A Discourse of the Religion of England, Section 5 – Section 7
SECT. V. That wheresoever it finds Encouragement, it is restless, till it bears down all before it, or hath put all in disorder.
MAy we judg by these things, how a Party devoted to the See of Rome, are to be trusted and cherished in a Protestant Nation, who mind the securing of themselves and their posterity, from the sharpest Persecutions; especially considering the Third Branch of the Charge, That in any State, where they find advantage, or fit matter to work upon, they are restless, till they bear down all, or put all in disorder.
Popery hath its formed Combinations, and se…led Correspondencies over all Christendom, under the Supreme Direction and Government of the Congregation at Rome, for the propagation of the Faith; which sent over swarms of Seminary Priests, Jesuits, and Fryars of all sorts, who made their Hives in England.
The several PARLIAMENTS of the later times of King James, represented to the King how the Popish Recusants had dangerously increased their Numbers and Insolencies, having great expectation from the Treaties with Spain, and the interposing of Foreign Princes for Indulgence to them; how they openly and usually resorted to the Churches and Chappels of Foreign Ambassadors, their more then usual concourse to the City, and their frequent Conventicles and Conferences there; how their children were educated in many Foreign Seminaries appropriated to the English Fugitives; what swarms of Priests and Jesuits came into the Land; many Popish and Seditious Books licentiously printed and dispersed. From which Causes, as from bitter Roots, most dangerous Effects both to Church and State would follow. For the Popish Religion is incompatible with ours; it draws with it an unavoidable dependance upon Foreign Princes; it opens a wide gap for popularity in any who shall draw too great a party; it hath a restless spirit, and will strive by these gradations. If it once get connivance, it will press for Toleration; if that should be obtained, it must have an Equality; from thence it will aspire to a Superiority, and never rest till it hath wrought the subversion of true Religion.
In the several PARLIAMENTS of King Charles the First, not one Publick Grievance was more insisted on, then the Growth of POPERY. In the Third PARLIAMENT of that King, at a Conference between the Lords and Commons about Popish Recusants, one of the Principal Secretaries of State spake thus: Give me leave to tell you what I know, That These now both vaunt at home, and write to their Friends abroad, they hope all will be well, and doubt not to prevail, and win ground upon us: And a little to awaken the Care and Zeal of our Learned and Grave Fathers, it is fit that they take notice of that Hierarchy, which is already Established in competition with their Lordships: For they have already a Bishop consecrated by the Pope. This Bishop hath his subalternate Officers of all kinds, as Vicars General, Arch-Deacons, Rural Deans, Apparitors, and such like; neither are these nominal and titular Officers alone, but they all execute their Jurisdiction, and make their ordinary Visitation throughout the Kingdom, keep Courts, and determine Ecclesiastical Causes; and, which is an argument of more consequence, they keep ordinary intelligence by their Agents at Rome, and hold correspondencies with the Nuncio's and Cardinals both at Bruxels, and in France. Neither are the Seculars alone grown to this height, but the Regulars are more active and dangerous, and have taken deep root. They have already planted their Societies and Colledges of both Sexes. They have setled Revenues, Houses, Libraries, Vestments, and all other necessary provisions to travel, or stay at home; nay, even at this time they intend to hold a concurrent Assembly with this Parliament.
In Ireland a Popish Clergy far more numerous then the Protestant, was in full exercise of all Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction, by Arch-Bishops, Bishops, Vicars, General Officiats, and a Vicar Apostolical. And they had a special Cardinal at Rome for their Protector.
Among other Projects, a Consultation and Overture of reconciling England and Rome, was set on foot. Some of Eminency in the Church of England, gave advantage to the Project, by declaring, That only the Puritans among the Protestants, and the Jesuits among the Papists, obstructed the Peace of Christendom. Some prime Agent of the Pope, made a solemn offer of a Cardinalship to Bishop Laud, at the time of his translation to the See of Canterbury. Sancta Clara presumed to dedicate his Book to the King, wherein the Articles of the Church of England were examined by the Roman Standard, and distorted to the sense of the Council of Trent. The Pope had Three Nuncio's, Panzani, Con, and Roseti, successively residing in England, to work upon this State by advantage of the Project of Reconciliation.
This Faction had many Irons in the Fire, and many strings to their Bow. They had their Agents in Court, City and Country. They had their Spyes in the Houses of great men, and such as kept continual watch over them that had the chief sway of Publick Affairs. Their work was to raise and foster Jealousies between the King and His People, to cast things into the hurry of Faction, Prejudice and confused Motion. And whether the Court or Popular Faction prevailed, they thought it equally advantagious to their Designs, which was to unsettle the present State, and work Mutations. Such Incendiaries are the Factors of Rome, and such busie Engineers in the Confusions of Christendom. Can any that considers the foregoing passages, doubt of the powerful and special Agency of the Court of Rome, in the Commotions that followed. A Venetian Agent in England, intimate with Nuncio Panzani, and privy to all his Negotiations, made this Observation; If one may make judgment of things future, by things past, this Realm so divided into many Factions in matter of Religion, and that of the Catholick increasing daily, will in time be troubled and torn with Civil Warrs.
SECT. VI. The PAPISTS pretension of Loyalty and Merit in the King's Cause, Examined.
THE great Plea and boasting of the Romanists, is, Their pretension of Merit in the King's Cause. The truth is, the Papists knew that the PARLIAMENT was fully bent, and deeply engaged against them, and therefore despaired of any good to themselves by a direct and open compliance with them, whatever undiscerned influence they might have on their Counsels: So that Necessity made them to serve the King in that Warr. And they brought neither Success nor Reputation to His Majesties Affairs; nor did He care to own their Assistance more then as justified by the present necessity. And they have little reason to upbraid the Protestants with the scandal of that Warr; for whatsoever was alledged in defence thereof, by the PARLIAMENT and their Adherents, as much hath been written by very Eminent School-men and Doctors of the Roman Church, for the Interest of the people, and the Consent of the Cities and the Peers in Defensive Arms. Which they have written over and above their peculiar Principle of the Popes Universal Power of Deposing Kings that are unfit for Government.
As for the woful Catastrophe of those Commotions, it hath been manifested to the world by such as undertook to justifie it, when Authority should require: That the year before the Kings death, a select number of Jesuits being sent from their whole Party in England, consulted both the Faculty of Sorbon, and the Conclave at Rome, touching the Lawfulness and Expediency of promoting the Change of Government, by making away the King, whom they despaired to turn from his Heresie: It was debated and concluded in both places, That for the Advancement of the Catholick Cause, it was Lawful and Expedient to carry on that Alteration of State. This Determination was effectually pursued by many Jesuits that came over, and acted their parts in several Disguises. After that execrable Fact was perpetrated on the Person of our Soveraign, if we may believe most credible reports, there were many Witnesses of the great joy among the English Convents and Seminaries, and other companies of Papists beyond Sea, as having overcome their great Enemy, and done their main work.
Many of their Chief ones sought the favour of the Usurpers, with offers of doing them service. One of great note among them, in a Book entituled, Grounds of Obedience and Government, undertook the solution of the Grand Case of those Times: That if a People be dissolved into the State of Anarchy, their Promise made to their expelled Governour, binds no more; they are remitted to the force of Nature to provide for themselves. That the old Magistrates Right, stands upon the Common Peace, and that is transferred to his Rival, by the Title of Quiet Possession. Conformably to these Principles, they address their Petition, To the Supream Authority, the PARLIAMENT of the Commonwealth of England. They affirmed, They had generally taken, and punctually kept the Engagement; and promised, That if they might enjoy their Religion, they would be the most quiet and useful Subjects.
Of their Actings since His Majesties Restauration, and the Jealousies and Rumours about them, let men judg as they find by the Evidences that are given.
SECT. VII. The Result of the whole Discourse touching the Popish Party.
AND now let it be duly weighed, Whether the Papists of these Dominions have in later times changed their former Principles and Interests, or have only taken another method of greater Artifice and Subtilty, as the change of times hath given them direction and advantage. The scope of the whole preceding Discourse, is to call in question those high pretensions of theirs, and to cross their Aims at great Power and Trust: But it is not directed against the Security of their Persons or Fortunes, or any meet Indulgence or Clemency towards them. Let them have their Faith to themselves, without being vexed with snares, or any afflicted; the State always providing to obviate the forementioned Principles and Practices of Disloyalty, and the diffusing of the leaven of their Superstition. The Inference of the whole is this, That they be not admitted to a capacity of evil and dangerous influence upon the Affairs of the Kingdom, or of interrupting and perplexing the course of things that concern the publike.