COP●● OF A LATE DECREE OF the Sorbone 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , for the condemning of that impious and haericall opinion touching the murthering 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ; Generally maintained by the Iesuites , And amongst the rest , of late by IOANNES MARIANA , a Spaniard ▪ Together , with the Arrest of the Parliament , for 〈…〉 that Decree , And the condem●● 〈…〉 Marianas Book 〈…〉 burnt by the Executioner .

¶ Taken out of the Register of the Parliament , and translated into English .

¶ IMPRINTED AT LONDON by R.B. ANNO 1610.

IT hath bene long since obserued , that England whilest it was in captiuitie and bondage vnder the Bishop of Rome , was of all other Countreys most oppressed with his intolerable exactions , and most heauy impositions . In so much as this our most noble Countrey was termed by the Frenchmen the Popes Asse ; and one of the Popes owne Cardinals , in the dayes of Innocentius 4. vnderstanding of the polling and pillage which the Romane Collectors and ministers did vse in this Countrey , to the great griefe of the inhabitants thereof , of , did in compassion vse these wordes to the said Pope , Anglia nostrís iniurijs multoties laesa , quasi Asina Balaam , calcaribus & fustibus caesa , tandem loquitur & obloquitur , & se nimis & intolerabiliter conqueritur fatigatam , & instaurabiliter damnificatam ; England many times wounded with our iniuries , and beaten as it had bene Balaams asse , with spurres and clubs , at the last doeth speake and repine at it , and doeth complaine , that she was too much and intolerably wearied , and irrecouerably damnified . Into which blockish thraldome this kingdome was brought , through the lewdnesse , false practises , and impostures of the Priests , who by their counterfait miracles , and Reuelations , touching the seuerall paines and punishment of soules in Purgatorie , so terrified the mindes of men and women ( brought vp in ignorance and more then Aegyptiacall darkenes ) as they led them hither and thither like brute beasts , for the compassing of their owne designes , that they , and the Pope their master might tyrannize as they list . And although the iuggling and fraud of the Bishop of Rome , and his traiterous brood , is now more publiquely knowen to all the world , and especially to vs here in England , then it was in former times : Yet as if we meant to be Asses stil , it is incredible , how many are dayly seduced with toyes and bables by such lewd Priests and Iesuites , as hauing bene traiterously brought vp in the Seminaries beyond the Seas , and learned all the false sleights and iuggling trickes that those places can afford , doe lurke , vpon their stealth into England , in many corners within this Realme , studying with all their skill , not onely to imitate their Predecessors in all their wicked and lewd practises , but to goe therein farre beyond them ; as being Vipers of a more detestable generation , then we euer heard of in this Countrey , or in any other Christian Kingdome or Nation in the dayes and times of our forefathers . And as it is obserued by Philo the Iew , of the old Scribes and Pharises before the comming of our Sauiour CHRIST , how mightily they preuailed and were followed by women ; so now it hapneth and falleth out in this Kingdome with that sexe , that these new Scribes and Pharises , the Iesuites and Priests that adhere vnto them , doe strangely bewitch them , hauing more secret conuersation with them , vnder pretence of Confession , then in some politicke considerations perhaps is conuenient . It is too well knowen to this false brood of Romish Priests and hypocrites , how easily , and by what light sleights women may be seduced : neither are they ignorant , when they haue so done , what mischiefe doeth thereby ( for the most part ) happen , in those families , where such seduced women doe liue and beare rule , they being commonly very passionate and violent in their affections and opinions . But it were lesse hurt , if these new Scribes and Pharises did limit their false practises to the inueygling and seducing of women , and that they did not in like sort seeke with al their Engines and deuilish stratagems to infect with their poyson young Gentlemen , and such others of the Laitie , as they can by any meanes induce to giue eare vnto them ; most men ( not well grounded ) being soone weary of the present estate wherein they liue , and euer desirous of Nouelties , ( especially we in England , ) if they tend to superstition and Idolatry : Whereby it falleth out , according to the nature of pestilent corruption and poison , which worketh very violently when it is taken , that the late sort of Recusants in England , men and women of all sorts ( which haue bene peruerted and poysoned by the said new Iesuiticall brood , and other Impostors of their straine ) are growen into great fury , induring with no patience at all , to be in any wise impugned . For the more violent the poysoned opinions are , wherewith they are peruerted , the more desperate and audacious they are become , to vphold and defend them . The Powder-Treason in England had many abetters ; and that lewd Iesuite Garnet , drawen and hanged for his Treason , is now become a Martyr , and wanteth not the confirmation of his Martyrdome by a strange miracle in a straw , deuised and published by two lewd Recusants in London , one Griffin a tailor , and Wilkinson a yong silke man ▪ And it is not to be doubted , a Iesuite very lately hauing written an Apologie in the behalfe of the said lewd Traitor , ( the same being approued by the Generall of the Iesuites in Rome , after it was allowed by three other Iesuites ) but that our Recusants in England of the furious stampe , will hereafter , as they dare , iustifie the said villainous Traitour . When the Oath of Allegiance Anno 3. Regis Iacobi was made and confirmed by Act of Parliament , it is probably supposed , that all the Recusants in England would willingly haue taken it , as sundry of them began , had not the Iesuits opposed themselues , and procured the Pope to commaund the contrary . Since which time it is euident , how many haue refused , ( as being bewitched and cast into a reprobate sense ) to receiue the said Oath , diuers euen of the more moderate sort , as well Priests as other persons , pretending that they cannot in conscience receiue it , because the trayterous positions concerning the deposing or murthering of Princes by their Subiects ( there being little difference betwixt them , in that it hath bene seldome seene , that such trayterous Subiects as were able to depose their Soueraignes , did euer thinke it policie to suffer them to liue ) are there termed to be Haereticall . False and diabolicall assuredly they are , and directly contrary to the two first Commandements of the second Table , Honour thy father and mother ; and Thou shalt doe no murther ; And then , if they haue bene wilfully and publiquely defended by any , why they should not be acknowledged for damnable Haeresies , I for my part cannot discerne . For I agree in iudgement herein with Grosthead Bishop of Lincolne ( in the dayes of Henry the 3. King of this Realme ) where he defineth Haeresie in these words ; Haeresis est sententia humano sensu electa , Scripturae sacrae contraria , palam edocta , pertinaciter defensa : Haeresie is an opinion chosen by humane sense , contrary to the Scripture , publiquely taught , and wilfully defended . How these false lewd and traiterous opinions haue bene published to the world , and shamefully mainteined , it doeth appeare by diuers bookes and Treatises , printed and diuulged , to the perpetuall shame of the Authors and approuers of them : As by the booke intituled De iustâ abdicatione Hen. 3. and by another not long since , Viz. Decemb. 13. An. 1598. allowed to be Printed In Coenobio Madriti , at Madrill in Spaine , by Friar Peter de Onna the Principall of that Order , and compiled by Iohn Mariana , a Spanish Iesuite , at that time Scholemaster to the now King . This second booke is thus intituled , Iohannis Marianae Hispani è societate Iesu , De Rege & Regis institutione libri tres ad Philippum 3. Hispaniae Regem Catholicum ; Three books of Iohn Mariana , a Spaniard , of the societie of Iesu , Of a King , & Of the instruction , or bringing vp of a King , to Philip the 3. the Catholick king of Spaine . And the Author of it hath the now Kings License , that none within his dominions vnder a certaine penaltie , shall print it , nisi de Authoris voluntate , without the Authors consent . In this booke the murthering of Princes by priuate persons , is in direct termes fully approued , and particularly the butcherous and traiterous slaughter of the French King Henry the 3. by Iames Clement a Dominicane . Against which traiterous , deuilish and hęretical doctrine , diuers learned men haue opposed themselues , and lately the Vniuersitie of Paris , vpon the barbarous murther of their late renowmed King Henry the 4. who besides their detestation of that fact , do fully conclude the said new conceit of murthering of Kings and Soueraigne Princes , to be a very lewd and haereticall opinion . The Act of whose proceedings comming to my friends hands , together with the Arrest of the Parliament of Paris , for the condemning , drawing through the streets , and burning of the said booke of Iohn Mariana , he hath thought it fit to offer to the Presse to be published in Print , if so it might seeme good to some in Authority : to the end that thereby , if it were possible , not onely the malignant humours of the more furious sort of our Popish Recusants , might be abated , when they shall finde their treacherous and traiterous schoolemasters , the Iesuites , with their adherents , to bee condemned for Haereticks ; but that also the milder and more moderate sort of Priests , and other Recusants , might be induced not to refuse the said Oath of Allegiance , because the said conceits of murthering of Princes ( a consequent in effect of deposing them ) is therein termed an Haereticall opinion . And so I referre you to the Actes themselues , as they were copied out of the Register of the Parliament of Paris .