former vision for the seat and throne of God and his Lambe shall remaine in this holy Citie for euer and all his seruants shall be there seruing him eternally by thankesgiuing and praises 4 And they shall see his face and be euer reioycing at his presence hauing his name written vpon their foreheads as yee haue often heard 5 And no night nor darkenesse shall be there at all neither haue they need of lampes nor of light of the Sunne nor any materiall light for the Lord God makes them bright as yee haue heard alreadie and they shall reigne there in all glory for euer and euer 6 Then the Angel after all these things had beene reuealed vnto me sayde vnto me for the confirmation of them All the wordes of this Prophecie are trew and faithfull and the same Lord GOD who inspired from time to time his holy Prophets to forewarne his Church of things to come hee also sent his Angel vnto mee that by me hee might reueale vnto his seruants these things that are shortly to come to passe 7 Loe I come shortly sayth the Lord happy is hee therefore that obserueth and obeyeth the wordes of the Prophecie in this Booke 8 And I Iohn am he who haue heard and seene these things I declare you my name the oftener lest the authority of the Booke should be called in doubt through the vncertaintie of the Writer And when I had heard and seene these things I fell at the Angels feet that shewed me them with mind to haue adored him 9 But he said vnto me See thou doe it not I am thy fellow-seruant and one of thy Brethren the Prophets although I be an Angel and one of them which keepeth and obeyeth the words of this Booke adore thou therefore God to whom all worship onely appertaineth By this my reiterated fall and offence notwithstanding that lately before I had committed the same and was reprooued for it and warned to forbeare it as ye heard before I am taught and by my example the whole Church of the great infirmitie of all mankind and specially in that so great an offence of the adoring of creatures whereof God is so iealous as he saith in his Lawe and vpon consideration of man his infirmitie in this point not I but the Spirit of God by me in the very last words of one of my Epistles saith Deare children beware of Idoles and in this I insist so much not without a cause For I know that Babylon in the latter dayes shall specially poison her followers with this spirituall adulterie or idolatrie as ye haue heard mention made in this Booke 10 And the Angel said vnto me Seale not the words of the Prophecie of this Booke for the time is at hand Yee heard before how I was commanded to seale that which the seuen Thunders spake because it was not lawfull for me to reueale the same but now on the contrarie I am commanded to write and forbidden to seale these Prophecies because I am appointed to reueale the same in respect that the time of their accomplishment is at hand 11 And hee also said vnto mee Despaire thou not of the effect of this Prophecie although it profite nothing the wicked but to make them the more inexcusable For God hath fore-signified that he who doeth harme notwithstanding this Prophecie shall yet continue his wrongs and hee who is filthie shall yet notwithstanding this remaine filthie euen as on the other part it shall confirme and encrease the iust man in his iustnesse and the holy man in his holines for it is not the words of Prophecie spoken but the Spirit which is cooperant with it which makes the seed of faith to take root in any mans heart 12 Loe I come speedily saith the Lord IESVS and bring my reward with me to render to euery man according to his workes as ye haue heard before 13 I am A and Ω the beginning and the end the first and the last as ye haue heard already 14 Happie are they who obey and keepe Christes commandements that they may haue right and part in the tree of life for by obeying they shall be made Citizens of that holy Citie of the which that is the food and that they may enter at the gates to that Citie for the gates shall be readie and open to receiue them 15 But without this Citie as debarred thence shall bee Dogges to wit all prophane liuers fornicators sorcerers murtherers and idolaters and all who loue and make lies and shortly all who continue in any kind of knowen sinne without repentance 16 IIESVS saith the Lord sent my Angel to reueale these things to Iohn that they might be testified to you the seuen Churches I am the root and off-spring of Dauid and I am the bright morning Starre to wit the fountaine of all your glorie 17 And the Spirit and the Bride saith Come to wit the Church for they for their deliuerance wish his second comming to be hastened and Christ for the loue he beareth them hath graunted them their request and he that heares it let him say Come for it becommeth all the faithfull to wish it And he that thirsteth let him come to wit he that would drinke of the water of life let him craue earnestly the dissolution and latter day And let any who will receiue the water of life freely and for nothing as ye heard before 18 And I protest vnto all that shall heare the words of the Prophesie of this Booke that if any man adde vnto it any thing God shall make all the plagues in this Booke to fall on him 19 And if any man take away any thing from the words of the Booke of this Prophesie God shal take his part away out of the book of life and out of the holy Citie and out of these blessings that are written in this Booke For whosoeuer in coping or translating this Booke adulterateth any waies the Originall or in interpreting of it wittingly strayes from the trew meaning of it and from the analogie of Faith to follow the fantasticall inuention of man or his owne preoccupied opinions he I say that doeth any of these shal be accursed as a peruerter of the trewth of God and his Scriptures 20 And now I will conclude with this comfort vnto you to wit He euen Christ that testifies these things that ye haue heard he I say doeth say Surely I come shortly Euen so come Lord IESVS to hasten our deliuerance 21 The Grace of our Lord IESVS CHRIST be with you all and all your successours in trew doctrine by the which both yee and they may be so strengthened in the trewth that by your resisting all the temptations contained in this Booke and constantly perseuering to the end yee may at last receiue that immortall Crowne of glorie mentioned in the last Vision AMEN A FRVITFVLL MEDITATION CONTAINING A PLAINE AND EASIE EXPOSITION OR laying open of the VII VIII IX and X. Verses of the
the faithfull who though they be otherwise in enmitie among themselues yet agree in this respect in odium tertij as did Herod and Pilate Sixtly the compassing of the Saints and besieging of the beloued City The false Church euer persecuteth declareth vnto vs a certaine note of a false Church to be persecution for they come to seeke the faithfull the faithfull are those that are sought The wicked are the besiegers the faithfull the besieged Seuenthly Scripture by Scripture should be expounded 2. King 1.10 11. in the forme of language and phrase or maner of speaking of fire comming downe from heauen here vsed and taken out of the Booke of the Kings where at Elias his prayers with fire from heauen were destroyed Achazias his souldiers as the greatest part of all the words verses and sentences of this booke are taken and borrowed of other parts of the Scripture we are taught to vse onely Scripture for interpretation of Scripture if we would be sure and neuer swarue from the analogie of faith in expounding seeing it repeateth so oft the owne phrases and thereby expoundeth them Eightly of the last part of the confusion of the wicked euen at the top of their height and wheele we haue two things to note One that God although he suffereth the wicked to run on while their cup be full yet in the end he striketh them first in this world and next in the world to come to the deliuerance of his Church in this world and the perpetuall glory of the same in the world to come The other note is that after the great persecution and the destruction of the pursuers shall the day of Iudgement follow For so declareth the 11. verse of this same Chapter but in how short space it shall follow that is onely knowne vnto God Onely this farre are we certaine that in the last estate without any moe generall mutations the world shall remaine till the consummation and end of the same To conclude then with exhortation It is al our duties in this Isle at this time to do two things One to consider our estate And other to conforme our actions according thereunto Our estate is we are threefold besieged First spiritually by the heresies of the antichrist Secondly corporally generally as members of that Church the which in the whole they persecute Thirdly All men should be lawfully armed spiritually and bodily to fight against the Antichrist and his vpholders corporally and particularly by this present armie Our actions then conformed to our estate are these First to call for helpe at God his hands Next to assure vs of the same seeing we haue a sufficient warrant his constant promise expressed in his word Thirdly since with good conscience we may being in the tents of the Saints beloued City stand in our defence encourage one another to vse lawfull resistance and concurre or ioyne one with another as warriors in one Campe and citizens of one beloued City for maintenance of the good cause God hath clad vs with and in defence of our liberties natiue countrey and liues For since we see God hath promised not only in the world to come but also in this world to giue vs victory ouer them let vs in assurance hereof strongly trust in our God cease to mistrust his promise and fall through incredulitie or vnbeliefe For then are we worthy of double punishment For the stronger they waxe and the neerer they come to their light the faster approcheth their wracke and the day of our deliuery For kind and louing true and constant carefull and watchfull mighty and reuenging is he that promiseth it To whom be praise and glory for euer AMEN A MEDITATION VPON THE xxv xxvj xxvij xxviij and xxix verses of the xv Chap. of the first Booke of the Chronicles of the Kings Written by the most Christian King and sincere Professour of the trewth IAMES by the grace of God King of England France Scotland and Ireland Defender of the Faith THE TEXT 25 So Dauid and the Elders of Israel and the Captaines of thousands went to bring vp the Arke of the Couenant of the Lord from the house of Obed-Edom with ioy 26 And because that God helped the Leuites that bare the Arke of the Couenant of the Lord they offered seuen Bullockes and seuen Rammes 27 And Dauid had on him a linnen garment as all the Leuites that bare the Arke and the singers and Chenaniah that had the chiefe charge of the singers and vpon Dauid was a linnen Ephod 28 Thus all Israel brought vp the Arke of the Lords Couenant with shouting and sound of Cornet and with Trumpets and with Cymbales making asound with Violes and with harpes 29 And when the Arke of the Couenant of the Lord came into the Citie of Dauid Michal the daughter of Saul looked out at a window and saw King Dauid dauncing and playing and shee despised him in her heart THE MEDITATION AS of late when greatest appearance of perill was by that forreine and godlesse fleete I tooke occasion by a Text selected for the purpose to exhort you to remaine constant resting assured of a happy deliuerance So now by the great mercies of God my speeches hauing taken an euident effect I could doe no lesse of my carefull duety then out of this place cited teach you what resteth on your part to be done not of any opinion I haue of my abilitie to instruct you but that these meditations of mine may after my death remaine to the posteritie as a certaine testimony of my vpright and honest meaning in this so great and weightie a cause Now I come to the matter Dauid that godly King you see hath no sooner obtained victory ouer Gods and his enemies the Philistines but his first action which followes is with concurrence of his whole estates to translate the Arke of the Lords couenant to his house in great triumph and gladnesse accompanied with the sound of musicall instruments And being so brought to the Kings house he himselfe dances and reioyces before it which thing Michal the daughter of Saul and his wife perceiuing she contemned and laughed at her husband in her minde This is the summe THE METHOD FOr better vnderstanding whereof these heades are to be opened vp in order and applied And first what causes mooued Dauid to doe this worke Secondly what persons concurred with Dauid in doing of this worke Thirdly what was the action it selfe and forme of doing vsed in the same Fourthly the person of Michal And fiftly her action THE FIRST PART AS to the first part Zeale in Dauid and experiēce of Gods kindnesse towards him moued Dauid to honour God The causes moouing Dauid passing all others I note two One internall the other external the internall was a feruent and zealous mind in Dauid fully disposed to extoll the glorie of God that had called him to be King as he saith himselfe The zeale of thy house it eats
to be euill at the first or else being of the grosser sort runne directly to the diuel for ambition or desire of gaine and plainely contract with him thereupon PHI. But me thinkes these meanes which ye call the Schoole and rudiments of the diuel are things lawfull and haue bene approued for such in all times and aages as in speciall this science of Astrologie which is one of the speciall members of the Mathematiques EPI There are two things which the learned haue obserued from the beginning in the science of the heauenly Creatures the Planets Starres and such like The one is their course and ordinarie motions which for that cause is called Astronomia Which word is a compound of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to say the law of the Starres And this Art indeed is one of the members of the Mathematiques and not onely lawfull but most necessary and commendable The other is called Astrologia being compounded of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is to say the word and preaching of the Starres Which is diuided into two parts The first by knowing thereby the powers of simples and sicknesses the course of the seasons and the weather being ruled by their influence which part depending vpon the former although it bee not of it selfe a part of Mathematiques yet it is not vnlawfull being moderately vsed suppose not so necessarie and commendable as the former The second part is to trust so much to their influences as thereby to foretell what common-weales shall flourish or decay what persons shall be fortunate or vnfortunate what side shall winne in any battell what man shal obtaine victorie at singular combate what way and of what aage shall men die what horse shall winne at match-running and diuers such like incredible things wherein Cardanus Cornelius Agrippa and diuers others haue more curiously then profitably written at large Of this roote last spoken of springs innumerable branches such as the knowledge by the natiuities the Cheiromancie Geomancie Hydromancie Arithmancie Physiognomie and a thousand others which were much practised and holden in great reuerence by the Gentiles of old And this last part of Astrologie whereof I haue spoken which is the root of their branches was called by them pars fortunae This part now is vtterly vnlawfull to be trusted in or practised amongst Christians as leaning to no ground of naturall reason and it is this part which I called before the Diuels schoole PHI. But yet many of the learned are of the contrarie opinion EPI I grant yet I could giue my reasons to fortifie and maintaine my opinion if to enter into this disputation it would not draw me quite off the ground of our discourse besides the mis-spending of the whole day thereupon One word onely I will answere to them and that in the Scriptures which must be an infallible ground to all true Christians That in the Prophet Ieremie it is plainely forbidden to beleeue or hearken vnto them that prophesie and fore-speake by the course of the Planets and Stars CHAP. V. ARGV How farre the vsing of Charmes is lawfull or vnlawfull The description of the formes of Circles and Coniurations And what causeth the Magicians themselues to be wearie thereof PHILOMATHES WEL ye haue said farre inough in that argument But how prooue yee now that these Charmes or vnnaturall practiques are vnlawfull For so many honest and merry men and women haue publikely practised some of them that I think if ye would accuse them all of Witch-craft ye would affirme more nor ye will be beleeued in EPI I see if you had taken good tent to the nature of that word wherby I named it ye would not haue beene in this doubt nor mistaken mee so farre as ye haue done For although as none can be scholers in a schoole and not be subiect to the master thereof so none can studie and put in practise for studie the alone and knowledge is more perillous nor offensiue and it is the practise onely that makes the greatnesse of the offence the Circles and Art of Magie without committing an horrible defection from God And yet as they that reade and learne their rudiments are not the more subiect to any schoole-master if it please not their parents to put them to the schoole thereafter So they who ignorantly prooue these practiques which I call the Diuels rudiments vnknowing them to be baits cast out by him for trapping such as God will permit to fall into his hands this kinde of folkes I say no doubt are to be iudged the best of in respect they vse no inuocation nor helpe of him by their knowledge at least in these turnes and so haue neuer entred themselues into Satans seruice Yet to speake trewly for mine owne part I speake but for my selfe I desire not to make so neere riding For in my opinion our enemie is ouer craftie and wee ouer weake except the greater grace of God to assay such hazards wherein he preases to trap vs. PHI. Ye haue reason forsooth for as the common prouerbe sayth They that sup keile with the deuill haue need of long spoones But now I pray you goe forward in the describing of this arte of Magie EPI Fra they be come once vnto this perfection in euill in hauing any knowledge whether learned or vnlearned of this blacke arte they then begin to be wearie of the raising of their Maister by coniured circles being both so difficile and perillous and so come plainely to a contract with him wherein is specially contained formes and effects PHI. But I pray you or euer you goe further discourse me somewhat of their circles and coniurations and what should be the cause of their wearying thereof For it should seeme that that forme should be lesse fearefull yet then the direct haunting and societie with that foule and vncleane Spirite EPI I thinke yee take me to be a Witch my selfe or at the least would faine sweare your selfe prentise to that craft Alwayes as I may I shal shortly satisfie you in that kinde of coniurations which are contained in such bookes which I call the Deuils Schoole There are foure principall parts the persons of the coniurers the action of the coniuration the words and rites vsed to that effect and the Spirits that are coniured Ye must first remember to lay the ground that I tolde you before which is that it is no power inherent in the circles or in the holinesse of the names of God blasphemously vsed nor in whatsoeuer rites or ceremonies at that time vsed that either can raise any infernall spirit or yet limitate him perforce within or without these circles For it is he onely the father of all lies who hauing first of all prescribed that forme of doing feining himselfe to be commanded and restrained thereby will be loth to passe the boundes of these iniunctions as wel thereby to make them glory in the impiring ouer him as I said before as
his Crowne Nay doubtlesse it was rather a meanes to eleuate and aduance the dignitie of the Crowne of France and to style the French King a King of Kings as one that was able to giue the qualitie of King to all the rest of the Nobles and Gentry of his Kingdome Doeth not some part of the Spanish Kings greatnesse consist in creating of his great In the next place followeth Gregorie I. Examp. 3. pag. 22. who in the 10. Epistle of the 11. booke confirming the priuiledges of the Hospitall at Augustodunum in Bourgongne prohibiteth all Kings and Prelates whatsoeuer to infringe or diminish the said priuiledges in whole or in part His formall and expresse words bee these If any King Prelate Iudge or any other Secular person informed of this our Constitution shall presume to goe or doe contrary thereunto let him bee cast downe from his power and dignitie I answere the Lord Cardinall heere wrongs himselse very much in taking imprecations for Decrees Might not euen the meanest of the people vse the same tenour of words and say If any shall touch the life or the most sacred Maiestie of our Kings be he Emperour or be he Pope let him bee accursed let him fall from his eminent place of authoritie let him lose his dignitie let him tumble into beggerie diseases and all kindes of calamities I forbeare to shew how easie a matter it is for Monkes to forge titles after their owne humour and to their owne liking for the vpholding and maintaining of their priuiledges As for the purpose the same Gregorie citeth in the end of his Epistles another priuiledge of the like stuffe and stampe to the former granted to the Abbey of S. Medard at Soissons It is fenced with a like clause to the other But of how great vntrewth and of how little weight it is the very date that it beareth makes manifest proofe For it runs Dated the yeere of our Lords Incarnation 593. the 11. Indiction whereas the 10. Indiction agreeth to the yeere 593. Besides it was not Gregories maner to date his Epistles according to the yeere of the Lord. Againe the said priuiledge was signed by the Bishops of Alexandria and Carthage who neuer knew as may well bee thought whether any such Abbey of S. Medard or citie of Soissons was euer built in the world Moreouer they signed in the thickest of a crowd as it were of Italian Bishops Lastly hee that shall reade in this Gregories Epistles with what spirit of reuerence and humilitie he speaketh of Emperours will hardly beleeue that euer hee armed himselfe with authoritie to giue or to take away Kingdomes Hee styles himselfe * Epist 6. l. 3. Ego antem indignus pietatin tuae seruils Ego verò haec Dominis meis Ioquens quid sum nisi pulu is vermis Ibid. Egc quidem iussioni subiectus c. Epist 61. l. 2. The Emperours vnworthie seruant presuming to speake vnto his Lord when he knowes himselfe to bee but dust and a very worme Hee professeth subiection vnto the Emperours commands euen to the publishing of a certaine Law of the Emperours which in his iudgement somewhat iarred and iustled with Gods Law as elsewhere I haue spoken more at large The L. Cardinall next bringeth vpon the stage Iustinian II. Hee Examp. 4. being in some choller with Sergius Bishop of Rome because hee would not fauour the erroneous Synode of Constantinople would haue caused the Bishop to bee apprehended by his Constable Zacharias But by the Romane Militia that is the troupes which the Emperour then had in Italie Zacharias was repulsed and hindered from his deseigne euen with opprobrious and reproachfull termes His Lordship must haue my shallownesse excused if I reach not his intent by this Allegation wherein I see not one word of deposing from the Empire or of any sentence pronounced by the Pope Heere are now 712. yeeres expired after the birth of Iesus Christ in all which long tract of time the L. Cardinal hath not light vpon any instance which might make for his purpose with neuer so little shew For the example of the Emperor Philippicus by the Cardinal alledged next in sequence Examp. 5. belongeth to the yeere 713. And thus lies the historie This Emperour Philippicus Bardanes was a professed enemie to the worshipping of Images and commanded them to be broken in pieces In that very time the Romane Empire was ouerthrowen in the West and sore shaken by the Saracenes in the East Besides those miseries the Emperour was also incumbred with a ciuill and intestine warre The greatest part of Italie was then seized by the Lombards and the Emperour in Italie had nothing left saue onely the Exarchat of Rauenna and the Dutchie of Rome then halfe abandoned by reason of the Emperours want of forces Pope Constantine gripes this occasion whereon to ground his greatnesse and to shake off the yoke of the Emperour his Lord Vndertakes against Philippicus the cause of Images by a Councel declares the Emperour Heretique Prohibites his rescripts or coine to bee receiued and to goe current in Rome Forbids his Imperiall statue to bee set vp in the Temple according to ancient custome The tumult groweth to a height The Pope is principall promoter of the tumult In the heate of the tumult the Exarche of Rauenna loseth his life Here see now the mutinie of a subiect against his Prince to pull from him by force and violence a citie of his Empire But who seeth in all this any sentence of deposition from the Imperiall dignitie Nay the Pope then missed the cushion and was disappointed vtterly of his purpose The citie of Rome stood firme and continued still in their obedience to the Emperour About some 12. yeeres after Exemp 6. the Emperour Leo Isauricus whom the Lord of Perron calleth Iconoclast falles to fight it out at sharpe and to prosecute worshippers of Images with all extremitie Vpon this occasion Pope Gregory 2. then treading in the steps of his predecessor when he perceiued the citie of Rome to be but weakely prouided of men or munition and the Emperour to haue his hands full in other places found such meanes to make the citie rise in rebellious armes against the Emperour that he made himselfe in short time master thereof Thus farre the Lord Cardinall whereunto my answere for satisfaction is that degrading an Emperour from his Imperiall dignitie and reducing a citie to reuolt against her Master that a man at last may carry the piece himselfe and make himselfe Lord thereof are two seuerall actions of speciall difference If the free-hold of the citie had beene conueied to some other by the Pope depriuing the Emperour as proprietarie thereof this example might haue challenged some credit at least in shew but so to inuade the citie to his owne vse and so to seize on the right and authority of another what is it but open rebellion and notorious ambition For it is farre from Ecclesiasticall censure when
that of the Workes of GOD for workes of Nature haue their roote from within vs and bring with them a radicall kinde of vertue that neuer suffers them to rest till they haue produced their fruite to perfect forme and perfection Workes of deliberation and Art haue their foundation from without vs and giue vs occasion to worke vpon them as our phantasies thinke fittest for the present time Hence proceeds it that the workes of Nature haue so few errors in them those of Art so many They of Nature so constant they of Arte so variable they of Nature so permanent they of Art so soone perish they of Nature so well accepted and approued of all they of Art accepted or reiected as it pleaseth the seuerall apprehensions of men to conceiue of them Now albeit the workes of men be of Errors so full of nature so different subiect to so many Jnterpretations published at so diuers times Yet hath it bene euer esteemed a matter commendable to collect them together and incorporate them into one Body that we may behold at once what diuers Off-springs haue proceeded from one braine and how various Conceptions the wit of man is able to afford the world To instance in a few of them beginning a little higher then the writings of ordinarie Men. The seruants of Hezekiah are commended in Scripture for collecting together the Sentences of Solomon Iesus the sonne of Sirach is praised for searching out the Copies of his Grandfathers workes But principally Ezra is had in great honour for setting in order the whole Bookes of the Old Testament and deuiding them into Chapters and Verses which before were caried along in a scroule by a continuall Series without any distinction at all S. Iohn is reported to haue searched out the Copies of the three former Euangelists and to haue added his owne for the fourth in that order as now they are extant And the Primitiue Church was curious to gather together the Epistles of the Holy Apostles which they being not able by reason of persecution perfectly to performe in euery place gaue occasion to after-times to call the authority of so many of them into question But to descend How are we bound to those who haue laboured in setting out the Counsells and Works of the Fathers together Jnsomuch that we thinke our selues as much bound to Eusebius and Hierom and of later times to Peter Crab and Erasmus and diuers others who haue laboured in that kinde as wee doe almost to the Authors themselues Traian commended Plutark for gathering the Apothegmes of wise men together Constantinus the sonne of Leo collected out of all Histories both in the East and West one Corpus Historicum which they counted an inestimable Treasure Iustinian by the helpe of Tribonianus did the like in the Lawes Gratian compiled the Decrees out of the Epistles of Popes Councells and Fathers Damascen collected into one body of Diuinitie the Sentences of the Greeke Fathers And Peter Lumbard 400. yeeres after him by his example did the like in the Latine Fathers And how doe wee labour to recouer Bookes that are lost The Bookes of Origen that amounted to sixe thousand as Epiphanius witnesseth were much laboured for by Eusebius and others The Bookes of Cicero de Repub. were much sought for by Cardinall Poole and great summes of money haue bene spent to recouer the lost Decades of Liuie Wherefore since it hath beene heretofore the practise of all aages to collect the workes of Men of worth and preserue them from perishing to labour much in recouering those that haue bene lost to giue to euery childe the owne Father to euery Booke the trew Author for there neuer had bene halfe so many birds to haue flowen about the world with false feathers if euery Author had set out his owne workes together in his owne time J hope then it shall not be now a matter of reproofe in a Seruant to trauaile in the setting foorth of the Works of his Master and for giuing you that together which before yee could hardly get asunder and for preseruing that in a Masse from perishing that might easily be lost in a Mite But while I am collecting workes one way I heare others scattering wordes as fast an other way affirming it had beene better his Maiestie had neuer written any Bookes at all and being written better they had perished with the present like Proclamations then haue remayned to Posterity For say these Men Little it befitts the Maiesty of a King to turne Clerke and to make a warre with the penne that were fitter to be fought with the Pike to spend the powers of his so exquisite an vnderstanding vpon paper which had they beene spent on powder could not but haue preuayled ere this for the Conquest of a Kingdome For a King say they to enter a Controuersie with a Scholler is as if he should fight a Combate with a Kerne he doth no more descend from his Honour in the one then he bringes vpon himselfe Disgrace by the other And since that Booke-writing is growen into a Trade It is as dishonorable for a King to write bookes as it is for him to be a Practitioner in a Profession Jf a King will needs write Let him write like a King euery Lyne a Law euery Word a Precept euery Letter a Mandate Jn good trewth I haue had my eares so oft dung through with these Obiections and the like as I know not whether I conceiued amisse of my selfe or no thinking I had more ability to answere these Calumnyes then I had patience to heare them And therefore hauing so fit opportunity J shall not let to deliuer my opinion Whether it may sorte with the Maiestie of a King to be a writer of Bookes or no. First I could neuer reade that there was any Law against it and where we haue no Law the best is to follow good Examples And many Diuines are of opinion that examples that are not contrary to any Precept doe binde vs in practise at least so farre that though they doe not inforce vs to the doing yet they warrant the deede when it is done And if Examples will serue the turne wee haue Examples enough First to beginne with the King of Kings God himselfe who as he doth all things for our good So doeth he many things for our Jmitation Jt pleased his Diuine wisedome to bee the first in this Rancke that we read of that did euer write Hee wrote and the writing was the writing saith Moses of God the maner was after the maner of engrauing the matter was in Stone cut into two Tables and the Tables were the worke of God written on both sides Diuines hold that the Heart is the principall Seate of the Soule which Soule of ours is the immediate worke of God as these Tables were the immediate worke of his owne fingers The Stone the expresse represent of the hardnesse of our heart the engrauing the worke of God so deepely impressed
her needle and is now of his Maiestie esteemed as a most pretious Iewell Therefore since wee are compassed about with such a Clowd of Witnesses albeit these are but a little handfull in comparison of the infinite multitude that might be produced Since we haue the examples of all the Mightie-men of the World euen from the beginning thereof vnto this day who haue striuen as much to get a Name for their writings as fame for their doings haue affected as much to be counted Learned as Victorious and to be reputed of as much for their wise Sayings as for their worthy Deeds Why should it bee thought a thing strange in this time that his Maiestie whom GOD hath adorned with as many rare perfections of Nature and Arte as euer he did any that wee read of I except such as were Diuinely inspired should lend the world a few leaues out of the large Volumes of his Learning J commend the wisedome of our Aduersaries who hauing assayed all meanes the wit of man is able to inuent to incline his Maiestie to like of their partie and finding by all their Tricks they haue got no ground would at last put his Maiestie to silence and gaine thus much of him at least that since he will doe nothing for them yet that he would say nothing against them Therefore they cry out against his Maiesties writing and vpbrayd him more for that hee doeth write then they doe for any thing that hee hath written Jt is ynough to wonder at that Rex scribit These people are wise in their generation and haue learned by long experience that as the Kingdome of CHRIST is the Gospel of peace so it hath bene from the beginning spread more by the Pennes of the Apostles then by the power of Princes more propagated by the sweet writings of the ancient Fathers then it could bee suppressed by the seuere Edicts of Emperours and of late their Kingdome hath bene more shaken by a poore Monke then it hath bene able to recouer by the helpe of Mighty Monarches Therefore since the writings of poore Schollers haue so raised the Kingdome of CHRIST and so discouered the Mysterie of Jniquitie they do well to feare what may follow vpon the Writings of so great a King They liue securely from bleeding by his Maiesties Sword but they are not safe from being blasted by the breath of his Maiesties Bookes Jf they could bring it about therefore to calme and quiet his Maiesties Spirit from working vpon them that way as they see his Maiesties sweetnesse to bee farre from drawing of their bloods the other way they would deeme it a greater Conquest then all the conuersions of the Kings of the East and West-Indies they tell vs so many tales of For they looke vpon his Maiesties Bookes as men looke vpon Blasing-Starres with amazement fearing they portend some strange thing and bring with them a certaine Influence to worke great change and alteration in the world Neither is their expectation herein deceiued for we haue seene with our eyes the Operation of his Maiesties Workes in the Consciences of their men so farre as from their highest Conclaue to their lowest Cells there haue bene that haue bene conuerted by them and that in such number as wee want rather meanes to maintaine them then they minds to come to vs. But to conclude this point that Kings may write Giue mee leaue to offer you this Meditation How many are the wayes that men doe inuent to perpetuate their Memorie Insomuch that mortall-men haue made themselues Gods when they were dead that they might be adored as if they were aliue Wherein is the Impetus of Nature so strong as in the affection that propogates to Posteritie Wherefore serue Pictures but to continue our features Why doe men bestow so much cost in sumptuous Buildings but to leaue a Monument of their Magnificence To what end doe we erect Holy-houses and Hospitalls but to possesse mens mindes with the Deuotion of our Soules And shall wee blesse a King when wee behold him in his Posteritie Shall wee admire his features when wee contemplate them in his Pictures Shall we wonder at his Magnificence when we gaze vpon it in his stately Edifices and may wee not as well bee rauished when wee see his sharpe Wit his profound Judgement his infinite Memorie his Excellent affections in his admirable Writings Certainely it is a peruersnes to esteeme a man least for that whereby hee liues the longest to value him more for the outward worke of his hand then for the inward operation of his minde to esteeme him more for that which instructs but little then for that which shall edifie for euer What now remaines of Caesar so famous as his Commentaries What of Cicero as his Orations How comes Aristotle to be of more authoritie then Alexander Seneca then Nero The Triumphes and Victories of the one are vanished the Vertues of the other remaine in their perfect vigour And though all other Monuments by time consume and come to nothing yet these by time gaine strength and get authoritie and euer the more ancient the more Excellent Hauing now deliuered my opinion that J thinke it neither vnlawfull nor inconuenient for a King to write but that he hath the Liberty that other men haue if hee can get the leysure to shew his abilities for the present to perpetuate his Memory to Posterity to aduance his praise before his owne People and gaine Glory from others but especially to giue Glory vnto GOD. J will craue leaue to descend to an other Consideration for it may be there will not be so much fault found with a King for writing as for the matter or Subiect whereof he treates For Personages of their eminent Degree and State must not spend their paines on poore purposes nor write so much to try their witts on triuiall thinges as to winne themselues Honor by the Excellency of their subiect Jndeed if I were worthy to aduise a King hee should meddle very sparingly and but vpon important Causes with Polemicalls Hee should not often fight but in the field for put the case a King writ neuer so modestly that there be not in a whole Booke one word ad hominem nor any touch of his Aduersary in any personall infirmity yet J know not how it comes to passe that in all Controuersies a solide answere to an argument is a very sufficient occasion to make an Aduersary wonderfull angrie And so long as there are diuersity of Opinions there will neuer want matter for Confutations And in these Replications the person of a King is more exposed and lyes more open then the person of a poore Scholler can doe for as he is a farre greater marke so he may farre more easily be hit And though they misse him and can hit vpon nothing iustly to bee reprehended in him yet they doe thinke it Operaepretium to make a Scarre in the face of a King Whereas on the contrary if a King
same by Vision of the woman in the wildernesse and of the Beasts that rose out of the sea and the earth in the 12. 13. and 14. Chapters And then to comfort men that might otherwise despaire Chap. 15.16 because of the greatnesse of that temptation he declares by the next following Vision of the Phials what plagues shall light vpon the Pope and his followers Next he describes him againe Chap. 17.18.19 Chap. 20. farre clearer then any time before and likewise his ruine together with the sorrow of the Earth and ioy of Heauen therefore And then to inculcate and ingraue the better the foresaid Visions in the hearts and memories of Men hee in a Vision makes a short summe and recapitulation of them to wit of the present estate of the Church then and what it should bee thereafter vnto the Day of Iudgement together with a short description of the said Day And last he describes by a Vision the glorious reward of them who constantly persist in the Trueth resisting all the temptations which he hath forespoken To wit he describes the blessed estate of the holy and Eternall Ierusalem and Church Triumphant and so with a short and pithie Conclusion makes an end A PARAPHRASE VPON THE REVELATION OF THE APOSTLE S. IOHN CHAP. I. ARGVMENT The Booke the Writer and the Inditer the end and vse thereof The dedication of this Epistle to the Churches and Pastors vnder the vision of the seuen Candlesticks and seuen Starres GOD THE FATHER hath directed his Sonne and Word IESVS CHRIST to send downe an Angel or Minister to me Iohn his seruant and by him to reueale vnto mee certaine things which are shortly to come to passe to the effect in time the chosen may be forewarned by me 2 Who haue borne witnes that the word of God is true and that IESVS CHRIST is and was a faithfull witnesse and haue made true report of all I saw 3 Happy are they that read and vnderstand this Prophesie and conforme themselues thereunto in time for in very short space it will be fulfilled 4 I am directed to declare the same specially to you the seuen Churches of Asia with whom be grace and peace from the Eternall the Father and from the Holy Spirit 5 And IESVS CHRIST that faithfull witnesse the first borne of the dead the Mightie King of the world and head of his Church Who for the loue he bare vs hath made vs innocent by his blood in the worke of Redemption 6 To him then we whom hee hath made Spiritual Kings and Priests in Honour and Holinesse and ordained to serue and praise his Father giue all glory and power for euer so be it 7 Assure your selues of his comming againe from Heauen in all glory and all eyes shall see him Yea the wicked shal be compelled to acknowledge that it is euen very he whom so they did persecute Christ crucified And the whole world shall haue a feeling before him of their vnthankefulnesse So be it 8 I am Eternall saith the Lord before whom all things which is or was are present and I am only the worker of all I who euer Was and still am shall surely come againe according to my promise 1. Cor. 2. And as I am Eternall and true so I am Almighty preordinating all things before all beginnings 9 I Iohn your brother in the flesh Iohn banished to Pathmos for the trueth writeth the Reuelation and companion with you aswell in the seruice of Christ as in the patient suffering of the Crosse being for that word of God and witnessing of Christ whereof I spake so persecuted that for safety of my life I was constrained to flie all alone to the solitarie I le of Pathmos 10 Then was I bereft in spirit vpon the Sunday which is hallowed to the Lord Then heard I behind me turne about and take heed the mighty voyce of the Lord as a Trumpet because he was to declare the estate of the battell of the Church Militant vnto me 11 Saying these wordes I am A and Ω to wit the first and the last write thou in a Booke what thou seest and send it to the Seuen Churches in Asia the names of which are these Ephesus Smyrna Pergamos Thyatyra Sardis Philadelphia and Laodicea 12 And when I turned mee to see the voyce Vers 10. I did see seuen Candlesticks representing these seuen Churches 13 And in the middest of them the figure of the Sonne of man representing him clothed with a side garment for grauitie and girded about the paps with a girdle of Gold for glory 14 His head and haire were white as white Wooll Psal 51. Esay 4. Matth. 3. Ierem. 1.15 Esay 17. or Snow for innocencie and his eyes were bright like flames of fire to signifie his all-seeing knowledge 15 His feet were of brasse brightly flaming as in a furnace to declare his standing in Eternity And his voice like the sounding of many waters representing his Maiestie in commanding 16 And hee had in his Right hand the side that the Elect are on Hebr. 1.10 Vers 10. seuen Starres for you the seuen Angels that is Pastors of the seuen Churches Ephes 6. Esay 60. Matth. 7. And from his mouth came a two-edged sword to wit the Sword of the word which comes onely from him and his face was as the Sunne shining bright for from his Face comes all light to illuminate blind Man 17 And when I thus did see him I fell dead at his feet for astonishment Psal 63. Psal 139. but he lifted mee vp againe with his right and fauourable hand and comfortably said vnto mee Feare not be not astonished for I am the first and the last Christ is risen from death to life Timoth. 1. Hebr. 2. 18 Who as verily as now I liue was once dead as thou thy selfe beares witnesse and yet now doe liue for euer and euer and by my death onely I haue ouercome Hell and Death and I onely and no other keepe the Keyes that haue the power of them both 19 And now I came to charge thee to write these things which thou hast now seene because they are afterwards to come to passe CHAP. II. ARGVMENT Admonition and exhortation to the Churches of Ephesus Smyrna Pergamos and Thyatira WRite then this to the Angel or Pastour of the Church of Ephesus He that hath the seuen Starres Chap. 1. v. 10. or seuen Pastours in his Right hand or fauourable power or protection and who walkes among the seuen Golden Candlesticks or watches ouer the seuen Churches euen hee I say Chap. 1. sayes thus vnto thee 2 I know thy workes thy trauaile and patience that thou suffrest not the wicked to walke with thee but hast learned them out False apostles in the Church of Ephesus that call themselues Apostles in the Church of Ephesus and are not and hast tried them to be lyers 3 Thou art also loaded with a great
iust proportion and symmetrie that shall be among all the parts of this holy Citie 16 And this Citie was fouresquare because of the gates towards the foure parts of the earth to receiue indifferently the commers out of any of them as yee heard before And it was alike long and broad to signifie the infinite bounds thereof and hee measured the Citie with his reed and it came to twelue thousand furlongs this number also expresseth the great bounds of this Citie for it is here vsed for a number of perfection as sundry times before And this Citie was alike in length breadth and height for all the parts of it were alike large 17 And the Angel did measure the wall of it and it was an hundred and foure and fourtie cubites of height this number is correspondent to the number of Saints who were standing with the Lambe on Mount Sion as ye heard before and the measure wherewith this was measured was the measure of the man which is the measure of the Angel This Citie is measured with the measure of CHRIST God and man to teach vs that he is onely the Architectour of this Spirituall Citie which he measureth by his cubites and not by the cubites of any man 18 And the fabricke of the wall of the Citie was composed of Iasper to signifie that the wall thereof shall stand eternally and the Citie it selfe was of pure gold and like to cleere glasse whereon no filth will remaine 19 And the twelue foundations of the Citie were decked with all kind of precious stones the first foundation was of Iasper the second of Saphire the third of Chalcedonie the fourth of Emerald 20 The fift of a Sardonix the sixt of a Sardius the seuenth of a Chrysolite the eight of a Berill the ninth of a Topaze the tenth of a Chrysophrasus the eleuenth of an Hyacinth the twelfth of an Amethist These twelue sundry stones one for euery one of the foundations signifie that we the twelue Apostles who are these twelue foundations as ye heard shall euery one receiue a diuers reward and crowne of glory according to the greatnesse and excellencie of our labours in the earth these twelue precious stones allude also to the twelue precious stones in Aarons brestplate 21 And the twelue gates were of twelue pearles and euery gate of a sundry pearle this signifies the like of the Patriarches and the Market place of the Citie was of pure golde and like the glistering glasse signifying thereby as by an euident token that seeing the Market place which is the commonest place of euery towne of this spirituall City is of so fine and bright stuffe that no base and vncleane thing shall be in any part thereof 22 And I saw no Temple in it for the Lord God Almightie euen the Lambe is the Temple of it for no other shall be there wherein God must be praised but the person of Christ in whom all the faithfull shall be incorporated as I said before 23 And this Citie shall neede no Sunne nor Moone to shine in it for the glory of God hath made it bright and the Lambe is the lampe thereof for as it is no corporall paradise nor dwelling place on earth which is heere spoken of so is no part of the glory thereof earthly but celestiall and spirituall 24 And the Gentiles which are saued shall walke in that light and the kings of the earth shall bring their glory vnto that citie for all the faithfull kings shall resigne all their worldly glory in that citie and receiue a new and incorruptible glory from the Lambe who is the light thereof 25 And the gates thereof shall not be shut in the day time for there shall neuer be any suspicion of trouble there for which cause worldly cities often shut their gates and the night shall neuer be there but an eternall brightnesse through all 26 And the honour and the glory of the nations shall be brought into her for all their worldly glory shal be nothing in respect of the glory of this City 27 And there shall nothing enter into this Citie that defileth or is defiled nor no man that committeth any abominable deed or that speakes lies but onely these shall haue entrance into this holy City whose names are written in the Lambe his booke of Life as ye heard before CHAP. XXII ARGVMENT The rest of the same description Mans pronenesse of his owne nature to idolatrie The Writer tells his name that no man may doubt who was the writer of this Booke and who endited the same The faithfull ought to wish the comming of the latter day The curse vpon them who adde or take from this Booke and vse it not aright THen to the effect that I might know that the inhabitants of this holy Citie were as well eternall as the walles and glory of the same this Angel did shew vnto me the cleere and pure flood of the water of life whereof Christ promised to giue the Samaritane to drinke as I said before and it was cleere like crystall and it flowed from the Throne of God and the Lambe This Riuer alludeth to that spring of Ezechiel which came foorth from vnder the Temple floore and it also alludeth to the Riuers of earthly Paradise 2 And in the middest of the market place and on either side of this Riuer did grow the Tree of Life hauing twelue maner of fruits euery moneth bearing once and bearing leaues for the health of the Gentiles This Tree and this water of Life are the heauenly meat and drinke meant by Christ when the Capernaites were scandalized with his doctrine as ye read in the Euangel written by me and of this Tree and water were those of Ezechiel and in earthly paradise the figures the number of the fruits thereof answereth to the number of the tribes of Israel who through eating the fruits thereof by faith obtained saluation as likewise the varietie and plentie of ioyes to all the faithfull there and as it bare fruit to the Iewes for food that is to satisfie them so it did beare leaues to the Gentiles who being healed by these leaues of all spiritual diseases were not onely preserued but also prepared and got appetite thereby to eat and turne into nutriment or spirituall strength and contentation the fruites thereof This tree grew on euery side of the water of Life to signifie that they are both but one thing and inseparable both proceeding from the mightie and mercifull Throne of God and his Lambe and they were both in the middest of the Market place to signifie by their being in so common a place that as they are the support strength and comfort of the Church triumphant or holy Citie so all the in-dwellers therein haue the like free accesse thereunto and are all alike participant thereof 3 And no accursed thing shall be any more for then shall hell and death be confined and restrained within themselues for euer as ye heard in the
what indifferencie of Religion can Momus call that in mee where speaking of my sonnes marriage in case it pleased God before that time to cut the threed of my life I plainly forewarne him of the inconuenients that were like to ensew incase he should marry any that be of a different profession in Religion from him notwithstanding that the number of Princes professing our Religion be so small as it is hard to foresee how he can be that way meetly matched according to his ranke And as for the other point that by some parts in this booke it should appeare that I doe nourish in my minde a vindictiue resolution against England or some principals there it is surely more then wonderfull vnto me vpon what grounds they can haue gathered such conclusions For as vpon the one part Ineither by name nor description poynt out England in that part of my discourse so vpon the other I plainly bewray my meaning to be of Scottish-men where I conclude that purpose in these termes That the loue I beare to my Sonne hath mooued me to be so plaine in this argument for so that I discharge my conscience to him in vttering the verity I care not what any traitour or treason-allower doe thinke of it And English-men could not thereby be meant since they could be no traitours where they ought no alleageance I am not ignorant of a wise and princely apophthegme which the same Queene of England vttered about the time of her owne Coronation But the drift of that discourse doth fully cleare my intention being onely grounded vpon that precept to my Sonne that he should not permit any vnreuerent detracting of his praedecessours bringing in that purpose of my mother onely for an example of my experience anent Scottishmen without vsing any perswasion to him of reuenge For a Kings giuing of any fault the dew stile inferres no reduction of the faulters pardon No I am by a degree nearer of kinne vnto my mother then he is neither thinke I my selfe either that vnworthie or that neere my end that I neede to make such a Dauidicall testament since I haue euer thought it the dewtie of a worthie Prince rather with a pike then a penne to write his iust reuenge But in this matter I haue no delite to be large wishing all men to iudge of my future proiects according to my by-past actions Thus hauing as much insisted in the clearing of these two points as will I hope giue sufficient satisfaction to all honest men and leauing the enuious to the foode of their owne venome I will heartily pray thee louing Reader charitably to conceiue of my honest intention in this Booke I know the greatest part of the people of this whole Isle haue beene very curious for a sight thereof some for the loue they beare me either being particularly acquainted with me or by a good report that perhappes they haue heard of me and therefore longed to see any thing that proceeded from that authour whom they so loued and honoured since bookes are viue Idees of the authours minde Some onely for meere curiositie that thinke it their honour to know all new things were curious to glut their eyes therewith onely that they might vaunt them to haue seene it and some fraughted with causlesse enuie at the Authour did greedily search out the booke thinking their stomacke jit ynough for turning neuer so wholesome foode into noysome and infectiue bumours So as this their great concurrence in curiofitie though proceeding from farre different complexions hath enforced the vn-timous divulgating of this Booke farre contrarie to my intention as I haue alreadie said To which Hydra of diuersly-enclined spectatours I haue no targe to oppone but plainenesse patience and sinceritie plainenesse for resoluing and satisfying of the first sort patience for to beare with the shallownesse of the next and sinceritie to defie the malice of the third with-all Though I cannot please all men therein I am contented so that Ionely please the vertuous sort and though they also finde not euery thing therein so fully to answere their expectation as the argument would seeme to require although I would wish them modestly to remember that God hes not bestowed all his gifts vpon one but parted them by a iustice distributiue and that many eyes see more then one and that the varietie of mens mindes is such that tot capita totsensus yea and that euen the very faces that God hath by nature brought foorth in the world doe euery one in some of their particular lineaments differ from any other yet in trewth it was not my intention in handling of this purpose as it is easie to perceiue fully to set downe heere all such grounds as might out of the best writers haue beene alledged and out of my owne inuention and experience added for the perfite institution of a King but onely to giue some such precepts to my owne Sonne for the gouernement of this kingdome as was meetest for him to be instructed in and best became me to be the informer of If I in this Booke haue beene too particularly plaine impute it to the necessitie of the subiect not so much being ordained for the institution of a Prince in generall as I haue said as containing particular precepts to my Sonne in speciall whereof he could haue made but a generall vse if they had not contained the particular diseases of this kingdome with the best remedies for the same which it became me best as a King hauing learned both the theoricke and practicke thereof more plainely to expresse then any simple schoole man that onely knowes matters of kingdomes by contemplation But if in some places it seeme too obscure impute it to the shortnesse thereof being both for the respect of my selfe and of my Sonne constrained there-unto my owne respect for fault of leasure being so continually occupied in the affaires of my office as my great burthen and restlesse fashery is more then knowen to all that knowes or beares of me for my Sonnes respect because I know by my self that a Prince so long as he is young wil be so caried away with some sort of delight or other that he cannot patiently abide the reading of any large volume and when he comes to a ful maturity of aage he must be so busied in the actiue part of his charge as he will not be permitted to bestow many houres vpon the cōtemplatiue part therof So as it was neither fit for him nor possible for me to haue made this Treatise any more ample then it is Indeed I am litle beholden to the curiositie of some who thinking it too large alreadie as appears for lacke of leisure to copy it drew some notes out of it for speeds sake putting in the one halfe of the purpose and leauing out the other not vnlike the man that alledged that part of the Psalme non est Deus but left out the praeceeding words Dixit insipiens in corde
suo And of these notes making a little pamphlet lacking both my methode and halfe of my matter entituled it forsooth the Kings Testament as if I had eiked a third Testament of my owne to the two that are in the holy Scriptures It is trew that in a place thereof for affirmation of the purpose I am speaking of to my Sonne I bring my selfe in there as speaking vpon my Testament for in that sense euery record in write of a mans opinion in anything in respect that papers out-liue their authours is as it were a Testament of that mans will in that case and in that sense it is that in that place I call this Treatise a Testament But from any particular sentence in a booke to giue the booke it selfe a title is as ridiculous as to style the booke of the Psalmes the booke of Dixit insipiens because with these wordes one of them doeth begin Well leauing these new baptizers and blockers of other mens books to their owne follies Ireturne to my purpose anent the shortnesse of this booke suspecting that all my excuses for the shortnesse thereof shall not satisfie some especially in our neighbour countrey who thought that as I haue so narrowly in this Treatise touched all the principall sicknesses in our kingdome with ouertures for the remedies thereof as I said before so looked they to haue found something therein that should haue touched the sicknesses of their state in the like sort But they will easily excuse me thereof if they will consider the forme I haue vsed in this Treatise wherein I onely teach my Son out of my owne experience what forme of gouernment is fittest for this kingdome and in one part thereof speaking of the borders I plainely there doe excuse my selfe that I will speake nothing of the state of England as a matter wherein I neuer had experience I know indeed no kingdome lackes her owne diseases and likewise what interest I haue in the prosperitie of that state for although I would be silent my blood and discent doeth sufficiently proclaime it But notwithstanding since there is a lawfull Queene there presently reigning who hath so long with so great wisedome and felicitie gouerned her kingdomes as I must in trew sinceritie confesse the like hath not beene read nor heard of either in our time or since the dayes of the Romane Emperour Augustus it could no wayes become me farre inferiour to her in knowledge and experience to be a busie-body in other princes matters and to fish in other folkes waters as the prouerbe is No I hope by the contrary with Gods grace euer to keepe that Christian rule To doe as I would be done to and I doubt nothing yea euen in her name I dare promise by the bypast experience of her happy gouernment as I haue already said that no good subiect shall be more carefull to enforme her of any corruptions stollen in in her state then shee shall be zealous for the discharge of her conscience and honour to see the same purged and restored to the ancient integritie and further during her time becomes me least of any to meddle in And thus hauing resolued all the doubts so farre as I can imagine may be moued against this Treatise it onely rests to pray thee charitable Reader to interprete fauourably this birth of mine according to the integritie of the author and not looking for perfection in the worke it selfe As for my part I onely glory thereof in this point that I trust no sort of vertue is condemned nor any degree of vice allowed in it and that though it be not perhaps so gorgeously decked and richly attired as it ought to be it is at the least rightly proportioned in all the members without any menstrous deformitie in any of them and specially that since it was first written in secret and is now published not of ambition but of a kinde of necessitie it must be taken of all men for the trew image of my very minde and forme of the rule which I haue prescribed to my selfe and mine Which as in all my actions I haue bitherto preassed to expresse so farre as the nature of my charge and the condition of time would permit me so beareth it a discouery of that which may be looked for at my hand and whereto euen in my secret thoughts I haue engaged my selfe for the time to come And thus in a firme trust that it shall please God who with my being and Crowne gaue me this minde to maintaine and augment the same in me and my posteritie to the discharge of our conscience the maintenance of our Honour and weale of our people I bid thee heartily farewell OF A KINGS CHRISTIAN DVETIE TO WARDS GOD. THE FIRST BOOKE AS he cannot be thought worthy to rule and command others that cannot rule and dantone his owne proper affections and vnreasonable appetites so can hee not be thought worthie to gouerne a Christian people The trew ground of good gouernment knowing and fearing God that in his owne person and heart feareth not and loueth not the Diuine Maiestie Neither can any thing in his gouernment succeed well with him deuise and labour as he list as comming from a filthie spring if his person be vnsanctified for as that royal Prophet saith Except the Lord build the house Psal 127 1. they labour in vaine that build it except the Lord keepe the City the keepers watch it in vaine in respect the blessing of God hath onely power to giue the successe thereunto and as Paul saith he planteth 1. Cor. 3.6 Apollos watereth but it is God onely that giueth the increase Therefore my Sonne first of all things learne to know and loue that God whom-to ye haue a double obligation Double bond of a Prince to God first for that he made you a man and next for that he made you a little GOD to sit on his Throne and rule ouer other men Remember that as in dignitie hee hath erected you aboue others so ought ye in thankfulnesse towards him goe as farre beyond all others A moate in anothers eye is a beame into yours a blemish in another is a leprouse byle into you and a veniall sinne as the Papists call it in another is a great crime into you Thinke not therefore that the highnesse of your dignitie The greatnesse of the fault of a Prince dimmisheth your faults much lesse giueth you a licence to sinne but by the contrary your fault shall be aggrauated according to the height of your dignitie any sinne that ye commit not being a single sinne procuring but the fall of one but being an exemplare sinne and therefore drawing with it the whole multitude to be guiltie of the same Remember then that this glistering worldly glorie of Kings The trew glorie of Kings is giuen them by God to teach them to preasse so to glister and shine before their people in all workes of sanctification and
your actions as farre as yee may eschewing euer wilfully and wittingly to contrare your conscience For a small sinne wilfully committed with a deliberate resolution to breake the bridle of conscience therein is farre more grieuous before God then a greater sinne committed in a suddaine passion when conscience is asleepe Last account Remember therefore in all your actions of the great account that yee are one day to make in all the dayes of your life euer learning to die and liuing euery day as it were your last Omnem crede diem tibi diluxisse supremum Horat. lib. 1. Epist And therefore I would not haue you to pray with the Papists to be preserued from suddaine death but that God would giue you grace so to liue as ye may euery houre of your life be ready for death so shall ye attaine to the vertue of trew fortitude neuer being afraid for the horrour of death Trew fortitude come when he list And especially beware to offend your conscience with vse of swearing or lying suppose but in iest for others are but an vse Foolish vse of oathes and a sinne cloathed with no delight nor gaine and therefore the more inexcusable euen in the sight of men and lying commeth also much of a vile vse which banisheth shame Therfore beware euen to deny the trewth which is a sort of lie that may best be eschewed by a person of your ranke For if any thing be asked at you that yee thinke not meete to reueale if yee say that question is not pertinent for them to aske who dare examine you further and vsing sometimes this answere both in trew and false things that shall be asked at you such vnmanerly people will neuer be the wiser thereof And for keeping your conscience sound from that sickenesse of superstition Against superstition yee must neither lay the safetie of your conscience vpon the credit of your owne conceits nor yet of other mens humors how great doctors of Diuinitie that euer they be but yee must onely ground it vpon the expresse Scripture for conscience not grounded vpon sure knowledge is either an ignorant fantasie or an arrogant vanitie Beware therefore in this case with two extremities the one to beleeue with the Papists the Churches authority better then your owne knowledge the other to leane with the Anabaptists to your owne conceits and dreamed reuelations But learne wisely to discerne betwixt points of saluation and indifferent things Difference of internall and externall things betwixt substance and ceremonies and betwixt the expresse commandement and will of God in his word and the inuention or ordinance of man since all that is necessarie for saluation is contained in the Scripture For in any thing that is expressely commanded or prohibited in the booke of God ye cannot be ouer precise euen in the least thing counting euery sinne not according to the light estimation and common vse of it in the world but as the booke of God counteth of it But as for all other things not contained in the Scripture spare not to vse or alter them as the necessitie of the time shall require Account of things externall And when any of the spirituall office-bearers in the Church speake vnto you any thing that is well warranted by the word reuerence and obey them as the heraulds of the most high God but if passing that bounds they vrge you to embrace any of their fantasies in the place of Gods word or would colour their particulars with a pretended zeale acknowledge them for no other then vaine men exceeding the bounds of their calling and according to your office grauely and with authoritie redact them in order againe To conclude then Conclusion both this purpose of conscience and the first part of this booke keepe God more sparingly in your mouth but abundantly in your heart be precise in effect but sociall in shew kythe more by your deedes then by your wordes the loue of vertue and hatred of vice and delight more to be godly and vertuous indeed then to be thought and called so expecting more for your praise and reward in heauen then heere and apply to all your outward actions Christs command to pray and giue your almes secretly So shal ye on the one part be inwardly garnished with trew Christian humilitie not outwardly with the proud Pharisie glorying in your godlinesse but saying as Christ commandeth vs all when we haue done all that we can Luke 10.17 Inutiles serui sumus And on the other part yee shall eschew outwardly before the world the suspition of filthie proude hypocrisie and deceitfull dissimulation OF A KINGS DVETIE IN HIS OFFICE THE SECOND BOOKE BVT as ye are clothed with two callings so must ye be alike careful for the discharge of them both that as yee are a good Christian so yee may be a good King discharging your Office as I shewed before in the points of Iustice and Equitie The Office of a King which in two sundrie waies ye must doe the one in establishing and executing Plato in Polit. which is the life of the Law good Lawes among your people Isocr in Sym. the other by your behauiour in your owne person and with your seruants to teach your people by your example for people are naturally inclined to counterfaite like apes their Princes maners Plate in Polis according to the notable saying of Plato expressed by the Poet Componitur orbis Regis ad exemplum nec sic inflectere sensus Humanos edicta valent quà m vitaregentis Claudian in 4. cons Hon. For the part of making and executing of Lawes consider first the trew difference betwixt a lawfull good King and an vsurping Tyran and yee shall the more easily vnderstand your duetie herein Difference of a King and a Tyran for contraria iuxta se posita magis elucescunt The one acknowledgeth himselfe ordained for his people hauing receiued from God a burthen of gouernment Plato in Polit. whereof he must be countable the other thinketh his people ordined for him Arist 5. Polit. a prey to his passions and inordinate appetites as the fruites of his magnanimitie And therefore as their ends are directly contrarie so are their whole actions as meanes whereby they preasse to attaine to their endes A good King thinking his highest honour to consist in the due discharge of his calling emploieth all his studie and paines to procure and maintaine Xen. 8. Cyr. by the making and execution of good Lawes the well-fare and peace of his people and as their naturall father and kindly Master Cic. lib. 5. de Rep. thinketh his greatest contentment standeth in their prosperitie and his greatest suretie in hauing their hearts subiecting his owne priuate affections and appetites to the weale and standing of his Subiects euer thinking the common interesse his chiefest particular where by the contrarie an vsurping Tyran thinking his greatest
take Radamanthus office ouer his head and to sit downe and play the Iudge in hell And all his quarrell is that either her Successour or any of her seruants should speake honourably of her Cursed be he that curseth the Anointed of God and destroyed mought he be with the destruction of Korah that hath sinned in the contradiction of Korah Without mought such dogs and swine be cast forth I say out of the Spirituall Ierusalem As for my Latine Answerer I haue nothing to say to his person hee is not my Subiect hee standeth or falleth vnto his owne Lord But sure I am they two haue casten lotts vpon my Booke since they could not diuide it the one of them my fugitiue to raile vpon my late Predecessour but a rope is the fittest answere for such an Historian the other a stranger thinketh he may be boldest both to pay my person and my Booke as indeed he doeth which how iustly either in matter or maner wee are now to examine But first who should be the trew Authour of this booke I can but guesse Hee calleth himselfe Mattheus Tortus Cardinall Bellarmins Chaplaine A 1 Being a proper word to expresse the trew meaning of Tortus throwne Euangelist indeed full of throward Diuinitie an obscure Authour vtterly vnknowne to mee being yet little knowne to the world for any other of his workes and therefore must be a very desperate fellow in beginning his apprentisage not onely to refute but to raile vpon a King But who will consider the carriage of the whole booke shall finde that hee writeth with such authoritie or at the least tam elato stylo so little sparing either Kings in generall or my person in particular and with such a greatnesse 1 P. 46. Habemus enim exemplaria Breuium illorum in manibus and 2 P. 63. Decernimus as it shall appeare or at least bee very probable that it is the Masters and not the mans labour especially in one place where hee quarrelleth mee for casting vp his moralis certitudo and pie credi vnto him Pag. 69. hee there grossely forgetting himselfe saith malâ fide nobiscum agit thereby making this Authour to be one person with Bellarmine But let it bee the worke of a Tortus indeed and not of a personated Cardinall yet must it bee the Cardinals deed since Master Tortus is the Cardinals man and doeth it in his Masters defence The errand then being the Cardinals and done by his owne man it cannot but bee accounted as his owne deed especially since the English Answerer doeth foure times promise that Bellarmine or one by his appointment shall sufficiently answere it And now to come to his matter and maner of Answere Surely if there were no more but his vnmanerly maner it is enough to disgrace the whole matter thereof For first to shew his pride in his Printers preface of the Politan edition of this elegans libellus hee must equall the Cardinals greatnesse with mine in euery thing For though hee confesseth this Master Tortus to bee an obscure man yet being the Cardinals Chapleine he is sufficient enough forsooth to answere an English booke that lacketh the name of an Authour as if a personated obscure name for Authour of a Cardinals booke were a meete match for answering a KINGS Booke that lacketh the name of an Authour and a Cardinals Chapleine to meete with the Deane of the Kings Chappell whom Parsons with the Cardinall haue as it seemeth agreed vpon to intitle to bee the Authour of my Apologie And not onely in the Preface but also through the whole booke doeth hee keepe this comparatiue greatnesse Hee must bee as short in his answere as I am in my Booke hee must refute all that I haue said against the Popes second Breue with equall breuitie and vpon one page almost as I haue done mine and because I haue set downe the substance of the Oath in foureteene Articles in iust as many Articles must he set downe that Acte of Parliament of mine wherein the Oath is contained And yet had hee contented himselfe with his owne pride by the demonstration of his owne greatnesse without further wronging of mee it had bene the more tollerable But what cause gaue I him to farce his whole booke with iniuries both against my Person and Booke For whereas in all my Apologie I haue neuer giuen him a foule word and especially neuer gaue him the Lye hee by the contrary giueth mee nine times the Lye in expresse termes and seuen times chargeth mee with falsehood which phrase is equiualent with a Lye And as for all other wordes of reproch as nugae conuitia temeritas vanitas impudentia blasphemiae sermonis barbaries cum eadem foelicitate scribendi cauillationes applicatio inepta fingere historias audacia quae in hominem sanae mentis cadere non potest vel sensu communi caret imperitia leuitas omnem omnino pudorem conscientiam exuisse malâ fide nobiscum agit vt lectoribus per fas nefas imponat of such like reproches I say I doubt if there bee a page in all his Booke free except where hee idlely sets downe the Popes Breues and his owne Letter And in case this might onely seeme to touch the vnknowen Authour of the Booke whome notwithstanding he knew well enough as I shew before hee spareth not my Person with my owne name sometimes saying Pag. 47. that Pope Clement thought mee to bee inclined to their Religion Sometimes that I was a Puritane in Scotland Pag. 98. and a persecutour of Protestants In one place hee concludeth Pag. 87. Quia Iacobus non est Catholicus hoc ipso Haereticus est In another place Pag. 98. Ex Christiano Caluinistam fecerunt In another place hee sayeth Neque omnino verum est Ibid. Iacobum nunquam deseruisse Religionem quam primò susceperat And in another place after that hee hath compared and ranked mee with Iulian the Apostate hee concludeth Cùm Catholicus not sit Pag. 97. neque Christianus est If this now bee mannerly dealing with a King I leaue it to you to iudge who cannot but resent such indignities done to one of your qualitie And as for the Matter of his Booke it well fittes indeede the Manner thereof for hee neuer answereth directly to the maine question in my Booke For whereas my Apologie handleth onely two points as I told you before One to prooue that the Oath of Allegiance doeth onely meddle with the ciuill and temporall Obedience due by Subiects to their naturall Soueraignes The other that this late vsurpation of Popes ouer the temporall power of Princes is against the rule of all Scriptures auncient Councels and Fathers hee neuer improoues the first but by a false inference that the Oath denyeth the Popes power of Excommunication directly since it denieth his authoritie in deposing of Kings And for the second point he bringeth no proofe to the contrary but Pasce
diuers others and fiue strange and as I thinke erroneous points of Doctrine with sundry falsifications of Histories are set downe in a Table by themselues in the end of this my Epistle hauing their Refutation annexed to euery one of them But as for the particular answering of his booke it is both vnnecessary and vncomely for me to make a Reply Vnnecessary because as I haue already told you my Booke is neuer yet answered so farre as belongeth to the maine question anent the Oath of Alleagiance the picking of aduantages vpon the wrong placing of the figures in the citations or such errors in the Print by casuall addition or omission of words that make nothing to the Argument being the greatest weapons wherewith hee assaults my Booke And vncomely it must needs be in my opinion for a King to fall in altercation with a Cardinal at least with one no more nobly descended then he is That Ecclesiasticall dignitie though by the sloath of Princes as I said before it be now come to that height of vsurped honour yet being in the trew originall and foundation thereof nothing else but the title of the Priests and Deacons of the Parish Churches in the towne of Rome at the first the stile of Cardinals being generally giuen to all Priests and Deacons of any Cathedral Church though the multitude of such Cardinal Priests and Deacons resorting to Rome was the cause that after bred the restraining of that title of Cardinall Priests and Deacons onely to the Parish-priests and Deacons of Rome And since that it is S. Gregorie who in his Epistles sixe hundreth yeeres after CHRIST maketh the first mention of Cardinals and so these now Electours of the Apostolike Sea beeing long and many hundreth yeeres vnknowen or vnheard of after the Apostolik aage and yet doeth hee speake of them but in this sence as I haue now described I hope the Cardinall who calleth him the Apostle of England cannot blame mee that am King thereof to acknowledge the Cardinall in no other degree of honour then our said Apostle did But how they should now become to bee so strangely exalted aboue their first originall institution that from Parish-priests and Deacons Priests inferiours they should now come to bee Princes and Peeres to Kings and from a degree vnder Bishops as both 1 Lib. de Clericis cap. 16. Bellarmine and 2 Lib. de Episcopatibus Titulis Diaconijs Cardinalium Onuphrius confesse to bee now the Popes sole Electours supplying with him the place of a Generall Councell whereby the conuening of Generall Councels is now vtterly antiquated and abolished nay out of their number onely the Pope to be elected who claimeth the absolute Superioritie ouer all Kings how this their strange vsurped exaltation I say should thus creepe in and bee suffered it belongeth to all them in our place and calling to looke vnto it who being GOD his Lieutenants in earth haue good reason to bee iealous of such vpstart Princes meane in their originall come to that height by their owne creation and now accounting themselues Kings fellowes But the speciall harme they do vs is by their defrauding vs of our common Christian interest in General Councels they hauing as I said vtterly abolished the same by rolling it vp making as it were a Monopoly thereof in their Conclaue with the Pope Whereas if euer there were a possibilitie to be expected of reducing all Christians to an vniformitie of Religiō it mustcome by the means of a Generall Councel the place of their meeting being chosen so indifferent as all Christian Princes either in their owne Persons or their Deputie Commissioners and all Church-men of Christian profession that beleeue and professe all the ancient grounds of the trew ancient Catholike and Apostolike Faith might haue tutum accessum thereunto All the incendiaries and Nouelist fire-brands on either side being debarred from the same as well Iesuites as Puritanes And therefore hauing resolued not to paine my selfe with making a Replie for these reasons heere specified grounded as well vpon the consideration of the matter as of the person of the Answerer I haue thought good to content my selfe with the reprinting of my Apologie hauing in a manner corrected nothing but the Copiers or Printers faults therein and prefixed this my Epistle of Dedication and Warning thereunto that I may yet see if any thing will be iustly said against it Not doubting but enow of my Subiects will replie vpon these Libellers and answere them sufficiently wishing YOV deepely to consider and weigh your common interest in this Cause For neither in all my Apologie nor in his pretended Refutation thereof is there any question made anent the Popes power ouer mee in particular for the excommunicating or deposing of mee For in my particular the Cardinall doeth mee that grace that hee saith The Pope thought it not expedient at this time to excommunicate mee by name our question being onely generall Whether the Pope may lawfully pretend any temporall power ouer Kings or no That no Church-men can by his rule bee subiect to any Temporall Prince I haue already shewed you And what Obedience any of you may looke for of any of them de facto hee plainely forewarneth you of by the example of Gregory the Great his obedience to the Emperour Mauritius not being ashamed to slaunder that great Personages Christian humilitie and Obedience to the Emperour with the title of a constrained and forced obedience because hee might or durst doe no otherwise Whereby he not onely wrongs the said Gregory in particular but euen doeth by that meanes lay on an heauie slaunder and reproach vpon the Christian humilitie and patience of the whole Primitiue Church especially in the time of persecution if the whole glory of their Martyrdome and Christian patience shall bee thus blotted with that vile glosse of their coacted and constrained suffering because they could or durst doe no otherwise like the patience and obedience of the Iewes or Turkish slaues in our time cleane contrary to Saint Paul and Saint Peters doctrine of obedience for conscience sake Rom. 13.5 1. Pet. 2.13 and as contrary to Tertullians Apologie for Christians and all the protestations of the ancient Fathers in that case But it was good lucke for the ancient Christians in the dayes of Ethnicke Emperours that this prophane and new conceit was then vnknowen among them otherwise they would haue beene vtterly destroyed and rooted out in that time and no man to haue pitied them as most dangerous members in a Common-wealth who would no longer be obedient then till they were furnished with sufficient abilitie and power to resist and rebell Thus may ye see how vpon the one part our Cardinall will haue all Kings and Monarchs to bee the Popes Vassals and yet will not on the other side allow the meanest of the Pope his vassals to be subiect to any Christian Prince But he not thinking it enough to make the
Pope our Superior hath in a late Treatise of his called the Recognition of his bookes of Controuersies made the people and Subiects of euery one of vs our Superiors For hauing taken occasion to reuisite againe his bookes of Controuersies and to correct or explaine what he findeth amisse or mistaketh in them in imitation of S. Augustine his retractions for so he saith in his Preface he doth in place of retracting any of his former errours or any matter of substance not retract but recant indeed I meane sing ouer againe and obstinatly confirme a number of the grossest of them Among the which the exempting of all Church-men from subiection to any Temporall Prince and the setting vp not onely of the Pope but euen of the People aboue their naturall King are two of his maine points As for the exemption of the Clerickes he is so greedy there to proue that point as he denieth Caesar to haue beene Pauls lawfull Iudge Acts. 25.10 contrary to the expresse Text and Pauls plaine Appellation and acknowledging him his Iudge besides his many times claiming to the Roman priuiledges Actes 22.28 and auowing himselfe a Roman by freedome and therefore of necessitie a Subiect to the Roman Emperour But it is a wonder that these Romane Catholikes who vaunt themselues of the ancientie both of their doctrine and Church and reproch vs so bitterly of our Nouelties should not be ashamed to make such a new inept glosse as this vpon S. Pauls Text which as it is directly contrary to the Apostles wordes so is it without any warrant either of any ancient Councell or of so much as any one particular Father that euer interprets that place in this sort Neither was it euer doubted by any Christian in the Primitiue Church that the Apostles or any other degree of Christians were subiect to the Emperour And as for the setting vp of the People aboue their owne naturall King he bringeth in that principle of Sedition that he may thereby proue that Kings haue not their power and authoritie immediatly from God as the Pope hath his For euery King saith he is made and chosen by his people nay they doe but so transferre their power in the Kings person as they doe notwithstanding retaine their habituall power in their owne hands which vpon certaine occasions they may actually take to themselues againe This I am sure is an excellent ground in Diuinitie for all Rebels and rebellious people who are hereby allowed to rebell against their Princes and assume libertie vnto themselues when in their discretions they shall thinke it conuenient And amongst his other Testimonies for probation that all Kings are made and created by the People he alledgeth the Creation of three Kings in the Scripture Saul Dauid and Ieroboam and though hee bee compelled by the expresse words of the Text to confesse that God by his Prophet Samuel annointed both 1 1. Sam. 10.1 Saul and 2 1. Sam. 16.12.13 Dauid yet will he by the post-consent of the people proue that those Kings were not immediatly made by God but mediatly by the people though he repeat thrise that word of Lott by the casting whereof he confesseth that Saul was chosen And if the Election by Lott be not an immediate Election from God then was not Matthias Actes 1. who was so chosen and made an Apostle immediatly chosen by GOD and consequently he that sitteth in the Apostolike Sea cannot for shame claime to be immediatly chosen by God if Matthias that was one of the twelue Apostles supplying Iudas his place was not so chosen But as it were a blasphemous impietie to doubt that Matthias was immediatly chosen by GOD and yet was hee chosen by the casting of Lots as Saul was so is it well enough knowen to some of you my louing Brethren by what holy Spirit or casting of Lots the Popes vse to be elected the Colledge of Cardinals his electors hauing beene diuided in two mightie factions euer since long before my time and in place of casting of Lotts great fat pensions beeing cast into some of their greedy mouthes for the election of the Pope according to the partiall humours of Princes But I doe most of all wonder at the weakenesse of his memorie for in this place he maketh the post-consent of the people to be the thing that made both these Kings notwithstanding of their preceding inauguration and anoyntment by the Prophet at GODS commandement forgetting that in the beginning of this same little booke of his answering one that alledgeth a sentence of S. Cyprian to prooue that the Bishops were iudged by the people in Cyprians time he there confesseth that by these words the consent of the people to the Bishops Election must be onely vnderstood Nor will he there any wayes be mooued to graunt that the peoples power in consenting to or refusing the Election of a Bishop should be so vnderstood as that thereby they haue power to elect Bishops And yet do these words of Cyprian seeme to bee farre stronger for granting the peoples power to elect Churchmen then any words that he alledgeth out of the Scripture are for the peoples power in electing a King For the very words of Cyprian by himselfe there cited Cyprian lib. 1. Epist 4. are That the very people haue principally the power either to chuse such Priests as are worthy or to refuse such as are vnworthie And I hope hee can neuer prooue by the Scripture that it had beene lawfull to the people of Israel or that it was left in their choise to haue admitted or refused Saul or Dauid at their pleasure after that the Prophet had anoynted them and persented them vnto them Thus ye see how little he careth euen in so little a volume to contradict himselfe so it may make for his purpose making the consent of the people to signifie their power of Election in the making of Kings though in the making of Bishops by the peoples consent their approbation of a deed done by others must onely be vnderstood And as for his example of Ieroboams election to bee King 1 King 12.20 hee knoweth well enough that Ieroboam was made King in a popular mutinous tumult and rebellion onely permitted by God and that in his wrath both against these two Kings and their people But if he will needs helpe himselfe against all rules of Diuinitie with such an extraordinary example for proofe of a generall Rule why is it not as lawfull for vs Kings to oppose hereunto the example of Iehu his Inauguration to the Kingdome 2. King 9.2 3. who vpon the Prophets priuat anointment of him and that in most secret manner tooke presently the Kings office vpon him without euer crauing any sort of approbation from the people And thus may ye now clearely see how deepe the claime of the Babylonian Monarch toucheth vs in all our common interest for as I haue already told the Pope nor any of his Vassals
doe in most of those points wherewith hee is charged yet were it but the scandall of his person which will still remaine it were cause more then enough for you to remooue him out of your Dominions You know what is written of Caesars wife that it was not sufficient for her to be innocent but she must also bee free from all occasion of suspicion how much more then ought you to bee warie and cautious in a matter of so great importance as this which concerneth the glory of God the saluation of your soules the soules of your people and the safetie of your State and not to suffer so dangerous a sparke to lie kindling amongst you For a man may easily coniecture that feare and the horrour of his owne actions will make him boldly denie that poyson which boyleth at his heart For what will not bee denie that denieth the Eternitie and Omnipotencie of God And howbeit hee were innocent as we haue said before the Church of God is not so ill furnished with men of sufficiencie for that place as that you need bee vnprouided of some other who shall not be subiect to that scandall wherewith hee is so tainted as it must bee a long penance and many yeeres of probation that must weare it away But especially ought you to bee very carefull not to hazard the corruption of your youth in so famous an Vniuersitie by the doctrine of so scandalous a person who it is to bee feared when hee findeth himselfe once well setled there will returne againe to his ancient vomite We will therefore conclude with this request vnto you that you will assure your selues that the affection onely which wee beare vnto your State hath enforced vs to vse this libertie towards you not doubting for our part but that as this which wee haue written vnto you proceedes from the sinceritie of our conscience so our good God will bee pleased to giue you a due apprehension thereof and that your resolution in a matter of so great consequence may tend to his glory to your owne honour and safetie to the extirpation of these springing Atheismes and Heresies and to the satisfaction not onely of vs but of all the reformed Churches who haue bene hitherto extremely scandalized therewith But if on the contrary part we faile of that wee expect at your hands which God forbid and that you suffer hereafter such pestilent Heretiques to nestle among you who dare take vpon them that licentious libertie to fetch againe from Hell the ancient Heresies long since condemned or else to inuent new of their owne braine contrary to the beliefe of the trew Catholike Church wee shall then bee constrained to our great griefe publikely to protest against these abominations and as God hath honoured vs with the Title of Defender of the Faith not onely to depart and separate our selues from the vnion of such false and heretical Churches but also to exhort all other reformed Churches to ioyne with vs in a common Councel how to extinguish and remand to hell these abominable Heresies that now newly begin to put foorth againe And furthermore for our owne particular we shall be enforced strictly to inhibite the youth of our Dominions from repairing to so infected a place as is the Vniuersitie of Leyden Sed meliora speramus ominamur We hope and expect for better assuring our selues in the mercie of our good God that as he hath a long time preserued you from your temporall enemies and at this time is beginning to establish your Estate to the contentment of all your friends but especially to ours who haue neuer beene wanting to assist you vpon all occasions that the same God will not leaue you for a prey to your spirituall aduersaries who gape at nothing but your vtter destruction And in this confidence wee will recommend you and the prosperitie of your affaires to the protection of God remaining as we haue euer beene Your good friend IAMES R. Giuen at our Pallace of Westminster the 6. of October 1611. Wee writ likewise at the same time another Letter to our Ambassadour for his direction in the whole businesse the Copie whereof is this which followeth TRustie and welbeloued Perceiuing by the States their answere to your Proposition deliuered to them in our name concerning the matter of Vorstius that they haue taken time for their proceeding with him and hauing some reason to thinke that his fauourers amongst them are stronger then were to bee wished Wee haue thought good to renew our Admonition vnto them in this matter by a Letter of our owne written at good length and in earnest maner which you shall heerewith receiue and at the time of their meeting for this purpose present vnto them in our name Insisting with them with all the earnestnesse you can both for the remoouing of this blasphemous Monster as also that they may now at least take some such solid order as this licentious libertie of disputing or arguing such vnprofitable questions whereby new opinions may bee dayly set abroach against the grounds of Diuinitie may hereafter bee restrained as well at Leyden as in all the rest of their Dominions And for the better strengthening of this motion wee doe herewith send you a Note of some of the most speciall Atheisticall points wherewith his booke is full farced But if contrary to our expectation all our labour cannot mooue them to giue satisfaction not to vs but to the whole Church of God in this case Then are you if no better may be to renew our Protestation vnto them which wee sent you in our former Letter assuring them that our first labour shall be to publish to the world their defection from the Faith and trew Church of Christ Wee meane the defection of them whom they maintaine and harbour in their bosomes though wee purposely omitted this point in our Letter vnto them for being too harsh except all other remedies were desperate But we both wish and hope for better Theobaldes 6. October 1611. BVt before our Ambassadour had opportunitie to deliuer our Letter to the States there were not onely certaine people more cunning then zealous who caused a rumour to bee spread amongst the States that we were become exceeding cold in the businesse nay that wee had almost quite giuen it ouer but also in the meane time the said Vorstius was setled at Leyden lodged in the qualitie of a publike Reader and his wife his familie there arriued as he himselfe witnesseth in his Booke called Christiana modestarespōsio For his own words in his preface are these Quum igitur Diuinâ vocatione sic ferente in eâvrbe ac Prouinciâ sedem fixerim cunque domo totâ nunc habitem quae supremam in terrâ iurisdictionem vestram agnoscit c. That is to say Since therefore God so disposing of me I haue setled my selfe and with my whole family do now inhabite in that City and prouince which acknowledgeth your supreme authority
that in his last works he hath sufficiently purged himselfe from all calumnies and renounced all manner of Heresies To the first Obiection wee answere that we neuer accused him by consequences but that we find his owne words and sentences full of Heresies To the second concerning his questions or disquisitions as he termeth them wee say that in doubtfull matters and where a man may resolue either one way or other without danger of making shipwracke of Faith it is not onely tolerable but very commendable to propound questions or arguments at leastwise in Schooles But to deuise new questions vpon the principall Articles of our Faith to enter not onely into the secret Cabinet of GOD but to intrude our selues into his Essence to prie into his most inward parts and like the Physicians of Pantagruel to visite with torch-light all the most hidden places in the Essence of GOD wee may boldy pronounce Omnia haec ad destructionem planè nihil ad aedificationem All these things tend to destruction and nothing surely to edification S. Augustine speaketh against the curiositie of those people who would needs know what GOD did before hee made the Fabrique of the world The Iewes during their integritie did beare another maner of reuerence to the Diuinitie who thought themselues dead if once they should see GOD. And their great Law-giuer Moyses could obtaine no more notwithstanding his humble and instant request then to see the hinder parts of GOD. So as to call into question or to make doubts of these high points of the Essence of GOD of the Trinitie of the bypostaticall Vnion in the person of CHRIST or to speake of them in other termes then the Church of GOD hath vniformely established and in all aages successiuely approued as it is conteined in all the Orthodox Creeds and declared in the foure first Councels is by no meanes lawfull And to make any question or disquisition vpon these high mysteries is as much in effect as to make a contrary conclusion and such a disquisition deserues the punishment of the Inquision Non est bonum ludere cum Sanctis multò minùs ergo cum Deo It is not good to iest with Saints much lesse therefore with GOD and one of the first verses which our little children are taught is this Mitte arcana Dei coelùmque inquirere quid sit Let the secrets of God alone and be not too curious to enquire into heauen For what difference is there I pray you to say It may be that such a Lady is a whore or that there be probable arguments to perswade vs that she is such a one or to say absolutely that shee is a whore And wee imagine Vorstius would not hold him for his friend that should say it were a matter very disputable whether Vorstius were a damnable Heretique and should goe quicke to Hell yea or no not that he did beleeue him to bee such a one but that there were many arguments probable enough to perswade a man to take him for no lesse The nature of man through the transgression of our first parents hath lost free-will and reteineth not now any shadow thereof sauing an inclination to euill those onely excepted whom God of his meere grace hath sanctified and purged from this originall Leprosie Insomuch as it is a very perillous thing to set abroach these new and dangerous questions although they bee accompanied with good answeres For the greatest part of the world following the footsteps of our first Parents are naturally enclined to choose the euill and to leaue that which is good and therefore the Diuine Poet Du Bartas speaking of the destruction of Sodome and loath to name the sinne for which it was destroyed saith thus De peur qu' en offençant des saincts l'oreille tendre Ie ne les semble plus enseigner que reprendre For feare that in offending of good peoples tender eare I rather seeme to teach them then to wish them to forbeare And there is a report I know not how trew it is that Bellarmines bookes of Controuersies are not very well receiued in Italy because his obiections are too strong and his answeres too weake In which qualitie as also in one other whereof we will speake anon Vorstius hath a certaine tincture of Bellarmine To the third obiection where it is alleadged that perhaps hee hath not bene warie ynough in some of his phrases of speach and that it is but contention for wordes To that we answere as before we haue said That it is in no sort lawfull to speake of those great Mysteries of the Essence of God of the Trinitie of the Hypostaticall vnion of natures in the Person of Christ or any such high points vnlesse wee vse the same phrases and maner of speech which the Church of GOD hath alwayes vsed in speaking of the said Mysteries They that will talke of Chanaan must vse the language of Chanaan And the sonnes of Aaron were seuerely punished for presuming to bring strange fire vnto the Altar By the difference of lesse then one letter betweene Siboleth and Shiboleth the ten Tribes of Israel could discerne their friends from their foes and that by the pronuntiation onely And the like difference of one little letter betwixt homoousion and homoiousion serued to make a distinction betwixt the enemies of Christ in the East Church and the Church Orthodoxall As concerning the fourth and last excuse namely that Vorstius hath in his last Bookes sufficiently purged himselfe from these calumnies and renounced all Heresies Our answere is That we would very heartily request the States in their next Assembly seriously and aduisedly to consider and obserue the style which he vseth in his writings and excuses and then shall they be able to iudge what kind of spirit it is that guideth his penne For to beginne with the Preface of his Booke intituled his Christian and modest Answere he makes there so light reckoning of his questions before-mentioned as if it were but about the tale of Tobies dogge For in the second page of his said Preface these be his wordes Omnis homo est mendax immò vanitate ipsâ vanior solus verò Deus est verax c. Quod cùm in omnibus magni momenti negotijs tum maximè in sanctissimâ fidei causâ humiliter nobis semper agnoscendum est ne videlicet quidquam quod primâ fronte nobis nouum immò falsum absurdum videatur facilè damnemus nec contra quicquid vulgò receptum est in rebus praesertim abstrusis ac perplexis nec tamen ad salutem scitu necessarijs quidem cum opinione praecisae necessitatis statim approbemus In his talibus si quis Regem aut Principem alioqui pientissimum immò Reges Principes eiusmodi complures addo Episcopos seu Doctores Ecclesiae non dissimiles aliquantulum errare dixerit nihil opinor aduersus Regiam Maiestatem nihil aduersus Principum aut Episcoporum dignitatem reuerâ
Now to shew that he is a forger of new opinions by which he would faine make himselfe singular see but his wordes immediately preceding those which a little before wee mentioned where hee boasteth and is wonderfully in loue with a new name which he hath taken vpon himselfe that is to say Purus putus Euangelicus A mainly pure Gospeller although indeed the word pure was neuer yet taken in a good part For amongst the ancient Heretiques there was a Sect that called themselues Catharoi and there was also another Sect among the Anabaptists that were called Puritanes from whence the Precisians of our Kingdomes who out of selfe-will and fancie refuse to conforme themselues to the Orders of our Church haue borrowed their name And for the word Gospeller although it hath bene assumed in diuers places by some of our Religion yet hath it this ill fortune that it is more vsually receiued in those parts of Hungary and Boheme where there are such infinite diuersities of Sects agreeing in nothing but in their Vnion against the Pope then in any other place The holy Scripture it selfe in the Actes of the Apostles mentioneth the name of Christians and the ancient Primitiue Church did attribute vnto the faithfull the names of Catholique and Orthodox So as for such a fellow as Vorstius to affect new Titles for his Religion it hath surely no good relish his intention without doubt being no other then by this meanes to make a distinction and in time a rupture betwixt himselfe and the Orthodox professors of our Religion And for proofe that hee is stedfastly resolued to persist in all these nouelties and not to retract any thing of that which he hath written see what hee saith in the last page saue one of his said Preface Opinor enim ipse vt magni illius Erasmi verba hìc aemuler in libris meis nihil reperiri quo deterior quispiam reddi possit For I am of opinion to vse the words of that great Erasmus that there is nothing to be found in my Bookes that can make any man the worse that reads them As for his Booke which followes this Preface it verifies the Prouerbe Dignum patellà operculum A couer fit for such a dish For it is so full of distinctions and sophisticall euasions so stuft with As it weres in some sorts in my sence and such words as these as euen in that poynt hee hath also a tincture of Bellarmine But God is Vnity it selfe and Veritie is One and naked and in our vsuall manner of speech we call it the simple Verity but neuer was it yet called the double veritie Wee haue thought good to set downe here two places of his sayd Booke that thereby the Reader may iudge of the rest whereof one is in the twelfth page in these words Argumenta quae adferuntur à Patribus vel à recentioribus Theologis pro aeterna Christi generatione aut fallacia sunt aut friuola The arguments which are vsed both by the Fathers and by the moderne Diuines for the eternall generation of Christ are either sophisticall or friuolous These words as he saith he is charged to haue vsed and he cannot bethinke him of any other euasion but to adde the word Quaedam some arguments c. Now wee shall desire thee good Reader here to obserue that this man condemning some arguments which the Fathers had gathered out of the holy Scripture to prooue the eternall generation of Christ as deceitfull and friuolous hee will bee sure howsoeuer not to alleadge any other arguments either out of the Fathers or of his owne brayne which shall be stronger then those which he hath reiected And in the same fashion he behaues himselfe throughout his whole Booke for we shew you this but for a scantling In the other place he directly denies that euer he affirmed in his other Booke that Feare and Desperation were incident to God his wordes are these in the eighth page Nam metum desperationem ne quidem vspià m nominaui For I did neuer so much as name Feare and Desperation in any place And yet neuerthelesse let any man looke vpon his other Booke Tract Theol. de Deo pag. 114. and pag. 450. and hee shall find two seuerall Discourses of a good length concerning these two points Herein hauing no other shift he betakes himselfe to an absolute and flat Negatiue But to the intent that the Reader may iudge of his maner of speaking through his whole last Booke intituled A Christian and modest Answere and how he playes the Sophister therein we haue set downe diuers of his phrases in manner of a Table which we haue caused to be extracted out of his said Booke ¶ 1. Estne Deus essentialiter immensus vbique presens 1 Pag. 16. lin 16. NVsquam disertè scriptum est substantiam Dei simpliciter seu quouis modo immensam infinitam esse 2 Pag. 16. lin 23. Et non pauca in S. Literis occurrunt quae contrarium non dico clarè asserunt sed tamen asserere videntur Interim aliud est videri aliud reuerâ esse Respondeo tamen ex sensu meo 1 Pag. 22. lin 23. Quoad Thesin seurem ipsam est Tametsi non quoad 2 Pag. 4. l. 19. specialem modum seu 3 Pag. 22. l. 26. hypothesin scholasticam 4 Pag. 23. l. 1. Quae tamen falsa non est verùm aliquatenùs hactenus infirmiùs asserta sic aliquatenùs dubia Is God essentially immense and euery where present It is in no place clearely set downe that the substance of God is simply and euery way immense and infinite And there be many places in the holy Scripture which I doe not say clearely affirme yet seeme to affirme the contrary In the meane time it is one thing to seeme and another thing to be indeed Yet in mine owne sense I answere thus Simply and positiuely it is Howsoeuer not in that speciall maner and sort as the Scholemen hold Which opinion neuerthelesse I doe not say is false but I say it hath hitherto bene somewhat weakely proued therefore in some sort doubtful ¶ 2. Estne in Deo quantitas Est sed 1 Pag. 2. l. 28. non physica Verùm 2 Pag. 23. l. 12. hyperphysica Attamen 3 Pag. 2. l. 29. nobis planè imperceptibilÃs merè spiritualÃs Is there Quantitie in God There is but not a naturall Quantitie But a supernaturall Neuerthelesse not possible to be perceiued by vs but meerely spirituall ¶ 3. Estne Deus infinitus 1 Pag. 3. l. 16. Omnia Entia certam definitam essentiam habent id quod Deo ipsi alìquatenus aptare licet 2 Pag. 3. l. 18. Deum quolibet sensu rectè infinitum dici non posse quum infinitudo illa quae definitioni certae oponitur in Deum reuerâ non cadat Is God infinite Euery thing that hath a being hath
the said Clergie were driuen to sue vnto the Pope for their pardon Bibliotheca Patrum Tom. 3. Hildebert Bishop of Caenomanum vpon the riuer of Sartre liuing vnder the reigne of King Philip the first affirmeth in his Epistles 40. and 75. that Kings are to bee admonished and instructed rather then punished to be dealt with by counsell rather then by command by doctrine and instruction rather then by correction For no such sword belongeth to the Church because the sword of the Church is Ecclesiasticall discipline and nothing else De consider lib. 1. cap. 6. Bernard writeth to Pope Eugenius after this manner Whosoeuer they bee that are of this mind and opinion shall neuer be able to make proofe that any one of the Apostles did euer fit in qualitie of Iudge or Diuider of lands I reade where they haue stood to bee iudged but neuer where they sate downe to giue iudgement Againe Your authoritie stretcheth vnto crimes not vnto possessions because you haue receiued the keies of the kingdome of heauen not in regard of possessions but of crimes to keepe all that pleade by couin or collusion and not lawfull possessors out of the heauenly kingdome A little after These base things of the earth are iudged by the Kings and Princes of this world wherefore doe you thrust your sickle into an others haruest wherefore doe you incroach and intrude vpon an others limits Lib. 2. cap. 6. Elsewhere The Apostles are directly forbid to make themselues Lords and rulers Goe thou then and beeing a Lord vsurpe Apostleship or beeing an Apostle vsurpe Lordship If thou needes wilt haue both doubtlesse thou shalt haue neither Iohannes Maior Doctor of Paris Dist 24. quest 3 The Soueraigne Bishop hath no temporall authoritie ouer Kings The reason Because it followes the contrarie being once granted that Kings are the Popes vassals Now let other men iudge whether he that hath power to dispossesse Kings of all their Temporalties hath not likewise authoritie ouer their Temporalties The same Author Comment in l. 4. Sent. Dist 24 fol. 214. The Pope hath no manner of title ouer the French or Spanish Kings in temporall matters Where it is further added That Pope Innocent 3. hath beene pleased to testifie that Kings of France in Temporall causes doe acknowledge no superiour For so the Pope excused himselfe to a certaine Lord of Montpellier who in stead of suing to the King had petitioned to the Pope for a dispensation for his bastard But perhaps as he speaketh it will be alledged out of the glosse that hee acknowledgeth no superiour by fact and yet ought by right But I tell you the glosse is an Aurelian glosse which marres the text Amongst other arguments Maior brings this for one This opinion ministreth matter vnto Popes to take away an others Empire by force and violence which the Pope shall neuer bring to passe as we reade of Boniface 8. against Philip the Faire Saith besides That from hence proceede warres in time of which many outragious mischiefes are done and that Gerson calls them egregious flatterers by whom such opinion is maintained In the same place Maior denies that Childeric was deposed by Pope Zacharie The word Hee deposed saith Maior is not so to bee vnderstood as it is taken at the first blush or fight but hee deposed is thus expounded in the glosse Hee gaue his consent vnto those by whom he was deposed Iohn of Paris De potest Regia Papali cap. 10. Were it graunted that Christ was armed with Temporall power yet he committed no such power to Peter A little after The power of Kings is the highest power vpon earth in Temporall causes it hath no superiour power aboue it selfe no more then the Pope hath in spirituall matters This author saith indeede the Pope hath power to excommunicate the King but he speaketh not of any power in the Pope to put downe the King from his regall dignity and authority He onely saith When a Prince is once excommunicated hee may accidentally or by occasion be deposed because his precedent excommunication incites the people to disarme him of all secular dignity and power The same Iohn on the other side holdeth opinion that in the Emperour there is inuested a power to depose the Pope in case the Pope shall abuse his power Almainus Doctor of the Sorbonic schoole Almain de potesi Eccl Laica Quest 3. cap. 8. De deminio naturali ciuil Eccl. 5. vlt. pars It is essentiall in the Lay-power to inflict ciuill punishment as death banishment and priuation or losse of goods But according to diuine institution the power Ecclesiasticall can lay no such punishment vpon delinquents nay more not lay in prison as to some Doctors it seemeth probable but stretcheth and reacheth onely to spirituall punishment as namely to excommunication all other punishments inflicted by the spirituall power are meerely by the Lawe positiue If then Ecclesiasticall power by Gods Lawe hath no authoritie to depriue any priuate man of his goods how dares the Pope and his flatterers build their power to depriue Kings of their scepters vpon the word of God The same author in an other place Quaest 1. de potest Eccles laic c. 12. 14 Bee it graunted that Constantine had power to giue the Empire vnto the Pope yet is it not hereupon to bee inferred that Popes haue authority ouer the Kingdome of France because that Kingdome was neuer subiect vnto Constantine For the King of France neuer had any superiour in Temporall matters A little after It is not in any place to bee found that God hath giuen the Pope power to make and vnmake Temporall Kings He maintaineth elsewhere that Zacharie did not depose Childeric Quaest 2. c. 8. sic nond posuit autoruat 〈◊〉 but onely consented to his deposing and so deposed him not as by authoritie In the same booke taking vp the words of Occam whom he styles the Doctor The Emperour is the Popes Lord in things Temporall and the Pope calls him Lord Quae. 3. c. 2. Quaest 11. can Sacerd. as it is witnessed in the body of the Text. The Lord Cardinall hath dissembled and concealed these words of Doctor Almainus with many like places and hath beene pleased to alledge Almainus reciting Occams authoritie in stead of quoting Almainus himselfe in those passages where he speaketh as out of his owne opinion and in his owne words A notable piece of slie and cunning conueiance For what heresie may not be fathered and fastened vpon S. Augustine or S. Hierome if they should be deemed to approoue all the passages which they alledge out of other authors And that is the reason wherefore the L. Cardinall doeth not alledge his testimonies whole and perfect as they are couched in their proper texts but clipt and curtaild Thus he dealeth euen in the first passage or testimonie of Almainus he brings it in mangled and pared he hides and conceales