❧ The Treason of Doctor Parrie against the Queenes Maiestie.
THe state and conditiō of these our daies ( Christian Reader) is moste to be lamented or rather to bee bewailed with bitter teares. Wherin are found such hollow harted, not Christians: but Tartarians and moste cruel vipers, whose properties as they are to thirst after blood: so they leaue no way vnattempted, no pollicy vnassaied, nor any exploit vnatchiued to bring their blood thirsty purposes about. The experiment wherof, although many times heartofore to our great greef, we haue tasted: yet now of late to our greater Ieopardie and perrill, yea to our and the whole Realmes distruction, and ouerthrowe for euer, we should more truly haue felt indeed, if this bloody purpose of the traiterous papists had not been discouered, for the preuention heerof and al other the like: the Eternall God be praised. Now me think I heare it asked by whome this bloody deed or rather moste cruell Massaker of Gods annointed, should haue been committed. Truly by no stranger nor forriner but euen by one of her maiesties owne natiue (but disloyall and moste vnnaturall subiect) the trueth wherof was as followeth. One Doctor Parrie Doctor of the Ciuil Law being (though beyond his deserts) very deer vnto her maiestie, and wel liked of, [Page] was by her grace sent ouer Seas in very waightie affaires, which he wel atchiuing: returned home and no doubt was bountefully rewarded of her grace for his seruice, and paines sustained, within a while after: this doctor Parrie vnwoorthy the name of a doctor, or of a Christian, conspired the death of her maiestie, hauing receiued his fees of the Pope (as it should seem) for the same. For the accomplishing of which moste hainous fact: he with another determined to kill her maiestie, sometimes with a Dag, sometimes with a Poynado or dagger, sometime with one thīg and sometimes with an other. Wel this platforme being laid, and he hauing promised the Pope to performe the thing: one of his conspirators through the goodnes of God disclosed the same, which doon: both he & the said archtraitor Parrie were both apprehended and committed, and vpon the 25. of Februarie the said Parrie was conuaied from the Tower of London to Westminster hall, where he was arraigned according to the lawe in that case prouided.
The Pope that great Antechriste, and rose coullored whore of Roome, as he suborned many heertofore to kill her maiestie: so he hired this traiterous villain Parrie, and therfore sent him a letter dated the 30. of Ianuary 1584. annimating, exhorting, and perswading him, as he tendered his holynes fauour: that he would bring to passe and performe this their bloody purpose, and in so dooing he should merit great thanks at his hands, and to the end he should go forward in that wicked enterprise: he graunted him plenarie, absolution, indulgence and remission of sinnes. [Page] The which letter was written by the Cardinall of Como. For the further credit of the thing it selfe: I haue heare set down woord for woord, as it was writ to the said Parrie.
The copie of the Letter sent to Doctor PARRIE.
SIR, his Holines hath seen your Letters of the first, with the assurance concluded: and cannot but commend the good disposition which you writ to hold towards his seruice and benefit publique.
Wherin, his Holines dooth exhorte you to perseuer with causing to be brought to effect: that which you promise. And to the end you may be so much the more holpen by that good Spirit which hath mooued you therunto: his Holines dooth graunt you Plenary, Indulgence and remission of al your sinnes, according to your request. Assuring you that: besides the merits that you shall receiue therfore in Heauen.
His Holines will further make him selfe debter to acknowledge and requite your deseruinges by all the best meanes he may, and that so much the more: in that you vse the more modestie in not pretending any thing.
Put therfore to effect your holy and honorable determinations and attend your health, and to conclude:
NOw whose hart is so stonie, that reading this bloody letter wil not burst foorth into teares? See heer how her grace was (as it were) bought and solde, nay see how bloodely and how vnmercifully they had murthered her royal maiesty in their harts if their intended practises had taken expected successe and effect.
What good subiect now, knowing the Pope and papists to be the instruments of all mischeef, of blood, and of treason, wil not abhor and detest both the one & y e other? how many times hath the Pope and papists practised her maiesties distruction? nay not onely the distruction of her grace, but also the ouerthrow of the whole Realme, the massaker of Gods Saints, and vtter desolation for euer. And how mercifully, or rather miraculously hath God preserued her grace, discouered their treasons, laid opē their conspiracies, & turned their inuencions to their owne deserued distruction? how merciful a watch man hath the Lord been ouer her grace, her people & Cuntry these many yeers defending both the one and the other from all mischeef what soeuer? how true is it which is writen He shall giue his Angells charge ouer thee, that thou dashe not thy foot against a stone? The Lord continue watchman ouer her grace, stil confound her foes and preserue her maiesty for euer.
God graunt that her maiesty with her moste honorable counsaile, may sound the depth of these things and preuent them in time, for the performance wherof: would god papistry might be punished with death (as it ought to be) and that al obstinate papists might [Page] sustaine the same punishments which traitors are to sustaine, for take this for a Maxime, that all papists are traitors in their harts, how soeuer otherwise they beare the world in hand.
And therfore how many papists her grace hath in the Land: so many deaths, may she feare. God graūt that this high Court of Parliament may see to this geare. For shall it be lawful for the papists to put to death true professors of Gods woord without lawe, without reason, without concience, or warrant of the woord of God and shall it not be lawful for vs to inflict the punishment of death vpon them beeing traitors to God, their Prince and cuntry, hauing the law of God vpon our side, reason, good concience, and els what soeuer? Wel how soeuer we perswade our selues, this is certain, that blood, treason, rebellion, insurrections commotions, mutenies, murther, and the like are the badges and cognizaunce of them, and of that wicked generation, and let vs look for it, they wil be pricks vnto our eyes, whips vnto our backs, and kniues to cut our throts withall if time would serue them, which I pray God neuer doo.
In conclusion, in as much as it hath pleased the maiestie of our good God in mercy to preserue her grace heertofore and especially at this time, not only from imminent daugers: but euen from present death it self.
I beseech all true Christian hartes and loouing subiects euen in the bowells of Iesus Christe, to rest thankfull to God for it, and to pray to God to preserue her grace still, and confound her foes [Page] and to bring to light all [...]easons and conspiraces what soeuer shall be intended against her Maiestie, that peace may bee in Israell, vnto the end of the world. And in the end when she must yeeld to nature to receiue her into his euerlasting kingdome, crowning her with the immercessible Crowne and moste glorious Diadem of eternal glory
Amen.