A Declaration of the Causes, which mooved the chiefe Commanders of the Nauie of her most excellent | Page 8

the Queenes Maiestie and the Realme. But as these kind of men doe spring of certaine runnagates, and fugitiues naturally borne Subiects, who at home, either for pouertie growe desperate, or by reason of their vicious liues, could not long lie hid: so being nowe sent home againe by the Pope, cease not vnder the habite of their superstitious profession to runne from house to house, from Towne to Towne, stirring vp the people by their whisperings to rebellion, and scattering certaine popish Buls, made and sent for that purpose, teaching the people out of them, vnder the paine of excommunication, and of a curse, that there is no hope of saluation remaining them, except they change their affections, and cast off their due obedience to her Maiestie.
[Sidenote: The manifest treason of the Iesuites, against the Queenes Maiestie, & the kingdome of England.]
Those of her Maiesties Subiects, which being taken with these Buls, and called in question for the same, haue reuealed their practises: and being moued with a conscience of their offence, doe returne to a better minde, and doe forsake that filthie sinke or dunghill of the companie and opinions of Iesuites and Seminaries: are pardoned of their former transgressions, and passe without punishment: but as for those that are rooted in their wickednesse, and remaine stifnecked in their offence, they being demaunded, whether if an inuasion of the kingdome should be made by the Bishop of Rome or the Spanish King, they would (as good Subiects ought to do) stand for the Queene or no, they answere stoutly and proudly, that they are bound whensoeuer it should seeme good to the said Bishop of Rome, to make any such inuasion of the Kingdome, and Dominions of her Maiestie, to assist and further the said inuasion, by al the wayes and meanes they can.
I aske nowe of you, what Prince soeuer you be, hauing the authoritie of a Prince, what you would doe with such monsters as these are, giuen ouer after this sort to such diuelishnes? would you suffer the cloke of popish religion and obedience, to exempt such traytors from the seueritie of Iustice? woulde you suffer them to liue, that woulde you should not liue? surely no Prince or Monarche ought or may tollerate such monstrous creatures, except he purposeth voluntarily to neglect good lawes, his people, kingdome, and life; and sinne grieuously against God himselfe. And these are the monsters that are in England committed to execution; howsoeuer the companions of their treasons, by their infamous libels spread amongst the people crie out, and say, they suffer for the cause of Religion onely, and for their consciences.
Many of her subiects, and they no obscure men, but some of the Nobilitie, and some others of the degree of knights are witnesses, that howsoeuer they stand catholikely affected, yet as long as they conteine themselues within the compasse of their duetie, & obedience to her Maiestie and the State, are neither committed to prison, nor in any ill sort vsed, only for breaking the lawes of frequenting the Churches, are peraduenture rated at some pecuniarie fine.
The ende and purpose why wee speake and publish these things, is to let all good Princes and Magistrates, and others desirous to know the trueth of things, vnderstande howe and by what meanes, as openly, priuily, by force of armes, and practises of treacherie, the state of her Maiestie and of her kingdome is assaulted by the bishop of Rome, and the Spanish King: and therefore howe conueniently and necessarily her Maiestie is drawen to resist this force and to auoyde these frauds, and with what iniurious allegations the execution of lawes and iustice, is as it were torne and rent in pieces, not only by malitious imprinted Libels, but also by painted tables and pictures, signifying I knowe not what monstrous things, resemblances of some barbarous crueltie, as they falsely calumniate and exclaime, to be vsed against the foresaid Iesuites, and Seminarie Priests, that is to say, against men guiltie of high and horrible treason.
But as for her Maiestie, she desireth to stand as a person voide of all trueth and credite with good Princes, if she euer punished any of these men with any strange or newe kinde of torment, then is appointed by the prescript of the ancient lawes of this Realme prouided against such persons, as shall be found and conuicted for Rebels and Traytors.
FINIS.

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Transcriber's notes:
The original spelling, which is frequently inconsistent, has been retained. The following words appear thus in the original: priesthod, resiant.
Some contractions, printed as vowels with a line over them, were used in the original to indicate a vowel followed by an 'm' or 'n'. They have been expanded as follows (the contraction is marked by