The svpplication of all the papists of England to King James at his first comming to the crowne for a tolleration of their religion wherein, with much impudence, they professe and protest themselves to be the onely obedient one's unto the soveraigne Princes, under whom they live, out of conscience to avoid sin : when not long after they fell upon that un-exampled piece of villany, the Gun-pouder treason : whereunto is added, A letter sent from Bishop Abbot Archbishop of Canterbury to the King : against toleration of the popish religion.

The svpplication of all the papists of England to King James at his first comming to the crowne for a tolleration of their religion wherein, with much impudence, they professe and protest themselves to be the onely obedient one's unto the soveraigne Princes, under whom they live, out of conscience to avoid sin : when not long after they fell upon that un-exampled piece of villany, the Gun-pouder treason : whereunto is added, A letter sent from Bishop Abbot Archbishop of Canterbury to the King : against toleration of the popish religion.

Table of contents

Title page

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Bishop Abbot Archbishop of Canterbury, his Letter to King JAMES His Majesty, against tolleration of the Popish Religion.

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THE SVPPLICATION OF ALL THE PAPISTS OF ENGLAND, TO King JAMES, At his first comming to the Crowne, For a Tolleration of their Religion.

Wherein (with much impudence) they professe and protest themselves, to be the onely obedient one's unto the Soveraigne Princes (under whom they live) out of conscience to avoid sin: When not long after they fell upon that un-exampled piece of villany (The Gun-pouder Treason.)

Whereunto is added, A Letter sent from Bishop Abbot Archbishop of Canterbury, to the King; against Toleration of the Popish Religion.

Published for the observation of all good Protestants.

LONDON, Printed by E. Griffin, 1642.

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Most puissant Prince, and Orient Monarch,

SUch are the rare perfections, and admirable guifts of Wisdome, Prudence, Valor and Justice, wherewith the bountifull hand of Gods Divine Majesty hath endued your Majesty; As in the depth of your most provident judgement, we doubt not but you foresee what concerneth both the spirituall, and temporall government of all your Kingdomes and Dominions. Notwithstanding your Graces most afflicted subjects, and devoted servants, the Catholiques of England, partly to prevent sinister informations which happly may possesse your Sacred Eares, before our answer be heard; Partly as men almost overwhelmed with persecutions for our consciences, we are inforced to have speedy recourse in hope to have speedy redresse from your Highnesse, and to present these humble lines unto your royall Person, to plead for us some commiseration and favour. Alas what allegiance, or duty can any temporall Prince desire, or expect at his vassals handes, which we are not addressed to performe? How many Noblemen, and worthy Gentlemen most zealous in the Catholique Religion, have endured some losse of land and living, some exile, others imprisonment, some the effusion of bloud, and life, for the advancement of your blessed Mothers right unto the Scepter of Albion? Nay whole finger did ever ake, but Catholiques for your Majesties present Title and Dominions? How many fled to the Court offering [Page] themselves as hostages for their friends, to live and die in your gracious quarrell, if ever any adversary had opposed himselfe against the equity of your cause? If this they attempted with their Princes disgrace to gain your Majesties Grace, what wil they doe nay what will they not doe, to live without disgrace in your Majesties favour?

The many of this Realme if we respect Religion (setting petty Sects aside) consisteth upon foure parts. 1 Protestants who have domineered all the former Queenes dayes, Puritans, who have crept up apace amongst them, Atheists or Polititians, who were bred upon their brawles in matters of Faith, and Catholikes who as they are opposite to all, so are they detested of all, because errour was ever an enemy to truth. Hardly all or any two of the first can be suppressed, therefore we beseech your Majesty to yeild us as much favour as others of contrary Religion (to that which shall be publiquely professed in England) shall obtaine at your hands; For if our fault be like, lesse, or none at all, then in equity our punishment ought to be like, lesse, or none at all.

The Gates, Arches, and Pyramides of France proclaimed the present King Pater patriae & pacis restitutor, that is, The Father of his Countrey, and the restorer of peace; because that Kingdome being well neere torne in peeces with civill Warres, and made a prey to forreigne foes, was by his provident wisdom, and valour, acquitted in it selfe, and hostile strangers expelled: the which he principally effected by condiscending to tollerate them of an adverse Religion, to that which was openly professed.

Questionlesse (dread Soveraigne) the Kingdome of England, through the cruell persecution of Catholiques, hath beene almost odious to all Christian Princes and Nations, Trade and traffique is exceedingly decayed, Wars and blood have seldome ceased, subsidies and taxes never so many, discontented minds innumerable; All which your Princely Majesties connivance to your [Page] humble suppliants the afflicted Catholiques will easily redresse, especially at this your Highnesse first ingresse. Si loquaris eis verba levia, erunt tibi servi cunctis diebus, If you speake comfortable words unto them, or if you hearken unto them in this thing they will be servants unto you, or they will serve you all their dayes. For enlargement after affliction resembleth a pleasant gale after a vehement tempest, And a benefit in distresse doubleth the value thereof.

How gratefull will it bee to all Christian Princes abroad, and honourable unto your Majesty, to understand how Queene Elizabeths severity is changed into your royall clemency, and that the lenity of a man hath reedified what the mis-informed anger of a woman destroyed? That the Lyon rampant is passant, whereas the passant had beene rampant? how acceptable shall your subjects be to all Catholique Princes, and Countries, who are now almost abhorred of all, when they shall perceive your Highnesse prepareth not Pikes, or Prisons for the professors of their Faith, but permitteth them Temples, and Altars for the use of their Religion? Then shall we see with our eyes, and touch with our fingers that benediction of Isaiah, Ch. 14. Ver. 7. in this Land, that swords are turned into mattocks or ploughes, and launces into sythes; And all Nations admiring us will say, Hi sunt semem cui benedixit Dominus (that is) these are the seed whom the Lord hath blessed.

We request no more favour at your Graces hands, then that we may securely believe, and professe that Catholique Religion which all your happy predecessors professed from Donaldus the first unto your late blessed Mother martyred. A Religion venerable for antiquity, majesticall for amplitude, constant for continuance, irreprehensible for doctrine, inducing to all kind of vertue, and piety, diswading from all sinne, and wickednesse. A Religion beloved by all primitive Pastors, established by all Oecumenicall [Page] Councells, upholden by ancient Doctors, maintained by the first and best Christian Emperors, recorded (almost alone) in all Ecclesiasticall Histories, sealed with the bloud of millions of Martyrs, adorned with vertues of so many Confessors, beautified with the purity of thousands of virgins, so conformable unto naturall sense and reason, and finally so agreeable unto the Text of Gods sacred Word and Gospell. The free use of this Religion we request if not in publique Churches at least in private Houses, if not with approbation, at least with tolleration without molestation: assuring your Grace that howsoever some Protestants, or Puritans incited by morall honesty of life, or innated instinct of nature, or for feare of some temporall punishment, pretend obedience unto your Highnesse Lawes, yet certainly the only Catholiques for conscience sake observe them. For they defending, that Princes precepts, and statutes oblige no subjects under the penalty of sin, will have lesse care in conscience to transgresse them, then those who are principally tormented with the guilt of sin. But Catholikes confessing merit in obeying and immerit in transgressing the Lawes of their Soveraignes cannot but in soule be grievously tortured with the least violation, or prevarication thereof.

Wherefore (most mercifull Prince) we your long afflicted Subjects, in all dutifull subjection protest before the Majesty of God, and all his holy Angells, as loyall obedience, and immaculate allegiance unto your Grace, as ever did subjects in England, or Scotland, unto your Highnesse progenitors; And intend as sincerely with our goods, and lives to serve you, as ever did the loyallest Israelites King David, or the trustiest Legions, the Roman Emperors.

And thus expecting your Majesties accustomed favour, and gracious bounty, we rest,

Your devoted Suppliants, to him whose hands doe manage the hearts of Kings, and with reciprocall mercy will requite the mercifull Your sacred Majesties most devoted servants The Catholiques of England.

Bishop Abbot Archbishop of Canterbury, his Letter to King JAMES His Majesty, against tolleration of the Popish Religion.

[Page]

MAy it please Your Majestie, I have beene too long silent, and I am afraid, by my silence I have neglected the duty of the place it hath pleased God to call me unto, and your Majestie to place me in: And now I humbly crave leave that I may discharge my conscience towards God, and my duty to Your Majesty: And therefore I beseech you Sir to give me leave freely to deliver myselfe, and then let your Majesty do with me what You please. Your Majesty hath propounded a tolleration of religion. I beseech You Sir, take into Your consideration what Your act is, what the consequence may be: By Your act You labour to set up that most damnable and hereticall doctrine of the Church of Rome, the whore of Babylon. How hatefull will it be to God, and grievous to Your good Subjects, (the true Professors of the Gospell) that Your Majesty, who hath often disputed and learnedly written against those wicked heresies, should now shew Your Selfe a Patron of those doctrines, which Your Pen hath told the world, and Your conscience tels Your Selfe, are superstitious, idolatrous and detestable?

[Page]What dreadfull consequences, Sr, these things may draw after them, I beseech Your Majesty to consider; and above all, lest by this tolleration, and discountenance of the true profession of the Gospell, wherewith God hath blessed us, and under which this Kingdome hath these many yeares flourished, Your Majestie do not draw upon the Kingdome in generall, and Your Selfe in particular, Gods heavie wrath and indignation. Thus in discharge of my duty towards God, to Your Majestie, and the place of my calling, I have taken humble boldnesse to deliver my conscience. And now, Sir, do with me what You please.

George Cant.

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Title statement

The svpplication of all the papists of England to King James at his first comming to the crowne for a tolleration of their religion wherein, with much impudence, they professe and protest themselves to be the onely obedient one's unto the soveraigne Princes, under whom they live, out of conscience to avoid sin : when not long after they fell upon that un-exampled piece of villany, the Gun-pouder treason : whereunto is added, A letter sent from Bishop Abbot Archbishop of Canterbury to the King : against toleration of the popish religion.

Edition statement

1642

Publication

Publisher

Text Creation Partnership,

Place of publication

Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) :

Date

2003-07 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1).

ID [DLPS]

A61987

ID [STC]

Wing S6189

ID [STC]

ESTC R12076

ID [EEBO-CITATION]

12646624

ID [OCLC]

ocm 12646624

ID [VID]

65148

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Early English books online.

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(EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A61987)

Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 65148)

Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1641-1700 ; 252:E151, no 19)

Source

— The svpplication of all the papists of England to King James at his first comming to the crowne for a tolleration of their religion wherein, with much impudence, they professe and protest themselves to be the onely obedient one's unto the soveraigne Princes, under whom they live, out of conscience to avoid sin : when not long after they fell upon that un-exampled piece of villany, the Gun-pouder treason : whereunto is added, A letter sent from Bishop Abbot Archbishop of Canterbury to the King : against toleration of the popish religion., Abbot, George, 1562-1633..

Extent

6 p.

Printed by E. Griffen,. London :: 1642.. (Reproduction of original in Thomason Collection, British Library.)

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