The Catholics Supplication for Toleration, Supplication
THE CATHOLIKES SVPPLICATION VNTOUNTO THE KINGS MAIESTIE; FOR TOLERATION OF Catholike Religion in England:
WITH SHORT NOTES OR Animaduerſions in the margine.
Whereunto is annexed Parallel-wiſe, a Supplicatorie Counterpoyſe of the Proteſtants, vntounto the ſame most excellent Maiestie.
Together with the reaſons of both ſides, for and against toleration of diuers Religions.
BY WISDOME PEACE BY PEACE PLENTY
AT LONDON Imprinted by Felix Kyngston, for Edmund Weauer, and are to be ſolde at his ſhop, at the great North doore of Paules Church. 1603.
THE CATHOLIKES SVPPLICATION.
Most puiſſant Prince, and orient Monarch,
1SVch are the rare perfections and admirable gifts of wiſedome, prudence, valour and iuſtice, wherewith the bountifull hand of Gods diuine Maieſtie hath endued your Maieſtie, as in the depth of your prouident iudgement, we doubt not but you foreſee what concerneth both the ſpirituall and temporall gouernment of all your kingdomes and dominions.
2 Notwithſtanding your Graces moſt afflicted ſubiects and deuoted ſeruants, the Catholikes of England, partly to preuent ſiniſter informations, which happily may poſſeſſe your ſacred eares, before our anſwere be heard; partly almoſt as men1Impudent fellowes! A manifeſt vntruth, as all the world knoweth. ouerwhelmed with perſecutions for our conſciences, we are enforced to hauehave ſpeedie recourſe in hope of preſent redreſſe from your Highneſſe, and to preſent theſe humble lines vntounto your royall perſon to pleade for vsus ſome commiſeration and fauour.
3. What allegeance or dutie2What dutie? Fidelitie and loyaltie: which the Papiſts (by vertue of their Religion) can affoord no potentate but the Pope. can any3Theſe men hold that no temporall Prince ought to deſire or expect any thing at their hands which may preiudice the Pope. temporall Prince deſire or expect at his vaſſals hands, which wee are not addreſſed to4True, conditionally if they thinke it be not preiudiciall to the Pope. performe? How many Noble-men and worthie Gentlemen, moſt zealous in the Catholike Religion, hauehave endured, ſome loſſe of lands and liuings, ſome exile, others impriſonment, ſome the effuſion of bloud and life for the aduauncement of your bleſſed Mothers5The Papiſts iudged Queene Elizabeth hereticall and iuſtly depoſed by the Bull of Pius V. and therefore thought themſelues free from their allegeance vntounto her; and ſo traiterouſly gaue away her right vntounto another. Otherwiſe how could any pretend RIGHT vntounto the ſcepter of Albion, Queene Elizabeth being yet liuing? and there is great difference betweene RIGHT and TITLE. right vntounto the ſcepter of Albion? Nay, whoſe finger did euer ake, but Catholikes, for your6What loyall hearts Papiſts beare the Kings Maieſtie, appeareth by their ſundrie conſpiracies againſt his ſacred perſon from time to time: eſpecially by that in the yeere 1591, recorded in publike print. Maieſties preſent title and dominion?
4 How many7If any ſo fled it was not for their good behauiour: and wiſe Princes doe well know how to eſteem of ſuch mens offers. fled to your Court offering themſelues as hoſtages for their friends, to liue and die in your Graces quarrell, if euer Aduerſarie had oppoſed himſelf againſt the8Who forged and furthered the Jnfantaes pretended title, but Papiſts? yet now they acknowledge Gods right and their owne madnes. equitie of your cauſe? If this they attempted with their9Good and loyall ſubiects forſooth, vntounto their owne Prince in the meane while. Can trayterous hearts vntounto Queene Elizabeth, be good ſubiects vntounto King James? Princes diſgrace, to obtaine your Maieſties grace; what will they doe? nay, what will they not do, to liue without diſgrace in your Graces fauour?
5 The maine of this Realme, if we reſpect Religion (ſetting pettie ſects aſide) conſiſteth vponupon10A manifeſt ſlaunder of our Chriſtian Church and S…a…. foure parts: Proteſtants, who hauehave dominiered all the former Queenes daies: Puritanes, who hauehave crept vp apace among them: Atheiſts or Polititians, who were bred vponupon their brawles and contentions in11A flat vntruth: the diſſenſion betweene them is onelyonly concerning externall matters of diſcipline and ceremonies, which belong rather to the policie of the Church, then to faith and doctrine. matters of faith: And Catholikes, who as they are oppoſite to all, ſo are they deteſted of all,12An argument from the ſtaffe to the corner. becauſe Errour was euer an enemie to Truth.
6 Hardly al, or any of the firſt, two three can be13They would faine ſuppreſſe the Kings Maieſtie alſo among other Proteſtants, if they could tell how. God preſerue his grace from ſuch ſubiects, Amen. ſuppreſſed: and therefore we beſeech your Maieſtie to yeeld vsus as much fauour, as14Will you hauehave as much fauour as the Atheiſts hauehave? Like lips, like lettuce. others of contrarie religion (to that which ſhall be publikely profeſſed in England) ſhall obtaine at your hands. For if our fault be15No likenes at all. Proteſtants are loyall ſubiects; ſo are not Papiſts. Atheiſts we hauehave none, at leaſt none that profeſſe themſelues ſo to be: ſo would God we had no Papiſts. Puritane, is a name proper vntounto the Anabaptiſts and Famelians, whom our ſtate doth no way fauour. like, or leſſe, or none at all; in equitie, our puniſhment ought to be like, or leſſe, or none at all.
7 The Gates, Arches, and Pyramides of France proclaimed the preſent King Pater patriae & pacis restitutor, becauſe that kingdome being well nigh torne in pieces with ciuill warres, and made a pray to forraine foes, was by his prouident wiſedome and valour acquited in it ſelf, and hoſtile ſtrangers expelled; the which he principally effected16Non cauſa pro cauſa. Read the Counterpoyſe. by condeſcending to tolerate them of an aduerſe religion, to that was openly profeſſed.
8 Queſtionleſſe, dread Soueraigne, the kingdome of England, by cruell17An impudent lye. perſecution of Catholikes, hath been almoſt odious to all Chriſtian Nations: Trade and traffique is18And all by reaſon of Catholikes treaſon, rebellion, and other diſloyall practiſes & ſtratagems. decayed, warres and bloud hath ſeldome ceaſed, Subſidies and taxes neuer ſo many, diſcontented mindes innumerable; all which your Maieſties princely19If the Papiſts hauehave practiſed treaſon and rebellion in time of their reſtraint; what will they not dare to attēpt, hauing further libertie? conniuencie to your humble Suppliants, the afflicted Catholikes, will eaſily redreſſe, eſpecially at your Highneſſe ingreſſe.*3. Reg. 12.7. Si loquaris ad eos verba lenia, erunt tibi ſerui cunctis diebus, ſaid the ſage Counſellors of Salomon to20The Kings Maieſtie is not ſuch an infant in gouernment, but he knoweth, No ſubiect can faithfully ſerue two maſters, the Pope and his liege King. Rehoboam. For enlargement after affliction reſembleth a pleaſant gale after a vehement tempeſt: and a benefit in diſtreſſe doubleth the value thereof.
9 How gratefull will it bee to all21Syrenicall fond ſuggeſtions, as if his Highnes cared what account the Turke or Pope ſhould make of him. Catholike Princes abroad, and honourable to your Maieſtie, to vnderſtand how Queene22Cauſeleſſe complaints, as his Maieſtie well knoweth. Elizabeths ſeueritie is chaunged into your royall clemencie: and that the lenitie of a man reedified that which the miſinformed anger of a woman deſtroyed: That the Lion rampant is paſſant, whereas the paſſant had been rampant? How acceptable ſhall all your ſubiects be to all Catholike countries, who are now almoſt abhorred23Of none but of the wicked. of all, when they ſhall perceiue your Highnes prepareth not pikes and priſons for the profeſſours of their faith, but permitteth them Temples and Altars for the vſe of their Religion? Then ſhall wee ſee with our eyes and touch with our fingers that happie benediction of Eſay in this land,*Eſay 2.4. that24A plaine non ſequitur; for you ſpeake by contraries. ſwords are changed into ploughs, and launces in to ſithes. And all Nations admiring vsus will ſay, Hi ſunt ſemen cui benedixit Dominus.
10 We requeſt no more fauour at your Graces hands, then that wee may ſecurely25Yea, but the Magiſtrate is keeper of the whole Decalogue; whereby Idolatrie is flatly forbidden. profeſſe that Catholike Religion, which all your happie Predeceſſours profeſſed, from26Poperie was not hatched in Donaldus his daies. Donaldus the firſt conuerted, vntounto your Maieſties peereleſſe Mother laſt martyred.
11 A Religion27Woe be to them that call darknes light, Eſay 5.20. This whole ſection is a plain begging of the Queſtion. venerable for antiquitie, maieſticall for28So is Turciſme and Paganiſme. amplitude, conſtant for continuance, irreprehenſible for doctrine, inducing to all kinde of29You would ſay Treaſon and Rebellion againſt lawfull Princes. vertue and pietie, diſſwading from all ſinne and wickednes. A Religion beloued by all primitiue Paſtours, eſtabliſhed by all Oecumenicall Councels, vpheld by all ancient Doctors, maintained by the firſt and moſt Chriſtian Emperours, recorded almoſt alone in all Eccleſiaſticall Hiſtories, ſealed with the bloud of millions of Martyrs, adorned with the vertues of ſo many Confeſſors, beautified with the puritie of thouſands of Virgines, ſo30A fit commendation for Papiſtrie, to be nothing but meere ſenſualitie. Malum ouum mali corui. conformable to naturall ſenſe and reaſon, and finally ſo agreeable to the ſacred text of Gods word and Goſpell. The free vſe of this Religion wee requeſt, if not in publike Churches, at leaſt in priuate houſes; if not with approbation, yet with toleration, without moleſtation.
12 Aſſure your Grace that howſoeuer ſome31Mutato nomine, de te, ô Papiſta, Fabula narratur. Proteſtants or Puritanes, incited by morall honeſtie of life, or innated inſtinct of nature, or for feare of ſome temporal puniſhment, pretend obedience vntounto your Highnes lawes; yet certainly the onelyonly Catholikes for conſcience ſake obſerue them. For they defending that Princes precepts and ſtatutes oblige no ſubiect vnderunder the32A groſſe calumniation: as if we defended that the wicked for diſobedience ſhould feele no penaltie, but only ſhould be diſquieted with the guilt of ſinne: and not rather that penaltie is an infallible conſequence of the guilt, if both be not taken away by Chriſt. penaltie of ſinne, will little care in conſcience to tranſgreſſe them which principally are tormented with the guilt of ſinne. But Catholikes confeſſing merite in33True, in obeying the Popes decrees and commandements, but not Princes precepts, except it ſtand with the Popes good liking. obeying, and demerite in tranſgreſſing, cannot but in ſoule be grieuouſly3rYea, but all theſe tortures will ſoone be alaied, euen by one breath of a Babylonian Bull. tortured, at the leaſt preuarication thereof.
13 Wherefore moſt mercifull Soueraigne, wee your long afflicted ſubiects, in all dutifull ſubmiſſion,35Timeas Danaos, vel dona ferentes. As if the Pope by one word were not able to diſpence with all this: and to cauſe any Papiſt to doe any thing euen at a becke vnderunder paine of the greater curſe and eternall damnation of bodie and ſoule, in caſe of refuſall. O Lord open the eyes of theſe men. proteſt before the Maieſtie of God and all his holie Angels, as loyall obedience and as immaculate allegeance vntounto your Grace, as euer did faithful ſubiects in England or Scotland vntounto your Highnes progenitours; and intend as ſincerelie with our goods and liues to ſerue you, as euer did the loyalleſt Iſraelites King Dauid, or the truſtie legions the Romane Emperours.
14 And thus expecting your Maieſtie cuſtomarie fauour and gracious bountie, wee reſt your deuoted Suppliants to him whoſe hands doe mannage the hearts of Kings, and with reciprocate merciemercy will requite the mercifull.
Your ſacred Maiesties moſt deuoted Seruants, The Catholikes of England.