life from God our nobility from our parents our kingdome from our subiects our religion from the church of Rome the which if you maligne vs for it we sende you backe againe by these presents then what shall we thinke or can we imagine that soueraigne princes of this our infortunate age will brooke it well to finde his holines to be tam durus Pater towards them But for meane subiects to presume as the Iesuits do neuer was it and now is it least tolerable THE IIII. ARTICLE WHether it is a fitte point of doctrine to be broached and diuulged to the world in these daies by the Iesuites that subiectes are no longer bound to obey wicked Princes in their temporall commandements and Lawes but till they be able by force of armes to resist them THE ANSWERE THat this is a most dangerous doctrine and most vnfit to be published in this age there is no one Catholike in England this day but I thinke will confesse it and therefore I hold it meet before I come directly to answer this Article First to make it apparaÌ„t that the Iesuites and their seditious faction do broach publish such a kind of doctrine for otherwise it might well seeme a slaunder malitiously imputed vnto them Amongst others father Parsons in his admonition before mentioned giueth this reason why the Popes sentence hath not beene put in execution since it was first giuen bicause forsooth her Maiesties forces were so great that they could hardly be resisted by the onely Inhabitants of the Realme without euident daunger and destruction of very many and noble persons c. in which case the censures of the Church doe not binde which is as much to say as if they had beene of might sufficient they had been bound to haue put the said sentence in execution against her highnes and the ouerthrow of the whole state and common wealth of their natiue land The same Iesuite also in his booke intituled Philopater is very peremptorie sly and sawcie as his manner is very boldly affirming that when kings doe deflect from the Catholike religion and drawe others with them Liberes esse subditos c. posseque debere si vires habeant buiuscemodi homineÌ„ dominatuÌ„ eijcere Subiectes are free and both may and ought if they be able to cast such a man out of his dominions Secondly when Henry the third of Fraunce had procured the death of the Duke of Guise and some other whereunto the French writers doe affirme he was compelled except he would haue suffred the Duke to haue puld the Crowne from his head it was not long after but that by the secret practises of the Iesuites he himselfe was murthered And not resting thus contented they writ such a discourse against him being a Catholike as if it had beene hatched in hell intituled De iusta abdicatione H. 3. In which treatise they affirme that it is lawfull for a priuate man to kill a tyrant for so they termed that king though there be neither sentence of the Church or kingdome against him Now in this booke to come to my purpose he propoundeth this obiection how and why it was that in the Primitiue Church the martyrs attempted no such course against the tyrants that then raigned and doth answere it in this sort Vâ—â—d laudable est cum resistere nequeas ita vbi pâ—ssis nolle resistere religionis patriae hosti nefarium ac pernitiosum est As much to say as thus in English As it is laudable to doe as those martyrs did when thou canst not resist so not to resist when thou maist the enimy of Religion and of thy countrey so they terme all kings that they dislike is a pernitious and horrible sinne Thirdly an other at that time with a Iesuiticall spirite doth tell vs his mind in plaine termes so as I shall not neede to proue the matter by any consequence The quarrell for Religion saith he and defence of innocencie is so iust that heathen Princes not at all subiect to the Churches lawes and discipline may in that case by the Christians armes be resisted naming none but speaking in generall termes without exception of persons so indefinitely or rather peremptorily and dissemblingly as all Iesuites doe that as well seruants as souerâ—ignes may by his principle take armes at their pleasure c. And might lawfully haue been redressed in the time of the Pagans and first great persecutors â—hen they vexed and oppressed the faithfull And againe There is no question but that the Emperor Constantine Valens Iulian and others might haue beene by the Bishop excommunicated and deposed and all their people released from their obedience if the Church or Catholikes had had competent forces to haue resisted Loe what doctrine this is to be diuulged in this so daungerous an age I leaue to others to conceite these things in as good sence as may make for our generall safety and common good of the Catholike cause onely I wish such passages had neuer fronted any English Port nor come to our aduersaries eares or knowledge And an other Iesuite to the same purpose saith Quod si Christiani olim non deposuerunt Neronem Diocletianum Iulianum Apostatam ac Valentem Arrianum alios id fuit quia de erant vires temporales Christianis Nam alioquin iure potuissent hoc facere In that Christians in times past did not depose Nero and Dioclesian and Iulian the Apostata and Valence the Arrian and others it was bicause Christians did then want temporall forces for otherwise they might lawfully haue dealt so with them Now what thinke you if such a doctrine had been heard or spoken of in Iulians Neroes or Dioclesians daies what thinke you would haue ensued thereof Questionlesse though the persecution were great yet probably it would haue beene double increased and augmented thereby And as for the scholemen which they alleage for this doctrine one and the chiefe is S. Thomas who hath some such point For Christians saith he obeyed Iulianus Quod illo tempore Ecclesia in sua nouitate nondum habebat potestatem terrenos principes coercendi ideo tollerauit fideles Iulano Apostatae ohedire in ijs quae non erant contra fidem vt maius periculum fidei vitaretur c. Bicause the Church then being in her infancy had not yet power to bridle Princes and therefore she did tollerate the faithfull to obey Iulian the Apostata in those things which were not against faith for the auoyding of a greater daunger which might otherwise haue insued to the Christian faith The other is Dominus Bannes vpon Saint Thomas who alleaging that the cause why catholikes in England do not rebell against her Maiestie is Quia facultatem non habent c. Both whose opinions and words as they may carry a diuerse construction so were they not set downe by either of them as conclusions but as argumentall reasons of doctrine disputatiue in the schooles Which
woman or not c. and withall to bring arguments sillogisticall enthimematicall and inductiue or exemplarie pro contra for auerring and impugning of the same then to put foorth a question whether a Seminarie Priest or a Iesuite ought sooner to be credited esteemed of and followed whether a Iesuite be a good or a bad man whether their doctrine be erronious trecherous and seditious or not whether it be lawfull to call a knaue a knaue an hereticke an hereticke a traitor a traitor a bastard a bastard c. or not and how when where and vpon what occasions such questions doubts and interrogatories may and ought to be proposed and answer made pro contra agreeing to humane conceit morall capacitie and iust censure of and in such cases cannot iustly incurre any reprehension or blame Besides this kind of proceeding shall as I haue said both driue the true conceipt of matters the better into peoples hearts heads and eares and yet not exasperate any by galling words which positiue discourses in accusations do ordinarily occasionate and cannot be auoyded further then the ripping vp of truth in things necessarie to be knowne must needs stirre and moue the guiltie constrained by this meanes to hold vp his hand at barre and to haue his wounds launced searched and discouered to the very naked heart in open sight This then being the summe of what I intend to write and here propose to no other end as I take my sweet Sauiour and all his holy Angels and Saints to witnesse then to deliuer the ignorant out of errour to giue to the tersacred Apostolicall Romane Church faith and Religion their due and to make known what loyaltie what seruice what deare affection ought to be in euery subiect euen by authoritie of all lawes of God or man in defence of their Prince countrie and state where they liue I will hold the indifferent dispassionate and diligent Reader with no longer discourse of a Preamble but leauing all to his best conceipts and desiring no euill opinion sinister construction or hard censure to passe of my well meant indeuors I commit his sharpe wits or her swift thoughts to the speedie encounter of this Bucke of the first head in the quest at euery Quodlibeticall relay set in the pursuit of their game LENVOY THE contents of this booke shall appeare in the Table of the Articles meane while be pleased gentle Reader to take these rules to guide you in this Discourse First be not hastie to censure of any part or parcell vntill you haue read the whole booke throughout if you will be free from partialitie and rest reformed of errour and quieted in Catholike vnitie loue and peace Secondly if you find in some Page the names of particular persons places c. expresly set downe and in other Pages concealed take the reason cause thereof to be this to wit that in the concealement the respect is had to the hurt that might be done by opening such matters men time place words writings c. and againe in the expresse discouery of them the respect is had to the common cause hindred by concealement of such persons actions c. Thirdly take this for a rule infallible that no secret is written of here in particular which was not before publikely knowne aswell to our common aduersaries as to our owne company and that aswell by letters taken as by their owne confessions in publike manner whom the fact concerned Fourthly be not too curious in these two points vz. if you find sundry faults escaped by the Printer as quae for quod Malto for Malta anno primo for actione prima and many such like which the prudent Reader may correct by the sense and vpon his owne knowledge without setting downe Errata here for euery particular Againe if you find some words more sharpe and biting then in your conceit is requisite yet do not for that condemne either the whole Booke which respecteth the matter whereupon all our company in effect do agree and not the words sentences or phrase of speech which respecteth the humour of euery man with such a difference as almost impossible to please all mens veines or symbolize with their methods conceits and meanings neither yet do you vpon dislike of such speeches or of the Author condemne the cause or the rest of his brethren for what is more common then for one man to giue censure and iudge of a case thus and for another so and withall euen in points of most importance a controuersie decided in sacred synode is set downe infallibly true but the Scribe notwithstanding in adding a reason of his owne in explaning the Text or Canon may commit a great sinne and grosse errour and yet not the decree of the Councell to be euer the worse thought of or of lesse credite THE ARGVMENT OF THE first Generall Quodlibet FOrasmuch as all these 10 Quodlibets consisting of 10 Articles a peece haue a relation to the good or harme done in and to the Church common-wealth the heads of both and principall members either specificall or indiuiduall in either of them by the Iesuits faction and confederats in casting of plots for their purpose and most aduantage aswell by plausible perswasions in passages of speech as also by countermined platformes in practicall conspiracies I thought it good to giue you to vnderstand as a point of importance necessary to be knowne that all and euery of these Quodlibets and Articles are of such speciall matter as they are not to be tearmed Metaphisicall conceits or coniectured inuentions of speculatiue knowledge but are in very deed Phisicall practicall and knowne things which rise in question and are talked of euery where of Cleargy and Laity Catholikes and Protestants men and women nobles and gentiles boyes and girles home-borne subiects and aliens or strangers yea what part of Christendome nay of the whole Macrocosme this day almost is free or exempted from the knowledge or hearing of what I meane to discusse and reason of in briefe no nation vnder the cope of heauen but shall find thēselues touched and to haue an interest part and portion in some one or other of these questions quodlibetical articles here proposed For which cause the first Quodlibet offered as an obiect to the eyes of the ignorant seemeth sitly to be tearmed a Quodlibet of plots by scandale and offence taken by some Pharisaically or Iewishlike and therefore not to be regarded by others superstitiously or rather too scrupulously and therefore necessary to be informed of the truth and reformed of their errour as being in the originall scandale not directly giuen but onely taken of their infirmity and weake iudgement and vnderstanding for a prudent wise and sound Catholike or other person of stayd wit censure and conceit will neuer be scandalized at these contentions or the like And therefore haue I placed it in the first ranke and before all other as an introduction to take away all scruple out of
conspiracies vpon more warie and further looking into their dooings drifts and plot castings comparing their infamous libels letters passages practises purposes and proceedings together and conferring one thing with an other heere and there and in all other nations kingdomes and prouinces where they come and can get footing as now in Sweuia the case is cleere how the Polonian king is defeated of that kingdome occasionated only by their treacherous ambitious tampring aspires sundry of sound iudgement and of the grauer more politike and wiser sorte amongst them that are not ledde away with passion or affection further then reason lawe iustice conscience and religion mooues bindes and compels them for to thinke are fully perswaded they escaped as great a danger of comming vnder a Iesuitical bondage when al France was in a furious combustion by them as euer they or anie other nation did at what time as the Templars the sampler of the Iesuits often mentioned by me in sundry places had confederated with the Turks or Sarazens in a general conspiracy for the ouerthrow of the whole christian world of France in chiefe And therefore as that most Christian catholike king great Henrie of France now regnant hath iust cause together with the state of France neuer to admit of the Iesuits againe to come within his borders or to like as the Scots phrase goeth within his bounds so maruell not though all that are Iesuits either in verbo or in voto in re or in spe or in faction or affection do mightily grudge murmur and euen gnash their teeth in the furie of their zeale with most bitter words reuiling as well the Popes holines as the king Christian the state the clergie the catholikes and the whole realme of Fraunce when they heare but the name of that nation or call to minde what a sweete morsell was taken out of their iawes at the reconciliation of the French king to the catholike Romish Church as the onely acte which dashed their hope for the time of that crowne frustrated their ambitious aspires to that mighty monarchie and put them halfe in dispaire of euer obtaining the like meanes of aspiring to soueraigne dominion Yea I am verily perswaded it gaue many of the more ambitious sort amongst them such a frantike phanaticall mad distraction in their wils as seuen yeeres retired exercise of contemplation will hardly bring them to a true mortified religious course and spirite againe For had they gotten Fraunce subiected vnder the Spaniards at that time as the ticklish state of all things stood here and elsewhere the Spanish title and claime to the English crowne rising thence as before is said they would haue had greater possibilitie of aduantage helpes and meanes by size ace and the dice for the conquest of all these northerne Isles then now they haue or are like hereafter easily to be possessed of the whole Christian world beginning now daily more and more to looke into them and their treacherous dealings Thirdly I might here enlarge my selfe with many weightie reasons to conuince the Iesuiticall ambition and aspires to the French crowne and kingdome as well by some suspitious speeches giuen our by their fautors of the causes moouing the marriage betwixt the Lady Infanta Isabella and the Archduke Albert and placing of them both in the Low countries as also by the generall passages and the Iesuiticall faction concerning the house of Burgundy and common applauses giuen on that behalfe how maruellous deepely affected the Burgundians are to the English how hatefull to the French how woorthy warriors of themselues and how that their forces together with the power of England and strength which the Lady Infanta their soueraigne would bring or send vnder the conduct of some Iesuiticall General perchance of Captaine Cubbocke were sufficient to bring both Fraunce and Scotland vnder the English subiection as of right they should These with many other the like perswasions vsed by them both to catholikes and others of our common aduersaries shew plaine if a man ponderate euery point particular and circumstance well with himselfe that the Iesuits aime at all these northerne Isles together with the whole kingdome of Fraunce and by consequent then these once gotten in full possession what kingdome in the world but per nullum tempus occurrens regi may by degrees come vnder their bowe bondage and Allobrogicall gouernment THE VII ARTICLE VVHether then bicause so it seemeth by this your last speech doe the Iesuits if they preuaile in England or Fraunce intend any thing against Spaine and the whole house of Austria and by consequent against the whole Empire and all other Monarchiall states of Christendome or else none but onely these before mentioned to themselues and the rest for the Spanish and Austrian lines THE ANSWERE IT is most certaine apparant and manifest by all coniecture reasons proofes and arguments ad hominem that they most traiterously haue cast the platforme and doe goe about so much as wit of man can deuise to bring all kings princes and states in Christendome vnder their subiection And therefore they haue an intendment against Spaine Austria and the whole empire as well as against England Scotland or Fraunce or any other peculiar prouince though not against all at once for that were meere follie in them but by peecemeale as I said before of these northerne Isles in setting one nation in opposition against an other and euery one to be iealous not only of their neighbour princes but also of their owne subiects each one apart and all this vnder pretence of religion making the Spaniards bicause he hath the best bag in deede though they pretend bicause he hath more religion in him then the rest a great many not knowing or at least not thinking of it how that the Spanish state is as ticklish as any in Christendome this day and as much bad and wicked liuers in it as any where almost is to be found the number of infidels Nueuo Christiano and lewd catholikes considered to be the cloake of their colorable aspires pretending for him alone as best able they thinke to beare them out against all other princes or soueraignes whosoeuer In which kinde of practise policie and matchiuilean deuise doe blinde the eies of the multitude which they chiefly labour for though it may seeme incredible to some that euer they should aspire to an absolute monarchie thereby considering they are so few in number and those dispersed here and there in sundry Nations ouer all the face almost of the whole earth yet who so doth wel consider that the Turkish empire the Ottomans race the Mahumetans state hath spred it selfe abroad vpon no expectation had either of themselues or feare conceiued at first of any other by them like to this platforme doctrine and pretend of the Iesuits they will thinke it neither strange nor impossible but rather very probable vnlesse God do strike them and confound their deuises And this I proue first to
A DECACORDON OF TEN QVODLIBETICALL QVESTIONS CONCERNING RELIGION AND STATE Wherein the Authour framing himfelfe a Quilibet to euery Quodlibet decides an hundred crosse Interrogatorie doubts about the generall contentions betwixt the Seminarie Priests and Iesuits at this present ECCLES VII Noli amare mendacium aduersus fratrem tuum neque in amicum similiter facias Do not loue a lye against thy brother neither do the like against thy friend Newly imprinted 1602. THE PREFACE TO THE READER EXPERIENCE hath made the case cleare in all sciences arts and professions wherein humane capacitie doth shew the soules excellencie in apprehension discourse and iudgement of things past present or to come by inuention morall coniecture and wit of man that these fiue Rules hold out as inexpugnable Principles The Author in all these fiue Principles certainties of things of none denyed doth clearely conuince the Iesuits faction and all their fautours of many grosse errours which ignorant people deduct from their absurd rules opposite to these in al things as that their Generall with his companie of Prouincials cannot erre that they cannot faile in their doctrine instructioÌ„s gouernment and the like that the foundation of their order is a state of most perfection of any other c. All which errours with many other are impugned by these fiue grounds set downe as in a Preface to the particular Quodlibets here following affirmed of all and denyed of none to wit First that no ground in Diuinitie no Axiome in Philosophie no Maxime in the Law no Paragraffe in positiue Discourse no Paradoxe amongst Orators no Proposition amongst Schoolemen no Article of our faith amongst Apostles by sacred OEcumenicall Synode defined deposed and decided to be thus and none otherwise beleeued and taken vnder paine of damnation but the same may be impugned by a seeming reasonable plea to the contrarie with arguments of proofe in shew holden on a whole day by fine wits in a schoole despicion and the defendant so grauelled if of dull and slow conceit that he shall haue no reason to deny that to be true as verbi gratia that blacke is white that a man is a mouse that there is no God at all c. which to auerre to be false he is and will be readie to spend his life and shed his dearest bloud Secondly that bonum malum vertue and vice religion and heresie standing in opposition one against the other yet haue this concordance by a necessarie sequele inserted into the subiect wherein they are inherent by proper kind as if you build vpon proofe of either by examples the one shall ballance and beard out the other in authoritie to the vttermost Thirdly that there is no new thing vnder the Sunne nor any inuention of wit inuented but anothers wit can equall it by inuenting the same Fourthly that there is no certaintie of any thing here on earth but that the fall and stand the life and death and the very Periods of times Kingdomes Princes and all sorts of persons hang vpon mutation alteration and downefall knowne to God alone Fiftly that Aristotles Principle scil Generatio vnius est corruptio alterius is so perfect a current of time and plyable to all not onely physicall or naturall but also morall politicall cadences and vp-rests as no excellencie so rare but hath beene abased no complexion so perfect but hath bene corrupted no Maiestie so regall but hath bene subiected no power so great but hath come to nothing no foundation so firme strong and sure but hath bene shaken yea and hitherto quite ouerthrowne vnlesse it were the impregnable rocke of the Church which hangs vpon certitude of diuine pillars independent vpon humane chaunce and chaunge and no commonwealth corporation societie or state so prudent politicall and perspicuous in all things to make them famous eternized and their condition of life gouernment and order permanent but haue had their sates by succeeding turns with a no lesse fearefull eclipse of their former fame then a notable diminution of their wonted glorie Thus came all the mightie Monarchs Worthies and Monarchies of the world as it were by a naturall succession of birth and bloud deuoluted from the father to the sonne to haue their rise and fall one after another He meaneth the continuance of that Monarchie from Nimrod or Ninus to the last of Nabuchodonosors son vz. Balsazar as the Romane Empire from Julius Caesar to this present though vp and downe as the AssyriaÌ„s was The Assyrians first swayed the scepter Royall of the worlds Monarchie and longest of all other continued with the same and who then so famous as their Nabuchodonosor in whose presence the whole earth kept silence but yet subiect to corruption Who euer had a lostâ—â—r fall as to be turned out of the proper feature of a man into the gastfull purport of a beast and in the end his Kingdome taken from his house name and line no face of a commonwealth remaining vnder any Assyrian title at this day Then rose vp the Persian Prince and where caryed fame her sayles aloft but vnder the canapeall beauer of a Darius his briefe He alludeth to the Maiestie of King Darius in his briefe summoÌ„ of all the worlds Peeres then vnder his stately Monarchie to come to his solemne feast the renowned Monarch of the world in his dayes and yet he also was cast off from the highest Pyramides of fortunes wheele For although the now Persian Sophie haue recouered an Asiaticke imperiall state againe yet by the folly of Darius his house and line the second Monarchie whereof Daniel spoke was translated from the Medes and Persians to the Greekes Then in speciall the Macedonian Alexander a second Worthy of the Gentiles was the glorie of former fame of his own wonder of future ages as the onely admired at Heroes of the world in his dayes But yet such is the painefull birth of Princes and short sorowfull and toylesome life of Monarchs in their generation and corruption of kingdomes and regall states as Alexander after twelue yeares raigne yeelding to destinie in Babylon there consumed to dust his Monarchie was deuided into foure principall besides other inferior members or Empires And then againe out of that Greekish corruption did rise a Latine generation of a Romane Monarchie which in a tottering state by tract of time is come vnto that passe wherein we now do see it One while the Romane Caesars and Octauians caryed away the trophees and triumphes of the world from all people and nations vnder heauen After them the Albions or great Britons Constantine merited the renowne to the famous English Isle then the worthie French Charlemaine got the fame by Martiall prowes and iust deserts to his worthie selfe people and nation where he liued After that againe the Lumbards and with them the Germaines where the imperiall triple Crowne of Caesar yet remaines vp and downe had the praise for many yeares together And now hath the
Church without euer returne or reformation or recouery and thereupon haue they and other Iesuits that remained as then in the Church written most bitterly one against the other some of whose hereticall bookes my selfe haue seene in print But for those that seduce the English Catholikes of whom now principally these Quodlibets do intreate they neither can neither may iustly be called heretikes because they do not stand obstinate in their opinion of any of these things neither do they neither dare they maintaine anie of these heresies or errours as yet whatsoeuer they intend hereafter when they see an end of the appeale and who will stand to them and who forsake them but all in such slye dissembling equiuocate and couert sort as hard it shall be to fasten any error vpon them For their plots by doctrine like as by al other proiects tending rather in deed to flat atheisme then to any particular heresie they were vnworthy the name of temporised statists wherof they boast or to be readers in Machiuels schoole which is their secret practise in scholerisme if they should not denie all and change their opinions agreeing to time person and place and as a Counsellor at the common law once said rather trusting God with their soules then the world with their bodies he would neither burne for the one nor hang for the other So that as I said as hard it shall be to conuince them of anie errours in matters of faith as it was to haue conuinced Arius who subscribing to the Councels decrees sweare it was true as it there was written meaning in the paper kept close in his bosome or sleeue iust like to the Iesuits absurd equiuocating or counterfeited periuries sacriledges and cousinage in abusing the words of S. Paul with factus sum omnia omnibus vt omnes lucrifaciam as much to say in a Iesuiticall sense as to be a Seminarie Priest amongest Seminaries a Secular Priest amongest Seculars a religious man amongest religious a seditious person amongest seditious a factious Spaniard amongst Spaniards an English traitor amoÌ„gst traitors a Scottish villaine amongst Scots and amongst all these to denie affirme to obiect and answer to sweare and forsweare whatsoeuer may be a gaine to him for his incorporation pragmaticall common-wealth or societie which dissembling and Atheall dealing of theirs to make it manifest to all the world doctor Cicils booke against father Creton the Scots Iesuit may suffise For who doth not know how mightily this Scots father hath stood in opposition in shew of the world at least in presence of Scots and English against father Parsons our English Polipragmon concerning the Scots pretended title to the English crowne Insomuch as report hath gone that his Maiestie King Iames by letters and messages deuised and sent from these Scots religious statists to settle a sound opinion in his Princely heart of this false hearted hypocrite hath said that there was one Iesuit yet good old father Creton that dealt and spoke on his behalfe c. notwithstanding that the same maister Cicile doth clearely proue that this loyall Scots father in the Court of Spaine did runne a quite contrarie course sung Placebo to King Philip then and as a most infest enemie vsed as bitter peremptorie and traiterous or rather irreligious speeches of his owne Liege Lord and King as euer father Parsons had vsed in anie passage of speech or libell against him Therefore do I conclude this article as with an exposition of the former that as probable it is they will stand out euen as the Templars did to death before they will confesse any thing that may discouer their great impietie so questionlesse it were no policie in them to professe themselues as yet open enemies to the Sea Apostolicke much lesse to stand to any one of their innouate new inuented paradoxall doctrines either by word or writing but rather to labour at the first to draw the ignorant multitudes and so by peecemeale others of more grauitie wit and learning vnto them by plausible perswasions making them beleeue that they are the reformed Church for so they say a Iesuite is nothing else but a reformed Priest right Puritans in all things that they seek only to haue all Bishops and Prelats Kings and Princes â—iue in order according to their vocations and calling that all went to wracke in England Scotland Flanders Germanie Polony and where not before they came that Catholike religion Christian discipline and orderly life amongst all Priests and religious persons was euen worne out of vse and memorie vntil they reuiued it that they sought only to reduce all from errors and abuses which were in many old Q Marie Priestes and others and to draw them to the vnion of the Sea Apostolike To which Sea forsooth they onely did and euer would acknowledge an obedience to death this hauing bene the platforme of all other or the most part of heretikes at the first vnder colour of rooting euil out of the Church and that forsooth in the right of and on the Catholike Romane Churches behalfe therby to bring a greater mischiefe vpon it that is more filth into it and as our Sauiour Christ rightly parabolized of such finding the house cleane swept they bring seuen other foule spirits with them worse theÌ„ themselues were before Et sic fiunt nouiss hominis illius peiora prioribus So of very like sort their Pharisaicall hypocriticall and mock-mending doctrine of reformation tends to none other end theÌ„ to be an introduction to the sorie sequels of their arrogancie Whereof we need no better testimonie then Fa. Garnet the Iesuits Prouinciall here in England his forward resolute and zealous ostentation on the behalfe forsooth of the Sea Apostolike O pitiful complaining for institution of the Archpresbiterie vpon Cardinall Caietans surrepted letter of authoritie Which fraudulent institution and violently intruded Archpresbitery being in a sort yet with a reuerend regard of the Cardinals grace and not with that coÌ„tempt it iustly did deserue resisted by the secular Priests this notable companion fa. Garnet in the froth of his zeale foming against the said seculars to make them seeme odious and contemners of the Popes authoritie for so these impudent shamelesse men made it seeme to the ignorant said he would marie would he stand to death in defence of the Popes holinesse his decree and institution of this new renowned Prelate O huge monstrous audacious nay officious intruding boldnesse did you euer heare the like cogging mate who to bleare the peoples eies and to band and bolster out so horrible a fact as to thrust a Iesuit Archpriest vpon vs and that most tyrannically to be flagellum Dei ouer the secular Priests spite of their teeth he would make men beleeue nay women indeed for the most part of their pure spirits are of the female sexe as easiest deluded that he tooke vpon him the defence of the Sea Apostolike in managing with huffe and ruffe this foisted in authoritie
Campian and Fa. Parsons they were but counted as their assistants and that only in administring of sacraments for Fa. Heywood durst presume to forbid preaching c. Seuenthly vpon this intollerable pride hypocrisie and immunitie arrogated vnto theÌ„ whereby no Prince or prelate liuing can escape their tongs pens yea nor fists if it come to banding vntill these mortificats haue their wils nothing being well done nor any gouernment well managed without their direction as wanting discretion zeale learning or something which these illuminates made of a more excellent mould must perfect and reform in the grosse headed seculars there followeth then presently after it another deuice plotted of purpose to make it seeme meet to the ignorant multitude afterwards to others for note this that popularitie is the rouer they ayme at in all their proceedings the mobile vulgus being euer wauering and readiest to run vpon euery change that all the whole Cleargie both Ecclesiasticall and Monasticall throughout all nations should be subiect to theÌ„ And to put this deuice in execution England is made the maine chance of Christendome this day For effectuating whereof hauing brought all things to that forwardnesse as all the Colledges and Seminaries at Rome Doway Siuill Valledolid and elsewhere beyond the seas are vnder the Iesuiticall gouernment or rather vsurpate tyrannie the contention being about Father Westons supremacie forsooth ouer the rest of the reuerend auncient and worthy Confessors the secular Priests in prison and Fa. Garnets soueraigntie ouer the rest abroad hauing alreadie appointed a silly man for an Archpriest as substitute vnder him and he as Prouinciall here vnder Fa. Parsons nostri fundi calamitas there is now wanting nothing but to bring this platforme to perfection But for the deuice it selfe in contriuing this Luciferian aspire it is this They beare the people in hand that the secular Priests besides their want of learning and zeale which occasionated their immunitie ouer theÌ„ are forsooth more subiect to error heresie Apostacie more infirme fraile weake and readier to fall then they are c. What Princes wil endure such person in their â—â—ngâ—omes as vnder pretence of religion shal infect their subiects wâ—â—h such hateful coâ—â—eâ—ts so daungerous to their State or who can be seâ—uâ—e of his stand if this populâ—â— dâ—â—trine take to â—e in rebellious subiects harts and what â—â—n be expected thâ—reby but wheâ—e rebels can not haue their wâ—â— presently to make hâ—mocke of the common wealth and inuest 〈◊〉 with the Crownes 8 From this freedome of the Iesuits doth issue out a fresh a faire seeming but mischieuously poisoned fountaine of zealing christall streames deuided into two armes or riuals from the head the one is called ordo ad Deum the other obedientia By meanes of which two there is nothing can go or be done amisse by any Iesuite for that alwaies it is either in ordine ad Deum if an act of a superior or propter obedientiam if done by a inferiour So as this seditious odious blasphemous and sacrilegious abuse of Gods diuine graces vertues and benefites bestowed is a dogbolt in euery bow and shaft in euery quiuer to draw out for the managing of any impious fact whatsoeuer By this the popular multitude may depose their Princes and choose others at their pleasure By this no difference shall be put in their choise vpon any right or title to Crownes or Kingdomes by birth or bloud or otherwise then as the Fathers forsooth shall approue it By this all things must be wrought and framed conformable to oportunitie of times and occasions as verbi gratia The people haue a right and interest in them to do what they list in choise of a King marry yet limited by reason of the times and occasions now offered to one of these two scil the King of Spain or the Lady Infanta And then againe the times and occasions changing after a Spaniard is setled in the Crowne it must be holden for a mistaking yet such as seeing it cannot be holpen the people must beware hereafter of euer attempting the like againe It is manifest to any that knowes the Iesuits course that although they pretend all their designmeÌ„ts to be ordine ad Deum as directed to the common good of the Church yet their chiefest care is how to aduance increase their owne socie ie hoping of likelyhood by their number to bring one day some great matter to passe after once they haue firmly established their new Hierarchie which being perimpleshed who so then liues shall heare other news then euer yet were heard of either of Antichrist 〈◊〉 some other â—onster By this a checke must be giuen to the publishers of such Paradoxes after that a dispensation procured for restoring the offender and then shall all be well euer after c. 9 Out of this directing and doing of all things in order ad Deum and for obedience sake they frame a new deuise how to make themselues not only aboue seculars in authoritie but also more mundane then any temporall worldling in practise And this deuise is grounded vpon a principle amongst them called vti scientia that is a rule prescribed vnto them if you please to know it in plaine English how to learne to shift and liue by their wits And therefore they as knowing better then any Cadger Graser MerchaÌ„t Farmer Artizan Broker or Vsurer where and how a commoditie is to be raised and to be disposed euery way in ordine ad Deum must command rule all the rest in euery Noble and Gentlemans house where they reside In so much as no lease must be let nor fine taken nor peece of bread giuen but by their aduice The tenant must please them or grease them or else repent it a part of the fine must be employed at their appointment the Maister or Mistresse can scarcely rule or do any thing without their approbation the children and seruants are set in opposition against their parents and maisters if the least dislike be had of these Rabbies Yea I tremble to write what they haue not feared to worke and daily practise vpon this sacrilegious and arrogant abuse of vti scientia wherby they knowing aswell by the seruants maisters mistresses confessions as also by the wiues against their husbands husbands against their wiues and the seruants confessions against theÌ„ both all the secrets in the house how they haue abused that sacred seale which neither by word nor signe nor by any other means nor vnder what pretence soeuer may be opened to death and all of purpose to tyrannize ouer poore soules as getting thereby occasion to intrude themselues for disposing and managing of their worldly causes I leaue it to sundrie reports woful experiences wherof Mistresse Wibur in Kent together with her husband can and will be witnesses another day against Father Cur. the Iesuite vnlesse his repentance were great for it ere he died 10 To helpe this forward
with either in allowing or forbidding the reading or printing of it A third was his presumptuous boldnes in that he would by vertue of his authoritie suppose it were such so great and so inuiolate as he takes vpon him to haue it intrude himselfe to meddle with forbidding bookes to be either read or printed in Scotland without either asking leaue or at least giuing the Catholike Bishop of Glasco to vnderstand thereof beforehand A fourth was the insinuated suspition of a Premunire he hath incurred alreadie he may thank his good fathers for it by his authoritie to be increased hereby as seeking by this inhibition of printing or reading of anie booke that may touch a Iesuite especially that so daungerous a Polipragmon Father Parsons he shewes plainely that he would haue all the treasonable practises concealed not regarding what daunger of both bodie soule and common-wealths wracke happen to anie so as these new Fathers may haue their wicked designements Many other particular points haue I noted as being collected by necessarie sequele to ensue vpon that Letter whereof in the Apologie I intend to imptint of mine owne peculiar purgations I meane to treate at large Onely this for the present he may please to know that I neuer writ nor spake word in my life that I dare not publish in anie Court of Christendome concerning these matters so farre I am from all feare of exasperating anie Prince or Peere or incurring of anie daunger either in England which I am bound in all respects to my dread Soueraigne and natiue land to be most warie of offending or hurting anie maner of way or elsewhere And if as I haue suppressed the printing of that booke and sundrie others for a time let him not thinke it came vpon anie account or reckening I made of his suspension for that cause but for other reasons which he and his may and yet do both misse of though some of his assistants haue taken vpon them to know the causes why And hereupon one of them of a brauado hath made his vaunt since my returne last out of Scotland that he another maner of man then I poore wretch to deale with Princes hath written to his Maiestie King Iames exhorting him to embrace the Catholike faith and religion Were it not that the Iesuits haue a special priuiledge in two things one is to make all things to be beleeued as Gospell be it neuer so fals that they speake or write another to make al things to be iudged false be it as true as the Gospell it selfe that any other shall write or speake without their approbation But if directly against them out vpon it it is not to be heard spoken of or once looked vpon If these were not and withall that the vilest parts that can be played are counted acts of zeale amongst them if done by a Father so as it may be any way couered with either of their two principles scil propter bonum societatis vel ordine ad Deum otherwise I should greatly muse at the faire glose of father Southwell concerning father Parsons birth and education It being most vntrue that Fa. Southwell reports of him scil that hauing placed the vttermost of his ambition in the contempt of honor and the highest of his wealth in voluntarie pouertie will easily acknowledge his birth to haue bene of more honest then great parents Yet were they not so meane but they were able to affoord him such education as might haue made his good parts a way to no small preferment c. All which is most false a bastard he was vnhonestly begot basely borne a Wolsey in ambition a Midas in mundicitie a traitor in action which here I had not touched had he spared his owne Soueraigne and bloud royall of this land which if he do then all all all euery true Catholike should take his part for the English Crowne by this new statists procurement But what answer he had let himselfe report I thinke it will be but a scorne and he laughed at for a stale in shewing his exorbitant audacious folly I may not here forget a fifth Statute which I make no question of but that Father Parsons would be most carefull to haue it throughly perfected in that high Councell of Reformation for England and it is to be thought that it goes also vnder the tenure of a prouiso for legitimation of bastards For we may not imagine that Father Parsons was ignorant of his owne base estate as being a sacrilegious bastard in the worst sense scil a spurias begotten by the Parson of the Parish where he was borne vpon the bodie of a very base queane This then being so and he not so senslesse as to thinke but that he will find the Canon law more strict in dispensatiō with him for his irregularity then the Ciuill or common law wil be for dispensation to inherite c. which may be a good caueat to him to looke to his orders lest otherwise he lose his Rectorship perhaps a better thing besides there is no question to be made of it but that some close statute and prouiso was closely made and couertly foisted in for enabling some bastards in the spitefulle◠sense to be capable of any honour or dignitie either in the Church or Common wealth And true it is that this good Fa. Parsons altas Cowbacke filius populi filius peccati or the verie fiend him selfe might be chosen to a kingdome by his doctrine if any people would be so mad as to chuse him for their king because the said fury can translate himselfe into an Angell of light for an houres space though he turne into his hellish vgly shape within a minute of an hower after c. Happie were some men if they might haue a sight of that statute booke or huge volume of the high councel of reformation for England no doubt but he should find notable stuffe in it that would serue for many purposes But here I make an end concluding out of the premises 1. That the Iesuits would take it in scorne to haue any poore secular or Seminarie Priest cōpared with them in prudence pollicie considering that they dare beard the greatest and highest persons on earth in all things 2. That in generall England for this age were able to set Nicke Machiauell to schoole either in a good or a bad sense of pollicie 3. Yet taking Politia as S. Thomas and Diuines do for a chiefe branch of prudence with relation to gouernment of a bodie politicall or common wealth ciuill there are that excell both Machiauell and the Iesuits their politia being but an extrauagant or apocriphall vertue at the vttermost 4. But take it as a she craftie dissembling wilinesse with a relation to Atheisme or a non religion and then therin the Iesuits do farre passe Machiauell and I verily thinke any whomsoeuer of and in this age THE III. ARTICLE VVHether then if this kinde of Iesuiticall pollicie tend to
that those who haue quite abandoned the world ought not to seeke aduancements in the world and by consequent not to set forth themselues otherwise then they are indeed Neither in truth shal you finde it in any religious order or person vnlesse they be apostataed from their faith as is ordinary by that occasion taken saue only amongst the Iesuits with whom it is as common a practise as to say their Breuiary See a notable stratageme for this matter in the next Article how Doctor Worthington president at Dowry and father Hoâ—t the fully states man at Bruxels bestirred theÌ„selues in procuring boyes and girles and â—ll sorts of pâ—rsâ—â— to mâ—ke pâ—â—tâ—on to the king of 〈…〉 and other Princes to haue fâ—â—her Parsons made Lord Cardinall of England mâ—king it seeme otherwise that all religion and hope of the king Catholikes aduancemeÌ„t to the English Crowne would â—uaile and be dashed for euer yet forsooth these holy fathers may not seeke for any â—â—â—â—ncemeÌ„t neither will neither may they take it being thrust vpon them So the foxe will eate no grapes not hungry houÌ„ds any duâ—ty puâ—dings vnlesse they can come by theÌ„ and not be seene And I verily thinke more common in some of them whose whole studie meditation and indeuor seemeth as it were to tend to this onely end how to aduance them selues and their societie Which mind of theirs for that it suffers a contradiction by reason of their religious profession and vowe of voluntarie pouertie containing in it many particulars opposite to all or any either ecclesiasticall or temporall aduancement therefore must they set all their wits a wool-gathering making choise of the finest locks to worke vp this web in so smooth a loome and that so couertly and the threeds so layd and wrought in close couched together as not a breake knot or anie the least tuft or end of a threed extrauagant of any mundane thought or secular aduancement fished for by them be left to be seene but all pure zeale spirituall contemplation perfect mortification Christian renunciation contempt of honour riches and all worldly esteeme Of this I neede to say no more euery Quodlibet and Article ministring occasion to talke of the Iesuits ambition incrochment and seeking for aduauncement by concealing such defects wants in themselues as are verie necessarie to be knowne no way ought to be kept close neither will they be so hereafter vnlesse they mend their maners and reforme themselues in their order Now for others that liue in the world abroad in way of aduancement to and in a state ecclesiasticall or temporall thus stands the case I told you before in the Quodlibets of Fame and report what a Priests place and office was and how the state Ecclesiasticall or secular was euer to be preferred before the Monasticall or religious Monos tying them to a solitarie life Religion to a stricter retired course and order Therefore true it is that though both Priests and lay persons may lawfully seeke for aduancemeÌ„t as hereafter shal be shewed Quia qui in Episcopatum desiderat bonuÌ„ opus desiderat said the choise vessel of deuine election to his scholer disciple consecrated Bishop per impositioneÌ„ manum suarum yet is there a great difference in the matters to be reuealed or coÌ„cealed for the better furtherance or hinderance of their aduancement verbi gratia a man giuen ouer either to wine or women is not to take vpon him the charge of soules but being initiated to holy orders a close Cell is fittest for him to auoyd both the danger of damning his owne soule by fact scandall and leud example giuen and also the ruine and fall of others by his conuersing with them Qui enim tangit picem coinquinabitur qui amat periculum periculo peribit And thererefore ought he secretly to impart the conflicts he hath with himselfe in such a case to his ghostly father with desire to haue him worke some conuenient meanes to stop his preferment if he be vrged to take curam animarum vpon him Otherwise if needes he must take charge then let him euer haue iust Iob his league written in his heart Pepegi foedus cum oculis meis ne cogitarem quidem de virgine and so concealing his owne infirmities obstando principijs as much as is possible ter dominuÌ„ rogando yea ter centies with S. Paul vt auferratur à se stimulus carnis angelus Sathanae qui illum colophizat let him not double but to beate in his heart or feele in his flesh that comfortable answer which the said Apostle had made vnto him in the like case Sufficit tibi gratiae meae nam virtus in insirmitate perficitur And so let him go forward in the name of God reueale his defects to God alone But now on the contrarie in a temporall man these defects are not so great a blemish because the one may easily be remedied by mariage a sacrament instituted in remedium peccati post lapsum Adami and the other as sufficiently supplied by competent diet and neither the one or the other so daungerous to the Church weale publike or the infected therewith as they are in the former Againe in a temporal man these are greater defects and causes of hinderance to his preferment then in a Priest scil meannesse of birth want of wealth deformitie of bodie foule diseases and the like For that although all these things are to be respected in a Priest scil that he be not base borne nor a bondslaue nor a beggars brat nor a deformed creature nor infected with any filthie disease c. but on the contrarie of honest parentage a free borne Denison of sufficient patrimonie or meanes to liue though he were not Priest of comely personage and of a cleane constitution of bodie optima quaeque Deo and further although the question betwixt Ciuilians and Diuines be pro contra It was wel asked when Adam delued and Eue span who was then a Gentleman insinuating thereby that all Noblenesse and gentry came at the first but of mean persons compared in manners and order of life with their successors or posteritie Yea the greatest Emperour honor and families in the world came ofteÌ„ vp of meanest officers in their progenitors scil of bondslaues of Scriueners of Gardiners c. which is the cause that wheras all honor and gentrie riseth froÌ„ one of these two heads scil from learning or from chiualrie that by consequent a Gentleman of proper merit by either may is to be preferred before him of bloud coat armor perfect and ancestry if his deserts excel the others otherwise not c. concerning dispensations legitimations and enabling of such irregulates and defectiues to aduancement in the Church and common wealth wherof somewhat I spoke in the foresaid Quodlibet of Fame and Report and more at large haue set it out in the Antiperistasis to Dolemans succession in the barre of bastardie yet forasmuch as
them like fooles as they are and made them become a most seditious infamous pragmaticall treacherous diabolicall faction to set vp and defend a bastardly fellow in all his mischieuous plots and deuises and that the seculars are of no faction at all vnlesse they will call it a faction to ioyne against these vsurpers with the whole Church of God and so may they as probably like right heretikes they will do so one day say that all Catholike nations throughout Christendome are of the faction there being no Catholike countrey people or nation in the world this day but doth dislike of them and is against their wicked proceedings or else for speaking in defence of their Prince and countrey I meane in matters of gouernement succession and state affaires clearly abstracted from points of faith and religion and then and therein also if they say the seculars are of the faction they may aswell say that her Maiestie and honorable Counsell and in few all that are exempted from trayterous attempts and conspiracies either within or without the land are so And then by consequent all are of the faction throughout the world that will not yeeld to a Iesuiticall supremacy in the state Ecclesiasticall and to their Monarchy in a state temporall and in both to make father Parsons a king Cardinall Concerning this matter it is worthy the noting to see how this Camelion Iesuit Parsons hath banded off and on with time like a Protheus His and his fautors ostentation in outward shew is wholy for religion and that they do most earnestly desire the conuersion of their countrey and of such and such particular persons by name yea they would I marry would they all follow and prosecute the king of Scots title if he would become Catholike but if not they would all dye one after another against him And yet contrary to this ostentation made both in a letter of father Parsons to the Marques Huntley whom they account to be a speciall fautor of their faction as also contrarie to sundrie other of their writings schedules and passages they haue dealt both priuatly and openly to the contrarie In somuch that omitting particular practises as with the late Earle of Essex to whom father Parsons sent a Iesuite Priest to haue had him to take a pension of the king of Spaine priuatly for aduancement of his designements neuer mentioning any Religion to him off or on but be as he be would and so with others hath he dealt besides the viper shewed his malice most in the treatie of peace betwixt the kings of Fraunce and Spaine For at that time there was a rumour runne abroad that the Queene of England would enter into that league and so graunt a tolleration of religion But this father Parsons vtterly disliked of saying that either they would haue all or none that they would admit of no conditions His reason was this because quoth he a tolleration would make the Catholikes of England dull and without spirit c. But the reason indeed was this and in good faith when I first did see the Articles here drawne out in England of the conditions for peace before euer any newes came of this great Statists censure I sayd to a very friend of mine that it would cost the Iesuits a brace of a thousand pounds to stop it for that it stood not with father Parsons platforme to haue any relaxation of persecution in England so long as either her Maiestie liued or yet after vntill he were ready to come with Montioy Saint Iames of Spaine and Parsons for the Britons Monarchy because a tolleration for religion would breed these inconueniences all making against him and his faction First he could not then haue any colour to set out bookes or anticke shewes as he hath or to blaze it abroad in all nations how cruell tyrannicall and inhumane the persecution of Catholikes is in England Secondly he could no longer after haue blowne the infamous blasts that course both sea and land he affirming England to be the nurcery of faction sedition and of all mischiefe wrought throughout the world setting all Princes Monarches and States together by the eares liuing in league with one to make warre against another and maintaining of rebels against their Soueraignes Thirdly he could not by al likelihood haue had any Catholike Prince or other in Christendome to haue banded on his side For with what colour could either Spaine or Austria or any Catholike Prince haue inuaded England if Catholikes might liue here as freely as they did in France or as the Hugonites do now liue there and the Protestants in Germany and the Christians in Turkey and the Mahumetanes in Tartary the Pagans in Presbiter Iohns dominions Fourthly he could neuer after haue gone forward with this platforme for aspiring to the Monarchy For whereas now all Catholikes must depēd vpon the Archpriest the Archpriest vpon father Garnet Garnet vpon Parsons Parsons vpon the diuel the author of all rebellious conspiracies treasons murthers disobedience heresies all such other diabolicall bloudy designements as this wicked Iesuit hath hitherto deuised then and in that case this dependency had bin vtterly voide For we should haue had Catholike Bishops as Suffragans or such like that might haue giuen holy orders cōsecrated holy oiles ministred the Sacrament of Confirmation exercised their Episcopall authority in all things necessary priuatly as it was in the Apostles time and Primitiue Church without either any the least incōbrance or perturbance of the state or present incumbents the Bishops Archbishops that now are or admittance of any seditious Iesuit or other factious person to come within the lād Fiftly his malitious deuises cruel hard hart towards al Catholiks had herby bin discouered as neuer able hereafter to haue stirred vp her Maiesty or incensed her honorable Counsell against all her loyall and most dutifull subiects for his treacheries treasons cōspiracies Because al in that case wold haue bin ready to haue reuealed the least thought of any cōfederacy against her royall person kingdome and state Sixtly his baits had bene worth nothing for enticing and alluring of any subiect to rebellion either for the time present or to come because a league being once made with the French and Spanish nation all Catholikes of England being withall naturally inclined to loue and loyalty of and to their Prince and countrey all promises or hopes of preferment vnder forreine Princes would haue bin and seemed hatefull ridiculous and senslesse vnto them No nation vnder heauen affording greater honors comforts and content then England and our Soueraignes both are able do affoord to the inhabitants that liue in grace and fauor as in this case vtcunque the afflicted Catholikes should Seuenthly this tolleration or liberty of cōscience wold quite haue cut off two bloudy hopes which Parsons hath in al his practises to wit aswel the indāgering of her Maiesties royall person as also the fauoring furthering cōsenting
men not as Gods in these cases knowing that the words inuasion and hostile power denotate a generall subuersion population and ouerthrow of the whole common wealth and state with slaughter of body soule and all together and not the conuersion of any one no nor preseruation or safetie of the already conuerted for so said the Duke of Medina in plaine termes scil I will respect neither one nor other if I haue them once vnder my sworde for I meane to make roome place and space there for my master c. Neither in very deede in such a case could he almost choose to doe otherwise though he had a more compassionate religious and humane hart then any Spaniard seemeth to haue For how should he knowe a catholike from a protestant in the open field where is no time to bow nor kneele vnlesse it be against their wils But when besides this it is manifest by the Dukes speeches yea and the Iesuits too at sundry times affirming the same as father Southwell at Wisbiche did confesse no lesse in the hearing of diuers priestes there prisoners that though the inuaders might yet would they not spare one catholike in England more then a protestant nor so much as they would spare the puritanes The reason whereof may be this in their barbarous policie scil least vnder that pretence if shew of religion might saue their liues all for the time becomming wholy catholikes would be too many and too strong a partie to remaine on liue and readie vpon euery the least occasion offered to rise in armes and take the crowne off from the inuaders head if inuested therewith thrust all forraigners out of the realme and set vp a catholike king of their owne countrie and nation againe Therefore seeing that to preuent this inconuenience the inuader whosoeuer will make sure worke if once he got footing without sparing of man woman or childe besides those traitors of Iesuits or puritanes that shall escape perhaps for a time as comming in vnder his banner to betray their natiue countrie into his hands I hold that man for woorse then mad that will runne vpon his owne death euery way as those English doe be they of what religion or profession soeuer that should vpon any false perswasion or feare of excommunication or otherwise oppose themselues against their natiue prince and countrie And if when no such danger was of vtter subuersion and destruction of all yet in these temporall and martiall causes we finde that no excommunication suspension or interdiction did take place so but that those punished by ecclesiasticall censure did still prosecute to death their prince and countries cause were the said excommunications or other ecclesiasticall censure iustly or wrongfully inflicted which when hot bloods are vp is not regarded of any as in the strife betwixt prince Lewis of Fraunce and king Iohn of England and his sonne after him king Henry 3. and the Baliol and Bruse of Scotland and sundry other examples it may appeere euen in catholike times when there was no religion but one then à fortiori in the case proposed like to a Danois conquest when the pretence is coloured with a religious maske and the pretendor intendes notwithstanding a generall massacre of all indifferently to plant a new people there with vtter extirpation of the ancient inhabitants there is no sense religion nor signe of humanitie in that English hart that would so vnnaturally be deluded with scruples doubts and sophisticall buzzes put into his head in the premises as not to resist Secondly an other interrogatorie point or question in the article proposed is that supposing the Iesuits and Archpriest had right on their side in the matters of contention betwixt them as they seeme to make the case as cleere for them as the seculars doe on the contrarie that thereupon they should iustly procure an excommunication with other ecclesiasticall censures to be inflicted according to the qualitie of the person the occasion giuen vpon the part of the appellans and all their adherents for their contempt disobedience c. formally reestablishing ratifying and confirming ad amplius the saide Archpriestes authoritie whether then ought not the seculars and all other catholikes obey and surcease from further pursuite against either the Iesuites or Archpriest or no And to this I answere that a supposed proposition must haue a supposed solution scilicet that supposing all were right iust lawfull and necessarie on the Iesuits part and the quite contrarie on the seculars then were the seculars not onely bound to obey and surcease but also to cry peccauimus and submit themselues to doe such penance as should be inioyned them c. 2. in the case proposed although they were to surcease from pursuite of the appeale in that matter yet were they not bound to let fall their plea on the behalfe of the Catholicke Church and common wealth in generall or of their owne natiue countrey in speciall for that the matters of contention betwixt the seculars and Iesuits being of two kinds the one proper as cōcerning the iniuries wrongs done one to the other and the other common as concerning the iniuries and wrongs done to the whole Church the common wealth the supreme power and soueraigne Maiesties in both states they being instrumentall agents and yet withall liue members of the two bodies misticall and politicall were bound to respect Bonum publicum before priuatum and by consequent not to desist from prosecuting the appeale in those cases wherein the interest is in the whole Church and commonwealth and not in themselues alone 3. I say the supposition is but a meere metaphisicall or rather chymericall supposall or conceite neither doe I thinke that there is any Iesuite in England this day but in his owne conscience he knowes he is in the wrong and that the seculars haue the right on their side as well in the particular as generall action and by consequent it is impossible as I said in the former article but that if euer the matter come to pleading it will goe on the seculars side against them 4. I say more that admit an excommunication should be gotten procured suggesto mendacio against them for the one cause or the other yet were the excommunicated suspended c. onely propter obedientiam to forbeare comming at or hauing the vse of the Sacraments But no further so as in prosecuting their appeale or doing of any other act for the furtherance of their cause they were as free as before from all sinne or other offence in not obeying any charge laide or commandement giuen them to the contrary 3. A third interrogatorie point doth seeme to import thus much in this article scz whether an excommunication suspension c. being gotten quo iure quaue iniuria against the seculars and their adherents hanging the appeale were it to be obeied or not in forbearing to come at the altar or Sacraments Whereunto I answere 1. That Post
told you before when he was so vehement against the peace in speech to haue beene betwixt her Maiestie and the king of Spaine in that league with Fraunce c. And did not the same tend to the same effect in France when one saide I pray God it be for good that this peace is made betwixt Spaine and Fraunce an other the king of Fraunce is but a dissembler and neuer meant nor wil meane well to the catholike church or setting vp of religion and an other that he was a reprobate of God forsaken and therefore made but shew of religion for a time to intrap the catholike more cunningly thereby And euen so say they heere in England that this extraordinary fauour granted to some in speciall is but to intrappe all in generall to get out the number of concealed catholiks by this meanes and to take aduantages of I cannot tell you what nor they much lesse haue any reason to imagine what they malitiously babble of As though the number of catholiks yea and of those that are catholike affected were not known in euery shire citie towne and parish throughout England ere euer any of those fauors were shewed or as though there neede any fitter speedier or more assured meanes to intrap whom they please then are already and of long time haue beene vsed by spies searches and other meanes or finally as though fauour in mitigation were as dangerous as rigour in execution of iustice or inflicting of punishments ordained by lawes already made of no lesse force then to take away the liues of what catholike soeuer they please if extremitie were shewed against them according to the statutes as now our ticklish state by meanes of these Iesuiticall conspiracies stands Therefore still say I and euery day will pray for it on my knees in my best poore deuotions God of his mercy send vs peace that we may liue without feare of seruing our Lord God in any the closest manner secretly in our chambers And further it is to be both wished and praied for that God may mooue First his Holines hart to call these seditions out from amongst vs who hinder of meere spite pride and enuie all good acts done by any that are not theirs Secondly then her Maiestie and honorable Counsell to looke vpon our miseries not to impute to the innocent these malignant speeches of the Iesuits in preiudicial iealousies suspicions had of this greatly and onely hoped for fauour to ease languishing harts with all Thirdly and last of all the deuout catholike laitie that they may no longer be blinded with the workers of their woes such as they may see daily more and more Quaere quae sunt deorsum non quae sunt sursum and care not what miserie danger persecution or other affliction any or all the catholikes in England suffer so their turnes may be serued thereby THE VI. ARTICLE WHether then if no danger can possiblie come to those that side with the seculars in labouring for this generall good ease and safetie of and to all catholikes or schismatikes that would be catholikes but for feare of imprisonment losse of lands and goods and life it selfe or other sharpe punishments ordeined to be inflicted vpon catholike Recusants by penall lawes can any danger come to the countrey to such either catholike or schismatike as either ioyne or at least seeme to fauour the Iesuits more then the seculars and speake all wholly on their behalfe against the other partie or if they stand neuters and indifferents to both yet refuse either to subscribe to the generall appeale on their Prince their countrey their owne and the seculars behalfe or to be Vmpiers in the matter for the conditions to be agreed vpon betwixt her Maiesties honorable assignes on the one side and the catholikes her loyall subiects suppliants on the other side or otherwise deny their consent yeeld and concurrence to the furtherance of this so gracious and in very deede miraculous incline of her Maiestie and honorable Counsell to mitigate our generall heauy persecution and affliction or how stands or is like to stand the case with such as refuse in the premisses THE ANSWERE MIght it be without offence to exemplate out of Parsons Philopater by what meanes the change of religion came I could descrie the coast by colour of the sand and set you downe the case cleere and easie to be vnderstood of euery one But letting former examples passe I say no more thereof then this that be you fully perswaded and assured what bribes can worke what gifts can winne what women can mooue and none more potent in moouing then they said Parsons in Greenecote what lying can deceiue in what impudency can face what flattery can allure to what promises can intice to what hope can vrge what protestations can perswade to what wit can inuent to hinder all furtherance aide consent or good liking to be had of this fauour to be shewed that same shall not be wanting to the vttermost But yet this withall will I giue them to weerds that those who are now furthest of from liking or consenting to the seculars in their action shall wish when they cannot helpe it that it had beene neerest them in smothering of them and it both with all their might and so to the diuersly membred article I answere thus diuersly First that these lay catholiks as are eager on the Iesuits or Archpriests behalfe are heereafter in the same predicament of a praemunire treason c. that their good ghostly fathers before spoken of are in Secondly that ere these matters came to light before the appeale was made there was no more danger in following of a Iesuit or the Archpriest then in following a Seminary or other secular priest bicause they were not then discouered the one from the other nor euer should haue beene in those cases if the Iesuits might haue had their wils as the only Scugge buckler and sconce they had to beare off all the blowes that of due right should haue fallen vpon them and not of the innocent seculars which was and is one speciall cause why they labour so mightily to make all bookes written of these matters in discouery of their egregious impietie both against the Church and common-wealth to seeme so odious and to suppresse so much as lieth in them the Printing and if not the Printing yet the reading and if not the reading yet the beleeuing of any thing in them to be true though the authors haue and doe still offer body for body to burne at a stake or hang on the gallowes for triall in auerring or recanting of whatsoeuer in substance hath beene written or spoken against them Thirdly as for neuters or indifferents they do but themselues wrong in causing a iealous conceite perhaps causelesse to be had of them Fourthly for those that refuse to deale being moued to be vmpiers or otherwise to further so good commendable and memorable an enterprise which no doubt
the suite of Daniell to send home his countrimen in peace and quiet or otherwise to harden his and Darius his hart to yeeld to no release but that for euer they should there condemned despised and dispersed remaine In this heroicall disputation the moderators wherein no doubt were full replete with no lesse Cherubinicall knowledge then Seraphical zeale the three great princes Michael Raphael and Vriel with the rest of the Regents and gouernors deputed to the Hebrues monarchie or twelue tribes of Israell taking part with the Iew and Daniell and the prince of the Persian kingdome who had resisted Daniell 21. daies together with all the Lords protectors guardians and gouernors of Mede of Perse of Chaldaea of Babylon and of all the Asiacke monarchie vsque vltra Garamantes and Indos taking the parts of the Gentiles and defending those people princes and nations ouer whom by Gods mercifull designment they had the protection gouernment and charge of patronage Thus began the plea. The guardians of the frontires of Palestine alledged how all that rich countrie à fructu frumenti vini olet multiplicata and abounding with milke and hony in former ages was now become desert wilde laide waste to sacke and spoile with robbers and theeues hauing no repâ—â—â—e of God nor good Saint no soule in that soile but nowe diâ— pâ—râ—sh Whereas before out of euery tribe there past yeerely sundry deuoâ—re soules thence into Abrahams bosome to be in a readines at th Mâ—ssâ—â— his returne into heauen Therefore was it necessarie that Z â—â—ch 〈◊〉 Esdras that Nehemias and others of the Iewes priestâ— Leuites prophetâ— and scribes with the whole multitude should be deliuered to replenish these prouinces with Gods people againe To this was answered by the Gentiles generals and captaines that forasmuch as Nabuchodonosor as Baltasar as Darius as Xerxes and other monarches by secret instinct and often good motions put into their harts by commission giuen vnto them from their heauens king had of their princely benignitie granted vnto the Iewes after triall made of their constancie and that their God fought for them in the cause of religion and sacrifice a free libertie of conscience to serue their Lord God agreeing to their Iewish rites and that euen Daniell who was so desirous to haue his people sent home was in as high authoritie grace and fauour with those Ethnicke princes as any noble of their owne sect in the court and countrie where they and he together liued therefore was that argument for the Palestian empire of no validitie seeing it is not the soile but the soule which God respecteth and whereof they all haue charge and thar no humane wight be he Iew Gentile or Proselite Christian Infidell or Catechumene but hath his good Angell appointed to protect him at his first entrance into the worlds vale of miseries and is bound to continue with him accompanying him where euer he goes so long as he or she remaines in this territorie of teares Then the guardian of Hierusalem and principall of Iudea S. Michaell as it seemed replied and said that though it were the men which liued in the world and not the world it selfe which they all had charge of in chiefe yet because man came of earth and in Salem citie was Adam our protoplast created therefore was the prerogatiue royall giuen to Iebus land to be called Terra sancta for euer after The language also which Adam first did speake and which after some two thousand yeeres continuance of that onely and no moe throughout the world remaining vncorrupted as destinated to the posteritie of Heber in the time of Phaleg amongst 72. distinct tongues cast amongst the Nimrodian rebels in the tower of Babell comming by lineall discent to be called Hebrew after the diuision made was the same which Moses which Samuell which Salomon which Dauid with all the Iewes legifers vsed in their scriptures codes law bookes prophecies and other writings and this tongue of all others is onely called Lingua sancta Moreouer the people of this nation Iewes borne and none but they are called Gens sancta populus electus regale sacerdotium by right of inheritance euen from Adam from Noe from Abraham from Israell from Dauid by lineall succession in a downe-right line And although their ancestors liued in bondage 400. yeeres space vnder the Aegyptian Pharaos during which time seuen mighty nations of sundry warlike people whereof the chiefe being Cananites gaue the name to the whole land inhabited ouer all yet did not that discontinuance any whit disable their rightful title and claime but that at time conuenient by Gods appointment to the number of 1300000. and aboue past ouer the red sea leauing not one Israelite behinde them in Aegypt and vnder the conduct of Moses and Duke Iosue victorious ouer thirty kings and kingdomes besides other states this sacred nation possessed this holy land the holy language still preserued amongst them So as euen to these countries kingdomes and prouinces hath God assigned his Angels protectors of his people therin and by consequent in rigor of his iustice the Iewes ought to returne into the kingdome of Iurie and Hierusalem againe With this answere was not the Angell of Perse contented but held on his plea on the Gentiles side affirming that as it was for their sins that God in his iustice had reiected Israells issue so although it pleased him to manifest his omnipotent power and Maiesty that man might say non in carneo brachio corroborabitur vir and that there was no God but the Lord God of Israell alone yet was not his mercy so tied to their sleeue as after so many signes tokens prodigious woonders and miracles shewed for their sakes in open sight of all their enemies as amongst the Aegyptians before named the Philistines the Tyrians the Moabites the Ammonites the Edomites and all other nations round about them he should still forgiue and forget to punish them agreeing to their demerits as hitherto he had but that the destinies of their daies drawing to an end the fatall web of their woes being at hand and the period of their time now approching there was no expectation to be had of their returne nor in rigor of iustice any motion to be made on that behalfe And euen Daniell Ezechiell Ieremie and the rest of the prophets doe know that the quadrupart monarchie began in Babylon vnder Nabuchodonosor which shall continue to the end by translation from the Chaldeis to the Medes and Persians as now it is and from them to the stout inuicted Macedonian Greeke from whom by reuolution af time it shall descend to the Romanes sacred Senate and whosoeuer be the monarchie vnder that prince power and potentate shall the Iewes captiues liue Therefore the holines of the land the sanctitie of the tongue the purity of the people the sacred vnction of the priest is not to be named when it comes to pleading of Gods iustice and mans deserts Heauen was euer
ecclesiae as all doe grant it and experience of all ages hath approoued it true the latter not for that surceasing excepts against heretikes in such proceedings who by authoritie of holy writ may iustly be constrained with force of the temporall sword to receiue the faith of Christ and his catholike Romane Church wherein they were baptized and out of which they are now most pernitiously fallen to their damnation To this the former againe makes reply that that is in a case of lawe and strategeme of warres when the plaintif as a soueraigne hauing right on his side may haue strength and power at hand sufficient to defend his iust quarrell and Gods cause but where and when the poore afflicted catholikes are the weaker part and in subiection vnder their natiue prince they must not tempt God with miracles sed in patientia possidebunt animas suas expecting the time that God hath appointed either to ease the afflicted of their heauie persecution by calling them to his mercie or else to mooue the aduersarie as here he did king Cyrus c. Here againe the latter doth vrge very vehemently against the former that it is their fault if they be not of strength ynough For if all would side one way run one course ioyne together of one part they were able to match their aduersaries at all assaies but bicause they fauor heretikes and their titles more then catholikes as some the Scots king others the house of Derbie others that of Huntington others of Hartford and others the Lady Arbella c. therefore is Gods cause weakened and the catholiks quarrell quailed But to this yet againe the former makes reioinder professing that if they had millions on their side for thousands on her maiesties yet they hold it were not lawfull for them by force of armes to gaine the garland that they run for as afterward it shall appeere and vtterly denying that they fauor any heretike as an heretike or their titles vnder that pretence but as remembring how diuers princes and great monarches haue been conuerted to the catholike Christian faith and withall considering that neither the king of Scots nor yet any of the rest were euer any speciall persecutors of vs or our religion but rather fauorable to many catholikes as is well knowne not forgetting this besides that it were an act of iniustice in vs especially being priuate persons either to manage a false title as the Spaniard hath none other or impugne a knowne right as all the world knoweth it rests confined within the Albion I le But admit it were reuealed to any priuate man that the Spanyard or any other forraigne prince should preuaile and cary away our English crowne out of the land so as we should neuer haue king regnant ouer vs hereafter as some old prophecies many say haue foreshewed that our deere countrimen brothers sisters and friends the flower of Englands youth the beautie of our Ladies Widowes Wiues Virgins of all degrees should be prostituted prophaned rauished and led captiue into strange lands the sore persecution of Gods seruants the blasphemies heresies execrable schismes of this age and our owne sinnes in generall vrging Gods wrath against our whole Nation to take so sharpe yet ordinary reuenge for such offences as some say also hath bene spoken of long agone to come to passe in this our vnfortunate age or that we should haue such a change of state gouernment common wealth and all as the chiefe soueraigntie should be in an alien prince Spanyard or Burgundian Netherlandian or the like and the Lords spirituall and temporall gouerning ouer vs for the time to be of that foraigne prince his Nation and the Iesuits or fathers as they terme themselues of the societie to be their Interpretors for our English Welsh Irish and Stots nation as both letters and witnesses besides inuincible probats otherwise are extant to shew that Master Parsons and his confederates goe about such a matter and a sermon himselfe once made at Rome insinuates no lesse but that by tyrannicall subiecting the Seminary there to be vnder his societie he expounded the prophecie he there spoke of in his intent and meaning to be directly vnderstood of himselfe and his company that they should be those long gownes which should raigne and gouerne the whole Isle of great Britaine Of which societie there being some of all or the most part of all Christian Nations hauing once this land giuen them by and vnder the Spaniard as they hope for to make it a Iapponian Island of Iesuits but stay they haue not yet Iapponia in their handes then should we haue as many languages in this Isle and the auncient Inhabitants dispersed into as many countries as there should be prouincialls of that societie for it were no policie to let vs all liue here together nor yet leade all captiue into one prouince or kingdome Yet let God worke his will in these things be it true or false that any such heauines be reuealed what then Shall I therefore be the bloodie instrument to worke it of mine owne head without Gods speciall designement so to doe Shall I shew my selfe so vnnaturall inhumane and cruell harted as to write bookes to perswade to vse all possible meanes to bring my natiue country into bondage and slauerie Shall I of a grudge or desire of reuenge vpon some particular person or persons or for some priuate gaine to my selfe or my owne peculiar company banish from my hard nay stonie nay flintie nay adamantine hart all pittie compassion charitie remorse and naturall affection to that which next to my maker and his spouse I am by all lawes in chieefe to esteeme of the bond of loue loyaltie and dutie being greater to my prince and countrie then to my parents or deerest friends And whereas euen tyrants in such like cases haue been mooued to lenitie shall I haue no conceit of the wringing of hands of the sighes and teares of the weepings and wailings of the skrikes and cries of so many sweete yoong and tender babes of both sexes Shall I haue no feeling of so many mothers bleeding harts of so many noble ladies and other yoong maides of generous birth gentle blood and free education for all rare parts indowments and abilities of nature and fortune fit to be princes peeres now to be left desolate or bestowed on euery base fellow not woorthy to be their seruant Shall I take vpon me to be an actor an orator or a broker in laboring to bring that old blinde prophesie to effect which saith When the blacke fleete of Norway is come and gone then lords shall wed ladies and bring them home Shall I be the efficient instrumentall cause or causa sine qua non of so many great worshipfull honorable and princely heires to be disinherited of so many vpstart squibs of forraigne nations to start vp in their places of so many false textes forged glosses fained lawes of God of nature and of man to disprooue all
the Puritanean ministers the Consistorian discourses letters libels and practises of Knox of Buchanan of Beza of Cartwright of Barrow of Browne of Field of Gibson of Dauison and many others make it manifest nothing being more ordinary then to presse England and to inueigle her Maiesties loyall subiects with the examples of Geneua Scotland Some fewe of whose principles concerning state affaires I will heere set downe as well to giue you to vnderstand what state matters those are which as vnlawfull treasonable and pernicious both to prince and state are forbidden and doe indanger intangle and hazard their liues that deale in them as also that therby you may iudge how iustly the Puritanes and Iesuits iumpe togither in statizing First one and a chiefe principle of the Puritane ministers is neuer to let any forme face shew or name of an ecclesiasticall state remaine amongst them but to obliterate eradicate and vtterly extinguish the name of Bishops and of all auncient ecclesiasticall persons of from the face of the earth To which effect a Scots minister in a letter to his friend saith that certaine of the chiefe noble men of England dealt with him by instigation no doubt of some English ministers in the yeere 1583. to perswade the king of Scotland his master to ouerthrow all the Bishopricks in his countrey that his proceedings therein might be an example for England adioyning And so within two yeeres vpon repayre of 10000. men in armes to the king of Scots at Sterling the Bishopricks being wholy suppressed in deede one Knewstub a Consistorian minister of Suffolke wrote thus to Feild I would be glad quoth he to heare somewhat of the estate of Scotland It doth more trouble me then our owne For I am conceiuing some hope vpon the change of their former proceedings Which hope no doubt was as Cartwright saide that as those turbulent Consistorians had been an example to the church of Fraunce and Scotland to follow them so the Lord saith he the said Cartwright would haue vs also to profite and be prouoked by their example what to do mary to play the rebels as they had done Secondly another principle set downe in Whittinghams preface to Goodmans booke is taken out of Knox his doctrine scil that if kings and princes refused to reforme religion the inferior magistrate or people by direction forsooth of the ministerie might lawfully and ought if neede required euen by force and armes to reforme it themselues The first practise of which principle was at Geneua for abandoning of their lawfull prince the Bishop of that place For when they perceiued that the Bishop sought by force to encounter their proceedings and that as Sleidan notes he had excited the Duke of Sauoy to that end to assist him they then ioyned themselues into a more neere amitie with the Bernians other neighbouring consistorian states so as the Duke and Bishop comming together to besiege the citie were both repulsed Bernatibus illis auxilium ferentibus Thirdly another like principle to this is grounded vpon an oth of confederacie taken first amongst the followers of Knox in Scotland vpon a letter of his written from Diepe in the yeere 1557. by the iudgement as he saith of the most godly and learned that then liued in Europe meaning Iohn Caluin and the rest of the Geneuians The effect of which oth together with a testification of their intents made by a kinde of subscription was this sent to the Queene Regent in time of parliament holden by her in Scotland that vnles they had their desires they would proceede in their course for suppressing of all religious houses in Scotland agreeing to their order of reformation prescribed to be obserued through all that whole realme ann Dom. 1558. whereof a memorable letter was sent in the name of the people to all the religious houses that they should either remooue thence by such a day or else they would then eiect them by force and to make it sure on their part these new statists enacted before hand there that neither themselues nor any that ioyned with them should incurre therefore any danger in life or lands or other politicall paines and that if any violence hapned in pursuit of these matters they meaning the Queene and her subiects should thanke themselues Whereupon shortly after being all put to the harme and all men vnder paine of rebellion inhibited to assist them for contemning the Queens summon for their apparance at Striueling they rose vp presently in armes at Saint Iohns-towne excited by Knox his preachment made for that purpose for the ouerthrow of religious houses and within two daies had quite destroied and rased the houses of Blackfriers of the Gray-friers and Charterhouse monks downe to the ground and so proceeding in Fyfe Angus Mernis c. breaking downe all altars and images they wrote to the Queene threatning to destroy Saint Iohns-towne for that fact that vnles she staid from that cruelty they should be compelled to take the sword of iust defence protesting that without the reformation which they desired they would neuer be subiect to any mortall man Vpon which occasion taken they writ to all their brethren to repaire vnto them as also to the nobles vpon paine of excommunication to ioyne with them as it being their dutie said Knox so to doe to bridle the furie and rage of wicked men were it of princes and emperors Of like sort also they writ to the Bishops and clergie which then were in Scotland that vnlesse they desisted from dealing against them they would withall force and power execute iust vengeance and punishment vpon them and that they would begin that same war which God commanded Israell to execute against the Cananites Which exorbitant letters of theirs tooke such effect with the temporaltie that when Lion Herault in his coate armour commanded all vnder paine of treason to repaire to their houses by publike sound of trumpet in Glasco neuer a man obeied that charge but went forward to their associats at S. Iohn Stow. Fourthly this principle and manner of statizing they termed by an other name the resisting of the enemie which to make strong they set downe an other principle by entring into a league by solemne oth at their departure from S. Iohns towne that if any one member of their congregation should be troubled they should all concurre assist and conuent againe together for defence of the same As presently after they did vpon a new quarrel pickt against the Queen at S. Andrewes where by Knox his preachment they made hauocke cast downe spoiled and destroied all the frieries and abbies in the towne And so dealt they shortly after with the abbie of Scone the frieries of Striueling of Lithquo and of Edenborough whence the Queene being fled for feare they kept the field two monethes tooke away the coyning irons being as the Queene alledged a portion of the patrimonie of the crowne and iustified the same Fiftly vpon this principle followed another
for contempt of all authoritie power and soueraigntie in regall maiestie Whereupon entring into a new league of confederacie that from thencefoorth they would neuer come at the Queene though she sent for them without consent of their companie they animated their faction to be alwaies readie and to stand vpon their guarde They gaue their Queene the lie diuers times and vsed her with most despitefull speeches They sawcily termed her part a faction euen iust in all things like to the Iesuiticall proceeding and renouncing their obedience vnto her protested that whosoeuer should take her part should be punished as a traitor whensoeuer God should put the sword of iustice into their hands They consulted with Wilcocke Knox and other ministers for deposing of the Queene regent from her gouernment who assuring the rest that it was lawfull for them so to doe processe was made sentence was giuen and her highnes was depriued of all regiment by a formall act set downe in the same storie penned by Knox and printed in part afterward here in England Sixtly another most grosse antistatisticall principle of theirs is that they of their exorbitant word and authoritie might call a parliament and enact what they pleased without consent of king Queene or other state Whereupon holding a mocke parliament ann Dom. 1560. by consent of the French king and their Queene his wife they forsooth therein reformed religion and set out a confession of the Christian faith And vpon intelligence giuen to the said king and Queene denied to confirme or ratifie the actes thereof being mooued thereunto the confederates answered We little said they regard it for all that we did was rather to shew our dutifull obedience then to beg of them any strength to our religion And when it was obiected that it could not be a lawfull parliament where there was neither scepter crowne nor sword borne They made light of it saying that these were rather pompous and glorious vaine ceremonies then any substantiall points of necessitie required to a lawfull parliament Thus much for their principles of practise Now for their doctrine of statizing the principles are also of like condition whereof these are chiefe scil First that reformation of religion belongeth to the commonaltie Secondly that the commonaltie by their power may bridle the cruell beasts to vse that beast Knox his words the priests Thirdly that the commonaltie if the king be negligent may iustly prouide themselues of true preachers and maintaine and defend them against all that doe persecute them and withall deteine the profit of the Church liuings from the other sort Fourthly the commonaltie and nobilitie ought to reforme religion and in that case may remooue from honor and punish such as God hath condemned he meaneth idolaters in the Deuteronomicall law of what estate condition or honor soeuer Fiftly it is not birth-right onely nor propinquitie of blood that maketh a king lawfully to raigne aboue a people professing Christ Iesus Sixtly if princes be tyrants against God and his truth their subiects are freed from their othes of obedience Seuenthly the people are better then their king and of greater authoritie Eightly the people haue right to bestow the crowne at their pleasure Ninthly the making of lawes belongs to the people and kings are but as Masters of the Roles Tabulariorum custodes Tenthly the people haue the same power ouer the king that the king hath ouer any one person Eleuenthly it were good that rewardes were appointed by the people for such as should kill tyrants as commonly there is for those qui lupos aut vrsos occiderunt aut catulos eorum deprehenderunt saith Buchan de iure regni Twelftly the people may arraigne their princes Thirteenthly the ministers may excommunicate the king Fourteenthly he that by excommunication is cast into hell is not woorthy to inioy any life vpon earth c. There are an hundred twise told of the like statisticall principles and practises to be collected out of Caluine of Beza of Buchanan of Hotaman of Vrsin as he commeth out from Newstad vindici contra tyrannos and of other puritan ministers of the consistoriall tribe fitly agreeing to the Iesuitical platforme in their high councels of reformation and other writings All which are such matters of state indeed as no true subiect can deale in allowing of them but is a ranke traitor for his paines THE II. ARTICLE VVHether the seculars doe or may preiudice the crowne common-wealth or both or either state or gouernment of England ecclesiasticall or temporall by dealing in these affaires now in hand THE ANSWERE NO way possible for them or any other loyall and naturall English subiect to preiudice hurt or offend any either publike or priuate person or body naturall ciuill or politicall dealing as they doe in seeking onely a relaxation of persecution on their owne and the catholiks behalfe and a securitie of state and quiet on the behalfe of their prince and countrie for both which nature conscience loue loyaltie and dutie doe binde them all to pleade as is euident by discourse vpon all the particulars As first for her Maiestie it is a preuention of all dangers to her royall person bicause hereby a singular meanes may in her high wisedome be vsed as well to finde out the puritane as the Iesuiticall faction as also to roote both out of the land by information giuen and discouerie of the one faction on the part of the protestants of the other on the part of the catholikes Secondly for the state present in generall it giueth an assurance that by no word writing or other practise there can be any thing attempted without their priuitie bicause euery one for their owne indemnitie will be ready to reueale it and thereby stop the impotencie of traitors from so attempting for feare of discouerie ere euer it come to acting Thirdly to the Lords temporall or ciuill state there cannot come any thing for them to dislike of as there being nothing desired at their hands by the seculars and other catholikes but onely a good word on their poore distressed countrymens behalfe to her Maiestie that they may be hereafter without feare of losse of life lands or goods or to be sackt ransackt pild and polde as by inferior officers they haue sometimes hitherto been And that the penall lawes for paiment of money for their recusancie may so be tempered as both her loyall catholike subiects may be able to liue her Maiesties cofers more inriched their seruice done with more alacritie to her Highnes in time of neede and all better appointed and able to performe what they take in hand on her royall person and countries behalfe by this meanes Fourthly to the Lords spirituall there can in like sort no inconuenience grow thereby for that there is no suite either made or intended in preiudice of their present incumbencie or hinderance of one farthing they inioy of the ancient catholike church reuenues or abatement of one inch of their honor knowing
church c. And at Millane at Antioch at Constantinople and elsewhere were sometimes offers and often graunts made to catholikes to haue their churches chappels to themselues apart from the Arrians and other infest enimies of the catholikes suffering them the saide clergie on both sides to do it by dispitions amongst themselues neuer persecuting any catholike for that cause vnlesse some speciall grudge or occasion of high displeasure taken by the emperors against some particular person which for the most part proceeded on the Arrians behalfe and suggestion made by them had mooued them to the contrary Which being so and that the princely disposition and royall hart of our Soueraigne is behinde none of the woorthiest emperors that euer sat enthronized with imperiall crowne for a flexible milde free nature and sweete incline to mercy bountie pittie grace pardon fauour and compassion taken of her subiects be as they be may in different affections of religion aliened from her together with her magnificencie liberalitie and maiestie equalling if not before them either great Alexander or Iulius the woorthy Caesar Of which two although it were said of the former in Greece and of the latter in Rome that Alexander the Conquerour in vsing liberalitie and Iulius Caesar in pardoning of iniuries none euer equald or at least went before them yet was it spoken and so it is vnderstood of precedent ages not of future heroeces we no way yeelding in our heauiest thoughts of hart burning griefes sustained to heare our noble Elizabeth prince peregall paramount and paragon the so admired at Saba of Europes England as all the world hath woondred at her more then ordinary indowments of princely nature otherwise accounted of then as a Sance-pere giuing place to none of former present or future times persons or ages for and in all points attending at the gates of royall honor or throne of regall Maiestie That then notwithstanding all this her Highnesse worne out subiects suppliants poore afflicted catholiks in her prisons in durance dangers and distresse euery where should haue so hard a happe as not onely to be depriued of all ecclesiasticall and temporall dignities offices preferments any manner of way which yet were more tollerable as a thing they nothing lesse expect wish for or desire it being so that both clergie and laitie of the catholikes take it as a sweete chasticement and fatherly scourge sent them from God to be humbled with so heauie a downefall but also which doth grieue them most to liue in sorrow heauines and suspition had of their vnattainted loyalties in generall for some priuate offences in speciall that they of al other should feele the force of these vnaccustomed frownes which pearce those harts the deepest whose faithfull seruices haue beene deerest to their Soueraignes in their owne and their forefathers daies That not one noble will speake for them that no solace should be left them no comfort euer affoorded them no hope at all this long time giuen them of euer receiuing a glympse or glance of those accustomed gracious smyles which ordinarily do flowe in pearld streames from lions hart of truest golde gushing out at siluer lymbecks of egles eies all royall in their rarenes That this should be all catholikes heauie case her highnes a prince and second to none in maiestie mercy and magnificencie her catholike subiects seconded with as fewe for seruice submission and loyaltie and yet that they should be put from time to time to such sore trials and indure so many calamities is a sutable cause with the rest of admiration and woonder Fiftly they sometimes cast their eies aside to Turkes to Persians to all Pagan prouinces to see if they can espie any one sect profession or professors of religion tossed turmoilde and tormented as the English are and throughout all this vaste Macrocosme they finde not one patterne sampler nor example left to posteritie to bee recorded like to ours The Sophy indeede hath a long time had great and mortall wars with the Ottomane race family and successors in the Turkish tribe so hath great Mogor great Cam of Catay Presbyter Iohn and other monarches adioyning and affronting him but yet omitting the generall contention amongst the Mahumetans about the heires of Ella and the body of Mahomet there is a libertie graunted for religion to all men in a sort more tollerable then in England is to be heard of for catholiks to enioy The very Turke who hath the straitest lawes forbiddeth indeed all talke disputation or controuersie to be about religion but yet he permitteth either Christians or any other to liue quiet vnder him vsing their owne rites seruice and ceremonies for paying a certaine yeerely tribute which is not much more then catholikes pay in England euen to their naturall Prince and Soueraigne and yet cannot haue the like securitie safetie and quiet from inferior officers but still in one place or other within her Maiesties dominions they are pild and pold to the vttermost So as when all is quiet at London then are they aloft in Yorkshire and throughout the North when quiet there then vp in Wales and the marches that way And thus persecution running per circulum the lande neuer wholly at rest and quiet these things manie learned men and others haue woondred at not knowing what were the causes Sixtly sometimes those graue and reuerend prelats cast backe their eies to these our latter ages and present times wherein now we liue and to the bordering kingdomes and princes round about vs to see whether any like to these our English miseries and catholike distresses can be found And in Germany howsoeuer there be some slacknes and dislikes at their Diets and election of their Caesar yet in ciuil conuersation one with another and for life gouernment and order the emperour though a catholike findeth as great seruice and concord amongst his subiects and they againe vse and enioy all their immunities freedomes and liberties with as great content and quiet liuing in one Prouince in one citie in one towne in one streete yea and in one house sometimes together of diffrent as if they were all of one minde faith and religion In Fraunce we see what libertie of conscience wrought Did it not as well animate the Hugonites to ioyne with king Henry of the house of Valois then a catholike in shewe howsoeuer the Iesuits censure of his hart as it did of like sort the catholikes to ioyne with the now most Christian and catholike king Henry the 4. then a Protestant yea did they not sticke as sure fast to his christian Maiestie as if he had been of their owne catholike religion profession that with as great alacritie of minde in regard of his present right to that crowne and their future hopes of his conuersion to their church and faith as afterward it hapned God sweetly so disposing that he who could not by rough handling be made flexible by experience of his subiects loyaltie is
of a lyon becom a lambe In few we see in Polony in Sweden in Scotland in Flaunders and euery where that catholikes are together with those of other professions sects and opinions vnlesse it be where onely the Consistorian Caluinian Cartwrightian puritans rule the rost and that a company of ministers or exorbitant superintendants ouertop both Prince prelate and all as in Scotland and at Geneua c. Otherwise all kings and princes of this age haue iudged it in pollicie the fittest wisest safest and most honorable and princely course they could haue taken to graunt libertie of conscience to their subiects Which seeing our soueraigne Queene Elizabeth hath not granted and yet is knowne to be in her owne high towring princely wisedome of as high a pitch sound and deepe conceite censure and iudgement in reach not to be seconded of any of these adding heereunto that for gouernment of her land for policie in her state for noblenes in her court her Highnes hath the choice of as fine delicate and daintie breed of gallant graue quicke wits as Europe nay as Afrike nay as Asia nay as the world this day enioyes The Italian the Spaniard the Polonian the Sweden the Moscouite the Turke the Persian and who not is willing to aduaunce her Maiesties meanest sort of subiects sometime to the highest types of honor to winne them wholy to be theirs to learne witte sleight and pollicie out of their practise and experience These Boreas blasted lads borne vnder the Britaine Ocean able to fire with their wits the hotte climatical Southerne Sages witnes our Stukeleyes our Candishes our Furbishers our Drakes our Hilles our Sherleys our Parsons c. All these circumstances duly weighed that this heauie yoke should be laide by so mercifull wise and prudent a prince vpon the weake neckes of her poore subiects with weight importable for them to carry vnlesse her highnes should stretch foorth her accustomed Atlantike armes of clemencie to support them before they sinke downe right vnder their burthen That this seueritie should be more vsed against catholiks in England then either any catholike king or prince of other professions either Christian or heathen vse against either subiects or forrainers of contrary religions vnto the said princes throughout the worlde this day This is the point which many stande vpon in admiring how euer things should haue come to that passe they are at in England concerning the affliction of catholikes and cannot finde out the causes This then to make manifest to all the world by an historicall discourse and that howsoeuer we haue matter enough against our aduersaries euen for religions sake yet neither to aggrauate more then is necessarie nor to accuse further then is expedient nor to excuse more then is conuenient nor yet to lay the fault of any that is faultlesse therefore shall it be made knowne that as the affliction of catholiks in England hath beene in very deed extraordinary as is heere set downe and many an innocent man lost his life so also hath the cause thereof beene extraordinary and so farre beyond the accustomed occasions of persecution giuen to any prince in christendome or monarchie that is or euer was in the world to this hower vnlesse the Puritanes of Scotland which may in some sort equall the offence heere to be set downe as rather it is to be woondred at all things duly considered that any one catholike is left on liue in England then that our persecution hath beene so great for name one nation I know none can vnder heauen where the subiects especially if they were catholikes euer sought the death of their Soueraigne though of a different religion frō them the conquest of their natiue land the subuersion of the state the depopulation of the weale publike the alteration change of al lawes customs orders in few the vtter deuastation desolation destruction of al the ancient inhabitants of their land in so vnnatural vnchristian vncatholike a maner as the Spanish faction haue sought it in our owne flesh and bloud against this realme which treacherous courses although they were but some fewe and those priuate persons offences and by consequent in a court of conscience and in rigour of iustice the rest neither acting nor concurring nor consenting to their conspiracies were innocent and no way to be vsed with that seueritie as many catholiks haue beene Yet forasmuch as the pretences of such practises were generall and common to all catholikes alike all maintaining one and the same opinion concerning what might be done by apostolicall power and authoritie and neuer talking of what was necessarie therefore was it that her Maiestie and the state standing on the other side affected in religion as they did had both cause to iudge secundum allegata probata in foro externo and also can not otherwise be thought of but that the circumstances on all sides considered as well making for her owne securitie as also for a Non-knowledge what catholiks were guiltie and who were free her Maiesties lawes and proceedings against catholikes haue beene both milde and mercifull And as we are to thinke in deed our happe now to be hard if no mitigation nor prouisoe should be made for the innocent now that the way and meanes is knowne for discouery of traytors distinguishing betwixt state catholiks catholike loyall subiects so also are we to giue her Highnes humble thanks for our liues that we were not al cut off whiles no difference was made put nor knowne betwixt the secular priests Iesuits that we haue been permitted to liue to this happy houre of manifesting our catholike cōstancy obedience to the See apostolike in al our actions and our naturall loyaltie and seruiceable harts to our Prince and countrey in all our proceedings in neither stayning our catholike religion with vnnaturall treason nor priestly function with factious dispositions and state affaires But of this matter I will heere be silent referring you to a treatise lately set out by my brethren intituled Important considerations c. whereunto I haue prefixed an Epistle By both which you may see at large what statizing by acts wordes and writings in most treacherous and treasonable manner hath beene against her Maiestie against the present state against the whole common-wealth against vs all without exception her Highnes loyall and naturall subiects of what religion soeuer we be which seeing her Princely hart hath forborne as no Soueraigne on earth would euer haue suffred the like to haue past vnpunished as she hath I must conclude and end as we began that her lawes and proceedings haue beene both milde and mercifull THE X. ARTICLE VVHether then the premisses considered is it fit that Catholiks should send their children and friends to be brought vp in the Seminaries beyond the seas or not If not then how should the salt of the earth be kept vncorrupted or the seede of priesthood be continued for restoring of the catholike Romane
in this point of rebellion and popularitie saith that where Salomon affirmeth By me kings raigne and Saint Paul auoucheth that authoritie is not but of God and therefore he that resisteth authoritie resisteth God these places are to be vnderstood of authoritie power or iurisdiction in it selfe according to the first institution for otherwise when it is vniustly vsed it may be resisted in manie cases euen by the commons or multitude whom in his Appēdix he bindeth in conscience to rebell c. which kinde of shifts we haue euer detested and therefore nowe you shall heare what we thinke of this doctrine To speake plainely my minde in this case with all humble submission to the Catholike church and censure of my opinion herein I hold this doctrine of the Iesuits in these daies to be an open way to Atheisme so to expound the Apostles as that they might be thought to temporize which is a plaine kinde of dissimulation For there being question made concerning the doctrine of the Catholike church and Gospel of Christ as though it had impeached the authority of the ciuill Magistracie the Apostles to cleare themselues of so false an imputation did of purpose propose the contrary and prescribed such obedience and duty to all subiects as was by the lawes of God and all nations due vnto them But if the Apostles had beene of the Iesuits opinion in this matter and would haue dealt truely sincerely and directly as the Iesuits do neuer when such a doubt was made by the States where they preached they should haue answered to this effect scil If you that are Emperors kings and worldly gouernours doe meane to continue your wicked courses in opposing your selues against Christ and vs his seruants we are by the doctrine of our Master Christ and authoritie committed vnto vs to seeke your confusion and to depriue you from your Empires kingdomes and gouernments as soone as we are able to make head against you or if any of you will be content to heare and obey vs we must tell you that wherunto you must trust which is that when once you haue submitted your selues to this our said doctrine If you shall not foreuer afterwards conforme your behauiour and conuersation according to our rules and prescription we must be bold with you and do the best we can to mooue your subiects to rebellion and to depose you likewise as soone as they shall haue competent strength to incounter with you and in default thereof it is our duety to perswade by all the policies we can deuise some of your neighbour princes to take your subiects parts for your vtter ruine Inter bonos bene agere oportet We professe our selues to be teachers of the truth and therefore we cannot chuse being vrged vnto it in this particular but to signifie the truth vnto you after our plaine and direct proceedings with all men Now if such a kinde of answere to haue beene made by the Apostles do seeme most absurd then what wicked and absurd wretches are these good fathers who by their interpretations do impose it vpon them if they had dealt sincerely Or if the Apostles should haue meant indeed as these men would haue them and as it is before expressed then what might the world haue thought of them that to couer such tragicall points of blood and rebellion and to abuse princes they did pretend nothing but prayers paying of tributes honoring of kings and obeying of them for conscience sake But this course was farre from the blessed Apostles It is indeed very well befitting the puritanes the Iesuits such as Parsons Creswell c. who are the mē that teach practise it For it is their doctrine by dissimulation hypocrisie by lying equiuocating to seduce their hearers But what saith Master Blockwood to Buchanan Paulus vtendum fore precepit Laruatam hypocrisin sub persona religionis latere voluit Potestatibus obediendum edixit quia resisti non posset Christianos viribus admotos ad armacessantes ad arma concitat imperiumque frangit Did Saint Paule commaund vs to be time seruers Was it his minde that religion should be disguised with such a visard of hypocrisie Did he command men to obey the magistrates bicause they were not able to resist them Did he prouoke them to armes when their number and strength serued and bad downe with the Emperor This is right Mahumetisme tendeth to the ouerthrow of the Gospel and church Catholike the sweete spouse of Christ and therefore is to be detested cane peius angue Fiftly this Iesuiticall dreame doth derogate so much from the Maiestie of holy Scripture and the churches authority as thereby the vanity of it is very manifest and apparant For what saith Master Blockwood to Buchanan Itan ' diuinas leges vt humanas Aristotelis mensurarum similes esse putas Doest thou thinke Gods lawes as Aristotle speaketh of humane lawes that they are like measures that they should turne with the weathercocke and chaunge with the conditions of times and places No no much more truely and as it were by diuine inspiration doth he expresse the strength and constancie of diuine lawes who saith Non erit c. There shall not one lawe bee at Rome an other at Athens now one and then an other but there shal be one immortall lawe for all Nations and all times Imperator omnium Deus and God shall be Lord and Emperor of all He is the Inuenter the expounder and the giuer of this lawe which he that will not obey is his own enimy maximas poenas luet and he shal neuer escape greeuous punishments And such were Christs and his Apostles precepts not subiect to alteration and chaunge not framed to serue the time not fitted to this or that priuate person or plebian multitude one while commaunding obedience to tyrants and presently after to take vp armes against them but as we are to thinke of the very lawes of God their rules of obedience are permanent and to continue vnchangeable whilest this world endureth Furthermore it is to be supposed that the Church of God in the times of Iustinus Martyr and Tertullian did vnderstand the meaning of Christ and of his Apostles in this point as well as Parsons or any of his crue But it would haue seemed a strange doctrine both to them and all other Catholikes that had the feare of God before their eyes or any sparke of true and vnfained Catholike religion in their harts in those daies to haue heard it set down for positiue Diuinitie that notwithstanding any thing that Christ or his Apostles taught as touching obedience to kings and Princes yet it is to be accounted a pernitious and vnspeakeable sinne for subiectes being of sufficient force and ability not to resist for to that effect are father Parsons words in his Appendix and take armes against them if they be euill and wicked Instinus Martyr as I haue before obserued hauing set downe the duety of
Christians towards the ciuill magistrate the Emperor then a wicked man and a persecutor doth in direct termes affirme that Christ had taught them such obedience and alledgeth his very words giue vnto Caesar that which is Caesars If it be here obiected that peraduenture in Iustinus time the Christians wanted number to depose the Emperors Tertullian will make the matter most manifest that it was the onely will and pleasure of God reuealed apparantly by Christ and his Apostles that kept the Christians within the compasse of their duties to the Emperors when otherwise they wanted neither number nor strength to haue beene reuenged of them When the Christians labored frō time to time to purge themselues from sundryfalse imputations and from this one amongest the rest that whereas they professed their obedience to the Emperor it was onely but for feare and that if they had strength ynough they would then shew themselues to be his enimies and take vp armes against him Tertullian writeth to this effect Neque est vt obijciatis Neither is there any cause you should obiect vnto vs that therefore we dissemble the iniuries done vnto vs bicause we want force to reuenge them For euery one of vs is able although not openly yet in secret to doe mischiefe ynough For what were more easily done if it were lawfull to recompence euill with euill then in the night to burne your City Nay if we were disposed to professe our selues your enimies as you account vs we want not strength of souldiers but haue greater force then those Nations that doe warre dayly against you The Maures and Parthians and other barbarous people are but one Nation whose borders are limited but of Christinns the number in euery place is almost infinite There is no place nor order where there are not Christians So as if by our discipline we could take armes we could make a greater conspiracie against the Romane Empire then was hitherto euer made whether you respect force or courage Hitherto Tertullian as vnlike to our Iesuites as dutifull subiectes are vnlike Rebels and traitors And for the better manifesting of our allegiance to our Soueraigne vnfainedly from our Catholike harts so many of vs as are not of the Iesuites faction I will here a litle enlarge my selfe to shew what further testimony and reasons we haue to detest this Iesuiticall and Puritanian doctrine Saint Augustine who liued in a troublesome time neuer dreamed that the Scriptures did warrant subiectes no longer to obey wicked kings then they had power and force to rebell If he were now aliue our Iesuites would surely set him to schoole againe For whereas in his exposition vpon the 124. Psalme he hath at large discoursed how seruants and subiectes by receiuing the Catholike faith and Gospell of Christ are not in any sort released from their dueties seruices and subiection to their Masters Lords Soueraignes but are rather thereby more straightly bound to performe the same diligently truly and faithfully as in the sight of God before whom they stand he commeth to this obiection Sed numquid sic erit semper vt iniusti imperent iustis But shall it be so alwaies Shall the wicked still haue commaundement ouer the rest To this obiection you know what father Parsons would say viz. No it shall not be so any longer then that you shall be able to ouerthrow such gouernors and get you better And if in short time you shall not be able your selues so to doe I will doe my vttermost to procure you some assistance out of other Countries by forraigne inuasions procuring excommunications suspensions interdictions depositions and other meanes But to omit this vnnaturall stepfather let vs heare what S. Augustine that worthy Prelate light lanterne piller and Father of and in the Catholike Church will answere to the said obiection Nunquid sic erit semper Shall it alwaies be so Non sic erit It shal not be so But when shall it be otherwise The substance of his answere is that it shall be otherwise when Christ commeth to iudgement Now saith he we often see that there are many good Lords and masters but when it hapneth otherwise it must be borne with Quare Why vt non extendant c. that the iust may not stretch forth their hands to wickednes vnderstād that such their seruice and subiection is not euerlasting Sed preparent se ad possidendam sempiternam haereditatem And therefore reseruing themselues for this lasting inheritance let them beare iniuries but doe none And his conclusion of all this discourse is in these words Haec cogitant qui voluntatem dei sequuntur non voluntatem suam who followe Gods will and not their owne Now if this were the doctrine of the catholike church in those daies then how inconuenient this Iesuiticall innouation is and howe dangerous to be published now a daies the state of al catholiks in England but especially of priests may make it to be euident For by this wicked assertion so soone as the number of catholiks shall be so increased as that they may be able to take armes against her Maiestie they are bound in conscience so to doe and do grieuously offend if they do otherwise nay they do incurre the Popes excommunication saith father Parsons Now what must her Highnesse and the state thinke of such subiects doth it not stand her in hand to preuent that the number of catholiks do not increase if therefore they doe increase faster then she would if sufficient testimony be not giuen to the contrarie scil that al are not of this Iesuiticall faction Puritanian opinion hath she not good cause giuen her to cut them off I speake after the manner of men not presuming to tempt God with miracles What could any king or prince in Christendome being perswaded in religion as her Maiestie is do otherwise if he ment not to haue the crowne plucked from his head There is no way to preuent this mischiefe for ought I know but that all catholikes do enter into a league and make a vowe that they neuer will giue care to these bloody Iesuits in that behalfe but vtterly detest it and that were their number and strength much more and greater then her Maiesties they will neuer be perswaded or drawne either by threatnings or promises of any be it the Pope himselfe to beare armes against her Highnes to the destruction of her royall person and state but be ready to aduenture their goods and liues in her Maiesties defence against him or any other that shall assaile or inuade by hostile hande her state or kingdome vnder pretence of restoring of the catholike faith or whatsoeuer Nay as many catholikes as stande affected to the Iesuits considering how her Highnes hath beene vsed by these their false teachers they shall thinke themselues most infinitely bound to her Maiestie if notwithstanding they shall now vowe and professe as is expressed yet that she shall be pleased to beleeue them the
Iesuites and neuer to trust a word they speake in commendation of the Spaniard and discommendation of other people or nations compared with them as also vpō the said kings Queenes and Archduke and Duchesse c. When they pretend any thing either on the catholike church or the Iesuites behalfe and by consequent shall doe an act of high merite iustice prudence and policy if they I meane all other christian princes and states expell these seditious factions turbulent irreligious persons out of all their territories seigniories regalties and dominions that haue pesterd the Church of God with such wicked doctrine as the proiect of that booke imports As none will iudge otherwise of them but as of most conscienceles careles and bloody minded men when they shall heare first of one booke set out as Greenecote is wherein the Author doth manifestly demonstrate that no different religion be it heresie or whatsoeuer ought to depriue a lawfull heire in fee simple of his fathers inheritance being but a subiect and a forraigner then in princes rights titles to kingdomes it must and ought to hold saith father Parsons in that place bringing in sundry examples how that neither in England catholikes by that name were debard of their lawfull inheritance vnder her Maiestie since the change of religion here neither the Puritanes in Scotland vnder the Queene Regent a catholike there neither in Fraunce Germany or else where was it euer heard of that any were disinherited for religious causes c. and then againe of an other as Parsons Doleman is together with his Appendix Philopater and others that quite discard all heretikes as he termes them from all interest pretend or title to any crowne Noe not if in case hereafter they should be catholike at the attempting of such an exploit or when they should see there were no remedy This last conceite with these hote spirited Puritanian Iesuiticall faction is holden so farre wide and contrary to the former as if the parties be not catholikes euer at the instant when their fatherhoods would haue them be you fully assured for no zeale of religion but of meere machiuilian policy either thereby to exasperate them against others or others against them and so to bring all a flote in fire and sword which is the onely thing they long for they must be censured iudged and condemned presently for reprobates atheists impostors to be conuerted and men be they Princes or whosoeuer vtterly of God forsaken This doctrine when princes and other men of learning iudgement and experience in such pragmatical platformes do perspicuously looke into and withall perceiue that religion is abused and Gods holy name blasphemed as being not his honor but their owne vnder a maske of catholike zeale they wish for they enter further into a deepe detestation of their Pharisaicall proiects iealously had of their owne naturall subiects and princely feare of their royall estates When they heare a man pretend as father Parsons doth on Spaniardes behalfe make a claime neuer heard of in any age to another mans lands in whose actuall quiet and apparantly rightfull possession by lineall discent from the father to the sonne for many hundred yeeres space times and ages past it hauing continued is now diuoluted to the present incumbent or prince regnant from his auncesters whose state title and regall honour he hath possesseth and peaceably enioyeth that so ancient renowned indubitate a right should now be called in question and that vpon the bare worde of a claymorous claime exceeding al meane modestie and measure made by an arrant traytor to God his Prince his countrey and to all lawes of God of nature of nations or of man and generally misliked of by all graue discreete prudent learned wise religious true harted catholikes especially for this his sodaine camelion vnexpected vndeserued vngrounded exorbitant passionate apostrophall change of a foisted in pretend audaciously presuming without buls breue billet ticket worde or warrant of any authoritie to charge all men to allow admit ratifie and confirme without all gainesay controlment or contradiction such a Soueraigne as he the said father Parsons will appoint them otherwise to be noted for Atheistes fooles rebels malicious politikes and aduerse to his catholike Maiestie and forsooth the common cause this this is that most odious scandalous irreligious treacherous erronious doctrine which is so preiudicial to the king catholike and his pretended cause as whiles Spaine is Spaine England England Fraunce Fraunce and Rome Rome will it neuer be forgotten nor forgiuen nor the iealousie thereof put out of all princes harts So as iustly father Parsons may be pointed at for woorse then a fabling libeller and were woorthie were he not a priest to be set vpon the pillorie and that euen by his catholike Maiestie for bearing the world in hand that he was set on to write those libels by warrant and priuitie of the said surmised pretendor whereas all circumstances both in the same bookes and scheduls together with those plotcasters speeches in secret to their friendes and the many dangers damages indignities discommodities accrewing to the king and his royal estate doe argue quite contrarie This is that venemous law will pearce the king catholike to the very naked hart if his Maiestie permit it to passe currant without due punishment inflicted vpon the presumant scribe and speedie abolishment of so polypragmaticall a platforme no lesse dangerously cast then traitorously laide to intrap all princes in Christendome in a Templars snare and as preiudiciall if not more in chiefe to the crowne and safetie of his royal person to his family in esse and to his successors for euer hereafter as to any other prince or monarch whosoeuer For let his Highnes winke at this doctrine and seeme to authorize it and then what better warrant or more plausible can be deuised when minds of people in all nations as ruefull experience doth tell vs are now a daies so quickly exulcerated with grieuous sores of gustes and discontent easily corrupted with maladies of contention and hastely set on horsebacke with superfluous humors of nouelties innouations ambition disdaine reuenge thirsting after bloud desirous of liberty and greedily affecting soueraignty then thus to authorize all and euery Prouince vnder his gouernment to rebell against him at their pleasure and auouche maintaine and defend for lawfull all their outragious insurrections malepert mutinies and contagious crimes against his highnes and soundest part of his nobles and subiects euery where but especially in the Low countries vnder this counterfeited conference holden at Amsterdam amongst the States there Yea by this colourable doctrine of Fa. Parsons hotch potch prodigious common wealthes authority when it comes to reasoning standing the premises without the kings controlment they may lawfully auerre al their practises proceedings and deeds past they may admit his maiestie peacebly to gouerne and raigne ouer them with this condition that he shall mantaine the course by them begun for gouernment
sadnes command me now to a sorrowfull silence and so concluding this long article that whatsoeuer the end of our countries calamities happen to be for subiection captiuitie bondage desolation or the like yet if Parsons say and affirme that they who were the originall cause and occasion of our heauie and iust downefall be sure to beare the greatest burden and to abide the sorest triall if he haue been that infortunate Saians iade vpon whom whosoeuer hath sitten haue come to a sorrowful and wretched end as all his tampering platformes with this and that noble haue declared if he haue hitherto euer ioyned most with those whom himselfe hath euer iudged most infortunate and iustly to haue merited these plagues which he threateneth on Gods behalfe to fall vpon them and their posteritie Then what mad man or woman is he or she that to second his owne sorrowes will consort him or her selfe with the Iesuiticall faction to side with those of whom their Polypragmon hath prophecied the destruction Therefore happy say I is he or she that setting all priuate respects aside for their owne gaine seeke the conuersion of their countrie as the seculars doe For that although there neither is neither can there be any assurance of either side to wit whether euer our countrie shall be againe conuerted all wholy to the catholike faith or no either by secular or Iesuit or any other yet more hope questionles there is of conuersion of it by the seculars then by the Iesuits course bicause the seculars is more apostolicall and directly tending to the preseruation of all c. THE X. ARTICLE VVHether any certaintie or possibilitie of conuersion of any of the Lords of her Maiesties honorable Counsell or other magistrates or officers in speciall authoritie vnder her highnes whom the seculars deale withall and if none then whether they may trust them in other matters and proceedings as D. Bagshaw M. Bluett and others doe or no without offence scandall or other danger either to themselues or their friends THE ANSWERE THis question is sufficiently debated before to wit That although all or any one appointed by her Maiestie to deale in these affaires meant fraudulently and with intent to intrap the seculars one way or other to worke their greater discredite disgrace and vtter ouerthrowe thereby which yet were very ingrateful vnciuill and inhumane for any so to iudge and censure without cause for as it is said it is sinne to lie of the diuell and sure this calumniation and slaunder raised of these men for their intercourse with those in authoritie vnder her Maiestie declares a most malitious Iesuiticall spirite there being no question to be made of it to the contrary bicause former examples of other Iesuites haue proued it true and led the seculars first the daunce in seeking of fauours at ciuill magistrates or others hands but that if either Master Blackwel or Father Garnet or any Iesuite of them all that deale now in hucker mucker and therefore more daungerously and pernitiously as I said before might haue free accesse and either were as cleere in their owne conscience as these seculars are or else might haue imputatiue iustice by conuiuence from her Maiestie on their side to obtaine so much fauour by as these haue obtained there is not the purest of them but would come with his hat in his hand to the Bishop of London or to any other in authority for to be shrowded vnder them and so by consequent to ingrate thus iniuriously both vpon her Maiesties officers the secular priests as the Iesuites doe bicause they haue not the like fauour deserues the challenge to a combat if they were other men then they are yet howsoeuer although as I said there were euill intended seeing notwithstanding that there is no way possible to worke any euill to the seculars or their friends thereby vnlesse they count it euill for a man condemned to the gallowes to be deliuered and set free and his life graunted him or for him that is condemned in a premunire or otherwise to perpetuall prison to be deliuered thence or for him that is in daunger to be searched and ransackt euery hower to haue a breathing fit of safetie and securitie to sleepe one weeke or fortnight a sounder sleepe then he had slept in twenty yeeres before or for him that hath by statute lawes forfeited his life lands goods and all he is worth to haue some mitigation and find an ease not onely in pardon of his life but also in releasement of the confiscation of his goods and sauing of his lands c. And if any litle ease to languishing harts be comfortable if lawfull it be for any redimere iniustam vexationem if all men be bound to cleere themselues and to liue without exasperating of any nor giuing offence no not to Infidels if for these and the like causes sundry secular priests haue vpon sufficient approbation and triall had of their innocency found extraordinary fauour and others also by their meanes And if a Sebastian could court it out with his Lord and Emperor and yet keepe a religious hart to God ward helpe and saue many a mans life that otherwise had died if a Daniell could obtaine so speciall fauour at a kings hands as not onely to be deliuered out of prison yea and from out of the lyons den but also to be made liefetenant generall princeps exercitus and Emperor of the field euen amiddest those amongst whome he and all his countrimen liued captiue If both a Peter and a Iohn could be like deerely accounted of to their Lord master Christ and yet euen he who was rather of the two yea or most of all the rest in greatest danger bicause by his royall blood and alliance to the king his maker and his master a iust cause of ielousie was to be had of him but notwithstanding this we finde that Saint Iohn found friendship when and where Saint Peter could not at the high priestes hands and amongst other inferior officers and yet none euer spake against it or thought the woorse of him for it Yea if S. Peter although he had better haue vsed his friend in another matter but that it was oracled so to be vsed Saint Iohns helpe to come in amongst the thickest of his masters enimies Then say I it is the most enuious malitious and pharisaicall part that these prowd disdainfull sycophants could possibly play and doth as much discouer their vile and base mindes as any one thing could possibly doe to maligne slaunder and backbite men of better deserts then themselues But the diuell is euer enuious An enuious man is alwaies murmuring grudging and repining at an others good fortunes and to heare of a Iesuitical fellow to giue a good word of any that is not Iesuited in faction or affection he sure by my consent shall be a king cipher to command the nine figures in algorisme with o rare amongst the rarest illuminates So then to
the purpose to make an end of this Quodlibet I say First that there is more assurance and haue beene more perfect and true tokens of constancie wisedome pietie religion learning vertue and gouernment in all these whom the Iesuits doe most kicke at and spurne against for familiarity or intercourse by writing accesse personall parlee and other meanes with those in authoritie vnder her Maiestie then in the prowdest spirited Iesuit in this land whosoeuer that may freeliest say Non sum sicut caeteri homines nor like these Publican seculars Yea neither master Clarke master Barneby nor master Champney who are the yoongest of these thus extraordinary fauoured but a priestly behauiour hath merited vnto them by their constant sufferance before it came to this gratious conniuence to fauour them so reuerend a respectiue opinion to be had of them by all men as that their yoong yeeres ouer-shadowed with venerable grauitie of hoariest haires might in their milde conceits with modest blush mooue them to take S. Paules words to Bishop Timothie as spoken vnto euery one of them apart nemo te contemnat propter inuentutem yea euen master Barneby the yoongest as I take it a most sweete natured faire conditioned and humble harted gentleman of good abilitie might well haue merited that grace and fauour at the Apostles hands And for the rest scz doctor Bagshawe master Bluet master Mushe and master Colington with others but those especially had of the Iesuits faction nowe in chase I am fully perswaded that howsoeuer some surly syres or mincing outraiers doe scorne and scoffe at them behinde their backes yet woulde their very presence countenance and conuersation put them to silence or at the least dash them from euer entring into so contemptuous speeches as now they vse against them Not one of these fower but being any Iesuits auncient as a Iesuite in England this day they woulde be iudged of all indifferent persons to be more fit to gouerne both master Blackwell and all his puny Fathers then to be gouerned of all or any of them Secondly the Iesuiticall arrogancie is most egregious in this point when they say I pray God master Bluet be not ouertaken hee trusts and tels the Bishop of London too much and doctor Bagshaw he doth the like with master Waade and so others of them and I pray God they stand saith one and they are but weake men saith another and vnfit to deale in such matters and O that such or such a father had had the managing of the matter he could and would I mary would he haue handled it more substantially and to the purpose whereas like vaine glorious Pharisees as they are many of those of whom they vaunt most knew neuer what imprisonment nor any triall meant but riding to and fro in their coaches like Sur-le-boyes mount-segniors or other men of state as vnwoorthie the name of a Iesuite vnlesse withall a statist they lie pampering themselues heere and there surfeiting in sedition ambition and deepe disdaine and when they haue put on the cap of maintenance amongst their admirabliers then they begin to descant vpon al mens actions and fyle their tongues agreeing to their auditors fancies Thirdly there neither is neither can be any offence committed or danger incurd or scandall giuen in these fauours receiued vnlesse it be Iewish Pharisaicall otherwise now rightly called a malitious Iesuiticall scandall which to refraine from were the most simple indiscrete vncharitable vniust vnciuill and immodest part that euer was plaied Therefore let these newe Pharisees choose whether they will be scandalized or no it is nothing to the purpose For if they finde a Haggard readie to baite at euery bush or an eyeese ready to crie at sight of euery cricket or a scrupulous tender and timerous hart readie to feare offending in euery worde he speakes then haue these master Faulconers that which they looke for these great Burgo-masters the thing they seeke for and the Iesuiticall tribe their treacherous harts desire Fourthly there is no assurance of any one catholikes perseuerance to the end that liues on earth For who that had seene Lucifer the day star glistring in excelsis but would haue honoured him before Saint Michaell the Archangell and yet in ictu occuli he became a fowle fiend and loathsomest creature to looke vpon that euer God created Who that knew king Salomon to haue had the rarest and chiefest gift that euer was giuen to man besides that the gift of prophecie also a more neere familiarity with God then I thinke any Iesuite dare presume to affirme he euer had and yet I cannot tell they are so arrogant as for to walke and talke with him be it mediate or immediate all is one face to face who then that had seene him in his highest pompe royallest Maiestie and greatest glory would not haue come with the Saban Queene to admire him and adore him who that had seene Iudas chosen by God himselfe who could not be ignorant of what was in the man to be a priest an apostle yea and one of the twelue that our Sauiour chose out of the whole worlde but would haue kissed the ground where he went c who of like sort that had heard the holy Ghost speake it and consecrate designe and single out seauen Deacons whereof Nicholas was one would euer haue thought he would haue prooued a puritane or one infected with the family of loue or rather the first beginner and brocher of the same who that had read Apollonaris workes in 33. huge volumes against the heretikes of his daies would euer haue censured or thought he would in the end haue become a ranke heretike yea and a father and author of most blasphemous heresies who that had seene the Chanon or Doctor of Paris liuing a life irreprehensible of any man would not haue beene ready to come and kissed his feete gone on pilgrimage to his shrine or done any worship vnto him on earth and yet with horror to thinke of mans heauy state not one of these but are knowne to be condemned vnlesse it be king Salomon of whom some doctors doubt who yet I thinke would not be in his place for a myriades of millions of massie golde ergo qui stat videat ne cadat Fiftly as our stand in Gods church is vncertaine and knowne onely to God alone So there is not the hottest of our aduersaries in religion that a man can say or iustifie and bide by it that it is impossible or no possibilitie nor likelihood in the world that euer such or such a one should become a catholike for we haue to the contrary innumerable examples in this age Many of our owne knowledge hauing been noted and knowne to all the world for most lewd prophane and bad liuers yet haue come afterwards to giue manifest signes tokens and testimonies of their true repentance rare graces and extraordinarie amendment Yea euen Parsons a lewder body then whom was not I verily thinke of any