The Papists Reasons of State and Religion, Reason of state 2
Reaſon of State. II 2. REASON OF STATE.
AGaine, the Puritane, as heeaA manifeſt vn truth, and ſlander of the ſtate. increaſeth dayly aboue the Prote…tant in number, ſo is he of a more preſuming, imperious, & horter diſpoſition and zeale, ever ſtrongly burning in deſire to reduce all things to the forme of his owne Idea, or imagination conceived, and therefore by diſcourſe of reaſon not vnlike (the enterpriſe beeing to be paralleled by many examples) to attempt the overthrowe of the Proteſtant, and bring the kingdome, eſpecially the Eccleſiaſticall ſtate to a paritie or popular forme of government, if the Catholike (perchaunce thebA lowde lie of inſinuating cō panions. powerableſt let thereof) were once extinguiſhed: and to extinguiſh him, no meane more potent, then to forbid and puniſh the exerciſe of his religion. And what confuſion, havocke, and effuſion of blood ſuch an attempt would worke in the cō mon-weale, it is eaſie to coniecture, whiles thecMelancolike imaginations of malicious & reſtleſſe braines, to ſet the State togither by the eares. Puritane with his complices, and ſuch as thirſt (an infinite number) to hauehave matters in ſcuſtling, doe impugne on the one ſide, and the Biſhops, Deanes, Canons, and the greateſt poſſeſſors of Spirituall livings, with all thoſe that doe adhere to them, defend on the other ſide, and either partie ſtifly and violently perſecuting other, as is the cuſtome in ſuch commotions, without regard of God or country. Which diſaſtrous and moſt deadly miſchiefe cannot in probability approach, or ever grow to head, ſo long as the Catholike findeth favour with your Maieſtie in enioying the free vſe of his religion. Or put caſe, the Puritan ſhould ever adventure to make ſuch an attempt, yet the ods againſ him (he hauing two ſorts of adverſaries, the Proteſtant, and the Catholikely affected by the foreſaid favour) are much greater then any way in reaſon or likelyhood the victory may be iuſtly doubted of.
Reſolution of the 2. Reaſon.
The Papiſts ſhould be specially respected, and made much of, becauſe they are profitable members, and the powerableſt let to hinder and curb the Puritanes, who increaſe dayly aboue the Proteſtants in number, &c.
Ergo,
Toleration of Papiſtry, muſt needes be granted.
ANSWERE.
I. To the Antecedent.
1 IS not the Kings Maieſty, and the whole Church of England infinitely beholding vntounto the Papiſtes for their hote ſervice againſt the Puritanes? Poore fools! who doth not know, that al their proiects, plots, machinatiōs, treacheries, deſignements and bloody attempts hauehave ever beene practiſed for the overthrow of the Proteſtant, and not of the Puritane? whoſe bookes hauehave they anſwered? whoſe livings hauehave they gaped for? whoſe bloode hauehave they thirſted after? was it not the Proteſtants? witnes hereof, their naked ſwords, their bloody piſtols, their deadly poyſon, wherwith they hauehave oftentimes attempted the overthrow of our late Soveraigne Queene ELIZABETH of eternall memory, & of other principal Proteſtants of note. Witneſſe alſo their bookes and writings, wherein they ſolely fight againſt the Proteſtantes, vomiting and diſgorging their immortall hatred againſt them, and infintly commending the Puritanes before them. Weſtonus li. 3. de Trip. Hom. Offic. Cap. 16. pag. 226. Proteſtātibus sure ſacrapraſtabiliores Puritant. Qui enim eſtis Proteſtantes, hominum indicamens iguaviſſimi omnium, religionis etiam fuco deſtituti, impijſſimi aeruſcatores, parati iurare in cuiuſvis verba, modo inde emolumentum rebus veſtris accreſcat. And in the 227. pag. Puritani ſa…è multò ſolidiùs ac ſincerius ſua dogmata profitentur.
2 It is a manifeſt calummation & ſclander of our Chriſtian Church and State (I thinke) to affirme, that there are any Puritanes amongſt vsus, who are of a preſuming, imperious, and hate diſpoſition and zeale to reduce all things to the forme of their owne Idea or imagination conceaved, who attempt the overthrow of the Proteſtant, and to bring the Eccleſiaſticall ſtate to a paritie or popular forme of governement; and that ſuch do in number increaſe aboue the Proteſtant.
3 But ſuppoſe there were ſuch Puritanes in this kingdome; yet the preſuming, imperious, turbulent, and hote diſpoſed Puritane may be eaſily reſtrained, without the Papiſts helpe; by conference, perſwaſions, penallawes in caſe of obſtinacie, &c.
II. To the Conſequence.
1 To tolerate the Papiſt to exerciſe his Idolatry for curbing of the Puritane: were as much as to ſuffer the Ieſuit, to goe on with his proiectes for repreſſing of the Secular Prieſt: or contrarywiſe, to licenſe the Prieſt to practiſe his policie, for grubbing vp and rooting out of the Ieſuit.
2 As the Prieſt and the Ieſuit are not to be licenſed, to warre the one againſt the other, but are both to be expelled out of all peaceable Common-wealthes; ſo is neither the treacherous and ſeducing Papiſt, nor the imperious and turbulent Puritane to bee tolerated, to rooſt in any Chriſtian State, the one to impugne the other: but both are abſolutely to be repreſſed and baniſhed.