A LETTER WRITTEN BY A IESVITE TO THE QVEENS MAJESTIE, MARCH, XXII.
WHEREIN He uſeth divers ſubtle inſinuations to Her Majeſty, for the Kings Majeſties repealing and recalling of the Lawes and Proclamations againſt the Ieſuits, Prieſts, and Recuſants.
With a brief conſideration of the Reaſons, intimated in the Letter, and a juſt Confutation of them.
LONDON. Printed for Iohn Watkins.
IT hath alwais bin accounted honourable, for great perſonages to have pitty and compaſſion of afflicted and diſtreſſed ſouls; but eſpecially if they were guiltleſſe and innocent, and ſuffered for good, yea for Gods cauſe.
A moſt fit occaſion of exerciſing this heroicall act is now offered to your Majeſty, by the manifold moleſtations infliſted upon Engliſh Catholiques, the truth of whoſe religion and innocency is briefly convinced in our many Treatiſes; for which cauſe I have thought it no preſumption, to commend them to your Royall Protection.
The Hiſtory of Heſter is not unknown to your Majeſty, and wee doubt her example deſerveth no leſſe imitation then admiration, by her mediation with King Ahaſuerus, the Nation of the Iews was delivered from an univerſall overthrow; and why ſhould not Queen Marie prevail as far with King Charles, for ancient and Chriſtian Catholiques.
Can any doubt, but that he would extend the Golden Rod of Clemency towards the deareſt Spouſe; yea rather divide his Kingdome then deny her requeſt: his Majeſty is already informed of former ſervices performed by Catholiques both to his Grandmother of happy memory, and himſelf, for which they crave no other recompence: or reward, but the recalling and repelling of ſuch Proclamations and Laws, as their Adverſaries have procured againſt them.
This did Queen, Eſter obtain of King Ahaſuerus for the Jews. Thus wee Catholiques beſeech your Majeſty to motion for us; but yet notwithſtanding that earneſtneſſe, which good Mordicheus uſed, who ſpared not to tell the Queen, making ſome difficulty? That though ſhe held her peace, the Iewes ſhould be delivered by ſome other meanes, but that ſhe and her Fathers houſe ſhould periſh; onely wee will urge that which immediatly followeth, who knoweth whether this was the cauſe of your Majeſties comming to the Crown, that you might be prepared againſt ſuch a time.
This alſo we add, which makes the matter more eaſie: we deſire no mans harm but our own good, we wiſh for no mans fall that we may riſe: wee would rejoyce, but would have none to ſorrow: when our Country was ſeperated from the Catholique Faith, and Church of Rome, all was done by great force and violence, wee hope when we ſhall return, all will bee compaſſed with a contrary courſe: and we would willingly admit that Expoſition, which one hath made of St. Edwards Viſion; if it had no other difficulty in it then this. Two Monks which this holy King had bin familiarly acquainted with in NORMANDIE, and were now Saints in Heaven, appeared to him, and told him of his Countries, comming to a better eſtate, by propoſing unto him this Probleme; A green Tree being cut from the body, let it bee ſeparated the ſpace of four Acres from the Root, which when mans hand compelling it, no neceſſity urging it, returning to the body, ſhall come again to the ancient Root, and taking ſap, ſhall flouriſh, and bear fruit again then, &c.
By this green Tree, ſaith my Author, wee may very well underſtand the Kingdome of England: of which St. Edward, and thoſe holy Monks cenſured the cutting it from the body, was dividing it from the Sea Apodilique, for the ſpace of four Acres, that is, for the time of four Princes Reigns, King Henrie, King Edward, Queen Elizabeth, and King James.
Wherfore now what are we to expect, but that without all compulſion, or conſtraint, it ſhould return to the body and root again, and begin to flouriſh with Catholique Doctrine, and bear fruit of good works, by receiving the S•p of Grace, which cannot bee out of the vertue of the Catholique Church, which conſiſteth of the foreſaid head and Members.
Thus he, and howſoever (as I ſaid) the reſt may be exproved, we ſhould like paſſing well this facility and ſweetneſſe without force and violence; and therfore doe earneſtly wiſh, that as the ſeperation between King Henry and Queen Katherine, was a great beginning of that other breach: ſo the inſeparable love of King Charles and Queen Marie might reſtore us to the ancient union, The very attempting of this Noble and Godly Enterpriſe, deſerveth immortall praiſes.
THe firſt Reaſon, for the ſervices performed by the Catholiques to his Grand-mother.
It is a conſiderable ſervice, for by the inſtigation and malice of the Jeſuits, and Romiſh Catholicks, were that Queen drawn and invited to thoſe trayterous deſigns and practiſes againſt Queen Elizabeth, and the State; for which that great, but unfortunate Princeſſe loſt her head.
The 2. Reaſon, for the ſervices done to his Maj. this Jeſuite would not be ſeen to know, or at leaſt would not have it remembred, that deteſtable plot of the Powder Treaſon; wherby his Majeſties Father, and His whole Progeny, and this State, had ſuffered in that execrable way, that no times could ever parallel.
And for his Majeſties ſervice to himſelf in particular, though this Letter might ſeem to be written before this horrid Rebellion in Ireland began; yet I cannot beleeve, but the ground-work & plot therof was laid before this Letter: and alſo the diſcention between us and Scotland plotted: All which, who is ſo ignorant, as not to know that it proceeds from the Jeſuits and Romiſh Catholicks: Therfore let all out deſires to her Majeſty bee to move the King, that inſtead of Mordeca's reward, they may have the juſt reward of trayterous Haman, which they never yet failed to deſerve.
Thirdly, this alſo we add, which may make the matter more eaſie, we deſire no mans harm, but our good: we wiſh for no mans fall that we may riſe.
This addition makes a fair gloſſe, but mark the conſequence, what followeth that State and Kingdome wherin Idolatry is ſuffered to be committed? Whatſoever is offenſive unto God, is not to be tollerated; Idolatry it ſelf is offenſive unto God, and conſequently the exerciſe and permiſſion of the ſame. A Chriſtian Prince being the keeper of both tables of the Decalogue, ſhould not ſuffer Idolatry to defile the worſhip of God, within His Dominions.
Whatſoever the good Kings of Iudah, and other godly Princes are commended for in the Scripture, that Chriſtian Princes ought to imitate; therfore Chriſtian Princes ought to expell contrary worſhippers, and to repreſſe Idolatry in like manner.
The Propoſition is manifeſt, for whatſoever is written, is written for our inſtruction, the aſſumption is proved by induction. Aſa brake down the Altars and Images of ſtrange Gods, 2 Chron. 14.3. Iehoſaphat removed the high places and Groves, 2 Chron, 17.6: Ioſiah put down the Chemarines that were Idolatrous Prieſts, 2 Kings 23.5. Iacoh would not ſuffer Idolatry to be committed in his houſe, but buried all the Images under an Oak, Gen. 35.5. All which were commended for ſo doing.
We would rejoyce, but would have none to ſorrow? What greater ſorrow can befall a State or Kingdome then the wrath of God to hang over their heads, which Idolatry and ſuperſtitious worſhip draws upon them where it is tolerated: and although the Almighty for a time permits, yet when his violl of wrath is ful wo be to that ſtate. Which let all of us humbly pray, may not fall upon this Nation, Amen.
(EEBO-TCP ; phase 2, no. A81251)
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