A decacordon of ten quodlibeticall questions concerning religion and state wherein the authour framing himfelfe [sic] a quilibet to euery quodlibet, decides an hundred crosse interrogatorie doubts, about the generall contentions betwixt the seminarie priests and Iesuits at this present.

THE ANSWERE.

NAy ask whether any of them do stand firme, and remaine sound and liue conformable to the first institution of their order or no, conside∣ring that euen those who otherwise are of good disposition, and haue ma∣ny signes of grace in them: yet being but of shallow wits, simple conceits, & meane iudgement for casting of plots or statizing, they must silly soules be imployed as practitioners in another kind, to wit, to win affections vnto them, and admiration to be had of them, either by a vowed silence, Quia stultus si tacuerit pro sapiente reputabitur: or else by rules giuen them, what they may speake, and not passe those limits assigned them: or other∣wise to employ themselues as they find euery one fittest and best agree∣ing to feede humorists with phantasticall conceits. Which points if any either make scruple of, yea or thinke it not meritorious for obedience sake, or otherwise, do not manage it hansomely, he is sure to be thrust out for a reprobate, or some euill end to come to him one way or other.

But now for heretikes and Apostataes, I haue said enough in the former Quodlibets, that there are many of them fallen alreadie out of Gods church without euer returne againe, and so they do daily, and question∣lesse so they will do still: there being no more certaintie nor assurance of their stand then of any other, either secular, or religious person, nor in very deed so much (as they now liue) because they haue made religion, but an art of such as liue by their wits, and (as I said before) a very hotch potch of omnium githerum, religious secular, cleargicall, laicall, ecclesiastical, monasti∣call, spirituall, temporall, martiall, ciuill, oeconomicall, politicall, liberall, mecha∣nicall, municipiall, irregular, and all without order. And howsoeuer they brag, band and boast of their familiaritie with God, their rare and special indowments for guiding and gouernement of soules more then secular Priests haue (whom Catholickes are admonished to take heed of, and be∣ware of all Priests in generall, that are not either Iesuites or guided by Ie∣suites in all things) their high contempt of Priesthood, their fanaticall dreams of extraordinary inspirations, insufflations, illuminations (or terme them incantations, or what you list, for all is starke nought) yet will they neuer or hardly be able to recouer that credite they haue lost through∣out all Christendome by these arrogant vaunts of their holinesse.

And as for the last point, whether any of them haue returned againe into Gods Church after their lapse or no: another question might be made whether they haue not brewed a new heresie in a greene fustie vessell, or broched an old, raised vp ab orco out of a rotten stinking

caske, in maintaining it in precise termes as they haue, viz: that after a man is fallen out of the Catholick Church, although he returne again & be re∣co••••iled to outward shew: yet is he still an Apostata, & so to be accounted for euer after, & neuer to be admitted of into the Church of God, to beare any authoritie, or to be preferred to any ecclesiasticall dignitie, as one of God forsaken, & impossible for such euer to recouer their former grace, & stand againe. Insomuch as hereby you may note, that if S. Peter had come vnder a Iesuits censure (as he did vnder his mercifull Lord & Master Iesus after his relapse with thrise denial & forswearing of him) he shold neuer to death haue bene head of the Church afterward, no nor euer numbred a∣mongst the twelue Apostles: nor yet iudged worthie to haue bene one of the seuen Deacons equals: but well, if he had recouered the name of one of the seuentie Disciples amongst these sharp censurers of all men. And this is the cause why it hath seemed so rare amongest the ignorant people to heare of a Iesuits fall out of the church. Nay whosoeuer should say so, or yet that a Iesuit could fal or erre, or misgouern himself or others, or do any thing amisse, you shall haue a yong Iesuitesse ready to flie in his face, to cast the house out at the window where she stands, and better had it bene for such an infamous detractor (forsooth) to haue gone an hundred miles on his bare feet, then euer to haue spoken such a word, as being sure to be accounted of as a spie, an heretick, or at least an vnsound Catholike, attainted in his good name euer after: for who can fastē such a slander vp∣on these new illuminates, they haue such cogging shifts with them, and so many of them: as that (amōgst others) if any going vnder the name of a Ie∣suit chance to fall, then it shall be giuen out that he was a Seminarie or se∣cular Priest, and quite discarded from the societie. If it be so manifest as it cannot be denied, but he was a Iesuit indeede: then shall he either be gotten in and reconciled againe, and so secretly conueied out of the land, or else the matter hushed vp in hucker mucker, so as it shall neuer be after spoken of: for you know a wonder lasteth but nine daies, and then it is for∣gotten, (especially if no reckoning be made of it) as though it had neuer bene.

And this Machiuilian trick they haue by meanes of their spials & intel∣ligents in euery country, court and corner, that so soone as euer any mis∣hap doth happē to any one, they presently being certified therof, set down the conclusion: whether such a partie his fall or other euill demeanure, be fitter to be blazed abroade or smoothered vp, or in what sort it may be handled to their most aduantage, and accordingly hereunto, if he be one of theirs, and that the fact cannot be concealed, then to giue it out as a trifle, light matter, or thing of nothing: or else that the partie was one long agone reiected and neuer accounted of amongst them, but yet let alone, for that they knew what end he would make before hand, &c. And so the speech going abroade amongst Catholickes, as sent first from the

fathers, there is litle or no talke of it, as not worthie of anie memorie or no∣tice: and such in a sort was Maister Wrights case, though to their shame he hath proued better then anie of them as yet haue proued: and farre better since he hath consorted himselfe to liue as other Priestes did, then when at the first he had a smacke of their singularitie in his proceedings. But let it be of anie Seminarie or secular Priest, and then all the belles in the Towne, nay in the whole Realme must ring of it: nay sea and land must be coursed and canuassed with their letters, postes and messengers, in the passe and repasse out of England into Fraunce, and from Fraunce to Flaunders, and thence into Italy, Germanie, Rome, Spaine, Por∣tugall and Ierusalem, to blaze it abroade of the weakenesse, loose∣nesse, scandale, badde and corrupt life of all Seminaries and secular Priestes in generall: and how vnfit they are to come into England, or for any of them to take the charge of soules vpon them, for one mans of∣fence or miscariage. And he vnhappie man, whose life, death & good name, for euer after must hang in the blast of their mouths, though he repent with S. Peter, or recant with S. Marcelline, yet shall his first fault be laid in his dish euer after, with Pharisaicall vpbraiding of him whensoeuer occasion is offered of a malitious reuenge to betaken. Nay what is more common with these precise pure illuminates, then thus to censure of the most constant Martyrs and Confessours (if not wholy Iesuited) of this age? Who though they neuer could be touched with any act, word or thought of reuolt from Gods Church, or stepping any whit awrie: yet these diuellish spirites of a Luciferian pride and conceit of their owne proper excellencie, will touch them to the quicke with these speeches: I pray God he may stand, he is but a weake man, such a father had bene fitter then he to haue managed such a mat∣ter, &c.

Notes

• Were it not that al histories, Chro∣nicles, antiquities & dailye examples make it manifest that there is no error so grosse, no sect so absurd, no here••y so blasphe∣mous, no archbro∣ker of any impie∣tie, so base, but hath had and still will haue mil∣lions of folowers, yea & at the first before they be discouered) some very wise, blessed, and perhaps lear∣ned men, to folow fauor and defend or allow of them: I shold otherwise haue thought it impossible that so many sound Ca∣tholickes, & some wise, learned and vertu••••••, should euer ha••e bene blinded with thes•• ••••arisa••call Iesuites as they are 〈◊〉〈◊〉 it is ••••••o∣ueltie, neither ••••y ••••••••••ent of a Ie∣•••••••• pietie of iust ca••se.