But first, that which did seem to extinguish wholly all hopes of help from His Majesty was, that whereas, in the beginning of the year 1605, it pleased him to call a conference between the Protestant Bishops and the chief of the Puritan side, in which conference or disputation the King, as head of the Church of England in ecclesiastical matters (which the Puritans acknowledge not), sat as chief moderator or judge in all things—though I say it was his pleasure to give unto the Puritans a day of hearing, yea, three days together full audience of all that they could say or allege for themselves and for their novelties and newly coined heretical inventions, yet would he not once admit the Catholics to be heard or any for them, notwithstanding their prescription and long-continued possession in their religion, and that they hold no other faith than that which was warranted from erring by Christ Himself, received from the seat of the Apostle St. Peter, commended for universal by St. Paul, planted in our own country with miracles, watered with the blood of acknowledged martyrs, strengthened with the authority of all the ancient Doctors, [pg 041] practised and delivered unto us by known and granted Saints, honoured and professed by all his ancestors, approved, commended, and commanded by all the ancient Parliaments and laws of the realm; notwithstanding all these and many other titles unto truth of doctrine which we can allege, prove, and convince to be on our side, and only to stand for us, yet we were put to silence, our mouth was shut, yea, and stopped also (at the instance of the Puritans), least we should be heard to cry that might not be suffered to speak. Which, that you may the better see to be most true, you shall understand that when His Majesty, having heard the Puritans at full, and knowing them to be a restless and imperious company if they should be approved in their opinions, and dangerous to his person and State (as he had often trial in Scotland) if they should be permitted to grow to greater strength—for this cause he and his Council thought it needful to define all matters in controversy between the Protestants and them wholly in every point against the Puritans, but then, being willing to give them satisfaction in some things, “Et nesciens quomodo aliter placeret eis, nisi in capitibus nostris,”[286] he first, in the whole conference, uttered divers things that were very afflictive to Catholics, proceeding from the mouth of their King, whom they had so much honoured and in whom they had hoped. Then, drawing towards the end of the said conference, he urged the Bishops very much to a diligent inquiry and punishment of the said Catholics (which needed not, I wis, in respect of their known malice and vigilancy against them). At which time His Majesty said he observed and discovered three degrees of recusant Papists, as he called them; one that refused to go to the communion but not to the service or sermons, the other refused to go to communion or service but not to sermons, the third [pg 042] refused all three, in which distinction His Majesty did comprehend those also whom we count schismatics and well-wishers only, we esteeming, indeed, none for Catholics, nor admitting any unto the Sacraments of the Church, but those which refuse all communion with heretics in any of the three.
But all these kinds His Majesty said were carefully to be sought out and prosecuted, &c. And when the Chancellor there present, and ready to devise new afflictions unto Catholics for the satisfaction of the Puritans and his credit with the King, proposed for a greater and sharper galling of them, that ordinary processes de excommunicato capiendo might be exercised upon them, saying that no other punishment would vex them so much; for that by force of this they should be barred from making testaments; they should also be holden as outlaws and used accordingly; no man needed to pay them any debts, nor any tenant their rents, unless they list; and what injury soever they then receive, they can have no remedy. This huge and universal affliction the Chancellor had no scruple to entreat for us, and that he might have license to give out commandment for the same, and that all under officers might be punished that any way failed thereof. Whereunto, saith the book wherein all this conference is printed at large, His Majesty yielded and gave consent. By which one consent you may imagine how great a sea of molestations he did let forth upon the said Catholics, and no less also by his consent to the 104 Canons at that time set down and agreed on, all which were devised and planted by the said Bishops to beat and batter the said Catholics withal. By this it is easy to judge what cause all Catholics had by this time of extreme diffidence of help from thence where it was most expected. And that Catholics might know the better what to trust unto concerning all their former hopes conceived or promises received, the contrary was afterwards more plainly made known unto them by divers persons in [pg 043] authority, and that in serious and public manner, of which I will only allege two examples, by which you may guess at the rest; both which are published in print by themselves in a book intituled The late Commotion in Herefordshire, &c., printed by J. Charlton and F. Burton. One is that upon the 5th of August, in the year 1605, the then named Bishop of London, now of Canterbury, preaching at Paul's Cross, did utter a certain protestation of His Majesty, made, as he saith, before God and His Angels, that he was so constant and firm for the maintenance of the English religion which now he professed, as that he would not only spend his own dearest blood in defence thereof together with all his kingdoms if he had ten times so many as he hath; but moreover desired of God, that if He saw any of his children would be of other mind after him, He should take them away in his lifetime, that he might see them brought to their grave before him, to the end that their shame might be buried in his lifetime.
The L. Chancellor, his speech in the Star Chamber.
All which words of the King's related by the Bishop, the author of the book doth avow were spoken by His Majesty principally against Papists and their hope of toleration or mitigation of their pressures, which he saith to be a vain hope, &c. The other example is the Lord Chancellor his speech in the Star Chamber some days before this, to wit, Thursday, the 20th of June in the same year, where, speaking unto the Judges before they went their circuit, and to the Justices of Peace, gentlemen and others, that were to return into their countries after the Term ended and relate what they had heard in London, he delivered in vehement sort a large and sharp speech as from His Majesty's sense, words and commandment against all sorts of Catholics, but especially Priests, Jesuits, and recusants, and such as did acknowledge the authority of the Pope of Rome, ordaining and charging in His Majesty's name that all Judges in their circuits, all [pg 044] Justices of Peace in their districts, all gentlemen in their countries, and other people in the places where they should abide, should inquire after them, pursue and seek them out, that they might be punished, adding thereunto a certain new rigour of punishment not before in use, but designed now by His Majesty, as he said, to wit, that every Justice of Peace, though himself were no Papist, yet if he were thought to favour or tolerate Papists, or if his wife, children, or servants were Papists, they should lose their offices and be removed out of the Commission of Peace, as unfit members to hold that place (which could be for no other reason, but lest by some means or other some little favour might happen to some Catholic by their means, as a town that is very strictly besieged is commonly barred from all relief both by sea and land). Finally, he concluded with that in effect which the Bishop spake at Paul's Cross concerning the vain hopes of Catholics for any toleration or alleviation of their afflictions; hereunto adding a speech (saith the book) of His Majesty's concerning the folly of Papists, how they were besotted, yea and more than bewitched to suppose any such matter of toleration, wondering whereupon they should build their false hopes, adding also that His Majesty had vowed unto his Privy Council, that if he did know that any of his children after him would go back from this, he would lay his curse upon him.
These and the like speeches do our chiefest enemies, the Puritans, use to draw from His Majesty, and afterwards cause to be divulged also to no small prejudice of the mutual love and goodwill, reverence, and respect, which ought to be between the Prince and his subjects, as between the father and his children: they being not ignorant what effect such speeches do work, and that any injury is more easily borne at a Prince's hand than contumely against a multitude.
Whereupon they have further procured that ordinarily [pg 045] when His Majesty cometh to dinner or supper, some one shall be ready to give occasion of hard speeches against the Catholics; and this is commonly the office of Mr. Mountague, dean of his chapel, who was in profession so earnest a Puritan that he would not wear the cap or surplice (which Protestants admit) before the King's coming for any persuasion; but since, in respect of the deanery in that place of credit, he is content to dispense with his conscience, though his mother, the Lady Mountague, have given him her curse for his labour, and saith she will not acknowledge him for her son in respect of that dissimulation, as she calleth it. But howsoever it be, his partners, the Puritans, make evil use of his place, being such as may so often and so easily have the King's ear, whereunto he is so ready, that, besides other tricks, he hath this now and then, to bring some Catholic book in his bosom, with the leaf turned into some place or other where the author doth speak any thing that may offend His Majesty, as, namely, of the Bishop of Rome, especially when it toucheth his spiritual authority over Princes; which His Majesty reading or hearing read, and growing thereby into heat of disputation, refutation, or reprehension, uttereth oftentimes words which these men and their adherents do no less odiously urge and divulge afterward, than craftily and maliciously they procured before. As for example, that His Majesty doth hold all Catholics that esteem of the Pope's authority for traitors, and especially recusants that will not in respect of their religion communicate with Protestants in their service and sacraments, and finally that none can hold all points of Catholic religion and be a true subject; with divers other such speeches which gall and grieve the hearts of Catholics above measure, all which are afterward avouched by the standers-by in His Majesty's name, by citing his authority for it. Whereof we could allege too many examples, which we pretermit, for that it is [pg 046] likely that His Majesty had not so grievous meaning therein against his Catholic subjects, as the words do sound or as by such seditious people is wont to be inferred or urged, the sooner to put men into despair.
Sir Edward Coke, now L. Chief, in his 5th part of Reports.
And yet we must confess that one circumstance hath greatly increased the fear of all Catholics touching His Majesty's meaning in this most deeply touching point, which is, that his Attorney-General (a man not lightly esteemed in his profession of the common laws of our country) having made a book whereby he would fain prove Catholic recusants to be traitors, wresting and enforcing the common laws of the realm to that same purpose; and presenting the said book unto the King, it was not only gratefully received by His Majesty, but highly commended also, and the doctrine allowed, so far forth that the King affirmed the same by oath and said, “By my sall, I do hold them all for traitors indeed, and it is here very sufficiently and truly proved.” And this was spoken publicly at His Majesty's table, divers noblemen standing by, and some that were not ill-affected to Catholics and knew their minds and deserts unto His Majesty to be much contrary to this construction.
This therefore being known to Catholics, it is easy to be seen how first their hopes were turned into fears and then their fears into full knowledge that all the contrary to that they hoped was intended and prepared for them. It being well known that this book was made by the Attorney according to the direction of the Council, to prepare the mind of His Majesty and the other Peers of the realm against the ensuing Parliament then to make laws against Catholics of such nature and force as are fit and usual to be made against traitors; and therefore cunningly they caused it first to be delivered to His Majesty in public place, presuming that when the King had approved the book, and showed himself of the [pg 047] same opinion, no subject durst seem to think the contrary, and therefore that none would be slack in giving assent to any laws intended, how cruel soever. And this is thought to have been a great cause of hastening the impatience and temerity of those gentlemen who (as we find now by their examinations) about these times conspired to work their designment against the Parliament, as thinking by like, that sith they were condemned for traitors and to be used for such at the Parliament, they had no way to defend their life but by seeking to hinder the Parliament, and that also, by so doing, they should be no more esteemed traitors than they were already, nor their brethren neither, being all esteemed and condemned beforehand for such. So that if they failed of their purpose, they should not increase any evils to themselves or others; and if their desires took effect, then they should free both (which otherwise they thought impossible), besides the delivery of infinite souls from schism and heresy, from sin and damnation, which they all protested at their death was their principal intention.
But howsoever their intention was for the cause of their enterprise (which I leave to the judgment of God), sure we are the thing intended was most unfit, and a thing that I suppose hath brought more grief to the hearts of Catholics generally in England than ever anything did in all this time of their sufferings. But by this we may see how rash and temerarious attempts extremity doth sometimes suggest, and that the counsel was wise which Abner gave to Joab, when he did prosecute his victory with too great violence. “An ignoras,” saith he, “quod periculosa sit desperatio?”[287] As if he should say, Art thou so skilful a captain and art ignorant that despair doth often drive those that fly to turn head again with new and redoubled forces? especially when the despair [pg 048] of escaping by flight is so great that they see rather increase of hope than of danger by fighting, which hope of theirs men will then seek to strengthen with their uttermost forces; whereof the event is often such as it turns the danger on the contrary side, of which kind many examples are daily seen. And that not only in men, that by natural reason are led to choose the less danger, but in the poorest and most fearful creatures also that be, which of their own natures are so timorous that they fly at the very sight of man, as we see in many silly beasts both in house and fields; yet when they are so pursued and pressed, as they are put in desperation of their life, they turn again and leap in a man's face itself. So that this course of giving too much cause of despair is holden dangerous by all wise men, and as such is carefully foreseen and prevented in most commonwealths. But our rulers had been so long acquainted with our patience, and made trial thereof by so many and so urging cruelties, that they thought themselves sure the Catholics would never attempt anything in their own defence that might offend the State, howsoever they were used. And surely so it had continued still, as it hath long done, if this enterprise had been in their power to prevent. But it was carried with that secrecy and with such manner of proceeding as it was not possible for others to hinder it, nor seemed probable that any did intend it; as now it will appear more plainly in the chapters following.