The Great Loyalty of the PAPISTS to King CHARLES the I. (Of Blessed Memory.)
WHen the businesses of the late bad times are once ripe for an history, and Time the bringer forth of truth, hath discovered the mysteries of Iniquity, and the depths of Satan which have wrought so much crime and mischief, it will be found, that the late Rebellion was raised and fostered by the Arts of the Court of Rome. That Jesuites professed themselves Independent, as not depending on the Church of England; and Fifth-Monarchy-Men, that they might pull down the English Monarchy, and that in the Committees, for the destruction of the King and the Church, they had their Spies and their Agents. The Roman Priest and Confessour is known, who when he saw the fatal stroke given to our holy King and Martyr, flourished with his sword, and said; Now the greatest enemy that we have in the world is gone,
When the news of that horrible execution came to Roan, a Protestant Gentleman of good credit was present in a great company of Jesuited persons: where after great expressions of Joy, the gravest of the company, to whom all gave ear, spake much after this manner; The King of England at his Marriage had promis'd us the re-establishing of the Catholick Religion in England;Which is false. and when he delayed to fulfill his promise, we summoned him from time to time to perform it: We came so far as to tell him, that if he would not do it, we should be forced to take those courses which would bring him to his destruction. We have given him lawful warning, and when no warning would serve, we have kept our word to him, since he would not keep his word to us.
That grave Rabbies Sentence agreeth with this certain Intelligence which shall be justified whensoever Authority will require it: That the year before the Kings death, a select number of English Jesuites were sent from their whole party in England; first to Paris, to consult with the Faculty of Sorbon, then altogether Jesuited; to whom they put this question in Writing:
That seeing the State of ENGLAND, was in a likely posture to change Government, whether it was lawful for the Catholicks to work that Change, for the advancing and securing of the Catholick Cause in ENGLAND, by making away ihe King, whom there was no hope to turn from his Heresie? Which was answered Affirmatively.
After which the same persons went to Rome, where the same question being propounded and debated, it was concluded by the Pope and his Council, that it was both lawful and expedient for the Catholicks to promote that alteration of State. What followed that Consultation and sentence, all the world knoweth, and how the Jesuites went to work, God knoweth; and Time the bringer forth of Truth, will let us know. But when the horrible Parricide committed on the Kings sacred Person, was so universally cryed down as the greatest Villany that had been committed in many ages, the Pope commanded all the papers about that question to be gathered and burnt; In obedience to which Order, a Roman Catholick in Paris, was demanded a Copy which he had of those papers; But the Gentleman who [Page 4] had had time to consider and detest the wickedness of that project, refused to give it, and shewed them to a Protestant friend of his; and related to him the whole carriage of this negotiation, with great abhorrency of the practices of the Jesuites,
In pursuance of that Order from Rome, for the pulling down both the Monarch and the Monarchy of England, many Jesuites came over, who took several shapes to go about their work, but most of them took party in the Army. About Thirty of them were met by a Protestant Gentleman between Roan and Diep; to whom they said (taking him for one of their party) that they were going into England, and would take Arms in the Independant Army, and endeavour to be Agitators,
A Protestant Lady living in Paris in the time of our late calamities, was perswaded by a Jesuit going in scarlet, to turn Roman Catholick: When the dismal news of the Kings Murther came to Paris, this Lady, as all other good English Subjects, was most deeply afflicted with it. And when this Scarlet Divine came to see her, and found her melting in tears, about that heavy and common disaster; he told her with a smiling countenance, that she had no reason to lament, but rather to rejoyce, seeing that the Catholicks were rid of their greatest enemy, and that the Catholick Cause was much furthered by his death. [Page 5] Upon which the Lady in great anger put the man down the stairs: saying, If that be your Religion, I have done with you for ever. And God hath given her the grace to make her word good hitherto.
Many intelligent Travellers can tell of the great joy among the English Convents and Seminaries, about the Kings death, as having overcome their enemy, and done their main work for their settlement in England; of which they made themselves so sure, that the Benedictins were in great care that the Jesuites should not get their Land, and the English Nuns were contending who should be Abbesses in England.
An understanding Gentleman visiting the Friars of Dunkirk, put them upon the discourse of the Kings Death, and to pump out their sense about it; said that the Jesuits had laboured very much to compass that great work: To which they answered, that the Jesuits would engross to themselves the glory of all great and good works, and of this among other works; whereas they had laboured as diligently and effectually for it, as they. So there was striving for the glory of that atchievement, and the Friars shewed themselves as much Jesuited as the Jesuits.
[Page 6] In the height of Oliver's Tyranny, Thomas White Gentleman, a Priest, and a right Jesuite in all his Principles about obediene, set out a Book Entituled, the Grounds of Obedience and Government, Wherein he maintains that, ‘If the People by any circumstance be devolved to the State of Anarchy,pag. 122. their promise made (to their expelled Governour) binds no more. That the people are remitted by the evil managing and insufficiency of their Governour, to the force of Nature to provide for themselves, and not bound by any promise made to their Governour.pag. 123. & 124, That the Magistrate by his miscarriages abdicateth himself from being a Magistrate, and proveth a Brigand or Robber instead of a Defender.’ That word Defender, he writes with a great D, that the reader may take notice whom he means.
‘If the Magistrate (saith he) have truly deserved to be dispossessed; or if he be rationally doubted,pag. 133. that he hath deserved it, and be actually out of pospossession. In the former case, it is certain the Subject hath no Obligation to hazard for his restitution, but rather to hinder it: For since it is the common good that both the Magistrate and the Subject are to aim at, and clearly out of what is exprest, it is the common harm to admit again [Page 7] of such a Magistrate, every one to his power is bound to resist him. The next case is, if he be innocent,pag. 135, and wrongfully deposed; nay let us add, One who had governed well, and deserved much of the Commonwealth, yet is he totally dispossessed: And so that it is plain in these Circumstances, It were better for the Common good to stay as they are, than to venture the restoring him, because of the publick hazard.’
And now to set down all his words, and follow his style, which is affectedly intricate and obscure, he maintaineth that a dispossessed Prince, whether by right or wrong, ‘is obliged absolutely to renounce all Right and claim to Government; and if he does not,pag. 136. he is worse then an Infidel.’
He tells us, That Pope Ʋrban the VIII. ‘published a Decision, That after five years quiet possession of an Estate,pag. 151. the Church was not bound to take notice whether the Title were lawful or no, but acknowledge the possessor in Ecclesiastical business.’
‘That when the peoples good stands on the possessors side, then clearly he begins to gain right and power. That when the people think themselves [Page 8] well, they manifestly consent to the present Government.pag. 154. Besides (saith he) who can assure they shall be beter by the return of the dispossessed party▪ Surely by common presumption the gainer is like to defend them better then he who lost it.’ He comes so far as to conclude; That if the old Magistrate offer to return, he must be repulsed by force of Arms. His reasoning is this;
‘What if an open ene my should come, could or ought the Subjects joyn against him with their new Magistrate.pag, 157, If not, the whole publick must perish; If they may, then their case is the same against their old Magistrate, since his right stood upon the common Peace; and that transferred from him to his Rival by the Title of quiet possession.’
This was the Philosophy of that contemplative Gentleman, when the King lived in Exile, and Oliver sate on the Throne. Having so well deserved of the King, he was not long since highly recommended to his Majesty, by a man of great Note. But the King who hath a Royal Insight into persons and businesses, stopt him with this short answer, No more of that, I know what man he is.
Father Bre [...] was of M. Whites opinion, for the Castle of Jersey being surrendred after that resistance which for the length of standing out, and [Page 9] the height of Valour shall be memorable in all ages: When the Gentlemen who had defended it were prest to take the Engagement, contrary to the Articles of their Rendition: That goodly Divine was very earnest with them at S. Malo to take it; maintaining, That they were not to acknowledge any Supreme but the prevailing power.
When his Majesty cast himself upon the Spaniard, the Jesuitical party thought they had him sure enough from ever returning; but God disappointed their hopes, and deceived our fears by his miraculous mercy; For it is the Lords doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes, that he scaped out of those hands.
I cannot leave un-observed, That in the height of the late tyranny, two heads of the Gun-powder Traitors that were set upon the House of Lords, were taken down; not by the high winds, but by the same zeal which had had plotted that Treason, and with the leave of Traitors of another feather. We may hear in time that those holy Reliques are shrined up in gold, and are working miracles.