Having redounded him concealed thankes, I was assured of their bloody Inquisition, preparing my selfe in God, with Faith, and Patience to Receive and gane-stand it: for my spirituall Resolution, was surely founded, being sightlesse of company, and humane faces, I had intirely the light of my Soule celebrate to God Almighty.
A politick enquiry of a damnable inquisition.And hereupon the second day after Candlemas, the Governour, the Inquisitor a Canonicall Priest, entered my Dungeon, accompanied with two Jesuites, one of which was Predicator, and Superiour of the Tiatinean Colledge of Malaga: Where being Chaire set, Candle-lighted, and doore locked; the Inquisitor after diverse frivolous questions, demaunded me if I was a Romane Catholicke, and acknowledged the Popes Supremacy. To whom I answered, I was neyther the one, nor did the other. And what power (sayd I,) have you to challenge me of my Religion, since it is a chiefe Article, of the former concluded peace, that none of our Kings subjects should be troubled by your Inquisition; but as you have murdered me for alledged Treason; so you meane to Martyre me for Religion.
And you Governour, as you have Tortured and hunger-starved this helplesse body, consumed with cold and vermine to the last of my life; the Almighty God who revealeth the secrets of all things (although I bee never relieved) will certainely discover it, to my Countrey and to the World. And is this the best of your good deeds? you repay to our mercifull King, who then being onely [X. 471.]King of Scotland, in the time of your just over-throw of Eighty Eight, gave secourse to thousands of your Shipwracked people for many moneths; and in the end, caused transport them safely to their desired Ports. Leaving to the Worlds memory an eternall stampe of Christian Bounty, Mercy, and royall Charity, and your acquittance to him, is an imputation of Treachery to his Fleete, detayning and mis-regarding his Letters and Seales, and now imposing to a tormented Innocent, your lawlesse Inquisition.
To which the Governour answered, all that was true, but it was done more through feare then love, and therefore deserved the lesser thankes; but (interim) wee will follow the utter-most of our ends. And the Jesuite Predicator to confirme his words, sayd, there was no faith to be kept with Heretickes, which directly or indirectly is the sublime policy of Conquerours, which our mighty and invincible Nation evermore taketh notice of and observeth.
A damnable Inquisitor applying false attributs to our blessed Lady.Then the Inquisitor arrising, expressed himselfe thus: Behold the powerfull majesty of Gods mother, Commaunder of her Sonne, equall to the Father, Wife to the Holy Ghost, Queene of Heaven, Protector of Angels, and sole Gubernatrix of the earth, &c. How thou being first taken as a Spye, accused for Treachery, and innocently Tortured (as we acknowledge we were better informed lately from Madrile of the English intention) yet it was her power, her Divine power, which brought these judgements upon thee; in that thou hast wrot calumniously against her blessed miracles of Loretta: and against his Holinesse, the great Agent, and Christs Viccar on earth: Therefore thou hast justly fallen into our hands, by her speciall appointment; thy Bookes and papers, are miraculously [X. 472.]Translated by her speciall providence with thy owne Countrey-men: wherefore thou maist clearely see, the impenetrable Misteries of our glorious Lady in punishing her offenders: and for a humble satisfaction, Repent thee of thy wickednesse, and be converted to the Holy mother Church. And after many such like exhortations of all the foure, the Inquisitor assigned me eight dayes for my Conversion: Saying, that hee, and the Tiatines would twice a day visite mee in that time, intreating me to be advised againe the next morning, of these doubts and difficulties that withstood my Conscience.
A Sicophaniticall Oration from a jugling Jebusite.Then in leaving mee, the Jesuite Predicator making a a Crosse upon my crossed breast, sayd, My sonne, beholde you deserve to be burnt quicke, but by the grace of our Lady of Loretta, whom you have blasphemed, wee will both save your Soule and Body: Spewing forth also this Fæminine Latine; Nam mansueta et misericordiosa est Ecclesia, O Ecclesia Romana! extra quem non est salus: They gone and I alone, all this night, was I instant with my God, imploring his Grace, to Rectifie my thoughts, illuminate my understanding, confirme my confidence, beatifie my memory, to sanctifie my knowledge, to expell the servile feare of Death, and to save my soule, from the intangling corruption of any private ends, illusions, or mundane Respects whatsoever.
The next morning, the three Ecclesiastickes returned, and being placed with Chaires and Candles, the Inquisitor made interrogation, of what difficulties, errors, or mis-beliefe I had. To whom ingenuously I answered I had none, neyther any difficulty, errour, nor mis-beliefe; but was confident in the promises of Jesus Christ, and assuredly believed his Revealed will in the Gospell, professed [X. 473.]in the Reformed Catholicke Church; which being confirmed by Grace, I had the infallible assurance in my Soule, of the true Christian Faith.
To these words, he answered, thou art no Christian, but an absurd Hereticke, and without Conversion, a member of perdition. Whereupon I replied, Reverend Sir, the nature of Charity and Religion, doe not consist in opprobious speeches; wherefore if you would convert me (as you say) convince mee by Argument: if not, all your threatenings of fire, Death, nor Torments, shall make me shrinke from the truth of Gods Word in Sacred Scriptures. The fury of a mad inquisitor to have almost slain me.Whereupon the mad Inquisitor clapd mee on the face with his foote, abusing me with many Raylings, and if the jesuites had not intercepted him, he had stobbed me with a knife; where, when dismissed, I never saw him more.
The third day insuing (and having broake their promise) the two Jesuites returned, and after a frowning silence, the Superiour asked me of my Resolution: I told him I was Resolved already, unlesse hee could show me good Reasons in the contrary. Whereupon having past with me some few superficial Arguments of their seaven Sacraments, Intercession, Transubstantiation, Images, Purgatory, Miracles, Merit, &c. he begun to brag of their Church her Antiquity, Universality, and Uniformity. Auncient no (sayd I) for the Profession of my Faith, hath beene ever since the first time of the Apostles; And Christ had ever his owne Church (howsoever obscure) in the greatest time of your darknesse.
So Rome foure hundred yeares and upward, was the true Church; but afterward falling in apostacy by meanes of her corrupt leaders, wee have left her in nothing, but what shee hath left her former selfe. Universall no; although shee assumeth a Catholicke name, was not the [X. 474.]Church in the East, a greater Church than yours in the West for hundreds of yeares, and I pray you what are now the Orientall Churches in Asia, (besides the Greeks) and the Æthiopian Affricans that doe not so much as know, or heare of your Pope, far lesse his profession.