The Papists Reasons of State and Religion, Reason of state 3
3. REASON OF STATE.
MOreover, toleration of Catholike religion ſeemeth very convenient for ſtrengthning and ſecuring your Maieſtie againſt all worldlyaFond ſuggeſtions, as appeareth in the Anſwere. attempts forraine and domeſticall. Againſt forraine, in reſpect the cauſe why any ſuch trouble ſhould be once intended, muſt needs be in al probability the reſtoring of Catholike religion, which pretext or cauſe i… quite remooued by your Maieſties graunt of the free exerci…e thereof. Or if it ſhould fall out, that not withſtanding the happynes of the ſaid moſt ſoveraigne fauour, any forraine Prince, or Princes confederated either on envy of your Maieſties greatnes, or vponupon feare of what conſequence the vnion of the three Kingdomes might proue in time ſhould be ſo intemperate as either to inc…te cō panies within the Realme, or invade vpō the aboue named pretēce, no doubt but all Catholikes would eftſoone diſcloſe the practiſe, and moſt willingly ſtraine the vttermoſt of all their poſſible forces & reſiſtance for withſtanding the ſaid enterpriſe, made by whomſoeuer, and vnderunder what ſhadow of title or authority ſoeuer. And if inteſtine warre or any vproare ſhould happen through any diſloyalty of thebThere is no ſubiect likelier to make any vp roares or mutiny, then the Papiſt. ſubiect or other accident, there can be likewiſe no doubt (the Catholike religion teaching all temporall obedience to Princes, and more ſeverely cenſuring and puniſhing all ſores ofcEither the Suppliants ſpeake by contraries; or they equivocate in chic worde Rebellion. rebellion, then doth either the Puritane, or the Proteſtant doctrine) but that all Catholikes would preſently flocke to the banner of your Maieſtie, & wi…h the effuſion of their beſt blood firſt guarde & protect your royall perſon, and then defend all and ſingular your Highneſſe rightes and prerogatiues. Abounden duety, as our ſelues doe right widing…y acknowledge, and the contrary a moſt deteſtable and treaſonable offence, nevertheleſſe the readines and performance of our ſerviles heerein cannot butdThey ſpeake by contraries. increaſe your Maieſties ſtrength and ſafetie of the Crowne and Realme the thinges we deſire to hauehave beleeved, & would remonſtrate.
Reſolution of the 3. Reaſon.
Toleration of Popery is very conuenient for ſtrengthening & ſecuring his Maieſtie againſt all attemptes, forraine and domeſticall. Againſt forraine; for Princes woulde not attempte vvarre againſt him, the cauſe wherefore they ſhoulde doe ſo (the reſtoring of Popiſh religion) being taken away. Or if anie did fight againſt the King of meere envy: then the Papiſtes would diſcloſe their practiſes, and manfully take his Maieſties part. Againſt domeſticall; for then alſo the Papiſts would play the mē, & defend his Highnes againſt al inteſtine adverſarie.
Ergo.
Toleration is not to be denied.
ANSWERE.
I To the Antecedent.
THE Antecedent is altogither falſe in everie parte and particle thereof.
1 Popiſh religion cannot be convenient for ſecuring his Maieſtie, being a Proteſtant King: Yea the Papiſtes themſelues confeſſe, that, in this caſe, it is moſt dangerous and pernicious, both to his Perſon and eſtate. Principis ſalus non patitur promiſcuous conventus, aut religionum cultur confuſaneos Weſton. lib. 3. de trip. Hom. Offic. cap. 14. pag. 198.
2 It cānot ſtrēgthen his Maieſtie againſt forraine attēpts. For the cauſe wherefore forraine Princes ſhould attempt any thing againſt this kingdome, muſt be, in al probabilitie, not only Reſtoring of Papiſtry (which indeed the Papiſts have ever attempted to doe by fire and ſword) but alſo (as we have already ſaide, in the Anſwere to the firſt Supplication, pag. 27.) violent humors of ambition to a Monarchie, of malice and revenge vponupon ſuppoſed indignities, the ſecuring of their owne greatnes by impayring their Neighbours, &c.
3 If Religion were the cauſe of ſuch warres; yet would not the warres ceaſe for toleration: conſidering the Papiſtes (if they be not reſtrained) will never reſt vntill they ſee an alteration, and full reſtoring of the Popiſh Idolatry.
4 If any of the latter caſes ſhould bee the cauſe of warre, yet cannot Popery ſtrengthen and ſecure his Maieſtie therein: Becauſe it is not likely & probable, that the Papiſtes will ſincerely and faithfully ſight the bottailes of a Proteſtant King, againſt a Prince of their ownereligion.
5 Poperie cannot ſtrengthen his Maieſtie againſt … reſt… and do…eſticall forces. For in all reaſon, none are like to rebell at home, but Papiſts: as is man feſt by the example of all the civill warres, which hauehave bin in England, or Ireland this 46. yeeres and vpwardes.
6 It is moſt probable that ſuch toleration would rather breed diſſention and civill wortes at home amongſt vsus, then any way hinder or ſtay the ſame.
7 Popiſh Religion cannot any way ſecure the King againſt neither forr… nor d…ſticall attemptes.
1 Becauſe the Papiſter obedience and …idelay is pinned vponupon the Popes ſleeve; who when hee pleadeth, may diſcharge them frō their alloageanes vntounto their Prince.
II Becauſe the Popiſh ſaith wenkeneth the kingdom of people; conſidering the great number of Prieſtes, profeſſed votaries, and other ſuperſtiuo…s perſons, with all their ſervants and attend…ts, that are exempted from the Princes warries, yea from any con… tion and payment to manta… them.
III Becauſe al this ſuperſtition … breing reſt… ned frōma…ge, wherby, … …hoy had noch…ldren, or not daring to avow them moſt cruelly … dered them I the poſteritie could not multiplie any thing in ſuch ſort, as if it had bin lawfull for them to …arris.
IV Becauſe the practiſe of Popery impoveriſheth the land of treaſure: at is manifeſt by the infinite ſum…, which by a thouſād means the Popiſh religiō drawes ſpō all the ſtates and kingdomes where it is received.
V. In this kingdome of England the ordinary revenewes and profits of religious men (falſely ſo called) roſe to one third part of all the land, in the raigne of Noble King HENRIE the VIII. The furniture of their Churches with ſo many copes of all ſortes of rich ſluffe, was ſuch as no King or Prince could weare better. Their maſſie croſſes of ſilver and golde, their Idols of fineſt mettals; their ordinary charges of wax incenſe &c. the plate & iewels of Abbeiest. Priories, and other ſuperſtitious houſes, were of infinite valew and price, (as I thinke) the Court of Augmentation might ſufficiently teſtifie. Beſides all theſe, the extraordinary charges of appeales and following ſuites at Rome; the paymēts impoſed by moſt tyrannous oppreſſion both vponupon King. Nobles, and all the people of the lād; the treaſure drawne out of this kingdome, by names of Perter-pence. Palles, collatiōs, firſt fruits, and thouſand ſuch craftie & ſubtle titles of moſt extreame exactions, did ſo impoveriſh the ſtate, as both the Kings, the Nobles, & al the people did grievouſly complaine, as finding indeede the Court of Rome to be the very leach, that ſuckr the blood of all the land, and could neuer be ſatisfied.
8 Certeinely in reſpect of their owne, Antichriſtian kingdome, I muſt needes confeſſe, that for the eſtabliſhment, continuance, ſecurity, wealth, and honour of the ſame, the Divell himſelfe (whoſe depths their Popes and Peelass vnderſtood) could never have deviſed any thing more politique and ſit, then that which was deviſed by them.
II To the Couſequence.
1 If the Antecedent were true, yet ought nor the cō ſequence be graunted. For … is to be done this good may come thereof.
2 His Maieſtie may be ſecured from all attempts, forraine or domeſtical, (God be praiſed) without the Papiſts helpe: Yea he is then moſt ſecure, when they are farſheſt off.