Against the Revolt to a Foreign Jurisdiction, Chapter 4
Chap. IV. Of the Papists Endeavours in the time of King Charles the First, and the great wrong they did him.
§. 1. THE same method they still continued, 1. In vain they subtilly laboured to have perverted the King. 2. And then pretended their great sufferings to procure Indulgence. 3. And secretly gave out that the King was for them, to draw on others that they thought would be still of the Kings Religion.
§ 2. When he was in Spain the Bishop of Couchen a Trained Veterane, and Head of the Inquisition was chosen to take the charge of labouring his Conversion, and Carolus Boverius wrote to him that Book for Church Monarchy, which is now extant: And the Pope wrote to him an insinuating Letter; to which this answer as returned by the Prince is recorded by Prin as out of Mr. De Chesne the King of France his Geographer, and by the Caballa of Letters, and by Rushworth, who saith the Latine Copy was preserved by some then in Spain at the Treaty, and this following in the Caballa is but an ill Translation of it.
Most Holy Father,
I received the dispatch from your Holiness with great content, and with that respect which the Piety and Care wherewith your Holiness writes doth require. It was an unspeakable pleasure to me to read the generous Exploits of the Kings my Predecessors, in whose Memory Posterity hath not given those Praises and Elogies of Honour as were due to them. I believe that your Holiness hath set their Examples before my Eyes to the end I might imitate them in all my Actions: For in truth they have often exposed their Estates and Lives for the Exaltation of the Holy Chair. And the Courage wherewith they have assaulted the Enemies of the Cross of Jesus Christ, hath not been less than the Care and Thought which I have to the End that the Peace and Intelligence which hath hitherto been wanting in Christendom might be bound with a true and strong Concord. For as the common Enemy of Peace still watcheth to put hatred and dissention among Christian Princes, so I believe that the Glory of God requires that we should endeavour to unite them. And I do not esteem it a greater honour to be descended from so great Princes, than to imitate them in the Zeal of their Piety. In which it helps me very much to have known the mind and will of our thrice honoured Lord and Father, and the Holy Intentions of his Catholick Majesty, to give a happy concurrence to so laudable a Design. For it grieveth him exceedingly to see the great evils that grow from the Divisions of Christian Princes, which the Wisdom of your Holiness foresaw, when it judged the Marriage which you pleased to design between the Infanta of Spain and my self to be necessary to procure so great a good. For it is very certain I shall never be so extreamly affectionate to any thing in the World, as to endeavour alliance with a Prince that hath the same apprehension of the true Religion with my self. Therefore I intreat your Holiness to believe that I have been always very far from Novelties, or to be a partizan of any Faction, against the Catholick Apostolick Roman Religion. But on the contrary I have sought all occasions to take away the suspicion that might rest upon me. And that I will employ my self for the time to come to have but one Religion and one Faith; seeing we all believe in one Jesus Christ: Having resolved in my self, to spare nothing that I have in the World, and to suffer all manner of discommodities, even to the hazarding of my Estate and Life for a thing so well pleasing to God: It rests only that I thank your Holiness for the permission you have pleased to afford me. And I pray God to give you a Blessed Health, and his Glory after so much pains which your Holiness takes in his Church. Signed,
Charles Steward.
§ 3. Read Rushworth's Copy p. 82, 83. whether is most current I know not, but this much shews that the Papists complaint of cruel usage here is unjust. And lest any believe them that say King Charles was at the Heart a Papist, let them note, 1. How many and strong temptations he frustrated. 2. That when he wrote this he was in their power. 3. That here is no promise to subject himself to a Foreign Jurisdiction, but to endeavour Peace and Concord; which may better be by drawing the Papists to us, than by coming to them. The truest Adversaries to Popery are the greatest Lovers of true Concord and Peace.
§ 4. All the lenity that was shewed them after here, and the agency of Panzani, Con. &c. I pass by, lest my recital be misunderstood. The Reader may see enough if not too much in Rushworth, and in Prin's Introduction, &c. I only add that this King who was so Zealous for Concord, and that overcame so many Temptations to Popery distant and in his Bosom, and was so firm as not to fear to grant them the audience promised, yet was so much against all cruelty to them, that he suffered very much for his Lenity and Clemency to them, both from themselves and from the Protestants. But the most odious injury that ever they did him, was by pretending his Commission for that most inhumane War and Massacre in Ireland; when in time of peace they suddenly Murdered two hundred thousand, and told Men that they had the Kings Commission to rise as for him that was wronged by his Parliament; the very fame of this horrid Murder, and the words of the many Fugitives that escaped in Beggery into England (assisted by the Charity of the Dutchess of Ormond and others) and the English Papists going in to the King was the main cause that filled the Parliaments Armies: I well remember it cast people into such a fear that England should be used like Ireland, that all over the Countreys, the people oft sate up, and durst not go to Bed, for fear lest the Papists should rise and Murder them. And this is all that the Papists have yet got by their Bloody Cruelty, to necessitate people in fear to take them for their Mortal Foes. Bishop Morley saith in his Letter to the Dutchess of York p. 6, 7. That by raising and spreading malicious and scandalous reports against the King that he was a Papist and intended to bring in Popery, on that account only they raised many thousands against him, without whose assistance they could never have overpowered him, and oppressed him as they did: And the success they had thereby against the Father, encouraged them to make use of the same Engine against his Son, by giving it out that the King by living so long abroad in Popish Countreys was so corrupted in his Religion, that if he were suffered to return, he would bring in Popery along with him. So that with this groundless fear I found many considerable and very much interested Persons possest when I was sent into England, about two Months before the Kings return; most of which time I spent in undeceiving all I met with, especially the Heads and Leaders of the Presbyterian and Independant Parties, (who seemed to be most afraid of such a Change) by assuring them that those misreports they had heard of the King and his Brothers were nothing else but the malicious Inventions of those that were in fact or consent the Murderers of his Father— For to my certain knowledge (said I) who was almost always an Eye-witness of their actions, the King and both his Brothers, &c.]
And he was confident that this was the case of the Dutchess of York, and that the Papists falsly gave it out that she was theirs to draw people to them.
And what then could have been more injurious to King Charles the First, than this boast and report of the Irish Murderers. By which they would make him to have so dreadfully begun; for the rebellion was Octob. 23. 1641. and Edgehill Fight the same day 1642. And hereby they have given the Scots occasion to publish to posterity these Scandalous words in their Books against the Cromwellians called, Truth its Manifest, printed 1645. pag. 17, 19. [The King seeing he was stopped by the Scots first in their own Countrey, next in England, to carry on his great design takes the Irish Papishs by the hand rather than be alway disappointed, and they willingly undertake to levy Arms for his Service, that is, for the Romish Cause, the Kings design being subservient to the Roman Cause, though he abused thinks otherwise, and believes that Rome serveth to his purpose: But to begin the work they must make sure of all the Protestants, if they cannot otherwise by Murdering and Massacring them — p. 19. The next recourse was to the Irish Papists, his good Friends, to whom from Scotland a Commission is dispatched under the Great Seal (which Seal was at that instant time in the Kings own Custody) of that Kingdom to hasten according to former agreement, the raising of the Irish in Arms who no sooner receive this new Order but they break out, &c.] And I am not willing to believe this.
A report so dishonourable to the King, his Life, his Arms, his Death, and to all that fought for him, that the Fifth Commandment forbids us to believe it, though the Scots should say, They saw the Sealed Commissions: Yea though I had seen them my self; seeing it is possible for the Irish to Counterfeit the Scots Broad Seal.
But by this it appeareth what wrong the King had by the Irish boasting of his Commission, and the Papists pretending to more countenance than he gave them.
§ 4. And as the said R. Bishop of Winchester was confident they slandered the Dutchess of York in her Life, so he conjectureth that the Jesuit Maimbrough hath done since her death, and that some of them devised the Confession which he printeth as hers, which he professeth to be false as to the accusation of himself. The words of Maimbrough translated are these.
A Declaration of the Dutchess of York, translated out of Maimbourg's Histoire du Calvinisme.
A Person Educated in the Church of England, and as much instructed in her Doctrine (according to the Opinion of the most able Divines of her Party) as her Condition and Capacity could admit, ought to expect to be the Object of publick censure, when she quits her Religion to imbrace that of the Church of Rome. And as I freely confess that I have been one of her greatest Enemies, if not in effect at least in will, I have thought it reasonable, that for the satisfaction of my Friends, I should declare the Motives and Reasons of my Conversion, and of the so suddain and unexpected change of my Religion, yet without engaging my self in the Questions and Objections which might be made on this Occasion.
I Protest in the presence of Almighty God, that since my return into England, no Person whatsoever, hath directly or indirectly, perswaded me to imbrace the Catholick Religion: It is a favour which I owe to the alone Mercy of God; I dare not even think that the Prayers which I have made him every day since my return from France and Flanders, to beg of him to discover to me the Truth have obtained for me.
It is very true, that having seen the Fervour and the Devotion of the Catholicks of those Countries, and feeling that I had none of it, or very little, I have never ceased since that time to ask of God the Grace, that if I were not of the true Religion, I might be so before I died.
Nevertheless I had not the least doubt but that the Belief of the Church of England was the true, and I never had any scruple or trouble of Conscience on this Occasion until November last, that I began to read Dr. Heylin's History of the Reformation, which is much esteemed; and whereof the reading in the Opinion of all the able Men of the Kingdom, is sufficient to free the Conscience from all Scruples and Doubts which might arise about Religion. But for my part far from finding in that History what was said of it, I found to the contrary that by reading of it; it only made me see the most horrible Sacriledges that were ever heard spoken of, and that it was not sufficient to satisfie an indifferent understanding, nor to perswade it that we had the least foundation or appearance of reason for changing the ancient Face of the Church, and renouncing the Catholick Religion.
I noted in that History first, that Henry the Eighth quitted not the Communion of the Church of Rome, nor opposed the Authority of the Pope; but because he would not let him put away the Queen his Wife, to Marry another. 2. That King Edward the Sixth being yet a Child, his Uncle who governed him abusing the Royal Authority, which he had in his hand, enriched himself by appropriating to himself and his Family the Lands and Goods of the Church. 3. That Queen Elizabeth not being the lawful Heir of the Crown, could not keep the unjust Possession which she had taken but by renouncing the true Church, because the Purity and Rectitude of her Doctrine was not consistent with the Usurpation of the Kingdom of Great Britain.
I could not conceive, much less believe, that the holy Spirit which governs the true Church, should be the Author of the Three Points that I now noted, which have been the only Foundation of the Subversion of the ancient Religion, to favour the Licentiousness of Henry the Eighth, the Usurpation of Queen Elizabeth, and the Ambition mixed with the extream Avarice of the Uncle of Edward the Sixth. Neither could I understand how the Bishops, who boast that they had no other design …n separating themselves from the Communion of the Church of Rome, but to endeavour the re-establishing of the Doctrine & Discipline of the Primitive Church, have not thought of this pretended Reformation, but while Henry the Eighth attempted a Separation from the Roman Church, that he might satisfie his guilty Pleasures.
All these Reflections having busied my Mind after the reading of that History, I endeavoured to …nstruct my self in the Points controverted between …s and the Catholicks: I examined them the most …xactly that I could by the Scripture it self, and though I thought not my self sufficient for under…tanding it well, I found nevertheless some things which appeared to me so clear, so easie to be un…erstood, that I have a thousand times wondred that I have been so long without reflecting on them.
I was particularly and strongly convinced of the …eal Presence of Jesus Christ in the Holy Sacrament of the Altar, of the Infallibility of the Church, Confession, and Prayer for the Dead. I was willing to confer of these Matters by way of Discourse with the two most able Bishops that we …ave in England, and both confessed to me ingenuously, that there are many things in the Church of Rome which it was to be wished that the Church of England had still observed, as Confession, which it could not be denied but that God had commanded it, and Prayer for the Dead, which is one of the most authentick and ancient Practices of the Christian Religion; But as to themselves, they made use thereof in private, without making publick profession thereof.
As I pressed one of these Bishops upon the other Points of Controversie, and principally on the real Presence of Jesus Christ in the Holy Sacrament of the Altar, he answered me freely, That were he a Catholick, he would not change Religion, but that having been educated in a Church in which he believed there was all that was necessary to Salvation, and there having received his Baptism, he thought he could not quit it without great Scandal.
All this Discourse served but to increase the ardent desire which I had to become a Catholick, and I felt inward pains and horrible disquiets after the Conversation I had with these two Bishops.
Nevertheless that I might not precipitate in an Affair of this Importance, and where my Salvation was concerned, I endeavoured to satisfie my self entirely. I prayed God with all my heart to calm my troubled Mind by making me to know the Truth, the search of which had caused my trouble. Being in this Condition, I went at Christmas to the Kings Chapel to receive the Sacrament, which put my Soul into new troubles, which continued till I discovered my state of Mind to a Catholick, who to procure me the repose and tranquillity which I wished, caused a good Priest to come to me, and he was the first Ecclesiastick, with whom I conferred of my inward condition and the affairs of my Soul. The more I spoke with him, the more I found my self inwardly perswaded and strengthened by the Grace of the Holy Spirit to change Religion.
As I could not doubt of the truth of the words of Jesus Christ, which assures us that the Holy Sacrament contains his Flesh and his Blood; I could not easily believe that he who is truth it self, had permitted that the Communion under one kind had been introduced into his Church, in which and with which he hath promised to dwell to the end of the World, if it sufficeth not for the Salvation of them who communicate under one kind only.
To conclude, I am not able to enter into Dispute with any on these great Truths, and though I were, I would not engage my self further than in a Discourse of a few words, and without contesting to express simply the Motives and Reasons of my Conversion.
I call God to witness, who knows the secret of Mens hearts, that I had never thought of changing Religion if I had believed I might obtain Salvation by continuing in the state I was by my Birth and Education, and I think it is not necessary that I here declare that it was not Interest, nor prospect of Honors, or of any fading and perishable Profits which have perswaded me thereunto, seeing that on the contrary by changing Religion, I exposed my self to the hazard of losing both my Friends and my Credit; and freely to confess the truth, I considered and examined often, whether it was not more expedient for me to keep my Friends, duplicate page duplicate page my Rank, and my Credit in the Court, by continuing in the Exercise of the Religion of the Church of England, than quit all these things in a view and hope of the good things of the life to come; but thorough the Mercy of God, which inl…ghtens those that seek it, I felt no pain or difficulty in making the choice I have. I shall only say that all my fear hath been, lest the poor Catholicks of this Countrey should suffer much on the occasion of my Conversion, and that God should nor give me the Grace to suffee patiently with them the Disgraces and Afflictions of this Life to merit the Eternal. At St. James the 8th of August, 1670.
Postscript.
BUt since the first writing of this, the Publick Matter of Fact hath taught the World how little Cause those that he calleth the Heads of the Presbyterians and Independants, or any others, had to believe Bishop Morley's confident Testimony, of one or other; Or honest Mr. Gache's Letter to me, or the rest of the French Letters published with it by Lauderdale. I cannot forget Dr. Morley's words to my self in Jan. 1659. before King Charles II. came in, that most on this side the Alpes would joyn with the Church of England, were it not for the blocks that Calvin had laid in the way; And this he knew by his converse with them. But this Coalition was not to be our becoming Papists, (quoad nomen) but France forsooth, if not Flanders too, would turn Protestants (as they have done.)
I knew not when I writ this Book, 1. Of King James's Paper published as found in King Charles the Second's Pocket, and the Testimonies that he died a Papist, nor what was witnessed of his Engagement for them. 2. I knew not of what King James the Second would after be and do. 3. I knew not of Archbishop Bramhall's Letter, Printed by Dr. Parre in Archbishop Vsher's Life, confidently assuring Archbishop Vsher, that on his certain Information, the Papists in 1647. got into Cromwell's Army, and confederated with the Papists at Oxford in the King's Army to have the King put to Death: And whether they sent beyond Sea for Approbation, and obtained it.