The Catholics Supplication for Toleration, Counterpoise
THE PROTESTANTS COVNTERPOYSE.
Moſt puiſſant Prince and mightie Monarch,
1SVch are the rare perfections and admirable gifts of wiſedome, prudence, valour, iuſtice, religion and godlineſſe, wherwith the bountiful 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 al your kingdoms and dominions.
2 Notwithſtanding your Graces moſt faithfull ſubiects and deuoted ſeruants, the Proteſtants of England, partlie to preuent ſiniſter ſuggeſtions againſt the peace of our Church and Common-wealth, which happily might importune your ſacred Maieſtie: partly almoſt (not long ſithence) as men in danger to be expoſed as a pray vntounto the enemie, to be ouerwhelmed with perſecutions for our conſciences, we are inforced to hauehave ſpeedie recourſe for preſent redreſſe from your Highneſſe, and to preſent theſe humble lines vntounto your royall perſon, to pleade for vsus your Maieſties gratious fauour and princely patronage.
3 What allegeance or dutie can any King or earthly Prince deſire or expect at his vaſſals hands, which we either doe not preſently yeeld, or are not addreſſed to performe? How many Noble-men and worthie Gentlemen, moſt zealous in the true Chriſtian Religion, hauehave euer ſpecially reſpected your Maieſties ſacred perſon? How many hauehave moſt carefully & religiouſly, for conſcience ſake, in our late ſoueraigne Queene Elizabeth, of bleſſed memorie, her happie daies, for the ſatisfying of their owne dutie, and the eſtabliſhing of the ignorant and doubtfull mindes of their friends and fauourites, priuately without contention, breach of law, or diſloyaltie to their Prince, conferred together and explicated your Highnes iuſt and lawfull title, for the aduancement of your ſucceſſiue right vntounto the Scepter of Albion? Nay, who euer trauerſed, butaFor all Papiſts intended to ſet vp ſome one of their ſect and faction: eſpecially the Infanta of Spaine. Proteſtants, for your Maieſties preſent title & dominion?
4 If this they did in the life of our late Soueraigne, not to flatter and diſſemble with your Grace, but for iustice and equitie, for truth and conſcience cauſe: what will they doe? nay, what will they not doe, to liue in grace, without moleſtation or diſgrace in your Graces fauour? Now therefore the hereditarie right of the Scepter, being lawfully deuolued vntounto your Maieſtie, who is he amongst vsus, that will not flie vntounto your Court offering himſelf asbSee the Edict of the Peeres of England Martij 24. 1603. hoſtage for his friends, to loſe lands and liuings, to the effuſion of his deareſt blood, to liue and die in your Graces quarrell, if euer aduerſarie ſhall once dare to oppoſe himſelfe againſt the equitie of your cauſe?
5 The maine of this Realme, if we reſpect Religion, conſiſteth vponupon two parts: Papiſts, who in the latter yeares of our late Queenes time,cSee the Queenes edict, Nouemb. 5. 1602. Anno Reg. Regin. Eliz. 44. by generall neglect in executing of good lawes and the ſlumber of iuſtice, hauehave crept vp apace amongſt vsus: And Proteſtants, who as they are oppoſit to the Papiſts; ſo are they deteſted of them: becauſe Errour was euer an enemie to Truth.
6 Theſe two cannot poſsibly ſtand together: *2. Cor. 6.14. & 15.For what fellowſhip hath righteouſnes with vnrighteouſnes? And what communion hath light with darknes? what concord hath Chriſt with Belial? or what part hath the beleeuer with the Infidell; the Chriſtian Proteſtant, with the Popiſh Idolatour? And therefore we beſeech your Maieſtie to affoord vsus as much fauour, as other Princes of contrarie religion (to that which is publikely profeſſed in England) doe yeeld vntounto their Subiects. Other Princes tolerate no Proteſtants to liue and ſerue their God in ſpirit and Truth, amongſt their Popiſh Subiects: And we hope your Maieſtie will tolerate no Papiſts to liue and to blaſpheme our God with Idolatrie and falſe worſhip among your Chriſtian Subiects: For if our caſe be like, or better then theirs is; in equitie, our vſage ought to be like, or better then theirs is.
7 The Gates, arches, and pyramides of Fraunce proclaimed the preſent King Pater patriae & pacis reſtitutor, becauſe that kingdome being welnigh torne in peeces with ciuill warres, and made a pray to forraine foes, was by his prouident wiſedome and valor, acquited in it ſelfe, and hoſtile ſtrangers expelled; the which he principally effected, by dVide Ant. Arnaldi actionem contr. Ieſuit. Et, Orationem ingenuā & veram ad Regem Galliae de Reſtitut. Ieſuitarum. Lugdun. an. 1602.adiudging the Ieſuites, the firebrands of ſedition and rebellion, to perpetuall exile out of his kingdome. So ſhall your Highnes be truely called Pater patriae & fidei defenſor, if you vindicate your owne ſacred Perſon from the treacherous attempts of hollow hearted Subiects, your Realmes from the inuaſions and aſſaults of forraine foes, and the Maieſtie of the euerliuing God, from being blaſphemed and profaned by vile Idolatours: all which you ſhall wiſely and valorouſly effect, by adiudging ſeditious Ieſuites, treacherous Prieſts, and all their Schollers the ſtirrers vp of commotions and broyles, to perpetuall baniſhment out of your kingdoms and dominions.
8 Queſtionleſſe, dread Soueraigne, the kingdoms of England and Ireland, by vnnaturall, diſloyall and traiterous practiſes of cruell Romiſh Catholikes,eWho rebelled at any time ſithence the beginning of Queene Elizabeths raigne but Papiſts? Who were rebels, compartners, abbettors and fauorites, but Papiſts? and conſequently who were the cauſe of ſo many ſubſidies and taxes, but the ſame men? hauehave been almoſt waſted, and made a ſpectacle to all Chriſtian Nations. Trade and traffike is much decayed, warres and blood hath ſeldome ceaſed, ſubſidies and taxes neuer ſo many, diſcontented mindes innumerable; all which your Maieſties princely regard of the humble ſute of your deuoted Suppliants, the faithfull Proteſtants, will eaſily redreſſe, eſpecially at your Highnes fSee foreign, lib. 2. pag. 29.ingreſſe. *1. King. 18.21.Si Iehouah ſit Deus ipſe, ſequere eum; ſin autem iſtorum Baal, ſequere eum, was the wiſe counſaile of holy Eliah vntounto the people of Iſrael. But to admit of two contrarie Religions, were to halt betweene two opinions.
9 How gratefull wil it be to all Chriſtian Princes abroade, and honorable to your Maieſtie, to vnderſtand how Queene Elizabeths ſinceritie is continued by your royall conſtancie, and that the courage of a man reedified that which the not-informed Iuſtice of a woman winked at? That the Lyon rampant trampleth vnderunder foote the enemies of God and his truth, of their Prince and Countrie; whereas the paſſant had been nothing leſſe then rampant? How acceptable ſhall all your ſubiects be to all Chriſtian countries, who lately feared the apoſtaſie of your kingdomes, when they ſhall perceiue your highneſſe ſtill maintaineth true Religion, andgSee foreign, Lib. 1. pag. 19. permitteth not Idolatrous Papiſts to perturbe & moleſt the ſincere profeſſors of the true faith, or to prophane the worſhip of God, by profeſsion and vſe of their ſuperſtition. Then ſhall we ſee with our eyes, and touch with our fingers that happie benediction of Eſay in this land, that *Eſay. 2.4.ſwords are changed into ploughes, and launces into ſithes: And all Nations admiring vsus will ſay, Hiſunt ſemen, cui benedixit dominus.
10 We requeſt no more fauour at your Graces hands, then that you would compell all your Subiects to ſeeke the Lord and his face continually; that you wouldhSee foreign, Lib. 1. pag. 19. prohibit Idolatrie, repreſſe blaſphemie, aboliſh falſe worſhip, and cauſe all, within your dominions, to embrace that onelyonly true religion which your happie predeceſſors King Edward the ſixt, & Queene Elizabeth of bleſſed and famous memorie, conſtantly maintained; yea which alſo your ſacred Maieſtie hath euer hitherto with ſingulariSee foreign, Lib. 1. pag. 5. 20. & 21. conſtancie, and doth now zealouſly and ſincerely profeſſe.
11 A Religion venerable for antiquitie, maieſticall for comely order, admirable for power and vertue, certaine for truth, irreprehenſible for Doctrine, inducing to all kind of vertue and pietie, diſſwading from all ſinne and wickednes. A religion approued by God himſelfe, allowed by his wiſedome, and confirmed by his holy ſpirit, rooted in the elect, beloued of all primitiue paſtours, eſtabliſhed by the beſt Oecumenicall councels, vpheld by all ancient Doctours, maintained by the firſt and moſt chriſtian Emperours, recorded in the holy Scriptures, ſealed with the blood of millions of Martyrs, and conſtantly profeſſed by all holy confeſſors, that neuer was doubted of but by her enemies, neuer ſaw change but of Heretikes, being the onelyonly Religion that is taught in Gods ſacred word and Goſpell. Popiſh Idolatrie it is that we craue to be repreſſed, if not by a new decree, at leaſtwiſe by ſtrict execution of ſuch good lawes that in ſuch caſes are alreadie enacted.
12 Aſſure your Grace that howſoeuer ſome Papiſts incited by morall honeſtie of life, or innated inſtinct of nature, or for feare of ſome temporall puniſhment, pretend obedience vntounto your highnes lawes; yet certainely the onelyonly Proteſtants for conſcience ſake obſerue them. For they defending theſe daungerous and damnablekVide Orat. ad Reg. Galliae de Reſtit. Ieſuit. & Eman. Sa. in aphoriſm. Confeſſariorum. & Bellarm. lib. de Exempt. Clericorum. propoſitions, 1. That the Pope hath power to excommunicate Kings, 2. That he hath power to abſolue ſubiects from their faith and alleageance, 3. That the Pope may depoſe Princes from their Scepter and Crowne, and giuegive the ſame vntounto another, 4. That any priuate man may be made executioner to murther or to poyſon the excommunicated King, 5. That faith muſt not be kept with Heretikes, 6. That whoſoeuer is not within the communion of the Romiſh Church is an Heretike, and conſequently that your highnes is ſuch a one, 7. That no Cleargie-man can commit treaſon againſt any temporall King, becauſe he is not the Kings ſubiect, but the Popes; and ſuch like: care not in conſcience, at the Popes becke, nay thinke it high merit, if he ſo commaund, not onelyonly to tranſgreſſe your lawes, but alſo to lay violent hands and to murder your ſacred perſon, which God forbid. But Protestants, hauing learned to *Matth. 22.21giuegive vntounto Caeſar the things of Caeſar, and to God the things of God; and to obey the *Rom. 13.1.higher powers, which are the ordinance of God, cannot but in ſoule be grieuouſly tortured for the leaſt preuarication of the Magistrates iuſt, neceſſarie, or conuenient lawes.
13 Wherefore moſt gracious Soueraigne, wee your euer-faithfull ſubiects, in all dutifull ſubmiſſion, vow and proteſt before the Maieſtie of God and all his holy Angels, as loyall obedience and as immaculate allegeance vntounto your Grace, as euer did faithfull ſubiects in England or Scotland vntounto your Highnes progenitors and predeceſſors; and intend as ſincerely 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, not doubting of your Maieſties conſtant profeſsion of true Religion, and godly care for the rooting out of all Idolatrie, we reſt your deuoted ſuppliants to him whoſe hands doe mannage the hearts of Kings, and with reciprocate Honor, will honor them that honor him.
Your ſacred Maieſties moſt faithfull Seruants, The Proteſtants of England.