sonne Robert Earle of Salisbury neâ—er to persecute any of that Religion Thus hee acknowledged to a worthy and noble witnesse who as God is witnesse so hath testified We doe not we will not contest with our present most honoured wise and learned Soueraigne neither enter into his priuate iudgement But if any the best learned protestant Archbishops or Bishops you haue will iustifie all those publicke speaches writings and bookes which goe vnder the name of our King to proceede from him if it will please him to giue way vnto â—t they shall haue maintained against them that â—y those published writings it is damnable for â—hem to persecute vs and we in conscience cannot if to gaine a thousand worlds be of your protestant Religion And we humbly hope this nothing derogateth to his prudent Maiestie for we openly and willingly write that concerning all your best learned Bishops and others that haue written as namely Whitguist and Bancroft of Canterburie Bilson and Andrewes of Winchester Doue Barlowe Godwyne Field Bridges Hooker Couell and all the best students amongst you were in iudgement far from persecution of Catholikes and as far from assurance that they themselues were in true Religion It is no vaine boasting now to write it because in all controuersiall poynts we haue many yeares since invincibly prooued it by your best learned Protestant Bishops and Doctors Protestants Recantation in matters of Religion l. 1. l 2 Protestants Demonstrat for Catholikes Recusancy c. both in generall that neither Scriptures Traditions Counsels Apostolike Churches Fathers or any authoritie in diuine matters is for you but all against you that you haue not neither hereafter by your Religion can possibly find any Rule or direction to bring you into trueth That there is not nor can be any true and competent Iudge or Consistorie with you to decide these contentions and bring you into the right way That there is neither true Bishop Priest or Cleargie man in your Congregation That in all particular questions betweene vs you are in error All these things so inuincibly prooued by your selues that now after diuers yeares our bookes receaue no answere at all And your best â—earned are so far from taking this charge in â—and that but for disgrace of these times with â—ou they would in their liues and health â—ot liue in your wauering religion but be reconâ—iled to the Romane Church as many of them â—ately at their deaths haue bene And now in â—his your Parlament time to moue you and London to know the trueth the late Proâ—estant Bishop thereof Doctor King in his life â—or external cariage a great persecutor of Priests â—nd Catholikes a little before his death did plainely denounce your Religion to be damnable renounced as wee had prooued before of all such that he was any Bishop or Cleargie man was penitent for his protesting heresie humblie at the feete of a Priest whom he had formerly persecuted confessed his sinnes receaued Sacramentall absolution at his handes and was reconciled to the Catholike Romane Church of which he had in his life bene so vehement a persecutor Zealously and openly protesting there was no saluation to be had out of that holy Catholike Romane Church Therefore wee neede not to dispute these matters anew But because by the present tempests you raise against vs in this your Parlament we are assured that your storming persecutions are not ceased if your wils and anger can maintaine their blustrings therefore we cannot but still defend our innocencie and humbly admonish you that by these courses you offer and doe we receaue and suffer wrong And because you see and know you are neither able to instruct vs or your selues persisting in persecution you fall into that lamentable estate preached vnto you out of Pulpit by your now Archbishop of Yorke D. Matthewes Serm. before the Parlament and in publike Parlament denounced by his Maiestie Persecution without instruction is but tyrannie K. Iames speach in Parlament That you cannot or vncharitably will not both leade to that damnable estate we are now euidently to demonstrate to you and make knowne to the world for our owne excuse which we can doe by no better or more certaine meanes in this case then publish and make knowne to our dearest countrey that from the first beginning of these your persecutions broached and borne in the first Parlament of Queene Elizabeth wee haue in all humble and best meanes we could requested and sought for instruction from your best learned Bishops Doctors and instructors among you if we be in error by many and sundry petitions to our protestant Princes Parlaments and others that were in chiefe place and command to procure it if there had bene any in your Religion that could performe it If you had that could and would not your estate is more then dangerous if you haue none can instruct vs which you make apparant if you still persist in persecution You heare our King and your Archbishop call vnto you Correction without instruction is but tyrannie Therfore in this first part of this Protestant plea and petition of your best learned Protestants in both parts to be vndeniably proued iustified by them wee propose some of those most humble suites and petitions we haue by the best warrant spirituall we had in England our most Reuerend Archpriest his learned Priests and chiefest renowned Catholikes presented to procure and obtaine this instruction in conference and disputation with your best learned Protestant Bishops and Doctors and with such vnequall conditions on our behalfe that except the Catholikes of England had bin assured they were in trueth and their disputant Priests could not be instructed by any the best learned in your Religion they could not in conscience haue made so large and disaduantageous offers vnto you as their seuerall petitions and suits will witnesse Except you will thinke to flatter your selues that these renowned Priests and catholikes did doubt of their Religion which their martirdomes and sufferings for it do inuincibly reproue and appeale to you for instruction which you denying and yet so persecuting them can neuer free your selues from that dolefull condition remembred by our gratious King and your Archbishop you will further receaue in this first part such iuste and most reasonable and vnanswereable reasons by the Religions and proceedings of all your supreame heads in spirituall busines vntill his maiesties time wherein silence will be vsed King Henry 8. King Edward the 6. and Queene Elizabeth that as they are set downe by your best protestant writers we cannot yeelde to you in matters of Religion neither you in conscience either persecute vs in these things or your selues secured in that profession Howe Catholike Religion was vniustlye suppressed by Queene Elizabeth not one Spirituall person hauing voyce in Parlamente consenting no disputation or ordinarie defence thereof permitted to the Catholike Bishoppes and Cleargie and their duetifull loyaltie notwithstanding their pietie honoured by their protestant
oath was enacted and for the fourth assigned Doctor Bishop And to confirme further this relenting disposition in that Queene and the wisest of her counsell besides that which is written before those Priestes whom hee that writeth for the new oath vnder the name of M. Roger Widdrington doeth vntruely challenge for his opinion as both their late Apologie to the contrary the martirdome of some of them for onely refusing it as namely M. Robert Drury and the confession and acknowledgment of that author himselfe vpon certaine knowledge doe testifie they still iustifie that the councell of Q. Elizabeth promised quietnes and tolleration vpon Priests acknowledgement of temporal obedience vnto her which none denyed and this was the motiue as these Priestes haue often protested for I am none of them that they were willing to yeeld so much as their spiritual bond and dutie to the See Apostolik which they except would permit to Queene Elizabeth then their Soueraigne Neither can wee without great aspersion of dishonour and all hope of all kinde of penitencie in that princesse be of other minde For hauing publickly so protested in parlament neuer to vexe or trouble anye Romane Catholike for matter of Religion her case euen by protestants iudgement not to persecute for Religion should be too desperate by their owne proceedings especially if we a little reflect vpō that which all the christian world can witnesse both for priests and Catholikes and our protestant histories themselus thus deliuer vnto vs in these wordes Elizabeth succeeded her sister began her raigne with so generall applause as her sister did by reason the Cleargie the Nobilitie and most of the commons were Romane Catholikes who neuerthelesse although they knew her full determination was to alter their setled course in Religion yet they all with one consent being set in the Parlament house when the certaine newes was brought thē of Queene Maries death they acknowledged her immediate right and presently declared the same by diuers Proclamations and forth-with prepared themselues to performe their homage and fealtie which shee gratiously accepted Howes Historical preface in Queene Elizabeth Stowes Historie anno 1. Elizabeth Cambden in apparal Annal. Thus these Protestant historians and these renowned Bishops Priests and Catholiks were so far from raysing the least resistance against her when as we see they might easily haue kept her from being Queene if they would haue proceeded as Protestants vse to do that those holy Bishops as your greatest Protestant antiquarie writeth Cambden annal pag. 27. though they both thought Queene Elizabeth at that time to deserue the censure of Excommunication and that they had power and authoritie to inflict it on her yet they refrayned to doe it leaste by that meanes the people and subiects of England would take armes against her and so depose her being by them excommunicated And thus tender of this Queenes safety and quiet though after excommunicate and for her birth by our Protestant historians and statutes themselues not in the best estate were all Priests of England after that not onely at that time of the statute against them they were all most free and innocent as is iustified in the petition before confirmed by our Protestant historians which cannot charge any one Priest of those dayes with temporall disobedience but euer after continued in the same dutie and loyaltie not any one accused of the contrarie except they wil instance in M. Ballard for the businesse of the Queene of Scotland and her sonne his Maiestie that now raigneth and long and happely may he raigne amongst vs which we thinke for their dutie they owe to our Soueraigne and King Iames Protestants should not be hastie to vrge and if they should and that matter were as the Protestants then pretended yet but one Priest in 44. yeares seruing for their purpose they may now acknowledge how vnequal and vniust a thing it was to condemne so venerable heigh a function generally for so an heynous offence when they finde none guiltie by their owne proceedings And this innocencie of Priestes was that which in those latter dayes of Q. Elizabeth so inforced that Queene and her councel so cunningly as they could with their politike reputation not to be altogether contrary to themselues and not ingeniously acknowledge the wrongs and iniuries they had offered and done to that sacred vocation to stay the fury and mittigate the rage of their former persecution by occasion whereof and Priestes prooued thus innocēt diuers religious men which spareingly before as those of the Societie or not at all as the Monkes of the order of S. Benedict had visited England resorted hither in some numbers in those latter dayes of that Queene And thus much of the honor and loyaltie of Priests and vndeniable trueth of the Religion they taught in her time Howe the Priestes and Catholikes of England neuer deserued the least persecution or affliction vnder our Soueraigne King Iames but rather fauour honour and reuerence NOW let vs come to the time of our dread leige and Soueraigne King Iames as the world well knoweth the affection and dutifull loue of the Priests and Catholikes of England toward his Maiesties right and most vndoubted true title to this kingdome in the dayes of Queene Elizabeth yet euer performing due obedience vnto her was not inferiour to the best Protestants of this nation so it pleased his Maiestie without any exception of Priest or Papist generally to speake in publike Parlament of this whole Iland I am the husband and all the whole I le is my lawful wife I am the head and it is my bodie I am the Sheepheard and it is my flocke King Iames parl 1. sess 1. He therefore accounteth vs poore members of this his wife his bodie flocke for being but one husband head and shepheard he hath but one wise body and flocke by that relation And at his entrance hither by his regall testimonie wee that be priestes and Catholikes applauded and embraced it with as great ioy and alacritie as those that were Protestants and of his Religion as they pretende his Maiestie tearmeth it sess 1. supr parl 1. a ioy full and general applause and vnexpected readines of our deserts memorable resolution most wonderfull coniunction and harmonie of our hearts in declaring and embraceing our vndoubted King and gouernour at his first entrie into this kingdome the people of all sortes rid and ran other flew to meete him their eyes flaming nothing but sparkles of affection their mouthes and tongues vttering nothing but sounds of ioye their hearts feete and all the rest of their members in their gestures discouering a passionate longing and earnestnes to meete and embrace their new Soueraigne Thus it pleased him to embrace vs in generall as his most louing and dutifull subiects and in particular thus he pittied our former afflictions and intended to mitigate and relieue them my minde saith he was euer free from persecution or thralling my subiectes in matters
the protestants condemne some other Iesuits for this matter and among them Father Baldwyne yet hauing him prisoner diuers years vnder their strictest examination they at last dismissed him as innocent and guiltlesse therein that with honour And how-so-euer the case stood with the accused Iesuites we are euideÌ„tly taught by these greatest authorities that both priests and catholikes were vpon this pretence most vniustly persecuted although besides all these reasons wee by publicke consent both of Archpriest best learned cleargie and Catholikes presented and offered to maintaine our cause innocencie in these humble petitions and first to his maiestie in this maner TO THE MOST EXCEL-CELLENT and mightie Prince our gratious and dread Soueraigne IAMES by the grace of God King of great Britaine France and Ireland in the yeare 1605. iustifying the Innocencie of Catholikes and trueth of their holie Religion against all best learned protestant aduersaries Most gratious Soueraigne THe late intended conspiracie against the life of your royall maiestie the life vnion rule and direction to these vnited kingdomes was so heynous an impietie that nothing which is holy can make it legittimate no pretence of Religion can be alleaged to excuse it God and heauen condemne it men and earth detest it innocents bewaile it the nocent and vnhappie delinquents themselues in repentance haue lamented it and your dutiful religious and learned Catholikes Priests and others which haue endured most for their profession holde it in greatest horror and will sweare protest promise and performe to your Maiestie whatsoeuer loyaltie obedience and dutie is due from a subiect to his temporall prince by the word of God lawe of nature or hath bene vsed by the subiects of this kingdome to any your christian progenitors from the first to the last acknowledge and render to your honorable counsel and all magistrates in ciuill causes so much honor reuerence and submission and to all other protestant subiects like amitie and neighbourly affection as if they were of the same Religion which we professe Yet this is the miserable and distressed state of many thousands your most loyall and louing subiectes dread liege for their faithful dutie to God and a Religion taught in this kingdome and embraced by all your progenitors and our ancestors so many hundred yeares that euery aduersary may preach print against vs and make their challenge as though either for ignorance we could not or for distrust of our cause wee were vnwilling to make them answere or come to triall when quite contrarie we haue often earnestly and by all meanes we could desired to haue it granted with equal conditions against the most selected and best learned doctors of that Religion And at this present when your chiefest Protestant Clergie Bishops and others is assembled wee most humblie intreate this so reasonable a placet that although they will not as we feare euer consent to an indifferent choyce opposition and defence in questions yet at the least to auoyde the wonder of the world they will be content that we may haue publike audience of those articles opinions and practise for which we are so much condemned and persecuted If we shall not be able to defend or proue any position generally maintained in our doctrine to be conformeable to those rules in diuinitie which your Maiestie and the protestant lawes of England we can profer no more haue confirmed for holie the canonicall scriptures the first generall councels the dayes of Constantine and the primatiue Church let the penalties be imposed and executed against vs. If we performe it or this petition may not be admitted we trust that both our office to God and dutie to our Prince is discharged in this poynt Your royall person and that honorable Consistory now assembled are holden in your doctrine to be supreame sentencer euen in spiritual busines in this kingdome we therefore hope you wil not in a Courte from whence no appeale is allowed and in matters of such consequence proceede to iudgement or determine of execution before the arraigned is summoned to answere hath receaued or refused trial is or can be prooued guiltie If we be condemned and our cause be iust and religion true it is God not man against whom you proceede in sentence If our profession be erroneous and yet for consent with so manie nations and so long continuance it is lesse vnpunished you onely pardon the frailtie and ignorance of earthly men and fight not with the heauenly Denie not that to vs your euer true and obedient subiects in a religion so auntient which your collegued princes the King of Spaine and the Archduke do offer to the so many yeares disobedient Netherlandes vpon their temporall submittance in so late an embraced doctrine that which the Arrian Emperours of the Easte permitted to the Catholikes Bishops priestes Churches tolleration what the barbarian Vandals often offered and sometimes truely performed in Africke What the Turkish Emperour in Greece and Protestant Princes in Germanie and other places conformable to the examples of Protestant rulers not vnanswerable to your owne princely pietie pittie and promise no degust to any equally minded Protestant or Puritane at home a iubâ—ly to vs distressed a warrant of securitie to your Maiestie in all opinions from all terrours and dangers From which of what kinde soeuer we most humblie beseech the infinite mercie of Almightie God to preserue your Heighnes and send you your Queene and posteritie all happienesse and felicitie both in heauen and earth Amen Another petition of the Catholiks of England to his Maiestie at the same time REmember most worthie Prince not onely howe grieuous but how general the penalties against your catholikes be enacted and yet new threatnings be made that new more strange as nec inter geÌ„tes shall be ordeyned The bodies honors reputations and ritches of the husbands to be punished for their wiues religion and soules to which they are neither husbaÌ„ds nor superiours children to be taken froÌ„ their parents parents to be depriued of their education which Catholike princes doe not and in conscience cannot offer to Iewes themselues though in some opinions the slaues of Christians Children seruants kinsmen and neighbours to be made hired espials to betray their parents maisters kindred in things as vnlawful which the whole catholik world honoreth for holie Commendable arts functions of physicke and which haue no connexion with religion to be put to silence in catholikes The seuere penaltie twentie pounde a moneth for not monethly professing the protestant faith in churches when in all diuinitie the precept of profession of true and vndoubted faith in se ex se bindeth but seldome is to be encreased And others of such condition too many here to be mentioned and too grieuous and vnnatural we hope in your princely opinion to be concluded by a kings consent vnder fauour for all wee instance in one most heauie and generall in those of our deceased Queene All Priestes though neuer
offer professe and promise as great ample true and faithful obedience loyaltie dutie to his Maiestie as though he were a Prince of our owne religion as much as any our auncestours in this Kingdome did yeelde to any his heighnes progenitors Kings and Princes thereof or as is required of Catholike subiects in other countries to their Protestant rulers or as any Protestant subiects obserue or performe to their Protestant or Catholike Soueraignes in ciuill obedience That neither vvee can offer nor his Maiestie or estate require more of vs all worlds and generations of meÌ„ Catholikes Protestants Christians Pagans whatsoeuer in this and all other Kingdomes past present and to come wil witnesse for vs. And for our sinceritie dutifull and obedient meaning herein wee appeale to all our persecutors their most strict politicke and cunning inquiries and examinations of our behauiour and carriage from time to time by which vvee stand as clearely vnspotted as irreprehensible as irreprooueable as dutiful in all ciuil respects and duties as any Protestant in this Nation Therefore Right honorable if some fewe vnhappie men of our religion haue made traÌ„sgression of their alleageance we hope it shal be no motiue to change your graue and vnresolued minde from thinking it vndue to impose a burthen vpon innocents for the fact of the guiltie according to your owne excelleÌ„t speeche heeretofore vsed and now at this present Solum necis artifices arte perire sua And your Lordships most christian desire of one vniformitie in true religion in this kingdome bringeth no smale hope vnto vs that now at last our so-long and many times in humble maner requested petitions concerning our not comming to your churches may by your honourable mediation to his Maiestie be brought to tryall by the learned of both parties whether without committing sinne it may be done by vs which wee take to be the onely meanes to bring this kingdome to your so-much desired vniformitie in religion For if your Protestant novv assembled or best learned doctors can and doe prooue it lawfull to our learned diuines vve absolutely offer to performe it vvithout delay or further exception And may it please your Lordship to call to minde the ordinarie knowne practise of Catholikes and Protestants in France Heluetie Germanie and other countries where they communicate in ciuill societies and not in churches and spirituall communications vvhich pleadeth that our refusull is not singular but hauing ground and patronage both from Catholiques and Protestants in this point Our confidence now is that his Maiestie your honour and the state will not take this our humble and necessarie petition in euill parte considering that catholique Emperours Kings of France and other Princes haue granted the like to their Protestant subiects and this in those countries vvhere no other Religion theÌ„ the Catholique Romane Religion hath bene publicklie exercised at any time since their first conuersion from Paganisme All these petitions being presented according to their titles at that time though the two first to his Maiestie were printed and the booke after his maner answered by D. Norton a Protestant Bishoppe yet he neuer tooke notise of either of those petitions or any one sentence of them and the Parlament was as silent for that presented vnto it Onely this Secretaty was so much distasted with the gentlemen that subsigned it that hee tolde M. Anthony Skinner who presented it vnto him that if they were present he would set them all by the heeles a punishment for rogues not for men of their worth and reputation There was no other answere made to these petitions but onely this the oath was enacted and after prosecuted with such violence as the world can witnesse such accompt and regarde hath bene made of our miserie by these Protestants Whether any reformatioÌ„ may be found in the pretended reformers of religion for Catholikes to follow And first of King Henry the 8. with whome neither Catholikes nor Protestants now ioyne in Religion NOW seeing if we be in errour we cannot possible by all meanes we can work procure that the learned protestant bishops and doctors who haue controlled all the christian world in their secret assemblies will vndertake to instruct a few Priests of England but suffer in their proceedings many thousandes of Catholikes by this meanes to be tyrannized ouer both in bodies and soules let vs returne to the first founders of this religion in England The father King Henry the 8. his yong sonne and daughter and see if wee can finde any motiue in their proceedings to mooue vs from our error if we be in error And first to begin with the first the father in this new Religion and spirituall power all Protestant antiquaries Foxe Parker Stowe Holinshed Cambden Howes and the rest entreating of this matter assure vs both that King Henrie the 8. and his fit instrument Cranmer for a cleargie man were the principall and first actors in this Tragedie Foxe tom 2. in Henr. 8 and Cranmar Parker antiq Brit. in Cranm. Stow hist. in Henr. 8. Holinsh. ibi Theater of great Britâ—in eod Howe 's historial praef Cambd. praef hist Eliz. c. and the occasion King Henry tooke to make his reuolt from the Church of Rome because the pope would not consent for his putting away his wife Queene Katherine that holie Ladie of Spayne For before that time king Henry was so obedient a childe to the Sea and Religion of Rome that by the pen of the blessed Bishop Fisher whom hee after put to death for denyal of his assumpted Supreamacy in his owne name he defended them against the scurrilous bookes of Martin Luther and was for that stiled by the Pope Defensor fidei defendor of the faith Henr. 8. l. cont Luther which his Maiestie King Iames still vseth by vertue of that donation One of late among the rest with greatest warrant speaking of this his first reuoult hath these wordes Hovves historicall praeface to his Hist. in Henry 8. This was done after the king was deuorced from Catherine of Spaine his first wife with whom he had liued aboue twenty yeares and by her had fiue children The cleargie nor parlameÌ„t notwithstanding the Kings importunitie would neuer yeelde to the diuorce by reason they could not finde any iust cause The King made Cranmar Archbishop of Canterbury who was very apt and ready to performe the Kings will and he denounced the sentence of diuorce Then the King contrary to the good liking of all men marryed Anne Bulleyne by whom he had the Ladie Elizabeth And then by acte of Parlament made it treason against all men that should say the marriage was not lawful And presently after her birth he pickt a quarrell against Queene Anne and then repealed the former acte made a new acte of Parlament whereby it was enacted that it should be heigh treason for any to iustifie his former marriage to be lawfull and the next day after her behedding he marryed her hand-maid
antiquities giue warrant to write he in all his life time cōtinued in these doctrines and at his death in his last will and testament protested himselfe to continue in that opinion Bed Henric. Hunt Guliel Malmesb. Roger. Houeden Matth. West Flor. Wigor Camb. Stow. Holinsq Theator c. And for the supremacie it selfe as hath bene prooued in the time of Queene Elizabeth and your protestant historian hath sufficiently insinuated he recanted it Booke intituled Lesters common wealth your Protestants wordes of him these be At his death he was much perplexed spake many things to great purpose but being vnconstant in his life none durst trust him at his death Howes super hist. preface in Henry 8. which relation from a protestant writer can carrie no other construction And I take God to witnesse I haue heard my father then liuing in Courte often make relation that this king Henry the 8. at his death was sorie for his taking that title of supremacie vppon him was willing to relinquish it and laboured to be reconciled to the Church of Rome promising if he liued so far as he could to make restitution But being demanded of him presently to take order therein he was preuented by death and dyed with such burthen and horror of cōscience as chanceth in such cases which this Protestant before aymeth at when he saith he was much perplexed and spake many thinges to great purpose Therefore the Catholikes of England are rather confirmed by this king then weakned by him in profession of their holie faith And though in his life he persecuted and put to death many renowned Catholikes for deniall of his supremacie and sacramentary Protestants such as those in England now are for heretikes yet he neuer recalled this second as he did the first neither made any new lawe by which they were put to death but left their triall to the auntient Canons of the Catholike Church yet put those Catholikes to death only by pretence of his new inacted Edict of his supremacie neuer heard of in England before as Protestant antiquaries haue tolde vs. Therefore this first supreame head of religion in England in all things confirmeth the religion of Catholikes and condemneth that of Protestants and this the more if we adde from your Protestant historians how fraudulently or rather forcebly he obtained his first colourable tytle to that his spirituall supremacie by which he kept such turbulēt sturres in this kingdome A Protestant historian and an Esquire by state as he stileth himselfe thus relateth it William Martine Esq in histor of Henr. 8. pag. 388.389 Cardinal Wolsey being dead the King by his Councel was informed that all the cleargie of England was guiltie of premunire because in al things they supported and maintained the authoritie and power legatine of the Cardinal wherefore to preuent mischiefe before it fell vpon them they gaue to the King for their redemption and for their pardon the somme of one hundreth thousand pounds and by a publicke instrument in writing subscribed and sealed by the Bishops and fathers of the Church they acknowledged the King within his owne kingdomes and dominions to be supreame head of the Church Thus vniustly he procured that vnlawful prerogatiue more vniustly as before made his wicked vse therof I neede proceede no further in his proceedings for they ar dead with him the present protestant state as his owne childrē before by lawes and Parlaments condemne them all Protestants in the worlde reiect them and hee himselfe before his death by the most manerly fashion he could refused his title of supremacie in which he most differed from the church of Rome as I haue brought Protestant witnesses before therefore Catholiks are rather confirmed then weakned in their religion by the proceedings of this King That English catholikes cannot be perswaded vnto but much disswaded from Protestant Religion by the Protestant proceedings in the time of King Edward the 6. NOW let vs come to the next temporall rule that claymed supremacie in spiritual matters in England King Edward the 6. he was but 9. yeares olde when this charge was layed vpon him yet he was elleuen yeares olde whē your religion was first borne in this nation in the second or third yeare of his raigne as all lawes and histories of that time giue recorde Parl. 2. 3. Edw. 6. Stow hist in Edw. 6. Holinsh. Theater and others ibid. So this childe begot it and his sister Q Elizabeth nursed it We knowe for shame you will not tye vs to the censure of an infant king then you must appeale to those that instructed and directed him in so great a businesse These were temporall and spirituall and chiefly those that were of councell and had sworne otherwise to King Henry the 8. during his life liued in his Religion and after his death continued the same vnder this yong king in his beginning and first Parlament Parl. 1. of Edw. 6. Stow. Holinsh. in k. Edw. 6. were executors of the last will and testament of king Henry the eight in which concerning matters of trust in religion they truely executed nothing at all but in the exheredation of his Maiesties holy Mother and himselfe as much as they could they executed it Howe 's historial preface supr Stow Holinsh. Theater in Q. Marie Edward 6. The chiefest of these for spiritual men was Cranmer their Archbishop and the rest of the Bishops of that time that were not Catholikes of which we finde but two onely Hooper and Ferrar put to death for their Religiō by Queene Marie For Cranmer Ridlie and Latimer were condemned for treason Foxe tome 2. Monumen in Q. Marie Godwyne Catalogue of Bishops of K. Edwards time and what can we accompt of the religion of these two changing their profession so often with king Henry and K. Edward and Ferrar to vse your Bishops wordes was thrust out of the Bishoppricke in the beginning of Queene Marie for being married and ended his life in the fyer more for being desperate how to liue then for loue of Religion so far as we can gather Godwyn in S. Daudis 79. Robert Ferrar The other Hooper Godwyn in Worcester 75. Glocester 2. Iohn Hooper a man of such conscience as your Bishop writeth that being made Bishop by the childe king anno 1550. Bishop of Glocester held also the Bishopricke of Worcester in commendam by licence of King Edward the sixt this is his commendation The rest that fled not the Realme for treason which were not of your Protestant religion but Puritanes in forraine countries were depriued in England for being married which by no Religion Bishops might doe such were Bush of Bristow Harley of Hereford Holgate of Yorke and others that became Catholikes Godwyn in Brist Heref. Yorke c. Couerdale was set at libertie by Q. Marie and of so small esteeme with you in the beginning of Q. Elizabeth her raigne that no Bishopricke was allowed him Now let vs come to your chiefe
well wishing contry man TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE Court of parlament especially such as therein bee persecutors of Catholicks and to all other such persecutors A Breuiate of the vndoubted truthe of catholick Religion persecuted in England Right honorable and the rest THe penalties and persecutions which in these daies of Protestants haue been heaped vpon and prosecuted against the sacred preists and renowned Catholicks of England haue beene soe heauy and greate by his Maiesties regall sentence in publice parlament that they moued him to these words of commiseration My mynde was euer free from persecution or thrallinge my subiects in matters of conscience I was soe far froÌ„ encreasing their burdens with Roboham as I haue soe much as either tyme occasion or lawe could permitt lightned them Your Courte well knoweth what the case of Roboham was wee neede say noe more and what other heauie burdens haue been since then heaped vpon vs And by your present assemblie now againe to bee inuented and added in his publick speach in his 1. parlam You cannot possibly bee ignorant what an eminent man in your house and companie hath written of the opinion of the christian world of these proceedings The suffrings Syr Edwyne Sandes speaketh vnto you in his booke of the relation of the state of Religion and martyrdomes of English catholicks in these times ar accompted to the height of Neroes and Dioclesians persecutions and the suffrings on their side both in meritts of cause in extremitie of torments and in constancie and patience to the renowned martyrs of that heroicall church age What Nero and Dioclesian were amonge the greatest tyrants and persecutors your place and lawe-makers may not pleade ignorance neyther what the honor and glory of that moste sacred preisthood sacrifice and Religions which soe vehemently and beyonde example you persecute If all catholicks would bee silent your owne protestant Bishops and Antiquaries haue published in Theaters histories to the present world and future posterities that the very same were planted and embraced here in the Apostles tyme and were neuer chaunged in any materiall thinge vntill your pretended reformatioÌ„ Protest Bishops in the Theater of Brit. l. 6. Holinsh. â—ist of Engl. in Claud. Cambden in Britan. Godwyn Conuers Parker antiq Brit. GrymstoÌ„ booke of Estaâ—es in Engl. Scotland Ireland Yf wee appeale to kings and parlaments â— whereon you builde all the auncient parlaments lawes liues of the kings of ScotlaÌ„d â—ry out vnto vs that after 80. Christian kings â—here king Iames is the first and onely proâ—estant kinge The parlaments lawes liues of kings and histories of England and Ireland doe publish vnto vs that of all his primogeniâ—ors kings of these nations hee alone is protestant kinge of them Hee claymeth nothing from king Henry 8. Edward 6. or Q Elizabeth â—ee enioyeth and longe and happily God graunt him to enioy it this Empire by a betâ—er and truer right then they could giue him Hector Boeth Vereca alij hist Scot. all English â—rish hist with their parlam c. Your histories and the laste wills and testaments of those kings ar witnesses against theÌ„ and your Religion that they laboured moste â—niustly against the lawe of God and nature â—o suppresse the vnquestionable right of our soueraigne and his holy mother Edw. Howes preface historial in king Henr. 8. last will of king Henr. 8. All those lawes parlaments and antiquities ar warrant that from our first conuertion to Christ wee had noe other Bishops preists ministers or church seruice which you call communion but Romane catholicke Bishops preists whom you make Traytors and sacrifice of masse for the liuinge and the dead now soe persecuted by you vntill the second parlament of kinge Edward 6. a childe moste childishly began this innouation Parlament 2. Edw. 6. cap. â— an 5. c. 1. Confer at hampt court And in Scotland your ministry and communioÌ„ deuised there by that Traytor to God and prince is of a yonger standinge in the yeares 1560. and 1571. Commun booke c. of the kirke of Scotland by Iohn knoxe 9. of march an 1560. and 1571. Your protestant Antiquaries mustar vnto vs about 1000. approued classicall writers in this kingdome that be renowned in the christian world whoe were such preists said masse preached and proued that Religion they tell vs of many thousand Bishops by continuall succession from our first christianitie of aboue 1000. canonized Saints of diuers thousands of Religious men and woemen liuing in continuall pouertie chastitie and obedience since the tyme of Saint Ioseph of Arimathia that buryed Christ and brought monasticall life into this kingdome wee had 700. Religious howses founded for them which you haue defaced Baleus l. de Scriptor centur 1.2.3.4 Ioh. Leland de script Pitseus de vir illustrib aetate 2.3.4.5 c. Capgrau al. de Sanct. histor Angl. passim Theater of Brit. per tot Stowe hist Holinsh. histor Eng. Scot. Irland Camb. Britan. Our Religion builded those churches which â—ou haue reserued many thowsands which â—ou haue defaced Wee enioyed aboue the â—hird part of England to our Religion 600. â—eares paste and after wee had more kings Queens and princes Saints in this Island and â—reland by your owne historyes and kaleÌ„ders â—hen there euer were since in all the world of â—our Religion Tom. 1.2.3.4 Concil Our Religion had for external warraÌ„t aboue 20. general â—ouncells From the first of nyce in the time of Constantine our Kinge Emperour and conâ—ryman and Sardyce where the popes supreaâ—acy masse and preisthood are confirmed Concil Nic. 1. can 6.7 Sardic concil Theater of Briâ—an in Brit. Stowe hist. Holinsh. ib. Camb. Brit. which our brittist bishops receued vntill the â—aste of Trent in the tyme of Q. Elizabeth to which our catholicke Bishop Pates of worcesâ—er subscribed for England for vs and against you as your protestant Bishop telleth vs. Godwyn Catalog of Bish. in worcester in Rich. Pates wee had consequently all holy fathers and Bishops present in them to warrant vs. wee had and haue as your protestants acknowledge Casaubon respons ad Cardinal Peron pag. 69.70 all Apostolicke seas for vs against you wee had and haue consequently all those true and vndeniable motiues of true ReligioÌ„ which moued the christian world to embrace the lawe of Christ to assure and confirme vâ— in this truthe wee see and knowe that this our holy faith accordinge to the foretelling of Christ his prophets and Apostles is preached and planted in all the worlde Europe Africke Asia and America neuer any Religion in the lawe of nature of Moyses Iewes Turcks Tartares protestants pagans or other is or was at any tyme in any degree dilated as it is Grymston Booke of estates in kâ— of Spaine Europe Asia Africk America And for externall splendor at home it was soe greate when king Henry 8. began to enuie the glory of it that he promised the parlameÌ„t as your protestaÌ„t histories assure vs if it would graunt him power to visitt
you vvill continue or encrease persecution you must pretend some motiue to doe it and if you desire to cloath or shaddow it vvith any cloake or colour of iustice it must be founded vpon some probable conuiction if our generall deseruing such punishments to be so generally prosecuted against vs vvhich must needs be some vniuersal disobedience or disloyaltie in vs all either temporall to our terrestrial king and contrey on earth or spirituall to God and the heauenly kingdome vve know no thirde to vvhom your Religion vvould vvish vs to performe obedience For our discharge to the first vve haue serued now vnder your vigilant and surueying eyes diuers apprentiships in continuall persecution yet from the first beginning thereof vnto this day you haue not found by all those narrow searches and scrutinies you haue made that vve whom you thus persecute vnder the name of Religion haue bene thus founde disloyal to our temporal prince neither is that pretended in any of your laws against vs. And in this late vngratious and hellish conspiracie if they had bene such as your lawes and proceedings stile Papists and Recusants yet his Maiestie by his publike proclamation King Iames Proclamation in Septemb. an 1605 giueth that testimony of the loyaltie and loue of his Catholike subiects vnto him that you vvhich persecute vs doe not by his regal vvordes cannot accuse vs therein And the number of these certainely knowē conuicted Catholques vvhich you persecute for religion and both by his maiesties declaration and all protestant most diligent searches and examinations thus innocent and vvhich detest all disloialtie are 500. to one of those vvhich you prooue guiltie by your publike Courts and recordes Neither can you finde by anie such proceedings against Catholiques that these malefactours vvere of the number of those vvhich you haue so punished and persecuted for our religion The Archpriest of England and the reuerend priests of his companie vvho best knew vvho be Catholiques by their frequenting holie Sacraments haue by publike vvritings vtterlie renounced thē and condemned their lewed enterprise for most vvicked impietie Therefore in conscience and iustice you cannot vpon this pretence rayse a generall persecution against vs for in so doing you should vniustlie persecute thousāds of those that be as innocent as your selues can be or his Maiestie himselfe by his owne testimony of vs King Iam procl supr an 1605. Wee are by good experience so well perswaded of their loyalties that they doe as much abhorre this detestable conspiracie as our selfe and will be reddie to doe their beste endeuours though with expence of their blood to suppresse all attempts against our safetie and the quiet of our state to discouer whom soeuer they shall suspect to be of rebellious or trayterous disposition This is his Maiesties sentence by good experience of vs his catholique subiects your petitioners Therefore vve are confident vve rather deserue fafauour then affliction at your Court. And yet if contrary to the lavves of this Kingdome you vvould say that the lands goods and liues of delinquents vvhich vve doe not thinke you intende or vve vvill vvish you to spare in these offendours doe not satisfie in such cases you must notvvithstanding to conteine your proceedings vvithin the shaddowe of iustice not impose the offence and punishment of the guiltie vpon those that be so innocent The highest law and rule enacteth anima quae peccauerit ipsa morietur and as a great Counsellour and secretarie of estate hath now published in print for your direction solum necis artifices arte perire sua Rob. Earle of Salisb. in his booke an 1605. Therefore wee stand so cleare in your owne knowledges and cōsciences frō all temporal disobedience that in rigour of iustice it taketh from you all cause and pretence vvhy these or any afflictions at all should be imposed vpon vs in those respects Then you must directlie make your quarrel to persecute for religion or recusancie a dependancie thereof If Religion bee obiected vvee answere as vvee haue euer done and desire no further fauour for our Religion in your ovvne knowledge here so antient then yow obteyned of vs for your owne so new that the examples of Queene Marie her time which many of your professiō accompt notwithstanding tyrannicall may be followed Let a cōpetent number of our learned priests be called to any of your vniuersities or other publick place vvhere the best learned of your religion shal giue them meeting let such questions and propositions as concerne the especiall points in controuersie be proposed sufficient time of consideration allowed and other such equal conditions granted as were to your chiefest Bishops and doctors in the mentioned time And if our catholique disputation shal not be able to iustifie and maintaine our religion and cause to be holy you may at your pleasure proceede against vs if we persist therein You haue long time and with grieuous punishments persecuted vs yet you would neuer vouchsafe vs so meane a trial and iustice in this kinde Execution as you know before conuiction is preposterous and cruel iniustice both by your Bishops and maiesties censure in publick Correction without instructiō is but tyranny D. Matthew now protest Archb. of Yorke Serm. before the K. and parl K. Iames speach in parlament If our Recusancie or refusall to be present at your new church-seruice is alledged a pretence against vs being a practicall acte and profession of religion it dependeth vpon the former question concerning religion for neither catholiques nor protestants do teach that men so far differing therein as we and you can in conscience communicate together in such things And no enemie or persecutor of vs can imagine or inuent any allegation for this our refusall but either obstinacie in our willes or ignorance in our vnderstandings non datur medium we cannot conceaue what you can otherwise deuise Our imprisonmēts losses disgraces and seuerest punishments in so manie yeares being the whole life of a man from time of discretion the knowne bridles of obstinate people will condemne all men of too much will and little iudgement that could charge vs with this former That which wee haue offered in religion freeth vs in the second and condemneth our accusers And to manifest nowe as often wee haue done before that we are neither carryed away by wilfulnesse or ignorance in this debate wee haue at sundry times by most earnest suites petitions desired and offered and still doe that if your best learned Protestant Bishops and diuines can and shall proue vnto the learned of our side that we may repayre vnto your churches and there be present at your seruice without most grieuous offence to God we vvil vvillingly performe it Wherefore vee hope that you vvho in your owne profession vvould bee esteemed zealous and religious vvil iudge this our offer to be such that no Christians can offer more And consequently further reflect and consider hovv dishonorable shameful and sinfull it
temporall councellours then these were by their owne creation the Dukes of Sommerset and Northumberland called Protectors to the young king Stow and Holinsh. and Theater K. Edw. 6. and Q. Marie the first basely put to death in that time for felonie the other for treason and open rebellion against Q. Marie And after hee had bene thus with Cranmar the chiefe instrument to ouerthrowe Catholike Religion and set vp Protestancie in the time of that yong king hee plainely recanted his new faith and was reconciled to the Church of Rome And yet among these vnworthie men vnder that yong king there were but 6. Bishops and 6. others that made the Church-bookes of their religion thē Statut. An. 3. Edw. 6. cap. 12. Foxe Stowe and others in Edw. 6. and for religion it selfe they had no Canons articles or decrees of it in all the time of that king Howe 's your historian thus writeth of it Edward at nine yeares of age succeeded his father and then the Church vvas fleest againe the Bishoprickes cut and pared all Chantries supprest the Bishoppricke of Durrham allienated By all vvhich the Kings Exhequer vvas very litle enriched neither vvas the common vvealth eased or benefited nor the auntient nobilitie any vvay dignified onely some fevv preferred The Earldome of Northumberland giuen to the Suttons vvho obtayned the title of the Duke of Northumberland In the first and second yeare of his raigne the Masse vvas vvholly supprest and part of King Dauids Psalmes vvere turned into english verse by Hopkins and Sterneholde Groomes of the Kings chamber and set them to seuerall tunes consisting of galliards and measures The Duke of Sommerset vncle to the King by the mothers side being the Kings Protector did all things in the Kings name and inclyned ouer-much to the subtile counsel of his secret enemie the Duke of Northumberland vvho vvas fully bent to defeat and suppresse the apparant heires of God and nature vnto the Crovvne and to preferre the heires of the Duke of Suffolke according to the iniurious determination of k. Henrie the eight For the better effecting vvhereof they made a combination vvhich had as good suc-successe as so bad a practise deserued The Protector among other things that crossed his greatnesse in popularitie was the spoyling of churches and chappels the defacing of auncient tombes and monuments namely twelue goodly tombes in Christ-church his attempting was to pull downe all the Belles in parish Churches and to leaue but one Bell in a steeple whereat the commonalitie were reddie to rebell Hee raigned seuen yeares mette with a tricke of treason He meaneth that he was poysoned by his protestant Protector Cranmar other protestants of that most wicked combination They that desire to know more of that yong kings times may resort to your Protestant histories of Foxe Stowe Holinshed Speede Foxe tom 2. in king Edw. Holinsh. and Theater ibid. Iniunctions an 1. Ed. 6. and the childish Iniunctions in matters of Religion set out in the name of that Nouice and Nouecins supreame head of your church where he may finde the chiefe care of the councell and executors left by king Henry the eight spiritual and temporal to loade themselues with new and great titles and honours of dignitie grow riche by the last ruines of the Church and to be of no setled religion at all For we doe not finde either in histories or in confession of Protestants diligently collected by them or in any priuate or publike monument any forme fashion shape articles canons or decrees of Religion either vnder king Henry the 8. k. Edward the 6. or Q. Elizabeth vntill her fourth yeare anno 1562. when the booke of the artickles of your religion was first contryued and published to the world Booke of Articles of Religion an 1562. Therefore wee may not ioyne with these men in Religion as neither you doe especiallie with king Henrie the eight but rather maruaile why you and all that clayme title to religion from them do not finde great motiues rather to bethinke what wrongs they did vnto vs then persist in heaping new and more pressures and persecutions vpon the Catholikes of your owne nation and kindred For you haue heard from your Protestants before that they obtayned that their power against the Religeous houses of England onely vpon this motiue to reforme abuses if they could finde them To create and maintaine for the perpetual defence and securitie of this Kingdome 40. Earles 60. Barons 300. knights and fourescore thousand souldiers with skilful captaines and competent maintenance for them all for euer out of the auntient Church reuenewes and yet to leaue for the maintenance of religious parsons professing and liuing in the perfect way of christian Religion chastitie obedience and pouertie watchings fastings prayers and austeritie of life continued maintained here from the comming of S. Ioseph of Aramathia into this Iland by our kings euen the Pagan kings Aruiragus Marius and Caillus and other Christian Princes and holy founders after to these dayes antiq Glaston apud Lel. in assert Arthur Capgraue in S. Ioseph S. Patric protest histor which neither the Religion of King Henrie the 8. King Edward the 6. Queene Elizabeth or King Iames did or doth condemne Neither can any of them as these Protestantes haue before bene witnesses dissallow of their Masses and prayers for the dead but acknowledged the contrarie opinion to be hereticall and damnable yet both to the temporall and spirituall dammage of many thousands frō that time they still perseuer in that estate of iniustice so obnoxious to restitution and are so farre from performing King Henrie the eight his condition to maintaine so many thousand souldiers others and ease their kingdome of taxes and contributions that they are not now able to performe the first nor to maintaine their dignities without the other In all which the Catholikes of England are onely innocent and yet they alone for their innocencie are condemned and persecuted THAT THE PROCEEDINGS OF Q. Elizabeth ar noe warrant for protestants to persecute Catholicks nor noe true conuiction but rather a confirmation of the Romane Catholicke Religion by the writings of English protestants themselues ALl these protestant arguments conclude much more strongely against the proceedings of Queene Elizabeth in these matters for if it was publickly addiuged for lawe in the time of kinge Henry the seuenth our lawes remayning the same That the parlament could not make the king beeing a lay man to haue spirituall Iurisdiction temporibus Henrici 7. How much more an vnpossible thinge is it to entitle a woman and such a woman to that dignitie by such donation for first euen by our protestants it is the Pepuzian heresie to say a woman at all is capable of that spirituall vocatiō shee stooke vppon herselfe and presumed to impart to others Epiphan Aug. in haeres Pepuzian And thereupon your protestants assure vs The Queens maiesties parson was neuer capable of any part of spiritual
the Religious howses Hee would create your protestants words and mayntayne 40. Earles 60. Barons 3000. knights and 40. thowsand souldiers with skilfull captaines and competent mayntenance for them all for euer out of the auntient church reueneues and the people should bee noe more charged with loanes subsidies and fifteens Of all these blessings and benefites wee are spoyled and by your Religion depriued And not onely wee that now bee catholicks in England but all faythfull soules allready departed out of this world and those that ar not yet borne if they shall bee of the posteritie of those holy founders to bee prayed for to the end of the world by those Religious fowndations and al pore hungry bodyes â—ere releiued with those donations which â—otestant tymes haue conuerted to vanities â—d that which is vnchristian to persecute the â—eligion which fownded these holy howses â—nd with such vehemency and cruelty wee ar â—ersecuted as you haue before acknowledged our lawes records registers our miseries â—alamities and martyrdomes haue published â—o all the world Edw. howe 's in his historial preâ—reface in kinge Henry 8. All this you doe vnto vs vnder pretence â—hat wee will not forsake our holy Religion â—oe firmely and vndoubtedly proued by soe â—any vndeniable testimonies in your owne â—udgments that wee cannot bee deceaued exâ—ept God which is vnpossible can deceaue â—s And in remayninge and persisting wherein â—nd following and frequentinge that order which it prescribeth the sacrifice and Sacraments which it vseth wee shall by your best â—earned protestants writing with your publick â—riuiledge bee sure to bee saued when contraâ—ywise if wee should bee soe gracelesse as for â—eare of torments and afflictions to harken vnto you in matters of Religion the same your â—est learned protestant Bishops and others asâ—ure vs agayne wee shall come into a fallible â—eceaueable and actually erroneus Religion â—nd consequently shall bee damned for euer â—oue prot Bish. persuas Feild l. of the church pag. â—7 182 Couel def of Hooker pag. 68.73.76 Feild pag. 69. willet Antilog pag. 144. Theater of greaâ— Brit. Saxons Sam. Daniel hist. c. Feild pag. 20â— Isaac Casaub praef respons ad Gard. Peron Doâ— persuas Morton Apolog. part 2. pag. 315. willâ— Antilog praef to the Read vniuersities answeare 〈◊〉 the mill pet Confer at Hampt pag. 47. Protest Râ— lat of that conference printed by Ioh. windet in thrâ— seuerall copies 1.2.3 And if God and the truth of his holy causâ— mayntayned in our bookes against you haâ— not inforced and necessitated these your publicke writers thus publickly to condemnâ— you and forwarne vs from communicatingâ— with you in these affaires yett the lamentable and desolate experience it selfe in your parlaments of king Henry 8. k. Edward 6. Q. Elizabeth c. crieth out vnto the world that all the parlaments and princes supreame heads of Religion by you haue beene deceaued and deceaued all that followed them in these things Kinge Henry 8. was the first parlament of k. Henr. 8. after an Reg. 22. and was herein contrary to all antiquitie contrary to k. Edward his sonne parlam Edw. 6.1.2.3 daughter Elizabeth parlam 1. Elizab. iniunctionis of Q. Eliz. an 1. and kinge Iames. Articles of Relig. ann 1562 and to himselfe by diuers parlaments and his Religion dead with him and condemned by you Kinge Edward was contrary to his father his sister to you and to himselfe in diuers publicke parlaments and his publick iniunctions Queen Elizabeth was in the same â—se of contradiction to her father brother to â—u and herselfe by publicke practice parlaâ—ent proclamations and iniunctions in lesse â—me then three quarters of one yeare And â—uchinge that peece of her first parlament â—herein shee condemned the masse there was â—ot one diuine Bishop or other that gaue coÌ„â—ent or could giue it vnto her but all against â—nd their extrauagant proceedings therein were such as they bee related by your owne â—ntiquaries Cambden Howes and others â—hat Paganisme Turcisme Epicurisme Iudaisâ—ne Atheisme or any other heresie might as â—asely haue beene settled here as protestaÌ„tisme was which is not here to bee entreated King â—ames our present soueraigne is generally taâ—en to bee to too wise and learned to learne Religion of such Tutors Cambden in Apparat. â—d Annal. in Annal. in Elizabeth Howe 's histoâ—iall preface in Q. Elizabeth and others Kinge Henry the 8. desired at his death as â—rotestant histories sufficiently insinuate and â—iuers then liueing in his Court haue testified â—o bee reconciled to the church of Rome and â—n one of his laste Acts the inscription of his Tombe doth playnely omitt and relinquish â—or euer his pretended supreamacie And in his â—ast will and testament Howes supr in k. Henr. 8. â—towe an vlt. Henr. 8. in his laste will testameÌ„t â—rdeyned preists masses soe odious now and cheifest cause pretended of our perfection to continue in England to the end of the world willinge and chardgeinge the words of his will prince Edward his sonne all his executors all his heires and successors that should bee kings of this Realme as they will answeare before almightie God at the dreadfull day of iudgment that they euerie of them doe see it performed Exempl an 1. Edw. 6. die 14. Februar Kinge Edward 6. was but a child but both hee and his protectors by which hee was ruled should haue beene ruled by this will yet as protestants vle to doe presently breaking it for their worldly ends and breingeing in the protestant Religion Foxe to 2. Acts and monum in k. Henr. 8. and an 1. Edw. 6. The cheife Actor and Author of those proceedings the Duke of Northumberland Lord protector when hee came to dy renownced protestant Religion for heresie and as your protestant histories tell vs Stowe histor an 1. of Queen Mary and others was reconciled vnto and dyed in the vnitie and faith of the Romane church For Queene Elizabeth shee as some noble men and diuers ladyes of honor can informe you and some haue soe testified died noe good protestant neither could endure the sight of her protestant Bishops at that time protested in her life to the lady Saint-Iohn widowe to the Lord Oliuer Saint-Iohn of Bleâ—soe Deus testis soe shee confidently related and said see could shew that Queenes letters to that purpose that she would haue liued a Catholike but for her ouer-ruling Protestant Counsaile naminge some of them no happie members of this kingdome which your Proteâ—tant historians giue way vnto that she did very often before such men by politick deuises withâ—rew her from it frequent the Sacraments of Confession of the blessed bodie of Christ Masse â—nd the rites of Catholike Religion Edw. Howes historicall preface in Queene Elizabeth and proâ—ested in publicke Parlament neuer to vexe or â—rouble the Romane Catholikes concerning any difference in Religion Like was the case of William Cecile Lord Burleigh hir great Counsailor both â—or his Religion in that time and at his death charged his
yeare of her raigne Queene Elizabeth was so vnmindfull of her promise made in her first parlament before remembred that by degrees shee clambred vp to the heighest pitch of persecution against her Catholike subiects that she imposed twenty poundes for euery moneth absence froÌ„ that her new seruice Parl. of Q. Eliz. tit Recusancy at which to haue bene present had bene damnable sinne and heresie froÌ„ our first conuersioÌ„ to Christ vntil the yeare of K. Edward the sixt a child both by the lawes of the whole Catholike Church and of this kingdome And not content with this proceeded to that contempt of the Priestly dignity of our most blessed Sauiour and Redeemer his holy Apostles and all holy Bishops and Priests since their time that she intended to make it treason and al that willingly receaued such men as Christ our Sauiour commandeth all men to do vnder a great woe and penaltie of losse of libertie lands goods and life also which she after enacted for a law in that Parlament Whereupon and for preuention of so vnchristian proceedings the chiefest catholikes of this nation with the consent and directioÌ„ of their learned secular Priests then onely here remaining and no religious men being at that time or diuers yeares after in England humbly prefered to that Queene in her Parlament time when shee decreed that bloody edict this most christian and more then equall petition following word by word TO THE QVEENES MOST Excellent Maiestie the humble petition of her Catholike subiectes of England in the 27. yeare of her raigne wherein their innocencie is iustified and their Religion offered to be maintained for holy against all Protestants MOST mighty and most excellent our dread Soueraigne Ladie and Queene the necessitie of our lamentable Case hath emboldned yea necessarily enforced vs your Maiesties Catholike and approoued Loyal subiects to present our manifold griefes and miseries to the merciful viewe of your Maiestie We could still haue bene contented as hitherto we haue bene with silence to haue made vertue of exceeding great necessities But now most gratious Soueraigne the Law of God and nature doth Councell vs to appeale vnto your most excellent Heighnes our head-spring and fountaine of mercy for the lightning of some heauy yoakes which by common reporte we haue iust cause to feare are intended shortly to be layed vpon our weakned and wearied neckes To speake to so potent and prudent a Prince as it may be reported boldnesse so not to speake in a poore and distressed subiect may be deemed guiltines Wee doe therefore most deare soueraigne with all humilitie and no lesse sorrow cry out and complaine that our afflicted harts haue conceaued an vnspeakgriefe For what wound can be more mortall to the bodie as treasonable accusations to innocent mindes We your Catholike subiects which hitherto haue bene and euer will be as well carefull to please your Maiestie as not to displease almightie God what lamentable state was euer like to ours that we poore wretches in discharging our conscience towarde God are reported of and that before your sacred Maiestie to be euill affected towardes your Royall person and princely dignities and that vpon the â—yle action and intend of euery lewde person wee must be condemned all for traytors as it appeareth in bookes daily printed against vs wherein we are most odiously tearmed blood-suckers and by vncharitable exclamations it is published that your Maiestie is to feare so many deaths as there be Papists in the land Would God our harts might be layde open to the perfect view of your Maiestie and all the world no doubt our thoughts should appeare correspondent to the expectation of so mercifull a Queene in all louing true and faithful subiection and would giue dewe deserte of mercie for reward For most deare Soueraigne where our greatest accusation ryseth vpon our recusancy or absence from the Church which hath deuoyded vs of all your wonted graces and special fauours wee take almighty God to witnesse that this our refusing and absenting our selues is not grounded in vs vpon any contempt of your Maiesties Lawes or any other willfull or trayterous intent but altogether vpon meere conscience and feare to offende God This God knoweth the searcher of all hearts and to the ende that our sincerity and dutifull meaning may appeare the better we doe protest before the face of the eternall God and Lord of vs all and doe craue his dreadfull indignation in this worlde and sentence of endlesse dampnation to bee our portion in another worlde if wee doe practise speake or write any thinge in this poynte more or lesse in respecte of anie worldlie pollicie but onelie as the duety of euerie good Christian Catholike bindeth him In which opinion if happelie wee bee deceaued yet if wee should doe contrarie to that we thinke in conscience to be right we may iustly be accompted men voyde of all grace and honesty pretending in shew and thinking otherwise in heart false dissemblers hatefull to God and man and in truth the most dangerous and worst subiects that may be in a common wealth as aptest to any wicked or desperat attempt No lesse is verified in the late moste excecrable example of that monster Parry whose detestable endeauours doe giue euidente testimonye that the cruell vypar euer temporising and makinge ship-wracke of all faith and Religion hathe thereby at length loste both taste and habite of the grace and feare of God Let such diabolicall dissimulation and trayterous thirste after hallowed blood sinke according to Gods iudgement to their deserued doome of deepe damnation we for â—ur parts vtterly deny that either Pope or Cardinall â—ath power or authoritie to commande or licence â—nie man to consent to mortall sinne or to comâ—it or intende any other acte contra ius diuiâ—um much lesse can this disloyall wicked and vnnaturall purpose by any meanes be made lawefull to witte that a naturall subiecte maye seeke the effusion of the sacred bloode of his annoynted Soueraigne whosoeuer hee bee therefore spirituall or Temporall that maintaineth so apparant sacriledge wee therein renounce him and his conclusion as false deuilish and abhominable But nowe to returne to our purposed matter wee doe promise that wee will hereafter be reddie and willing to resorte vnto Churches and other places where publicke exercise of prayer is vsed if the learned nowe assembled in conuocations hall bee able by sufficiente groundes of Diuinitie to prooue to the learned of the catholike Church that wee being in Religion Catholike may without committing mortall sinne frequent those Churches where the contrary religion is professed and exercised If conscience onely had not pressed vs in this point those of our Religion would neuer haue suffered therefore so many disgraces impouerishments And if that the mercifull eyes of your clement Princely nature could but see the continual terrours the streight imprisonment the reproach full arraynement making no difference in place nor time betweene murderers felons rogues and betweene gentlemen
of conscience King Iames in Parlament therefore of himselfe he did not thinke vs worthie to be persecuted or inthralled but rather lightned of those miseries as his next wordes a warrant I was so far from encreasing their burdens with Roboam as I haue so much as either time occasion or lawe could permit lightned them And in his censure against Conradus Vorstius the Dutch heretike recounting the differences betweene protestants and vs hee findeth not one for which we may be persecuted but the contrary At his comming in he set the Catholikes and Priestes at libertie gaue free pardons vnto all of them both priests and others that would sue them foorth and paye foure or fiue Nobles at the moste for them to the Lorde Chancellour In those pardons hee remitted both the guilt and danger from priesthood and much more then any of vs had transgressed in he stiled vs as our dignities discentes or callings were gentlemen priestes or of what degree dignitie or preeminence soeuer he were his belooued subiects which wordes and state are incompatible wtth the name of Treason in those pardons hee pardoned whatsoeuer could be in any rigour interpreted to be within the daunger of that Lawe both our comming into England and abyding and remayninge heere so that by pardon being dead they cannot possiblie be reuiued because the graunt is irreuocable Our comming in was but one indiuiall acte and offence in Lawe and so remitted cannot be offence our continuance and remayning so long as we doe not reiterate it againe by going foorth and comming in the second time is also but one particular singular and indiuidual action without discontinuance one ens fluens as all such not interrupted be an hower a daye a weeke a moneth a yeare a life an age and the like This all philosophie common reason whereon our common law is and must be founded teacheth vs. Thus diuers protestāt good lawyers haue answered thus his Maiestie esteemed when hearing of a priest named M. Freeman put to death for his priesthood by the Iudges of Warwicke soone after his Maiesties comming hither with signe of sorrow answered Alas poore man had he not foure nobles to buye his pardon by which he concluded that a priest being pardoned for his priesthood could not after for being a priest be put to death or tearmed a traytour or indanger his friends and receauers but was a free and lawfull true subiect from that imputation His Maiestie also allowed the times of Constantine for times of true Religion and the Roman Church then and after to be the true our mother Church and not to be departed from Then wee may not so vnder-value the learning and iudgement of our learned and Soueraigne in diuinitie and histories but he well knoweth which no learned man is ignorant of that in the time of Constantine the Church of Rome had the same holy sacrifice of Masse and the same holy sacrifycing priesthood which now it hath which I will hereafter demonstrate by the best learned protestant antiquaries of this nation as also that the Church of Rome at the reuolt of King Henry the 8. was the same in all essential things which it was in that prefixed time of Constantine And to be liberal to my needy protestant contrymen in this case I say that the Church of Rome the Religion of the Priests of England their priesthood and sacrifice of the Masse is the same which were in Rome and in this Iland also in S. Peters time in euery age without interruption since then vnto these dayes of Protestants And if we may beleeue Isaac Casaubon the stipendarie champion for the Protestants of England who saith ab ore regis accepi and haec est Religio Regis Angliae c. Isaac Casaubon contra Cardinal Peron Pag. 50.51.52 I haue it from the Kings mouth this is the Religion of the King this is the Religion of the Church of England The fathers of the Primatiue church did acknowledge one sacrifice in christian Religion that succeeded in the place of the sacrifice of Moses The sacrifice offered by Priests is Christs bodie and the same obiect and thing which the Romane Church beleeueth These and such things troubled the heads of some great Protestant persecutors in England their consciences being guiltie of some-what not good that they coulde not enduer the least clemency of his Maiestie towards his loyall and truest catholike subiects but olde stratagems and tragedies of Queene Elizabeths time must needes be renewed and playde againe to bring not only the Catholikes of England but their holy religion if possiblie it could be done into obloquie especiallie with his gratious Maiestie and thereupon an execrable and most damnable treacherie by gunpowder was to be inuented for a few wicked desperatly minded men to doe whom many protestants tearmed papists although the true Priests and Catholikes of England knew them not to bee such nor can any protestant truely say that any one of them was such a one as their lawes and proceedings against vs name Papists Popish recusants or the like What he was papist or protestant rich or poore noble or vnnoble of Courte or countrey that was inuentor of this horrible deuise I will not discusse but referre all indifferently minded men and of iudgement able to discerne the probable trueth in such a cause to the historie and circumstances thereof as they are set downe by the Protestant historian M. Ed. How 's histor of Engl. in King Iames. But to graunt to our Protestant persecutors for arguments sake that which I may not and they will as hardly proue that this wicked interprise was first inuented by Catesby and some of his consorts and that diuers of them were papists and had acquaintance with the chiefe Iesuite then in England who at least in confession knew of this conspiracie did not reueale it that there were foure of this cōpanie arraigned for the conspiracie three gentlemē though two of these Fauxe and Keyes were but seruing men as the fourth Thomas Bates styled yeomā that one Knight and three Esquires concealed it of which the Knight was so ignorant that as the Protestant relator of this matter saith at his death he spake these wordes Howes supr in Sir Edward Digby If he had knowne it first to haue bene so fowle a treason he would not haue concealed it to haue gayned a world Which he could not haue truely said if he had knowne it in particular in it selfe a most horrible damnable thing and the rest as this author writeth dyed penitent and besought all Catholikes neuer to attempt such a bloodie acte being a course which God did neuer fauour nor prosper Those that were vp in tumult with Catesby were as the Protestants relateth Howes supr neuer full fourscore strong besides many of their houshold seruants no doubt papists if their maisters were so forsooke them how erlie yet they diuulged many detestable vntruths against the king state
so dutiful or obedient be censured for traytours equally with the greatest offendor in the sinne of treason when many guiltlesse soules of that sacred order would not for thousands of worldes once consent to any such or far inferiour offence A thing most strange and beyond all example that men in respect onely of their calling and function and that function so reuerenced by all our forefathers should without further cause be condemned as guiltie of so detestable a crime We defende holy Priesthood to be a Sacrament which being ordained by God cannot be changed by man Pope Prelate or humane power but remaining in all things substance and doctrine the same which in those daies when it was so honorably esteemed of all your Christian progenitors and when our mother church kept her first integritie by your heighnesse iudgement as we are reddie to make defence It is the honour of our King in heauen most mightie Soueraigne for which we continue in combate that religion which the whole catholike world in all generall councels popes doctors and learned men haue euer professed wherein this nation as our Protestants acknowledge was conuerted all our Christian ancestry embraced and which all princes in the schoole of Christ of whom your Maiestie is descended mayntained in theÌ„selues in their subiects That which is so general caÌ„not be surreÌ„dred by a smal number of one kingdome It is not in the power of man to resigne the honour of God if it will please your Maiestie to vouchsafe vs licence to request and grace to obtaine that your owne princely sentence censure may stande that wee ought not to departe further from the Romane Church our mother Church by your iudgement than shee is departed from her selfe when she was in her best and florishing state And that the time of Constantine was incorrupted in religion wee humbly againe offer tryal before your heignesse with equall conditions of schooles against the most selected and chosen protestant Bishops and doctors of your dominions to prooue or defend any or euery substantial article which wee now professe to be agreeable vnto and not dissenting the knowne publike Catholike doctrine of that mother Church in those your mentioned incorrupted dayes of Christianitie And seeing the disfauour and penalties against laye Catholikes are grounded vpon their recusancie to be present at your protestant seruice wee humblie beseech it may be called to memorie howe they haue protested in seuerall supplications one to your Maiestie before the ende of the laste parlament and the other to Queene Elizabeth in the twentie seuenth yeare of her raigne to be builded onely vpon feare of offending God To which their so long and manifolde disgraces losses imprisonments and sufferings are sufficient witnesse And for further triall thereof haue offered to repayre to your Protestant Churches and seruice without further exception if the learned of your Religion can and doe prooue to the learned of their profession that it may be performed without offence to God which is so much in the opinion of all diuines as any Christian subiects can offer in this case Thâ—s if your Protestant Cleargie doe refuse or doe not satisfie so Christian a request we hope your Maiestie beeing wise learned iuditious and gratious will perceaue that the seueritie of the lawes against them for that cause is not to be put in practise These things in most humble manner wee commende to your heighest and mercifull consideration And so desiring of the Almightie to graunt all happinesse and prosperitie to your Maiestie and posteritie wee conclude in all dutifull subiection with that auntient Father Tertullian in Apollget Wee will faithfully serue you in your Pallace we will accompanie other your subiects in the market wee will ioyne with them in the fielde against your nemies onely to you we leaue the Churches These two petitions were printed and presented to his Maiestie in the Parlament when the new oath was enacted and the foure remembred Priests appointed by the Arch-priest then to performe that challenge or petition likewise at the same time was presented to the Parlament by the handes of Sir Francis Hastings and Sir Richard Knightly two Puritanes of that Parlament from the chiefe Catholikes of England with the allowance of the Archpriest and his cleargie this petition following to the same purpose The humble petition of the chiefe Catholike Recusants of England presented to the heigh Court of Parlament in the yeare 1605. by the handes of Sir Francis Hastings and Sir Richard Knightly then of that house of Parlament to both which it was deliuered by the said Catholikes THe proceedings of that heigh Court of Parlament in the daies of our late Queene Elzabeth against the Catholike subiects of this kingdome were for seueritie far beyond example which they hoped for manie most iust reasonable true causes were to receaue their ende when shee should cease to liue and by death determine her personall quarrells and contentions against the Religion and Apostolike power of the Sea of Rome Especially by the ioyful and happie entrance Coronation of our most honoured King Iames most free from those tearmes wherewith she was intangled at temporall peace amitie and vnitie with that holy Sea with the sacred Empyre all Christian Kings and Princes by vndoubted royal discent the most lawful legitimate and rightful King of all these his vnited kingdomes Wee that be Catholiques in England and had euer bene so true and faithfull to the onely vnited true title of him and his blessed Mother and neuer entred into any dissotiation against it assuredly hoped hee would not singularlie drawe his sword of persecution against vs his most dutiful faithful and obedient subiects in whom he could finde nothing to reuenge or punish for he publickly protested in that Court of Parlament his mind was euer free from persecution or enthralling his subiects in matters of conscience and the burthens of Catholikes were rather to be lightned then with Roboam to be encreased king Iames speach in parlament 1. sess 1. But seeing all this notwithstanding your Parlament now assembled contrary to our hopes and otherwise our deseruings as wee hope haue bene doth rather presage an intended increase then either ceasing or mittigation of these our miseries and extreame afflictions we feare least silence in vs might be taken as an interpretatiue yeelding or consente that we are not altogether vnworthely afflicted with so strange calamities for the world cannot otherwise in wisdome censure that such punishment by so heigh a iudgemeÌ„t should be imposed vpon men subiects friends and kinsmen so generally except guiltie of some most heinous or execrable fact or offence against God our King and countrey Wherefore you must giue vs leaue in this perplexed case to contest against you in the humblest best maner we may and leaue it a memoriall to potesteritie that if you persist or proceede in persecution vve protest before God and in our consciences vve shal be vniustly persecuted If
vvould be to your Consistorie vvhole Religion to impose and multiplie penalties vpon vs these offers considered for not doing those things vvhich by your ovvne knovvledge your best learned in diuinitie on vvhose vvordes and vvarrant you hazard your soules cannot nor vvill not take vpon them to maintaine as lavvfull for vs to doe But if so many suites supplications reasons and examples vvill not call you to a contrary minde but you haue set vp your resolution vvithout any ansvvere or defence by vs to be our accusers iudges and executioners and singularly vvithout any example at all in the vvorld either of Christians or others to persist in vehemencie of persecution against our religion let vs finde you so far to harken vnto vs that to retaine the name of lavve-makers you vvill retaine some proportioÌ„ anologie as all so named must doe vvith the most auntient lavve of God of nature nations and this kingdome not to punish tvvice one and the same offence If by strong hand you will haue that to be offence which vve assure our selues is so far froÌ„ that name and nature that the contrary is great and heigh offence to God Non consurgat duplex tribulatio and afflixi te non iterum affligam and againe Deus non punit bis in idipsuÌ„ And as a double punishments is not to be inflicted for one offence so by these lavves pro mensura delicti erit plagarum modus vvhich our auntient lavves in our great charter of England follovve Nullus liber homo amercietur sed secundum modum delicti ipsius saluo tenemento suo Magna Charta cap. 14. Peruse if it please you but the heades of the punishments prouided against vs for sundry respects questionable vvhether any offence or no and shal perceaue that your lavvs do not impose you or prosecute such seuere penalties by many degrees vpon sins that certainly and by al iudgements are confessed and acknovledged to be sinnes yea and great sinnes against the lawe of God nature all nations this Kingdome By this we hope you vnderstand that if you wil haue example either in heauen or earth to follow your persecutions must die or must diminish for we haue yeelded ful satisfactioÌ„ to all your pretended reasons to persecute vs. That which remaineth wee desire you to consider what a resemblance there is or should be betweene yours the heaueÌ„ly court froÌ„ whence the irreuocable law is proceeded with great terror published Woe to theÌ„ that make vniust lawes and writing haue written iniustice that in iudgemeÌ„t they might oppresse the poore and do violence to the cause of the humble of my people that widdowes might be their prey and the spoyle of fatherles So beseeching the almightie that in these and other causes in that heigh Court now in hand you may in such sort proceed as may be to his honor and glory the securitie good of his maiestie his of-spring posterity and this common wealth we leaue you to Gods holy protection Your wel-wishing Countrymen kinsmen alliance frieÌ„ds the Catholike RecusaÌ„ts of this realme of EnglaÌ„d An other also of the like tenure which here ensueth was then with the same assent subscribed with 23. handes of the chiefest Catholike gentlemen of England and presented to the chiefe Secretarie of estate potent in those times in court and councell and as the Catholikes then feared not equally effected towards them though neuer so innocent and wel-deseruing who was one of them who with other of the councell declared to diuers of these gentlemen as they confidently reported vpon their reputation that the Kings pleasure was they should paye no more the penaltie of twentie pounds a month for their recusancie and after when hee had perswaded his maiestie to the contrarie denyed his former assertion of the releace thereof although the gentlemen most sincere and iuste still insisted and maintayned that this messadge was so deliuered vnto them which also the then Earle of Northampton L. Henry Howard did freely confesse acknowledge to be most true And the same Catholiks were more then iealous that this practise of coÌ„spiracie was no great secret to that Secretary long before diuers of them that were actors in it and by him named Catholikes were acquainted with it We may not enter into iudgement where men are not defamed of such inuentions to entrappe those they doe not affect for the rest let M. Howe 's his historie of that matter make relation who it was a great protestant that had more or not much inferiour knowe ledge of it by his relation then some that wer-put to death for concealing it But howsoeuer the petition followeth in these tearmes TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE ROBERT Earle of Salisburie chiefe Secretarie of estate to his Maiestie the petition of the Catholicks of England IF the corrupted and obscured vnderstanding of men not knowing God could among other cloudes and mystes of ignorance be so far blinde in that wherein the lawe light of nature it selfe doth giue sufficient instructioÌ„ to all people and nations that Princes and rulers in authoritie are to be honoured and obeyed yet the heauenly and supernatural illumination doth clearly deliuer all Christians especially Catholikes from such darkenesse and want of dutie giuing knowledge that euerie soule must be subiect to superiour powers that God is he per quem reges regnant and he that resisteth power resisteth the ordinance of God Wherefore vvee your Lordshippes humble suppliants the Lay Catholiques of this Kingdome so long probationers for religious causes haue euer in our hearts wordes and workes abandoned all contrarie proceedings as a Babilonian building and insurrection against the might and commande of heauen damnable and rebellious vnto all regall and princely power peace and vnitie on earth Therefore being admonished by the vvisest King that there is as well tempus loquendi as tacendi and occasions of these times being such as inforce vs to speake least by silence vvee might be censured by some no equall minded-men vnto vs to be suspected criminal in that vvherein as al matters of that nature vve doe and euer did by long-knovvne experience stande most innocent vvee therefore protest concerning the late conspiracie that vvee doe condemne it for a most impious vnnatural barbarous and execrable offence against the lavve of nature the sacred vvord of God and the canons and practise of the holy Catholike Church wherein vvee doe liue to vvhich no pretence of holinesse no petence of Religion no pretence of priuate or publicke authoritie can giue vvarrant to make it lavvful And vvee take God to vvitnesse that vvee vvere neither consenting coÌ„spiring or priuie to that or any such wâ—ked designement but the very remeÌ„brance that any such enterprise should be intended or deuised by any maÌ„ especially bearing the name of a Catholik is the continuall sorrow of our hearts and among al tribulations the obiect of our greatest griefe And for this present and all future times we