her very Life-blood, her Blood of Honour from her fweet tender Sides: The fearfulleft Blow our Caufe ever felt, the lowdeft Tempeft that ever Hereticall Schifme could roufe, doth now rage most furiously, and threatens to pull up our Sacred Throne by the very Roots; it hath made S. Peter's tremble, fhook the very Altars and Statues, and affrighted the Afhes of fleeping Popes: We have certainly gotten a Mafter check, never felt Extremity like this; Amazement covers us, our infallible Staffe doth faile us, and for very Feare our myfterious Miter is turned Paralytick; thick Darkneffe dwells upon this Houre: Integrity, like one of Heaven's bright Luminaries, by Error's dull Element interpofing, fuffers a black Eclipfe; the Locusts of Hell are let loofe, and if they be not fwept away, we may refolve to make Bonefires of all the Books of the Vaticane, and let all the Religious turne Knights errant: It is to be feared (my Difciples) left this new-fangled Herefie pervert Nations, and Realmes, to an open Revolt from our fpirituall Scepter, and thefe Innovators fpread over the World, cover the Earth's Face, and make dark the Land like Egyptian Grafhoppers.

The Affront which our Holineffe receives, doth the more afflict us, because it comes from that Kingdome of Scotland, the most infortunate and inconfiderable Angle in the World, a People not worthy to be beloved nor fought after: Yet our Confcience beares Us Witneffe, how affectionatly we have offered unto them our apoftolicall Embracements, but they hated to be reformed. And to the End that rebellious Nation, might be brought under, You know, how I have most laboriously beftirred the Strength of Machiavell, and diligently follicited Ignatius Subtilties, who, like a glittering Serpent with his refplendent Poyfons, can moft divinely creep into the very Souls of the moft impregnable Common-wealths and teach them how to deprive Life and Motion from Us; what great Proofes we have had of their Dexterities. in fuch Convoys, the whole Chriftian World can this Day bear Record; how nimbly likewife thofe Emiffaries, (fraughted with the fame Excellencies) went about the great Work called The Poffeffion of the World, to make it Ours, you have learned by the Informations of our Secretaries, and Addresses of our Nuncio's, and may likewife judge by the Records of the Articles and Affurances which they duly dispatch from thefe Parts. The continuall Current of that Primate's Intelligence, who for his active Zeale deferveth well to be called, The Genius of the diftreffed Church in England, did fweetly refresh our longing Soules with glad Tydings, and conceived faire Hopes in our Hearts. We have juftly ripened him with the Beames of our Favour, and we must all confeffe, that how foever We laid our Commands both thick and faft upon him, his Allegeance notwithstanding was ever devoted to Us in a boundleffe Obedience, the humbleft, yet mightiest of all filiall Duties; full well he knew the Language of my Intent, and moved by my fanctimonious Breath, He hath propined moft abundantly to that Nation (and I hope effectually too; for the Bufineffe of the Univerfall Monarchy went well on, I faw it in an Egyptian Glaffe) the moft pure Waters which run from the Threshold of S. Peter's Sanctuary: Which makes this good ghoftly Father, amongst thofe yet unhallowed Heretiques, to be branded as great and prime

Incendiary of ali Christendome, who with the French Cardinall toffeth Kingdomes like Tenifbals: We heard he can negotiat moft hand fomely, and factiously, with pleasant Subtilty, and bewitching Courtship, abuse the infatuate State with Delight; he muzles the barking Tongue-men of the Time; and as cunningly as ever the Florentine Monster could poyfon the fairest Common-wealth of Europe with his Politicks, fo hath he moft Episcopally exalted our Church Hierarchy, and established a fpirituall Government there, and now happily, advanced the Opinion of our Glory, to that Eminency, that the two tutelar Angels of Cambridge and Oxford, stick not almoft to maintaine the Myter, of equall Dignity with the Scepter; nay, so good Proficients were they in his apoftolicall Canons, that as boldly durft they kick against the one, as fpurn at the other: Thus were we hopefull to fee the old Quarrell of the Gwelfes, and Gibellines, * enflame the Swords of Potentates, and die the Copes of English Cardinals, with the Blood of Hereticks; for the Courfe which he ran, feemed to be infallible, as the Prophecies of the Old Teftament, immoveable as Fate, and tollerat by Heavens Connivance: And thus like a cunning Catholick, burning with Zeal of the great Cause, and defirous to bring that fatall, and neighbouring Nation under our Banner, and within the Bofome of the Church Catholick, he faftned upon the most promifing and apparant Meanes, which our Conclave could teach him, and put the fame to as affured Execution, as if Ignatius Spirit, had made Pythagoricall Tranfmigration to his venerable Brains. For the truly Equivocall Father of that Church, with his Fellow-labourers, the Scottish Prelates, caused compyle a Service Book, (to the great Service of our Church) wherein were most divinely couched, the true Orthodox Tenets, of the Ancient, Apoftolick, and Catholick Faith; but ever oppofed by the Enemies of the Truth in that Land; and in this Web of their Compofure, they had fo ingeniously interlaced, (for though the Generals were given out from Us, yet we committed the Particulars to their owne Difcretion, refpe&ivè in Times and States,) the fweet Embellishments of our Art, and the Majeftie and Decency of our Miffall, that none could well difcover at the firft Glance, the Girnes of our Holy Treafon, by which we would have furprised the Heretick Soules, nor the Myfterie of the Work, unleffe they had the Benefit of Gregory the Great, and Bedae's Spectacles, or Calvine's Perspective, by which he faw the Antichrift fay Maffe within the Walls of Rome. And S'il eft vray thofe Reverend Prefbyters of thefe Northerne Churches, who fought not themselves, nor the Glory of this prefent World, that they might elude the People alwayes jealous of Novations, and dally with Princes, they advocate Authority, and caufed Book with the ftrong Influence of a fecular Power.

*Two Germain Brethren; the one whereof maintained the Popes Honour above the Emperour; the other fuftained the Emperours Dignitie above the Popes:

peut bien eft

re:

animat the

whereupon they fought, and the one killing the other, their Quarrell was spread throughout all Italie.

This Drift walkt apace uncenfured, never queftioned but in Thought, with a Whifle or Whisper, and what ever Difappointment it hath met with fince, what ever Misfortune hath stopped the Current, and very Spring of thefe Advancements, and Over-flowings, it ought not to be imputed to that neverenough deferving Prelate, who is of the true Champ, and perfectly fincere: But these other of Scotland, who were but his KaTeXμEvo, and Neophytes, have given a little weake Evidence of their good Breeding in their Profeffion. For the politick Inftitutor had fhown them the true and Catholick Paths, and mounted them on the Chariots of Dignity and Power. But once elevate to a Sphere too high, and not able to fuftaine fuch Happineffe, Powder was not more ambitious when the Match met it, than their Mindes to mount; which emboldened them to preffe our holy Will a little immaturely: Their prepofterous Zeal, blown up with Supererogation of Obedience, did anticipate the Maturity of our Defignes, with an unluckie Difcovery, to the eternall Difafter of thofe Politicians, and back fliding of the great Caufe; had they gone more foftly, they had come more fwiftly to Rome; but (good Souls) prefuming on the faire Path of their Meaning, went a little rafhly on, and brought within the Wildernes of an Heretical, though National Law, by fome Lines or Words dropt unadvisedly out, did innocently hurt the good Cause, and gave the Adversary Advantage by it; had they with an infinuating Distance, played a while with the Eare, and grop't the Peoples Mindes, and found to what Point their Blood moft inclined, and by ftrong Episcopall Reasons violented their Soules; had they prepared them with Purgatives, before they adhibited the Book of Miffall, too ftrong for the Puritanicall Complexion of the Scots, this Day we might have gone in Proceffion, and fung Te Deum, whereas we now fhrink under an abortive Wound, and are met to celebrate the Funerals of the most important Members of our Church, and moft confiderable Souldiours of that Northern Conqueft. The fooner they difperfed their Novations, and the more imperiously they urged Obedience, the fooner they haftened to the difplaying of all, and loofed the fair Advantages of Times and Plots. If they had not tempted the Eye of Jealoufie too much, they fhould quickly have gained, no Question, the Laicks, Sons and Daughters, of their meritorious Seducements.

But when, before the Fulneffe of Time, the Book pointed out his unknowne Head, O how it was moft profanely perfecute; and how the fharpe Invectives, like Points of Spears, have rent and difcovered his Bowels! It was abhorred as a leprous Brood, and every Parrot in the Land was taught to raile Reproaches, the very Children to preach against it, and every Mouth could moft profufely vomit forth his Blafphemies. The uncatholical Multitude, like the fpectacled Inquifitors of Venice, durft pick out Syllables of Herefie, against the Canonicall Liberties of our Church Difcipline: The Laicall Judgements durft canvafe the Mysteries of our Conclave, and question our Infallibility: But if our Holineffe had doubted their Skill in Cheating of Soules; If we had not thought they had been more fpaniolized Gamefters, We should have taught them the Times and Secrets of State, and wrought

out

out our holy Purposes more foftly, and at length found Means to make them fwallow it over as greedily, and with as implicite Obedience, as ever the Turks did their Alcoran: but we thought, it was no Matter of Difficulty to reconcile that filly Lunatick Church with ours, efpecially fince they began to have a Communion of Words with Us, and used familiarly that Idiome, which once heard of before amongst them, would have made a whole Church fall into a Swound, fo much did we confide the continuall Affurances of our Attourneyes amongst them as the Cabinet of my Intelligences can well inftruct: And therfore our difeafed Prelates would have done well, fometimes to have throwne into the Peoples Eares, out of Pulpits, the Authority of Councels, and guilded over the Rudeneffe of their Pillules with the Homilies of Fathers; yet faithfull Soules, we know their Intentions were meerly and purely Catholicall; but the affectionat Paffion to approve themselves obfequious to our holy Defires, made them prove too Herculean, that offered to strangle Serpents in their Craddles; for fooner could the Segniory of Geneva, embrace the Miffall, and the abject Valdenfes affent to our Supremacy, than that curfed Crew, could be moved to welcome that Book of Reformation, which we out of our holy and fatherly Care, as fupream Head of the Church on Earth, conceived to be the Soveraigne Way to convey the Beames of our Purity, through the Darkness of those Islands: but they had all drunk in fuch a mortall Diflike against it, as no Authority was able to reftraine the strong inward Thoughts of the difloyall Subjects, and the hot Murmurings, from comming to outward Refiftances, which all the Ecclefiafticall Canons could not beat down, nor fecular Power overcome; Thus being a People without Wisdome, given over to the Spirit of Delufion, and Herefie, which wrought moft powerfully in them, and laying afide all Subjection of their execrable Wills and Judgements, infected with that Leprofie which they fuckt from the Arch-Enemies of the Truth with an immovable Refolution, they combine against their own Anointed, and those likewayes whom by the Oyl of Purity we have confecrate to be the Bishops of their Soules; and not knowing the Principles of implicite Obedience, they begin to fift those undoubted Verities, which are as old as the Sunne and Starres, and doe arraigne our Catholick Apoftolicke Truths before their Tribunall; where our venerable Clergy (being the Character of our own Image) in whose Hands we have abfolutely put the Raignes of Ecclefiafticall and Secular Government, muft ftand to their Determination, and wait upon the Dif cretion of an ufurped and hereticall Cenfure. O high Impiety! The last of all Nations, (whose Revenues could hardly afford Us Oyle to our Sallads) Is it to them we owe Account of our Infallible Wayes? Shall not they take of our Hands, which Multitudes, Nations, Peoples and Tongues, more regarded by Heavens than they, have kindly accepted? Shall they refufe to drink of that Cup wherewith we have inebriate the Powers of the World?

No, Counsellors and Rulers of the Earth, though hitherto we have failed with a very profperous Wind, and were hopefull to arrive at the Port of our

Defires,

Hinc dolor,

hine lachry

ma.

Defires, yet now certainly our Defignes feeme to be scattered by a Thing which they call a COVENANT, even as the fired Ship put in, fevered the Fleet in 88. For when this black Herefie had difplayed the Enfignes of that Covenant, then. whole Squadrons, Legions, and Numbers of Hereticks, like Frogs, were fo efpoufed in their Soules to the Devotion thereof, that fooner might you blow away the Light from the Sunne, than pull them from their Covenant, or work up their feftered Judgements to right Reason. This accurfed Covenant, the King of all Monfters in Religion (which is able to make all other Monsters to be unadmired, and draw all Number to this only) out of whose Wombe, like the Trojane Horfe, are like to come a furious Crew of undaunted Hereticks to brafh the Wals of Rome) gives Name to a Sect, which no Nation ever heard of, and if we were to tranflate, we could not finde a Word to expreffe the fame in any Language. The Strength of our Confidence, and Life of our Hopes, all thofe rank Infinuations and alluring Snares wherewith we had enlived, and informed that Book of Service, like a Serpent hath got his Head bruifed with a Bolt fhot from that Covenant; Nature seemes to debarr us of all Meanes of Helpe; and if the fublimated Inventions of our Policies could ferve to restore, yet Fortune likewayes feemes to thunder all, and threatens to fhiver our Machinations; for out of the Gates of Hell doe all the Infernall Powers rush like a River, whofe Current cannot be ftopt; and who can stay their Courfe? Indeed as the God of Truth, in all the Exigencies of the Church, doth ftir up the Spirit of Truth, to vindicate his Purity from the Afperfions of the wicked, who love Darkness better than Truth, fo have we found a moft gratious and true Witneffe amongst themselves; for their owne Countreyman (in whom all courtly and catholicall Graces doe reign and throng moft eminently) hath with a very good Succeffe drawne his victorious and triumphing Pen against them and their Covenant; We had fufficient Hopes that his magnifick MANIFESTO fhould have curbed the Infolencies of these phanatick Covenanters, laid open their Shame to the World, or restored their diseased Judgements; but he hath fallen fo many Bowes fhort of his reforming Intentions, that like Oyl throwne into the Flame it hath begotten whole Generations of Covenanters, who will impeach the Advancement of our Kingdome, more than ever Mahomet, and his Fellow Sergius, did obfcure Boniface; yet the Man hath put forth great Strength of Wit, his Reward doth moft duely attend him, he must have Honor eft fome round Preferment and corpulent Dignity, that he may leade præmium virtutis. a Lordly Life, and raile at Eafe: We muft let a Beame fall upon him, by which our Highneffe ufeth to keep Defert warm, and entertain the Life of a Holy Zeale to the great Caufe. Certainly he must be Exalted, a Mafter-piece of Man, compofed by. Heavens for a great Prince's Favour, and Kingdome's Love: Exact Envie cannot finde a Place, to ftick a Blot on his Perfon or Fame; We do ordaine that never-enough admired Book, The Whip and

Un brave bomne tout a

fait, & mi

roir qui ne flatte point.

This may turn Propheticall.

Shame