Hidden Works of Darkness Brought to Public Light, Letter 20 – Letter 22
The Popes Letter to the King when Prince of Wales, and in Spain.
MOst noble PRINCE, health and light of the divine grace: Forasmuch as great Britaine hath alwayes beene fruitfull in Vertues, and in men of great worth, having filled the one and the other world with the glory of her renowne; Shee doth also very often draw the thoughts of the holy Apostolicall Chaire▪ to the consideration of her praises. And indeed the Church was but then in her infancy, when the King of Kings did chuse her for his inheritance, and so affectionately, that we beleeve the Romane Eagles have hardly out-pa…d the Banner of the Crosse. Besides that many of her Kings, instructed in the knowledge of the true salvation, have preferred the Crosse before the royall Scepter, and the discipline of Religion before covetousnesse, leaving examples of piety to other Nations, and to the ages yet to come. So that having merited the Principalities and first places of blessednesse in heaven, they have obtained on earth the triumphant ornaments of holinesse. And although now the s…ate of the English Church is altered, we see neverthelesse the Court of great Britaine, adorned and furnished with morall Virtues, which might serve to support the charity that we beate unto her, and be an or…ment to the name of Christianity, if withall she could have for her defence and protection the orthodox and catholike truth; Therefore by how much the more the Glory of your most noble Father, and the apprehension of your Royall inclination delights us, with so much more zeale we desire that the gates of the kingdome of Heaven might be opened unto you, and that you might purchase to your selfe the love of the universall Church. Moreover, it being certain that Gregory the great, of most blessed memory, hath introduced to the English people, and taught to their Kings the Law of the Gospel, and the respect of Apostolicall authority, We, as inferiour to him in holinesse and virtue, but equall in name and degree of dignity, it is very reasonable that we, following his blessed foot-steps, should endeavour the salvation of those Provinces,Note. especially at this time, when your designe (most noble Prince) elevates us to the hope of an extraordinary advantage: Therefore as you have directed your journey to Spain, towards the catholike King, with desire to ally your selfe to the house of Austria, we doe commend your designe, and indeed doe testifie openly in this present businesse, that you are he that takes principall care of our Prelacy. For seeing that you desire to take in marriage the daughter of Spaine, from thence we may easily conjecture that the ancient seeds of Christian piety, which have so happily flourished in the hearts of the Kings▪ of great Britaine, may (God prospering them) revive againe in your soule. And indeed it is not to be beleeved, that the same man should love such an alliance, that hates the Catholike Religion,Note. and should take delight to oppresse the holy Chaire. To that purpose we have commanded to make continually most humble prayers to the Father of lights, that he would be pleased to put you as a faire flower of Christendome, and the onelyonly hope of great Britaine, in possession of that most noble heritage, that your Ancestors have purchased for you, to defend the authority of the Soveraigne High-Priest, and to fight against the monsters of heresie. Remember the dayes of old, enquire of your Fathers, and they will tell you the way that leads to heaven, and what way the temporall Princes have taken to attaine to the everlasting Kingdom. Behold the gates of heaven opened, the most holy Kings of England, who came from England to Rome accompanied with Angels, did come to honour and doe homage to the Lord of Lords, and to the Prince of the Apostles in the Apostolicall chaire; their actions and their examples being as so many voices of God, speaking and exhorting you to follow the course of the lives of those to whose Empire you shall one day attaine.
It is possible that you can suffer that the Heretickes should hold them for impious, and condemne those whom the Faith of the Church testifies to raign in the heavens with Iesus Christ, and have command and authority over all Principalities and Empires of the Earth? Behold how they tender you the hand of this truely happy inheritance, to conduct you safe and sound to the Court of the Catholique King,Note. and who desire to bring you back again into the lap of the Roman Church: Beseeching with unpeakable sighs & groanes the God of all mercy for your Salvation, and do stretèh out to you the Armes of the Apostolicall Charity, to imbrace you with all Christian affection; Even you that are her desired Sonne, in shewing you the happie hope of the Kingdome of Heaven.Note. And indeed you cannot give a greater consolation to all the people of the Christian Estates, then to put the Prince of the Apostles in possession of your most Noble Island, whose authority hath beene held so long in the Kingdome of Britain, for the defence of Kingdomes, and for a devine Oracle; the which will easiely arrive, and that without difficulty, if you open your heart to the Lord that knocks, upon which depends all th… happines of that Kingdome. It is from this our great Charity that we cherish the praises of the Royall Name;NOTE. and that which makes us desire that you and your Royall Father might be stiled with the names of Deliverers and Restorers of the ancient & paternall Religion of Great Britain. This is it we hope for trusting in the goodnesse of God, in whose hands are the hearts of Kings, and who causeth the people of the Earth to receive healing, to whom we will alwayes labout with all our power to render you gracious and favourable; In the interim take notice by these Letters of the care of our Charity, which is none other then to procure your happinesse; and it will never grieve us to have written them, if the reading of them stirre but the least sparke of the Catholique Faith in the heart of so great a Prince, whom we wish to be …illed with long countinuance of joy▪ and flourishing in the glory of all vertues▪
Given … Rome in the Pallace of S. Peter the 20. of Aprill, 1623. in the Third yeare of o…r Popedome.
The Prince of Wales having received this Letter, made this following answer, which was after published in print.
MOst Holy Father, I received the dispatch from your Holinesse with great content, and with that respect which the pietie and care wherewith your Holinesse writes, doth require: It was an unspeakeable pleasure to me to read the generous exploits of the Kings my Predecessours▪ to whose memory, posterity hath not given those p…aises and Elogies of honour, as were due to them: I do … that your Holines hath set their examples before my eyes, to the end that 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 Chaire; And the courage with which they have assaulted the enemies of the Crosse of Jesus Christ, hath not beene lesse than the care and thought which I have, to the end that the peace and Intelligence which hath hitherto been wanting in Christendome, might be bound with the bond of a true concord: for like as the common Enemy of peace, watcheth alwayes to put hatred and dissention betweene the Christian Princes…, so I believe that the glory of God requires that we should indeavour to unite them;NOTE. And I doe not esteeme it a greater honour to be discended from so great Princes, than to imitate them in the zeale of their piety. In which it helps me very much to have knowne the mind and will of our thrice honoured Lord and Father, & the holy intentions of his Catholike Majestie to give a happie corcurrence to so laudabl… a designe: For it grieves him extreamely to see the great evill that grows from the division of Christian Princes, which the wisdome of Your Holinesse foresaw, when it judged the Marriage which you pleased to designe, betweene the Infanta of Spain… and my selfe, to be necessary to procure so great a good; for 'tis very certaine, that I shall never be so extreamely affectionate to any thi…g in the world as to endeavour allyance with a Prince that hath the same apprehension of the true Religion with my selfe: Therefore I intreate Your …olinesse to beleeve, that I have been alwayes very far*NOTE. from incouraging Novelties▪ or to be a partisan of any Faction against the Catholick, Apostolike Roman Religion: But on the contrary, I hav… …ought all occasio…s to take away the suspition that might rest upon me, and that I will imploy my selfe for the time to come▪ to have but one* Religion and one Faith, seeing that we all beleeve in one Iesus Christ. Having resolved in my selfe▪ to spare not…ing 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 pleasing unto God: It rests only that I thank Your Holinesse, for the permission which you have been pleased to afford me, & that I pray God to give you a blessed health, and his glory, after so much travell which Your Holinesse takes within his Church.
Signed, CHARLES STEWARD.
Fiftly by dedicating and writing Bookes unto his Highnesse, to seduce him to the Romish Religion, by inviting him to behold their*Mercure Francois, Tom. 9. Anno 1623. p. to 539. 535 to 539. 562. solmne Processions, to induce him to reverence and adore their ambularitie Hostia, or Breaden God▪ carying him to their most religious places, persons (famous for pretended miracles) especially to the holy Nunne of Carion, to whom the Popes Nuncio sent a speciall dispensation, to entertaine the Prince, and to discourse with him, as a thing necessary for the good of the Catholike Church.
Sixtly by presenting him with Popish Pictures, as*Ibid. p. 556 with the beautifull Pictures of our Lady, of Saint Ioseph, and of sweet Iesus, to omit all other Artifices.
Some Months after the Princes arivall in Spaine, the long expected dispensation for the mariage came from Pope Gregory the 15. to the Spanish Court, before which time the Prince was not admitted to speake with the Infanta in quality of a Suiter, but of a Prince:*The Vocall Forrest. p. 125. 126. 127. Mercur… Francois. but it came clogged with an unhappie unexpected clause, thrust in of purpose to retard the proceedings: Namely, That whereas there were certaine Articles condiscended to by King Iames, in favour of the Roman Catholikes in England, and other his Majesties dominions, the Pope demanded caution from the King and Prince for performance of them, before the Marriage consummate: To which the King answered; That he could give no other caution but his owne, and the Princes Royall words and Oaths, confirmed by his Councell of State, and exemplified under the great Seale of England: which security was tendered; but this would not satisfie, unlesse some Soveraigne Catholique Prince would ingage himselfe for them. Thereupon all matters were like to goe off the hinges; and a bruite went abroad, that the Prince intended to get away covertly: At last Conde Olivares propounded three wayes of accommodation; The first was▪ that Prince Charles should become a Papist. The second, that th… Infanta should be delivered to him upon the former security, without further condition. The third was, to binde him as fast as they could, and not trust him with any thing.
Whiles matters were thus canvasing and gathering ill bloud; the King of Spaine profered to engage himselfe by Oath for the Kings and Princes performance of the Articles, to satisfie the Pope, provided he must first consult with his Ghostly Fathers, whether he might doe it with safe Conscience, or no.
Whereupon the businesse was referred to a Committee of Learned Divines; Whether the King of Spaine might with safety of Conseience take an Oath in the behalf… of the King of England, and Prince Charles, for performance of such and such Articles as were in favour of the Pap…sts throughout the Kings Dominions? who after a long demurre and protraction of time, concluded at last affirmatively, that he might: and in case they faild to …xecute what was Capitulated, the King of Spaine was to vindicate his Oath, and right himselfe by the sword.
While things were thus agitating in Spaine, diverse well affected persons stifly opposed the match in England, and writ against it; Among others*Mercure Francois. Tom. 9. p. 497. to 505. Doctor George Abbot Archbishop of Canterbury made this Remonstrance to His Majestie against the match, and toleration indulged to the Roman Catholiks, one transcript whereof was among Windebanks Papers; agreeing with that recorded in the French Mercur…e.
May it please your Majestie,
I Have beene too long silent, and am afraid by my silence, I have neglected the dutie of the place, it hath pleased God to call me unto, and your Majestie to place me…n. And now I humbly crave leave, I may discharge my Conscience toward God, and my duty toward Your Majestie. And therefore I beseech you (Sir) to give me leave freely to deliver my selfe, and then let Your Majesty doe what you please with me. Your Majestie hath propounded a toleration of Religion: I beseech you (Sir) take it into your con…ideration, what your Act is, what the consequence may be. By Your Act you labour to set up that most damnable and hereticall doctrine of the Church of Rome, the Whore of Babylon▪ How hatefull will it be to God, and grievous unto your good Subjects, the true pro…essors of the Gospell, that your Majesty who hath often disputed and learnedly written against those wicked heresies, shou…d now shew your selfe▪ a Patron of those doctrines which your penne hath told the world, and your Conscience tells your selfe are superstitious, idolatrous, and detestable. Adde hereunto, what you have done in sending the Prince into Spaine without the consent of your Counsell, the privitie and approbation of your people. And though you have a larger interest in the Prince, as the Sonne of your flesh, ye… have the people a greater, as the Sonne of the Kingdome, upon whom next a…ter Your Majestie, their eyes are fixed, and welfare depends. And so tenderly is this going apprehended, as believe it (Sir) howsoever his returne may besafe, yet the drawe…s of him to that action so dangerous to himselfe; so desperate to the Kingdome, will not passe away unquestioned, unpunished, Besides, this toleration which you endeavour to set up by your Proclamation, it cannot be done without a Parliament, unlesse Your Majestie will let your subjects see, that you will take unto your selfe a liberty to throw downe the Lawes of the Land at your pleasure. What dreadf…ll consequence (Sir) these things may draw after, I beseech Your MAJESTIE to consider, and above all, least by this tolleration & discontinuance of the true profession of the Gospell, wherewith God hath blessed us, and under which this Kingdome hath these many yeares …lourished, Your Majestie doe not draw upon the Kingdome in Generall, and your sel…e in particular, Gods heavie wrath and indignation. Thus in discharge of my duty toward God, to Your Majestie, and rhe place of my calling▪ I have taken humble boldnesse, to deliver my Conscience. And now (Sir) doe with me what you please.
This Remonstrance of his was seconded by Vox Populi, Doctor Hackwell and others; But all in vaine the King being so resolutely bent upon it, that hee would permit none to contradict it, and*Mercure Francois. Tom. p. 1624. p. 29. committed the Earle of Oxford prisoner to the Tower for some …peeches against it.
At last the difficulties in Spaine and Rome being surmounted and the Pope satisfied by the King of Spaines engagement for the performance of the Articles, and Propositions *Mercure Franc. Anno 1623. p. 522. 523.(for the …ight▪ augmentation, and Weale of the Roman Catholike Religion: as the Cardinalls for the propagation of the Faith, stiled them) there was exceeding great joy, and all the Capitulations were thereupon soone after engrossed, sealed, subscribed, aud solemnly sworne to by both the Kings, the Prince, and Privie Councell: the Copie of which Articles both concerning the Infanta, her family, and the Papists in generall, I shall here insert in Latine, as I find them printed in the*Tom. 9. An. 1624. p. 11. …8. French Mercury, and in written Copies belonging to the Lord Cottington and Secretary Windebancke agreeing with it.