Series 5 > Religious Controversy in Scotland 1625-1639

HISTORIE OF CHURCH AND STATE
23
after, and drawne one peace and peace5 to give coniveance at their proceedings.
In the latter dayes of King James, as I shew somewhat in the end of the
former booke,6 he was extraordinary affected to the ducke of Buckinghame.
This man had a faction about him who had their compliance with pope, king of
Spaine, and others enemies to religion and all meanes used be that faction of
which were some papists, some prelates, some atheists, manie polititians, all
aimeing at the subversion of religion and the liberty of the subjects for there
owne several! ends.
[3] By counsell and advice of this faction it is thought good that the prince
ofWales, now our king, shalbe joyned in mariage with the Spanish infanta.This
(say they)7 shall cutt away the ould quarrells betwixt Spaine and England, and
that allay8 shall make us honnorable and powerful!. These be some shewes and
the prepositions of the treatie of that mariage offered in England, revised at home,
and they, by the negotiations of Bristol! agreed to [Q though afterwards broken)
was with large advantages to the spreadinge of poperie in England, and as I reade
they were these: 1) that the papists in England shall have free libertie of the
exercise of the popish religion in there houses; 2) the quein shall have none but
Catholike servants; 3) theire preists beinge cloathed in their preistly vesture should
not be mocked nor any way hurt; 4) the quein should have a chappell for the
free exercise of her religion at court; 5) the children begotten betwixt them
should be repute lawful! and for no exceptione against their religion should be
withhold[en] from the crowne.Are not these great advantages to the Romane
cause? Bot that marriage held not, and King Charles (as is thought) was too
much wrought upon in his Spanish voyage to favour popery. I doe no thinke
(God forbid I doe after so manie protestations of his majestic to the contrare)
that he himselfe is [of] the popish religione,but truely the papists hath too much
creditt at his hands, and false prelates of whom his majestie could judge no other
but that were true Protestants; yet these workes and writeings make it evident
that they love the pope too weell, yea, better then they doe his majestie.
I hearde that while our king was in Spaine, the pope wrote to his majestie
(the letter is now extant in the EngUsh tongue) shewinge that his desire is that
the governemente might be brought backe againe into the lapp of Rommish
church and the prince of the aposdes put into posessione of thi? most noble isle,
which desires of the pope have beine secondit with continuall endeavours of
swarms ofjesuits recident about court.And the Spanish pistolets had greate force.
Still was there cherished in King James a disaffectione to puritanes, a inclinatione
5 i.e.,‘drawn on piece by piece’.
6 I have not located this section of the history.
The original has ‘This’ also in the parenthesis,
8 ally.