The Triplici Nodo, Triplex Cuneus. Or An Apologie For The Oath Of Allegiance (1)

WHAT a monstrous, rare, nay neuer heard-of Treacherous attempt, was plotted within these few yeeres here in England, for the destruction of Mee, my Bed-fellow, and our posteritie, the whole house of Parliament, and a great number of good subjects of all sorts and degrees; is so famous already through the whole world by the infamie thereof, as it is needlesse to bee repeated or pub- lished any more; the horrour of the sinne it selfe doeth so lowdly proclaime it. For if those crying sinnes, (whereof mention is made in the Scripture)[*]haue that epithet giuen them for their publique infamie, and for procuring as it were with a lowd cry from heauen a iust vengeance and recompense, and yet those sinnes are both old and too common, neither the world, nor any one Countrey being euer at any time cleane voyd of them: If those sinnes (I say) are said in the Scripture to cry so lowd; What then must this sinne doe, plotted without cause, infinite in crueltie, and singular from all examples ? What proceeded hereupon is likewise notorious to the whole world; our Iustice onely taking hold vpon the offenders, and that in as honourable and publique a forme of Triall, as euer was vsed in this Kingdome.

2. For although the onely reason they gaue for plotting so heinous an attempt, was the zeale they caried to the Romish Religion; yet were neuer any other of that profession the worse vsed for that cause, as by our gracious Proclamation immediatly after the discouery of the said fact doeth plainly appeare: onely at the next sitting downe againe of the Parliament, there were Lawes made, setting downe some such orders as were thought fit for preuenting the like mischiefe in time to come. Amongst which a forme of OATH was framed to be taken by my Subiects, whereby they should make a cleare profession of their resolution, faith- fully to persist in their obedience vnto mee, according to their naturall allegiance; To the end that I might hereby make a separation, not onely betweene all my good Subiets in generall, and vnfathfull Traitors, that intended to withdraw themselues from my obedience; But specially to make a separation betweene so many of my Subiects, who although they were otherwise Popishly affected, yet retained in their hearts the print of their naturall dutie to their Soueraigne; and those who being caried away with the like fanaticall zeale that the Powder- Traitors were, could not conteine themselues within the bounds of their naturall Allegiance, but thought diuersitie of religion a safe pretext for all kinde of trea-

sons, and rebellions against their Soueraigne. Which godly and wise intent, God did blesse with successe accordingly: For very many of my Subiects that were Popishly affected, aswell Priests, as Layicks, did freely take the same Oath: whereby they both gaue me occasion to thinke the better of their fidelitie, and likewise freed themselues of that heauie slander, that although they were fellow professors of one Religion with the powder-Traitors, yet were they not ioyned with them in treasonable courses against their Soueraigne; whereby all quietly minded Papists were put of despaire, and I gaue a good proofe that I intended no persecution against them for conscience cause, but onely desired to be secured of them for ciuill obedience, which for conscience cause they were bound to performe.

3. But the diuel could not haue deuised a more malicious tricke for interrupting this so calme and clement a course, then fell out by the sending hither, and publish- ing a Breue of the Popes, countermanding all them of his profession to take this Oath; Thereby sowing new seeds of ielousie betweene me and my Popish Subiects, by stirring them vp to disobey that lawfull commandement of their Soueraigne, which was ordeined to bee taken of them as a pledge of their fidelitie; And so by their refusall of so iust a charge, to giue mee so great and iust a ground for punishment of them, without touching any matter of conscience: throwing themselues needlesly into one of these desperate straits; either with the losse of their lives and goods to renounce their Allegiance to their naturall Soueraigne; or else to procure the condemnation of their soules by renouncing the Catholicke faith, as he alleadgeth.

4. And on the other part, although disparitie of Religion (the Pope being head of the contrary part) can permit no intelligence nor intercourse of messengers betweene mee and the Pope: yet there being no denounced warre betweene vs, he hath by this action broken the rules of common ciuilitie and iustice between Christian Princes, in thus condemning me vnheard, both by accounting me a perse- cutor, which cannot be but implied by exhorting the Papists to endure Martyrdome; as likewise by so straitly commanding all those of his profession in England, to refuse the taking of this Oath; thereby refusing to professe their naturall obedience to me their Soueraigne. For if he thinke himselfe my lawfull Iudge, wherefore hath he condemned me vnheard ? And, if he haue nothing to doe with me and my gouern- ment (as indeed he hath not) why doeth he mittere falcem in alienam messem, to meddle betweene me and my Subiects, especially in matters that meerely and onely concerne ciuill obedience ? And yet could Pius Quintus in his greatest fury and auowed quarrell against the late Queene, doe no more iniurie vnto her; then hee hath in this case offered vnto mee, without so much as a pretended or an alleadged cause. For what difference there is, betweene the commanding Subiects to rebell, and loosing them from their Oath of Allegiance as Pius Quintus did; and the commanding of Subiects not to obey in making profession of their Oath of their dutifull Allegiance, as this Pope hath now done: no man can easily discerne.

5. But to draw neere vnto his Breue, wherein certainely hee hath taken more paines then he needed, by setting downe in the said Breue the whole body of the

Oath at length; whereas the onely naming of the Title thereof might as well haue serued, for any answere hee hath made thereunto (making Vna litura, that is, the flat and generall condemnation of the whole Oath to serue for all his refuta- tion.) Therein hauing as well in this respect as in the former, dealt both vndiscreetly with me, and iniuriously with his owne Catholickes. With mee; in not refuting particularly what speciall words he quarrelled in that Oath; which if hee had done, it might haue beene that for the fatherly care I haue not to put any of my Subiects to a needlesse extremitie, I might haue beene contented in some sort to haue reformed or interpreted those wordes. With his owne Catho- lickes: for either if I had so done, they had beene thereby fully eased in that businesse; or at least if I would not haue condescended to haue altered any thing in the saide Oath, yet would thereby some appearance or shadow of excuse haue been left vnto them for refusing the same: not as seeming thereby to swarue from their Obedience and Allegiance vnto mee, but onely beeing stayed from taking the same vpon the scrupulous tendernesse of their consciences, in regard of those particular words which the Pope had noted and condemned therein.

And now let vs heare the words of his thunder.