in the Face of them the greatest ingratitude imaginable The King in the Tenth Year of his Reign being affrighted with Henry the Fourth of France his being Stabbed by Ravilliac ventures upon a Proclamation King James his last Proclamation against the Jesuits Wilsons Hist f. 51 52. strictly commanding all Jesuits and Priests out of the Kingdom and all Recusants to their own Houses not to come within ten Miles of the Court and secures all the rest of his Subjects to him by an universal taking of the Oath of Allegiance which the Parliament both Lords and Commons then sitting began and the rest of the People followed (a) Wilsons Hist f. 25. Soon after this Parliament was Dissolved and Prince Henry was created Prince of Wales after which the Kings first Treaty for disposal of any of his Children was by his Leiger Ambassador in Spain with that King for the Lady Elizabeth (b) Wilsons Hist f. 91. Rushw Col. 1 part f. 1. and
Spaniards gives the overture of the Match Rushw Col. part 1. f. 4. The King having had thoughts of a Match for Prince Charles with France and the Duke of Savoy having been before him and prevailed for his Son the Prince of Piedmount The Spaniard giving the overture of a Match King James embraceth it and Articles of Religion between the King of England and Spain were agreed on which were these c. Articles of Religion agreed upon between the Kings of England and Spain That the Popes Dispensation be first obtained by meer Act of the King of Spain That the Children of this Marriage be not constrained in Matters of Religion nor their Title prejudiced in case they prove Catholics That the Infanta's Family being Strangers may be Catholics and shall have a decent place appointed for all Divine Service according to the use of the Church of Rome and the Ecclesiasticks and Religious Persons may wear their own proper Habits That the Marriage shall be Celebrated in Spain by a Procurator according to the instructions of the Councel of Trent and after the Infanta's Arival in England such a Solemnation shall be used as may make the Marriage valid according to the Laws of this Kingdom That she shall have a competent number of Chaplains and a Confesser being Strangers one whereof shall have Power to Govern the Family in Religious Matters But none of the People of England but were averse to this Match except the Papists whose interest indeed it was to carry it on After the Bohemians had chosen the Count Palatine King of Bohemia he craved advice of his Father in Law King James touching the acceptation of that Royal dignity But before he could receive his advice he was prevailed upon to accept it Count Palatine chose King of Bohemia Wilsons Hist f. 132. Rushw Col. 1. part f. 12. because the emergency of the Cause would admit of no delay and afterwards sent to King James to excuse it When this important business of the Count Palatines accepting the Crown of Bohemia was related in the Kings Councel to evince of what advantage it was to the Protestant Cause I shall here insert Arch-Bishop Abbots Letter to Sir Robert Nauton the Kings Secretary the Arch-Bishops infirmities not permitting him at that time to attend the Councel That God hath set up this Prince his Majesties Son in Law Arch-Bishop Abbot's Letter touching the Count Palatines accepting the Crown of Bohemia as a mark of Honour throughout all Christendom to propagate the Gospel to help the oppressed that for his own part he dares not but to give advice to follow where God Leads apprehending the Work of God in this and that of Hungary that by Peece and Peece the Kings of the Earth that gave their Power to the Beasts shall leave the Whore and make her desolate that he was satisfied in Conscience the Bohemians had just cause to reject that Bloody Man who had taken a course to make that Kingdom not Elective in taking it by the donation of another the slighting of the Viscount Doncaster in his embassage gave cause of just displeasure and indignation therefore let not a Noble Son be forsaken for their sakes who regard nothing but their own ends our striking in will comfort the Bohemians Honour the Palsgrave strengthen the Princes of the Vnion draw on the United Provinces stir up the King of Denmark and the Palatines two Vncles the Prince of Orange and the Duke of Bovillon together with Termoville a rich Prince in France to cast in their shares The Parliament is the Old and honourable way for raising of Money and all that may be spared is to be returned this way and perhaps God provided the Jewels that were laid up in the Tower by the Mother for the preservation of the Daughter who like a Noble Princess hath professed that she will not leave her self one Jewel rather then not maintain so Religious and Righteous a Cause certainly if countenance be given to this Action many brave Spirits will offer themselves therefore let all our Spirits be gathered up to animate this business that the World may take notice that we are awake when God calls By this Letter it plainly appears that it was the Arch-Bishops Opinion that it tended much to the promoting the Reformation that the Count Palatine should accept the Crown of Bohemia and the Crown of England should stand by him in it and whoever reads the most impartial writers of those times will find that the Spanish Match which was then a foot and Popish Councels at home was the true Cause of the loss of the Palatinate and the ruine of that Protestant Prince and how could things be expected otherwise so long as Gondamor had so far the ascendant of the King that when the Earl of Essex solicited the King after the War was begun to send more Forces Gondamor obstructed it whatever he desired was done and few or none were well respected at Court but Spanish * Wilsons 144. Rushw 1. part f. 18. vide the private instructions to the Spanish Ambassador sent into England Pentioners under whom the Papists flourished After the Palatinate was lost the King outwardly seemed willing to assist towards the Recovery of it and therefore proposes it first to the Privy Councel and afterwards called a Parliament which was to meet the thirteenth of January in the 18 th Year of his Reign proposing to himself that the People for regaining the Palatinate would open their Purses which he might make use of and that a good agreement Between him and his People would induce his Brother of Spain to be more Active and so he should have supply from the one and dispatch from the other i. e. Mony and the Spanish Match were the ends he aimed at let the Palatinate Sink or Swim 't was no matter This the Jesuits and Seminary Priests knew well enough and therefore they Wilsons Hist. f. 151. rangeing up and down like Spirits let loose did not now as formerly creep into Corners using close and cunning Artifices but practised them openly having admission to our Councellors of State. And when Secretaries and such as manage the intimate Councels of Kings are Jesuits and Clients to the Pope there can be no tendency of affection to a contrary Religion or Policy Yet these were the Men that carried all before them at Court And the Protestant interest must needs flourish under such Ministers of State especially if it be considered that England was not only Man'd with Jesuits all Power now failing to oppose them but the Women also began to practice the Trade Women Jesuitrices calling themselves Jesuitrices This Order was first set on foot in Flanders by Mrs. Ward and Mrs. Twitty two English Gentlewomen who Cloathed themselves in Ignatian Habit and were Countenanced and Supported by Father Gerrard Rector of the English Colledge at Leige with Father Flack and Father More Their design was to Preach the Popish
Doctrine to their own Sex in England i. e. to Alienate their Hearts from their Soveraign if he be not of their Religion or will not at least connive at it to engage them in Plots Conspiracies and Treasons for the destroying Heretical i. e. Protestant Kings and Heresie that is Protestantism that they do or should defend This project took so as any thing doth that tends to promoting Mother Church that in a short time this Mrs. Ward by the Popes indulgence who will indulge any thing that tends to destroy what he calls Heresie became the Mother General of no less then two Hundred English Damsels of good Birth and Quallity whom she sent abroad to Preach This Story and many other Jesuitical exploits are more particularly related in Wadsworths Spanish Pilgrim to which I refer the Reader The Parliament meet Wilsons Hist f. 193. Rushw Coll. 1 pt f. 23. On the 30 th of January 1620. the Parliament met according to the Summons and notwithstanding the King 's smooth Speech to them they petitioned him for the due Execution of the Laws against Jesuits Seminary Priests and Papists which evidences that there was either none or at least a very slender Execution of those Laws They rip up Grievances They rip up many Grievances that the People had groaned under during the Intervals of Parliament by Monopoly Patents and otherwise punished the great Managers of them with exemplary Punishments and to make the Redress of these Grievances pass the more easily with the King they gave him two Subsidies which was very acceptable to him The Parliament adjourned without taking care of the Palatinate or Protestant Religion Rushw Coll. 1 pt f. 35. Wilsons Hist f. 164. He having got this Supply when the Parliament had sate about four Months he sent them word by the Lord Treasurer that he would have them adjourn as being more expedient than a Prorogation that he had redressed Corruption in Courts of Justice by his Proclamation called in the Patents of Inns of Osteries and of Gold and Silver Thread and cherished the Bill against Informers and Monopolies but not a word of Care taken to recover the Palatinate or putting the Laws in execution against the Papists The Commons take it amiss which the King resents and on the fourth of June 1621. in the ninteenth Year of his Reign Wilson saith till February he declared for an Adjournment till November following and that he will in the mean time of his own Authority redress Grievances The House of Commons immediately before this Recess taking to heart the Miseries of the Palatinate and knowing how much the Protestant Religion was concerned in it resolved that the drawing back in so good a Cause should not be charged on their Slackness and therefore made the Declaration following with an universal Consent The Commons Declaration touching the Palatinate Rushw Coll. 1 pt f. 36. Wilsons Hist f. 164. THE Commons assembled in Parliament taking into most serious Consideration the present State of the Kings Children abroad and general afflicted Estate of the true Professors of the same Christian Religion professed by the Church of England in foreign Parts and being touched with a true Sense and Fellow-feeling of their Distresses as Members of the same Body do with unanimous Consent in the Name of themselves and the whole Body of the Kingdom whom they represent declare unto His most Excellent Majesty and to the whole World their hearty Grief and Sorrow for the same and do not only joyn with them in their humble and devout Prayers to Almighty God to protect his true Church and to avert the Dangers now threatned but also with one Heart and Voice do solemnly protest That if His Majesties pious Endeavours by Treaty to procure their Peace and Safety shall not take that good Effect which is desired in Treaty wherefore they humbly beseech His Majesty not to suffer any longer Delay that then upon Signification of His Majesties Pleasure in Parliament they shall be ready to the utmost of their Powers both with their Lives and Fortunes to assist him so as that by the Divine Help of Almighty God which is never wanting unto those who in his Fear shall undertake the Defence of his own Cause he may be able to do that with his Sword which by a peaceable Course shall not be effected Soon after this the King was plyed from Spain and Rome The King plied for Favour to Papists to enlarge his Favours to Popish Recusants and it could not be otherwise expected so long as there was any thoughts of so near an Alliance between Spain and England The Parliament met again the twentieth of November The Parliament meet and because the House of Commons found that though the King declared for War he pursued Peace and resolved to close with Spain They resolved to try the Kings Spirit by the following Petition and Remonstrance wherein they laid open the Distempers of those Times with their Causes and Cures The Causes they told him were these The Vigilance and Ambition of the Pope A Remonstrance by the Parliament against Popery Wilson f. 167. Rushw Coll. 1 pt f. 40. and his Son the Spanish Prince The Devilish Doctrines of the Romish Church The distressed Estate of the Protestants abroad The disasterous Accidents to his a The Count Palatines Family Children abroad The strange Confederacy of the Popish Princes to subvert the Protestant Religion here The great Armies raised by the Spaniard The Papists Expectations of the Spanish Match Foreign Princes interposing for Favour to Papists here The Papists open Resort to Foreign Ambassadors Their Concourse to London and their Conventicles there The Education of their Children in Seminaries The Grants of their Forfeitures to Persons who take little or nothing of them The printing Popish Books The Swarms of Priests and Jesuits The common Incendiaries of all Christendom disperst in all parts of the Kingdom The growing Mischiefs to Church and State they told him were these The Popish Religion is incompatable with ours and draws with it an unavoidable Dependance on Foreign Princes It opens a wide Gap for Popularity to any who shall draw too great a Party b We have lately seen the Truth of this verified when the Papists from Connivance actually got a Toleration and that with an Equality and had got the Superiority and subverted our Religion had not God in his Providence interposed it hath a restless Spirit and will strive by these Gradations If it get but a Connivance it will press for a Toleration if that should be obtained they must have an Equality from thence they will aspire to Superiority and will never rest till they get a Subversion of the true Religion The Remedies proposed were That the King would take his Sword into his Hand that he would therewith assist the Protestants abroad not to rest upon a War in these Parts only but give a Diversion otherwise That this War
and to employ the Power he left him to restablish him in the Estate and Dignitys of his Father on the 27th of March in the Twenty third Year of his Reign he gave up the Ghost From what Account I have given of Matters relating to the making the Penal Laws and the Reasons of not putting them in Execution in this Kings Reign I gather these things 1. That there is no heed to be taken to any promises made Advice given nor Oaths taken by Papists for if the Interest of the Popish Religion Intervenes the Promises Advice yea even the Oaths themselves must give way and 't is Meritorious too 2. That when it is to serve the Popish Interest they are allowed to deny the plainest truths although confest by Men in Articulo Mortis at the very point of Death 3. That whenever they are detected of any Conspiracy or Treason they immediately set their Wits to work to throw the odium of it upon some sort of Protestants or other nay sometimes they make it an essential part of the Conspiracy it self 4. That when they found themselves lost as to more private Conspiracies they involved Christendom in War to destroy the Protestant Interest upon the Colour of the Elector Palatines having Usurped the Crown of Bohemia notwithstanding he was legally Elected and made use of the Cowardise of King James to carry on that Design 5. That they want not Arts to deceive even Protestants themselves if they look not narrowly to them so much can they transform themselves into the likeness of Truth 6. That the loss of the Palatinate the differences between King James the first and his Parliaments the Spanish Treaty and at last the compleating the French Match were all carried on by Popish Intregues and to serve the Popes turn Certainly then there was good reason for the making the Penal Laws in this Kings Reign and the Parliament are greatly justified in pressing an Execution of them which had it been granted a Man may with good reason believe all the Civil Wars in the succeeding Reign had been prevented And this might lead me to show the share the Popish Party had in the beginning managing and carrying on that unhappy and ever to be lamented War but my design being only to show the reasonableness of making the Penal Laws against the Papists and there being but one Law made against them in this unfortunate Princes Reign I shall only give the grounds of making that Law and pass on to the Reign of his Son King Charles the Second CHAP. IX K. Ch. I. King Charles 1. His Accession to the Crown Bakers Chron. f. 451. Rushw Coll. 1 Pt. f. 165 167 170. KIng James the First being dead King Charles the First was immdiately Proclaimed he buried his Father the 7th of May 1625. The 13th of June in the same Year the Match between him and the French Kings daughter was consummated here in England A Chappel at Sommerset House was built for the Queen and her Family with conveniences thereunto adjoyning for Capuchin Fryers who were therein placed and had permission to walk abroad in their Religious Habits Thence forwards greater multitudes of Seminary Priests and Jesuites repaired into England out of foreign Parts then before The Parliament meet The 18th day of June the Parliament opened they after the usual Proceedings at the first sitting down Petitioned the King concerning Religion and against Papists he by his Answer gave them assurance of his real performance of what they desired in every particular Papists Pardon'd contrary to promise Rushw Coll. 1 Pt. f. 280. But notwithstanding this soon after his Majesty granted a Pardon to one Alexander Baker a Jesuite and unto ten other Papists which was gotten as there was information given by the importunity of some Foreign Ambassador and passed by immediate Warrant and was recommended by the Principal Secretary of State without the payment of the ordinary Fees. And divers Copys of Letters and other Papers found by two Justices of Peace in the House of one Mary Estmonds in Dorsetshire were stifled by the Secretarys means The Commons upon these passages made observations First that the Pardon was dated the very next day after his Answer to their Petition Secondly That the Pardon dispensed with several Laws as 21. and 27. Eliz. and 3. Jac. provided to keep the Subjects in due obedience Thirdly That the Pardon was signed by the Principal Secretary of State. The Commons therefore declared that these actings tended to the prejudice of true Religion his Majesties dishonour the discountenancing of Ministers of Justice the grief of the good People the animating of the Popish Party who by such Examples grew more proud and insolent and to the discouragement of the High Court of Parliament The Petition concerning Religion and the Kings Answer take as they are printed in Rushworths Collection First Part f. 281. To the King 's Most Excellent Majesty Most Gracious Sovereign IT being infallibly true that nothing can more establish the Throne and assure the Peace and Prosperity of the People then the unity and sincerity of Religion we your most humble and Loyal Subjects the Lords Spiritual and Temporal and Commons of this present Parliament assembled and hold themselves bound in Conscience and Duty to represent the same to your Sacred Majesty together with the dangerous consequences of the increase of Popery in this Land and what we conceive to be the principal cause thereof and what may be the Remedies The Dangers appear in these Particulars 1. In their desperate ends being both the Subversion of the Church and State and the restlessness of their Spirits to attain these ends the Doctrine of their Teachers and Leaders perswading them that therein they do God good Service 2. Their evident and strict dependency upon such Foreign Princes as no way affect the good of your Majesty and this State. 3. The opening a way of popularity to the Ambition of any who shall adventure to make himself head of so great a Party The Principal Cause of the increase of Papists 1. The want of the due Execution of the Laws against Jesuits Seminary Priests and Popish Recusants occasioned partly by the Connivency of the State partly by defects in the Laws themselves and partly by the manifold abuse of Officers 2. The interposing of Foreign Princes by their Ambassadors and Agents in favour of them 3. Their great Concourse to the City and frequent Conferences and Conventicles there 4. The open and usual resort to the House and Chappels of Foreign Ambassadors 5. the Education of their Children in Seminaries and Houses of their Religion in Foreign Parts which of late hath been greatly multiplied and enlarged for the entertaining of the English 6. That in some places of your Realm your People be not sufficiently Instructed in the Knowledge of the true Religion 7. The Licentious Printing and Dispersing of Popish and Seditious Books 8. The Employment of Men ill affected in Religion in
See of Rome confer any Ecclesiastical function whatsoever toward or upon your Majesties natural Subjects within your Dominions Answ This is fit to be ordered according as is provided and it shall be so published by Proclamation 8. That your Majesties learned Councel may receive Order and Commandment to consider of all former Grants of Recusants Lands that such of them may be avoided as are made to the Recusants use or interest out of which the Recusant receiveth any benefit which are either void or voidable by the Law. Answ The King will give Order to his learned Councel to consider of the Grants and will do according as is desired 9. That your Majesty will be likewise pleased strictly to command all your Judges and Ministers of Justice Ecclesiastical and Temporal to see the Laws of this Realm against Popish Recusants to be duly executed and namely that the censure of Excommunication be declared and certified against them and that they be not absolved upon publick satisfaction by yielding to Conformity Answ His Majestys leaves the Laws to their course and will order in the point of Excommunication as is desired 10. That your Majesty will be pleased to remove from Places of Authority and Government all such Persons as are either Popish Recusants or according to direction of former Acts of State to be justly suspected Answ ' This his Majesty thinks fit and will give order for it 11. That present order be taken for disarming all Popish Recusants legally convicted or justly suspected according to the Laws in that behalf and the Orders taken by his late Majesty's Privy Councel upon reason of State. Answ The Laws and Acts in this Case shall be followed and put in due Execution 12. That your Majesty be also pleased in respect of the great resort of Recusants to and about London to command forthwith upon pain of your indignation and severe Execution of the Laws that they retire themselves to their several Countrys there to remain confined within five Miles of their Places Answ ' For this the Laws in Force shall be forthwith Executed 13. And whereas your Majesty hath strictly commanded and taken Order that none of the natural born Subjects repair to the hearing of Masses or other Supersttious Services at the Chappels or Houses of foreign Ambassadors or in any other places whatsoever we give your Majesty most humble thanks and desire that your Order and Commandment therein may be continued and observed and that the offenders herein may be punished according to the Laws Answ The King gives consent thereto and will see that observed which herein hath been commanded by him 14. That all such insolencies as any that are Popishly affected have lately Committed or shall hereafter commit to the dishonour of our Religion or to the wrong of the true Professors thereof be exemplarily Punished Answ ' This shall be done as is desired 15. That the Statute of 1 Eliz. for the payment of twelve pence every Sunday by such as shall be absent from Divine Service in the Church without a lawful excuse may be put in due Execution the rather for that the penalty by Law is given to the Poor and therefore not to be dispensed withal Answ It is fit that this Statute be Executed and the Penalties shall not be dispensed withal 16. Lastly that your Majesty would be pleased to extend your princely care also over the Kingdom of Ireland that the like courses may be there taken for the restoring and establishing of true Religion there Answ His Majesties Cares are and shall be extended over the Kingdom of Ireland and he will do all that a Religious King should do for the restoring and establishing of true Religion there And thus Most Gracious Soveraign according to our duty and zeal to God and Religion to your Majesty and your safety to the Church and Common-wealth and their Peace and Prosperity we have made a Faithful Declaration of the present Estate the Causes and Remedies of this encreasing disease of Popery Humbly offering the same to your Princely care and wisdom The Answer of your Majesties Father our Late Soveraign of Famous Memory upon the like Petition did give us great comfort of Reformation but your Majesties most Gracious Promises made in that kind do give us confidence and assurance of the continual performance thereof in which comfort and confidence reposing our selves we most Humbly pray for your Majesties long continuance in all Princely felicity Rushw Coll. 1 pt 191. The 10 th of August the King sends to the Commons to have a present supply and promises to let them meet again in Winter and redress their greivances then they insist to have both go on together The Parliament dissolved but withal make a most submisive Declaration of their affection and duty to him Which notwithstanding he by Commission 12 August 1625. dissolved them Rushw Coll. 1. pt f. 191.192 The King soon after issued out a Proclamation to call home Papists Children and soon after Disarmed the Papists but as this was pleasing so his Letter soon after sent to the Leivetenants for the loan of Money upon Privy Seals and other things of the like kind were as distastful to the People A Parliament called Papists proceeded against But these Courses not having the wisht for success and the King being pressed with his own necessities summoned a Parliament to meet in February and enjoyned the Arch-Bishops and Bishops in both Provinces to proceed by Examination and other Church censures with the utmost severity against the Papists and those more especially who were Popishly affected and did encourage and advance the growth of Popery and issued out a Proclamation to confine Convicted Papists to their dwelling Houses or within five Miles thereof On Candlemas Day he was Crowned and at the time of his Coronation took the Coronation Oath in manner following Sir says the Arch-Bishop will you grant and keep K. Charles 1. Crowned The Coronation Oath Rushw Coll. 1. part f. 200. Arch-Bishop and by your Oath confirm to the People of England the Laws and Customs to them granted by the Kings of England your Lawful and Religious Predecessors and namely the Laws Customs and Franchises granted to the Clergy by the Glorious King St. Edward your Predecessor according to the Laws of God the true Profession of the Gospel established in this Kingdom agreeable to the Prerogative of the Kings thereof and the ancient Customs of the Realm I Grant and Promise to keep them Sir Will you keep Peace and Godly Agreement according to your Power both to God The Kings Answer the Holy Church the Clergy and the People I Will keep it Sir Will you to your Power cause Law Justice and Discretion to Mercy and Truth to be executed to your Judgment I Will. Sir Will you grant to hold and keep the Laws and Rightful Customs which the Commonalty of this your Kingdom have and will you defend and uphold them to
without any evasion equivocation or mental reservation whatsoever and without any dispensation already granted me for this purpose by the Pope or any other Authority or Person whatsoever or without any hope of any such dispensation from any Person or Authority whatsoever or without thinking that I am or can be acquitted before God or Man or absolved of this Declaration or any Part thereof although the Pope or any other Person or Persons or Power whatsoever should dispence with or annul the same or declare that it was null and void from the beginning The same Oaths and Declarations to be made in every succeeding Parliament in full House that all members of Parliament not swearing and declaring as aforesaid and Popish Recusants convict are forbidden the Kings and Queens presence That if any Member of the House of Peers or Commons do any thing contrary to this Act or shall offend in any of the Cases aforesaid such Member should be thenceforth judged a Popish Recusant Convict and should be disabled to hold or execute any Office in any of his Majesties Dominions and likewise to sit and â—ote in either House of Parliament or make his Proxy in the House of Peers or in prosecute any suit in Law or Equity or to be Guardian to a Child or Executor or Administrator to any Person and uncapable of any Legacy Deed or Gift and should fofeit for every willful offence against this Act the sum of Five hundred Pounds to be recovered by whomsoever would sue for the same and to be prosecuted in any of his Majesties Courts where no Essoin Protection or Wager of Law should lye that either House of Parliament may cause any of their Members to swear and subscribe as aforesaid and upon their sitting without taking the same they should be adjudged disabled in Law to all intents whatsoever to sit or vote in the said Houses during that Parliament That the Places of Members of the House of Commons disabled to vote should be void and new Writs issue out for new Elections that the King and Queens sworn Servants should swear as aforesaid and subscribe the Declaration and that if after refusal of the same they presumed to come into their Majesties presence they should be disabled to hold any place and incur the Penalties aforesaid Nothing contained in this Act to relate to the Subjects of the King of Portugal being in the Queen Dowagers service not exceeding the number of eighteen at one time That during the taking the Oaths all proceedings in Parliament should cease and the Oaths c. and Names of the Persons who should take them should be entred in Parchment Rolls and for every such entry not above the sum of Twelve pence to be paid This Act not to extend to such who come into the King or Queens presence being Licensed by six Privy-Counsellors upon some urgent occasion therein to be expressed and such License not to exceed Ten days at a time and not above Thirty days in a Year That all offenders against this Act that shall take the said Oaths c. shall be discharged and freed from all Penalties and Incapacities incurred thereby but such freedom and discharge not to extend to restore any such person to any office or place filled upon voidance by this Act nor to any other Officer till after the Expiration of one Year from taking the said Oath c. nor to discarge the said forfeiture of Five hundred Pounds as aforesaid nothing in this Act to extend to the then Duke of York Thus I have given an Historical Account of the making of these Laws and of the Laws themselves and as they were highly reasonable in their Making so certainly it is as highly reasonable to continue them if the attemps of the Popish party under King James the Second be duly weighed which were carried so far that the Protestant Religion had been inevitably destroyed with the Professors thereof had not we been redeemed out of their hands by the Conduct and Valour of his present Majesty to whom under God we owe our Deliverance and therefore can never sufficiently express our gratitude He hath given sufficient Testimony of his Zeal for the Protestant Religion and therefore it is reasonable to believe that he will readily concur to the Making any Laws that shall be thought fit to preserve it I know of but one and that is Castration of all Priests and Jesuites when ever they are found here and breeding up the Children of Papists in the Protestant Religion Which I humbly offer to the Consideration of the Parliament for I believe this will terrify them more than Gallows or Galleys And how necessary it is for this Kingdom to rid themselves of this Vermin every one sees but they that are either Papists or so blinded with hopes or expectations of the late Kings return that they neither can nor will see And now methinks I hear some of the Church of England tell me I have shewn the reasonableness of the Laws against the Papists but have not said one word in vindication of the Laws against the Dissenters who have been as violent against the Church of England as ever the Papists were and the Laws against them are equally as just To this I give this Answer that I ways alwas of Opinion that the differences between the Church of England and the Dissenters have been made and carried on by the Papists And I wish there were not too much truth in it that the Papists influenced the Counsels when the Laws were made against the Dissenters I am sure a very Learned Pen * Dr. Sherlock of the Church England own'd the putting them in severe Execution the last seven or eight years to have proceeded from Popish Councils And I doubt not but the severe usage of the Church of England by the Dissenters when in Power was promoted by the same Party Since therefore the Papists can transform themselves into all shapes to promote differences amongst Protestants in order to their Ruine it can't certainly but be honest Policy for the Protestants in order to the preservation of the whole to unite against them as the common Enemy And therefore as we who are Lawyers never love to go to Law especially with one another so the Protestants in England under the denomination of the Church of England and Dissenter being now pretty even as to severities on both hands let them no more quarrel but shake hands and be friends which will tend more to the preservation of the true Religion amongst us than all the Laws that can be made FINIS
Treason This Act declares what shall not and what shall be Heresie Hist Ref. pt 2. ib. 3. f. 386. that no matter of Religion or cause Ecclesiastical within this Act shall be Heresie Schism or Schismatical Opinion nor any thing but what is so adjudged by the Canonical Scriptures and the four first general Council or other Councils by the true and genuine sence of the Holy Scriptures or what should afterwards be declared Heresie by the Parliament with the consent of the Convocation From which Act. I observe that altho' it was a Premunire before this Law to own a Foreign Jurisdiction as bringing in Bulls doth yet the Queen was willing to inflict a less punishment for the first offence to see if she could gain upon the Papists by Clemency and made it not high Treason till a conviction of the third offence and that Conviction to be according to the Antient Laws of the Land and not in an Arbitrary way which is much more mild than any of the Popish Laws were neither was this Law put in Execution against them till they grew troublesome to the State as I shall plainly make appear hereafter The next Law was for the uniformity of Common Prayer and service in the Church and administration of the Sacraments Whereby 1 Mar. ca. 2. is repealed 1 Eâ—iz ca. 2 Rast Stat. p. 2 f 5. An Act of Vniformity Camd. Annal. fol. 27. and the last Book of Common-prayer c. made in Ed. 6 th time is established with the alteration of some few things By which Law it is provided that spiritual persons that shall use any other service or deprave or speak against the use of that for the first offence being legally Convicted shall lose the profits of his Benefice for a Year and shall suffer six months Imprisonment for the second Offence shall be deprived ipso facto for the third not only deprived but suffer Imprisonment during his Life a Lay person offending in the Premisses shall for the first Offence suffer Imprisonment for a Year without Bail or mainprize and for the second Offence shall suffer Imprisonment during Life Every one that by Enterludes Plays Songs Rhimes or other open words shall speak against any thing in derogation depraving or despising of the same Book or shall any ways maintain any person c. in using any other Service c. or shall hinder or interrupt the use of this Book For the first Offence shall forfeit 100 Marks for the second Offence 400 Marks and for the third Offence shall forfeit all his Goods and Chattels and suffer Imprisonment during Life and for non payment of the 100 Marks in 6 Weeks after his Conviction shall suffer six Months Imprisonment and for non payment of the 400 Marks shall suffer 12 Months Imprisonment without Bail or Mainprize All persons are by this Act required having no reasonable Excuse to resort to their Parish Church or upon reasonable Let to some other place where the service is used upon Sundays and Holy-days upon the Penalty of punishment by the Censures of the Church and 12 d. for every Default And for due Execution of this Act the Queen il â—ean trying the Bishops for being guilty of a Misdemeanor iâ— not complying with a Popish Prince against this Law be justified the Lords Temporal and all the Commons in that Parliament assembled did in God's Name earnestly require and charge the Arch-Bishops Bishops and other Ordinaries that they should endeavour themselves to the utmost of their knowledges that the due and true Execution thereof might he had throughout their Diocess and charges as they would answer before God for such Evils and Plagues wherewith Almighty God might Iustly punish his People for neglecting that good and wholsome Law. All Laws for other Service are hereby made void But may the Papists say Are not imprisonment Premunire and High Treason very great Penalties What Greater To this I answer That there is not any of them inflicted for the first Offence But punishment for the first offence is still but a pecuniary molct The Penalty annâ—â—ed to this Law justified and extends to neither Pillory Loss of Ears striking off hands or death much less death by Fire and Fagor The second Offence is restraint of Liberty and that but Temporary except in one single Case where it is for Life The punishment for the first Offence is no where made a Premunire nor Treason and 't is but in one case that the Party offending is made Guilty of High Treason and that is upon being Convicted of the third Offence too and for that very Offâ—nce the Party incurr'd a Premunire by the Law before And if it be granted me that it is necessary that some kind of Penalties be annexed to inforce obedience to Laws which certainly cannot be denyed these being such gradual Penalties the Papists themselves cannot but own that they are reasonable 5 Eliz. ca. 1 Rast Stat. pt 2. f. 39. An Act to exclude the Popes Pretences to any Authority here in England The reasonableness of it and the Penalties annexed to it The next Act of Parliament I shall take notice of is the Act for the assurance of the Queens Majesties Royal Power over all States and Subjects within her Dominions by which Act it is provided That if any person dwelling inhabiting or resiant within the Queens Dominions should after 1 Apr. 1563 by writing c. advisedly and wittingly hold c. maintain or defend the Authority Iurisdiction or Power of the Bishop of Rome or of his See heretofore usurped within this Realm being lawfully Convicted thereof within a Year should incur a Premunire for the first Offence and High Treason for the Second the like Penalties are annexed to the Refusal of the Oath of Supremacy The reason of the making which Law appears from the Preamble of the Act and the History of those times The Preamble takes notice that Hures Perils Dishonours Inconveniences had before time befallen the Queens Majesties Noble Progenitors Kings of this Realm and the whole estate thereof by means of the Jurisdiction of the See of Rome unjustly claimed and usurped within this Realm and the Dominions thereof and also takes notice of Dangers the Queen and state was then in by the Faâ—ters of the said usurped Power at that time grown to marvellous outrage and Licentious Boldness and therefore it was necessary to have more sharp restraint and correction of Laws then before in the time of the Queens Majesties most mild and merciful Reign had been establish'd Hence it plainly appears that the Parliament thought the Queens Person and the Kingdom in great Danger from the Papists who are all favourers of the Pope's Authority in England and if Cambden may be believed not without reason Cambd Annals fol. 58. for he tells us That Anno Domini 1562 in France the Professors of the Reformed Religion were most grievously afflicted And that thereupon the Papists in England muttered
many and Great matters in secret talk amongst Companies of suppressing in like manner the Protestants in England And every one that is acquainted with the History of those times knows that at the same time that these things were bruited about the Papists here the Guises in France and the Queen of Scots that restless and unwearied Enemy of the Protestant Religion were plotting and Contriving against the Queen and that those Plots and Contrivances of the Queen of Scots were never at an end till the Axe put a period to her Life and them together And how forward the Priests of the Romish Church especially of the Order of Jesuits are to assert the Pope's jurisdiction and bring in and Execute his Bulls here in England is well known amongst Protestants And that this is laid by the secular Priests themselves to the Charge of the Jesuits I shall hereafter make appear So that certainly it must be owned that there was very good reason to make this Law and as for the Penalties they were annexed in terrorem rather than with any design to be inflicted to the ruine of them against whom the Laws were made as plainly appears from the History of the first 12 years of this Queens Reign during which time the Persons of the Papists The Queens mild usage of the Papists notwithstanding these Laws remained in the Kingdom quiet and undisturbed till they themselves gave just occasion for putting these and the Antient Laws of the Kingdom in Execution against them and making further provision by the adding new Laws with more severe Penalties or rather inforcing the Execution of the old ones 1 Foulis Hist of Romish Treasons li. 7. cap. 2. fol. 325. The secular Priests in their important considerations confess not above 12 in 10 years and of those 12 some were attainted of Treason Collections f. 41. Lord Treasurer Burleigh hasserts the same f. 28. Abr. Bzov. de Rom. Pontif. c. 46. p. 621. We don't read in our English Histories of twelve Papists that suffered Death in the 10 first Years of the Reign of Q. Elizabeth nor of any that at any time were executed purely for exercising their Religion But those of them that have been executed have dyed for Treason and Rebellion and Mr. Fowlis tells us that it is confest by Bzovius their Papal Champion that there was not any that suffered in Queen Elizabeths time but did teach the dangerous doctrine that the Pope could depose Kings That the Papists both Clergy and Laity were used by the Queen in the Beginning of her Reign with all the kindness and even tenderness imaginable must be believed if one of the greatest Statesmen of his Age and one of the Wisest Persons this Nation ever bred viz. The Lord Treasurer Burleigh who writ in this Queens Reign can challenge any Credit he saith thus 2 Execution for Treason not for Religion p. 6.7 And though there are many Subjects known in the Realm that differ in some Opinions of Religion from the Church of England and that do also not forbear to profess the same yet in that they do also profess Loyalty and Obedience to her Majesty and offer readily in her Majesties Defence to impugn and resist any foreign force tho' it should come or be procured from the Pope himself none of these sort are for their contrary Opinions in Religion prosecuted or charged with any Crimes or Pains of Treason nor yet willingly searched in their Consciences for their contrary Opinions that savour not of Treason They were not Closetted 3 Dr. Burnet in his Hist of the Ref. gives much the same Account of the usage of these Men. pt 2d lib. 3. f. 396. Cambd. doth so likewise fol. 28 29. his Annals And he instances in several Dr. Heath Arch Bishop of York and Lord Chancellor of England in Queen Mary's time who saith he at the first coming of her Majesty to the Crown shewing himself a faithful and quiet Subject was continued in both the said Offices tho' in Religion then manifestly differing and yet was he not restrained of his Liberty nor deprived of his proper Lands and Goods but leaving willingly both his Offices lived in his own House and enjoyed all his purchased Lands during all his natural Life until by very Age he departed this World and then left his House and Living to his Friends An Example of gentleness never matched in Queen Mary's days The Like did Dr. Pool who had been Bishop of Peterborough Dr. Tonstall Bishop of Duresme these of quiet behavior There were others he tells us Dr. White and Dr. Oglethorp the one Bishop of Winchester the other of Carlisle and Dr. Thurlby and Dr. Watson one Bishop of Ely the other of Lincoln not pressed with any Capital Pain though they maintain'd the Pope's Authority against the Laws of the Realm Mr. Fecknam an Abbot is also Instanced in Some Deans as Dr. Boxall Dean of Windsor a Person of great Modesty and Knowledge Dr. Cole Dean of Pauls a Person more earnest than Wise Dr. Reynolds Dean of Exeter and many such others having born Office and Dignities in the Church and had made profession against the Pope which they began in Queen Mary's time to change yet were they never to this day burdned with Capital pains nor yet deprived of any of their Goods or proper Livelyhoods but only remov'd from their Ecclesiastical Offices which they would not Exercise according to the Laws And most of them for a great while were retained in Bishops houses not in Cole-holes and Dungeons as Bonner entertained the Protestants in the Marian daies in very civil and curteous manner without charge to themselves or their Friends until the time that the Pope began by his Bulls and Messages to offer trouble to the Realm by stirring of Rebellion about which time only some of those aforenamed being found busier in Matters of State tending to stir troubles than was meet for the common quiet of the Realm were removed to other more private places not into Smithfield to be burnt after a pretended Conviction of Heresie in an Arbitrary and Illegal manner Cambd. Annals f. 28. In all England where there are 9400 Ecclesiastical Promotions there were turned out of their Livings Dignities and Bishopricks not above 800 Parsons of Churches 50 Prebendaries 15 Presidents of Colledges 12 Archdeacons as many Deans 6 Abbots and Abbesses 14 Bishops Baker 's Chron. f. 395. Until the twentieth year of Queen Elizabeth's Reign the Papists in England were mercifully connived at while they solemnized their own Rites within their private houses tho' that also were against the Laws The Priests confess the Queen 's mild usage of Papists Lord Burleighs Execution for Treason The Secular Priests important considerations and the Jesuits reasons unreasonable f. 34. The Secular Priests themselves Watson and Bluet confess in their important Considerations wherein they make the Jesuits Plottings and Treasons to be the occasion of making and Executing the
declare her to be deprived of her pretended Title to the Kingdom aforesaid and of all Dominion Dignity and Priviledge whatsoever and also the Nobility Subjects and People of the said Kingdom and all others who have in any sort sworn unto her to be for ever absolved from any such Oath and all manner of Duty of Dominion Allegiance and Obedience and we also do by Authority of these Presents absolve them and do deprive the said Elizabeth of her pretended Title to the Kingdom and all other things before named And we do command and charge all and every the Noblemen Subjects People and others aforesaid that they presume not to obey her or her Orders Mandates and Laws And those which shall do the contrary we do include them in the like Sentence of Anathema And because it would be a difficult matter to convey these Presents to all places wheresoever it shall be needful Our Will is that the Copies thereof under a Publick Notaries hand and Sealed with the Seal of an Ecclesiastical Prelate or of his Court shall carry altogether the same credit with all men judicially and extrajudicially as these Presents should do if they were exhibited or shewed Given at Rome at St. Peters in the year of the Incarnation of our Lord 1569 the fifth of the Calends of March and of our Popedome the fifth year Cae. Glorierius One Felton hung up this Bill upon the Bishop of London's Palace Gates Cambd. Annals f. 148. Fowlis Hist lib 2. ca. 3. f. 327. Collections f. 24 Felton hanged as a Traytor for publishing the Bull. and scorning to seek an escape boldly vindicates the Pope and himself in what was done defying the Queen and her Authority for which he was Arraigned Condemned and Hanged near the same place in St. Paul's Church-yard Now for any thus to contemn and villifie his Soveraign nul her Authority renounce his Allegiance and so far to submit himself to a Foreign Jurisdiction even in Temporalities as to declare his own Soveraign deprived and deposed from her Kingdom what punishment this man incurr'd let the Reader Judge provided he will also consider That had a Protestant thus renounc'd his Obedience in Queen Mary's daies the party must have dyed for it and those who commend Felton would have called the other Traytors and yet Felton did it to procure a National Rebellion Besides this in the beginning of the 13 th year of the Reign of Queen Elizabeth The 4 th Rebellion was in Ireland begun in the beginning of 13 Eliz. by Conogher O Brien Earl of Twomond Cambd. Annals f. 153. in Ireland Conogher O Brien Earl of Twomond closely contrived a Rebellion which just as it was ready to break forth was by meer chance blown over and Thomas Steukley an Englishman a Ruffian a notorious Spendthrift and a notable vaporer who having consumed his Estate fled over into Ireland after he had first vomited forth most undeserved disgraces against his Princess to whom he was extraordinarily bounden soon after slipt out of Ireland into Italy to Pius V. Bishop of Rome where incredible it is into how great grace and favour he wrought himself by his Flatteries with that old man who breathed after the destruction of Queen Elizabeth This Steukley saith the Lord Treasurer Burleigh was a defamed person almost thro' all Christendom and a faithless Beast rather than a Man Collections f. 2 3 fleeing first out of England for notable Piracies and out of Ireland for Treacheries not pardonable and that he and the said Charles Nevil Earl of Westmerland were the Ring-Leaders of the rest of the Rebels the one for England the other for Ireland But notwithstanding the notorious evil and wicked Lives of these and others their confederates void of all Christian Religion it liked the Bishop of Rome as in favour of their Treasons to animate them to take Arms against their lawful Queen to invade her Realm with Foreign Forces to pursue all her good Subjects and their Native Country with Fire and Sword for maintenance whereof the Bull aforesaid had proceeded And the Pope the Guises the King of Spain Contrivances by the Pope the King of Spain the Guises and the Queen of Scots against Queen Elizabeth and the Protestant Religion Fowlis p. 330 331. Cambd. Annals lib. 2. f. 154. and the rest of the confederates against the Queen and the Protestant Religion the better to carry on their designs did soon after Queen Elizabeth came to the Crown set up a Title thereto in the Queen of Scots as aforesaid which was one principal cause that there were so many Plots and Conspiracies during her Reign tho' none gave her any great trouble till about the 10 th or 11 th year of her Reign It appears by Letters from the Pope to the Queen of Scots written in the year 1571. 13 Eliz. that there was a design on Foot to introduce Popery and to subvert the Protestant Religion here in England which Letter was delivered by Ridolpho the Florentine before mentioned his means to the Queen of Scots And Ridolpho by his own particular Letters to the Queen of Scots desired her to acquaint the Duke of Norfolk and her Friends with the Design but there being at that time a Treaty begun in order to her being restored to her Kingdom of Scotland whereof she was at that time dispossest she defer'd answering the Letter but the Treaty afterwards coming to nothing she privately sent a large commentary or draught of her Counsels and Affairs to the Duke of Norfolk before mentioned written in Cyphers known only to them two as also other Letters to be conveyed by Ridolpho to the Pope and the Spaniard Camd. Hist lib. 2. fol. 157. Baker's Chron. f. 344. Ridolpho greatly pressed the Duke to enter into the Confederacy and as an encouragement affirmed That the Pope so that the Catholick i. e. the Popish Religion might be promoted would bear the charge of the whole War and that he had to that purpose laid down 1 Some Writers say 150000. Crowns an hundred thousand Crowns the last year when the Bull was Published whereof twelve thousand he the said Ridolpho had distributed amongst the English Fugitives He promised that the Spaniard would supply him with 4000 Horse and 6000 Foot which might be sent over to Harwich near whereunto the Duke had many Potent Adherents and that most commodiously and without suspicion in the beginning of Summer when the Duke of Medina Caeli was to come with a strong Fleet into the Netherlands And concluded that such Caution might be used that the Duke might be cleared from all Suspition of affecting the Crown and the Queen of England safely might be provided for so as she would Embrace or tollerate the Romish Religion and give her assent to the Queen of Scots Marriage with the Duke Which Conspiracy the Duke at that time refused to enter into Cambd. Annals p. 158. Baker Chron. fol. 844. Camb. Annals li. 2. fol. 162.
to deliver the Duke out of Prison 14 Eliz. ca. 1. Rast Stat. p. 2. fol. 188. Divers other Conspiracies and Practices there were for delivering the Duke which occasioned a Parliament and the Parliaments making two Acts. One that those who should surprize demolish or burn any of the Queen's Forts should be guilty of Felony And that those who should hold the same by Force against the Queen burn her Ships or stop up her Havens should be guilty of High Treason Another against such as should conspire or practice the inlargement of any Prisoner committed for High Treason which as it is Printed by Rastal is as followeth 14 Eliz. ca. 2. Rast Stat. pt 2. f. 188 Against Conspâ—ring to deliver any imprisoned for Treason Forasmuch as great danger may ensue to the Queens Majesties person and great trouble to the State of the Realm by unlawful Conspiracies Devises and Imaginations to inlarge and set at Liberty such persons as be or shall be committed to any Prison Gard or Custody for any Treason touching the Royal Person of our said Soveraign Lady against which Devices Conspiracies and Imaginations sufficient remedy by the Laws of this Realm hath not been heretofore had nor provided unless the same Conspiracies Imaginations and Devises were Executed and brought to effect Be it therefore Enacted by our said Soveraign Lady the Queen the Lords Spiritual and Temporal and the Commons in this present Parliament Assembled and by the Authority of the same that if any person or persons at any time after the end of this present Session of Parliament shall imagine conspire devise invent or go about unlawfully or malitiously to inlarge or set at liberty any person or persons committed or to be committed to any prison gard or custody by her Highness special Commandment for any Treason or suspition of Treason concerning the person of our said Soveraign Lady the Queen before any indictment of such person so sought or intended to be set at large or liberty as is aforesaid and the same conspiracies imaginations devices or inventions shall by express words writing or other matter or act expresly or manifestly set forth utter or declare that then every person so offending shall incur the penalty and forfeiture of Misprision of Treason and that all and every Offence and Offences to be comitted and done as is aforesaid shall be deemed and taken for Misprision of Treason And be it also Enacted by the Authority aforesaid that if any person or persons at any time after the end of this present Session of Parliament shall imagine conspire devise invent or go about unlawfully and malitiously to inlarge or set at liberty any person or persons committed or to be committed to any prison gard or custody being or which hereafter shall be induced of any Treason in any wise concerning the Person of our said Soveraign Lady the Queen and the same conspiracies imaginations devises or inventions shall by express words writing or other matter or act expresly or manifestly set forth utter or declare that then every such person so offending shall be deemed and adjudged a Felon and suffer lose and forfeit as in cases of Felony by the due course of the Laws of this Realm And be it further Enacted by the Authority aforesaid that if any person or persons at any time after the end of this present Session of Parliament shall imagine conspire devise invent or go about unlawfully and malitiously to inlarge or set at liberty any person or persons being committed to any prison gard or Custody after the same person or persons is or shall be attainted or convicted of any Treason in any wise concerning the Royal Person of our said Soveraign Lady the Queen and the same conspiracies imaginations devices or inventions shall by express words written matter or act as is aforesaid set forth utter or declare that then every person so offending shall be deemed and adjudged an High Traitor and shall suffer lose and forfeit as in cases of High Treason by the Laws and Statutes of this Realm This Act was to indure during the Queen's Majesties Life only In the year 1572 Camb. Annals fol. 188. Baker's Chron. f. 347. the Earl of Northumberland was also Executed for his Treason in the Northern Rebellion before mentioned But I find that altho' several Persons were apprehended for offending against 13 Eliz 2. which was made against bringing in Bulls Agnus Dei c. as private Tokens of Papal Obedience and against reconciling any to the See of Rome yet not one was Executed till 1577 which was almost twenty years after the Queen's Accession to the Crown The first that was convicted upon this Law was one Cuthbert Mayne a Priest Cambd. Annals f. 224 225 who being an obstinate Maintainer of the Pope's Power against his Princess was put to Death at St. Stephens Fane commonly called Launston in Cornwel and one Trugion a Gentleman that had harboured him was turned out of his Estate and condemned in perpetual Imprisonment and after him Hanse and Nelson and one Sherwood all for maintaining that the Queen was a Schismatick and Heretick and ought to be Deposed so that from the time of making 13 Eliz. ca. 2. in 1571 to this year of 1577 fair and calm weather shone upon the Papists in England who by a merciful connivance served God according to their own way of Worship in their private Houses in a manner without any Punishment altho ' it were prohibited by the Law by which a pecuniary Mulct was to be inflicted on them neither did the Queen in all this time offer violence to their Consciences nor was she easily to be induced to believe any thing amiss of the people much less to inflict punishments upon them for differing in Opinion being wont to say That she could believe nothing of her people which Parents would not believe of their Children And was not this Clemency and Kindness sufficient to prevail with the Papists to leave off their Plots and Contrivances against her and the Protestant Religion Were not these Laws severe enough to keep them within the bounds of their Duty Will neither Love allure them to Obedience nor threatnings upon so severe penalties as the loss of Life and Estate deter them from offending one might reasonably have expected it Steukly 's Plot. Cambd. Annals f. 230. Baker 's Chron. f. 354. But instead thereof in 1578 for Invading Ireland and England both at once and deposing of Q. Elizabeth who was the strongest Bulwark of the Reformed Religion both the Spaniard and Gregory the thirteenth Bishop of Rome entred into a Confederacy at and by the instigation of one Thomas Steukly a Fugitive herein before mentioned but that design by the Providence of God being defeated In the year 1579 one James Fitz-Morris a Fugitive raised a Rebellion in Ireland Fitz-Morris his Plot. Camb. Annals f. 336. the same James who had not long before been in a Rebellion and was upon
Gregory the 13 th which alwaies afforded new supplies of Priests for England when the old ones failed whose business it was privately to spread the Seeds of Popery here amongst us From whence the Colledges had the name of Seminaries and they called Seminary Priests who were bred up in them In these Seminaries amongst other disputations it was concluded that the Pope hath such fulness of Power by Divine Right over the whole Christian World both in Ecclesiastical and Secular Matters that by vertue thereof it is lawful for him to Excommunicate Kings absolve their Subjects from the Oath of Allegiance and to deprive them of their Kingdoms Out of these Seminaries were sent forth into divers parts of England and Ireland at first a few young men and afterwards more according as they grew up who were entered over-hastily into holy Orders and instructed in the above mentioned Principles They pretended only to administer the Sacraments of the Romish Religion and to preach to Papists but the Queen and her Council soon found that they were sent over underhand to seduce the Subjects from their Allegiance and Obedience due to their Prince to oblige them by reconciliation to perform the Pope's Command to stir up intestine Rebellions under the Seal of Confession and flatly to execute the Sentence of Pius V. against the Queen to the end that Way might be made for the Pope and the Spaniard who had designed the Conquest of England To these Seminaries were sent daily out of England by the Papists in contempt and dispight of the Laws great numbers of Boys and young Men of all sorts and admitted into the same making a Vow to return into England Others also crept secretly from thence into the Land and more were daily expected with the Jesuits who at that time came first into England This occasioned the Queen to issue out a Proclamation Camb. Annals f. 245. Collection f. 42. That whosovever had any Children Wards Kinsmen or other Relations in the parts beyond the Seas should after 10 days give in their Names to the Ordinary and within four Months call them home again and when they were returned should forthwith give notice of the same to the said Ordinary That they should not directly or indirectly supply such as refused to return with any Money That no man should entertain in his House or harbor any Priests sent forth from the aforesaid Seminaries or Jesuits or cherish and relieve them and that whoever did to the contrary should be accounted a favourer of Rebels and Seditious Persons and proceeded against according to the Laws of the Land. Camb. Annals f. 246. Before such time as this was proclaimed the Papists pretended that they were sensible too late of the Inconveniencies by the said Bull and that they were ill pleased that ever it came forth A defence of the same written by the said Nicholas Sanders they cunningly supprest and prohibited the Question concerning the power of the Bishop of Rome in Excommunicating and Deposing of Princes to be publickly disputed Which notwithstanding brake forth every day hotter and hotter amongst them Robert Parsons also and Edmund Campian English-Men and of the Society of Jesus being now ready to come over to advance the Romish affairs in England obtained Power from Gregory the Thirteenth Bishop of Rome for moderating that severe Bull Parsons and Campian sent into England by the Pope to promote the Popish interest here The Faculties themselves are Printed verbatim in English and Latin by the L. Burligh in his Examination for Treason Col. f. 12 13. And by Foulis in his History f. 337. The Character of Parsons and Campian Cambd. An. f. 246. Bakers Chron. f. 356. and that in these words Let there be humbly prayed of our most Holy Lord who is generally the most wicked of the whole Court of Cardinals an Explanation of the Bull Declaratory set forth by Pius the V. against Elizabeth and her adherents to give her the Title of Queen after she was excommunicated would have been to disown their own Doctrine of the Lawfulness to depose and kill Princes which Bull the Catholics i. e. the Romish Rebels and Traytors do desire may be understood in this manner that it may always bind Her and the Hereticks i. e. the Protestants and their Protestants Queen but in no way the Catholicks as matters now stand for they were wise enough to carry on their Cruel Designs and knew well enough that whatever Cruelties they used they should be commended for it whether they had any orders for it or not but only hereafter when publick Execution of the said Bull may be had they doubted not of effecting their enterprize for washing their hands in the Blood of the Protestants these Graces aforesaid the Bishop hath granted to Father Robert Parsons and Edmund Campian who are now to take their Journey into England the Fourteenth day of April 1580. in the Presence of Father Oliver Manarcus Assistant This Parsons was of Somerset-shire a violent fierce natur'd Man and of rough behaviour Campian was a Londoner of a sweet disposition and a well pollish'd Man both of them were by Education Oxford Men and known there to Cambden himself as he avers Campian being of St. John's Colledge bare the Office of Proctor of the University in the Year 1568. and being made Deacon made a shew of the Protestant Religion he withdrew himself out of England they can turn themselves into all shapes to carry on their Barbarous and Cruel Conspiracies against the Protestants and the true Religion which they profess Modern Instances of this we have not a few Parsons was of Balliol Colledge wherein he openly professed the Protestant Religion until he was for his loose carriage Expell'd with disgrace and went over to the Papists and it hath been observed by many and that very truly that they who go over from the Protestant to the Popish Religion are generally Men of very vitious and loose Lives These two coming privately into England Travelled up and down the Country and to Popish Gentlemens Houses Covertly and in the disguised Habits sometimes of Souldiers sometimes of Gentlemen sometimes of Ministers of the Word and sometimes of Apparitors diligently performing what they had in Charge both in word and writing Parsons who was Constituted Superior being a Man of a Seditious and Turbulent Spirit and Armed with a Confident Boldness tampered so far with the Papists about deposing the Queen that some of them Cambden saith he speaks upon their own Credit thought to have delivered them into the Magistrates hands Campian the more modest yet by a written Paper Challenged the Ministers of the English Church to a Disputation and published a Neat well-pen'd Book in Latine called Ten Reasons in Defence of the Doctrine of the Church of Rome And Parsons put out another virulent Book in English against Clark who had soberly written against Campian's Challenge but to Campian's Reasons Whitaker gave a solid Answer Campian himself
was taken a Year after and put to the Rack and afterwards being brought forth to Dispute he scarcely answered the expectation raised of him Neither wanted there others also of the Popish Faction for Religion was then grown into faction as it was very lately here in England who Laboured Tooth and Nail at Rome and elsewhere in Princes Courts to raise War against their own Country Yea they published also in Print that the Bishop of Rome and the Spaniard had Conspired together to Conquer England and expose it for a Spoil and Prey And this they did on purpose to give Courage to their own Party and to terrifie others from their Allegiance to their Prince and Country This forced a Manifesto from the Queen Camb. Annals f. 247. wherein after acknowledgment of the goodness of God towards her She declareth that she had attempted nothing against any Prince but for preservation of her own Kingdom nor had she Invaded the Provinces of any other tho she had been sundry times thereunto both provoked by Injuries and invited by Opportunities that if any Prince go about to attempt ought against her she doubts not but to be able by the Blessing of God to defend her People and to that purpose she had Mustered her Forces both by Sea and Land and had them now in readiness against any Hostile Invasion her faithful Subjects she Exhorts to continue immoveable in their Allegiance and Duty towards God and their Prince the Minister of God not their absolute Supream Lord to dispose of them and theirs according to will and pleasure the rest who had shaken off their Love to their Country and their Obedience to their Prince she commands to carry themselves modestly and peaceably and not provoke the severity of Justice against themselves for she would no longer be so imprudent as by sparing the Bad to prove cruel to her self and her good Subjects By this Manifesto all Men may see how tender and compassionate the Queen was to her worst Subjects even them who had renounced their Allegiance to her and very hardly was she brought to put the Laws in Execution against them although they so justly deserved it of which take the following account from Mr. Cambden Camb. Annals f. 270. The Queen to take away the fear which had possest many Minds that Religion would be altered and Popery tollerated being overcome by importunate Intreaties permitted not furiously Commanded as if she thirsted after Blood That Edmund Campian aforesaid of the Society of Jesus Ralph Sherwin Luke Kirby and Alexander Briant Priests should be Arraigned who being Indicted upon the Act for Treason made 25 Ed. 3. and charged to have compassed and imagined the destruction of the Queen and Realm to have adhered to the Bishop of Rome the Queens Enemy to have come into England to disturb the Peace and Quiet of the Realm and to have raised forces to that end were condemned to dye and persisting obstinately to defend the Popes Authority against the Queen were Executed And not for professing the Popish Religion or exercising it barely as some of the Romanists and a few ignorant Protestants pretend For Campian after he was condemned being askt first whether Queen Elizabeth were a true and lawful Queen refused to answer then whether he would take part with the Queen or the Pope if he should send Forces against the Queen he openly professed and testified under his hand that he would stand for the Pope Afterwards some others also were Executed for the same Reasons whereas in full ten Years time after the Northern Rebellion But five Papists put to death in ten Years there had been no more then five Papists put to death But such now were the times that the Queen who never was of opinion that Mens Consciences were to be forced complained many times that she was driven of necessity to take these Courses unless she would suffer the ruin of her self and her Subjects upon some Mens pretence of Conscience and the Catholic Religion i. e. the Abby Lands and a Cardinals Cap yet for the greater part of these silly Priests she did not at all believe them guilty of Plotting the destruction of their Country but their Superiors were they she held Camb. Annals f. 271. Lord Burleigh saith the same thing Collection f. 28. to be the Instruments of this villany for these inferior Emissaries committed the full and free disposure of themselves to their Superiors And when those of the Superiors that were then and afterwards taken were asked whether by the Authority of the Bull of Pius V. Bishop of Rome the Subjects were so absolved from their Oath of Allegiance towards the Queen that they might take up Arms against her whether they thought her to be a lawful Queen whether they would subscribe to Saunders and Bristow's opinion concerning the Authority of that Bull whether if the Bishop of Rome should wage War against the Queen they would joyn with her or him they answered some of them so ambiguously some so resolutely and some by prevarication or silence shifted off the matter in such a manner that divers ingenious Papists which are rare to find in thâ—t Age began to suspect they fostered some treacherous disloyalty and John Bishop a Man otherwise devoted to the Bishop of Rome wrote against them and solidly proved that that Constitution obtruded under the Name of the Lateran Council upon which the whole Authority of absolving Subjects from their Allegiance and deposing Princes is founded is no other then a Decree of Innocent the III. and was never admitted in England yea that the said Council was no Council at all nor was it at all there decreed by the Fathers But of the Priests themselves owning all this I shall give a further account hereafter Camb. Annals f. 272. Suspicions were daily increased by the great number of Priests creeping more and more into England who privately felt the Minds of Men spread abroad that Princes Excommunicate were to be deposed notwithstanding their former prohibition of Preaching that Doctrine and whispered in Corners The Popish Terets spread abroad that such Princes as professed not the Romish Religion had forfeited their Regal Title and Authority that those who had taken holy Orders were by a certain Ecclesiastical priviledge exempted from all jurisdiction of Princes and not bound by their Laws nor ought they to reverence or regard their Majesty that the Bishop of Rome hath supream Authority and absolute Power over the whole World yea in Temporal Matters that the Magistrates of England were no lawful Magistrates and therefore not to be accounted for Magistrates yea that whatsoever was done by the Queens authority since the time the Bull declaratory of Pius V. was published against her was by the Laws of God and Man altogether void and to be esteemed as of no validity and some of them were not ashamed to own that they were returned into England with no other intent then by
reconciling Men at Confession to absolve every one particularly from all his Oaths of Allegiance and Obedience to the Queen just as the said Bull did absolve them all at once and in general And this seemed the easier to be effected because they promised withal absolution from all Mortal sins and the safer because it was pronounced more closely and under the Seal of Confession On the 16th day of January 1580. The Parliament Sir Simon D' Ewes his Journal of the House of Commons p. 266. being the time to which the same had been Prorogued and the 25th day of January Sr. Walter Mildmay made an excellent Speech a great part of which because it will give a confirmation to what hath been before said and evince the reasonableness of the Law that was made in that Session of Parliament against the Papists I have here inserted as it is in Sir Simon D. Ewes his Journal published by Paul Bowes Esquire The Principle Cause of our Assembly here Sir Walter Mildmay 's Speech Sir Simon D' Ewes f. 284. being to consult of Matters that do concern the Realm I have thought good with your Patience to remember you of such things as for the weight and necessity of them I take to be worthy of your consideration wherein I mean to note unto you what I have conceived first of the present state we be in next of the Dangers we may justly be in doubt of And lastly what provision ought to be made in time to prevent or resist them these shewed as briefly as the Matter will suffer I leave to your Judgment to proceed further as you shall find it Expedient That our most Gracious Queen did at her first Entry loosen us from the Yoke of Rome and did Restore unto this Realm the most pure and holy Religion of the Gospel which for a time was overshaddowed with Popery is known of all the World and felt of us to our singular Comfort But from hence as from the Root hath sprung that implacable Malice of the Pope and his Confederates against her whereby they have and do not seek only to trouble but if they could to bring the Realm again into a Thraldom the rather for that they hold this as a firm and setled opinion that England is the only setled Monarchy that most doth maintain and countenance Religion being the chief Sanctuary for the afflicted Members of the Church that fly thither from the Tyranny of Rome as Men being in danger of Shipwrack do from a raging and tempestuous Sea to a calm and quiet Haven This being so what hath not the Pope assayed to annoy the Queen and her State thereby as he thinketh to remove this great obstacle that standeth between him and the overflowing of the World again Popery for the proof whereof these may suffice The Northern Rebellion stir'd up by the Pope and the Quarrel for Popery Note These things were spoke soon after they happened whilst they were fresh in memory The Maintenance sithence of those Rebels and other Fugitives The Publishing of a most Impudent Blasphemous and Malicious Bull against our most rightful Queen The Invasion into Ireland by James Fitz Morris with the obstinacy of some English Rebels The raising of a dangerous Rebellion in Ireland by the Earl of Desmond and others intending thereby to make a general Revolt of all the whole Realm The late Invasion of Strangers into Ireland and their fortifying it The Pope turned thus the Venom of his Curses the Pens of his malitious Parasites into Men of War and Weapons to win that by force which otherwise he could not do And though all these are said to be done by the Pope and in his Name yet who seeth not that they be maintained under hand by some Princes his Confederates And if any Man be in doubt of that let him but note from whence the last Invasion into Ireland came of what Country the Ships and of what Nation the most part of the Souldiers were and by direction of whose Ministers they received their Victuals and Furniture For the Pope of himself at this present is far unable to make War upon any Prince of that Estate which Her Majesty is of having lost as you know many years by the Preaching of the Gospel those infinite Revenues which he was wont to have out of England Scotland Germany Switzerland Denmark and others and now out of France and the Low Countries so as we are to think that his Name only is used and all or the most part of the Charge born by others The Queen nevertheless by the Almighty Power of God standeth fast maugre the Pope and all his Friends having hitherto resisted all Attempts against her to her great Honour and their Shame as the Rebellion in the North suppressed without Effusion of Blood wherein her Majesty may say as Caesar did Veni Vidi Vici as expedite and as honourable was the Victory that God did give her by the Diligence and Valour of those Noble Men that had the conducting thereof The enterprize of James Fitz Morris defeated and himself slain The Italians pulled out by the Ears at Smirwick in Ireland and cut in pieces by the notable Service of a Noble Captain and valiant Souldiers Neither these nor any other Threatnings or Fears of Danger hath or doth make her to stagger or relent in the Cause of Religion but like a constant Christian Princess she still holdeth fast the Profession of the Gospel that hath so long upholden her and made us to live in Peace twenty two years and more under her most gracious Government free from those Troubles that our Neighbours have felt so as this now seemeth to be our present State a Blessed Peaceable and happy Time for the which we are most bound to God and to pray unto him for the continuance thereof But yet notwithstanding seeing our Enemies sleep not it behoveth us not to be careless as tho all were past but rather to think that there is but a piece of the Storm over and that the greater part of the Tempest remaineth behind and is like to fall upon us by the Malice of the Pope the most capital Enemy of the Queen and of this State the Determinations of the Councils of Trent and the Combinations of the Pope with other Monarchies and Princes devoted unto Rome assuring our selves That if their Powers be answerable to their Wills this Realm shall find at their Hands all the Miseries and Extremities that they can bring upon it And though by the late good Success which God hath given in Ireland these leud and malicious Enterprises seem for a time to be as it were at a stand yet let us be assured that neither their Attempts upon Ireland neither the Mischief intended against England will cease thus but if they find us negligent they will be ready with greater Forces then have been yet seen The certain Determination which the Pope and his combined Friends have to root
the Seminary Priests then in England or which should after that timâ— have come hither had been of Mr. Morton and Mr. Saunders his mind before mentioned when the first Excommunication came out or of Mr. Saunders his second resolution being then in Arms against Her Majesty in Ireland or of Mr. Parsons The Parliament excused Traiterous disposition both to our Queen and Country The said Laws no doubt had carried with them a far greater shew of Justice But that was the Error of the State and yet not altogether for ought they knew improbable those times being so full of many dangerous designments and Jesuitical practices In this Year also divers other things fell out unhappily towards us poor Priests and other the graver sort of Catholics who had all of us single Hearts and disliked no man more all such factious enterprizes For notwithstanding the said Proclamation and Law Heywoods Practices Mr. Heywood a Jesuit came then into England and took so much upon him that Father Parsons fell out exceedingly with him and a great trouble grew amongst Catholics by their Brablings and Quarrels A Synod was held by him the said Mr. Heywood and sundry Ancient Customs were therein Abrogated to the offence of very many Campian answered as Sherwin did These Courses being understood after a sort by the State the Catholics and Priests in Norfolk felt the smart of it This Summer also in July Mr. Campian and other Priests were apprehended whose Answers upon their Examinations agreeing in effect with Mr. Sherwins before mentioned did greatly incense the State for amongst other Questions that were propounded unto them this being one viz. if the Pope do by his Bull or Sentence pronounce Her Majesty to be deprived and no Lawful Queen The Question propounded to Campian and others and her Subjects to be discharged of their Allegiance and Obedience unto Her and after the Pope or any other by his Appointment and Authority do Invade this Realm which part would you take or which part ought a good Subject of England to take some Answered that when the Case should happen they would then take Councel what were best for them to do Another that when that Case should happen he would Answer and not before Another that for the present he was not resolved what to do in such a Case Another that when the Case happeneth then he will Answer Another that if such deprivation and Invasion should be made for any Matter of his Faith he thinketh he were then bound to take part with the Pope Now what King in the World being in doubt to be invaded by his Enemies and fearing that some of his own Subjects were by indirect means drawn rather to adhere to them then to himself would not make the best Tryal of them he could for his better satisfaction whom he might trust to In which Tryal if he found any that either should make doubtful Answers or peremptorily affirm that as the Case stood betwixt him and his Enemies they would leave him their Prince and take part with them might he not justly repute them for Traitors and deal with them accordingly sure we are that no King or Prince in Christendom would like or tolerate any such Subjects within their Dominions if possibly they could be rid of them Thus much the secular Priests themselves Confess and certainly then 't is not to be denied but they own all the Treasons and Villanies that the Protestants charge upon the Papists only they would fain excuse themselves and the grave sort of Catholicks from having any hand in them And at the same time they justifie the State in their procedure against them because they have a Colour of reason to believe them all alike and know not but they are so But may the Papists say tho the States might have reason to make it a Capital offence to reconcile any of the Subjects of England to the See of Rome yet it seems hard to make a Man a Traitor for staying in or if a Man be out returning to his Native Countrey which 27 th Eliz. cap. 2. doth which Objections will be sufficiciently answered by the following Account of their Practices in the Queens Dominions from the twenty third year of her Reign to the twenty seventh The Papists had Writ so much against the Queen and other Excommunicate Princes that divers who had the Popes power in Esteem were perfectly drawn from their obedience and amongst others in the Year 1583 one Somervil Somervils Conspiracy Camb. Annals f. 289. Foulis Hist l. 7. cap. 4. f. 338. Bakers Chron. f. 361. who went to the Queens Court and breathing nothing but Blood against the Protestants furiously set upon one or two by the way with his drawn Sword and being apprehended Confessed that he designed to have killed the Queen with his own hands One Edward Arden Somervil's Wives Father his own Wife Somervil's Wife and one Hall a Priest were Arraigned and Condemned for this Conspiracy Somervil was three days after found strangled in Prison Arden was hanged and Quartered But so merciful was the Queen that she spared the Women and the Priest This unfortunate Gentleman Somervil was drawn into all this by the cunning of a Priest and cast by his Evidence saith Mr. Cambden In the Year 1584. Francis Throgmorton eldest Son of John Throgmorton a Justice of Peace in Cheshire Francis Throgmorton's Conspiracy Camb. Annals f. 294.298 Bakers Chron. f. 362. was Clapt up for being in a Conspiracy to bring in an Army of Foreigners and Deposing the Queen And no sooner was he Committed to Custody and had Confessed some things But Thomas Lord Paget and Charles Arundel a Courtier who joyned with him in the Conspiracy privily fled the Land and withdrew themselves into France And Mendoza the Spanish Ambassador who was likewise engaged in the same Design being greatly reprehended for it secretly Crost the Seas into France Throgmorton Confessed the Fact and afterwards denied it and after that cast himself upon the Queen's Mercy and in writing Confessed the same again at large But at the Gallows pretended to deny it again he being executed and the others fled that Conspiracy came to nothing Soon after this there was a further Discovery of the design of the Pope the Spaniard Camb. Annals f. 299. Foulis Hist l. 7. cap. 5. f. 345. The Earl of Arundel and Northumberland were ingaged Camb. Annals f. 310 311. there you will see the design was for delivering the Queen of Scots for the Conquering of England and the destruction of the Protestant Religion and the Guises for invading England which was Discovered in this manner One Chreighton a Scotch-man of the Society of Jesus passing into Scotland and being taken by some Netherland Pirates tore certain Papers in pieces the torn pieces being thrown over board were by the Wind blown back again and fell by chance into the Ship not without a Miracle as Chreighton himself said and Sir Willam
Wade the Clerk of the Councel by putting together these torn pieces of Paper with much pains and singular Dexterity discovered the Design Their spight was all at the Queen and the better to procure her ruin Martins Book against the Queen Foulis Hist l. 7. cap. 4. f. 338. there was a little Book composed and called a Treatise of Schism which amongst other things exhorted the Women at Court to Act the same against the Queen as Judith had done with Commendation against Holosernes The Author of this pernicious Pamphlet was one Gregory Martin formerly of St. Johns Colledge in Oxford and Contemporary with Campian The Duke of Norfolk made him Tutor to his eldest Son and indeed his Learning was noted being a good Linguist and one who had read much but in his writing he was very passionate and so sometimes inconsiderate One * Carter Prints Martins Book Concertat Eccles Cathol Angl. part 2. f. 127. c. Ruston de Schism Angl. l. 3. William Carter who had formerly been Amanuensis to Dr. Harpesfield one of Bishop Bonners Creatures and was now the chief Printer for the Romanists keeping two Presses at their Devotion gets this Book commended by Allen and Prints above a thousand for which he is tryed confesseth the Printing it vindicateth all is contained in it is condemned and executed and hath the Honour to be registred amongst their Martyrs By reason of these Treasons before mentioned as also upon occasion of Rumors from all parts that great Dangers were at hand and threatned to prevent the wicked Designs The Subjects of England Associate and Treacherous Practices of the Papists and to provide for the Queens safety upon which the Welfare both of the Realm and Religion depended many Men of all Degrees and Conditions throughout England by Leicesters means and out of their own publick Care and Love whilst they stood not in Fear of her but were full of Fear for her bound themselves in an Association by mutual Vows Subscriptions and Seals to prosecute to the Death as far as lay in their Power all those that should Attempt any thing against the Queen Upon which the Parliament meeting on Munday 23 d. Day of November 27 El. A Bill was in this Sessions brought into the House of Commons for Provision to be made for the Surety of the Queens Majesties Royal Person and the continuance of the Realm in peace and for confirming the said Association There was also in this Session of Parliament another Bill brought into the House of Commons against Jesuits Seminary Priests and other disobedient Persons and one William Parrey by Nation a Welshman born of obscure Parentage and of mean Estate by Title a Doctor of the Law though but indifferently Learned a Man exceeding proud Camb. Annals f. 305. D' Ewes his Journal f. 340 341 342. Bakers Cron. f. 364. Parry's contempt to the House of Commons when this Bill was read the third time which was Decemb. the 17th 1584. and with little or no Argument passed the House in very violent Terms spake directly against the whole Bill standing up for the Jesuits and pleading that the said Law svoured of Treasons was full of blood danger despair and terror or dread to the English Subjects of this Realm but refused to give his Reasons to the House or any other but the Queen for which he was committed to the Serjeants Custody till the House considered of his Crime and being called in again and he persisting in his contempt It was resolved that for that he did speak to the Bill and gave his Neggative voice so directly and undutifully and in contempt of the House would not shew his Reasons for the same being against the ancient Orders and Usage of that High Court and not for that he said he would shew them only to be discovered to her Majesty he should be committed to the Serjeants Ward till the Matter should be farther Examined On the 18th of December the Queen sent a Message to the House approving and commending what they had done in this matter and letting them know that Doctor Parry had been examined and made a discovery partly to the satisfaction of her Majesty and therefore desired that upon his humble submission and acknowledgement of his fault he might be dispensed with which was accordingly done But Feb. the 18th being in the Tower for Treason was disabled from being longer a Member of the House of Commons Parry's Treasonable Conspiracy for taking away the Queens Life Camb. Annals f. 306. Foulis Hist l. 7. ca. 4. f. 338. D' Ewes Journal f. 350. This very Parry when he got to be Parliament man was a Papist and afterwards accused by Edmond Nevil who claimed the Inheritance of Charles Nevil late Earl of Westmorland one of the Ring-leaders in the forementioned Plot in the North who a little before ended his Life in a Miserable Exile and the Title of Lord Latimer as next Heir Male to have been ingaged in a secret design for taking away the Queens Life This Parry had been pardoned formerly by the Queen of a Burglary and Assault for which he was Tryed and Condemned and to requite her enters into a Conspiracy to take away her Life which he being resolved to do and being then beyond Seas comes forthwith for London and the better to get access to the Queen and credit with her resolves to discover how he had been perswaded to kill her which he doth at White-Hall as cunningly as he can The Queen gave him the hearing and began to put some confidence in him He afterwards engageth the said Mr. Nevel in the design who declared himself convinced of the lawfulness and braveness of the Action so they both swear in Parry's Lodgings Secrecy to kill her yet all this while Parry carried it so fair with the Queen that She not only thought him a trusty Loyal Subject but intended him a liberal Pension or Allowance Foulis Hist l. 7. c. 4. f. 141. Whilst he thus gets esteem with the Queen and at the same time contrives her death Nevil resolves to discover all doth so and is examined by Leicester and Sir Christopher Hatton the Queen wonders at the juggle and contrivance but had it kept secreet And the better to find out the Plot Parry is sent for by Secretary Walsingham to his house there to see if he would any way confess this who had shewed himself soreedy on his own head to discover the Foreign de-signs against her Majesty The Secretary entertains him kindly telling him that the Queen had appointed him to deal with him in a Matter that highly concerned her Majesty knowing him to be one who bore an extraordinary devotion to her the Matter was the Queen had been advertized that there was some Plot in hand against her own Person wherewith she thought he could not but be made acquainted considering the great trust that some of her greatest Enemies reposed in him of this she desired to
be effected so long as the Jesuits Seminary Priests and other Priests were tollerated here for it hath been observed by some with a great deal of Truth that there was never yet a Plot against the Government but the Popish Priests had their share in it It was therefore thought necessary to follow the example of Swedeland the State of Venice and other Countries who have banisht the Jesuits and wisely to carry it a little further and banish Priests too they being such Disturbers of the State which was accordingly done by 27. Eliz. cap. 2. But least the Papists should again object against the Authorities I cite for the History of the Fact I shall here insert the very Words of their Secular Priests in their important Considerations whereby the truth of the Fact is Confest the Words are these About the time of the overthrow of the Popes Forces in Ireland The Secular Priests confess the truth of all the foregoing Account Collect. f. 44. The Popes Plot with King of Spain and Duke of Guise Mendoza his Holiness by the false instigation of the Jesuits plotted with the King of Spain for the assistance of the Duke of Guise to enterprize upon the sudden a very desperate design against Her Majesty and for the Delivery and advancement to the Crown of the Queen of Scotland For the better asserting whereof Mendoza the Jesuit and Ledger for the King of Spain in England set on work a worthy Gentleman otherwise one Mr. Francis Throckmorton and divers others And whilst the same was Contriving as afterwards Mr. Throckmorton himself Confessed 1584 the Jesuitical humour had so possessed the hearts of sundry Catholics as we do unfeignedly rue in our hearts the remembrance of it and are greatly ashamed that any Person so intitl'd should ever have been so extreamly bewitched Two Gentlemen about that time also viz. Anno 1583. Mr. Arden and Mr. Somervil were convicted by the Laws of the Realm Throgmortons Confession you have Printed Camb. Annal l. 3. f. 297. Arden and Somervil Dr. Parry Earl of Northumberland for having purposed and contrived how they might have laid violent hands upon Her Majesties sacred Person Mr. Somervils Confession therein was so notorious as it may not be either quallified or denied And Dr. Parry the same Year was plotting with Jesuits how he might have effected the like Villany How the worthy Earl of Northumberland was about this time brought into the said Plot by the Duke of Guise then still in hand we will pretermit Mr. Parsons that was Actor in it could tell the Story very roundly at Rome it wrought the Earls overthrow in 1585 which may justly be ascribed to the Jesuitical Practices of the Jesuite Mendoza and others of that Crew They mentioned several other Treasons which I shall not here take Notice of but reserve them till I come to give the further Account of their Treasons and only set down the Conclusion of this Paragraph These things say they we would not have touched had they not been known in effect to this part of the World and that we thought it our Duties to shew our own dislike of them and to clear Her Majesty so far as we may from such imputations of more then barbarous Cruelty towards us as the Jesuits in their Writings have cast by Heaps upon her They themselves as we still think in our Consciences and before God having been from time to time the very Causes of all the Calamities which any of us have endured in England since Her Majesties Reign which we do not write simply to excuse Her Highness altho we must Confess we can be contented to indure much rather then to seek her Dishonour but for that we think few Princes living being perswaded in Religion as Her Majesty is and so provoked as she hath been would have dealt more mildly with such their Subjects all Circumstances considered then she hath done with us Let us now see what reason can be given for making the rest of the Penal Laws that were made against the Papists in this Queens Reign The Earl of Arund tryed and fined only Camb. Annals f. 330. He was in 1589. tryed for high Treason and Condemned but the Queen spared him Camb. Annals f. 424.429 The first thing I meet with remarkable after the making these Laws forementioned is the fining the Earl of Arundel 5000 pounds in 586. for holding Correspondence with Allen and Parsons the Jesuit the Queens Enemies for that publickly in writing he had questioned the Justice of the Kingdom and that he had intentions of departing the Realm without License The Earl protesting his obedience to the Queen and his Love to his Countrey modestly excused himself by his Love to the Catholic Religion and his ignorance of the Law Confessed his fault and submitted In the * Gifford Savage Ballard and others Plot to kill the Q. Camb. Annals f. 336. Foulis Hist l. 7. cap. 5. sec 1. f. 343. Bakers Chron. f. 367. same year a very dangerous Conspiracy was discovered against Queen Elizabeth in the English Seminary at Rheimes there were some who were so bigotted to the Popish Religion that they thought the Pope could by his Authority do any thing and that the aforementioned Bull of Pius Quintus for deposing the Queen was dictated by the Holy Ghost and thought it a Meritorious Act to take away her Life and doubted not of a Canonisation as Martyrs if they fell in the Attempt William Gifford Doctor in Divinity Gilbert Gifford and one Hodgson Priests did so infuse this treasonable Doctrine into the mind of one John Savage a Bastard as was reported that he readily Vowed to kill the Queen One Ballard an English Priest at Rheimes bestirs himself in England and Scotland for carrying on the Design and for that purpose prepares Disciples then goeth into France and treats with Mendoza before named Charles Paget and others about invading of England judging they could never have a fairer opportunity then at that Juncture of time forasmuch as the Pope the Spaniard the Duke of Guise and the Prince of Parma were all resolved to set upon England thereby to divert the War from the Netherlands Having delivered the Message there he returns for England to promote the design here gets to London where in a Souldiers habit under the false Name of Captain Fescue he agitates the Plot. Babington and divers other Gentlemen engaged in this design of taking off the Queen At London he discovered this Affair to one Mr. Anthony Babington of Dethick in Derbyshire a young Gentleman greatly addicted to the Romish Religion and who had in France Commenced an Acquaintance with the Bishop of Glascow the Queen of Scots Ambassador and one Thomas Morgan an English Fugitive and a busie Agent for her Babington at first was of opinion that as long as the Queen lived an Invasion would signifie little or nothing but when he understood that Savage had undertaken to remove that
Vsurper Obstinate and Impenitent and so no good to be expected unless she be deprived Therefore Pope Sixtus Quintus moved by his own and his Predecessors Zeal and the vehement Desire of some principal English-men hath used great Diligence with divers Princes especially with the Spanish King to use all his Force that she might be turned out of her Dominions and her Adherents punished And all this for good Reasons Because she is an Heretick Schismatick is excommunicated by former Popes is Contumacious Disobedient to the Roman Bishop and hath taken to her self the Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction over the (a) No such thing Souls of Men. Because she hath against all Law and Right usurped the Kingdom seeing none forsooth must be Monarchs of England but by the Leave and Consent of the Pope Because she hath committed many Injuries Extortions and other Wrongs against her Subjects Because she hath stirred up Sedition and Rebellion between the Inhabitans of Neighbouring Countries Because she hath entertained (b) What did the Pope and Spaniard do Fugitives and Rebels of other Nations Because she sent and procured the (c) A Slanderous Vntruth Turk to invade Christendom Because she persecuted the English Romanists Cut of the (d) And very justly as appears by the Relation before given Queen of Scots and abolished the Roman Religion Because she hath rejected and excluded the Antient Nobility and promoted to Honour obscure People (e) A damn'd Lye. and also useth Tyranny Wherefore seeing these Offences some of them rendring her uncapable of the Kingdom others unworthy to live His Holiness by the Power of God and the Apostles reneweth the Censure of Pius V. and Gregory XIII against her excommunicates and deprives her of all Royal Dignity Titles Rites and Pretences to England and Ireland declares her illegitimate and Vsurper of the Kingdom and absolves all her Subjects from their Obedience and Oaths of Allegiance due to her So he commandeth all under Pain and Penalty of Gods Wrath to yield her no Obedience Aid or Favour whatsoever but to employ all their Power against her and to Joyn themselves with the Spanish Forces who will not hurt the Nation nor alter their Laws nor Priviledges only punish the wicked (f) Protestants he means Hereticks Therefore by these Presents we declare that it is not only Lawful but Commendable to lay Hands on the said Usurper and other her Adherents and for so doing they shall be well rewarded And lastly to all these Roman Assistants is liberally granted a Plenary Indulgence and Remission of all their Sins The Queen to defend her self set forth a good Fleet of Ships Queen Elizabeths Preparation to defend her self Camb. Annal. f. 405. under the Command of Charles Lord Howard of Effingham Lord High Admiral and Drake Vice-admiral she prepared two Armies one of one thousand Horse and twenty two thousand Foot under the Command of the Earl of Leicester The other of thirty four thousand Foot and two thousand Horse under the Command of the Lord Hunsdon And the Nation being jealous of the Papists the Queen was perswaded to commit divers to Wisbich Castle but could not be prevailed upon to execute any one not so much as a Priest notwithstanding the severe Laws then in being against them and this great Preparation made against her for the Conquering of England and the bringing in of Popery The Papists seeing such Preparations made by the Queen A Trick of the Spaniards Camb. Annals l. 3. f. 407 408 409 410. set on foot a Treaty for Peace and in February Commissioners went into Flanders and the 12 th of April 1588 the Spanish Commissioners met the English near Ostend and the Treaty was carried on by the Spanrards with design if possible to make England secure and so to surprise them for they dallied with the English till the Spanish Fleet was come upon the Coast of England and the Thundring of the Ordinance was heard from the Sea. The 21 st of May 1588. the Spanish Fleet set sail out of Tayo The Spanish Fleet at first disperst by Tempest Camb. An. from 411. to 418. The Fleets engage The Spaniard beaten and was totally scattered and disperst by a very great Tempest but being come together again the 12 th of July the whole Fleet set Sail again and the 21 st both Fleets engaged and after four several Sea-fights the First the 21 st the Second the 23 d. the Third the 25 th and the Last on the 27 th or 28 th of July thy Spanish Fleet the last Day of the same Month was driven Northwards and machischeir Escape by Flight This great Armada which had been three Years in Riggâ—â—g and Preparing with infinite Expence was within a Months space four times fought with and at the last overthrown with the Slaughter of many Men not an Hundred of the English being missing and but one Ship lost and after it had been driven round about all Brittain by Scotland the Orcades and Ireland grievously tossed and very much distressed impaired and mangled by Storms and Wrecks and indured all manner of Miseries at length returned Home with Shame and Disgrace The Prince of Parma never joyned them for which he was sufficiently reviled by the Spaniards As for Cardinal Allen he was born in Lancashire of good Parentage Foulis Hist l. 7. cap. 6. f. 351 352. Camb. Annals f. 490. Bakers Chron. f. 381. was bred up at Oxford in Oriel Colledge where he was Proctor was prefered to a Cannonship in York In Queen Elizabeths Days he quitted England became a Pensioner to the Spaniard to carry on whose Designs against his Queen and Country he was very industrious for which Service Sixtus V. created him a Cardinal 1587. and he died at Rome 1594. Oct. 16. He hath told us himself who were the chief Promoters of this Invasion as Mr. Foulis tells us and quotes for it Quodlibets Pag. 40 41 57. his own Words as he relates it are these The King of Spain at length as well by his Holiness's Authority and Exhortations as by his own unspeakable Zeal and Piety moved also not a little by my humble and continual Suit together with the afflicted and banished Catholicks of our Nation of all and every Degree who have been by his special Compassion and Regal Munificency principally supported in this our long Exile hath condescended at last to take upon him this so holy and glorious an Act c. And then proceeds to encourage nay and threaten too the English to take up Arms against their Queen and to joyn with the Spaniards and other Invaders If you will avoid the Popes the Kings and other Princes high Indignation let no Man of what Degree soever obey abet aid defend or acknowledge her c. Adding That otherwise they should incur the Angels Curse and Malediction and be as deeply excommunicated as any because that in taking her part they should fight against God against their Lawful King (a)
Manuel Andrada a Portugal Lopez his Confession an Agitator under Don Bernardino Mendoza the Spanish Ambassador in France 2. That the said Andrada brought him from Christophero de Mora a Portuguese but a great favorite of King Philips and an especial instrument for reducing Portugal under the Spanish Crown a Rich Jewel an encouragement from Philip himself 3. That he was informed of the King of Spains hopes of him not only by Andrada but by Roderique Marques a Portuguese also but employed by the Spaniard on such wicked designs 4. That he the said Lopez did assent to these wicked Councels 5. That he did secretly advertise the Spaniards divers times of such affairs of the Queens as he could learn. 6. That he did also assent to take away the Queens Life by Poyson upon a reward promised him of 50000 Crowns 7. That he sent Andrada to confer with Count Fuentez about it 8. That he directed Stephano Ferreira de Gama to write Letters to Stephano Iberra that he would undertake as he had promised to destroy the Queen by Poyson provided that he might have the said 50000 Crowns 9. That he sent these Letters by one Gomez Davilla a Portugal that the reason why the Murther was not Executed according to promise was because he perceived the delivery of the 50000 Crowns defer'd tho promised him from day to day That to take away this delay of the Execution Count Fuentez by the King of Spains Order did sign and deliver Bills of Exchange for the said Mony. A Nunnery founded with the very Mony that was given to Poyson Queen Eliz. Tho Robinsons Anatomy of the Nunnery of Lisborn p. 9. * This Mony or part of it for security to Lopez was delivered to the Custody of the English Nuns then at Roan in France which Money the Plot failing and Lopez Executed was given to the said Nuns who carried it with them to Lisbon in Portugal where they settled themselves in a Nunnery as appears by their Register Book These Plots and Conspiracies against the Queens Person and for the Extirpating Heresie as they called the Protestant Religion moved the Queen to call a Parliament which she did in the thirty fifth Year of her Reign A Parliament called to secure the Queens Person and the Protestant Religion against the Plots and Conspiracies of the Papists and recommended the preservation of her Person and the Protestant Religion to them that they would put her into a posture of defending her self and these Kingdoms against any further attempts that might be made by the Pope the Spaniard or any other which was done by giving her large supplies and making an additional Act to the many that had been before made against the Papists which is Intituled an Act for restraining of Popish recusants to some certain places of abode The preamble runs thus For the better discovering and avoiding all Traiterous and most dangerous conspiracies and attempts as are daily devised and practised against our most Gracious Soveraign Lady the Queens Majesty 35. Eliz. c. 2. Rast Stat. part 2. f. 399. Papists not to remove above 5 miles from the place of their abode and the happy State of this Common-weal by sundry wicked and seditious Persons who terming themselves Catholics and being indeed Spies and Intelligencers not only for her Majesties Foreign Enemies but also for Rebellious and Trayterous Subjects Born within her Highnesses Realms and Dominions and hiding their most detestable and divelish purposes under a false pretext of Religion and Conscience do secretly wander and shift from place to place within this Realm to corrupt and seduce her Majesties Subjects and to stir them to Sedition and Rebellion Then it is enacted that every Papist Convict dwelling or having a place of abode should repair to such his dwelling house or place of abode and not remove above five miles from thence upon the penalty of forfeiting his Goods and Chattels absolutely and his Lands Tenements and Hereditaments and his Annuities during his Life and they that have none are to repair to the places where they were Born or where their Father or Mother should be living upon the same penalty Popish Coppy-holders convict to forfeit their Coppy-hold to the Lord if he be not a Papist if he be a Papist then to the Queen Papists shall notifie their coming within Twenty days after their coming and present themselves and deliver their true Names in writing to the Minister or Curate and Constable c. which is to be certified to the Sessions and Inrolled there All Persons not being Feme Covert and not having Free hold Lands of twenty Marks per annum above all charges or Goods and Chattels above the vallue of Forty Pounds If they do not obey this Act by repairing to their places of abode c. shall abjure the Realm and the abjuration shall be entred on Record and certified Refusing to abjure or after abjuration not going away within the time appointed is made Felony A Jesuit Seminary or Massing Priest refusing to Answer directly whether he be so or no shall be imprisoned till he do make Answer There is a saving in the Act to Persons Licensed or Commanded by the Kings Process or bound to yield their Persons to the Sheriff Vpon open submission the offendor is to be discharged the submission to be entred into a Book by the Minister he that relapseth shall be in the same condition he was before such submission Married Women are bound by this Act save in the Case of abjuration Cullens Treason Foulis Hist l. 7. c. 7. f. 356. At the same time that Lopez was dealing withal about the Queens Murther the Papists to make more sure persuaded one Patrick Cullen an Irishman and a Fencer to commit the same Villany against her Royal Person In this Treason Stanley was very active who with Sherwood and Holt two Jesuits confirmed him in the lawfulness of the action giving him thirty Pounds towards his Journey into England being then in the Low-Countries but he was taken confessed all and is Executed York and Williams Conspiracy to kill the Queen Fouils Hist l. 7. c. 7. f. 356. Camb. Annals f. 495. Bakers Chron. 382. Their Confession The English fugitives beyond Seas persuaded one Edmund York and one Richard Williams with others to kill the Queen And this wicked Treason was agitated the same time that Lopez and Cullen were consulting about theirs But these Traytors were also seized on and suffer'd The truth of which Conspiracy appears from their own confession which take as followeth 1. They confessed that for an encouragement Hugh Owen a noted Traytor at Bruxells had an assignation subscribed by Ibara the Spanish Secretary of 40000 Crowns to be given them if they would kill the Queen 2. That the said assignation was delivered to Holt the Jesuit who shewed also the same to York and produced the Sacrament and kissed it swearing that he would pay the said Monies when the Murther
People had possest our Souls in meekness and humility honoured Her Majesty born with the infirmity of the State suffered all things and dealt as true Catholic Priests If all of us we say had thus done most assuredly the State would have loved us or at least born with us where there is one Catholic there would have been ten There had been no Speeches amongst us of Racks and Tortures nor any cause to have used them for none were ever vexed that way simply for that he was either Priest or Catholic but because they were suspected to have had their hands in some of the said most Traiterous designments None of Her Majesties Enemies durst so really have attempted her State and Kingdom we had been in better friendship with those that seek now most to oppose themselves against us and to all Men as we are persuaded Bonus odor Christi odor vitae ad vitam Whereas by following the said new violent Spirits quasi turbae impellentes parietem we are become odor Mortis ad mortem non solum iis qui pereunt sed etiam iis qui salvi fiunt And therefore let us all turn over the Leaf and take another course then hitherto we have done CHAP. VIII K. Ja. I. AND now a Man might reasonably suppose that after the first Plottings of the Papists with the Guises the French King and the Pope on behalf and by the instigation of the Queen of Scots after Harding Saunders and S. P. busily exercising their Episcopal Power in England in 1568 after Ridolph's exciting Queen Elizabeth's Subjects to Rebellion sent hither by Pope Pius Quintus for that purpose after the Rebellion in the North fomented by Morton sent hither by the same Pope to that end headed by the Earls of Northumberland and Westmorland who were incouraged thereto by a Letter from the same Pope After Dacres his Rebellion in Cumberland after the Earl of Ormonds Brethren the Boâ—telers Rebellion in Ireland after Pope Pius Quintus his Bull declaring the Queen Excommunicate and her Subjects absolved from their Allegiance after the Earl of Twomonds Rebellion in Ireland after Storys Treason â—ir Edward Coke Attorny General to King James â—e First in oâ—ening the fact â—f the Gun-Powder-Plot at â—he Tryal of â—arnet the Jeâ—ite mentions â—â—ese Treasons â—nd Conspiraâ—es The Relaâ—tion of the â—ryal was Prinâ—â—d Anno â—606 which â—eing taken neâ—ce of whilst â—hings were â—resh in memoâ—y gives the â—reatest confirâ—ation to the â—ruth of them after the Spaniards the Pope and the Guises contrivances to kill the Queen and set up Mary Queen of Scots and introduce Popery after I say these things had occasioned the making the 13 Eliz. cap. 12 And after Stukelys Plot to invade Ireland and England at once After Fitz Morris his Rebellion in Ireland carried on after his Death by Desmond after another conspiracy in Ireland for the destruction of the Protestant Relligion after the erecting Seminarys abroad for the educating and bringing up Priests to be sent hither to alienate the Hearts of the Subject from their Soveraign and the Actual sending of Campian Parsons and others into England for that purpose who were detected in their attempts to compass such their wicked designs and Executed for Treason after I say these things had raised a greater jealousy of the Papists in the State and caused them to make the 23 El. cap. 1. And after Somervills Conspiracy to kill the Queen after Francis Throgmortons Conspiracy to depose the Queen by Foreign Force after a further design of the Pope the Spaniard and the Guises for invading England in order to destroy the Protestant Religion after Parry's Treason all which Conspiracies and Treasons extorted from the State the 27 Eliz. cap. 1. and 2. after Gilford Savage Babington and others design to kill the Queen and set up Mary Queen of Scots who was at the Bottom of this design her self and promised to reward the Actors in it for which she was Tryed Condemned and Executed after Staffords Conspiracy and Yorks Plot which Treasons occasioned the making the 29 Eliz. cap. 6. and after the Pope and the Spaniards design in 1588. to invade England and thereby destroy the Protestant Religion with its defender by a Force by them called the Invincible Armada and this begun and carryed on by English Priests and Lay-Papists after Heskets Plot to depose the Queen and set up the Lord Strange After Cullens Conspiracy to murther the Queen after Lopez his Conspiracy to poison the Queen for which the Spaniard was to pay 50000 Crowns which Treasons did as it were compel the State to make the 35 Eliz. cap. 2. for confining Papists with in five Miles of their dwelling I say after all these Plots Conspiracies Treasons and open Rebellions invented begun and carryed on by the Papists and all with so little Success and after their own Confession of the whole to be true and their own advice to turn over a new Leaf a man might reasonably suppose that they should have ceased any further Attempts by Treason Rebellion Plot or Conspiracy to introduce the Popish Religion into England But such is the inveterate Malice and implacable Hatred of the Pope and all that are of the Communion of the Church of Rome if I may call it a Church that even before the peaceable James the First of England and the Sixth of Scotland was placed upon the Throne by the unanimous consent of all the Protestant Subjects of England as appears by the Act of Recognition made in the first year of his Reign there were several Plots for the taking away his Life and in one Plot even Watson and Clark two secular Priests of the Romish Church the former whereof joyned with Bluet the Secular Priest in writing the Impotâ—nt considerations before mentioned wherein they acknowledge all the Plots Conspiracies Treasons and Rebellions before mentioned to have been committed by Papists but insinuate it to be done by the instigation of the Jesuits are found in a Plot against the said King James and Executed for it but before I mention any thing of that Plot I shall give a short Account of what designs were on foot against the said King James his Life before his accession to the Crown Queen Elizabeth being old and weak and as they thought The Papists plot against James the First before his coming to the Crown could not live long the Papists thought it needless to make any more attempts against her person least her death should anticipate their quickest Designs But she and the Kingdom having their Eye upon the said King James being a Protestant to succeed her their main drift was to prevent him if possible from succeeding Queen Elizabeth In order to this in the Year 1601. there was one Francis Mowbray Mowbray's Plot against King James the First Fowlis Hist. li. 10. cap. 1. f. 498. Son to the Laird Barnbowegal who had lived some while in the Infanta's Court at Brussels he they say
taken by a general Councel free and Lawfully called to pluck up those Roots of Dangers and Jealousies which arise about Religion as well between Prince and Prince as between them and their Subjects and to make it manifest that no States or Potentates either hath or can Challenge power to dispose of Earthly Kingdoms or Monarchies or to dispense with Subjects obedience to their natural Soveraign In which charitable Account there will be no Prince living that will be readier then we shall be to concur even to the utmost of our Power not only out of particular Disposition to live peaceably with all States and Princes of Christendom but because such a settled Amity might by an union in Religion be established amongst Christian Princes as might enable us all to resist the common Enemy Given at our Pallace at Westminster the 22 d. Day of February in the first Year of our Reign c. This Proclamation I thought fit to insert because by it it appears that King James himself was of opinion that the before mentioned Conspiracy was conceived by the Popish Priests however they prevailed upon some of the Protestant Profession to joyn with them in Midwiving it into the World and therefore may truly be called Popish By the Kings issuing out this Proclamation the heat and hopes of the Jesuits and their Correspondents were somewhat allayed but it made way for more dark and secret Contrivances which they afterwards put into Practice and I shall give a full Account of But before I do that I shall give you King James the First his Opinion of the Papists both Laicks and Clericks as he himself delivered it in his first Speech to his first Parliament in 1603. Take it in his own Words as related by Wilson King James his Speech against Papists Wilson f. 19. For the Papists I must put a difference betwixt my own private Profession of my Salvation and my politick Government of the Realm for the weal and quietness thereof As for my own Profession you have me your Head now among You of the same Religion that the Body is of as I am no stranger to you in Blood no more am I a stranger to you in Faith or in Matters concerning the House of God. And altho' this my Profession be according to my Education wherein I thank God I suckt the Milk of Gods truth with the Milk of my Nurse yet I do here protest unto you that I would never for such a Conceit of Constancy or other prejudicate Opinion have so firmly kept my first Profession if I had not found it agreeable to all Reason and to the Rule of my Conscience But I was never violent nor unreasonable in my Profession I acknowledge the Roman Church to be our Mother Church altho defiled with some Infirmities and Corruptions as the Jews were before they Crucified Christ And as I am no Enemy to the Life of a sick Man because I would have his Body purged of ill Humours no more am I an Enemy to their Church because I would have them reform their Errors not wishing the down-throwing of the Temple but that it might be purged and cleaned from Corruption Otherwise how can they wish us to enter if their House be not first made clean But as I would be lother to dispense in the least point of mine own Conscience for any Worldly respect then the foolishest Precisian of them all So would I be as sorry to streighten the politick Government of the Bodies and Minds of all my Subjects to my private Opinions Nay my Mind was ever so free from Persecution or inthralling of my Subjects in Matters of Conscience King James his Mildness to Papists as I hope those of that Profession within this Kingdom have a proof since my Coming that I was so far from increasing their Burthens with Rhehoboam as I have so much as either time occasion or Law could permit lightned them And even now at this time have I been careful to revise and consider deeply upon the Laws made against them that some Overture might be made to the present Parliament for clearing these Laws by reason which is the Soul of the Law in Case they have been in times past further or more rigorously extended by Judges then the meaning of the Law was or might tend to the hurt as well of the innocent as of the guilty Persons And as to the Persons of my Subjects which are of that Profession I must divide them into two ranks Clericks and Laicks for the Laicks I ever thought them far more excuseable then the other sort because their Religion containeth such an ignorant doubtful and implicite kind of Faith grounded upon their Church that except they do generally believe whatsoever their Teachers please to affirm they cannot be thought guilty of these particular points of Heresies and Corruptions which their Teachers so wilfully profess And again I must subdivide the Laick into two Ranks which are either quiet and well minded Men peaceable Subjects who either being old retain their first Drunk in Liquor upon a certain Shamefacedness to be thought Curious or Changeable Or being young Men through evil Education have been Nursed and brought up upon such Venome instead of wholsome Nutriment and this sort of People I would be sorry to punish their Bodies for the Error of their Minds the Reformation whereof must only come of God and the true Spirit But the other Rank of Laicks who either through Curiosity Affectation of Novelty or Discontentment have changed their Coats only to be Factious stirers of Sedition and perturbers of the Common-wealth this giveth a ground to me the Magistrate to take better heed to their Proceedings and to correct their Obstinacy But for the Clericks I must directly say and affirm that as long as they maintain one special point of their Doctrine and another of their Practise they are no way sufferable to remain in this Kingdom the point of Doctrine is that Arrogant and Ambitious Supremacy of their Head the Pope whereby he not only Claims to be spiritual Head of all Christians but also to have an Emperial Civil power over all Kings and Emperors Dethroning and Crowning Princes with his Foot as pleaseth him and dispensing and disposing of all Kingdoms and Empires at his Appetite The other point which they observe in continual Practise is the Assassinates and Murthers of Kings Thinking it no sin but rather a Matter of Salvation to do all Acts of Rebellion and Hostility against their natural Sovereign Lord if he be once Cursed his Subjects discharged of their Fidelity and his Kingdom given a prey by that three Crowned Monarch or rather Monster their Head. And in this point I have no occasion to speak further here saving that I could wish from my Heart It would please God to make me one of the Members of such a general Christian Union in Religion as laying Wilfulness aside on both hands we might meet in the midst which
is the Center and perfection of all things For if they would leave and be ashamed of such new and gross Corruptions of theirs as themselves cannot maintain nor deny to be worthy of Reformation I would for my own part be content to meet them in the mid way so that all Novelties might be renounced on either side For as my Faith is the true Ancient and Apostolick Faith grounded upon the express word of God so will I ever yeild all reverence to Antiquity in the points of Ecclesiastical Policy And by that means shall I ever with Gods Grace keep my self from either being an Heretick in Faith or Shismatick in Matters of Policy But of one thing would I have the Papists of this Land to be admonished that they presume not so much upon my Lenity because I would be loath to be thought a Persecutor as thereupon to think it lawful for them daily to encrease their number and strength in this Kingdom whereby if not in my time at least in the time of my Posterity they may be in hope to erect their Religion again No As they were very lately let them assure themselves that as I am a Friend to their Persons if they be good Subjects so am I a vowed Enemy and do denounce Mortal War to their Errors And as I would be sorry to be driven by their ill Behaviour from the Protection and Conservation of their Bodies and Lives so I will never cease as far as I can Suffering the increase of Popery called by Jam. 1. a betraying England and Scotland to tread down their Errors and wrong Opinions For I could not permit the increase and growing of their Religion without betraying my self and my own Conscience and this whole Island as well the part I am come from as the part I remain in in betraying their Liberties and reducing them to the former slavish Yoke which both had cast off before I came among them as also the Liberty of the Crown in my Posterity which I should leave again under a new Slavery being left free to me by my Predecessors And therefore I would wish all good Subjects that are deceived with this Corruption if they find any beginnings in themselves of Knowledge and Love to the truth to foster the same by all lawful Means and to beware of quenching the Spirit that worketh within them And if they can find as yet no Motion tending that way to be studious to read and confer with Learned men and to use all such means as may further their resolutions assuring them that as long as they are disconformable in Religion to us they cannot be but half my Subjects be able to do but half service and I shall want the best half of them which is their Souls After which the Parliament considering the said Proclamation and Speech and that notwithstanding the Jesuites and Seminary Priests flockt over in great numbers into England made an Act of Parliament intituled 1 Jac. cap. 4. Rast Stat. 2. part f. 550. An Act for the due Execution of the Statutes against Jesuites Seminary Priests Recusants c. By which it is Enacted THat all Statutes made against Iesuites Priests and Recusants should be put in due Execution but conforming himself should be discharged If the Heir of Papists be a Protestant An Act for puting the Laws against Papists in Execution and for punishing the Heirs of Papists he shall be discharged of all the Penalties Charges and Incumbrances happening upon Him or Her in respect or by reason of any of His or Her Ancestors Recusancy But if the Heir of a Papist shall happen to be within the Age of sixteen Years at the time of the Death of his Ancestor and shall after such Age be or become a Papist such Heir shall not be freed of the Penalty c. Unless He or She Conforms that the two parts of a Papists Lands shall go towards the satisfaction of the twenty pounds per Month forfeiture and after his Death shall remain in the Kings hands until the Arrears be satisfied that none shall send or cause to be sent any Person to any Colledge Seminary or house of Iesuites Priests or any other Papist Popish Order Professing or Calling whatsoever upon the Penalty of a hundred Pound forfeiture they that go or are sent are disabled to inherit purchase take have or enjoy any Estate whatever real or personal and all Estates or Terms conveyed to their Vse or in Trust for them are thereby made void and null That no Woman or Child under the Age of 21 Years shall go beyond Seas without License of the King or of six of the Privy Councel first had under their hands the Officer of the Port that suffers such to pass forfeits his Office and all his Goods and Chattels the Owner of the Ship his Ship and Tackle and the Master and Marriners their Goods and shall suffer twelve Months imprisonment without Bayl or Main prize Keeping School contrary to the Act forty Shillings forfeiture The Gunpowder-Treason in 1604. King James having by his Proclamation before the Parliament met and in his Speech at the opening of the Parliament thus freely declared against the Papists especially the Priests and Jesuites and the Parliament having made the said Law against them and they dispairing of any Tolleration in Matters of Religion which they had Petitioned for now to their old Work of Plotting again and a Plot they laid they did I say It was of that Nature that it is next to incredible that such a Complicated Villany should ever enter into the heart of Man quà Rational much more quà Christian but one would rather think it had been the product of a Consult in Hell amongst the Devils themselves and if degrees of wickedness can be allowed to be there amongst the worst of Devils too The Plot it self Foulis Hist l. 10. cap. 2. f. 507. Wilsons Hist f. 28. Bakers Chron. f. 507. The Actors in it The Plot was this with one blow to destroy King Queen Prince Nobles and Commons who were not Papists this is designed to be effected by blowing up the Parliament House when the King and Parliament were sitting and killing those of them who were not in the House The Persons concerned in this Plot were Robert Catesby the Contriver hereof Henry Garnet John Gerrard Oswald Tesmond and other Jesuites the Advisers thereto Thomas Piercy Robert Winter John Grant Ambrose Rookwood John Wright Francis Tresham Sir Everard Digby Guy Fauks Robert Keys Thomas Bates and others Assistants in carrying it on To carry on this Design when it was laid first an Oath of Secrecy was compiled and afterwards the Conspirators took the same and not only so but Garnet confest them and they afterwards received the Sacraments to bind them to the greater Secrecy the Oath was this You shall swear by the Blessed Trinity and by the Sacrament you now purpose to receive never to disclose directly or indirectly
afterwards another Treaty was set on foot for Prince Henry with a Daughter of Spain What Religion the Spaniard was of is well known and what effect the Crown of England Matching into Popish Families abroad hath had is more to be lamented then remembred any other ways then to avoid the like mischiefs for the future In the 12 th Year of his Reign there were a generation about the Court Camb. f. 77. A Parliament called and dissolved because they complained of grievances and particularly of the increase of Papists that undertook for the calling such a Parliament as the King would have these were Men that presumed they had friends in every County and Borough who by their power among the People could make Election of such Men for Knights and Burgesses as should comply solely with the Kings desire and Somerset was the head and chief of these undertakers but these projects against the Fundamentals of the English Government proved an abortive for the Parliament meeting such Faces appeared there as was no ways pleasing to the Court who instead of contributing to the Kings wants lay open his wasts especially upon the Scots with whom they desire a share of Favour The Bread by our Saviour's Rule properly belongs to the Children of the Kingdom and they beseech his Majesty to stop the Current of future access of that Nation to make residence here having enough to eat up their own Crums they enquire into the Causes of the unexpected increase of Popish Recusants since the Gunpowder Plot the detestation whereof they thought should have utterly extinguished them and they attribute it to the admission of Popish Nobility into his Councels the silencing of many watchful and dilligent Ministers the divers Treaties his Majesty had entertained not only for the Marriage of Prince Henry but for Prince Charles with the Daughters of Popish Princes which disheartned the Protestant and encouraged the Papist they laid open with these many other miscarriages in Government the King desirous to conceal these Matters dissolves the Parliament and Committed to the Tower and other Prisons such as were most active for the common good and who can deny but that this must needs give encouragement to the Papists In the 15 th Year of his Reign he put out a Book to Tollerate Sports on the Lords Days this Book came out with a Command injoyning all Ministers to read it to their Parishoners and to approve of it A Book of Sports obtruded and those that did not were brought before the High Commission Imprisoned and Suspended This was a contrivance of the Papists and their adherents to trap the most Conscientious Men of the Church of England who were in all other matters exactly conformable and to lay them aside and good reason the Papists had for this because no Nation will ever receive their innovations in Matters of Religion where there is a Sound Orthodox Learned and Pious Clergy Wilsons Hist. f. 105. Wilson says that some of the Ministers that were Suspended said that they would Preach the Gospel in a Fools Coat rather then be silent for a Surplis and the Conjuring of them with the Cross in Baptism and the Circle of the Ring in Marriage could not make a well composed Reason and a sound Conscience then start at it But when so frighful an Aparition as the Dancing Book appeared some of the Ministers left all for fear others by force they were so terrified by it This I have set down in Willsons own words because it appears by this that the Men that were suspended were proceeded against not for Puritanism or Nonconformity to the discipline of the Church of England but for non-complying with things obtruded on them by right down Papists or those who whether they saw it or no I cannot tell were carrying on the Popish designs The King having all along had a design of Matching his Son Rushw Col. 1. part f. 11. either to Spain or France it is no wonder that the Priests and Jesuits swarm here and much less a wonder that they endeavour to promote their own Religion for if they will do it when the Edge of Justice is sharpned against them much more when he that should make use of the Sword is so merciful that let them do what they will he will not or so fearful he dares not strike As Prophanness by reason of the Book of Sports crept in by their means so did Idolotry and Superstition for their was now more enmity against Ministers of the Gospel then Popish Priests and no wonder for let a Peoples Morals be once throughly debauched and 't will not be very difficult to make them outwardly of what Religion you will. The Jesuits Jugling with the Boy of Bilson Wilsons Hist. f. 107. The Popish Priests and Jesuits having now more liberty then they had had for above fifty Years resolve to make much of their time and because they cannot much boast of real holiness pretended Miracles must recommend them to the People for this purpose the Boy of Bilson was set up by them as he himself afterwards confest to Act the part of one possest with a Divel and they were to come and disposes him that so it might appear how much Gods Power was exprest in their weakness and to difference the truth and holiness betwixt the Catholic Religion and the Heresie profest among Protestants such Godly cheats are they always making use of to deceive the Hearts of the simple This Boy Bishop Morton discovered to be an imposture and when he had made the discovery and the Boy found he was detected he confest the whole Matter to be thus That he was inticed to one Mr. Giffords House in Stafford-shire where there were four Romish Priests who gave him Mony and many fair words promising him great matters if he would be conformable to their instructions In three days time they had taught him to practice his tricks so well that they ventured him home to his Fathers to exercise them publickly He came home in a very distracted manner to his Parents amazement and in a short time the thing was noised and a great deal of Company coming to see him his Parents got Money by it which was an incouragement to him to persist so that when the Priests came to disposes him he would not be disposest but went on and as they had instructed him accused a poor Old Woman of Witchcraft for which she was Tryed and Condemned and had been Executed had it not been for Bishop Morton detecting this imposture The whole story you may read at large in Wilson from f. 106. to 111. Wilsons Hist. f. 130. Henry Earl of Northumberland who was Sentenced in the Star-Chamber Thirty Thousand Pounds and Imprisoned in the Tower for harbouring in his House the aforenamed Thomas Piercy his Kinsman who was one of the Plotters of the Gunpowder-Treason was in the Seaventeenth Year of this Kings Reign set at liberty The
might be against him that had maintained the War in the Palatinate That he would put the Laws in Execution against the Papists That the c Charles the First Prince might be married to a Protestant That the Children of the Nobility and Gentry beyond Seas might be called home That Papists Children and their Children whose Wives were Papists might be educated by Protestant School-Masters and Teachers That the King would revoak all former Licences for Youth to travel beyond Sea and grant no more after That all former Grants of Papists Lands might be avoided if by Law they could and no such Grants made afterwads The Commons had no small reason to take notice of the State of the Protestant Interest abroad seeing besides the great Wound made in Germany Protestants persecuted abroad Rushw Coll. 1 pt f. 43. and the Cruelties of the prevailing House of Austria the Protestants in France were almost ruined by Lewis the Thirteenth and yet notwithstanding the King understanding they were preparing the above mentioned Remonstrance writ a Letter to Sir Thomas Richardson Speaker of the House of Commons December the 3 d. 1621. Wherein he let him know He heard to his Grief that his Absence being sick had emboldned some fiery and popular Spirits of the House to argue and debate Matters far above their Reach and Capacity The King is angry at the Remonstrance and writes to the Speaker to prevent it Rush Coll. Ibid. tending to his Dishonour and Breach of Prerogative Royal. Therefore commanded him to make known to the House that none should presume to meddle with any thing concerning his Government or deep Matters of State and particularly that they should not deal with his dearest Sons Match with the Daughter of Spain or any other his Friends and Confederates That except they did reform it before it came to his Hands he would not hear nor answer it Another Remonstrance Rush Coll. 1 pt f. 44. And he was as good as his Word as will appear afterwards for upon the Receipt of this Letter the House drew up another Remonstrance with the greatest Submission imaginable wherein they lay the Ground of their former Remonstrance upon the deplorable Estate of his own Children in the Palatinate and the apparent Danger and almost unavoidable Ruine of the Protestants and the Protestant Religion at Home and abroad evidenced by Transactions an Account whereof they had received from his Majesty himself by three Honorable Lords and tackt their former Remonstrance to the latter and so presented them but the former he rejected utterly and gave a long Answer to the latter but granted nothing whereof they complained as may be seen by the Answer it self printed in Wilson f. 178. and Rushworth f. 46. In the said Answer he discovered his great Concern for the Spanish Match and his Backwardness to proceed against Papists however the same is blended by specious Pretences of the Necessity of shewing Favour to the Papists here to procure the gentle Usage of the Protestants abroad VVilson's Hist f. 188. Rushw Coll. 1 pt 53 54 55. The Parliament dissolved He denied in his Answer the Rights and Priviledges of the Commons to be their Birth-right they protest them so to be he tears the Protest out of the Journal Book of the House of Commons and the sixth of January 1621. by Proclamation dissolves the Parliament And whether that were the way to recover the Palatinate or secure the Protestant Religion at home or abroad needs no great Sagacity to determine Papists discharged from Imprisonment VVilson's Hist f. 195. Rushw Coll. 1 pt f. 62 63. In the twentieth Year of this Kings Reign the Prisons were opened Priests and Jesuits walked about at Noon And Gondamore who did what he pleased vaunts of four thousand Papists that his Intercession had released either to make his Service the more acceptable to his Master or to let him see how willing the King was to do any thing to advance that Match which they never intended The King was not so nice but that he could stay for * Car. Bandino Car. Lode visio a Dispensation from Rome To expedite which he wrote to some of the most active Cardinals there and received Answers from them full of alluring Hopes And that he might give some more publick Testimony of his Indulgence to the Papists the mortal Enemies of the Protestants he commanded Doctor Williams Bishop of Lincoln then Lord-Keeper of the Great Seal of England to pass Writs under the Great Seal to require the Judges of every Circuit to enlarge all such Papists as were imprisoned for Recusancy accordingly the Writs were issued forth under the Great Seal and the Lord-Keeper wrote to the Judges on this manner which Letter take Verbatim as printed in Wilson The Lord Keeper Williams his Letter to the Judges in Favour of the Papists VVilson's Hist f. 196. AFter my hearty Commendations to you His Majesty having resolved out of deep Reasons of State and in Expectation of like Correspondence from Foreign Princes to the Professors of our Religion to grant some Grace and Connivance to the imprisoned Papists of this Kingdom hath commanded me to pass some Writs under the Broad Seal to that purpose requiring the Judges of every Circuit to enlarge the said Prisoners according to the Tenor and Effect of the same I am to give you to understand from His Majesty how His Majesties Royal Pleasure is that upon receipt of these Writs you shall make no Niceness or Difficulty to extend that His Princely Favour to all such Papists as you shall find Prisoners in the Goals of your Circuits for any Church Recusancy whatsoever or refusing the Oath of Supremacy or dispersing Popish Books or hearing saying of Mass or any other Point of Recusancy which doth touch or concern Religion only and not Matter of State And so I bid you farewel Your Loving Friend Jo. Lincoln Westminster Coll. 2. Aug. 1622. In order to the Match with Spain the King agreed to such Articles of Religion The Spanish Match the Nature of the Articles Rushw Coll. 1 pt f. 66 67. as were Satisfactory in the Judgment of the learnedest and greatest Clergy of Spain That they declared their Opinion that upon the Offer of such Conditions the Pope ought not to with-hold the Dispensation and the Pope himself was satisfied that he had in a manner done already all that was desired No wonder then that the Papists were quiet here in England and not engaged in Plots and Contrivances against the Kings Person for the Reason is plain the whole Substance of the Spanish Treaty was a Plot for ruining the Palatinate and thereby weakning in order to destroy the Protestant Interest abroad which they effected by feeding the King with the Hopes of that Match and thereby diverting him from taking the Parliaments Advice in order to recover the Palatinate You may read the whole Story in VVilson and Rushworth and when they had
Places of Government who do shall or may Countenance the Popish Party The Remedies against this Outragious and dangerous Disease we conceive to be these ensuing 1. That the Youth of this Realm be carefully Educated by careful and Religious Schoolmasters and they to be enjoyned to Catechize and Instruct their Schollars in their Grounds and Principles of true Religion And whereas by many Complaints from divers Parts of the Kingdom it doth plainly appear That sundry Popish Schollars dissembling their Religion have craftily crept in and obtained the Places of Teaching in divers Counties and thereby infected and perverted their Schollars and so fitted them to be Transported to the Popish Seminaries beyond the Seas that therefore there be great care in choice and admitting Schoolmasters and that the Ordinaries make diligent enquiries of their Demeanours and proceed to the removing of such as shall be faulty or justly suspected His Majesties Answer THis is well allowed of and for the better performance of what is desired Letters shall be Written to the two Archbishops and from them Letters to go to all the Ordinaries of their several Provinces to see this done the several Ordinaries to give account of their doings herein to the Archbishops respectively and they to give account to his Majesty of their Proceedings herein 2. That the Antient Discipline of the Universities be restored being the famous Nurseries of Literature and Vertue Answ This is approved by his Majesty and the Chancellor of each University shall be required to cause due Execution of it 3. That special care be taken to enlarge the Word of God through all the Parts of your Majesties Dominions as being the most powerful means for planting of true Religion and rooting out of the Contrary to which end among other things let it please your Majesty to Advice your Bishops by fatherly intreaty and tender usage to reduce to the peaceable and orderly Service of the Church such able Ministers as have been formerly silenced that there may be a profitable use of their Ministry in these needful and dangerous times and that Non-residencies Pluralities and Commendams may be moderated where we cannot forbear most humbly to thank your Majesty for diminishing the Number of your own Chaplains not doubting of the like Princely care for the well bestowing of the rest of your benefices both to the Comfort of the People and the incouragement of the Universities being full of grave and able Ministers unfurnished of livings Answ This his Majesty likes well so as it be applied to such Ministers as are peaceable orderly and Conformable to the Church Government For Pluralties and Non-residencies they are now so moderated that the Arch Bishops affirm there be now no dispensations for Pluralities granted nor no Man now is allowed above two benefices and those not above thirty Miles distant and for avoiding Non-residence the Cannon in that case provided shall be duly put in Execution For Commendams they shall be sparingly granted only in such case where the exility and smalness of the Bishopprick requireth also his Majesty will cause that the Benefices belonging to him shall be well bestowed and for the better propagating of Religion his Majesty recommendeth to the House of Parliament that care may be taken and provision made that every Parish shall allow a Competent Maintenannce for an able Minister and that the owners of Parsonages Impropriate would allow to the Vicars and Ministers Curates in Villages and places belonging to their Parsonage sufficient stipend and allowance for Preaching Ministers 4. That there may be stricct provision against Transporting of English Children to the Seminaries beyond the Seas and for the recalling of them who are already there placed and for the Punishment of such your Subjects as are maintainers of those Seminaries or of the Schollars considering that besides the seducing of your People great sums of Money are yearly expended upon them to the impoverishing of this Kingdom Answ The Law in this Case shall be put in Execution and further there shall be Letters written to the Lord Treasure and also to the Lord Admiral that all the Ports of this Realm and the Creeks and Members thereof be strictly kept and strait searches made to this end A Proclamation shall be to recal both the Children of Noblemen and the Children of any other Men and they to return by a day also maintainers of Seminaries of Schollars there shall be punished according to Law. 5. That no Popish Recusant be permitted to come within the Court unless your Majesty be pleased to call him upon special occasion agreeable to the Statue of 3. Jac. and whereas your Majesty for the preventing of apparent mischiefs both to your Majesty and the State hath in your Princely wisdom taken order that none of your natural born Subjects not professing the true Religion as by Law established be admitted into the Service of your Royal Consort the Queen we give your Majesty most humble thanks and desire that your order herein may be observed Answ If his Majesty shall find or be informed of any concourse of Recusants to the Court the Law shall be strictly followed And his Majesty is pleased that by a Proclamation the Brittish and Irish Subjects shall be put in the same Case and as his Majesty hath provided in his Treaty with France so his purpose is to keep it that none of his Subjects shall be admitted into his Service or into the Service of his Royal Consort the Queen that are Popish Recusants 6. That all the Laws now standing in force against Jesuites Seminary Priests and others having taken Orders by Authority derived from the See of Rome be put in due Execution and to the intent they may not pretend to be surprised that a speedy and certain day be prefixed by your Majesties Proclamation for their departure out of this Realm and all other your Dominions and not to return upon the severest Penalties of the Laws now in force against them and that all your Majesties Subjects may be thereby admonished not to receive comfort entertain or conceal any of them upon the Penalties which may be lawfully inflicted and that all such Papists Jesuites and Recusants who are and shall be imprisoned for Recusancy or any other cause may be so strictly restrained as that none shall have conference with them thereby to avoid the Contagion of their corrupt Religion and that no Man that shall be suspected of Popery be suffered to be a Keeper of any of his Majesties Prisons Answ The Law in this case shall be put in Execution and a Proclamation shall be to the effect desired and such restraint shall be made as is desired and no Man that is justly suspected of Popery shall be suffered to be a Keeper of any of his Majesties Prisons 7. That your Majesty be pleased to take such order as to your Princely Wisdom shall be expedient that no natural born Subject or strange Bishops nor any other by Authorty from the
the Honour of God so much as in you lyeth I Grant and promise so to do Then one of the Bishops read this passage to the King. Our Lord and King we beseech you to Pardon and to Grant and to preserve unto us and to the Churches committed to your Charge all Canonical Privildges and do Law and Justice and that you would protect and defend us as every good King to his Kingdom ought to be a Protector and Defender of the Bishops and the Churches under their Government The King Answereth With a willing and devout Heart I Promise and Grant my Pardon and that I will preserve and maintain to you and the Churches committed to your Charge all Canonical Priviledges and due Law and Justice and that I will be your Protector and Defender to my Power by the assistance of God as every good King in his Kingdom in right ought to protect and defend the Bishops and Churches under their Government Then the King arose and was led to the Communion Table where he takes a solemn Oath in sight of all the People to observe all the Promises and laying his hand upon the Bible said The things which I have here Promised I shall perform and keep So help me God and the Contents of this Book The sixth Day of February the Parliament met The Parliament meets Papists are prohibited from going to Mass at Ambassadors Houses the Judges are ordered to put the Laws in Execution againsts Papists which notwithstanding the Committee of Grievances reported to the Commons House That one general evil was the encrease and countenancing of Papists The Marshal of Middlesex meeting with resistance in seizing of Romish Priests Goods and complaining of the matter the then Arch-Bishop writ to Mr. Attorney General on behalf of the Priests which Letter was as followeth Good Mr. Attorney I thank you for acquainting me what was done Yesterday at the Clinck But I am of opinion The Arch-Bishops Letter on behalf of the Priests Rushw Coll. 1. part f. 243. that if you had curiously enquired upon the Gentleman who gave the Information you should have found him to be a Disciple of the Jesuites for they do nothing but put Tricks on these poor Men who do live more miserable Lives then if they were in the Inquisition in many parts beyond the Seas By taking the Oath of Allegiance and writing in defence of it and opening some points of high consequence they have so displeased the Pope that if by any cunning they could catch them they are sure to be burnt or strangled for it and once there was a Plot to have taken Preston By this Letter it appears how unwilling the Government was to be in any sort cruel even the Priests and yet how ungrateful are the Papists to this Day as he passed the Thames and to have shipped him into a bigger Vessel and so to have transported him into Flanders there to have made a Martyr of him in respect of these things King James always gave his Protection to Preston and Warrington as may be easily shewed Cannon is an old Man well affected to the cause but medleth not with any Factions or Seditions as far as I can learn they complain their Books were taken from them and a Crucifix of Gold with some other things which I hope are not carried out of the House but may be restored again unto them for it is in vain to think that Priests will be without their Beads or Pictures Models of their Saints and it is not improbable that before a Crucifix they do often say their Prayers I leave the things to your best Consideration and hope that this deed of yours together with my word will restrain them for giving offence hereafter if so be that lately they did give any I heartily commend me unto you and so rest Your very Loving Friend G. Canterbury The Parliament Petition the King against Papists Rushw Coll. 1. part f. 391. In this Parliament the Commons Petitioned the King to remove the Papists or justly suspected out of Places of Government Authority and Trust and named them of the Nobility and Gentry to the number of sixty one who were got into such Offices and prayed they might be displaced The Petition and Names take as followeth To the Kings most Excellent Majesty The Parliaments Petition against Papists with the names of the Persons who were crept into Offices notwithstanding the severity of the Laws against them YOur Majesties most Obedient and Loyal Subjects the Commons in this present Parliament assembled do with great Comfort remember the many Testimonies which your Majesty hath given of your sincerity and Zeal of the true Religion established in this Kingdom and in your particular gracious Answer to both Houses of Parliament at Oxford upon their Petition concerning the Causes and Remedies of the increase of Popery that your Majesty thought fit and would give Order to remove from all places of Authority and Government all such Persons as are either Popish Recusants or according to direction of former Acts of State justly to be suspected which was then presented as a great and principal Cause of that Mischief But not having received so full Redress herein as may conduce to the peace of this Church and Safety of this regal State they hold it their Duty once more to resort to your Sacred Majesty humbly to inform you that upon Examination they find the Persons under written to be either Recusants Papists or justly suspected according to the former Acts of State who now do or since the sitting of the Parliament did remain in places of Government and Authority and trust in your several Counties of this your Realm of England and Dominion of Wales The Right honourable Francis Earl of Rutland Lieutenant of the County of Lincoln Rutland Northamton Nottingham and a Commissioner of the Peace and of Oyer and Terminer in the County of York and Justice of Oyer from Trent Northwards His Lordship is presented to be a Popish Recusant and to have affronted all the Commissioners of the Peace within the North Riding of Yorkshire by sending a License under his Hand and Seal unto his Tenant Thomas Fisher dwelling in his Lordships Mannor of Hemsley in the said North Riding of the said County of York to keep an Alehouse soon after he was by an Order made at the Quarter Sessions discharged from keeping an Alehouse because he was a Popish Convict Recusant and to have procured a Popish Schoolmaster namely Roger Conyers to teach Schollars within the said Mannor of Hemsley that formerly had his License to teach Scholars taken from him for teaching Scholars that were the Children of popish Recusants and because he suffered these Children to be absent themselves from the Church whilst they were his Schollars For which the said Conyers was formerly complained of in Parliament The Right Honourable Vicount Dunbar Deputy Justice in Oyer to the Earl of Rutland from Trent Northward and
but confidently appealed to Time and Success to prove who took their Measures rightest When it happened what I foresaw came to pass the good Father was a little surprised to see all the great Men mistaken and a little one in the Right and was pleased by Sir William Throckmorton to desire the Continuance of my Correspondence which I was mighty willing to comply with knowing the Interest of our King and in a more particular manner of my more immediate Master the * * James the Second Duke and his most Christian Majesty to be so inseparably united that it was impossible to divide them without destroying them all Upon this I shewed that our Parliament in the Circumstances it was managed by the timerous Councels of our Ministers who then governed would never be useful either to England France or Catholic Religion but that we should as certainly be forced from our Neutrality at their next Meeting as we had been from our active Alliance with France the last Year That a Peace in the Circumstances we were in was much more to be desired than the Continuance of the War and that the Dissolution of our Parliament would certainly procure a Peace For that the Confederates did more depend upon the Power they had in our Parliament than upon any thing else in the World And were more encouraged from them to the continuing of the War So that if they were Dissolved their measures would be all broken and they consequently in a manner necessitated to a Peace The good Father minding this Discourse somewhat more then the Court of France thought fit to do my former urg'd it so home to the King that his Majesty was pleased to give him Orders to signifie to his R. H. my Master that his Majesty was fully satisfied of his R. H's good intention towards him that he esteemed both their Interests but as one and the same That my Lord Arlington and the Parliament were both to be lookt upon as very unuseful to their Interest That if his R. H. would endeavour to dissolve this Parliament his most Christian Majesty would assist him with his Power and Purse to have a new one as should be for their purpose This and a great many more Expressions of kindness and confidence Father Ferryer was pleased to Communicate to Sir William Throckmorton and commanded them to send them to His Royal Hhighness and withal to beg his Royal Highness to propose to his most Christian Majesty what he thought necessary for his own Concern and the advantage of Religon and his Majesty would certainly do all he could to advance both or either of them This Sir William Throckmorton sent to me by an Express who left Paris the Second of June 1674. Stilo novo I no sooner had it but I Communicated it to his R. H. To which his R. H. commanded me to Answer as I did on the twenty ninth of the same Month That his R. H. was very sensible of his most Christian Majesties Friendship and that he would Labour to cultivate it with all the good Offices he was capable of doing for His Majesty That he was fully convinced that their Interests were both one That my Lord Arlington and the Parliament were not only unuseful but very dangerous both to England and France That therefore it was necessary that they should do all they could to dissolve it And that his R. H's opinion was that if his most Christian Majesty would write his thoughts freely to the King of England upon this Subject and make the same proffer to his Majesty of his Purse to dissolve this Parliament which he had made to his R. H. to Call another he did believe it very possible for him to succeed with the Assistance we should be able to give him here And that if this Parliament were dissolved there would be no great difficulty of getting a new one which would be more useful The Constitutions of our Parliaments being such that a new one can never hurt the Crown nor an old one do it good His R. H. being pleased to own these Propositions which were but only General I thought it reasonable to be more particular and come closer to the Point we might go the faster about the work and come to some issue before the time was too far spent I laid this for my Maxim The dissolving of our Parliament will certainly procure a Peace Which Proposition was granted by every Body I conversed withal even by Monsieur Rouvigny himself with whom I took Liberty of conversing so far but durst not say any thing of the Intelligence I had with Father Ferryer Next that a Sum of Money certain would certainly procure a Dissolution this some doubted but I am sure I never did For I knew perfectly well that the King had frequent Disputes with himself at that time whether he should dissolve or continue them And he several times declared that the Arguments were so strong on both sides that he could not tell to which to incline but was carried at last to the continuance of them by this one Argument if I try them once more they may possibly give me Money if they do I have gained my Point If they do not I can dissolve them then and be where I am now So that I have a possibility at least of getting Money for their continuance against nothing on the other side But if we could have turn'd this Argument and said Sir their Dissolution will certainly procure you Money when you have only a bare possibility of getting any by their continuance and have shewn how far that bare possibility was from being a Foundation to build any reasonable hope upon which I am sure His Majesty was sensible of And how much 300000 Pounds Sterling certain which was the Sum we propos'd was better than a bare possibility without any reason to hope that that could ever be Compassed of having half so much more which was the most he design'd to ask upon some vile dishonourable Terms and a thousand other hazards which he had great reason to be afraid of if I say we had had Power to have argued this I am most Confidently assured we could have Compassed it for Logick in our Court built upon Money has more powerful Charms than any other sort of reasoning But to secure his most Christian Majesty from any hazard as to that Point I propos'd His Majesty should offer that Sum upon that Condition and if the Condition were not perform'd the Money should never be due If it were and that a Peace would certainly follow thereupon which no Body doubted His Majesty would gain his Ends and save all the vast Expences of the next Campaign by which he could not hope to better his Condition or put himself into more advantagious Circumstances of Treaty then he was then in But might very probably be in a much worse considering the mighty opposition he was like to meet with and the uncertain Chances of
Reputation with them and to become a perfect Favourite he sets himself all he could to Persecute the Catholick Religion and to oppose the French. To shew his Zeal against the first he revived some old dormant Orders for prohibiting Roman Catholicks to appear before the King and put them in Execution at his first coming into his Office of Lord Chamberlain And to make sure work with the Second as he thought prevailed with the King to give him and the Earl of Ossery who married two Sisters of Myne Heere Odyke's leave to go over into Holland with the said Heere to make a Visit as they pretended to their Relations But indeed and in truth to propose the Lady Mary eldest Daughter of his Royal H. as a Match for the Prince of Orange not only without the Consent but against the good liking of his R. H. Insomuch that the Lord Arlington's Creatures were forced to excuse him with a Distinction that the said Lady was not to be looked upon as the Dukes Daughter but as the Kings and a Child of the State was and so the Dukes Consent not much to be considered in the disposal of her but only the interest of State. By this he intended to render himself the Darling of Parliament and Protestants who look'd upon themselves as secured in their Religion by such an Alliance and design'd further to draw us into a close Conjunction with Holland and the Enemies of France The Lord Arlington set forth upon this Errand the 10 th of November 1674 and returned not till the 6 th of January following During his absence the Lord Treasurer Lord Keeper and the Duke of Lauderdale who were the only Ministers of any considerable Credit with the King and who all pretended to be entirely united to the Duke declaimed loudly and with great violence against the said Lord and his Actions in Holland And did hope in his absence to have totally supplanted him and to have routed him out of the Kings favour And after that thought they might easily enough have dealt with the Parliament But none of them had Courage enough to speak against the Parliament till they could get rid of him For fear they should not succeed and that the Parliament would Sit in spight of them and come to hear that they had used their endeavours against it Which would have been so unpardonable a Crime with our Omnipotent Parliament that no Power could have been able to have saved them from Punishment But they finding at his Return that they could not prevail against him by such Means and Arts as they had then tryed resolved upon new Councels Which were to out-run him in his own Course Which accordingly they undertook and became as fierce Apostles and as Zealous for Protestant Religion and against Popery as ever my Lord Arlington had been before them and in pursuance thereof persuaded the King to issue out those severe Orders and Proclamations against Catholicks which came out in February last By which they did as much as in them lay to extirpate all Catholicks and Catholick Religion out of the Kingdom Which Councels were in my poor Opinion so detestable being levelled as they must needs be so directly against the Duke by People which he had advanced and who had professed so much Duty and Service to him that we were put upon new thoughts how to save his R. H. now from the deceits and snares of those Men upon whom we formerly depended We saw well enough that their Design was to make themselves as grateful as they could to the Parliament if it must Sit they thinking nothing so acceptable to them as the Persecution of Popery And yet they were so obnoxious to the Parliaments displeasure in General that they would have been glad of any Expedient to have kept it off Though they durst not engage against it openly themselves but thought this Device of theirs might serve for their purposes hoping the Duke would be so alarm'd at their Proceedings and by his being left by every Body that he would be much more afraid of the Parliament than ever and would use his utmost power to prevent its Sitting Which they doubted not but he would endeavour And they were ready enough to work underhand too for him for their own sakes not his in order thereunto but durst not appear openly And to encourage the Duke the more to endeavour the Dissolution of the Parliament their Creatures used to say up and down That this Rigour against the Catholicks was in favour of the Duke and to make a Dissolution of the Parliament more easie which they knew he coveted by obviating one great Objection which was commonly made against it which was That if the Parliament should be Dissolved it would be said That it was done in favour of Popery Which Clamour they had prevented before hand by the Severity they had used against it Assoon as we saw these Tricks put upon us we plainly saw what Men we had to deal withal and what we had to trust to if we were wholly at their mercy But yet durst not seem so dissatisfyed as really we were but rather magnified the Contrivance as a Device of great Cunning and Skill All this we did purely to hold them in a belief that we would endeavour to dissolve the Parliament and that they might rely upon his R. H. for that which we knew they long'd for and were afraid they might do some other way if they discovered that we were resolved we would not At length when he saw the Sessions secured we declared that we were for the Parliaments meeting as indeed we were from the moment we saw our selves handled by all the Kings Ministers at such a Rate that we had reason to believe they would Sacrifice France Religion and his R. H. too to their own Interest if occasion served And that they were led to believe that that was the only way they had to save themselves at that time For we saw no Expedient fit to stop them in their Carreer of Persecution and those other destructive Councels but the Parliament Which had set it self a long time to dislike every thing the Ministers had done and had appeared violently against Popery whilst the Court seem'd to favour it And therefore we were Confident that the Ministers having turned their Faces the Parliament would do so too and still be against them And be as little for Persecution then as they had been for Popery before This I undertook to mannage for the Duke and the King of France's interest And assured Monsieur Rouvigny which I am sure he will testifie if occasion serves that that Sessions should do neither of them any hurt For that I was sure I had Power enough to prevent mischief though I durst not engage for any good they would do Because I had but very few Assistances to carry on the Work and wanted those Helps which others had of making Friends The Dutch and Spaniard spared no Pains or
the effects of it to this very hour But nothing being done in it and seeing on the other hand that my Lord Arlington and several others endeavoured by a thousand deceits to break the good Intelligence which is between the King my Brother his most Christian Majesty and my self to the end they might deceive us all three I have thought fit to advertise you of all that is past and desire of you your assistance and friendship to prevent the Rogueries of those who have no other design then to betray the concerns of France and England and who by their pretended Service are the occasion they succeed not As to any thing more I refer you to Sir William Throgmorton and Coleman whom I have commanded to give an Account of the whole State of our affair and of the true condition of England with many others and principally my Lord Arlington's endeavours to represent to you quite otherwise then it is The two first I mentioned to you are firm to my interest so that you may Treat with them without any apprehension Coleman's Third Letter SIR I Sent your Reverence a tedious long Letter on our 29 th of September Coleman's Tryal p. 68. to inform you of the Progress of affairs for these two or three last years I having now again the opportunity of a very sure hand to conveigh this by I have sent you a Cipher because our Parliament now drawing on I may possibly have occasion to send you something which you may be willing enough to know and may be necessary for us that you should when we may want the conveniency of a Messenger When any thing occurs of more concern other than which may not be fit to be trusted even to a Cipher alone I will to make such a thing more secure write in Limon between the lines of a Letter which shall have nothing in it visible but what I care not who sees but dryed by a warm Fire shall discover what is written so that if the Letter comes to your hands and upon drying it any thing appears more then did before you may be sure no Body has seen it by the way I will not trouble you with that way of writing but upon special occasions and then I will give you a hint to direct you to look for it by concluding my visible Letter with something of Fire or Burning by which mark you may please to know that there is something underneath and how my Letter is to be used to find it out We have hear a mighty Work upon our Hands no less then the Conversion of three Kingdoms and by that perhaps the utter subduing of a Pestileat Heresie which has domineered over great part of this Nothern World a long time there were never such hopes of success since the Death of our Queen Mary as now in our days when God has given us a Prince who is become may I say a Miracle zealous of being the Author and Instrument of so glorious a Work but the opposition we are sure to meet with is also alike to be great So that it imports us to get all the Aid and Assistance we can for the Harvest is great and the Labourers but few that which we rely upon most next to God Almighty's providence and the favour of my Master the Duke is the mighty mind of his most Christian Majesty whose generous Soul inclines him to great undertakings which being managed by your Reverence's exemplary Piety and Prudence will certainly make him look upon this as most suitable to himself and best becoming his Power and thoughts so that I hope you will pardon me if I be very troublesome to you upon this occasion from whom I expect the greatest help we can hope for I must confess I think his Christian Majesties Temporal Interest is so much attracted to that of his R. H. which can never be considerable but upon the growth and advancement of the Catholic Religion that his Ministers cannot give him better advice even in a Politic Sence abstracting from the considerations of the next World that of our Blessed Lord to seek first the Kingdom of Heaven and the Righteousness thereof that all other things may be added unto him That I know his most Christian Majesty has more powerful motives suggested to him by his own devotion and your Reverences zeal for Gods Glory to engage him to afford us the best help he can in our present circumstances but we are a little unhappy in this that we cannot press his Majesty by his present Minister here upon these latter Arguments which are most strong but only upon the first Mr. Rouvigny's sence and ours differing very much upon them though we agree perfectly upon the rest And indeed though he be a very able Man as to his Masters Service in things where Religion is not concerned yet I believe it were much more happy considering the posture he is now in and his temper were of such a sort that we might deal clearly with him throughout and not be forced to stop short in a discourse of Consequence and leave the most material part out because we know it will shock his particular Opinion and so perhaps meet with dislike and Opposition though never so necessary to the main concern I am afraid we shall find too much reason for this Complaint in this next Session of Parliament for had we had one here from his most Christian Majesty who had taken the whole business to Heart and who would have represented the State of our Case truly as it is to his Master I do not doubt but his most Christian Majesty would have engaged himself further in the affair then at present I fear he has done and by his approbation have given such Councels as have been offered to his R. H. by those few Catholics who have access to him and who are bent to serve him and advance the Catholic Religion with all their might and might have more Credit with his R. H. then I fear they have found and have assisted them also with his Purse as far as 10000. Crowns or some such Sum which to him is very inconsiderable but would have been to them of greater use than can be imagined towards gaining others to help them or at least not to oppose them If we had been so happy as to have had his most Christian Majesty with us to this Degree I would have answered with my Life for such success this Sessions as would have put the Interest of the Catholic Religion his R. H. and his most Christian Majesty out of all Danger for the time to come But wanting those helps of recommending those necessary Councels which have been given his Royal Highness in such manner as to make him think them worth his accepting and fit to Govern himself by and of those advantages which a little Mony well managed would have gained us I am afraid we shall not be much better at the end of this
out the Religion of the Gospel in all Places and to begin here as their greatest Impediment is Cause sufficient to make us the more vigilant and to have a wary Eye to their Doings and Proceedings how smoothly soever they speak or dissemble their Friendships for the time for let us think surely that they have joyned Hands together against us and if they can they will procure the Sparks of the Flames that have been so terrible in other Countries to fly over into England and to kindle as great a Fire here And as the Pope by open Hostility as you see hath shewed himself against her Majesty so the better to answer in time the Purposes that he hath set down in the mean Season till they may come to Ripeness he hath and doth by secret Practices within the Realm leaving nothing unprovided emboldning many undutiful Subjects to stand fast in their Disobedience to her Majesty and her Laws For albeit the pure Religion of the Gospel hath had a free Course and hath been freely preached now many Years within this Realm by the Protection of Her Majesties most Christian Government yet such have been the Practices of the Pope and his secret Ministers as the obstinate and stiff-necked Papist is so far from being reformed as he hath gotten Stomach to go backward and to shew his Disobedience not only in arrogant Words but also in contemptuous Deeds To confirm them herein and to increase their Number you see how the Pope hath and doth comfort their hollow Hearts with Absolutions Dispensations Reconciliations and such other things of Rome You see how lately he hath sent hither a sort of Hypocrites naming themselves Jesuits a Rabble of Vagrant Fryars newly sprung up and running through the World to trouble the Church of God whose principal Errand is by creeping into the Houses of Men of Behaviour and Reputation not only to corrupt the Realm with false Doctrine but also under that Pretence to stir up Sedition to the Peril of Her Majesty and her good Subjects How these Practises of the Pope have wrought in the disobedient Subjects of this Land is both evident and lamentable to consider for such Impressions hath the Estimation of the Popes Authority made in them as not only those which from the Beginning have refused to obey but many yea very many of these who divers years together did yield and conform themselves in their open Accounts since the Decrees of that unholy Council of Trent and since the publishing and denouncing of that Blasphemous Bull against Her Majesty and since those secret Absolutions and Reconciliations and the swarming hither of a number of Popish Priests and Monkish Jesuits have and do utterly refuse to be of our Church or to resort unto our Preaching and Prayers The sequel whereof must needs prove dangerous to the whole State of the Common-wealth By this you see what Cause we have justly to doubt great Mischief threatned to this Realm and therewith you may easily see also how far the preventing and withstanding of the same it behooveth her Majesty not only to provide in time sufficient Laws for the continuing of this Peaceable Government but also to be ready with Forces to repress all Attempts that may be enterprised either by Enemies abroad or by evil Subjects at home What Difference there is between the Popes Persecuting Church and this * The Church of England Mild Church of the Gospel hath been seen in all Ages and especially in the late Government compared with the merciful time of Her Majesties Reign The Continuance of which Clemency is also to be wished so far as may stand with Gods Honour and the Safety of the Realm But when by long proof we find that this favorable and gentle Manner of Dealing with the Disobeyers and Contemners of Religion to win them by fair Means if it were possible hath done no good but hath bred in them a more arrogant and contemptuous Spirit so as they have not only presumed to disobey the Laws and Orders of the Realm but also to accept from Rome secret Absolutions Reconciliations and such like and that by the Hands of leud Runnagates Priests and Jesuits harbouring and entertaining them even in their Houses thereby shewing an Obedience to the Pope by their Directions also nourishing and training up their Children and Kinsfolks not only at home but also abroad in the Seminaries of Popery Now I say it is time for us to look more narrowly and strictly to them least as they be corrupt so they prove dangerous Members to many born within the Entrails of our Common-wealth And seeing that the Lenity of the Time and the Mildness of the Laws heretofore made are no small Cause of their arrogant Disobedience 't is necessary that we make a Provision of Laws more strict and more severe to constrain them to yield their open Obedience at the least to her Majesty in Causes of Religion and not to live as they lift to the perillous Example of others and to the encouraging of their own evil affected Minds but if they will needs submit themselves to the Benedictions of the Pope they may feel how little his Curses can hurt us and how little his Blessings can save them from that Punishment which we are able to lay upon them letting them also find how dangerous it shall be for them to deal with the Pope or any thing of his or with those Romish Priests and Jesuits and therewith also how perillous it shall be for those Seditious Runnagates to enter into the Land to draw away from Her Majesty that Obedience which by the Laws of God and Man are due unto her This then is one of the Provisions which we ought to take care of in this Council whereby we may both enjoy still that happy Peace we live in and the Pope take the less Boldness to trouble us by any Favour he shall find here Therefore seeing the Malice of the Pope and his Confederates are so notorious unto us and seeing the Dangers be so great so evident and so imminent and seeing that Preparations to withstand them cannot be made without support of the Realm and seeing that our Duty to God our Queen and Country and the Necessity that hangeth upon our own Safeguards be reason sufficient to perswade us let us think upon these Matters as the Weight of them deserveth and so provide in time both by Laws to restrain and correct the evil affected Subjects and by Provision of that which shall be requisite for the Maintainance of Forces as our Enemies finding our Minds so willing and our Hands so ready to keep in order our Country and to furnish her Majesty with all that shall be necessary may either be discouraged to attempt any thing against us or if they do they may find such Resistance as shall bring Confusion to themselves Honour to our most Gracious Queen and Safety to all of us Mr. Norton seconding the Motion it was referred to