Canterburys Doom, Branch 2 · Letter 1 – Floating text 4
Right Honourable and moſt Reverend,
I Thought it no little happineſſe, I had performed that duty of writing it pleaſed your grace …o lay upon me, &c. While I was writing, there came a Franciſcan Fryar to my ſelfe, his busineſſe was this; A mind, he told me, he had, to leave theſe parts, and with them the Religion here in uſe; that I ſhould doe him a great favour, would I procure him a paſſage to England, either by Sea or Land; that there he had formerly beene, and was in love with place, perſons and Church, as there ordered and eſtabliſhed. Ʋpon which words, how I dealt with him, I will relate to your Grace: I asked him how long he had been of this reſolution, and what moved him to it? He anſwered, the time ſince he had taken this reſolution, was two monethes and a halfe, the motives the ſame that firſt moved us at the firſt to leave Rome. I anſwered him, it could not be (reſolve I did, that I might the more deeply dive into the sincerity of his intentions, as ſtrongly as my poore ability would ſuffer me, to plead for Rome) becauſe ſhe had reformed Miſſals, Monaſteries, ſundry Corruptions in conferring of Orders and Benefices; that all had not received the Councell of Trent; that of thoſe who had, ſome did mitigate harder expreſsions, and were upon courſes of Conciliation of both harts, as appeared by a Booke of Franc. â Sancta Clara, &c. I fell then to queſtion him, Whether and when he had been at Rome? He told me, in June and July laſt: I askt him how the affaires NOTE.went there? He told me, their opinion of us was, that his Majeſty was favourable to the Catholikes, that ſome great ones about him were ſo too, or in heart were: *The Archbiſhop himſelfe.ONE HE NAMED, concerning whom as at home, ſo abroad (as of old, of the beſt of men) there was much murmuring among the people; for ſome ſaid he was a good man, others ſaid, nay, he deceiveth the people: Now if ſome might interpoſe their judgements, they would pronounce, a good man he is, becauſe he deceiveth both here and there, but both to their own good: Concerning the Fryars, he told me, ſome were very good, but moſt otherwiſe, and that in exceſſe, eſpecially for Sinnes of uncleanneſſe, which generally raigne in Italy. Three ſeverall times I had diſcourſe with him; in the laſt of which, falling into diſcourſe of Fran. â Sancta Clara, he told me, he was HOMO NEQUISSIMUS, by whoſe meanes yeerly, there was ſent to the Catholikes in Flanders, ten thouſand pounds: The Author of that Booke, which goes under his name, was Father Giles, PADRE AEGIDIO, who lives at the Venetian Ambaſſadours, &c. Since I came to Venice, I have procured the acquaintance of Padre Fulgentio, who is, Teologo de Stato, called by the Colledge to Counſell, when there is any buſineſſe between them and the Pope, &c. I ſent to him Fran. â Sancta Clara; after diſcourſing with him; he told me, it was impoſsible to concile Trent and England, and yet men ſooner then Articles: He likt his intention in the generall, his judgement and temper in moſt of the Problems before he came to the Articles. There is, as I am informed by a diſcreet Gentleman at Florence, a Jeſuit lately returned from England to Rome, who pretends to have made a ſtrict diſcovery of the ſtate of England, as it ſtands for Religion; how King is diſpoſed, how Queene, what Lords are of the Puritan faction, what not; but by name, his Honour of Dorſet and Pembroke are ſtrong for Preciſians: He ſayes, That the Puritanes are ſhrewd fellowes, but thoſe that are counted good Proteſtants, are faire conditioned honeſt men, and think they may be ſaved in any Religion. I am promiſhed the duplicate page duplicate page duplicate page duplicate page the Relation written; if it come to my hands, and there be any thing in it worthy your Graces view, I ſhall hereafter humbly preſent it to you, as now my ſelfe.
Your Graces moſt humble and moſt obedient ſervant, WILL. MIDLETON.
The ſecond Letter is dated December 21. 1635. in which there are theſe obſervable clauſes:
Right Honourable and moſt Reverend, &c.
WHen I was in France, I fell acquainted with one Father Talbot a Jeſuit, with whom I had many diſcourſes, but among others this, about the Book of Franciſcus â Sancta Clara. I askt his judgement of it, and the reſt of the Catholiks: He anſwered, it reliſht not with them: I fell preſently into a comendation partly of the book, but more of the intention of him who writ it: He ſeconded what I ſaid; but withall told me, there was a certaine Conſultation held, what they ſhould doe with it; ſome, exrema ſuadebant, and cried ad ignem; but himſelfe talking with the Popes Nuncio at Paris, thought the beſt courſe was, to let it dye of it ſelfe; to which the Nuncio a very moderate man (ſo he told him) was very inclinable: From which (I did gather) that (though they did pretend a diſlike) the Booke was not diſallowed by them above; which collection of mine then, is now confirmed; for this very day I received a Letter dated from Rome, Decemb. 11. and it is in theſe words: Father Francis his book upon the exposition of the Articles, contrary to what I have told you, is licenſed here in Rome, and I have it. Sent it was from one NOTE.Maſter Houſe, lodging in the houſe of one Maſter Pitton, a kind of Agent from the Engliſh Prieſts: In Rome there is great talk of an Engliſh Cardinall; and the man, who is already Roman Catholike, muſt be the man, Maſter Mountague. Your Lordſhip I know will ſmile, if not at this, yet at that I ſhall now write: A Catholike diſcourſing with me, let a word fall, and this it was: That within this twelve monethmonth the Pope did wiſh, that his Sacred Majeſty of England were, as once, his truſty Sonne, for then he would not be ſo uſed as he is, either by French or Spaniard. The ſame party did not ask the queſtion but onelyonly thus; I wonder whether my Lord of NOTE.Canterbury have any hand in ſending S. Major Bret to Rome? I anſwered, becauſe, I ſaw he was fiſhing, Surely no; becauſe as you know it is written, he comes from the Queen, and in her name. ROME IS VERY KIND TO OUR ENGLISH GENTLEMEN; I humbly entreat your Graces pardon, if in a deſire to let nothing, I hear, ſcape your knowledge; I moſt lowly offer unto you ſuch things as will make you loſe ſo much time, as you ſhall read the Letter: But though your Lordſhip loſe a little time, yet not me, I beſeech you, loſe that good opinion which I hope you have conceived of
Your Graces moſt really devoted and obedient ſervant, WILL. MIDLETON. December 21. 1635.
By theſe Letters it is moſt apparent, that Saint Giles was the Author of Sancta Clara's book; that though the Jeſuits ſeemed to diſlike it, yet it was at laſt authorized and printed at Rome, where they had a good opinion not onelyonly of the Kings favour to the Roman Catholikes, but of the Archbiſhops inclination to their party, their Religion, and conceived he had a hand in ſending Major Bret to Rome, to negotiate with the Popes &c. This laſt Letter is thus endorſed with Mr. Dels hand, Recep. Jan. 10. 1635. from Venice, from Maſter Midleton, The allowance of Saint Clara his Book at Rome: to which the Archbiſhop himſelfe addes with his owne hand; This is not ſo; (therefore it ſeems he had better intelligence here from Rome, then Maſter Midleton had at Venice;) The Engliſh Cardinall, The Engliſh Agent.
How farre this Book was approved, countenanced here in England by the King and Archbiſhop, will appeare by theſe Inſtructions under Secretary Windebankes owne hand, to his Sonne, when he was at Paris to ſolicite the Palſgraves enlargement, found among his ſequeſtred papers, and atteſted by Maſter Pryme.
IF you heare Fa. Francis his Booke, or perſon touched, let them know, that we underſtand aſſuredly that it proceeds from the Jeſuits, (moſt likely alſo by this laſt Letter of Mr. Midleton to the Archbiſhop) who imploy others in it, as they did againſt Father Leanded till it coſt him his life; and if that upon their informations, they proceed againſt ſuch perſons, who THOUGH IN ALL THINGS CATHOLIKE yet are more diſcrect and temperate, and not intermedling in matters of State, THE KING WILL BE NOTE.MUCH OFFENDED.
Thus much for this Book of Sancta Clara, and the Author of it.
The fifth Evidence we ſhall pitch upon, to prove a deſigne to reconcile and reduce us back to Rome, is the Popes and his Agents promiſes, tenders of Cardinals Caps and Places to ſome prime Engliſh men, and to this Archbiſhop himſelfe in particular; the end whereof could be no other, but to enthrall us againe to the ſuperſtitious juriſdiction of the Papall See.
The firſt proffer we find of a Cardinals Cap made to any Engliſh Prelat ſince the Reformation, was to this Archbiſhop, who thus records the time and manner thereof with his owne hand in his Diary.
Aug. 4. 1633. Sunday, news came to Court of the Lord Archbiſhop of Canterburies death, and the King RESOLVED PRESENTLY to give it me, which he did. Aug. 6. That very morning at Greenwich, there came one to me ſeriouſly, and THAT AVOWED NOTE.ABILITY TO PERFORME IT, AND OFFERED ME TO BE A CARDINALL. I went preſently to the King and acquainted him both with the thing and perſon.
It is very conſiderable that Maſter Anthony Mildmay depoſed, that Con the Popes Nuncio, told him at Rome before Archbiſhop Abbots death, that Biſhop Laud ſhould ſucceed him, and that he would be more favourable to the Catholikes then Abbot. By which it appeares, that Biſhop Laud was long before Abbots death deſigned to the place, if not at the ſolicitation, yet at leaſt by the approbation of the Roman party: No ſooner comes newes to Court of Archbiſhop Abbots death, but the King preſently reſolves, that Biſhop Laud ſhould ſucceed him; and no ſooner is this known at Court, but that very morning (as himſelfe records) he is thus ſeriouſly offered to be a Cardinall, by one who avowed ability to performe it; and that at Greenwich in the Kings own Court. Who it was that made this offer, were worth the diſcovery, but this myſtery he couceales; The Plot againſt the King, diſcovered to him by Habernfield, informes us, *See Romes Master-Piece, page, 116.That Con the Popes Nuncio had a command to offer A CARDINALS CAP TO THE ARCHBISHOP, in the name of the Pope of Rome, and that he ſhould allure him alſo, with greater promiſes; but this firſt offer was before Con's arrivall here. Were the perſon an Engliſh Subject, of what rank ſoever, this proffer of his to to revive this popiſh dignity of a Cardinall among us, and to receive it from the Popes exploded forraigue power (which drew aMaſter Fox his Acts and Monuments, old Editum, p. 741. Sir Ed: Cooks 4. Inſt. p. 89, 90, &c.Cardinall Woolſey into a Premunire, if not under the guilt of high Treaſon, though this honour was procured him, not only by King Henry the 8th his aſſent, but ſolicitation) deſerved the ſevereſt exemplary puniſhment, eſpecially ſince it tended to engage the Primate and Metropolitan of all England,, moſt obliged by his place and office, againſt all Popiſh power, offices, ſuperſtitious doctrines, to ſubmit unto them, and become the Popes ſworne vaſſall: If the Popes owne Nuncio [Panzani] which is probable, or any other forraigne Agent, the affront had been ſo great both to the Archbiſhops perſon, place (had he been cordial to our Church, our Religion, being both a Privy Counſellour, the Kings grand favorite, and he who ſteard our Churches helm) to the honour of our Church, Religion, of the King himſelfe and his Royall Court, that it could not patiently be put up or pretermitted without ſome eminent ſatiſfaction: But be the perſon one or other, certaine it is, he was never once queſtioned or moleſted by the Archbiſhop for this proffer, who took it ſo well at the parties hands, or rejected it ſo coldly, that on the 17. day of the ſame MonethMonth, he had a ſecond ſerious offer made to him of the ſelfe-ſame dignity, (moſt probably by the ſame perſon) which himſelfe thus Regiſtreth in his Diary.
Aug. 17. 1633. Saturday, I had A SERIOUS OFFER MADE ME AGAIN NOTE:TO BE A CARDINALL: I was then from Court, but ſo ſoon as I came thither, (which was Auguſt 21) I acquainted his Majeſty with it: But my anſwer againe was, that ſomewhat dwelt within me, which would not ſuffer that, till Rome were other then it is.
What it was that dwelt within him (which made him not abſolutely, but for the preſent only, to refuſe this offer till Rome was other then it is) we may learn from Sir Hen. Mildmay's, Mr. Anth. Mildmay's, & Mr. Challoner's depoſitions forementioned, Here p. 412. to 416.and his owne Reply to Fiſher, pag. 171. to wit, an ambitious, Papall ſpirit; he would (like his worthy Predeceſſor, Saint bGuil. Malmſ. de Geſtis Pont. Ang. l. 1. p. 223 Eadmerus, Cap grave. Antiquitates Eccleſiae Brit. and Godwin in his Life.Anſelme, ſo he ſtiles him) be both in Title and Juriſdiction, Papa alterius Orbis, Pope of our Britiſh world, and Ʋniverſall Patriarch of all the Churches within his Majeſties Realmes and Dominions; which Rome, as it then was, and the Jeſuiticall party there (as theſe witneſſes have depoſed) diſtiked and would not ſuffer; and for this cauſe onelyonly he refuſed this dignity, which would have more enthralled him to the Popes and Romes juriſdiction (not to their Religion) then his ambitious ſpirit could well brook.
This double, ſerious proffer of a Romiſh Cardinalſhip to the Archbiſhop, is an infallible Argument; Firſt, that the Pope and his Conclave at Rome, had an extraordinary good opinion of his favour, his good affection to Popery and their Antichriſtian Church, elſe they would not have profered him ſuch a dignity, incompatible to any Proteſtant Engliſh Prelat: Secondly, that they deemed him the apteſt, activeſt Inſtrument to reconcile and re-unite us to Rome of all other, in reſpect of his favour at Court, power with the King, and inclination to Popery (as Sir Henry Mildmay, Maſter Anthony Mildmay, Maſter Challoner have atteſted;) therefore they would honour him with a Cardinals Hat, to the end, that as his Predeceſſor Cardinall Poole, Archbiſhop of Canterbury (the laſt Engliſh Cardinall of any of our Prelats) reconciled our revolted Kingdom to Rome in Queen Maries dayes, as appeareth at large by the Statute of 1. & 2. Phil. & Mary, ch. 8. So he inveſted with the ſame Papall dignity, and fitting in the ſelf-ſame See, might once more as eaſily reduce us to the boſome of the Roman Church in the dayes of this Queen Mary, (as Popiſh as the former) as he did then.
As this Archbiſhop, ſo Maſter Walter Mountague, not long after, had good hopes given him at Rome to be made a Cardinal, as the Archbiſhop himſelf was informed by Mr. Middleton's forecited Letter; which dignity he ſhould have lately received thence, had he not been impriſoned (if Sir cSee A Neceſſary Introduction, &c. p. 143. 253, 254Kenelme Digbies Letter may be credited) to help on this work of our reducement to Rome; yea, the diſcovery of dSee Romes Maſter-Piece, p. 24.Andreas ab Habernfield to the Archbiſhop, informes both him and ns, That one of Endimion Porters Sonnes of the Bed-chamber (now in armes againſt the Parliament) was promiſed a Cardinals Hat, if this deſigne ſucceeded well, and that Sir Kenelme Digby, Maſter Walter Mountague, and other active Inſtruments who promoted that deſigne among us, attended the ſixteen Cardinals Caps that were vacant, which were therefore detained vacant for ſome yeers, to impoſe a vaine hope on thoſe who expected them; And Maſter Widford in his Letters from Rome to Secretary Windebank Novemb. 10. 1640. informes him, that Maſter Sommerſet and Maſter Brudenell were come to Florence, aiming at our Engliſh Cardinals Caps, which then, by reaſon of the Popes Catarre, were like to be diſpoſed of. All which particulars are a moſt cleere demonſtration of the Pope and his Conclaves endeavours to reduce us back to Rome, and of this Archbiſhops privity to, if not aſſiſtance in it.
The ſixth Evidence we ſhall mention to prove the Archbiſhops, not onelyonly intelligence of, but compliance with the Popes and his Inſtruments Plots and proceedings to uſher in Popery, and reduce our Kingdomes to the Antichriſtian Religion and Church of Rome, is his conuſance and furtherance of this their deſign in Ireland, which we ſhall thus demonſtrate. The Houſe of Commons June 11. 1628. preſented a Remonſtrance to the King, concerning the extraordinary encreaſe and growth of Popery, of Papiſts both in England and Ireland, and the extraordinary favour which they found from ſome great perſons in his Court; wherein they had this notable clauſe concerning Ireland.
IT doth not a little alſo encreaſe our dangers and feares this way, to understand the miſerable condition of your Kingdome of Ireland, where without controle the Popiſh Religion is openly profeſſed and practiſed in every part thereof, Popiſh juriſdiction being generally exerciſed NOTE.and avowed; Monaſteries, Nunneries, and other ſuperſtitious houſes newly erected, re-edified, repleniſhed with men and women of ſeverall Orders, and in a plentifull manner maintained in Dublin, and moſt of the great Townes, and divers other places of that Kingdome: Which (of what ill conſequence it may prove) if not ſeaſonably repreſſed, we leave to your Majeſties wiſdome to judge: But moſt heartily beſeech you (as we aſſure our ſelves you NOTE.doe) to lay the ſerious conſideration thereof to your Royall, pious heart, AND THAT SOME TIMELY COURSE MAY BE TAKEN FOR REDRESSE HEREIN.
Had this pious, prudent, timely advice been then harkned to, and followed to purpoſe, it might no doubt (through Gods concurrence with it) have prevented that horrid Rebellion, thoſe bloody Maſſacres of ſome hundred thouſands of poor Engliſh Proteſtants in, and devaſtation of that diſtreſſed Kingdom, which have broken forth and been perpetrated there of late, almoſt to the utter extirpation of the Engliſh and Iriſh Proteſtants, the ruine of that Kingdome, and infinite loſſe, yea eminent danger of this our Realme to boot.
But this Popiſh Prelate, though he then certainly knew this Remonſtrance to be moſt true, out of an inveterate hatred to the Parliament, and a deſire to promote the Catholikes deſignes there, inſtead of perſwading his Majeſty to hearken to this true information and wholeſome advice of his faithfull Commons, drew up a moſt pernitious malepert Anſwer, with his owne hand, in his Majeſties name, againſt this Remonſtrance, which he preſented to his Majeſty; wherein he incenſed him againſt the Commons, charging them not onelyonly with miſinforming, but traducing his Majeſties government by this clauſe concerning Ireland, in this diſhonourable language, produced and read under his owne hand out of the Originall draught, atteſted by Maſter Prynne.
FOR Ireland, We think in caſe of Religion, 'tis not worſe then Queen Elizabeth left it, and for other affaires, 'tis as good as we found it, nay perhaps better; and We take it a great diſparagement of Our government that it ſhould be urged, that new Monaſteries, Nunneries, and other ſuperſtitious houſes are erected and repleniſhed in Dublin, and other great NOTE.Townes in this Our Kingdome; for we aſſure Our Selves, Our Deputy and Our Counſell there will not ſuffer God and Our government ſo to be diſhonoured, but We ſhould have had ſome account of it from them; and We may not endure thus to have Our good People miſled with ſhewes.
Which in plaine tearmes is but a giving the Houſe of Commons the Lye, and a ſlandering of them as falſe Informers, both to the King and people: By which wicked practice, their Remonſtrance was rejected as a ſlanderous Libell, and their Councell not purſued; the dolefull effects whereof, we now experimentally feele and rue. That this Prelate when he made this Anſwer, certainly knew of the grand encreaſe of the Papiſts in Ireland, and that they had then upon the matter obtained a publike toleration, will appeare by a paper found in his Study, (produced at the Barre,) thus endorſed with this Archbiſhops own hand, 1626. The Biſhops of Ireland about a Toleration feared.
The Judgement of the Arch-biſhops and Biſhops of Ireland, concerning toleration of the Papiſh Religion, by publike Proteſtation.
THE Religion of Papiſts is Superſtitious and Idolatrous, their Faith and Doctrine erronious and hereticall, their Church (in reſpect of both) Apoſtaticall; to give them therefore a toleration of Religion, or to conſent that they may-freely exerciſe their Religion, and profeſſe their Faith and Doctrine, is a grievous ſinne, and that in two reſpects: Firſt, it is to make our ſelves acceſſary to their ſuperſtitious Idolaries, Hereſies, and in a word, to all the abominations of popery; but alſo (which is a conſequent of the former) to the perdition of the ſeduced people, which periſh in the deluge of the Catholike Apoſtacy. Secondly, to grant them a toleration in reſpect of any money to be given, or contribution to be made by them, is to ſet Religion to ſale, and with it the ſoules of the people whom Chriſt our Saviour hath redeemed with his moſt precious blood: And as it is a great ſinne, ſo it is a matter of moſt dangerous conſequence, the conſideration whereof we leave to the wiſe and judicions, beſeeching the zealous God of truth to make thoſe who are in authority zealous of Gods glory, and of the advancement of true Religion, zealous, reſolute and couragious againſt all Popery, Superſtition and Idolatry.
There were likely to be granted to the Papiſts in Ireland many priviledges, and withall, a toleration for their Religion, in the conſideration of the payment of a great ſumme of mony. This Eaſter tearme 1626. there was a great meeting of all the chiefeſt of the whole Kingdome, and the Archbiſhops and Biſhops, &c. and it was likely to be concluded: Doctor D…wanm Biſhop of London-Derry April 11. preached at Dublin before the Lord Deputy and the State; his Text was Luke 1. at the 79. In the midſt of his Sermon he openly read this Proteſtation above written, ſubſcribed by the Archbiſhops and Biſhops of Ireland, and at the end, he boldly ſaid, And let all the people ſay, Amen. And ſuddenly all the whole Church almoſt ſhook with the ſound that their loud Amen made, &c. The Lord Deputy called from the Biſhop of Derry a Copy both of his Sermon and Proteſtation to ſend to the King: The learned and couragious Biſhop gave this Anſwer, that there was nothing he either ſpake or read, in the Pulpit, but he would willingly juſtifie it before his Majeſty, and feared not who read or ſaw it: So now by Gods mercy nothing may yet be done, or will be, till the Lord Deputy heare from the King.
That this information of the Commons to his Majeſty, was then moſt true, reall, and that this Biſhop knew it to be ſo in every particular, we ſhall manifeſt by this printed Proclamation, found in his Study, thus endorſed with his owne hand, not long after his Anſwer to the Commons Remonſtrance: April 1. 1629. A Proclamation concerning the growth of Popery in Ireland, &c. which was read as followeth: