BOOK Anno 1580. Campion and other priests committed. CHAP. XXII. Divers popish emissaries taken up. The conference at Wisbich. Feckenham's confession. Dr. Fulk sent by the bishop of Ely thither. Account of the conference published. Fulk's challenge. The pope's factors abroad discovered by A. M. Design in Rome of invading England. Some of the principles taught in the English college at Rome. Campion confesses where he was entertained in London, and elsewhere, viz. in Yorkshire and Lancashire. Several disputations with him in the Tower, in answer to his challenge. Some account of Campion, and his course of life. Parry at Paris: corresponds with the lord treasurer: intercedes for certain popish fugitives: the Ropers: sir Anthony (alias lord) Coppely. Advice for defence in case of invasion. CAMPION, one of the chief of these emissaries of Rome, with others of them, were now discovered, and taken up; Camtaken and pion put into the Tower, and many of them sent to Wisbich castle, where Watson and Feckenham now were. It pleased the lords, and others of her majesty's privy-council, after those recusants were committed there, to direct their letters to the bishop of Ely (in whose diocese the castle was wherein those prisoners were kept) to provide that they might have conference, (if they would admit any,) and be called upon to come to church, and to hear the preaching there. The bishop sends learn them. Whereupon the bishop made choice of Dr. Fulk, a learned men to ed professor of divinity in Cambridge, with some others, confer with whom he purposed to send unto them. And him he desired (as Dr. Fulk tells us himself) by his chancellor, Mr. D. Bridgwater, to repair unto him in the Isle of Ely. From whence he sent him with a gentleman of his house, to signify Brief confu- to them that had the charge of those prisoners, the cause of sundry ca- his coming. Whereupon ensued a certain speech made by him, in the presence of certain honest men, specially called, and required to be witnesses; besides a number of good 641 credit. The sum whereof was written at that present time tations of vils and quarrels. p. 16. XXII. by three or four that came with him. Of which one was a CHAP. learned preacher, and collected what was spoken, to certify. the bishop, as near as could be, what communication had Anno 1580. passed between them; without any further purpose of publish afterwards ing the same. But the copy thereof coming into the hand Dr. Fulk's of a friend of Fulke's at London, and by him communicated conference: to some other of his friends, at last it came into the printer's published. hands; who suddenly set it abroad, without the knowledge occasion. Upon what of Fulke or his friend. Means was made to have the printer punished. And had not Campion's proud challenge come even in the nick, that reverend and learned man could not have been persuaded by his friends to have suffered that party to go so clear as he did. himself popish slan Thus he thought fit to vindicate himself from a certain Vindicates popish book, being an epistle of the Persecution in Eng-therein land; done, as it was thought, by Parsons. Wherein this against a matter is related so, as though he, for a little vainglory, pub-der." lished this account. "The vainglory," as that author wrote, "of contending cum magnatibus," i. e. with those noblemen, as he called Watson the bishop, and Feckenham the abbot; so long since by lawful authority deprived of such dignities. The author of that epistle relateth this conference with them thus: "That he crept secretly into the castle un"looked for, and without any authority: and that he came "to offer them conference by no public authority. And "that he commanded them to be brought into his presence." But, as Fulke answered, "Did he command them by his "private authority? Or were they who had them in custody 66 so simple, that they would obey an unknown person, a "mean man, of small or no account, coming without autho"rity? In truth, he gave no commandment for their ap ❝pearance before him: only the bishop's will was declared by his gentleman, his servant, unto their keeper." But to go on with the truth of the relation. All reasonable condition of books, time, and order for the conference was offered them. But something stayed them; whether the disdain of Fulke's person, or more the fear of the weakness of their cause, that they would not adventure their credit in II. BOOK trial by disputation. And in the end they concluded, [viz. Watson and Fecknam,] that all disputation in matters of Anno 1580. faith was unprofitable: alleging examples of the disputa Conferences between the bishop of Ely and Fecknam. tions in the convocation-house in the beginning of the queen's reign; and the conference at Westminster in the presence of almost all the learned and wise of the land. And thus Dr. Fulke was fain to justify himself by giving this just relation of this intended conference, which was declined, and of the account of it in print. And thus falsely also another popish writer represented this conference: as, "That Fulke only looked into Wisbech castle; and printed "a pamphlet in his own praise: and that he attempted the "matter without authority." But as for Fecknam, there were this year (in which he came to Wisbech) several conferences held with him by the bishop of Ely, in the presence of Dr. Perne, the dean, and divers of his chaplains, and other learned men: wherein he confessed in his conscience his allowance of divers things used and practised in the present reformed church: as of the common service to be good in the mother tongue, and such as was understood of the common people. And so he 642 acknowledged that of St. Paul, 1 Cor. xiv. was to be taken. Also, that he found no fault with any thing set forth in the Book of Common Prayer now used in the church of England. But his desire was, to have all the rest of the old service that was taken away, to be restored; as the prayers to saints, and for the dead, &c. and that then he would willingly come to church. Also, that he very well allowed of the oath for the queen's supremacy, as it was interpreted in her majesty's Injunctions, and that he was ready to take that oath whensoever it should be offered. But that he would not come to the service of our church, though he thought it in his conscience lawful, because he is not of our church for lack of unity; some being protestants, some puritans, some of the family of love; and because it was not set forth by authority of a general council. And lastly, that he would not conform himself to our religion, because he could see nothing sought for, but the spoil of the church. I XXII. refer the reader to the Appendix, for this popish abbot's CHAP. whole confession, taken out of the original paper, subscribed by himself; and signed by the bishop of Ely and some of Anno 1580. his chaplains; and endorsed thus by the lord Burghley's No. XXIX. hand, Feckenham's Confession. to the pa I add this further concerning that learned professor, Dr. Falk's Fulk, that he made this year a challenge openly in print to challenge all learned papists, in his book called The Retentive; in pists. answer to Bristow's Motives. And three years after, in his Confutation of sundry cavils, &c. he repeated it with these words: "If you be so sharp-set upon disputations, as you pretend, why doth never a papist of you all answer my "challenge, made openly in print almost three years ago, set "before my Retentive? Wherein you may express what you "have in maintenance of your opinion, without suit, without "danger; and to the best and surest trial of the truth." 66 factors covered by A great many of these English factors for the pope were Names of about this time discovered by one of themselves; and the the pope's several places abroad where they resided. This man's name abroad diswas Anthony Monday, sometime of the English college at A. Monday. Rome: one of these thus discovered by him was Woodward, at Amiens; who persuaded this A. Monday, and one Thomas Newel, rambling thither, to go to Rheims, and take orders. He was at length the pope's scholar at Rome: but afterwards came into England, and turned protestant; and wrote a book concerning them and their way of living, called, The English Roman life. Therein he also nameth Dr. The English Bristow at Doway; Dr. Allen at Rheims, afterward made a cardinal; Dr. Lewis at Rome, archdeacon of Cambray; Dr. Morris, rector of the English college or hospital in Rome; Mr. Deacon at Lyons; at whose house certain treasonable words were spoke by Henry Orton, one of them that were condemned afterwards in England, but not executed, but then lying in the Tower: at Milain, at cardinal Borrhomeo's palace, Dr. Robert Griffin, confessor to the said cardinal: Steukly, and three more popish gentlemen at Rome, in great credit with the pope; the first appointed with an army to invade England, but slain in the battle of the king of Portugal. RomanLife. II. BOOK This put a stop to that invasion. These three other gentlemen came from the north parts of England, (as Dr. Griffin Anno 1580. told Monday and his fellow, dining with him on a Christmas day,) and were to go forward with Steukly in the enterprise, and to have the pope's army committed to their conduct; and so to overrun England at their pleasure. And then they 643 would make (as Dr. Griffin proceeded in his narration) kings, and dukes, and earls at their pleasure; every one, according as they thought well of. And that they got letters from Dr. Saunders, Dr. Allen, Dr. Bristow, and others; who thought very well of their intent. And therefore forwarded them in their letters, so much as they might, to Dr. Lewis, Dr. Morris, Dr. Moorton, and other doctors and gentlemen at Rome. They followed the suit to the pope's holiness; informing, how they had already won such a number of English to join with them, when the matter came to pass, that, granting them his holiness's army, they should presently overrun all England, and yield it wholly into his hand. But the pope, when he had scanned this business; well noting the simple and arrogant behaviour of the men, as this writer relates, and their unlikelihood of performing these things; they were denied their request, and sent away without recompense. Not but that the pope was well enough disposed to invade England, but was more inclinable to send his forces to the Spaniard for that end, as we heard before. The raillery of a priest against the at Rome queen. How the pope is to be esteemed by those that come to Rome. Queen Elizabeth, as the same writer further informs, was thus reproached by an English priest at Rome: "That proud, usurping Jezebel; whom God reserveth to make "her a public spectacle to the whole world, for keeping that "good queen of Scots from her lawful rule. But I hope "ere long the dogs shall tear her flesh; and those that be "her props and upholders." These words that priest spake in the English college to A. Monday, when he came there first. Concerning such as came to Rome, to the English college there, thus the priest abovesaid told A. M. "Such as come "to this holy place must faithfully bend his life and con"versation to honour and reverence our provident and holy |