tranquility of the Kingdome and the protestant religion now established First his Majesty was drawn on to conclude a peace with the King of Spaine the most disadvantagious to this Kingdom as ever was were it but for one particular which indeed was rested in but upon the concluding of the Articles and it was this that no English be permitted to trade in the West-Indies and if any did venture so to doe they should be hanged and tortured without mercy Hence it followed that the English who had resolved with the Netherlands for the sending of ten thousand men between them into those parts were so deterred as that our best friends the Netherlands were left to shift for themselves who thanks be to God have got a greater footing in Brasill not the tenth part of America yet bigger then three Englands then that the Spaniard will be ever able to remove them thence And whilst the English have for many yeeres sate still and have not in the generall dared to adventure into those parts the Pilatage into those spacious and goodly Countreys hath been by us well nigh lost and the King of Spaine so well inabled by a yeerely abundant comming in of his vast treasure there to make full and due payment to his Jesuiticall pensioners here as that ever since they have performed such faithfull service unto him as may shortly prove destructive to these Kingdoms if not timely foreseene and prevented by the wisdome and blessed accord of his Majesty and this his present Parliament And lest any thing should be wanting to the Catholique King undertaking the Catholique cause his faithfull pensioners perswaded King James to arme the King of Spaine with 20â—0 peeces of Ordnance under colour of which licence one Sir Iohn Ferne transported twice as many more What others did here in is not so well known but by wise men who have had knowledge of former times it is conceived that if the King of Spaine were as well prepared with men and shipping as he is with guns and amunition from us he might beat us with our own weapons A third thing wherin King Iames was strangley abused by the Spanish pensioners the best friends to Jesuits was that by reason of their continuall crying up his boundlesse prerogative a point which Princes generally are overmuch pleased to heare of his Majestie though otherwise very iudicious was at last drawne to diâ—affect and undervalue Parliaments as intrenching too much upon his royall prerogative by how much they did more carefully endeavour to preserve the laws enacted in their full strength and to enact other laws as might tend but to due regulating of regall power which ought never to exceed law but when it tendeth to the releife of the subject in mitigating the vigour of law not to the oppressing and impoverishing of them with illegall Monopolies and unwarrantable taxations I might instance in many other particulars but one more shall suffice to shew how prevalent the Spanish faction were with King Iames when upon the motion of Gundumore that arch politician seconded by their strong approbation his Majesty neglecting the profers of some German Protestant Princes did condescend to send his only sonne and heire into Spaine for the contracting of a mariage there with the Spanish Kings Sister one of a contrary Religion which had it accordingly proceeded it might have proved more inconvenient and troublesome then hath his mariage with France How the Jesuits and Jesuiticall Spanish pensioners plots have succeeded since the accesse of his Majesty that now is unto the Crowne I need not relate at large the wisdome of this present Parliament hath saved mee that labor in their first unanswerable remonstrance I shall therefore only breifly mention some of the chiefe after which I shall lay forth their yet more bold practizes and bloody executions in France and else where The first was the laying of their foundation at the conclave at Rome wher it was concluded that his holines should have a Nuntio in England and the Queene of England should have an agent at Rome to act things here as should be there resolved upon The 2. was to perswade his Majestie by meditation of the Queene whom they too well knew he did as entirely love as if she had bin of his owne Religion to preferr those to places of dignitie at Court and of judicature both in Church and common weale as might serve to put in execution their mischewous designes Whence it came most unhappily to passe that the Spanish pensioners became here Cabinet Councellors so usually over-awing and overswaying the farre greater and better part of the privy Councell as that their meere proposalls past for resolutions and hence it was that the Star-chamber where these Jesuiticall pensioners and such as they had promoted bare Sway did abound with extravagate censures no lesse unconsionable then terrible to the oppressing of the common people by maintaining illegall taxations and unwarrantable monopolies and in advancing prerogatives farr beyond all the presidents of former times And Shurely had it not bin for those exceeding powerfull Popish factors the high commition had no dareth so eagerly to oppose true Religion by suspentions deprivations excommunications fines and imprisonments much les would some Bishops and in eriour ecclesiasticall Courts have adventured with such animosity to propose or bitternes to persecute their owne superstitions articles as if they had bin Cannons concluded upon by the whole Church of England as then consisting only of Bishops Deanes Archdeacons Cathedrall Priests and 2. such country Clarkes as every Bishop and his Sly officiall thought good off ought to bind the whole Church being so partially if not corruptly represented For what are Cathedrall Church but such places as Queene Elizabeth and her Councell for some by Politicall ends were pleased to let rest in some part of that Popist splendor which might take with neighboring Princes and not render her and her people utterly irreconcilable to the Church of Rome when as yet the Parochill Churchs here were better clensed from Popish relickes according to the well setled constitution of other reformed Churches and yet for south these better refined Parochiall Churches must againe be reduced to a Cathedrall garbe why But that it is more ceremonecus more Majesticall and therin more resembleth Rome To conclude this point by reason of the oversweling greatnesse of those Cabinet Councellours men were preferred to places of Judicature in the common-weale which either could not or would not maintaine Justice but were alwayes forward to advance prerogative above and against law witnesse some millions of mony in few yeares wrested from the subject under the name of Loane Knighthood Shippe Coat and conducte mony by colour of forrest law the Statute of improvement the commission of severs abused Tunnage and Poundage inhaunced by unwarrantable rates All which though unlawfull yet were they all either justified by the most part of the Judges or the people miserablely oppressed whilst being debarred the
is not musuall but that foure hundred or five hundred gentlemen so considerately chosen as these were in all counties should be so abused as without any show of probability Vnlesse we conceive that those few accused members worke by no ordinary meanes And if it were granted as few truly religious will grant it that those accused members were any way guilty of misdemeanors yea or of treason against his Majestie and the government established yet it is but reasonable that their offences should be examined and decided by Parliament otherwise upon meere pretences the Parliament might be extremly dismembred And in case the whole body of Parliament do erre yet it cannot be reasonably conceived that the body of this Parliament and their resolutions are questionable and triable by any other power then by some succeeding Parliament Oh then that all protestants would seriously consider how the foresaid positions tend to the dissolving not only of this but of all other Parliaments without whose assistance neither our religion nor our liberties have any hope of continuance by reason of many hellish subtile contrivements of Iesuits who as they have from their first originall disturbed many other Nations so now they have procured our present calamities and a geeat effusion of blood in Ireland I cannot at large relate what they have no lesse tre cherou ly contrived then bloodily executed in France Germany and other places yet I may not altogether passe them over in regard we may be admonished and thereby armed against these firebrands of Christendome who in these our times are no lesse insolent and dangerous to kingdomes and States then were their fore-fathers and founders the Popes of Rome The great Massacre of France wherein were slain more then 50000 was the Iesuits damnable plot and so were the murders of the two French Kings Henry the third and Henry the fourth Henry the third was bred a papist from his cradle and when he became a man while he was Duke he was made generall of the popish forces and gave the protestants that fatal blow at the battel of Mouncounter and made them sue for peace and after he was King he maintained the Roman Religion to the uttermost of his power And yet because he gave peace to the Hugonets whom he could not constraine and because he had compassion of his poore people eaten up with the armes of strangers And because the cries of the widdow and fatherlesse pierced his royall heart and because he would not deliver the crowne it selfe unto the hands of his vassals he was wounded to death and the fact approved as meritorious And for Henry the foâ—râ—h though he changed the profession of the protestant religion which hee had professed from his child-hood and though he caused his owne children and the next Princes of the blood to be trained up in popery and to have Iesuits for their Instructors yet because he would not continue the civil wair in his owne country and turne the sword against the Huganites who had most faithfully served him in his greatest distresse and because he would not break of his leagues and prove ungratefull to his protestant Princes and States which had assisted him with men and mony in attaining the crowne hee was shamefull murdered by the procurement of Iesuits Oh that he had beene more constâ—nâ— in the way of his religion that he had depended more upon the power and providence of the Almightie and lesse upon the arme of flesh for the preservation and continuance of his kingdome then undoubtedly that God who so often protected would also have protected him against Raveliack And oh that our King would seriously consider the untimely end of both those french Kings murdered by Iesuits though professing and maintaining popery then might we hope that his Majestie who deepely professeth to live and die in the protestant religion would cause the lawes to be severely executed upon these King-killing Athisticall agents for the Pope In Germany the Duke of Saxony and many more other Luthran Princes have of late been miserably deluded by Iesuits who induced them to stand Neâ—ters whilst the Emeprour with his Popish army plundered the most part of Germany and hath perplexed and well uigh destroyed that Goodly Country with twenty yeares warre Which hath consumed many thousands of Luthrans as well as Calvenists al which ealamities and slaughters might have beene prevented had they not beene unhappily disunited by the subtilety of Iesuites In Polonia now lately they have kindled such a fire betwixt the King and his subjects as that they who choose him with one generall consent doe now thinke how to be ridd of him by reason that through their Councels hee entrencheth upon their Liberties more hee ought to doe And in Vâ—nis where Popery is professed they have beene long since Bannished by reason of their treacheries cruelties and insolent inte medling with state affaires wherein they doe but resemble their holy Fathers the Popes of Rome whose pride cruelties and treachries were such as no Christian could beleeve them were they not recorded by their owne popish authors And yet these Iesuites the Poopes youngest sonnes doe in all the forenamed respects and many more equal them especially in regard of their audacious intermedling with State affaires As the popes heretofore have disturbed kingdomns destroyed kingdomes and confirred kingdomes from nation to nation from family to Family so now his deare sonnes the IESVITES take upon them by his leave to doe no lesse How have they set the FRENCH against the SPANNISH the Spanish against the French The French against the Italians The Italians against the French The Spaniard against the Portugall the Portuall against the SPANIARD But almost all Nations against ENGLAND And the Dominions hereunto annexed as evidently appeareth by the great store of ayde shipping men money and all kinde of Warlike A nunition sent and to bee sent against these united Kingdomes from France Spaine Polonia Denmarke Dunkercke and other Popish places of the Low Countries whereof some have beene taken others have unhappily escaped but farre more are it in readinesse and preparation to bee sent And shall wee permit such Vipers as these Iesuites and they Jesuicticall Abetors are to live among us untill they have eaten up the bowells of the Common Weale and which is it much more the life and substance of true Religion by no by meanes But let us stand and acquit our selves like men of Wisedome and courage for the King and kingdome but chefly for our GOD and that pure Religion which for many yeares wee have now enjoyed Let our wisedome appeare first by our Piety in crying mightily to God by seeking him by Fasting Weeping and Mourning in truth and sineerity and all other duties wherein wee may manifest our true humiliation before him And then submitting our owne particular understandings let us hearken unto and observe diligently the grave observations and directions and resolutions of this present Parliament which cannot choose but see more and decide better than any private man yea or many men be they never so wise however men of no understanding or men of no religion or Neuters in religion or of a contrary religion either rashly or malitiously dare to affirme the contrary Let our courage appeare in a stout and resolute opposition of all opposers of our Religion and lawes established more especially against Iesuits and their abbettors who strive fiercely even to the effusion of much blood to disturbe and alter the Militia of the Kingdome both by Sea and Land under a fond pretence of defending the King and kingdome religion and law wheras in truth they seeke the utter subversion of them all For how can it be reasonably imagined that papists should take up armes for the defence of the protestant religion utlaws for the preservation of the Law or delinquents fugitives from parliament for priviledges of parliament which is the representative body of the kingdome And yet these are the men and but few other of any better quality or condition who pretend to fight under the Kings Standard against King and kingdome A very strong motive and unanswerable argument to incite all of any understanding or resolution to stand firme to God and his truth for his Maiesty and royall posterity for the peace and safety of the realme against all forraigne invasions and home-bred conspiracies which necessary prudence and happy resolution if it shall please the Lord to give unto the land in general we need not much feare what either of them can doe against us Our Militia by Sea so strongly and so compleatly set forth and so well assisted by our no lesse gratefull then provident friends the Netherlands may under God sufficiently assure us against any great hurts from forraigne forces though France and Spaine though Denmarke Poland a thing very unlikely should at once joyne their forces of shipping men mony horse and other warlike ammunition against us And as for homebred conspiracies now that the wisdome of the parliament hath so well contrived and disposed the order of the Militia in all countries so well approved of all some few onely excepted as they intend by Gods assistance to live and die in the defence of it The Iesuits and their abbettors are very likely ere long to their shame and confusion to finde their damnable plots to be fully discovered their persons and estates to be left to the severity of law as is most just and but necessary for the preservation of this Kingdome FINIS
usuall remedy at law either by Habeas corpus or otherwise they were left destitute of all legall defence for the preservation of their goods or persons A 3. Jesuiticall plot was to weaken his Majesty both at whom and ahroad Which way could they more weaken him here in England then to employ the Cabinet Councell to peswade him to make sayle of his owne propper hereditary land and to rayse mony for the supporting of his royall Dignity by unlawfull or unufuall meanes which could not but much with draw the dutifull affection of his subjects from him wherin his cheifest strenght consisteth And how could they have devised more to have lessened the repute of his wisdome and puissance with forraine Princes then by inciting his Majesty to begin warre and conclude peace both with France and Spaine partly without and paetly against the approbation of Parliament swherunto may be added the takeing of Rochell by the aid of his Majesties ships the little assistance or countenance which of latrer times hath bin from England afforded unto our best friends the Neitherlands And from all these promises yet may strongly be concluded that these were destructive wayes to the Protestant Religion and therefore promoted and prosecuted by Jesuits and persons Popistly addicted A 4. plot as to overaw and impowerish the whole Kingdome by billiting souldiets in all parts of it by intending to bring in forrain forces especially many hundreds of German horses and by proposing Martiall law to be put in execution which had it taken affect it would much more have impowerish the land then have many millions of mony exacted from the subject hince his Majesties raigne meerly under a pretence of law when there was neither reason law nor equity for the raising of the least part of those infinite summe which yet had they bin employed in any reasonable proportion either for the good of King or Kingdome neither King nor Kingdome had bin so destressed as now they are But the truth is as they were illegally imposed so they have bin as faudelently disposed without his Majesties privitie even to the strenghtning of the professed enemies of our Religion which now threatten no lesse then the bringing under if not the utter extirpation therof A 5. designe was at once to imbrace and imbecell the coyne of the Kingdome by making brasse mony as currant and more common then silver whilst our gold was so slyly convoyed away as that in the greatest payments the tenth of that gold which formerly hath bin usually mad could in no place appeare and how should it be otherwise when the French to omitt other nations of all sects and conditions from the highest to the lowest for the enriching of the Popish Jesuiticall partie there have bin permitted to carry it away How much Queene mother had for here share is not exactly knowne but it is conceived upon very good grounds that she and her Jesuiticall trayne have had 2 Millions of mony which is ten times as much as the Queene her daughter brought into this Land Another deepe plot of the Jesuits was grounded upon their intimate acquaintance with Canterbury and Wren and other such like Popishly affected prelate whereby they procured the discountenancing yea and the suppression of the most able most sincere and most faithfull Ministers of the gospell When in the meane time countenance and maintenance yea and the greatest preferments were conferred upon Arminian Socinian Priests upon meert Formalists and time serving preachers whose poisonous tenents in somethings are the same with Rome In other farre worse and more dangerous as being more subtilly contriced Upon such who had onely a shew of godlinesse were more for the ceremony then the substance of Religion such as were most forward in their Sermons at Court or in other eminent places to crie up the unlimited power and prerogative of the King to the perverting of law and in as much as in them lay to the utter debarring of the people from their ancient liberties and immunities from all right and property in their owne proper goods But of all the Jesuiticall plots that which is now in action the separating of his Majesty from his Parliament and the working an ill opinion in some people and counties against their owne representative body so advisedly aggregated in all shires is most fearefull and admirably desperate For who could imagine did it not evidently appeare that the Jesuits Spanish pensioners should have such a powerfull influence with his Majesty or be so prevalent with to contēptible nūber of Nobles cō non people as to make his Majesty and them beleeve that this Parliament is set against him and the good of the land And that Privados Sycophantizing and time serving courtiers who for the most part are blinded and transported with those by respects of profit or preferment should be better affected better able to see and advise then they are for the good and safetie both of King and Kingdome This in the generall is the Jesuits last plot now in agitation but that consisteth of many branches very considerable among which take speciall notice of some few particulars here and there scattered in some papers lately published by the Jesuiticall faction in his Majesties name whose person they have captivated and whose power they have ceazed upon They dare boldly affirme with the greatest confidence that the regall power is so derived from God and the law as that it hath no dependance upon the trust and consent of man but is absolutely boundles and indefinitely supreame as well universis as singulis so over all that he may dispose of all at pleasure and be no way accountable to the Kingdome That the being of Parliamēt is meerely of grace and may onely counsell in some things but not determine in any thing That the major part in Parliament is not considerable when many are absent or dissent or when some few overaw and over rule the rest That Parliaments may doe dishonorable nay treasonable things and are questionable and triable elsewhere As if it were probable that the wisedome till now the never suspected integrity of both houses of Parliament could ever prove so treacherous to King or Kingdome or so carelesse of themselves and their posterity as to doe things dishonest and treasonable Or as if it were credible that men for the most part never formerly knowne to his Majesty nor never greatly intrusted by him or the State should be able to give more faithfull counsell then the Parliament or to be lesse subject to erroneous advises to desperate and treasonable resolutions then are those who now sit in Parliament whose great paines prudence and patience we to whom the benefit hath and will redound have great cause to blesse God for As if a few factious persons were they deservedly so censured were able to lead the whole Parliament the wisedome of the land That a country jury of twely men may be misled by two subtile Knaves
not Zedekiah for breaking faith with a Pagan see his children and servants slain before his eyes after which his own eyes were torn out of his head How were the Israelites miserably afflicted in King Davids time with 3 yeares famine for Sauls slaying of the Gibeonites whose preservation was sworne 400 yeares before by the congregation of Israel which agreement though it were fraudulently obtained by the Gibeonites yet the Israelites having by oath confirmed it in the name of the Lord dared not break it And though Saul were so bold as to violate the covenant so solemnly sworn yet just vengeance ceased upon his posterity whereof seven of them were delivered into the hands of the Gibennites whom they hanged up before the Lord and the famine ceased And although they account us Protestants but Hereticks and infidells yet they might likewise remember that Abraham sware to many unbelieving Princes Isaac gave his faith and observed it to Abimelcch Jacob and his sonnes especially Joseph were allied and lived with the Egyptians And for their distinctions in promises it wil breed in short time such confusion in all the states of Europe as there will be nothing more pernitious lamentable For if a serious promise much more a solemn oath shall not be kept inviolable upon what agreement may any rely upon There are few towns castles Cities governments that are not bound by oath The Protestant by oath taketh assurance of the Papists The Papists of the Protestants Kings from their Subjects Subjects from their Kings By oathes the lives and states 〈◊〉 all men are tryed and the whole religious world governned How can this Kingdome or any other stand long if equivocation prevail so far as that things covenanted and sorwn need not to be observed This once known there can be no end of warre nor hope of peace nor safety to treat of Shall it be made but a bait for lying treason and cruelty by which our Predecessours passed through the armes of their enemies through the weapons of their most hatefull soes The Romanes ignorant of the true God in their swearing and contracting alliances were wont to say O Jupiter smite and with lightning blast him whosoever he be that is here with an intent to deceive what can be more horrible then to cover falshood with the name of the living God We may not touch them said the Princes of Israell meaning the Gibeonites because we have sworn to them in the name of the living God Now then that Jesuits dare to take libertie to themselves and dispence with others to equivocate to the breach of faith given upon oath we may safely conclude that they give the greatest wound to Chistian society as ever it received A third no lesse perilous then arrogant positiō of Jesuits is blind obedience to their conclusions and commands be they never so differing nay never so contrary to the law of God of nature of nations They indeed by vertue of their order are bound to obey their generall though his command extend to the killing of a King And whereas their generall is ever a Spaniard be the Jesuites English Scottish French Dutch or of any other nation whatsoever he must venter upon the person of his own naturall Prince rather then the Catholick King might suffer and so the Romish cause which is upon the matter onely supported by him might come in jeopardy But it doth not hence follow that the people should herein follow their blinde guides who dare publish to the world that they under his Holinesse can pardon slippes to Gods commandements But can affoord no pardon unto those who breake the commandements of the Church which how farre it doth derogate from the Majestie and authority of God and his holy word let not onely religious but even rationall men judge I will now instance in one more no lesse dangerous then blasphemous position of Jesuites upon which the three former and many more are grounded namely that the Church is above the Scriptures and so judgeth of the Scriptures as that she may reproove or reject Scripture as she shall think fit that the Church and the head thereof the Pope is the rule of faith better known and farre more certaine then are the Scriptures by whom Scripture ought to be judged and not either Pope or Church by Scripture whereas in truth the Scripture affordeth such a cleare and perfect light as may sufficiently guide our feet in the way of truth and fully instruct us what we are to believe and what we are to doe what to affect and what to hope which foure contains the whole dutie of a Christian To say no more the Church became the Church by receiving believing and so lowing the Scriptures from which when it shall in any sort vary it is no more the Church of God And now to their dangerous positions I shall adde so many of their bloudy nefarious practises as may in all reason indue those who most admire and are most addicted to them to detest and abandon them It is well known how often and how miraculously Queene Elisabeth escaped their many close contrived plots a-against her person and kingdome And it is no lesse known that in the beginning of King Iames his raigne an impudent petition for a toleration cōtrived by father Garnet other Jesuits was preferred to his Majesty but advisedly rejected upon the Archbishop Abbots grave counsel to the King Upon the rejecting of which their audacious petition growing desperate they enterprised by the advice of the said Garnet the gunpowder-treason the most cruell and barbarous as ever was heard of which had it taken it had been accompanied with a greaer effusion of bloud then was the massacre in France but herein much more destructive when King Prince Nobles Gentry and the whole wisdome of the land should have received an irrecoverable blow in being blown up in a moment so as the amased headlesse people not able to resist them and their army being at an instant in readinesse they must have yeelded to them both in matter of religion and liberty or have been miserably slaughtered by them A man might reasonably have concluded that such a matchlesse treason and bloudy designe upon King and kingdome should have produced execution of law to the extirpation of them and a dissipation of their Jesuiticall adherents But such was then their interest with forrain Princes subject to Rome especially with the King of Spaine and his pentioners here some of our Nobility Church-papists whose entertainment came to no lesse then 3000 l. or 4000 l. a yeere as that after execution done upon some few of them the father due prosecution of Law was stopped yea so powerfull and prevalent were our Spanish pensioners with King Iames a very wise Prince as they by many importunate solicitations induced him to yeeld to somethings and to deny other things which have or may prove exceeding prejudiciall to him and his royall posterity to the peace and