said let vs turne our eyes vpon our owne time and therein remember what a Panegyricke 4 See the Oration of Sâ—xtus Quintus made in the Consistory vpon the death of Henry the 3. Oration was made by the Pope in praise and approbation of the Frier and his fact that murthered king Henry the third of France who was so farre from either being Hereticke Ethnicke or Persecutor in their account that the said Popes owne wordes in that Oration are That a trew Friar hath killed a counterfeit Frier And besides that vehement Oration and congratulation for that fact how neere it scaped that the said Frier was not canonized for that glorious act is better knowen to Bellarmine and his followers then to vs here But sure I am if some Cardinals had not beene more wise and circumspect in that errand then the Pope himselfe was the Popes owne Kalender of his Saints would haue sufficiently proued Bellarmin a lier in this case And to draw yet neerer vnto our selues how many practises and attempts were made against the late Queenes life which were directly enioyned to those Traitours by their Confessors and plainly authorized by the Popes allowance For verification whereof there needs no more proofe then that neuer Pope either then or since called any Church-man in question for medling in any those treasonable conspiracies nay the Cardinals owne S. Sanderus mentioned in his Letter could well verifie this trewth if hee were aliue and who will looke his bookes will finde them filled with no other doctrine then this And what difference there is betweene the killing or allowing the slaughter of Kings and the stirring vp and approbation of practises to kill them I remit to Bellarmines owne iudgement It may then very clearely appeare how strangely this Authors passion hath made him forget himselfe by implicating himselfe in so strong a contradiction against his owne knowledge and conscience against the witnesse of his former bookes and against the practise of our owne times But who can wonder at this contradiction of himselfe in this point when his owne great Volumes are so filled with contradictions which when either he or any other shall euer bee able to reconcile I will then beleeue that hee may easily reconcile this impudent strong deniall of his in his Letter of any Popes medling against Kings with his owne former bookes as I haue already said And that I may not seeme to imitate him in affirming boldly that which I no wayes prooue I will therefore send the Reader to looke for witnesses of his contradictions in such places here mentioned in his owne booke In his bookes of 1 Bellar. de Iustif lib. 5. cap. 7. Iustification there he affirmeth That for the vncertaintie of our owne proper righteousnesse and for auoiding of vaine-glory it is most sure and safe to repose our whole confidence in the alone mercy and goodnesse of God 2 Contrary to all his fiue bookes de Iustificatione Which proposition of his is directly contrary to the discourse and current of all his fiue bookes de Iustificatione wherein the same is contained God doeth not encline a man to euill either 3 Bellar. de amis gra stat pecca li. 2. c. 13. naturally or morally Presently after hee affirmeth the contrary That God doeth not encline to euill naturally but 4 Ibidem paulò pòst morally All the Fathers teach constantly That 5 Bellar. declericis lib. 1. c. 14. Bishops doe succeed the Apostles and Priests the seuentie disciples Elsewhere he affirmeth the contrary That 6 Bellar. de Pont. l. 4. c. 25. Bishops doe not properly succeede the Apostles That 7 Bellar. de Pont. lib. 1. c 12. Iudas did not beleeue Contrary That 8 Bellar. de Iustif lib. 3. c. 14. Iudas was iust and certainly good The keeping of the 9 Bellar. de gra lib arbit lib. 5. cap. 5. Law according to the substance of the worke doeth require that the Commandement be so kept that sinne be not committed and the man be not guiltie for hauing not kept the Commandement Contrary 10 Eodem lib. cap. 9. It is to be knowen that it is not all one to doe a good morall worke and to keepe the Commandement according to the substance of the worke For the Commandement may be kept according to the substance of the worke euen with sinne as if one should restore to his friend the thing committed to him of trust to the end that theeues might afterward take it from him 1 Bellar. de Pont. lib 4 c. 3. Peter did not loose that faith whereby the heart beleeueth vnto iustification Contrary 2 Bell. de Iust lib. 3. cap. 14. Peters sinne was deadly 3 3 Bell. de Rom Pontif. lib 3. cap. 14. Antichrist shall be a Magician and after the maner of other Magicians shall secretly worship the diuel 4 Ibid. ex sentent Hypol. Cyril cap. 12. eiusdem libri Contrary He shall not admit of idolatrie he shall hate idoles and reedifie the Temple By the words of 5 Bell. lib. 1. de missa cap. 17. Consecration the trew and solemne oblation is made Contrary The sacrifice doeth not consist in the words but in the 6 Bellar. de miss lib. 2. cap. 12. oblation of the thing it selfe 7 Bellar. de anim Christ lib. 4. cap. 5. That the end of the world cannot be knowne 8 Bellar. de Pont. lib. 3. cap. 17. Contrary After the death of Antichrist there shall bee but fiue and fourtie dayes till the end of the world 9 Bellar. de Pont. lib. 3. cap. 13. That the tenne Kings shall burne the scarlet Whore that is Rome 10 Bellar. ibid. Contrary Antichrist shall hate Rome and fight against it and burne it 11 Bellar. de Pont. lib. 2. cap. 31. The name of vniuersall Bishop may be vnderstood two wayes one way that he which is said to be vniuersall Bishop may bee thought to be the onely Bishop of all Christian Cities so that all others are not indeed Bishops but onely Vicars to him who is called vniuersall Bishop in which sense the Pope is not vniuershall Bishop Contrary All ordinary 12 Bellar. de Pont. lib. 2. cap. 24. iurisdiction of Bishops doeth descend immediatly from the Pope and is in him and from him is deriued to others Which few places I haue onely selected amongst many the like that the discreet and iudicious Reader may discerne ex vngue Leonem For when euer he is pressed with a weighty obiection hee neuer careth nor remembreth how his solution and answere to that may make him gainesay his owne doctrine in some other places so it serue him for a shift to put off the present storme withall But now to returne to our matter againe Since Popes sayeth hee haue neuer at any time medled against Kings wherefore I pray you should onely the King of ENGLAND be afraid of that
for an Heretike that durst presume to looke vpon them kept close in a strange tongue that they might not be vnderstood Legends and lying wonders supplying their place in the Pulpits Verse 8. And so did their Bodies lie in the streets of the great Citie spiritually Sodome Coloss 2.20 for spiritual fornication which is idolatrie spiritually Egypt for bringing the Saints of God in bōdage of humane traditions Quare oneramini ritibus So did their bodies I say lie 3. dayes and a halfe that is Verse 8. the halfe of that spirituall Weeke betweene CHRIST his first and second comming and as dead carkases indeed did the Scriptures then lye without a monument being layed open to all contempt cared for almost by none vnderstood by as few nay no man durst call for them for feare of punishment as I haue already said And thus lying dead as it were 2. Chro. 34.14 Verse 10. without life or vigour as the Law of GOD did till it was reuiued in Iosias time The Inhabitants of the earth that is worldly men reioyced and sent gifts to other for ioy that their fleshly libertie was now no more awed nor curbed by that two edged sword for they were now sure that do what they would their purse would procure them pardons from Babylon Omnia Vaenalia Romae so as men needed no more to looke vp to heauen but downe to their purses to finde Pardons Nay what needed any more suing to heauen or taking it by violence and feruencie of zeale when the Pardons came and offered themselues at euery mans doores And diuers spirituall men vanted themselues that they neither vnderstood Old Testament nor New Thus were these 2. Witnesses vsed in the second halfe of this spiritual weeke Verse 3. who in the first halfe therof were clad in sackcloth that is preached repentance to all nations for the space of 500. or 600. yeres after Christ Reuel 6.2 God making his Word or Witnes so triumph riding vpō the white horse in the time of the Primitiue Church as that they ouercame al that opposed themselues vnto it beating downe euery high thing as Paul saith 2. Cor. 10.4 excluding frō heauen al that beleeue not therein as strongly with the spiritual fire thereof conuincing the stif-necked pride of vnbeleeuers as euer Moses or Elias did by the plagues of Egypt and famine cōuince the rebellious Egyptians and stif-necked Israelites Neither shall it be enough to disgrace corrupt and suppresse them Reuel 11.7 but Killed must they be at the last To which purpose commeth forth 1 Printed at Venice Anno 562. Censura generalis vt mucrone censorio iugulare eas possit and cutteth their throats indeed For the author ordaineth al translations but their owne to be burnt which is yet cōmonly practised nay he professeth he commeth not to correct but to destroy them controlling and calling euery place of Scripture Heretical that disagreeth frō their Traditions with almost as many foule words and railing epithetes as the Cardinal bestoweth on my Apologie not ruling nor interpreting Scripture by Scripture but making their Traditiōs to be such a touchstone for it as he condemneth of Heresie not onely those places of Scripture that he citeth but layeth the same general condemnation vpon al other the like places wheresoeuer they be written in the Scriptures And yet praised be God we beginne now with our eyes as our predecessors haue done in some aages before to see these Witnesses rise againe Verse 11.12 and shine in their former glory GOD as it were setting them vp againe vpon their feete and raising them to the Heauens in a triumphall cloud of glory like Elias his fiery chariot Which exalting of the Gospel againe 13. hath bred such an earthquake and alteration amongst many Nations as a tenth part or a good portion of these that were in subiection to that Great Citie to wit Babylon are fallen from her seuen thousand that is many thousands hauing bene killed vpon the occasion of that great alteration and many other conuerted to the feare of GOD and giuing glory to the God of heauen This now is one of the wayes by which I thinke this place of Scripture may be lawfully and probably interpreted The other is more common and seemeth more literally to agree with the Text. And this is to interpret not the word of God but the Preachers thereof to bee meant by these Witnesses Few they were that first began to reueale the man of Sinne and discouer his corruptions and therefore well described by the number of two Witnesses Deut. 19.15 Nam in ore duorum aut trium testium stabit omne verbum And in no greater number were they that began this worke Reuel 11.3 then the greatnesse of the errand did necessarily require They prophesied in sackecloth for they preached repentance That diuers of them were put to cruell deaths is notorious to the world And likewise that in the persons of their Successours in doctrine 1 Sanguis Martyrum est semen Eccl-siae Verse 11. they rose againe and that in such power and efficacie as is more then miraculous For where it is accounted in the Scriptures a miraculous worke of GOD wrought by his holy Spirit Actes 2.41 When the Apostle Saint Peter conuerted about three thousand in one day these Witnesses I speake of by the force of the same Spirit conuerted many mightie Nations in few yeeres who still continue praising GOD that hee hath deliuered vs from the tyrannie of Antichrist that reigneth ouer that great Citie and with a full crie proclaiming Goe out of her my people Reuel 18.4 lest yee bee partaker of her sinnes and of her plagues Let therefore these Miracle-mongers that surfeit the world and raise the price of paper daily with setting foorth old though new gilded Miracles and Legends of lies Let such I say consider of this great and wonderfull Miracle indeed and to their shame compare it with their paultry wares Thus hauing in two fashions deliuered my coniecture what I take to bee meant by these two Witnesses in the xj of the Apocalyps there beeing no great difference betweene them In the one taking it to bee the Word of GOD it selfe In the other the Word of God too but in the mouthes of his Preachers It resteth now that I come to the third point of the description of Antichrist which is anent his Person That by the Whore of Babylon that rideth vpon the Beast is meant a Seate of an Empire and a successiue number of men sitting thereupon and not any one man doeth well appeare by the forme of the description of the Antichrist thorowout all the said Booke Cap. xvij For in the last verse of the xvij Verse 18. Chapter the Woman is expounded to bee That great Citie that reigneth ouer the Kings of the earth which cannot signifie the onely Person of one man Verse 9. but a successiue
number of men as I haue already said whose Seat that great Citie must be like as in the same Chapter The seuen heads of the Beast are two wayes expounded First they are called seuen Hils which is plaine and next they are called seuen Kings which cannot bee meant by the Kings that shall giue their power to the Beast Verse 13. and bee subiect vnto her which is immediatly after expressed by the tenne hornes Verse 12. But rather appeareth to be those seuen formes of gouernment of that Seat fiue of which had already beene and fallen As Kings Consuls Dictators Decemuiri and Tribuni militum The sixt was in the time of S. Iohn his writing of this booke which was the Gouernement of the Emperour The seuenth which was not yet come and was to last but for a short space was the 1 From the time of Constantine the Great his remouing of the Empire from Rome to Cōstantinople till the time of Bonifacius the third to wit about 276. veeres Ecclesiasticall gouernment by Bishops which was not come vpon the translation of the Empire from Rome to Constantinople though their gouernment was in a manner substitute to the Emperours For though that forme of Gouernement lasted about the space of 276. yeeres yet was it but short in comparison of the long time of the reigne of the Antichrist not yet expired which succeeded immediatly thereunto And the eight which is the Beast that was and is not and is to goe to perdition is the ANTICHRIST the eight forme of Gouernment indeed by his absolutenesse and yet the Verse 11. and yet the seuenth because hee seemeth but to succeed to the Bishop in an Ecclesiasticall forme of Gouernement though by his greatnesse hee shall make Babylons Empire in glory like to that magnificence wherein that great Citie triumphed when it most flourished which in Saint Iohns time was much decayed by the factions of the great men the mutinies of the armies and the vnworthines of the Emperours And so that flourishing state of that great Citie or Beast which it was in before S. Iohns time and being much 2 Not in respect of the extent and limites of the Empire but in regard of the gouernement thereof and glory of the Citre Reuel 18. Ver. 9. 11. Ver 10.16 19. Vers 9. decayed was but in a maner in his time should be restored vnto it againe by Antichrist who as he ascendeth out of the bottomlesse pit so must he goe to Destruction And likewise by that great lamentation that is made for the destruction of Babylon in the eighteenth Chapter both by the Kings and by the Merchants of the earth where it is thrice repeated for aggrauating the pitie of her desolation that That great Citie fell in an houre By that great lamentation I say it well appeareth That the raigne of Antichrist must continue longer then three yeeres and a halfe or any one mans time For the Kings that had committed fornication with her in delicijs vixerant behoued to haue had a longer time for contracting of that great acquaintance Vers 12. And the Merchants of the earth set her forth and describe her at great length as the very staple of all their riches which could not be so soone gathered as in one mans time And to conclude now this description of the Antichrist I will set downe vnto you all that is spoken of him in the Apocalyps in a short methode for the further explaining of these three points that I haue already handled The Antichrist is foure times in my opinion described by Iohn in the Apocalyps in foure sundry visions and a short Compendium of him repeated againe in the xx Chapter 1 Description of Antichrist Reuel cap. 6. Verse 2. He is first described by a pale Horse in the vision of the Seales in the sixt Chapter For after that CHRIST had triumphed vpon a white Horse in the first Seale by the propagation of the Gospel and that the red Horse in the second Seale is as busie in persecution Verse 4. as CHRIST is in ouercomming by the constancie of his Martyrs and that famine and other plagues signified by the blacke Horse in the third Seale Verse 5. Verse 8. haue succeeded to these former persecutions Then commeth forth the Antichrist vpon a pale horse in the 4. Seale hauing Death for his rider and Hell for his conuoy which rider fitted well his colour of palenesse and be had power giuen 1 Or them after other Translations whereby is ioyntly vnderstood the said pale horse together with his rider and conuoy Death and Hell him ouer the fourth part of the earth which is Europe to kill with the sword and vse great persecution as Ethnick Rome did figured by the red horse and to kill with spirituall hunger or famine of the trew word of God as the black horse did by corporal famine with death whereby spiritual death is meant For the Antichrist signified by this pale horse shal afflict the Church both by persecution and temporal death as also by alluring the Nations to idolatry and so to spirituall death and by the beast of the earth shall he procure their spiritual death for he shall send out the Locusts ouer whom he is King mentioned in the 9. Chap. of this booke and the 3. frogs mentioned in the 16. of the same for intising of al Kings and nations to drinke of the cup of her abominations Verse 9. That that description now of Antichrist endeth there it is more then plaine for at the opening of the first Seale the soules and blood of the murthered Saints cry for vengeance and hasting of iudgment Verse 10. Verse 12. which in the sixt Seale is granted vnto them by CHRISTS comming at the Latter day signified by heauens departing away like a scroll when it is rolled with a number of other sentences to the same purpose But because this might seeme a short and obscure description of the Antichrist The second description he describeth him much more largely and specifikely especially in the vision of the Trumpets in the 9. Reu. Chap. 9. Verse 1. Chapter For there he saith at the blowing of the sift Trumpet Heresies being first spread abroad in three of the foure former blasts to wit in the first third and fourth blast for I take temporall persecution to be onely signified by the second blast he then saw a starre fall from Heauen Verse 2. to whom was giuen the key of the bottomles pit which being opened by him Verse 3. with the smoke thereof came foorth a number of Locusts whom hee largely describeth both by their craft their strength and then telleth the name of this their king who brought them out of the bottomles pit which is Verse 11. Destroyer By this starre fallen from heauen being signified as I take it some person of great dignitie in the Church whose duetie being to
pinched with the Arguments of the Orthodoxe Church and had no power to resist The same also doeth more plainely appeare by an other little booke which he hath published intituled Theologicall positions which booke he hath made of purpose to blinde the world withall because they are indeed but the same Theses or Positions vpon which he hath disputed in his first wicked booke that beareth the title Of God and his Attributes For in the Theses themselues there is but little harme but in his disputations thereupon are couched all the horrible Heresies And therefore in this booke hath hee published onely his Theses which are iustifiable and left out his disputations vpon the Theses wherein all the poison is conteined It is moreouer somewhat suspicious in such a tainted person as he is that in an Appendix which hee hath placed at the end of his Theses he taketh occasion to name a number of Heretiques who are aduersaries to the doctrine of his Theses and those especially who haue erred concerning the Diuinitie Humanitie Person or Office of CHRIST as the Ebionites Cerinthians Arrians Praxians Sabellians Marcionites Manichees Docites Apollinarists Mennonites Swenkfeldians Nestorians Monothelites Eutychians Monophysites Iewes Millenaries Papists Amongst which rabble he doeth not once make mention of Paulus Samosatenus nor of Photinius who succeeded him as well in his Bishopricke as in his errour Yet neuerthelesse it is reported that Vorstius in his heart is not very farre from their erronious opinion Now in the Preface of this little booke hee hath taken vpon him very succinctly to make answere to fiue Articles which he confesseth were layd to his charge by which answere in our opinion hee discouers himselfe very plainely The first point is That hee was once accused as himselfe saith of the Samosatenian Heresie because he had sometime both written and receiued letters from diuers of that Sect which he confesseth he did indeed in his youth to this end that by that meanes hee might the more easily come by some of their bookes but that afterward hee did forbeare all correspondencie with them First of all then we would be glad to know why hee forgot the Heresie of Samosatenus in his Appendix where he names so many others and yet confesseth in the Preface of his said booke that he himselfe was accused of that errour Secondly to what end had hee in his youth so great traffique with these Heretiques was it to enable him the better to confute them We heare him not say so much as indeed it was neuer his end Surely this fellow would be an excellent cleanser of a Pest-house for he feares no infection Picem contrectare non timet he dares handle any pitch And yet for all that the Prouerbe is trew Qui ambulat in Sole colorabitur He that walketh in the Sun-shine shall bee Sun-burnt It followes then seeing his intention was not to arme himselfe against them that it must be of necessitie to make himselfe worthy of their Schoole the which hee almost confesseth in the last words of his Answere to that point where he saith thus Non enim quod multi solent alienis sensibus hîc fidendum putaui aut temerè quidquam in causa Fidei damnandum For I doe not thinke it fit as many others doe to relie in these cases vpon other mens constructions or rashly to condemne any thing which concernes matter of Faith To the second Article of his Accusation hee confesseth that hee gaue some of his Samosatenian bookes vnto his schollers Surely a goodly gift But the caution was prettie which he gaue withall vnto them when he deliuered them the bookes which was that they ought to reade them with iudgement not rashly reiecting the doctrine commonly receiued What an Epithite is heere for our holy Orthodoxe Faith to terme it no otherwise then the doctrine commonly receiued And as for his caution not rashly to forsake the old doctrine it is no more then the Turkes would giue vnto any Christian that should suddenly offer to become a Mahometist Nay what Christian did euer sollicite a Pagan or Heretique to bee conuerted but with this caution Who Would perswade a man to receiue the holy Sacrament rashly S. Paul commands euery man to examine himselfe diligently before hee come to that holy Table But on the other side an Orthodoxe Christian would in this case haue said to his schollers If you will reade these wicked bookes reade them with horrour and detestation and with an intent to arme your selues against such wiles and subtilties of Sathan and withall pray vnto GOD to keepe you constant in the holy Catholique and Orthodoxe Faith that these Heresies may haue no power once to mooue you trusting in his mercy and not in your owne strength To the third Article he confesseth that his schollers did publish bookes of the Socinian Heresie and his excuse is that it was without his knowledge But howsoeuer he condemnes them not for hauing done it onely this he saith That they declared vpon their oathes they did not fauour the Heresie To the fourth point he confesseth that about ten yeeres since he wrote a booke De Filiatione Christi for which Title onely an Authour so suspected as he is worthy of the fagot and all his excuse is That he wrote an Epitome vpon Bellarmine Wee doubt not but hee did it for his recreation Forsooth a prety conceit Yet it appeares not by his wordes that he detests the subiect of that Booke but saith That no man can thereby coniecture what his opinion is of that argument no more then they can vpon his Epitome of Bellarmine which was likewise his worke For to condemne it had beene contrary to that which hee auowed in his other booke neuer to repent himselfe of any thing that he hath once written as already we haue obserued As for the fift and last point he will neither confesse nor deny the accusation onely hee saith That a certaine booke intituled Dominicus Lopez which is as we haue heard a very blasphemous Treatise was suppressed by him pacis ergò for peace sake but he is so farre from condemning it as that he alleadgeth the booke hath bene maintained by others which in time shall appeare Two things are here to bee obserued First that hee suppressed it pacis ergò for quietnesse sake Not therefore for the wickednesse of the subiect The next that in his due time the trewth thereof shall appeare In which last point onely we will willingly ioyne with him beseeching our good GOD for his CHRISTS sake that hee will bee pleased to discouer the trewth of this mans intentions as well for his owne Glory as to purge the scandall and to auoyd the danger which may ensue vnto Christendome by the darnell of Heresies which he hath sowne It is therefore to bee noted That to all these fiue Articles his answeres are so silly and weake as in three of them we haue found him planè confitentem reum plainely pleading guiltie
THE WORKES OF THE MOST HIGH AND MIGHTIE PRINCE IAMES BY THE GRACE OF GOD KING OF GREAT BRITAINE FRANCE AND IRELAND DEFENDER of the FAITH c. PVBLISHED BY IAMES BISHOP of Winton and Deane of his MAIESTIES CHAPPEL ROYALL 1. REG. 3. VERS 12. Loe I haue giuen thee a wise and an vnderstanding heart LONDON PRINTED BY ROBERT BARKER AND IOHN BILL PRINTERS TO THE KINGS most Excellent MAIESTIE ANNO 1616. ¶ Cum Priuilegio HONI SOIT QVI MAL Y PENSE DIEV ET MON DROIT ILLUSTRISS ET POTEN PR CAROLUS MAGNAE BRITAN ET HYB PR EB ET AL DUx TO THE THRICE ILLVSTRIOVS AND MOST EXCELLENT PRINCE CHARLES THE ONELY SONNE OF OVR SOVERAIGNE LORD THE KING SIR I Haue humbly sought leaue of his most Excellent MAIESTIE to present your Highnesse with this Volume of his MAIESTIES WORKES I durst not but make the Suite and his MAIESTIE could not well deny it I will not say that it had beene a peece of Iniustice in the KING to haue denyed you this right But I dare say it had beene a point of Sacriledge in a Churchman to haue stolne from you such a portion of your Inheritance which consists as much in the WORKES of his Royall Vertues as in the wealth of his mighty Kingdomes Basilius wrote de Jnstitutione Principis to his Sonne Leo Constantinus to his Sonne Romanus Manuell to his Sonne Iohannes and Charles the fift to his Sonne Philip The workes of the three former are extant both in Greeke and Latine His Maiestie after the Example of those Emperours and sundry other Kings wrote his ΒΑΣΙΛΙΚΟÎ-ΔΩΡΟΠto Prince Henry your Highnesse most worthy Brother His part by GOD his Prouidence is falne to your Lot and who may iustly detaine from you the rest The rule in Scripture is that if the first fruits be holy so is the whole lumpe and to whom the first was giuen to him all the rest was due To your Highnes therefore are these offered as to the trew Heire and Inheritor of them And that I may make you the better accompt of them May it please your Highnesse to vnderstand that of these Workes some were out before some other of them neuer saw light before and others were almost lost and gone or at least abused by false copies to their owne disgrace and his Maiesties great dishonour Now it being the duetie of all Deanes in their Churches Dispersa colligere I thought it might sort well with the nature of my place in the Chappel wherein I haue had the Honour so many yeeres to serue his Maiestie to gather these things that were scattered and to bring to light those that too long had lien in darkenes and to preserue in one body what might easily haue bin lost in parts In this Presentment I must humbly craue of your Highnes not to be mistaken in the trew meaning and maner of it For these Workes come not to you as vsually Bookes doe to men of great Dignitie for Patronage and Protection for Protection is properly from iniurie and that the Royall Author of them is best able to right But to you they come partly for preseruation and for that the Disposition of Nature hath made you more apt and more principally for a Patterne and that not vnfitly since the Samplar is euer more ancient then the Exemplification And as in the preseruation the Sonne hath his aduantage by succeeding so in the Patterne the Father by preceding hath his Prerogatiue Let these Workes therefore most Gracious Prince lie before you as a Patterne you cannot haue a better Neither doeth the Honour of a good Sonne consist in any thing more then in immitating the good Presidents of a good Father as we may very well perceiue by the Scripture phrase where the vsuall Encomium of good Kings is that they walked in the wayes of their Fathers Al men see how like the Patterne GOD and Nature haue framed the outward Lineaments and who knowes your Highnes wel knowes also that the inward Abilliments hold in the like proportion The Philosophers say that Imitation proceeds from Inclination And trewly if your future Imitation be answerable to your forward Inclination in Religion Learning and Vertue your Highnesse cannot come farre short of your Patterne nor yet of any of your Predecessors that euer went before you Which GOD grant together with the length of many good and happy Dayes Your HIGHNESSE Most humbly IA. WINTON THE PREFACE TO THE READER AMongst the infinite number of great Volumes wherewith the world seemes as it were to bee wayed downe there bee few of them that were written at once or were at first published together Writings as they consist of sundry natures so they will beare a diuers maner of Edition To set foorth an Art by pieces is to shew you a body dismembred the one is no more vncomely then the other is vnproper To publish a History before it be at an end is to turne the Hower-glasse before it bee runne out neither of both will giue you a trew taste of the time But writings of other Natures Common places and Controuersies Meditations and Commentaries as they are for the most part accidentally taken vp so they are as occasionally set out They craue no other birth into the world then they had conceptions in our braines singly by vs conceiued and singly by themselues set out The different maner of GOD his setting foorth of his owne Workes may instruct vs in this point His diuine Wisedome held one course in his Naturall Workes an other in his Ceremonialls Politicalls and Moralls Jn his Naturalls he made a masse at once which speedily he diuersified into diuers formes Hee gaue a kinde of potentiall delineation of all things in that vniuersall matter which presently hee distinguished into diuers Species in perfection But in his Ceremonialls hee takes another course he brings not them out of a Masse but into a Masse He doeth not out of a Totum produce the parts but out of the parts make vp the whole For example Jn the Ceremonialls first he beginnes with Sacrifice long after he followes with Circumcision then hee filleth a Tabernacle with them at last makes them full vp in a Temple Jn his Politicalls hee beginnes with a paternall Gouernment in a family proceeds to an Election of a Captaine in an Armie as in Iosuah and the Judges perfects it by way of Succession in a setled Kingdome as in Solomon and his Successors Jn his Moralls hee beginnes with the word out of his owne mouth proceeds with the Tables written by his owne fingers followes on with the fiue Bookes penned by Moses till hee make vp the Canon perfect by a number of succeeding Prophets What we haue from GOD in a president it may wel beseeme vs to practise and since his Bookes came out so farre asunder it is no reproach to any man though his Workes come not foorth together for there is a reason for it in vs answerable in some proportion to
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
is euer to argue our selues of ignorance then to accuse GOD of improuidence But if so much Scripture be lost as is alleadged farewell GOD his prouidence farewell the fidelitie of the Church to whose care was concredited the Oracles of GOD. Let vs come to the writings of Kings where we shall not incurre any danger of this controuersie that were so farre from being acted by GOD his Spirit that they were more like those Disciples of Iohn that had not heard whether there were an Holy-Ghost or no that knew nothing of GOD though they felt neuer so much of his Goodnesse that neuer beleeued his Omnipotencie though they had neuer so much experience of his Power To beginne with the Assyrians whose first Monarch was Nimrod and his chiefe Citie Babel from his time to Sardanapalus the last of that Monarchie there was no King amongst them that gaue himselfe to Letters for as their Kingdome was founded in Tyrannie so they laboured to keepe it in Barbaritie neither must we euer looke to see Learning flourish where Tyrannie beareth the Standerd for Learning hath no more a facultie to bring the minde to vnderstanding then it hath with it a power that workes the will to libertie neither of which can euer consist with Tyrannie And therefore it is no wonder that this aage affoorded no learned Kings for in that State which continued thirteene or foureteene hundred yeeres yee can scarce reade of a learned man Therefore let either Histories or Poets paint that out for a Golden aage as they please there was neuer any aage that hath left so little memory of the Golden tincture of their Witts After the time of Sardanapalus in the dayes of Phull Tiglath-Philasar and Salmanasar of whom mention is made in Scripture and to whom as it is thought Ionas preached and with whom some of the Prophets were conuersant when as these Kings came into the land of Israel as they did in the dayes of Menahem who gaue to Phul-Belochus a thousand Talents of Siluer for a Tribute And in the dayes of Hezechiah came Salmanasar and besieged Samaria three yeeres and caried away a great part of the people of the Kingdome of Israel From that time forward their Kings gaue themselues to Letters insomuch as in the dayes of Nabucodonolor who set vp the Monarchy of the Babylonians within one hundred yeeres of Salmanasar King of the Assyrians learning was in great estimation and the Kings Court was a Schoole for the best witts of the Kingdome to be bred in that they might bee able to stand before the King furnished with all learning and vnderstanding And if Stories do not intollerably deceiue vs Daniel and his companions instructed fiue great Monarches as in the trew knowledge of GOD so in the vnderstanding of all excellent Arts and Sciences Namely Nabuchodonosor Euilmerodack Baltazar Darius of the Medes and Cyrus of the Persians And it were no hard matter to proue the trewth of this out of Daniel himselfe Come to the Persians who conuersed more with the Prophets as with Ezra Nehemiah Zachary Malachy and the people that were in captiuitie we shall finde them giuen much to Letters Cyrus the first Monarch is recorded to haue written large Commentaries of all his diurnall Actions amongst those Books are found saith Esdras the Edicts of reducing of the Iewes to their Countrey He wrote diuers Letters for the same purpose to all the chiefe Cities of Asia some whereof we haue in the 11. of Iosephus Chap. the first Many things likewise are reported to haue bene written of Artaxerxes Darius and some others of those Monarches as wee may partly conceiue by the Canonicall Bookes of Ezra and Nehemiah and more by the Apocriphal Esdras who reports it to haue bene a custome of those Kings so much to delight in learning and in the sayings of wise men that they vsed for an exercise in their greatest Solemnities to haue solemne Orations made in the presence of the King and State of sundry purposes which whoso performed to the liking of the King was rewarded with the highest Preferments that so mighty a Monarch could aduance them vnto Come we to the Graecians and there we shall finde Learning in the Tropicke of Cancer at such a height as it neuer was before nor euer that we read of since And surely it is worth the obseruing that when that extarordinary Diuine Light went out humane Learning came in and the ende of the Prophets was the beginning of the Poets The last of the diuinity of the one the first of the Philosophy of the other for from the end of the Captiuity till the Comming of our Sauiour Christ the space of foure hundreth yeares and more in which there was no Prophet that euer J reade of there were so many Orators Poets and Philosophers of such singular giftes in all kindes as wee are onely their Schollers since and can neuer attaine to the Excellency of our Master Jn this time Alexander the Great was as famous for his Learning and writings as he was for his Victories He wrote to Antipater of all his owne Actions in Asia and in India as Plutark reports in his Life S. Ciprian in his Tractate of the vanitie of Jdoles saith that Alexander the Great wrote Insigne Volumen to his Mother wherein he signifies vnto her how it was tolde him by a certaine Egyptian-Priest that all the Gods of the Gentiles had bene but men And S. Augustine also in his twelft Booke De ciuitate Dei makes mention of other of the writings of Alexander to Olimpias his Mother about the Succession of the Monarchies Amongst the Kings of Syria Antiochus surnamed Epiphanes writ many Bookes and sent them into Iudea about changing the Rites and Ceremonies of the Iewes into the Religion of the Grecians The principall heades of his Bookes may be found in the Bookes of Machabes and in Iosephus Amongst the Romans which of their Emperours did not aduance his fame by Letters Iulius Caesar besides many other things writ his Commentaries after the example of Cyrus Octauius as Suetonius reportes writ many Volumes The historie of his owne life Exhortations to Philosophie Heroick Verses Epigrams Tragedies and diuers other things of whom I will only relate two Stories not impertinent to my purpose He is reported to haue bene a very diligent searcher out of all such Bookes as appertayned to the Roman-Ethnick-Religion All the Bookes Fatidicorum of Fortune-tellers that proceeded not from approued Authors both of Greeke and Latin he cast in the fire to the number of two thousand Onely he reserued the writings of the Sibills but with that choise as hee burnt all such of them as he thought to bee counterfeit J relate this Story the rather for that J thinke it were a good President for our Augustus to follow to make a diligent search of all good and profitable Authors As for all Hereticall Pamphlets slaunderous Libells and impertinent writings to commit them to Vulcane for one of
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
Raylers I leaue them to God his Iudgment whose hand hath bene vpon the most of them Thirdly his Maiesties Confession of faith hath bene so generally approued as it hath conuerted many of their partie And had it not bene as J haue bene informed by diuerse for the Treatise of Antichrist many more would easily haue bene induced to subscribe to all in that Preface Fourthly Kings and Princes haue by his Maiesties Premonition had a more cleare insight and a more perfect discouery into the Iniury offered them by the Pope in the point of their temporall Power then euer they had Jnsomuch as that point was neuer so throughly disputed in Christendome as it hath bene by the occasion of his Maiesties Booke Fiftly and lastly for the point of Antichrist I haue heard many confesse that they neuer saw so much light giuen to that Mysterie neuer descerned so much trewth by the vniforme consent of the Text and strength of Interpretation of places as they haue done by his Maiesties Booke So that though Controuersies be fitter subiects for Schollers ordinarily then for Kings Yet when there was such a necessitie in vndertaking and such a successe being performed I leaue it to the world to iudge whether there were not a speciall hand of GOD in it or no. Now since I haue begunne with this point of Antichrist J will make bolde to proceed a little with his Maiesties Paraphrase vpon the Reuelation wherein that Treatise of Antichrist is principally grounded His Maiesties singular vnderstanding in all points of good Learning is not vnknowne But yet aboue all other things GOD hath giuen him an vnderstanding Heart in the Interpretation of that Booke beyond the measure of other men For this Paraphrase that leades the way to all the rest of his Maiesties Workes was written by his Maiestie before hee was twenty yeeres of aage and therefore iustly in this Volume hath the first place the rest following in order according to the time of their first penning Anciently Kings drempt dreames and saw visions and Prophets expounded them So with King Pharaoh and Ioseph in Egypt So with Nabuchodonosor and Daniel in Babylon Jn this aage Prophets haue written Visions and Kings haue expounded them GOD raised vp Prophets to deliuer his People from a temporall captiuitie in Egypt and Babylon by the Jnterpretation of the one And GOD hath in this aage stirred vp Kings to deliuer his People from a Spirituall Egypt and Babylon by the Interpretation of the other It is an obseruable thing that GOD neuer made his People any great promise but he added vnto his promise a famous Prophecie Three great promises we reade of that runne through all the Scriptures The first of the Messiah the second of the land of Canaan the third of the Kingdome of Heauen To these three promises are reduced all the Prophecies Of the promise of the Messiah prophecied all the Prophets from the fall of the first Adam to the comming of the second Of the promise of the Land of Canaan prophecied Iacob and Ioseph and the rest from the promise made to Abraham to the possessing of it by Iosuah and the children of Israel Of the promise of the Kingdome of Heauen made by our Sauiour CHRIST ' prophecied the Apostles principally S. Paul and S. Iohn in the Reuelation Now though all were to lay hold on the promises yet few were able to vnderstand the Prophecies And surely though all the people of GOD are to lay hold on the promises of that Glorious Kingdome described in that Booke yet few are able to vnderstand the Prophecies therein contained comprehending in them a perfect History and State of the Church euen from the destruction of Ierusalem till the consummation of the whole world Yet this I thinke I may safely say That Kings haue a kinde of interest in that Booke beyond any other for as the execution of the most part of the Prophecies of that Booke is committed vnto them So it may be that the Interpretation of it may more happily be made by them And since they are the principall Instruments that GOD hath described in that Booke to destroy the Kingdome of Antichrist to consume his State and Citie I see not but it may stand with the Wisedome of GOD to inspire their heart to expound it into whose handes hee hath put it to excute vntill the LORD shall consume both him and it with the Spirit of his mouth and shall abolish it with the brightnesse of his comming For from the day that S. Iohn writ the Booke to this present houre I doe not thinke that euer any King tooke such paines or was so perfect in the Reuelation as his Maiestie is which will easily appeare by this Paraphrase by his Maiesties Meditation on the 20. Chap. and his Monitorie Preface Jt was my purpose to haue past through all his Maiesties Books to haue expressed the Argument and the occasion of their writing But I find by that J haue already said I should be ouer tedious vnto you This therefore in generall They are all worthy of a King and to be kept to Posterity For if Ouid could imagine that no time should eate out the memory of his Metamorphoseis which were but fictions J hope no time shall see an end of these Books that carry in them so much diuine trewth and light And as in this first worke of the Paraphrase his Maiestie hath shewed his Piety So in this last Pearle I meane his Maiesties Speach in the Starr-Chamber his Maiestie hath shewed his Policy The first sheweth hee vnderstands the Kingdome of GOD this last that hee as well apprehends the State of his Kingdomes in this World The first sheweth him to haue a large Portion in that of Heauen and this last sheweth him to haue a great Power and experience in these Kingdomes hee hath on earth Therefore let these men that delight so much in Detraction and to vilify him whom GOD hath exalted and to shed his blood whose Soule GOD hath bound vp in the Bundle of life Let them J say write what euer the Subtilty of the olde Serpent can put into their heads or the Malice of Sathan infuse into their hearts Let them speake what the poyson of Aspes is able to put into their lippes they are not all able to make his Maiestie to appeare lesse then he is nor to shew that euer they had of theirs a King so accomplished It is trew that wee haue not had many Kings in this Kingdome of our Profession But for those we haue had this Iland of ours neuer saw the like either for partes of Nature giftes of Learning or Graces of Piety The little time of life that God lent to King Edward must needs lessen his prayses But neuer did there appeare beginnings of more rare perfection then in him The length of Queene Elizabeths dayes together with the felicity of her time was not only a Glory to her owne People but a wonderment to the
change longer then we are well able to deduce the whole life and reigne of Solomon We haue not the Daughter of Pharao an Idolatrous King nor feare we strange women to steale away his heart from the Seruice of GOD But a Queene as of a Royall so of a Religious Stocke professing the Gospell of Christ with him A Mirrour of trew Modestie a Queene of Bounty both beloued and admired of all his People A Posterity that we need not feare for folly in the one Sexe nor for leuitie in the other Both which made Solomon speake so much as the Iewes say in his Prouerbes of a foolish sonne because his owne was not wise and of wanton Women because he feared the vanity of his owne Daughters But GOD hath left his Maiestie a Sonne a Prince as in outward Liniaments so in inward Abiliments I need say no more an Alter-Idem a second-Selfe A Daughter a Princesse of that Piety singular vertue and Modestie as makes her both beloued at home and admired abroad J haue done Only I desire the Readers of these Workes to pray to GOD that as he hath so farre aduanced vs as to bestowe vpon vs with the Heauenly Treasures of his trewth the riches of his earthly Iewels in so Sacred a King so admired a Queene so hopefull a Prince so vertuous a Princes He would for his Mercies sake for his Sonnes sake continue this the Light of his Countenance vpon vs in them and their Posterity till the comming of that Kingdome which neuer shall haue end AMEN Thine in the Lord IA. WINTON THE SEVERALL TREATISES ACCORDING TO THE TIME WHEREIN THEY WERE WRITTEN AND THEIR PLACE IN THIS Collection c. A PARAPHRASE vpon the Reuelation Pag. 7. Two Meditations The First vpon the 7. 8. 9. and 10. Verses of the 20. Chap. of the Reuelation Pag. 73 Second vpon the 25. 26. 27. 28. and 29. Verses of the 15. Chapter of the first Booke of the Chronicles Pag. 81 Daemonologie First Booke Pag. 94 Second Booke Pag. 108 Third Booke Pag. 123. Basilicon-Doron First Booke Pag. 148 Second Booke Pag. 155 Third Booke Pag. 180. The trew Law of Free Monarchies AnonymΩs Pag. 193 A Counter-blast to Tobacco AnonymΩs Pag. 214 A Discourse of the Powder Treason AnonymΩs Pag. 223. An Apologie for the Oath of Allegiance first set out AnonymΩs and afterwards published with the Praemonition vnder His Maiesties owne name Pag. 247 A Praemonition to all Christian Monarches Free Princes and States written both in English and Latine by his Maiestie Pag. 289 A Declaration against Vorstius written by His Maiestie first in French after translated into English by His Maiesties leaue Pag. 349 A Defence of the Right of KINGS against Cardinall Perron written by His Maiestie in French and thereafter translated into English by His Maiesties leaue Pag. 392 Fiue Speaches THE First in Parliament ANNO 1603. Pag. 485. Second in Parliament ANNO 1605. Pag. 499. Third at White-hall ANNO 1607. Pag. 509. Fourth at White-hall ANNO 1609. Pag. 527. Fift in the Starre-Chamber ANNO 1616. Pag. 549. THE EPISTLE TO THE WHOLE CHVRCH MILITANT in whatsoeuer part of the Earth TO whom could I haue so fitly directed Christian Readers this Paraphrase of mine vpon the Reuelation as vnto you who are the very and true posteritie of those Churches to whom the Booke it selfe was dedicated and for whose instruction and comfort the said Epistle was endited by the Holy Spirit and written by that great Theologue IOHN the Apostle whom our Master beloued deerely J doubt not but it will seeme strange to many that any of my aage calling and literature should haue medled with so obscure Theologicall and high a subiect But let my earnest desire by manifesting the Trueth as well to teach my selfe as others serue for excuse considering also that where diuers others in our aage haue medled with the interpretation of this Booke pressing with preoccupied opinions onely to wrest and conforme the meaning thereof to their particular and priuate passions J by the contrary protest that all my trauailes tend to square and conforme my opinions to the trew and sincere meaning thereof Which causes mooued me to vndertake this worke not thereby to despise infinite others who to the glory of God and great comfort of his Church hath giuen it a great light already but rather that by oft perusing and dew considering therof whereto this worke hath led mee J might be the better acquainted with the meaning of this Booke which J esteeme a speciall cannon against the Hereticall wall of our common aduersaries the Papists whom I would wish to know that in this my Paraphrase vpon it J haue vsed nothing of my owne coniecture or of the authoritie of others but onely haue interpreted it in that sense which may best agree with the methode of the Epistle and not bee contradictorie to it selfe The meaning whereof I expound partly by it selfe and partly by other parts of the Scriptures as the worke it selfe will beare witnesse And therefore this one thing J must craue of our Aduersaries that they will not refute any part of my Interpretation till they finde out a more probable themselues agreeing with the whole context cum serie temporum and where their consciences beare them witnesse that J speake the Trueth that they will yeeld vnto it and glorifie God therein and this is all the reward I craue for my paines But of one thing I must forewarne you Christian Readers to wit that yee may vnderstand that it is for the making of the Discourse more short and facile that I haue made IOHN to be the Speaker in all this Paraphrase and not that I am so presumptuously foolish as to haue meant thereby that my Paraphrase is the onely trew and certaine exposition of this Epistle reiecting all others For although through speaking in his person I am onely bounded and limitted to vse one and not diuers interpretations of euery seuerall place yet I condemne not others but rather allow them to interpret it diuersly so being it agree with the analogie of faith with the methode of the Text cum serie temporum as I said before for those three being obserued it may fall out that diuers diuersly expound one place and yet all be according to the trueth and very meaning of the Spirit of God as may easily be proued by the Text it selfe For in the 17. Chapter the Angel expounding to Iohn the seuen heads of the beastes that came out of the Sea hee saith the seuen heads which thou sawest vpon the beast are the seuen Hills and they are also seuen Kings Here ye see one thing is expounded in two very farre different fashions and yet both true And therefore let wise men take their choice in these things obseruing alwayes these rules I haue spoken of as specially for example This Hebrew word Arma geddon in the 16. Chapter and sixt Phiale although I expound it to signifie destruction by
deceipt as composed of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gnarma Geddon which may very well agree with the History because it is the name of the place saith Iohn where the wicked being assembled together by the alluring and deceipt of Satan and his three spirits of Diuels to make warre with the faithfull were all destroyed by God and so their destruction came and was procured by deceipt Yet others interpret it to signifie destruction by waters as composed of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Harma Geddon which also may very well agree with the Historie For waters indeed in this Booke signifie oft many people and Nations as appeareth by the very Text in the 17. Chapter And others take it to be an allusion to the destruction that Ioshua made of Gods enemies vpon the hill of Mageddon and therefore to bee composed of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Harr which is called a Hill and Mageddon which may also very well agree with the Historie And as J speake of this so J speake the like of Gog and Magog in the 20. Chapter and of all other ambiguous places in this Booke Jt rests then that what ye finde amisse in this Paraphrase yee impute it to my lacke of yeeres and learning and what ye find worthy to be allowed in it that yee attribute the full praise thereof to GOD to whom onely all praise appertaineth Fare-well THE ARGVMENT OF THIS WHOLE EPISTLE THIS Booke or Epistle of Reuelation was called in doubt aswell for the incertaintie of the Author as also for the canonicalnesse of the Booke it selfe by sundry of the ancients and specially by Eusebe For soluing whereof I need not to insist since it is both receiued now of all Christians and also diuers of the Neoteriques in speciall Beza in his Preface vpon it hath handled that matter sufficiently already So that this doubt onely rests now in men that this Booke is so obscure and allegorique that it is in a maner vnprofitable to be taught or interpreted Whereunto I will shortly make answere and then goe forward to set downe the methode of the same And therefore to make a deduction from the beginning let vs vnderstand in what seuerall or principall parts the whole Scriptures may be diuided in and then which of them this Booke is How soone Adam being made perfect in his Creation and hauing the choise of Life and Death Good and Euill did by his horrible defection make choise of Death and cast off Life and by that meanes infected his whole posteritie with double sinne to wit Originall and Actuall God notwithstanding had such a Loue to mankinde as being his most Noble workemanship and Creature made to his owne Likenesse and Image that he selected a Church amongst them whom first because of their weakenesse and incredulitie he with his owne mouth taught and next instructed and raised vp notable men amongst them to be their Rulers whom he endued with such excellent gifts as not onely their example in life preached but also by Miracles they strengthened and confirmed their Faith But lest this ministrie of men should make them to depend onely vpon their mouthes forgetting Him and making Gods of them he at length out of his owne mouth gaue them his Law which he caused them to put in Writ and retaine still amongst them And then lest they should forget and neglect the same he raised vp godly Rulers as well Temporall as Spirituall who by their holy liues and working of Miracles reuiued and strengthened the Law in their hearts But seeing that notwithstanding all this they cast themselues headlong in the gulfe of vices such is the vnthankefull and repining Nature of Man hee raised vp Prophets as especially Ieremie and Daniel to accuse them of their sinnes and by Visions to forewarne them of the times to come whereby the godly might turne and arme themselues and the wicked might be made inexcusable And thus much for the Old Testament But then God seeing that notwithstanding this there crept in such a generall corruption amongst them that scarce one might be found that bowed not his knee to Baal Hee then by his vnsearchable Wisedome incarnated his Eternall Sonne and Word THE LORD IESVS who by his death and Passion accomplished the faith of the Fathers whose Saluation was by the beleeuing in him to come as also made an open and patent way of Grace to all the world thereafter And then as vpon a new world and a new Church Gods Fatherly care to Mankind was renued but in a more fauourable forme because hee looked vpon the Merits of his deare Sonne Then first Christ with his owne mouth did instruct men and confirmed his Doctrine by Miracles and secondly raised vp the Apostles to giue the Law of Faith confirming it by their liues and Miracles And last that notwithstanding this Defection was beginning to creepe in againe hee inspired one of them to wit IOHN to write this Booke that hee might thereby euen as Ieremie and Daniel did in the old Law aswell rebuke them of their sinnes as by forewarning them to arme them against the great tentations that were to come after Then of it selfe it prooues how profitable this Booke is for this aage seeing it is the last Reuelation of Gods will and Prophesie that euer was or shall bee in the World For wee shall haue no more Prophesies nor Miracles hereafter but must content our selues with the Law and Prophecies already giuen as Christ in his Parable of Lazarus and the rich man teacheth Now as to the Methode this holy Epistle is directed to the seuen Churches of Asia Minor whom hee names and writes to particularly in the first three Chapters of the same and vnder their Names to all their trew Successors the whole Church Militant in the World The whole matter may bee diuided in sixe parts to wit The praise or dispraise of euery one of these Churches according to their merits wherein they merit good or euill what way they ought to reforme themselues and this is contained in the three first Chapters And to make them inexcusable in case they slide againe hee shewes the estate of the whole Church Militant in their time he tells them what it shall be vntill the end of the World and what it shal be when it is Triumphant and immortall after the dissolution These three last parts are declared by Visions in the rest of the Epistle first the present estate of the Church then and what it should be thereafter vnto the later day is summarily declared by the first sixe of the seuen Seales in the sixt and seuenth Chapters and afterwards more at large by the seuen Trumpets that came out of the seuenth Seale in the 8. 9. 10. 11. Chapters And because through Tirannie and abuse of the Popedome Poperie is the greatest temptation since Christes first comming or that shal be vnto his last therefore he specially insists more at large and cleerly in the declaration and painting forth of the
glory that is in heauen at the receiuing of my Commission contained in the following Visions which I did see of the things present and to come in the generall Church militant CHAP. V. ARGVMENT The description of the Booke wherein was conteined all the Misteries which were reuealed to this Writer Christs opening of them vnder the figure of a Lion and of a Lambe The praises giuen him by the Saints and Angels therefore who offer without any Intercessour euery one his owne thankesgiuing and praises to the Mediatour THen first I did see in the Right hand of him that sate on the Throne Dan. 12.4 a Booke the Booke wherein these mysteries are contained Esay 24 11. and all the Booke was written vpon aswell on the backe as within on the backe was written these Visions that I did see Ezek. 2.10 and am presently to declare vnto you within was written the plaine exposition and the very proper names of all things which these Visions did represent which are inclosed there to signifie that the Lord hath not permitted me to manifest the same to the world for the time thereof is not come yet which Booke was sealed with seuen Seales aswell to keepe euery part thereof vnreuealed to any as also to giue the greater certaintie that these things shall come to passe which are prophesied therein 2 And I saw a strong Angel proclayming with a loud voice Who is worthy to open this Booke and to loose the Seales thereof 3 But there could none be found worthy to doe it neither in heauen nor in earth nor beneath the earth no not to looke on it much lesse to open it for neither Angel nor deuil either knows or dare meddle with the high mysteries of God and things future except so farre as pleaseth him to commit and reueale vnto them 4 Then wept I very sore that none could be found worthy to open and read that Booke no not to looke vpon the same for I was very sorrowfull that I could not haue it reuealed vnto me 5 At last one of the Elders said vnto mee Weepe not Loe the Lion of the Tribe of Iuda hath preuailed to wit he who is come of Iuda and hath admirable force in his flesh deriued from the Tribe of Iuda by which he ouercame Sinne Death and Hell and is the roote of Dauid for Dauid was his figure and fore-beer in the flesh is worthy and onely worthy to open the Booke and loose the Seales thereof 6 And then I tooke heed and behold I did see in the middest of the Throne and the foure beasts a second person of the Trinitie sitting with God and in the middest of the Elders as a man and our brother a Lambe standing like as hee had bene slaine to signifie that once indeed hee was slaine but had risen againe and had seuen Hornes and seuen Eyes representing the innumerable times mighty and holy Spirit of God which after his Resurrection he sent out through the whole earth to direct instruct and rule the same by his prouidence and power 7 This Lambe then came and tooke the Booke out of the Right hand of him that did sit on the Throne 8 And so soone as he had taken the Booke in his hand these foure beasts and these foure and twentie Elders fell vpon their faces before the Lambe and adored him and euery one of them had in his hand Harpes and golden Phials full of sweet odours these are the prayers of the Saints which the foure beasts comprehending all the degrees of Angels and the foure and twentie Elders comprehending the whole Church as well Militant as Triumphant perceiuing that CHRIST is to reueale all the tentations which are to fall vpon the earth and Church before the latter dayes doe powre forth aswel on the Church triumphants part thankesgiuing that by the reuealing or opening of the Booke he armeth the Militant Church to resist all the tentations contained therein as also on the Church Militants part to pray him to hasten the end and dissolution for the hastening whereof all creatures sigh and grone to their Creator Euery one of these beasts and Elders presents their owne praiers vnto him who sits on the Throne to teach vs as he is Mediatour and therefore our prayers must be offered vnto him onely that so there is no Intercessour betweene him and vs but euery one of vs must present our owne prayers before him after the example of the beasts and Elders These prayers were inclosed in harpes to signifie the sweet and pleasing sound that faithfull prayers make in the eares of God they were inclosed in golden Phials to teach vs that acceptable prayers must come from an vndefiled heart and pure as gold and they themselues are called incense because their smell is pleasant and sweet like incense in the nostrils of God Exod. 30.7 This did the incense at the sacrifice in the old Law signifie and figurate and of this incense speakes Dauid in his Psalmes Psal 141.2 9 And they to wit the foure and twenty Elders did sing a new Canticle for the matter of their Canticle to wit the accomplishment of the Mysterie of redemption is new Psal 144. and euer ought to be new and fresh in the hearts of all them that would be accompted thankefull Their song then was this Thou art worthy O Lord to receiue the Booke and open the Seales thereof for thou hast bene slaine though innocent and by thy precious Blood hast redeemed vs to God thy Father and hast chosen vs out of all Tribes tongues people and nations aswell Iewes as Gentiles 10 And thou hast made vs Kings and Priests spiritually to our God And we shall reigne ouer the earth at the last and generall Iudgement and as Kings shall be participant of the glory of the holy and new Citie Ierusalem 11 Then I beheld and heard round about the Throne the beasts and the Elders the voyces of many Angels to the number of many thousand thousands Dan. 7.10 to wit innumerable Legions of them 12 Who said all with a loud voice The Lambe who was slaine is worthy to haue all power riches wisedome strength honour glory and blessing for euer 13 I also heard all creatures in Heauen in earth and beneath the earth and in the seas euen all that are in them I heard saying in one voyce vnto him that sits vpon the Throne and vnto the Lambe be Blessing Glory Honour and Power for euer and euer And the foure beastes said Amen and the foure and twenty Elders fell on their faces and adored him that liues for euer and euer CHAP. VI. ARGVMENT The opening of the first sixe Seales The spreading of the Euangel signified by the white horse in the first seale The great Persecution by the red horse in the second The number of diuers heresies by the blacke in the third The Popedome and Tyrannie thereof by the pale in the fourth The complaint of the Saints
vpon the backe of the Booke It is not lawfull to him to manifest it By foreknowing things to come which is signified by swallowing the booke he is mooued to a great ioy in the instant time but it turneth in great bitternesse to him thereafter THen I saw another strong Angel comming downe from heauen hee was clothed with a cloud and at his head was the raine-bow and his face was like the Sunne and his feet like the pillars of fire This strong Angel was Christ clothed with a cloude for in a cloud hee ascended and in the clouds shall he come againe at the latter day Which cloud was a guide to the people of Israel by day while they trauailed through the wildernesse and out of that cloud hee powres the raine and dew of his graces in abundance vpon his chosen His head was clothed with the rainebow which signifies his couenant he made with his Elect as ye heard before His face was like the Sunne and his feet like pillars of fire yee heard these two described in the beginning of my Epistle 2 And he had in his hand an open Booke this was the Booke of the Euangel or glad tidings And he set his right foote or strongest on the Sea to make stable that liquid Element so vnstable of nature and his left vpon the earth which is sooner made firme by this to shew the power he hath ouer all things contained in them who hath no power to passe the bounds and order which he hath prescribed vnto them and therefore the earth is called his footstoole by Dauid in his Psalmes 3 And he cryed with a mighty voice like a roaring Lyon for they were terrible things and great which hee was to denounce 4 And when he had cryed the seuen thunders spake their voices These were the seuen Spirits of God who by his direction did speake and I was to haue written what they did speake of purpose to haue set it downe with the rest But I heard a voice from heauen saying Seale what the seuen thunders haue spoken but write them not For the holy Spirit hauing declared vnto me by them the exposition of the sixe trumpets the voice of God commands me not to manifest that vnto the world with the rest but by sealing of it to keepe it close vnto the due time 5 And the Angel to wit Christ whom I saw standing on the sea and on the earth lifted vp his hand towards heauen 6 And swore by him that created heauen the earth the sea and all that is in them that the time should be no longer 7 But in the dayes of the seuenth Angels voice when he begins to blow the mysterie of God should be consummate according as he tolde to his seruants the Prophets This oath he made to assure me that the world should end immediatly after the accomplishing of these things mentioned in the sixe Trumpets and that the seuenth declares the things which are to be done at the consummation the forme whereof will be as hee hath declared to his Prophets 8 Then that voice which I heard spake to me from heauen to wit the voice of God the Father spake againe vnto me and said Goe and take that open booke which is in the hand of the Angel who stands on the sea and the earth 9 And so I went vnto the Angel and desired him to giue me the booke and hee answered Take and swallow it and it shall bring a bitternesse vnto thy belly but in thy mouth it shall be as sweete as honie 10 Then I tooke the booke and found that which he said to me of it to be true for indeed I thought it delightfull vnto me to know the mysteries of God by swallowing the booke and so it was sweet in my mouth but so soon as by the digestion hereof I must preach it to the world and for that cause become to be hated contemned and persecuted by the wicked and see but a small increase of my great labours then surely it will be bitter to my belly as it was to Ionas and shall be to all the true preachers thereof thereafter 11 Then he said vnto me Thou must prophesie againe before people nations tongues and many kings for my children in Christ to wit my successours in doctrine who shall be in the time of these plagues shall haue the same commission to teach ouer againe the same Euangel to the saluation of all the beleeuers these shall haue such boldnesse giuen vnto them as they shall constantly declare their commission not only before the people but euen before many kings and shall not be afraid of their faces CHAP. XI ARGVMENT Babylon the Popes Empire is the outward part of the Temple The trew Church is in Sancto Sanctorum but vnder the persecution of these hypocrites for a certaine space Faithfull Pastours are sent from time to time to witnesse the trewth They are persecuted condemned and slaine by Antichrist God raiseth vp at the last stronger preachers who shall describe the Popedome and foretell the destruction thereof In the seuenth Trumpet is the day of Iudgement described ANd then was a long reede like a rod giuen vnto me and the Angel who gaue me the booke stood before me and said Arise and measure the Temple of God and the Altar and all them that adore in it with that reede that is giuen thee 2 But the court that is without the Temple exclude thou and measure it not for it is giuen vnto the Gentiles who shall tread down the holy Citie for the space of two and fourtie moneths Now lest I should despaire of any profit which my successors could haue made in doctrine in their time because as it appeareth by the sixt Trumpet the whole world should be subdued to these two Monarchies Christ aswell to assure me some should still remaine pure and vnspotted as also to shew mee and by me to forewarne the Church that this most dangerous Monarch called Apollyon should corporally succeede in the Church and should sit in the Temple of God giues me a reede for that cause and commands me to measure the Temple for he will saue all them that are of the true Church for they are the inward parts of the Temple and the rest by reason of their hypocrisie shal be accounted of as Gentiles and this diuision shal be made by my successours in doctrine of whom I spake already for they by the measure and triall of the word signified by the reede shall separate that holy Sanctum Sanctorum from the rest of the outward Temple of God to wit the hypocriticall and Antichristian Church which shall tread downe and persecute the true Church for the space of two and fourtie moneths or three yeeres and an halfe for it is both one number This space prescribed by Christ alludeth to Daniels prophecie of two times a time and halfe a time for as Daniel meant thereby the halfe of his propheticall weeke so Christ meanes
often haue heard already and the in-dwellers of the earth shall wonder whose names are not written in the booke of life before the foundation of the world was laide of this wondering yee heard before they shall wonder I say at this beast which was to wit in great power and is not to wit in a maner as ye presently heard and yet is I meane doeth stand though farre decayed from the former greatnesse 9 Take good heede vnto this that I declare vnto thee for herein shall the trew wisedome of men be tried to wit in knowing by this my description what particular Empire and Tyrannie I speake of And the seuen heads of this beast signifie aswell seuen materiall hilles whereupon the seate of this Monarchie is situated as also seuen kings or diuers formes of Magistrates that this Empire hath had and is to haue hereafter 10 Fiue of them haue beene alreadie one is presently and makes the sixt another shall follow it and make the seuenth but it is not yet come and when it comes it shall remaine but a very short space 11 And this beast which was to wit so great and is not for now it is decaying as thou presently hast heard it is the eight and yet one of the seuen for this beast which rose out of the ruines of the fourth Monarchie as ye heard before in respect it vseth an hereticall Tyrannie ouer the consciences of men by that new forme of Empire is different from any of the rest and so is the eight and yet because this forme of gouernment shall haue the same seate which the rest had and vse as great Tyrannie and greater vpon the world and shall vse the same forme in ciuill gouernment which one of the seuen vsed therefore because it is so like them I call it one of the seuen 12 And the tenne hornes which thou sawest signifie tenne Kings to wit the great number of subalterne Magistrates in all the Prouinces vnder that Monarchy who haue not yet receiued their kingdome for vnder all the diuers sorts of gouernments that shall be in it except the last and hereticall sort these subalterne powers shall be but in the ranke of subiects but they shall take their kingly power with the beast to wit at the very time that this Apollyon shall rise out of the ashes of the fourth beast or Monarchie the kings of the earth shall become his slaues and subalterne Magistrates whereas the subiects were onely the power of that Monarchie before so as the hornes or powers of this beast were but of subiects before it was wounded but after the healing of it the worldly kings and rulers shall become the powers and hornes of it 13 These shall haue one counsell and shall giue their strength and power to the beast to wit these kings shal all willingly yeeld obedience to Babylon and shall employ their whole forces for the maintenance of that Monarchie and the persecution of the Saints 14 For they shal fight with the Lambe in his members albeit all in vaine for in the end the Lambe shall ouercome them because he is Lord of lords and King of all kings and these that are with him and followeth him are called Chosen and Faithfull 15 He also said vnto me The waters that thou saw this Whore sit vpon are the peoples multitudes nations and tongues that haue subiected themselues to her Empire 16 But as touching these ten hornes thou saw thus farre I foretell vnto thee although that for a time these kings shall be slaues and seruants to Babylon and shall be her instruments to persecute the Saints the time shall come before the consummation that they shall hate the Whore who abused them so strongly and long and shall make her to be alone for they shall withdraw from her their Subiects the nations that were her strength and shall make her naked for they shall discouer the mysterie of her abominations and shall eate her flesh and burne her with fire to wit they shall spoile her of her riches power and glory and so destroy her 17 But doe not thou wonder at this for God gaue them in their hearts to wit permitted them to be abused by her for a space that they might doe what pleased her and consent to all her vnlawfull policies and pretences and giue their kingdomes vnto this beast vntill the words of God might be accomplished to wit they shall submit their very Crownes and take the right thereof from her vnto the fulnesse of times here prophecied At what time God shall raise them vp as ye heard to destroy Babylon for the hearts of the greatest kings as well as of the smallest subiects are in the hands of the Lord to be his instruments and to turne them as it shall please him to employ them 18 And this woman or Whore which thou sawest is that great citie and seate of this Beast or Monarchie which beareth rule ouer the kings of the earth as thou hast heard alreadie But although it be one seat yet diuers and a great number of kings or heads thereof shall succeed into it one to another all vpholding an hereticall religion and false worship of God and one forme of gouernment as the fourth Monarchie did out of the which this did spring as ye haue heard CHAP. XVIII ARGVMENT The sorrow of the earth for the destruction of the Popedome The profite that worldly men had by his standing The great riches and wealth of that Church The Pope by his Pardons makes merchandise of the soules of men Heauen and the Saints reioyce at his destruction albeit the earth and the worldlings lament for the same ANd then I saw another Angel comming downe from heauen hauing great power so that the earth shined with his glory for so soone as God by one of the seauen Angels who had the phials had more plainely described vnto mee this woman sitting on the beast then he did before hee now appointeth this other Angel who is Christ to declare vnto me and proclaime to the world as is signified by his comming downe to the earth for that cause the iust condemnation of Babylon according to her sinnes 2 And hee cryed out with a loude voyce saying It is fallen It is fallen Babylon that great Citie and it is made the dwelling place of vncleane spirits and the habitation of all vncleane and hatefull fowles to wit it shall be destroyed and that great Citie the seate of that Monarchie shall be desolate for euer euen as it was prophesied of Ierusalem 3 Because all nations haue drunke of the Vine of her whoredome and the kings of the earth haue committed whoredome with her and the Merchants of the earth are become rich by the great wealth of her delights in so great a worldly glory and pompe did that Monarchie shine 4 And I heard another voyce from heauen to wit the voyce of the holy Spirit saying Goe foorth from her my people to wit all the chosen
shall arise an Antichrist and enemie to God and his Church hee shall bee head of a false and hypocriticall Church hee shall claime a supreme power in earth he shall vsurpe the power of God he shall deceiue men with abusing locusts he shall persecute the faithfull none shall bee found that dare openly resist him In the end feeling his kingdome decay and the trew Church beginning to prosper he shall by a new sort of deceiuing spirits gather together the Kings of the earth in great multitudes like the sands of the Sea and by ioyning or at least suffering of that other great open enemy he shall with these numbers compasse the campes of the faithfull besiege the beloued Citie make warre against the Saints but victorie shal he not haue and shame and confusion shal be his and all his partakers end Now whether the Pope beareth these markes or not The Pope is Antichrist and Poperie the loosing of Satan from whom proceedeth false doctrine crueltie to subuert the kingdom of Christ let any indifferent man iudge I thinke surely it expounds it selfe Doeth he not vsurpe Christ his office calling himselfe vniuersall Bishop and head of the Church Playeth he not the part of Apollyon and Abaddon the king of the Locusts and destroyer or sonne of perdition in chopping and changing of soules betwixt heauen hell and his fantasticke or imagined purgatorie at his pleasure Blasphemeth he not in denying vs to be saued by the imputation of Christ his righteousnesse Moreouer hath hee not sent forth and abused the world with innumerable orders of locusts and shauelings Hath hee not so fully ruled ouer the world these many hundreth yeeres as to the fire went hee whosoeuer hee was that durst deny any part of his vsurped supremacie And hath he not of late dayes seeing his kingdome going to decay The Iesuites pernicious vermine sent out the Iesuites his last and most pernicious vermin to stirre vp the Princes of the earth his slaues to gather and league themselues together for his defence and rooting out of all them that professe Christ truely And whereas the open enemie of God the Turke was vnder bloody warres with him euer before is there not of late a truce among them that the faithfull may be the more easily rooted out And are not the armies presently assembled yea vpon the very point of their execution in France against the Saints there In Flanders for the like and in Germanie by whom already the Bishop of Collein is displaced And what is prepared and come forward against this I le Doe we not daily heare and by all appearance and likelihood shall shortly see Now may we iudge if this be not the time whereof this place that I haue made choice doeth meane and so the due time for the reuealing of this Prophecie Thus farre for the interpretation of the sentence or meaning THE THIRD PART NOw I come to the last part what we may learne of this place which I will shortly touch in few points and so make an end And first of the deuill his loosing by the rising of Antichrist for the iust punishment of the vnthankefull world hating the trewth and delighting in lies and manifesting of his owne chosen that stucke to the trewth we haue two things to note One for instruction Man his sinne procureth God his iustice to loose Satan that the iustice of God in respect of man his falling wilfully froÌ„ the trewth as Paul saith iustly did send to the world the great abuser with efficacie of lies as well to tyrannize spiritually ouer the conscience by heresie as corporally ouer their bodies by the ciuill sword And therefore we must feare to fall from the trewth reuealed and professed by vs that we may be free from the like punishment The other for our comfort that this tyrannie of the Antichrist sifting out the chaffe from the corne as our Master sayth Backe-slâ—â—ers 〈…〉 constant â—hristians shall be crowned Matth. 10.22 shall tend to the double condemnation of the fallers backe and to the double crowne of glory to the perseuerers or standers out to the end Blessed therefore are they that perseuere or stand out to the end for they shall be saued Next of the number of nations in the foure quarters of the earth deceiued and companies gathered together to fight like the sand of the sea The defection or falling away vnder Antichrist shall be vniuersall Wee are taught that the defection or falling away vnder the Antichrist was generall and so no visible Church was there whereof two things doe follow One the Church may be corrupted and erre another the Church may lurke and be vnknowen for a certaine space Thirdly of that that Satan is not content onely to deceiue Satan his children both deceiue and persecute except hee also gather to the battell his instruments we are informed of the implacable or vnappeaseable malice borne by Satan in his instruments against God in his members who neuer ceaseth like a roaring Lyon as Peter sayth to goe about assailing to deuoure This his malice is notably laid foorth in the 12. and 13. Chap. of this Booke For it is said that when he had spewed out great riuers of waters that is infinite heresies and lies to swallow vp the woman and notwithstanding shee was deliuered therefro yet againe hee raised vp a beast out of the sea the bloody Romane Empire by the sword to deuoure her and her seed and that being wounded deadly yet hee raiseth another beast foorth of the earth which is the Antichrist by heresie and sword ioyned together to ferue his turne So the deuill seeing that no mist of heresies can obscure or darken the Gospel in the hearts of the faithfull and that the cruell sword of persecutors cannot stay the prosperous successe of Christ his kingdome hee raiseth vp the Antichrist with both his swords to the effect that as one of them sayth That which Peter his keyes could not Paul his sword should And so hath hee done at this time For seeing the true Church will not be abused with the absurd heresies for last refuge now rooted out must they be by the ciuill Sword Fourthly of their great numbers The wicked in number euer ouerpasse the godly able to compasse about the tents of the Saints and to besiege the holy Cities we are enformed that the wicked are euer the greatest part of the world And therfore our Master sayth Many are called few chosen And againe Wide is the way that leadeth to destruction and many enter thereat but narrow is the way that leadeth to life and few enter thereat Also hee calleth them the world and the Deuill the prince of the same Fiftly the agreeance of Gog and Magog the Turke the open enemy The wicked at variance among themselues can wel agree in one against Christ and the Pope the couered enemie to this persecution declareth the rooted hatred of the wicked against
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
protest to serue for a shew of my learning and ingine but onely moued of conscience to preasse thereby so farre as I can to resolue the doubting hearts of many both that such assaults of Satan are most certainely practised and that the instruments thereof merits most seuerely to be punished against the damnable opinions of two principally in our aage whereof the one called Scot an Englishman is not ashamed in publike Print to deny that there can be such a thing as Witch-craft and so maintaines the old errour of the Sadduces in denying of spirits The other called Wierus a German Physition sets out a publike Apologie for all these crafts-folkes whereby procuring for their impunitie he plainely bewrayes himselfe to haue bene one of that profession And for to make this Treatise the more pleasant and facill J haue put it in forme of a Dialogue which I haue diuided into three Bookes The first speaking of Magie in generall and Necromancie in speciall The second of Sorcerie and Witch-craft and the third containes a discourse of all these kinds of spirits and Spectres that appeares and troubles persons together with a conclusion of the whole worke My intention in this labour is onely to prooue two things as I haue already said The one that such diuelish artes haue bene and are The other what exact triall and seuere punishment they merit and therefore reason I What kinde of things are possible to be performed in these Arts and by what naturall causes they may be not that I touch euery particular thing of the Diuels power for that were infinite but onely to speake scholastickely since this cannot be spoken in our language J reason vpon genus leauing species and differentia to bee comprehended therein As for example speaking of the power of Magiciens in the first booke and sixt Chapter I say that they can suddenly cause be brought vnto them all kinds of daintie dishes by their familiar spirit since as a thiefe he delights to steale and as a spirit he can subtilly and suddenly ynough transport the same Now vnder this genus may be comprehended all particulars depending thereupon such as the bringing Wine out of a wall as wee haue heard oft to haue bene practised and such others which particulars are sufficiently prooued by the reasons of the generall And such like in the second booke of Witch-craft in speciall and fift Chapter J say and proue by diuers Arguments that Witches can by the power of their master cure or cast on diseases Now by these same reasons that proues their power by the Diuell of diseases in generall is aswell proued their power in special as of weakning the nature of some men to make them vnable for women and making it to abound in others more then the ordinary course of nature would permit And such like in all other particular sicknesses But one thing I will pray thee to obserue in all these places where I reason vpon the diuels power which is the different ends and scopes that God as the first cause and the diuell as his instrument and second cause shoots at in all these actions of the diuel as Gods hang-man For where the diuels intention in them is euer to perish either the soule or the body or both of them that he is so permitted to deale with God by the contrary drawes euer out of that euill glory to himselfe either by the wracke of the wicked in his iustice or by the triall of the patient and amendment of the faithful being wakened vp with that rod of correction Hauing thus declared vnto thee then my full intention in this Treatise thou wilt easily excuse I doubt not aswel my pretermitting to declare the whole particular rites and secrets of these vnlawfull arts as also their infinit and wonderfull practises as being neither of them pertinent to my purpose the reason whereof is giuen in the hinder end of the first Chapter of the third booke and who likes to be curious in these things he may reade if he will heare of their practises Bodinus Daemonomanie collected with greater diligence then written with iudgement together with their confessions that haue been at this time apprehended If he would know what hath bene the opinion of the Ancients concerning their power he shall see it well described by Hyperius Hemmingius two late Germane writers Besides innumerable other neotericke Theologues that write largely vpon that subject And if he would know what are the particular rites and curiosities of these blacke Arts which is both vnnecessary and perillous he will finde it in the fourth Booke of Cornelius Agrippa and in Wierus whom-of J spake And so wishing my paines in this Treatise beloued Reader to be effectuall in arming all them that reade the same against these aboue mentioned errours and recommending my good will to thy friendly acceptation J bid thee heartily fare-well IAMES R. x. DAEMONOLOGIE IN FORME OF A DIALOGVE FIRST BOOKE ARGVMENT The exord of the whole The description of Magie in speciall CHAP. I. ARGVMENT Proued by the Scripture that these vnlawfull arts in genere haue bene and may be put in practise PHILOMATHES and EPISTEMON reason the matter PHILOMATHES IAm surely very glad to haue met with you this day for I am of opinion that ye can better resolue me of some thing whereof I stand in great doubt nor any other whom-with I could haue met EPI In what I can that ye like to speir at me I will willingly and freely tell my opinion and if I proue it not sufficiently I am heartily content that a better reason carry it away then PHI. What thinke ye of these strange newes which now onely furnishes purpose to all men at their meeting I meane of these Witches EPI Surely they are wonderfull And I thinke so cleare and plaine confessions in that purpose haue neuer fallen out in any aage or countrey PHI. No question if they be true but thereof the Doctours doubts EPI What part of it doubt ye of PHI. Euen of all for ought I can yet perceiue and namely that there is such a thing as Witch-craft or Witches and I would pray you to resolue me thereof if ye may for I haue reasoned with sundrie in that matter and yet could neuer be satisfied therein EPI I shall with good will doe the best I can But I thinke it the difficiller since ye deny the thing it selfe in generall for as it is said in the Logicke schooles Contra negantem principia non est disputandum Alwaies for that part that Witch-craft and Witches haue beene and are the former part is clearely prooued by the Scriptures and the last by daily experience and confessions PHI. I know ye wil alleadge me Sauls Pythonisse but that as appeares will not make much for you EPI Not onely that place but diuers others But I maruell why that should not make much for me PHI. The reasons are these first yee may consider that Saul beeing
the whole Dialogue CHAP. I. ARGV The diuision of Spirits in foure principall kindes The description of the first kinde of them called Spectra vmbrae mortuorum What is the best way to be free of their trouble PHILOMATHES I Pray you now then goe forward in telling what ye thinke fabulous or may be trowed in that case EPI That kind of the diuels cōuersing in the earth may be diuided in foure different kindes whereby he affraieth and troubleth the bodies of men For of the abusing of the soule I haue spoken alreadie The first is where spirits trouble some houses or solitarie places The second where Spirits follow vpon certaine persons and at diuers houres trouble them The third when they enter within them and possesse them The fourth is these kinde of Spirits that are called vulgarly the Fairie Of the three former kinds ye heard already how they may artificially be made by Witchcraft to trouble folke now it restes to speake of their naturall comming as it were and not raised by Witchcraft But generally I must forewarne you of one thing before I enter in this purpose that is that although in my discoursing of them I deuide them in diuers kinds ye must notwithstanding thereof note my phrase of speaking in that For doubtleslie they are in effect but all one kinde of Spirits who for abusing the more of mankinde take on these sundrie shapes and vse diuers formes of outward actions as if some were of nature better then other Now I returne to my purpose As to the first kinde of these spirits that were called by the ancients by diuers names according as their actions were For if they were Spirits that haunted some houses by appearing in diuers and horrible formes and making great dinne they were called Lemures or Spectra If they appeared in likenesse of any defunct to some friends of his they were called vmbraemortuorum And so innumerable stiles they got according to their actions as I haue said alreadie as we see by experience how many stiles they haue giuen them in our language in the like maner Of the appearing of these Spirits we are certified by the Scriptures Esay 13. Iere. 50. where the Prophet Esay 13. and 34. Chap. threatning the destruction of Ierusalem declares that it shall not onely be wracked but shall become so great a solitude as it shall be the habitacle of Howlets and of Zijm and Ijm which are the proper Hebrew names for these Spirits The cause why they haunt sollitarie places it is by reason that they may affray and brangle the more the faith of such as them alone hauntes such places For our nature is such as in companies we are not so soone moued to any such kind of feare as being sollitarie which the diuel knowing well enough he will not therefore assaile vs but when wee are weake And besides that God will not permit him so to dishonour the societies and companies of Christians as in publicque times and places to walke visiblie amongst them On the other part when he troubles certaine houses that are dwelt in it is a sure token either of grosse ignorance or of some grosse and slanderous sinnes amongst the inhabitants thereof which God by that extraordinarie rod punishes PHI. But by what way or passage can these Spirits enter into these houses seeing they alledge that they will enter doore and window being steiked EPI They will choose the passage for their entresse according to the forme that they are in at that time For if they haue assumed a dead bodie whereinto they lodge themselues they can easily enough open without dinne any doore or window and enter in thereat And if they enter as a Spirit onely any place where the aire may come in at is large enough an entrie for them For as I said before a Spirit can occupie no quantitie PHI. And will God then permit these wicked Spirits to trouble the rest of a dead bodie before the resurrection thereof Or if hee will so I thinke it should be of the reprobate onely EPI What more is the rest troubled of a dead bodie when the diuell caries it out of the graue to serue his turne for a space nor when the Witches take it vp and ioynts it or when as Swine wortes vp the graues The rest of them that the Scripture speakes of is not meaned by a locall remaining continually in one place but by their resting from their trauailes and miseries of this world while their latter coniunction againe with the soule at that time to receiue full glorie in both And that the diuel may vse as well the ministrie of the bodies of the faithfull in these cases as of the vnfaithfull there is no inconuenience for his haunting with their bodies after they are dead can no-waies defile them in respect of the soules absence And for any dishonour it can be vnto them by what reason can it be greater then the hanging heading or many such shamefull deaths that good men will suffer For there is nothing in the bodies of the faithfull more worthie of honour or freer from corruption by nature nor in these of the vnfaithfull while time they be purged and glorified in the latter Day as is daily seene by the vilde diseases and corruptions that the bodies of the faithfull are subiect vnto as ye will see clearely proued when I speake of the possessed and Daemoniacques PHI. Yet there are sundry that affirme to haue haunted such places where these spirits are alledged to be and could neuer heare nor see any thing EPI I thinke well for that is onely reserued to the secret knowledge of God whom he will permit to see such things and whom not PHI. But where these spirits haunt and trouble any houses what is the best way to banish them EPI By two meanes may onely the remeid of such things be procured The one is ardent prayer to God both of these persons that are troubled with them and of that Church whereof they are The other is the purging of themselues by amendment of life from such sinnes as haue procured that extraordinarie plague PHI. And what meane then these kindes of spirits when they appeare in the shadow of a person newly dead or to die to his friends EPI When they appeare vpon that occasion they are called Wraithes in our language Amongst the Gentiles the diuell vsed that much to make them beleeue that it was some good spirit that appeared to them then either to forewarne them of the death of their friend or else to discouer vnto them the will of the defunct or what was the way of his slaughter as it is written in the booke of the histories prodigious and this way he easily deceiued the Gentiles because they knew not God and to that same effect is it that he now appeares in that maner to some ignorant Christians for hee dares not so illude any that knoweth that neither can the spirit of the defunct
ratified in Heauen the curse that in that case here I giue vnto you For I protest before that Great GOD I had rather not bee a Father and childlesse then bee a Father of wicked children But hoping yea euen promising vnto my selfe that GOD who in his great blessing sent you vnto mee shall in the same blessing as hee hath giuen mee a Sonne so make him a good and a godly Sonne not repenting him of his Mercie shewed vnto mee I end with my earnest prayer to GOD to worke effectually into you the fruites of that blessing which here from my heart I bestow vpon you Your louing Father I. R. TO THE READER CHaritable Reader it is one of the golden Sentences which Christ our Sauiour vttered to his Apostles that there is nothing so couered Luk. 12. that shal not be reuealed neither so hidde that shall not be knowen and whatsoeuer they haue spoken in darkenesse should be heard in the light and that which they had spoken in the eare in secret place should be publikely preached on the tops of the houses And since he hath said it most trew must it be fince the authour thereof is the fountaine and very being of trewth which should mooue all godly and honest men to be very warie in all their secretest actions and whatsoeuer middesses they vse for attaining to their most wished ends lest otherwise how auowable soeuer the marke be whereat they aime the middesses being discouered to be shamefull whereby they climbe it may turne to the disgrace both of the good worke it selfe and of the authour thereof since the deepest of our secrets cannot be hidde from that all-seeing eye and penetrant light piercing through the bowels of very darkenesse it selfe But as this is generally trew in the actions of all men so is it more specially trew in the affaires of Kings for Kings being publike persons by reason of their office and authority are as it were set as it was said of old vpon a publike stage in the sight of all the people where all the beholders eyes are attentiuely bent to looke and pry in the least circumstance of their secretest drifts Which should make Kings the more carefull not to harbour the secretest thought in their minde but such as in the owne time they shall not be ashamed openly to auouch assuring themselues that Time the mother of Veritie will in the due season bring her owne daughter to perfection The trew practise hereof I haue as a King oft found in my owne person though I thanke God neuer to my shame hauing laide my count euer to walke as in the eyes of the Almightie examining euer so the secretest of my drifts before I gaue them course as how they might some day bide the touchstone of a publike triall And amongst therest of my secret actions which haue vnlooked for of me come to publike knowledge it hath so fared with my 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 directed to my eldest son which I wrote for exercise of mine owne ingyne and instruction of him who is appointed by God I hope to sit on my Throne after me For the purpose and matter thereof being onely fit for a King as teaching him his office and the person whomfor it was ordained a Kings heire whose secret counsellor and faithfull admonisher it must be I thought it no wayes conuenient nor comely that either it should to all be proclaimed which to one onely appertained and specially being a messenger betwixt two so coniunct persons or yet that the mould whereupon he should frame his future behauiour when hee comes both vnto the perfection of his yeeres and possession of his inheritance should before the hand be made common to the people the subiect of his future happy gouernment And therefore for the more secret and close keeping of them I onely permitted seuen of them to be printed the Printer being first sworne for secrecie and these seuen I dispersed amongst some of my trustiest seruants to be keeped closely by them lest in case by the iniquitie or wearing of time any of them might haue beene lost yet some of them might haue remained after me as witnesses to my Sonne both of the honest integritie of my heart and of my fatherly affection and naturall care towards him But since contrary to my intention and expectation as I haue alreadie said this Booke is now vented and set foorth to the publike view of the world and consequently subiect to euery mans censure as the current of his affection leades him I am now forced as well for resisting to the malice of the children of enuie who like waspes sucke venome out of euery wholsome herbe as for the satisfaction of the godly honest sort in any thing that they may mistake therein both to publish and spread the true copies thereof for defacing of the false copies that are alreadie spread as I am enformed as likewise by this Preface to cleare such parts thereof as in respect of the concised shortnesse of my Style may be mis-interpreted therein To come then particularly to the matter of my Booke there are two speciall great points which as I am informed the malicious sort of men haue detracted therein and some of the honest sort haue seemed a little to mistake whereof the first and greatest is that some sentences therein should seeme to furnish grounds to men to doubt of my sinceritie in that Religion which I haue euer constantly professed the other is that in some parts thereof I should seeme to nourish in my minde a vindictiue resolution against England or at the least some principals there for the Queene my mothers quarrell The first calumnie most grieuous indeed is grounded vpon the sharpe and bitter wordes that therein are vsed in the description of the humors of Puritanes and rash-headie Preachers that thinke it their honour to contend with Kings and perturbe whole kingdomes The other point is onely grounded vpon the strait charge I giue my Sonne not to heare nor suffer any vnreuerent speeches or bookes against any of his parents or progenitors wherein I doe alledge my owne experience anent the Queene my mother affirming that I neuer found any that were of perfit aage the time of her reigne here so stedfastly trew to me in all my troubles as these that constantly kept their allegiance to her in her time But if the charitable Reader will aduisedly consider both the methode and matter of my Treatise he will easily iudge what wrong I haue sustained by the carping at both For my Booke suppose very small being diuided in three seuerall parts the first part thereof onely treats of a Kings duety towards God in Religion wherein I haue so clearely made profession of my Religion calling it the Religion wherein I was brought vp and euer made profession of and wishing him euer to continue in the same as the onely trew forme of Gods worship that I would haue thought my sincere plainnesse in that
first part vpon that subiect should haue ditted the mouth of the most enuious Momus that euer hell did hatch from barking at any other part of my booke vpon that ground except they would alledge me to be contrarie to my selfe which in so small a volume would smell of too great weakenesse and sliprinesse of memory And the second part of my booke teaches my Sonne how to vse his Office in the administration of Iustice and Politicke Gouernment The third onely containing a Kings outward behauiour in indifferent things what agreeance and conformitie hee ought to keepe betwixt his outward behauiour in these things and the vertuous qualities of his minde and how they should serue for trunsh-men to interprete the inward disposition of the minde to the eyes of them that cannot see farther within him and therefore must onely iudge of him by the outward appearance So as if there were no more to be looked into but the very methode and order of the booke it will sufficiently cleare me of that first and grieuousest imputation in the point of Religion since in the first part where Religion is onely treated of I speake so plainely And what in other parts I speake of Puritanes it is onely of their morall faults in that part where I speake of Policie declaring when they contemne the Law and souereigne authoritie what exemplare punishment they deserue for the same And now as to the matter it selfe whereupon this scandall is taken that I may sufficiently satisfie all honest men and by a iust Apologie raise vp a brasen wall or bulwarke against all the darts of the enuious I will the more narrowly rip vp the words whereat they seeme to be somewhat stomacked First then as to the name of Puritanes I am not ignorant that the style thereof doeth properly belong onely to that vile sect amongst the Anabaptists called the Family of loue because they thinke themselues onely pure and in a maner without sinne the onely trwe Church and onely worthy to be participant of the Sacraments and all the rest of the world to be but abomination in the sight of God Of this speciall sect I principally meane when I speake of Puritans diuers of them as Browne Penry and others hauing at sundrie times come into Scotland to sow their popple amongst vs and from my heart I wish that they had left no schollers behinde them who by their fruits will in the owne time be manifested and partly indeede I giue this style to such brain-sicke and headie Preachers their disciples and followers as refusing to be called of that sect yet participate too much with their humours in maintaining the aboue mentioned errours not onely agreeing with the generall rule of all Anabaptists in the contempt of the ciuill Magistrate and in leaning to their owne dreams and reuelations but particularly with this sect in accounting all men profane that sweare not to all their fantasies in making for euery particular question of the policie of the Church as great commotion as if the article of the Trinitie were called in controuersie in making the scriptures to be ruled by their conscience and not their conscience by the Scripture and he that denies the least iote of their grounds sit tibi tanquam ethnicus publicanus not worthy to enioy the benefite of breathing much lesse to participate with them of the Sacraments and before that any of their grounds be impugned let King people Law and all be trode vnder foote Such holy warres are to be preferred to an vngodly peace no in such cases Christian Princes are not onely to be resisted vnto but not to be prayed for for prayer must come of Faith and it is reuealed to their consciences that GOD will heare no prayer for such a Prince Iudge then Christian Reader if I wrong this sort of people in giuing them the stile of that sect whose errours they imitate and since they are contented to weare their liuerie let them not be ashamed to borrow also their name It is onely of this kinde of men that in this booke I write so sharply and whom I wish my Sonne to punish in-case they refuse to obey the Law and will not cease to sturre vp a rebellion Whom against I haue written the more bitterly in respect of diuers famous libels and iniurious speaches spred by some of them not onely dishonourably inuectiue against all Christian Princes but euen reprochfull to our profession and Religion in respect they are come out vnder coulour thereof and yet were neuer answered but by Papists who generally medle aswell against them as the religion it selfe whereby the skandale was rather doubled then taken away But on the other part I protest vpon mine honour I meane it not generally of all Preachers or others that like better of the single forme of policie in our Church then of the many Ceremonies in the Church of England that are perswaded that their Bishops smell of a Papall supremacie that the Surplise the cornerd cap and such like are the outward badges of Popish errours No I am so farre from being contentious in these things which for my owne part I euer esteemed as indifferent as I doe equally loue and honour the learned and graue men of either of these opinions It can no wayes become me to pronounce so lightly a sentence in so old a controuersie Wee all God be praised doe agree in the grounds and the bitternesse of men vpon such questions doeth but trouble the peace of the Church and giues aduantage and entry to the Papists by our diuision But towards them I onely vse this prouision that where the Law is otherwayes they may content themselues soberly and quietly with their owne opinions not resisting to the authoritie nor breaking the Law of the Countrey neither aboue all sturring any rebellion or schisme but possessing their soules in peace let them preasse by patience and well grounded reasons either to perswade all the rest to like of their iudgements or where they see better grounds on the other part not to bee ashamed peaceably to incline thereunto laying aside all praeoccupied opinions And that this is the onely meaning of my Booke and not any coldnesse or cracke in Religion that place doeth plainely witnesse where after I haue spoken of the faults in our Ecclesiasticall estate I exhort my sonne to be beneficiall vnto the good-men of the Ministrie praising God there that there is presently a sufficient number of good men of them in this kingdome and yet are they all knowne to be against the forme of the English Church Yea so farre I am in that place from admitting corruption in Religion as I wish him in promoouing them to vse such caution as may preserue their estate from creeping to corruption euer vsing that forme through the whole Booke where euer I speake of bad Preachers terming them some of the Ministers and not Ministers or Ministrie in generall And to conclude this point of Religion
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
righteousnesse that their persons as bright lampes of godlinesse and vertue may going in and out before their people giue light to all their steps Remember also that by the right knowledge and feare of God which is the beginning of Wisedome Prou 9.10 as Salomon saith ye shall know all the things necessarie for the discharge of your duetie both as a Christian and as a King seeing in him as in a mirrour the course of all earthly things whereof hee is the spring and onely moouer Now the onely way to bring you to this knowledge The meanes to know God is diligently to reade his word and earnestly to pray for the right vnderstanding thereof Search the Scriptures sayth Christ for they beare testimonie of me and Iohn 5.39 the whole Scripture saith Paul is giuen by inspiration of God and is profitable to teach 2. Tim. 3.16.17 to conuince to correct and to instruct in righteousnesse that the man of God may be absolute being made perfite vnto all good workes And most properly of any other belongeth the reading thereof vnto Kings Deut. 17. since in that part of Scripture where the godly Kings are first made mention of that were ordained to rule ouer the people of God there is an expresse and most notable exhortation and commandement giuen them to reade and meditate in the Law of God I ioyne to this the carefull hearing of the doctrine with attendance and reuerence for faith commeth by hearing Rom. 10.17 sayth the same Apostle But aboue all beware ye wrest not the word to your owne appetite as ouer many doe making it like a bell to sound as ye please to interprete but by the contrary frame all your affections to follow precisely the rule there set downe The whole Scripture chiefly containeth two things a command Wherein chiefely the whole Scripture consisteth and a prohibition to doe such things and to abstaine from the contrary Obey in both neither thinke it enough to abstaine from euill and do no good nor thinke not that if yee doe many good things it may serue you for a cloake to mixe euill turnes therewith And as in these two points the whole Scripture principally consisteth Two degrees of the seruice of God so in two degrees standeth the whole seruice of God by man interiour or vpward exteriour or downward the first by prayer in faith towards God the next by workes flowing therefra before the world which is nothing else but the exercise of Religion towards God and of equitie towards your neighbour As for the particular points of Religion I need not to dilate them I am no hypocrite follow my footsteps A regardable paterne and your owne present education therein I thanke God I was neuer ashamed to giue account of my profession howsoeuer the malicious lying tongues of some haue traduced me and if my conscience had not resolued me that all my Religion presently professed by me and my kingdome was grounded vpon the plaine wordes of the Scripture without the which all points of Religion are superfluous as any thing contrary to the same is abomination I had neuer outwardly auowed it for pleasure or awe of any flesh And as for the points of equitie towards your neigbour because that will fall in properly vpon the second part concerning a Kings office I leaue it to the owne roume For the first part then of mans seruice to his God Religion which is Religion that is the worship of God according to his reuealed will it is wholly grounded vpon the Scripture as I haue alreadie said quickened by faith and conserued by conscience For the Scripture I haue now spoken of it in generall but that yee may the more readily make choice of any part thereof for your instruction or comfort remember shortly this methode The whole Scripture is dyted by Gods Spirit The methode of Scripture thereby as by his liuely word to instruct and rule the whole Church militant to the end of the word It is composed of two parts the Olde and New Testament The ground of the former is the Lawe which sheweth our sinne and containeth iustice the ground of the other is Christ who pardoning sinne containeth grace The summe of the Law is the tenne Commandements more largely delated in the bookes of Moses Of the Law interpreted and applied by the Prophets and by the histories are the examples shewed of obedience or disobedience thereto and what praemium or poena was accordingly giuen by God But because no man was able to keepe the Law nor any part thereof it pleased God of his infinite wisedome and goodnesse to incarnate his only Sonne in our nature for satisfaction of his iustice in his suffering for vs that since we could not be saued by doing we might at least bee saued by beleeuing The ground therefore of the word of grace Of Grace is contained in the foure histories of the birth life death resurrection and ascention of Christ The larger interpretation and vse thereof is contained in the Epistles of the Apostles and the practise in the faithfull or vnfaithfull with the historie of the infancie and first progresse of the Church is contained in their Actes Would ye then know your sinne by the Lawe Vse of the Law reade the bookes of Moses containing it Would ye haue a commentarie thereupon Reade the Prophets and likewise the bookes of the Prouerbes and Ecclesiastes written by that great patterne of wisedome Salomon which will not only serue you for instruction how to walke in the obedience of the Lawe of God but is also so full of golden sentences and morall precepts in all things that can concerne your conuersation in the world as among all the prophane Philosophers and Poets ye shall not finde so rich a storehouse of precepts of naturall wisedome agreeing with the will and diuine wisedome of God Would ye see how good men are rewarded and wicked punished looke the historicall parts of these same bookes of Moses together with the histories of Ioshua the Iudges Ezra Nehemiah Esther and Iob but especially the bookes of the Kings and Chronicles wherewith ye ought to bee familiarly acquainted for there shall yee see your selfe as in a myrrour in the catalogue either of the good or the euill Kings Would yee know the doctrine life and death of our Sauiour Christ Vse of the Gospel reade the Euangelists Would ye bee more particularly trained vp in his Schoole meditate vpon the Epistles of the Apostles And would ye be acquainted with the practises of that doctrine in the persons of the primitiue Church Cast vp the Apostles Actes And as to the Apocryphe bookes I omit them because I am no Papist as I said before and indeed some of them are no wayes like the dytement of the Spirit of God But when ye reade the Scripture How to reade the Scripture reade it with a sanctified and chaste heart admire reuerently
such obscure places as ye vnderstand not blaming onely your owne capacitie read with delight the plaine places and studie carefully to vnderstand those that are somewhat difficile preasse to bee a good textuarie for the Scripture is euer the best interpreter of it selfe but preasse not curiously to seeke out farther then is contained therein for that were ouer vnmannerly a presumption to striue to bee further vpon Gods secrets then he hath will ye be for what hee thought needfull for vs to know that hath he reuealed there And delyte most in reading such parts of the Scripture as may best serue for your instruction in your calling reiecting foolish curiosities vpon genealogies and contentions Tit. 3.9 which are but vaine and profite not as Paul saith Now as to Faith which is the nourisher and quickner of Religion Faith the nourisher of Religion as I haue alreadie said It is a sure perswasion and apprehension of the promises of God applying them to your soule and therefore may it iustly be called the golden chaine that linketh the faithfull soule to Christ And because it groweth not in our garden but is the free gift of God Philip. 1.29 as the same Apostle saith it must be nourished by prayer Which is nothing else but a friendly talking with God As for teaching you the forme of your prayers Prayer and whence to learne the best forme thereof the Psalmes of Dauid are the meetest schoole-master that ye can be acquainted with next the prayer of our Sauiour which is the onely rule of prayer whereout of as of most rich and pure fountaines ye may learne all forme of prayer necessarie for your comfort at all occasions And so much the fitter are they for you then for the common sort in respect the composer thereof was a King and therefore best behoued to know a Kings wants and what things were meetest to be required by a King at Gods hand for remedie thereof Vse often to pray when ye are quietest Seuerall exercise of prayer especially forget it not in your bed how oft soeuer ye doe it at other times for publike prayer serueth as much for example as for any particular comfort to the supplicant In your prayer bee neither ouer strange with God What rule or regard to be vsed in prayer like the ignorant common sort that prayeth nothing but out of bookes nor yet ouer homely with him like some of the vaine Pharisaicall puritanes that thinke they rule him vpon their fingers The former way will breede an vncouth coldnesse in you towards him the other will breede in you a contempt of him But in your prayer to God speake with all reuerence for if a subiect will not speake but reuerently to a King much lesse should any flesh presume to talke with God as with his companion Craue in your prayer not onely things spirituall but also things temporall What to craue of God sometimes of greater and sometimes of lesse consequence that yee may lay vp in store his grant of these things for confirmation of your faith and to be an arles-peny vnto you of his loue Pray as yee finde your heart moueth you pro re nata but see that yee sute no vnlawfull things as reuenge Rom. 14.23 lust or such like for that prayer can not come of faith and whatsoeuer is done without faith is sinne as the Apostle saith When ye obtaine your prayer How to interpret the issue of prayer thanke him ioyfully therefore if otherwaies beare patiently preassing to winne him with importunitie as the widow did the vnrighteous Iudge and if notwithstanding thereof yee be not heard assure your selfe God foreseeth that which yee aske is not for your weale and learne in time so to interprete all the aduersities that God shall send vnto you so shall yee in the middest of them not onely be armed with patience but ioyfully lift vp your eyes from the present trouble to the happie end that God will turne it to And when ye finde it once so fall out by proofe arme your selfe with the experience thereof against the next trouble assuring your selfe though yee cannot in time of the showre see through the cloude yet in the end shall ye find God sent it for your weale as ye found in the former And as for conscience Conscience the conseruer of Religion which I called the conseruer of Religion It is nothing else but the light of knowledge that God hath planted in man which euer watching ouer all his actions as it beareth him a ioyfull testimonie when he does right so choppeth it him with a feeling that hee hath done wrong when euer he committeth any sinne And surely although this conscience be a great torture to the wicked yet is it as great a comfort to the godly if we will consider it rightly For haue wee not a great aduantage that haue within our selues while wee liue here a count-Count-booke and Inuentarie of all the crimes that wee shall bee accused of The inuentarie of our life either at the houre of our death or at the Great day of Iudgement which when wee please yea though we forget will chop and remember vs to looke vpon it that while we haue leasure and are here we may remember to amend and so at the day of our triall compeare with new and white garments washed in the blood of the Lambe Reu 7.14 as S. Iohn saith Aboue all then my Sonne labour to keepe sound this conscience which many prattle of but ouer few feele especially be carefull to keepe it free from two diseases wherewith it vseth oft to be infected The diseases of conscience to wit Leaprosie and Superstition the former is the mother of Atheisme the other of Heresies By a leaprouse conscience I meane a cauterized conscience 1. Tim. 4.2 as Paul calleth it being become senselesse of sinne through sleeping in a carelesse securitie as King Dauids was after his murther and adulterie euer til he was wakened by the Prophet Nathans similitude And by superstition I meane when one restraines himselfe to any other rule in the seruice of God then is warranted by the word the onely trew square of Gods serucie As for a preseruatiue against this Leaprosie Preseruatiue against leprosie of conscience remember euer once in the foure and twentie houres either in the night or when yee are at greatest quiet to call your selfe to account of all your last dayes actions either wherein ye haue committed things yee should not or omitted the things ye should doe either in your Christian or Kingly calling and in that account let not your selfe be smoothed ouer with that flattering 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is ouerkindly a sicknesse to all mankind but censure your selfe as sharply as if ye were your owne enemie For if ye iudge your selfe ye shall not be iudged 1. Cor. 11.31 as the Apostle saith and then according to your censure reforme
these two senses but I meane of that wise moderation that first commaunding your selfe shall as a Queene command all the affections and passions of your minde and as a Phisician wisely mixe all your actions according thereto Therefore not onely in all your affections and passions In holinesse but euen in your most vertuous actions make euer moderation to be the chiefe ruler For although holinesse be the first and most requisite qualitie of a Christian as proceeding from a feeling feare and trew knowledge of God yet yee remember how in the conclusion of my first booke I aduised you to moderateal your outward actions flowing there-fra The like say I now of Iustice which is the greatest vertue that properly belongeth to a Kings office Vse Iustice In iustice Pla. 4 de Leg. Arist 1. mag mor. Cic. 1. off pro Rab. ad Q. frat Seneca de cl but with such moderation as it turne not in Tyrannie otherwaies summum Ius is summa iniuria As for example if a man of a knowen honest life be inuaded by brigands or theeues for his purse and in his owne defence slay one of them they beeing both moe in number and also knowen to bee deboshed and insolent liuers where by the contrarie hee was single alone beeing a man of sound reputation yet because they were not at the horne or there was no eye-witnesse present that could verifie their first inuading of him shall hee therefore lose his head And likewise by the law-burrowes in our lawes men are prohibited vnder great pecuniall paines from any wayes inuading or molesting their neighbours person or bounds if then his horse breake the halter and pastour in his neighbours medow shall he pay two or three thousand pounds for the wantonnesse of his horse Arist 5. aeth 1 rhet Cicer. pro Caec or the weaknesse of his halter Surely no for lawes are ordained as rules of vertuous and sociall liuing and not to bee snares to trap your good subiects and therefore the lawe must be interpreted according to the meaning and not to the literall sense thereof Nam ratio est anima legis And as I said of Iustice so say I of Clemencie Magnanimitie Liberalitie Constancie Humilitie and all other Princely vertues Nam in medio stat virtus The false semblance of extremities And it is but the craft of the Diuell that falsly coloureth the two vices that are on either side thereof with the borrowed titles of it albeit in very deede they haue no affinitie therewith and the two extremities themselues although they seeme contrarie yet growing to the height Their coincidence runne euer both in one For in infinitis omnia concurrunt and what difference is betwixt extreame tyrannie delighting to destroy all mankinde and extreame slackenesse of punishment permitting euery man to tyrannize ouer his companion Or what differeth extreame prodigalitie by wasting of all to possesse nothing from extreame niggardnesse by hoarding vp all to enioy nothing like the Asse that carying victuall on her backe is like to starue for hunger and will bee glad of thrissels for her part And what is betwixt the pride of a glorious Nebuchadnezzar and the preposterous humilitie of one of the proud Puritanes claiming to their Paritie and crying Wee are all but vile wormes and yet will iudge and giue Law to their King but will be iudged nor controlled by none Surely there is more pride vnder such a ones blacke bonnet then vnder Alexander the great his Diademe as was said of Diogenes in the like case But aboue all vertues study to know well your owne craft The right extention of a kings craft which is to rule your people And when I say this I bid you know all crafts For except ye know euery one how can yee controll euery one Plat. in pol. 5. de Rep. Epist 7. Cic. ad Q. frat de or which is your proper office Therefore besides your education it is necessarie yee delight in reading and seeking the knowledge of all lawfull things but with these two restrictions first that yee choose idle houres for it not interrupting therewith the discharge of your office and next that yee studie not for knowledge nakedly but that your principall ende be Id. 1. de fin to make you able thereby to vse your office practising according to your knowledge in all the points of your calling Id. 1. Offic. not like these vaine Astrologians that studie night and day on the course of the starres onely that they may for satisfying their curiositie know their course But since all Artes and sciences are linked euery one with other their greatest principles agreeing in one which mooued the Poets to faine the nine Muses to be all sisters studie them that out of their harmonie ye may sucke the knowledge of all faculties and consequently be on the counsell of all crafts that yee may be able to containe them all in order as I haue alreadie said For knowledge and learning is a light burthen the weight whereof will neuer presse your shoulders First of all then study to be well seene in the Scriptures The Scripture Deut. 17. as I remembred you in the first booke as well for the knowledge of your owne saluation as that ye may be able to containe your Church in their calling as Custos vtriusque Tabulae For the ruling them well is no small point of your office taking specially heede that they vague not from their text in the Pulpit and if euer ye would haue peace in your land suffer them not to meddle in that place with the estate or policie but punish seuerely the first that presumeth to it Doe nothing towards them without a good ground and warrant but reason not much with them for I haue ouermuch surfeited them with that and it is not their fashion to yeeld And suffer no conuentions nor meetings among Church-men but by your knowledge and permission Next the Scriptures studie well your owne Lawes Of the Lawes municipall for how can ye discerne by the thing yee know not But preasse to draw all your Lawes and processes to be as short and plaine as ye can assure your selfe the longsomnesse both of rights and processes Plat. 4. de Rep. 6. de Leg. Arist 1. rhet breedeth their vnsure loosenesse and obscuritie the shortest being euer both the surest and plainest forme and the longsomnesse seruing onely for the enriching of the Aduocates and Clerkes Cic 1. de Orat. Sen in Lud Resort to the Session with the spoile of the whole countrey And therefore delite to haunt your Session and spie carefully their proceedings taking good heede if any briberie may be tried among them which cannot ouer seuerely be punished Spare not to goe there for gracing that farre any that yee fauour by your presence to procure them expedition of Iustice although that should be specially done for the poore that cannot waite
tyrant whom they can obiect nor was here fore-warned to the people of God and yet all rebellion countermanded vnto them if tyrannizing ouer mens persons sonnes daughters and seruants redacting noble houses and men and women of noble blood to slauish and scruile offices and extortion and spoile of their lands and goods to the princes owne priuate vse and commoditie and of his courteours and seruants may be called a tyrannie And that this proposition grounded vpon the Scripture may the more clearely appeare to be trew by the practise often prooued in the same booke we neuer reade that euer the Prophets perswaded the people to rebell against the Prince how wicked soeuer he was When Samuel by Gods command pronounced to the same king Saul 1. Sam. 15. that his kingdome was rent from him and giuen to another which in effect was a degrading of him yet his next action following that was peaceably to turne home and with floods of teares to pray to God to haue some compassion vpon him And Dauid notwithstanding hee was inaugurate in that same degraded Kings roome not onely when he was cruelly persecuted for no offence but good seruice done vnto him would not presume hauing him in his power skantly but with great reuerence to touch the garment of the annoynted of the Lord and in his words blessed him but likewise 1. Sam. 2 4. 2. Sam. 1. when one came to him vanting himselfe vntrewly to haue slaine Saul hee without forme of proces or triall of his guilt caused onely for guiltinesse of his tongue put him to sodaine death And although there was neuer a more monstrous persecutor and tyrant nor Achab was yet all the rebellion that Elias euer raised against him was to flie to the wildernes where for fault of sustentation he was fed with the Corbies And I thinke no man will doubt but Samuel Dauid and Elias had as great power to perswade the people if they had liked to haue employed their credite to vproares rebellions against these wicked kings as any of our seditious preachers in these daies of whatsoeuer religion either in this countrey or in France had that busied themselues most to stir vp rebellion vnder cloake of religion This farre the only loue of veritie I protest without hatred at their persons haue mooued me to be somewhat satyricke And if any will leane to the extraordinarie examples of degrading or killing of kings in the Scriptures thereby to cloake the peoples rebellion as by the deed of Iehu and such like extraordinaries I answere besides that they want the like warrant that they had if extraordinarie examples of the Scripture shall bee drawne in daily practise murther vnder traist as in the persons of Ahud and Iael theft as in the persons of the Israelites comming out of Egypt lying to their parents to the hurt of their brother as in the person of Iacob shall all be counted as lawfull and allowable vertues as rebellion against Princes And to conclude the practise through the whole Scripture prooueth the peoples obedience giuen to that sentence in the law of God Thou shalt not rayle vpon the Iudges neither speake euill of the ruler of thy people To end then the ground of my proposition taken out of the Scripture let two speciall and notable examples one vnder the law another vnder the Euangel Ier. 27. conclude this part of my alleageance Vnder the lawe Ieremie threatneth the people of God with vtter destruction for rebellion to Nabuchadnezar the king of Babel who although he was an idolatrous persecuter a forraine King a Tyrant and vsurper of their liberties yet in respect they had once receiued and acknowledged him for their king he not only commandeth them to obey him Iere. 29. but euen to pray for his prosperitie adioyning the reason to it because in his prosperitie stood their peace And vnder the Euangel that king whom Paul bids the Romanes obey and serue for conscience sake Iere. 13. was Nero that bloody tyrant an infamie to his aage and a monster to the world being also an idolatrous persecuter as the King of Babel was If then Idolatrie and defection from God tyranny ouer their people and persecution of the Saints for their profession sake hindred not the Spirit of God to command his people vnder all highest paine to giue them all due and heartie obedience for conscience sake giuing to Caesar that which was Caesars and to God that which was Gods as Christ saith and that this practise throughout the booke of God agreeth with this lawe which he made in the erection of that Monarchie as is at length before deduced what shamelesse presumption is it to any Christian people now adayes to claime to that vnlawfull libertie which God refused to his owne peculiar and chosen people Shortly then to take vp in two or three sentences grounded vpon all these arguments out of the lawe of God the duetie and alleageance of the people to their lawfull king their obedience I say ought to be to him as to Gods Lieutenant in earth obeying his commands in all things except directly against God as the commands of Gods Minister acknowledging him a Iudge set by GOD ouer them hauing power to iudge them but to be iudged onely by GOD whom to onely hee must giue count of his iudgement fearing him as their Iudge louing him as their father praying for him as their protectour for his continuance if he be good for his amendement if he be wicked following and obeying his lawfull commaunds eschewing and flying his fury in his vnlawfull without resistance but by sobbes and teares to God according to that sentence vsed in the primitiue Church in the time of the persecution Preces Lachrymae sunt arma Ecclesiae Now as for the describing the alleageance that the lieges owe to their natiue King out of the fundamentall and ciuill Lawe especially of this countrey as I promised the ground must first be set downe of the first maner of establishing the Lawes and forme of gouernement among vs that the ground being first right laide we may thereafter build rightly thereupon Although it be trew according to the affirmation of those that pryde themselues to be the scourges of Tyrants that in the first beginning of Kings rising among Gentiles in the time of the first aage diuers common-wealths and societies of men choosed out one among themselues who for his vertues and valour being more eminent then the rest was chosen out by them and set vp in that roome to maintaine the weakest in their right to throw downe oppressours and to foster and continue the societie among men which could not otherwise but by vertue of that vnitie be wel done yet these examples are nothing pertinent to vs because our Kingdome and diuers other Monarchies are not in that case but had their beginning in a farre contrary fashion For as our Chronicles beare witnesse this I le and especially our part of it
ceased seeing I could doe you no other good to commend your labouring most painfully in the Lords Vineyard in my prayers to God And I doubt not but that I haue liued all this while in your memory and haue had some place in your prayers at the Lords Altar So therfore euen vnto this time we haue abidden as S. Iohn speaketh in the mutuall loue one of the other not by word or letter but in deed and trewth But alate message which was brought vnto vs within these few dayes of your bonds and imprisonment hath inforced mee to breake off this silence which message although it seemed heauie in regard of the losse which that Church hath receiued by their being thus depriued of the comfort of your pastorall function amongst them yet withall it seemed ioyous because you drew neere vnto the glory of Martyrdome then the which gift of God there is none more happy That you who haue fedde your flocke so many yeeres with the word and doctrine should now feed it more gloriously by the example of your patience But another heauie tidings did not a little disquiet and almost take away this ioy which immediatly followed of the aduersaries assault and peraduenture of the slip and fall of your constancie in refusing an vnlawfull Oath Neither trewly most deare brother could that Oath therefore bee lawfull because it was offered in sort tempered and modified for you know that those kinde of modifications are nothing else but sleights and subtilties of Satan that the Catholique faith touching the Primacie of the Sea Apostolike might either secretly or openly be shot at for the which faith so many worthy Martyrs euen in that very England it selfe haue resisted vnto blood For most certaine it is that in whatsoeuer words the Oath is conceiued by the aduersaries of the faith in that Kingdome it tends to this end that the Authoritie of the head of the Church in England may bee transferred from the successour of S. Peter to the successour of King Henry the eight For that which is pretended of the danger of the Kings life if the high Priest should haue the same power in England which hee hath in all other Christian Kingdomes it is altogether idle as all that haue any vnderstanding may easily perceiue For it was neuer heard of from the Churches infancie vntill this day that euer any Pope did command that any Prince though an Heretike though an Ethnike though a persecutour should be murdered or did approue of the fact when it was done by any other And why I pray you doeth onely the King of England seare that which none of all other the Princes in Christendome either doeth feare or euer did feare But as I said these vaine pretexts are but the traps and stratagemes of Satan Of which kinde I could produce not a fewe out of ancient Stories if I went about to write a Booke and not an Epistle One onely for example sake I will call to your memory S. Gregorius Nazianzenus in his first Oration against Iulian the Emperour reporteth That hee the more easily to beguile the simple Christians did insert the Images of the false gods into the pictures of the Emperour which the Romanes did vse to bow downe vnto with a ciuill kinde of reuerence so that no man could doe reuerence to the Emperours picture but withall hee must adore the Images of the false gods whereupon it came to passe that many were deceiued And if there were any that found out the Emperours craft and refused to worship his picture those were most grieuously punished as men that had contemned the Emperour in his Image Some such like thing me thinkes I see in the Oath that is offered to you which is so craftily composed that no man can detest Treason against the King and make profession of his Ciuill subiection but he must bee constramed perfidiously to denie the Primacie of the Apostolicke Sea But the seruants of Christ and especially the chiefe Priests of the Lord ought to bee so farre from taking an vnlawfull Oath where they may indamage the Faith that they ought to beware that they giue not the least suspicion of dissimulation that they haue taken it least they might seeme to haue left any example of preuarication to faithfull people Which thing that worthy Eleazar did most notably performe who would neither eate swines flesh nor so much as faine to haue eaten it although hee sawe the great torments that did hang ouer his head least as himselfe speaketh in the second Booke of the Machabees many young men might bee brought through that simulation to preuaricate with the Lawe Neither did Basil the Great by his example which is more fit for our purpose cary himselfe lesse worthily toward Valens the Emperour For as Theodoret writeth in his Historie when the Deputy of that hereticall Emperour did perswade Saint Basil that hee would not resist the Emperour for a little subtiltie of a few points of doctrine that most holy and prudent man made answere That it was not to be indured that the least syllable of Gods word should bee corrupted but rather all kind of torment was to be embraced for the maintenance of the Trewth thereof Now I suppose that there wants not amongst you who say that they are but subtilties of Opinions that are contained in the Oath that is offered to the Catholikes and that you are not to strius against the Kings Authoritie for such a little matter But there are not wanting also amongst you holy men like vnto Basil the Great which will openly auow that the very least syllable of Gods diuine Trewth is not to bee corrupted though many torments were to bee endured and death it selfe set before you Amongst whom it is meete that you should bee one or rather the Standard bearer and Generall to the rest And whatsoeuer hath beene the cause that your Constancie hath quailed whether it bee the suddainenesse of your apprehension or the bitternesse of your persecution or the imbecilitie of your old aage yet wee trust in the goodnesse of God and in your owne long continued vertue that it will come to passe that as you seeme in some part to haue imitated the fall of Peter and Marcellinus so you shall happily imitate their valour in recouering your strength and maintaining the Trewth For if you will diligently weigh the whole matter with your selfe trewly you shall see it is no small matter that is called in question by this Oath but one of the principall heads of our Faith and foundations of Catholique Religion For heare what your Apostle Saint Gregorie the Great hath written in his 24. Epistle of his 11. Booke Let not the reuerence due to the Apostolique Sea be troubled by any mans presumption for then the state of the members doeth remaine entire when the Head of the Faith is not bruised by any iniurie Therefore by Saint Gregories testimonie when they are busie about disturbing or diminishing or taking
conclusion of all other things in the Synode That so it beeing often sounded into their eares at least by continuall remembrance the mindes of wicked men beeing terrified might bee reformed which by obliuion and facilitie to euill are brought to preuaricate And in the sixt 3 Concil Tolet. 6. Can. 18. Anno 638. Councell Wee doe protest before God and all the orders of Angels in the presence of the Prophets and Apostles and all the companie of Martyrs and before all the Catholique Church and assemblies of the Christians That no man shall goe about to seeke the destruction of the King No man shall touch the life of the Prince No man shall depriue him of the Kingdome No man by any tyrannical presumption shall vsurpe to himselfe the Soueraigntie of the Kingdome No man by any Machination shall in his aduersitie associate to himselfe any packe of Conspirators against him And that if any of vs shall be presumptuous by rashnesse in any of these cases let him be stricken with the anatheme of God and reputed as condemned in eternall iudgement without any hope of recouery And in the tenth 4 Concil Tolet. 10. Can. 2. Aera 694. Councell to omit diuers others held also at Toledo it is said That if any religious man euen from the Bishop to the lowest Order of the Church-men or Monkes shall bee found to haue violated the generall Oathes made for the preseruation of the Kings Person or of the Nation and Countrey with a prophane minde foorth with let him bee depriued of all dignitie and excluded from all place and Honour The occasion of the Decrees made for this Oath was That the Christians were suspected for want of fidelitie to their Kings and did either equiuocate in taking their Oath or make no conscience to keepe it when they had giuen it as may appeare by sundry speeches in the 1 Concil Tolet. 4. cap. 74. Councell saying There is a generall report that there is that perfidiousnesse in the mindes of many people of diuers Nations that they make no conscience to keepe the Oath and fidelitie that they haue sworne vnto their Kings but doe dissemble a profession of fidelitie in their mouthes when they hold an impious perfidiousnesse in their mindes And 2 Concil Tolet. 4. cap. 74. againe They sweare to their Kings and yet doe they preuaricate in the fidelitie which they haue promised Neither doe they feare the Volume of Gods iudgement by the which the curse of God is brought vpon them with great threatning of punishments which doe sweare lyingly in the Name of God To the like effect spake they in the Councell of 3 Concil Aquisgran sub Ludo Pio Greg. 4. Can. 12. anno 836. Aquisgran If any of the Bishops or other Church-man of inferiour degree hereafter thorow feare or couetousnesse or any other perswasion shall make defection from our Lord the Orthodoxe Emperour Lodowicke or shall violate the Oath of fidelitie made vnto him or shall with their peruerse intention adhere to his enemies let him by this Canonicall and Synodall sentence bee depriued of whatsoeuer place hee is possessed of And now to come to a particular answere of his Letter First as concerning the sweet memory hee hath of his old acquaintance with the Arch-priest it may indeed be pleasing for him to recount but sure I am his acquaintance with him and the rest of his societie our Fugitiues whereof he also vanteth himselfe in his Preface to the Reader in his Booke of Controuersies hath prooued sowre to vs and our State For some of such Priests and Iesuits as were the greatest Traitors and fomenters of the greatest conspiracies against the late Queene gaue vp Father Rob Campian and Hart. See the conference in the Tower Bellarmine for one of their greatest authorities and oracles And therfore I do not enuy the great honour he can winne by his vaunt of his inward familiarity with an other Princes traitors fugitiues whom vnto if he teach no better maners then hitherto he hath done I thinke his fellowship are litle beholding vnto him And for desiring him to remember him in his prayers at the Altar of the Lord if the Arch-Priests prayers prooue no more profitable to his soule then Bellarmines counsell is like to proue profitable both to the soule and bodie of Blackwell if he would follow it the authour of this Letter might very well be without his prayers Now the first messenger that I can finde which brought ioyfull newes of the Arch-Priest to Bellarmine was hee that brought the newes of the Arch-Priests taking and first appearance of Martyrdome A great signe surely of the Cardinals mortification that hee was so reioyced to heare of the apprehension imprisonment and appearance of putting to death of so old and deare a friend of his But yet apparantly he should first haue beene sure that hee was onely to bee punished for cause of Religion before hee had so triumphed vpon the expectation of his Martyrdome For first by what rule of charitie was it lawfull for him to iudge mee a persecutour The Cardinals charitie before proofe had beene made of it by the said Arch-Priests condemnation and death What could hee know that the said Arch-Priest was not taken vpon suspicion of his guiltinesse in the Powder-Treason What certaine information had hee then receiued vpon the particulars whereupon hee was to bee accused And last of all by what inspiration could he foretell whereupon hee was to bee accused For at that time there was yet nothing layed to his charge And if charitie should not bee suspicious what warrant had hee absolutely to condemne mee of vsing persecution and tyrannie which could not bee but implyed vpon mee if Blackwel was to bee a Martyr But surely it may iustly be sayd of Bellarmine in this case that our Sauiour CHRIST saith of all worldly and carnall men who thinke it enough to loue their 1 Mar. 5.43 friends and hate their enemies the limits of the Cardinals charitie extending no farther then to them of his owne profession For what euer hee added in superfluous charitie to Blackwel in reioycing in the speculation of his future Martyrdome hee detracted as much vniustly and vncharitably from me in accounting of me thereby as of a bloody Persecutour And whereas this ioy of his was interrupted by the next messenger that brought the newes of the saide Arch-Priest his failing in his constancie by taking of this Oath he needed neuer to haue beene troubled either with his former ioy or his second sorrow both beeing alike falsly grounded For as it was neuer my intention to lay any thing vnto the said Arch-Priests charge as I haue neuer done to any for cause of conscience so was Blackwels constancie neuer brangled by taking of this Oath It beeing a thing which he euer thought lawfull before his apprehension and whereunto hee perswaded all Catholiques to giue obedience like as after his apprehension hee neuer
my owne deed And therefore that ye may the better vnderstand the nature of the cause I will begin at the first ground thereof The neuer enough wondered at and abhorred POVVDER-TREASON though the repetition thereof grieueth I know the gentle hearted Iesuite Parsons this Treason I say being not onely intended a gainst mee and my Posteritie but euen against the whole house of Parliament plotted onely by Papists and they onely led thereto by a preposterous zeale for the aduancement of their Religion some of them continuing so obstinate that euen at their death they would not acknowledge their fault but in their last words immediatly before the expiring of their breath refused to condemne themselues and craue pardon for their deed except the Romish Church should first condemne it And soone after it being discouered that a great number of my Popish Subiects of all rankes and sexes both men and women as well within as without the Countrey had a confused notion and an obscure knowledge that some great thing was to bee done in that Parliament for the weale of the Church although for secrecies cause they were not acquainted with the particulars certaine formes of prayer hauing likewise beene set downe and vsed for the good successe of that great errand adding heereunto that diuers times and from diuers Priestes the Archtraitours themselues receiued the Sacrament for confirmation of their heart and obseruation of secrecie Some of the principall Iesuites likewise being found guiltie of the foreknowledge of the Treason it selfe of which number some fled from their triall others were apprehended as holy Garnet himselfe and Owldcorne were and iustly executed vpon their owne plaine confession of their guilt If this Treason now clad with these circumstances did not minister a iust occasion to that Parliament house whome they thought to haue destroyed courageously and zealously at their next sitting downe to vse all meanes of triall whether any more of that minde were yet left in the Countrey I leaue it to you to iudge whom God hath appointed his highest Depute Iudges vpon earth And amongst other things for this purpose This Oath of Allegiance so vniustly impugned was then deuised and enacted And in case any sharper Lawes were then made against the Papists that were not obedient to the former Lawes of the Countrey if ye will consider the Time Place and Persons it will be thought no wonder seeing that occasion did so iustly exasperate them to make seuerer Lawes then otherwise they would haue done The Time I say being the very next sitting downe of the Parliament after the discouerie of that abominable Treason the Place being the same where they should all haue bene blowne vp and so bringing it freshly to their memorie againe the Persons being the very Parliament men whom they thought to haue destroyed And yet so farre hath both my heart and gouernment bene from any bitternes as almost neuer one of those sharpe additions to the former Lawes haue euer yet bene put in execution And that ye may yet know further for the more conuincing these Libellers of wilfull malice who impudently affirme That this Oath of Allegiance was deuised for deceiuing and intrapping of Papists in points of Conscience The trewth is that the Lower house of Parliament at the first framing of this Oath made it to containe That the Pope had no power to excommunicate me which I caused them to reforme onely making it to conclude That no excommunication of the Popes can warrant my Subiects to practise against my Person or State denying the deposition of Kings to be in the Popes lawfull power as indeed I take any such temporall violence to be farre without the limits of such a Spirituall censure as Excommunication is So carefull was I that nothing should be contained in this Oath except the profession of natural Allegiance and ciuil and temporall obedience with a promise to resist to all contrary vnciuill violence This Oath now grounded vpon so great and iust an occasion set forth in so reasonable termes and ordained onely for making of a trew distinction betweene Papists of quiet disposition and in all other things good subiects and such other Papists as in their hearts maintained the like violent bloody Maximes that the Powder-Traitours did This Oath I say being published and put in practise bred such euill blood in the Popes head and his Cleargie as Breue after Breue commeth forth vt vndam vnda sequitur prohibiting all Catholikes from taking the same as a thing cleane contrary to the Catholike faith and that the taking thereof cannot stand with the saluation of their soules There commeth likewise a letter of Cardinall Bellarmines to Blackwell to the same purpose but discoursing more at length vpon the said Oath Whereupon after I had entred in consideration of their vniust impugning that so iust and lawfull an Oath and fearing that by their vntrew calumnies and Sophistrie the hearts of a number of the most simple and ignorant of my people should bee misse-led vnder that faire and deceitfull cloake of Conscience I thought good to set foorth an Apologie for the said Oath wherein I prooued that as this Oath contained nothing but matter of ciuill and temporall Obedience due by Subiects to their Soueraigne Prince so this quarrelling therewith was nothing but a late vsurpation of Popes against the warrant of all Scriptures ancient Councels and Fathers vpon the Temporall power of Kings wherewith onely my Apologie doeth meddle But the publishing of this Booke of mine hath brought such two Answerers or rather Railers vpon mee as all the world may wonder at For my Booke being first written in English an English Oath being the subiect thereof and the vse of it properly belonging to my Subiects of England and immediatly thereafter being translated into Latine vpon a desire that some had of further publishing it abroad it commeth home to mee now answered in both the Languages And I thinke if it had bene set foorth in all the tongues that were at the confusion of Babel it would haue bene returned answered in them all againe Thus may a man see how busie a Bishop the Diuell is and how hee omitteth no diligence for venting of his poysoned wares But herein their malice doeth clearely appeare that they pay mee so quickly with a double answere and yet haue neuer answered their owne Arch-priest who hath written a booke for the maintenance of the same Oath and of the temporall authoritie of Kings alledging a cloud of their owne Scholemen against them As for the English Answerer my vnnaturall and fugitiue Subiect I will neither defile my pen nor your sacred eyes or eares with the describing of him who ashames nay abhorres not to raile nay to rage and spew foorth blasphemies against the late Queene of famous memory A Subiect to raile against his naturall Soueraigne by birth A man to raile against a Lady by sexe A holy man in outward profession to insult vpon the dead nay to
many and many a time besides his last kisse so did the villaines that buffeted and crucified him and yet I may safely pronounce them accursed that would bestow any worship vpon their reliques yea wee cannot denie but the land of Canaan itselfe whereupon our Lord did dayly tread is so visibly accursed beeing gouerned by faithlesse Turkes full of innumerable sects of hereticall Christians and the very fertilitie thereof so farre degenerated into a pitifull sterilitie as hee must bee accursed that accounteth it blessed Nay when a certaine 2 Luk. 11.28 woman blessed the belly that bare CHRIST and the breastes that gaue him sucke Nay rather saith hee Blessed are those that heare the Word of God and keepe it Except then they could first prooue that CHRIST had resolued to blesse that tree of the Crosse whereupon hee was nailed they can neuer proue that his touching it could giue it any vertue And put the case it had a vertue of doing miracles as Peters shadow had yet doeth it not follow that it is lawful to worship it which Peter would neuer accept of Surely the Prophets that in so many places curse those that worship Images that haue eyes and see not that haue eares and heare not would much more haue cursed them that worship a piece of a sticke that hath not so much as any resemblance or representation of eyes or eares As for Purgatorie and all the * Iubilees Indulgences satisfactions for the dead c. trash depending thereupon it is not worth the talking of Bellarmine cannot finde any ground for it in all the Scriptures Onely I would pray him to tell me If that faire greene Meadow that is in Purgatorie haue a brooke running thorow it Lib. 2 de Purgat cap 7. that in case I come there I may haue hawking vpon it But as for me I am sure there is a Heauen and a Hell praemium poena for the Elect and reprobate How many other roomes there be I am not on God his counsell Iohn 14. Multae sunt mansiones in domo Patris mei saith CHRIST who is the trew Purgatorie for our sinnes But how many chambers and anti-chambers the diuell hath they can best tell that goe to him But in case there were more places for soules to goe to then we know of yet let vs content vs with that which in his Word he hath reuealed vnto vs and not inquire further into his secrets Heauen and Hell are there reuealed to be the eternall home of all mankinde let vs indeauour to winne the one and eschew the other and there is an end Now in all this discourse haue I yet left out the maine Article of the Romish faith and that is the Head of the Church or Peters Primacie for who denieth this denieth fidem Catholicam saith Bellarmine That Bishops ought to be in the Church I euer maintained it as an Apostolique institution and so the ordinance of God contrary to the Puritanes and likewise to 1 Boll lib. 4. de Rom. Pont. cap. 25. Bellarmine who denies that Bishops haue their Iurisdiction immediatly from God But it is no wonder he takes the Puritanes part since Iesuits are nothing but Puritan-papists And as I euer maintained the state of Bishops and the Ecclesiasticall Hierarchie for order sake so was I euer an enemie to the confused Anarchie or paritie of the Puritanes as well appeareth in my 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heauen is gouerned by order and all the good Angels there nay Hell it selfe could not subsist without some order And the very deuils are diuided into Legions and haue their chiefetaines how can any societie then vpon earth subsist without order and degrees And therefore I cannot enough wonder with what brasen face this Answerer could say That I was a Puritane in Scotland and an enemie to Protestants Page 98. I that was persecuted by Puritanes there not from my birth onely but euen since foure moneths before my birth I that in the yeere of God 84 erected Bishops and depressed all their popular Paritie I then being not 18. yeeres of aage I that in my said Booke to my Sonne doe speake tenne times more bitterly of them nor of the Papists hauing in my second Edition thereof affixed a long Apologetike Preface onely in odium Puritanorum and I that for the space of sixe yeeres before my comming into England laboured nothing so much as to depresse their Paritie and re-erect Bishops againe Nay if the dayly Commentaries of my life and actions in Scotland were written as Iulius Caesars were there would scarcely a moneth passe in all my life since my entring into the 13. yeere of my aage wherein someaccident or other would not conuince the Cardinall of a Lye in this point And surely I giue a faire commendation to the Puritanes in that place of my booke Where I affirme that I haue found greater honestie with the high-land and border theeues then with that sort of people But leauing him to his owne impudence I returne to my purpose Of Bishops and Church Hierarchie I very well allowe as I said before and likewise of Ranks and Degrees amongst Bishops Patriarches I know were in the time of the Primitiue Church and I likewise reuerence that Institution for order sake and amongst them was a contention for the first place And for my selfe if that were yet the question I would with all my heart giue my consent that the Bishop of Rome should haue the first Seate I being a westerne King would goe with the Patriarch of the West And for his temporall Principalitie ouer the Signory of Rome I doe not quarrell it neither let him in God his Name be Primus Episcopus inter omnes Episcopos and Princeps Episcoporum so it be no otherwise but as Peter was Princeps Apostolorum But as I well allow of the Hierarchie of the Church for distinction of orders for so I vnderstand it so I vtterly deny that there is an earthly Monarch thereof whose word must be a Law and who cannot erre in his Sentence by an infallibilitie of Spirit Because carthly Kingdomes must haue earthly Monarches it doeth not follow that the Church must haue a visible Monarch too for the world hath not ONE earthly temporall Monarch CHRIST is his Churches Monarch and the holy Ghost his Deputie Luke 22.25 Reges gentium dominantur eorum vos autem non sic CHRIST did not promise before his ascension to leaue Peter with them to direct and iustruct them in all things Iohn 14.26 but he promised to send the holy Ghost vnto them for that end And as for these two before cited places whereby Bellarmine maketh the Pope to triumph ouer Kings Matth. 18.18 I meane Pasce oues and Tibi dobo claues the Cardinall knowes well enough that the same words of Tibi dabo are in another place spoken by Christ in the plurall number And he likewise knowes what reason the Ancients doe giue
haue bene so long agone free from sinne as I thinke they shall neede no more such maceration for sinne For they must be now either in Heauen or Paradise If in heauen as doubtlesse they are their bodies must bee glorified for no corruptible thing can enter there Reuel 21.27 and consequently they can no more bee subiect to the sensible things of this world especially to death But if they be in earthly Paradise we must first know where it is Bellarmine indeed in his Controuersies is much troubled to finde out the place where Paradise is Lib de Grat. primi hominis and whether it bee in the earth or in the ayre But these are all vanities The Scriptures tell vs Gen. 2. that Paradise and the garden of Eden therein was a certaine place vpon the earth which GOD chose out to set Adam into and hauing thereafter for his sinne banished him from the same it is a blasphemie to thinke that any of Adams posteritie came euer there againe For in Adam were all his posteritie accursed and banished from the earthly Paradise like as all the earth in generall and Paradise in speciall were accursed in him the second Adam hauing by grace called a certaine number of them to bee Coheritours with him of the heauenly Paradise and Ierusalem And doubtlesly the earthly Paradise was defaced at the Flood if not before and so lost all that exquisite fertilitie and pleasantnesse wherein it once surpassed all the rest of the earth And that it should be lifted vp in the ayre is like one of the dreames of the Alcoran Surely no such miracle is mentioned in the Scriptures and hath no ground but from the curious fancies of some boyling braines who cannot be content Sapere ad sobrietatem Rom. 12.3 In heauen then for certaine are Enoch and Elias Gen 5.24 2. King 2.10 11. for Enoch saith the Text walked with GOD and was taken vp and Elias was seene catied vp to heauen in a fierie chariot And that they who haue beene the In-dwellers of Heauen these many thousand yeeres and are freed from the Lawes of mortalitie that these glorious and incorruptible bodies I say shall come in the world againe preach and worke miracles and fighting against the Antichrist be slaine by him whom naturall death could not before take hold of as it is a fabulous inuention so is it quite contrary to the nature of such sanctified creatures Especially I wonder why Enoch should bee thought to bee one of these two Witnesses for CHRIST For it was Moses and Elias that were with CHRIST at the transsiguration signifying the Law and the Prophets which would be the fittest witnesses for conuincing of Antichrist But why they haue exempted Moses and put Enochs head in the yoake I cannot conceiue So as I haue too much laboured in the refuting of this foolish and indeed childish fable which I am so farre from beleeuing in any sort as I protest in GODS presence I cannot hold any learned Diuine in our aage now to be a Christian that will beleeue it but worthy to bee ranked with the Scribes and Pharises that raued and dreamed vpon the comming againe of Elias though CHRIST told them the contrary As for some of the Ancients that mistooke this matter I doe not censure them so hardly for the reason that I haue already alleaged concerning them And hauing now refuted that idle fable that those two Witnesses were Enoch and Elias it falleth mee next to guesse what in my opinion should bee meant by them I confesse it is farre easier to refute such a groundlesse fable as this is contrary to all grounds of Diuinitie and Reason then to set downe a trew interpretation of so high and darke a Mistery And therefore as I will not presume to bind any other man to my opinion herein if his owne reason leade him not thereunto so shall I propone such probable coniectures as I hope shall be free from Heresie or vnlawfull curiositie In two diuers fashions may the Mysterie of these Witnesses be lawfully and probably interpreted in my opinion Whereof the one is that by these two Witnesses should be meant the Old and New Testaments For as the Antichrist cannot chuse but bee an aduersary to the Word of GOD aboue all things so will hee omit no endeuour to disgrace corrupt suppresse and destroy the same And now whether this Booke of the two Testaments or two Witnesses of CHRIST haue suffered any violence by the Babylonian Monarchie or not I need say nothing Res ipsaloquitur I will not weary you with recounting those Common Places vsed for disgracing it as calling it a Nose of waxe a dead Letter a leaden Rule a hundreth such like phrases of reproch But how farre the Traditions of men and authoritie of the Church are preferred to these Witnesses doeth sufficiently appeare in the Babylonian doctrine And if there were no more but that little booke Cardinall Peâ—on with that prettie Inscription De l'Insuffisance de l'Escriture Sainte it is enough to proue it And as to the corrupting therof the corruptions of the old Latine transltion must not be corrected Luke 15.8 though it bid euertere domum in stead of euerrere Iohn 21.22 23. for seeking of a penie and though it say of Iohn Sic eum volo manere donec veniam in place of Si though it be knowne a plaine Lie and that the very next words of the Text disproue the same Nay so farre must wee be from correcting it as that the Vulgar Translation must be preferred by Catholikes to the Bible in the owne Originall tongue And is it a small corrupting of Scriptures to make all or the most part of the Apocrypha of equall faith with the Canonicall Scriptures contrary to the Fathers opinions and Decrees of ancient Councels And what blasphemous corrupting of Scripture is it to turne Dominus into Domina throughout the whole Psalmes Made by Boneuentura Doctor Seraphicus And thus our Ladies Psalter was lately reprinted in Paris Is not this to confound CHRISTS person with hers And as for suppressing of the Scriptures how many hundreth yeeres were the people kept in such blindenes as these Witnesses were almost vnknowne for the Layicks durst not being forbidden and the most part of the Cleargie either would or could not meddle with them Thus were these two Witnesses of CHRIST whom of himselfe saith Scrutamini Scriptur as Iohn 5.39 illae enim testimonium perhibent de me These 1 Reuel 11.4 two Oliues bringing peace to all the beleeuers euen peace of Conscience These 2 Ibid. two Candlesticks standing in the sight of GOD and giuing light to the Nations represented by Candlesticks euen in the very order of the Roman Masse See Expositio Missae annexed to Ordo Romanus set forth by G. Cassander Thus were these two Witnesses I say disgraced corrupted and suppressed nay so suppressed and silenced as he was brent
I meane Church-men must be subiect to no Kings nor Princes and yet all Kings and their Vassals must not onely be subiect to the Pope but euen to their owne people And now what a large libertie is by this doctrine left to Church-men to hatch or foster any treasonable attempts against Princes I leaue it to your considerations since do what they will they are accountable to none of vs nay all their treasonable practises must be accounted workes of pietie and they being iustly punished for the same must be presently inrolled in the list of Martyrs and Saints like as our new printed Martyrologie hath put Garnet and Ouldcorne in the Register of English Martyrs abroad that were hanged at home for Treason against the Crowne and whole State of England so as I may iustly with Isaiah pronounce a Woe to them that speake good of euill Isai 5.20 and euill of good which put light for darkenesse and darkenesse for light Verse 23. which iustifie the wicked for are ward and take away the righteousnes of the righteous from him For euen as in the time of the greatest blindnesse in Popery though a man should find his wife or his daughter lying a bed in her Confessors armes yet was it not lawfull for him so much as to suspect that the Frier had any errand there but to Confesse and instruct her Euen so though Iesuites practising in Treason be sufficiently verified and that themselues cannot but confesse it yet must they be accounted to suffer Martyrdome for the Faith and their blood worke miracles and frame a stramineum argumentum vpon strawes when their heads are standing aloft withered by the Sunne and the winde a publike spectacle for the eternall commemoration of their treacherie Yea one of the reasons that is giuen in the Printers Epistle of the Colonian edition of the Cardinall or his Chaplains pamphlet why he doth the more willingly print it is because that the innocencie of that most holy and constant man Henry Garnet is declared and set forth in that booke against whom some he knew not who had scattered a false rumour of his guiltinesse of the English treason But Lord what an impudencie or wilfull ignorance is this that he who was so publikely and solemnely conuicted and executed vpon his owne so cleare vnforced and often repeated confession of his knowledge and concealing of that horrible Treason should now be said to haue a certaine rumor spred vpon him of his guiltinesse by I know not who with so many attributes of godlinesse constancie and innocencie bestowed vpon him as if publike Sentences and Executions of Iustice were rumors of I know not who Indeed I must confesse the booke it selfe sheweth a great affection to performe what is thus promised in the Preface thereof for in two or three places therein is there most honorable lying mention made of that straw-Saint wherein though he confesse that Garnet was vpon the foreknowledge of the Powder-Treason yet in regard it was as he saith onely vnder the Seale of Confession he sticketh not to praise him for his concealing thereof and would gladly giue him the crowne of glory for the same not being ashamed to proclaime it as a principall head of Catholique doctrine That the secret of Sacramentall confession ought not to be reuealed not for the eschewing of whatsoeuer euill But how damnable this doctrine is and how dangerously preiudiciall to all Princes and States I leaue it to you to iudge whom all it most highly concerneth For although it bee trew that when the Schoolemen came to be Doctors in the Church and to marre the old grounds in Diuinitie by sowing in among them their Philosophicall distinctions though they I say do maintaine That whatsoeuer thing is told a Confessor vnder the vaile of confession how dangerous soeuer the matter be yet he is bound to conceale the parties name yet doe none of them I meane of the old Schoolemen deny that if a matter be reuealed vnto them the concealing whereof may breed a great or publike danger but that in that case the Confessor may disclose the matter though not the person and by some indirect means make it come to light that the danger thereof may be preuented But that no treason nor deuilish plot though it should tend to the ruine or exterminion of a whole Kingdome must be reuealed if it be told vnder Confession no not the matter so farre indirectly disclosed as may giue occasion for preuenting the danger thereof though it agree with the conceit of some three or foure new Iesuited Doctors it is such a new and dangerous head of doctrine as no King nor State can liue in securitie where that Position is maintained And now that I may as well prooue him a lyar in facto in his narration of this particular History as I haue shewed him to be in iure by this his damnable and false ground in Diuinity I will trewly informe you of Garnets case which is farre otherwise then this Answerer alleadgeth For first it can neuer be accounted a thing vnder Confession which he that reueals it doth not discouer with a remorse accounting it a sinne whereof hee repenteth him but by the contrary discouers it as a good motion and is therein not dissuaded by his Confessor nor any penance enioyned him for the same and in this forme was this Treason reuealed to Garnet as himselfe confessed And next though he stood long vpon it that it was reuealed vnto him vnder the vaile of Confession in respect it was done in that time while as the partie was making his Confession vnto him Yet at the last hee did freely confesse that the party reuealed it vnto him as they were walking and not in the time of Confession But he said he deliuered it vnto him vnder the greatest Seale that might bee and so he tooke that he meant by the Seale of Confession And it had as he thought a relation to Confession in regard that hee was that parties Confessor and had taken his Confession sometimes before and was to take it againe within few dayes thereafter He also said that he pretended to the partie that he would not conceale it from his Superior And further it is to be noted that he confessed that two diuers persons conferred with him anent this Treason and that when the one of them which was Catesby conferred with him thereupon it was in the other parties presence and hearing and what a Confession can this be in the hearing of a third person And how farre his last words whereof our Answerer so much vaunts him did disproue it to haue bene vnder Confession the Earle of Northamptons booke doeth beare witnesse Now as to the other parties name that reuealed the Powder-Treason vnto him it was Greenewell the Iesuite and so a Iesuite reuealed to a Iesuite this Treasonable plot the Iesuite reuealer not shewing any remorse and the Iesuite whom-to it was reuealed not so much as enioyning him
vs as he who is the searcher of the heart and reines can witnesse to make sundry Instances and Requests vnto the States Generall of the Vnited Prouinces for the banishment of a wretched Heretique or rather Athiest out of their Dominions named D. Conradus Vorstius hath bene so ill interpreted or rather wrested to a peruerse sence by a sort of people whose corrupted stomacke turnes all good nourishment into bad and pernitious humors as if it had bene some vanitie and desire of vaine glory in vs or else an Ambition to encroach by little and little vpon the libertie of their State which had caried vs headlong into the businesse As both to cleare our owne honour from the darke mists of these false and scandalous imputations as also to make it trewly appeare vnto the Christian world in what sort wee haue proceeded herein Wee haue thought good to publish this present Declaration containing as well the discourse of our whole Negotiation hitherto with the States in this cause as also the reasons which haue mooued vs to take it so to heart and to perseuere therein as we haue done and will doe God willing vntill it please him to bring it to some good and happy end In Autumne last about the end of August being in our hunting Progresse there came to our hands two bookes of the said Vorstius the one intituled Tractatus Theologicus de Deo dedicated to the Lantgraue of Hessen imprinted in the yeere 1610. the other his Exegesis Apologetica vpon that booke dedicated to the States and printed in the yeere 1611. Which books assoone as we had receiued and not without much horror and detestation cast our eye onely vpon some of the principall Articles of his disputations conteined in the first booke and his Commentary thereupon in the second God is our witnesse that the zeale of his glory did so transport vs as to say with S. Paul We stayed not one houre but dispatched a Letter presently to our Ambassadour resident with the States to this purpose following TRustie and welbeloued c. You shall repaire to the States Generall with all possible diligence in our name telling them that wee doubt not but that their Ambassadours which were with vs about two yeeres since did informe them of a forewarning that we wished the said Ambassadours to make vnto them in our name to beware in time of seditious and hereticall Preachers and not to suffer any such to creepe into their State Our principall meaning was of Arminius who though himselfe were lately dead yet had hee left too many of his disciples behinde him Now according to that care which wee continually haue of the weale of their State wee haue thought good to send vnto them a new aduertisement vpon the like occasion which is this That there is lately come to our handes a piece of worke of one Vorstius a Diuine in those parts wherein hee hath published such monstrous blasphemie and horrible Atheisme as out of the care that a Christian Prince and Defender of the Faith as we haue euer bene ought to haue of the good of the Church wee hold not onely such a scandalous booke worthy to bee burnt but euen the Authour himselfe to bee most seuerely punished This notwithstanding wee are informed that the States are so farre from beeing sensible of so great a scandall to the Church as that the most part of them haue already yeelded him their free consents and voyces for the obteining of the place of Diuinitie Reader in the Vniuersitie of Leyden which the aboue-named Arminius of little better stuffe lately enioyed and though himselfe be dead hath left his sting yet liuing among them Hauing therefore vnderstood that the time of Election will be about Michaelmas next and holding our selues bound in honour and conscience as a Christian Prince and one who hath vouchsafed the States our Royall fauour and support in respect of their Religion to preuent so great a mischiefe so farre as we are able Wee will and require you to let them vnderstand how infinitely wee shall bee displeased if such a Monster receiue aduancement in the Church And if it bee alleadged that hee hath recanted his Atheisticall opinions and that thereupon he may be capable of the place you shall tell them that wee thinke his Recantation so slender a satisfaction for so fowle an offence as that wee hold him rather worthy of punishment or at least to be debarred from all promotion Wherein though wee assure our selfe that they will of their owne discretions eschew such a viper who may make a fearefull rent not onely in their Ecclesiasticall but also in their Politique State yet notwithstanding all this if they will continue their resolution to preferre him you shall then make a protestation to them in our name That wee will not faile to make knowen to the world publikely in print how much wee detest such abominable Heresies and all allowers and tolerators of them And because the States shall know vpon what reasons we haue grounded this our Admonition you shall receiue herewith a * * This Catalogue is here purposely omitted for auoyding a needlesse repetition seeing the principall points therof are conteined in a little Collection annexed at the end of our second letter written to Wynwood Catalogue of his damnable Positions of which no one page of the booke is free Giuen vnder our Signet c. For obseruing that so prodigious a Monster began to liue among them We could do no lesse considering the infinite obligations which wee owe vnto God then to make Our zeale appeare against such an enemie to the Essence of the Deity Besides the charitie which Wee beare to the said States Our neighbors and Confederates professing the same Religion that we do did enforce Vs to admonish them to eschew and preuent in time so dangerous a contagion which dispersing it selfe might infect not onely the bodie of their State but all Christendome also the danger whereof was so much greater to our Dominions then to many others by how much the Prouinces of the said States are neerer vnto Vs in their situation Our Ambassadour therefore hauing sufficiently acquitted himselfe of that which Wee gaue him in charge by exhorting them in Our Name timely to preuent the danger which might ensue by enterteyning such a guest as VORSTIVS which at that time they might easily haue done seeing he was not yet setled at Leyden neither was he lodged in the house appointed for the publique Reader nor were his wife and family yet arriued and therefore much more easie for them to haue rid him out of their countrey sending him backe to the place from whence he came according to the old Prouerbe Turpiùs eijcitur quà m non admittitur hospes It is more honest to refuse a guest then when you haue once receiued him to thrust him out of doores Yet notwithstanding all the diligence that Our Ambassadour could vse and the oportunity which at that time
on earth c. Our Ambassador therefore hauing on the one side consideration of that false report which was spred abroad of our coldnes in the busines and on the other side obseruing how Vorstius was established at Leyden after our first Admonition and request made vnto the States but before their Assembly on the fift of Nouember hee then resolued first to present vnto them our Letter making likewise himselfe a remonstrance to the same purpose which We haue here set downe together with an extract of certaine passages collected out of the said Bookes of Vorstius which We sent vnto our Ambassadour and was by him then shewed vnto the States that they might discerne the Lyon by his pawe MY Lords If euer the King of Great Britaine my Master hath merited any thing of this State and how much he hath merited in respect of his great fauours and Royall assistances your Lordships acknowledging them with all gratitude can best witnesse and best iudge be hath surely merited at this present hauing by his Letters full of zeale and pietie which he hath written vnto you endenoured to procure the establishment of that Religion onely within your Prouinces which the Reformed Churches of Great Britaine France and Germanie by a mutuall consent haue generally embraced For what is it to his Maiestie whether D. Vorstius be admitted Professor in the Vniuersitie of Leyden or not or whether the doctrine of Arminius bee preached in your Churches sauing that as a Christian Prince he desires the aduancement of the Gospel and as your best friend and allye the strengthening of your Commonwealth whose first foundations were cymented with the blood of his subiects and which in his iudgement can no way subsist if wittingly and willingly you suffer the Reformed Religion to be either by the practises of your Doctors sophisticated or by their malice depraued If therefore Religion be as it were the Palladium of your Common wealth and that to preserue the one in her glory and perfection bee to maintaine the other in her puritie let your selues then be iudge in how great a danger the State must needs bee at this present so long as you permit the Schismes of Arminius to haue such vogue as now they haue in the principall Townes of Holland and if you suffer Vorstius to be receiued Diuinitie Professour in the Vniuersitie of Leyden the Seminarie of your burch who in scorne of the Holy word of GOD hath after his owne fancie deuised a new Sect patched together of sener all pieces of all sorts of ancient and moderne Heresies The foole said in his heart There is no God but hee that with open mouth of set purpose and of prepensed malice hath let his penne runne at randome to disgorge so many blasphemies against the Sacred Maiestie of GOD this fellow shall weare the garland of all that euer yet were heard of since by the meanes of the Gospel the light of Christian Religion hath shined vnto the world If any man doubt of it for a proofe see here what his Maiestie with his owne hand hath collected out of his writings OVT OF HIS ANNOTATIONS CAEterùm nihil vetat Deo etiam corpus ascribere Pag 210. si vocabulum corporis in significatione latiore sumamus But there is nothing forbids vs to say that God hath a Body so as we take a body in the largest signification Non satis igitur circumspectè loquuntur qui Deum vt essentiâ Pag. 212. sic etiam volimtate prorsus immutabilem esse affirmant They therefore doe not speake circumspectly enough who say that God is altogether as vnchangeable in his will as he is in his essence Nusquam scriptum legimus Dei substantiam simpliciter immensam esse Pag. 232. immò non pauca sunt quae contrarium sensum habere videntur We finde it no where written That the substance of God is simply immense nay there are many places which seeme to cary a contrary meaning Magnitudo nulla actu infinita est ergo nec Deus Pag. 237. No Magnitude is actually infinite and therefore God is not actually infinite Etsanè si omnia singula rerum euenta praecisè ab aeterno definita fuissent Pag. 308. nihil opus esset continua rerum inspectione procuratione quae tamen Deo passim tribuitur And surely if all and euery euent of things were precisely set downe and from eternitie there needed not then that continuall inspection and procuration which neuerthelesse is euery where attributed vnto God Pleniùs tamen respondere videntur Pag. 441. qui certam quidem in genere vniuersalem Dei scientiam esse docent Sed ita tamen vt plures certitudinis causas in visione praesentium ac praeteritorum quà m in visione futurorum contingentium agnoscant They therefore who teach that there is in God a certaine vniuersall knowledge in genere doe seeme to answere more fully but so as they doe confesse likewise that there bee more causes of certaintie in the vision of things present then in the vision of things future contingent Omnia etiam decreta quae semel apud se praecisè definiuit vno modo actu Pag. 271. post factam definitionem accuratissimè nouit sed de alijs omnibus singulis quaecunque sunt fiunt seorsim per se consideratis hoc affirmari non potest quippe quae non modò successiuè in tempore verumetiam contingenter saepe conditionaliter existunt All things which GOD hath once decreed and precisely determined vno modo actu he doth after such his determination exactly know them But this cannot be affirmed of all and euery other thing which are or come to passe being considered seuerally and by themselues because they haue their existence not onely successiuely in time but also contingently and oftentimes conditionally OVT OF HIS APOLOGIE PAter peculiarem quandam entitatem Pag. 38. seu quasi limitatam restrictam essentiam habere putandus est It is to be vnderstood that the Father hath a certaine peculiar being or as it were a limitted and bounded essence Vnde porrò non difficulter efficitur Pag. 43. etiam interna quaedam accidentia in Deo hoc est in ipsâ vt sic dicere liceat proaereticâ Dei mente ac voluntate reuerâ existere From whence it is easily prooued that there are really certaine internall accidents in God that is to say if it be lawfull to vse such a word in the very fore-electing minde and will of God In the 16. Chapter he doeth dangerously dissent from the receiued opinion of Diuines concerning the Vbiquitie of Gods presence In the 19. Chapter pag. 99. he doth attribute vnto God Magnitude and Quantitie These are in part the opinions of that great Diuine whom they haue chosen to domineere in the Chaire at Leyden In opposition whereunto I meane not to say any thing else then that which the Romane Oratour did once
blanching it onely with some poore excuses And to the other two points his answers are doubtfull yet neither condemning the act of his schollers nor the last wicked booke called Dominicus Lopez Hauing now therefore briefly laied open the subtilties friuolous distinctions and excuses of the said Vorstius we will conclude this point with this protestation That if he had bene our owne Subiect we would haue bid him Excrea spit out and forced him to haue produced and confessed those wicked Heresies that are rooted in his heart And in case he should stand vpon his Negatiue we would enioyne him to say according to the ancient custome of the Primitiue Church in the like cases of Heretiques I renounce and from my soule detest them Anathema Maranatha vpon such and such Heresies And not to say For peace sake I caused this booke to be suppressed And these bookes are to bee read with great iudgement and discretion S. Hierome liketh not that any man should take it patiently to be suspected of Heresie And now to make an end of this Discourse we doe very heartily desire all good Christians in generall and My Lords the States in particular to whom the managing of this affaire doeth most specially belong to consider but two things First what kinde of people they be that slander vs and our sincere intention in this cause And next what priuate interest wee can possibly haue in respect of any worldly honour or aduancement herein to engage our selues in such sort as we haue done Concerning the first point There are but three sorts of people that seeke to calumniate vs vpon this occasion That is to say either such as are infected with the same or the like Heresies wherewith Vorstius is tainted ideo fouent consimilem causam and therefore doe maintaine the like cause or else such as be of the Romane Religion who in this confusion and libertie of prophesying would thrust in for a part conceiuing it more reasonable that their doctrine should be tolerated by those of our Religion then the doctrine of Vorstius or else such as for reason of State enuie peraduenture the good amitie and correspondencie which is betwixt vs and the Vnited Prouinces Touching our owne interest the whole course of our life doeth sufficiently witnesse that we haue alwayes bene contented with that portion which GOD hath put into our hands without seeking to inuade the possessions of any other Besides in two of our bookes as well in our 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as in the Preface to our Apologie we haue shewed the same inclination For in the first booke speaking of warre we say that a King ought not to make any inuasion vpon anothers Dominions vntill Iustice be first denied him And in the other booke hauing shewed the vsurpation of the Pope aboue all the Kings and Princes of Christendome our conclusion is that we will neuer goe about to perswade them to assault him within his Dominions but onely to resume and preserue their owne iust Priuiledges from his violent intrusion So as thankes be to GOD both our Theorique and Practique agree well together to cleare vs from this vniust and slanderous imputation And as for the States in particular it is very vnlikely that we who haue all our life time held so strict an amitie with them as for their defence wee haue bene contented to expose the liues of many of our Subiects of both Nations would now practise against then State and that vpon so poore a subiect as Vorstius especially that so damnable a thing could euer enter into our heart as vnder the vaile and pretext of the glory of GOD to plot the aduancement of our owne priuate deseignes The reasons which induced vs to meddle in this businesse we haue already declared We leaue it now to his owne proper Iudges to consider what a nursling they foster in their bosome A stranger bred in the Socinian Heresie as it is said often times accused of Heresie by the Churches of Germanie one that hath written so wicked and scandalous bookes maintaining and seriously protesting in the preface of his Apologie to the States for the libertie of prophecying and twice or thrice insisting vpon that libertie in the Preface of his Modest Answere a dangerous and pernitious libertie or rather licentiousnesse opening a gap to all rupture Schisme and confusion in the Church yea hauing had some disciples that be Heretiques themselues and others that accuse him of Heresie And though there were no other cause then the silly and idle shifts wherewith hee seekes to defend himselfe in his last bookes it were enough to conuince him either to haue maintained a bad cause and in that respect worthy of a farre greater punishment then to be put by his place of Professour or at the least to be a person vnworthy of the name of a Professour in so famous an Vniuersitie for hauing so weakely maintained a cause that is iust For our part GOD is our witnesse we haue no quarrell against his person he is a Stranger borne farre from our dominions he is a Germane and it is well knowen that all Germanie are our friends and the most part of the great Princes there be either neerely allied vnto vs or our Confederates he doth outwardly professe the same Religion which we do he hath written against Bellarmine and hath not mentioned vs either in speach or writing for any thing we know but with all the honour and respect that may be GOD knowes the worst that we do wish him is that he may sincerely returne into the high beaten path-way of the Catholique and Orthodoxall Faith And for my Lords the States seeing wee haue discharged our conscience we will now referre the managing of the whole Action vnto their owne discretions For wee are so farre from prescribing them any rule herein as we shall be very well contented so as the businesse be well done that there be euen no mention at all made of our intercession in their publique Acts or Records Their maner of proceeding we leaue absolutely to their owne Wisedomes Modò praedicetur Christus so as CHRIST bee preached let them vse their owne formes in the Name of GOD. For we desire that GOD should so iudge vs at the last Day as we affect not in this Action any worldly glory beseeching the Creatour so to open their eyes to illuminate their vnderstandings direct their resolutions and aboue all to kindle their zeale sanctifie their affections at the last so to blesse their Actions and their proceedings in this cause as the issue thereof may tend to his Glory to the comfort and solace of the Faithfull to the honour of our Religion to the confusion and extirpation at the least profligation of Heresies and in particular to the corroboration of the Vnion of the sayd Prouinces A REMONSTRANCE FOR THE RIGHT OF KINGS AND THE INDEPENDANCE OF THEIR CROVVNES AGAINST AN ORATION OF THE MOST ILLVSTRIOVS CARD OF PERRON PRONOVNCED IN
the Order of Matrimonie and Relgion is wounded By this deuice not onely the Kings vices but likewise his naturall diseases and infirmities are fetcht into the circle of Religion and the L. Cardinall hath not done himselfe right in restraining the Popes power to depose Kings vnto the cases of Heresie Apostasie and persecution of the Church In the next place followeth Leo III. who by setting the Imperial Crowne vpon the head of Charles absolued all the Subiects in the West of their obedience to the Greeke Emperours if the L. of Perron might bee credited in this Example But indeed it is crowded among the rest by a slie tricke and cleane contrary to the naked trewth of all histories For it shall neuer be iustified by good historie that so much as one single person or man I say not one Countrey or one people was then wrought or wonne by the Pope to change his copy and Lord or from a subiect of the Greeke Emperours to turne subiect vnto Charlemaine Let me see but one Towne that Charlemaine recouered from the Greeke Emperours by his right and title to his Empire in the West No the Greeke Emperours had taken their farewell of the West Empire long before And therefore to nicke this vpon the tallie of Pope Leo his Acts that he tooke away the West from the Greeke Emperour it is euen as if one should say that in this aage the Pope takes the Dukedome of Milan from the French Kings or the citie of Rome from the Emperours of Germanie because their Predecessours in former aages had beene right Lords and gouernours of them both It is one of the Popes ordinary and solemne practises to take away much after the maner of his giuing For as he giueth what he hath not in his right and power to giue or bestoweth vpon others what is already their owne euen so he taketh away from Kings and Emperors the possessions which they haue not in present hold and possession After this maner he takes the West from the Greeke Emperors when they hold nothing in the West and lay no claime to any citie or towne of the West Empire And what shall wee call this way of depriuation but spoiling a naked man of his garments and killing a man already dead Trew it is the Imperiall Crowne was then set on Charlemaines head by Leo the Pope did Leo therefore giue him the Empire No more then a Bishop that crownes a King at his Royall and solemne consecration doeth giue him the Kingdome For shall the Pope himselfe take the Popedome from the Bishop of Ostia as of his gift because the crowning of the Pope is an Office of long time peculiar to the Ostian Bishop It was the custome of Emperours to be crowned Kings of Italy by the hands of the Archbishop of Milan did he therefore giue the Kingdome of Italy to the said Emperours And to returne vnto Charlemaine If the Pope had conueyed the Empire to him by free and gracious donation the Pope doubtlesse in the solemnitie of his coronation would neuer haue perfourmed vnto his ownecreature an Emperour of his owne making the dueties of adoration Perfectit landibus a Pontifice more Principum antiquorum adoratus est Auentinus Annalium Boiorum lib. 4. Posthaec ab eodem Pontifice vt caeteri veterum Prineipum mere maiorum aioratus est Magnus Sigeb ad an 801. Marianus Scotus lib. 3. Annalium Plat. in vita Leon. 3. Auent Annal. Boio lib. 4. Imperium transferre iure suo in Germanos Carolúmque tacito Senatus consulto plebiscitoque decernunt as Ado that liued in the same aage hath left it on record After the solemne prayses ended saith Ado the chiefe Bishop honoured him with adoration according to the custome of ancient Princes The same is like wise put downe by Auentine in the 4. booke of his Annals of Bauaria The like by the President Fauchet in his Antiquities and by Monsieur Petau Counsellour in the Court of Parliament at Paris in his Preface before the Chronicles of Eusebius Hierome and Sigebert It was therefore the people of Rome that called this Charles the Great vnto the Imperiall dignitie and cast on him the title of Emperour So testifieth Sigebert vpon the yeere 801. All the Romanes with one generall voice and consent ring out acclamations of Imperiall praises to the Emperour they crowne him by the bands of Leo the Pope they giue him the style of Caesar and Augustus Marianus Scotus hath as much in effect Charles was then called Augustus by the Romanes And so Platina After the solemne seruice Leo declareth and proclaimeth Charles Emperour according to the publike Decree and generall request of the people of Rome Auentine and Sigonius in his 4. booke of the Kingdome of Italie witnesse the same Neuerthelsse to gratifie the L. Cardinall Suppose Pope Leo dispossessed the Greeke Emperours of the West Empire What was the cause what infamous acte had they done what prophane and irreligious crime had they committed Nicephorus and Irene who reigned in the Greeke Empire in Charlemaines time were not reputed by the Pope or taken for Heretikes How then The L. Cardinall helpeth at a pinch and putteth vs in minde that Constantine and Leo predecessours to the said Emperours had beene poysoned with Heresie and stained with persecution Here then behold an Orthodoxe Prince deposed For what cause for Heresie forsooth not in himselfe but in some of his Predecessors long before An admirable case For I am of a contrary minde that he was worthy of double honour in restoring and setting vp the trewth againe which vnder his predecessors had endured oppression and suffered persecution Doubtlesse Pope Siluester was greatly ouerseene and played not well the Pope when hee winked at Constantine the Great and cast him not downe from his Imperiall Throne for the strange infide litie and Paganisme of Diocletian of Maximian and Maxentius whom Constantine succeeded in the Empire From this example the L. of Perron passeth to Fulke Archbishop of Reims Examp. 9. pag. 21. by whom Charles the Simple was threatned with Excommunication and refusing to continue any longer in the fidelity and allegiance of a subiect To what purpose is this example For who can be ignorant that all aages haue brought forth turbulent and stirring spirits men altogether forgetfull of respect and obseruance towards their Kings especially when the world finds them shallow and simple-witted like vnto this Prince But in this example where is there so much as one word of the Pope or the deposing of Kings Here the L. Cardinall chops in the example of Philip I. King of France but mangled and strangely disguised as hereafter shall be shewed At last he leadeth vs to Gregory VII surnamed Hildebrand Exam. 11. An. 1076. the scourge of Emperours the firebrand of warre the scorne of his aage This Pope after he had in the spirit of pride and in the very height of all audaciousnesse thundred the sentence of
violent and bloody death or some other mischiefe more intolerable then death it selfe What are we the better that parricides of Kings are neither set on nor approued by the Church in their abominable actions when shee layeth such plots and taketh such courses as necessarily doe inferre the cutting of their throates In the next place be it noted that his Lordship against all reason reckons the absoluing of subiects from the oath of alleagiance in the ranke of penalties awarded and enioyned before the Ecclesiasticall tribunall seate For this penaltie is not Ecclesiasticall but Ciuill and consequently not triable in Ecclesiasticall Courts without vsurping vpon the Ciuill Magistrate But I wonder with what face the L. Cardinall can say The Church neuer consenteth to any practise against his life whom she hath once chastised with seuere censures For can his Lordship be ignorant what is written by Pope Vrbanus Can. Excommunicatorum Can. excoâ— Caus 23. Quaest 6. Wee take them not in any wise to bee man-slayers who in a certaine heat of zeale towards the Catholike Church their Mother shall happen to kill an excommunicate person More if the Pope doth not approoue and like the practise of King-killing wherefore hath not his Holinesse imposed some seuere censure vpon the booke of Mariana the Iesuite by whom parricides are commended nay highly extolled when his Holinesse hath beene pleased to take the paines to censure and call in some other of Mariana's bookes Againe wherefore did his Holinesse aduise himselfe to censure the Decree of the Court of Parliament in Paris against Iohn Chastell Wherefore did hee suffer Garnet and Oldcorne my powder-miners both by bookes and pictures vendible vnder his nose in Rome to be inrowled in the Canon of holy Martyrs And when hee saw two great Kings murdered one after another wherefore by some publike declaration did not his Holinesse testifie to all Christendome his inward sense and trew apprehension of so great misfortune as all Europe had iust cause to lament on the behalfe of France Wherefore did not his Holinesse publish some Law or Pontificiall Decree to prouide for the securitie of Kings in time to come Trew it is that he censured Becanus his booke But wherefore That by a captious and sleight censure he might preuent a more exact and rigorous Decree of the Sorbone Schoole For the Popes checke to Becanus was onely agenerall censure and touch without any particular specification of matter touching the life of Kings About some two moneths after the said booke was printed againe with a dedication to the Popes Nuntio in Germany yet without any alteration saue onely of two articles conteining the absolute power of the people ouer Kings In recompence and for a counterchecke whereof three or foure articles were inserted into the said booke touching the Popes power ouer Kings articles no lesse wicked iniurious to Regall rights nay more iniurious then any of the other clauses whereof iust cause of exception and complaint had bene giuen before If I would collect and heape vp examples of ancient Emperours as of Henrie IV. whos 's dead corps felt the rage and furie of the Pope or of Frederic II. against whom the Pope was not ashamed to whet and kindle the Sultane or of Queene Elizabeth our Predecessour of glorious memorie whose life was diuers times assaulted by priuie murderers expresly dispatched from Rome for that holy seruice if I would gather vp other examples of the same stampe which I haue layd forth in my Apologie for the oath of alleagiance I could make it more cleare then day-light how farre the L. Cardinals words are discrepant from the trewth where his Lordship out of most rare considence is bold to auow Page 97. That neuer any Pope went so farre as to giue consent or counsell for the desperate murdering of Princes That which already hath bene alleadged may suffice to conuince his Lordship I meane that his Holinesse by deposing of Kings doeth lead them directly to their graues and tombes The Cardinall himselfe seemeth to take some notice hereof The Church as he speaketh abhorreth sudden and vnprepensed murders aboue therest Pag. 95. Doth not his Lordship in this phrase of speech acknowledge that murders committed by open force are not so much disauowed or disclaimed by the Church A little after he speakes not in the teeth as before but with full and open mouth that hee doeth not dislike a King once deposed by the Pope should be pursued with open warre Whereupon it followes that in warre the King may be lawfully slaine No doubt a remarkeable degree of his Lordships clemencie A King shall bee better entreated and more mildly dealt withal if he be slaine by the shot of an harquebuse or caleeuer in the field then if hee bee stabd by the stroke or thrust of a knife in his chamber or if at a siege of some city hee be blowne vp with a myne then by a myne made and a traine of gunpowder laid vnder his Palace or Parliament house in time of peace His reason Forsooth because in sudden murders oftentimes the soule and the body perish both together O singular bountie and rare clemencie prouokers instigators strong puffers and blowers of parricides in mercifull compassion of the soule become vnmercifull and shamefull murderers of the body This deuice may well claime and challenge kinred of Mariana the Iesuites inuention For he liketh not at any hand the poisoning of a Tyrant by his meat or drinke for feare lest he taking the poison with his owne hand and swallowing or gulping it downe in his meate or drinke so taken should be found felo de se as the common Lawyer speaketh or culpable of his owne death But Mariana likes better to haue a Tyrant poysoned by his chaire or by his apparell and robes after the example of the Mauritanian Kings that being so poysoned onely by sent or by contact he may not be found guiltie of selfe-fellonie and the soule of the poore Tyrant in her flight out of the body may be innocent O hel-hounds O diabolical wretches O infernall monsters Did they onely suspect and imagine that either in Kings there is any remainder of Kingly courage or in their subiects any sparke left of ancient libertie they durst as soone eat their nailes or teare their owne flesh from the bones as once broach the vessell of this diabolicall deuice How long then how long shall Kings whom the Lord hath called his Anointed Kings the breathing Images of God vpon earth Kings that with a wry or frowning looke are able to crush these earth-wormes in pieces how long shall they suffer this viperous brood scotfree and without punishment to spit in their faces how long the Maiestie of GOD in their person and Royall Maiestie to be so notoriously vilified so dishonourably trampled vnder foot The L. Cardinall borads vs with a like manifest ieast and notably trifles first distinguishing betweene Tyrants by administration and Tyrants by vsurpation then
vnlawfull times is that God will not permit that any innocent persons shal be slandered with that vile defection for then the diuell would finde waies anew to calumniate the best And this wee haue in proofe by them that are carried with the Phairie who neuer see the shadowes of any in that Court but of them that thereafter are tryed to haue beene brethren and sisters of that craft And this was likewise prooued by the confession of a young Lasse troubled with spirits laid on her by Witchcraft that although she saw the shapes of diuers men and women troubling her and naming the persons whom these shadowes represent yet neuer one of them are found to be innocent but all clearely tryed to bee most guiltie and the most part of them confessing the same And besides that I thinke it hath beene seldome heard tell of that any whom persons guiltie of that crime accused as hauing knowen them to be their marrowes by eye-sight and not by heare-say but such as were so accused of Witchcraft could not be clearely tried vpon them were at the least publikely knowen to be of a very euill life and reputation so iealous is God I say of the fame of them that are innocent in such causes And besides that there are two other good helps that may be vsed for their triall The one is the finding of their marke and the trying the insensiblenes therof The other is their fleeting on the water for as in a secret murther if the dead carkasse bee at any time thereafter handled by the murtherer it will gush out of bloud as if the bloud were crying to the heauen for reuenge of the murtherer God hauing appointed that secret supernaturall signe for triall of that secret vnnaturall crime so it appeares that God hath appointed for a supernaturall signe of the monstrous impietie of Witches that the water shall refuse to receiue them in her bosome that haue shaken off them the sacred water of Baptisme and wilfully refused the benefite thereof No not so much as their eyes are able to shed teares threaten and torture them as ye please while first they repent God not permitting them to dissemble their obstinacie in so horrible a crime albeit the women-kind especially be able otherwayes to shed teares at euery light occasion when they will yea although it were dissemblingly like the Crocodiles PHI. Well wee haue made this conference to last as long as leisure would permit and to conclude then since I am to take my leaue of you I pray God to purge this countrey of these diuellish practises for they were neuer so rife in these parts as they are now EPI I pray God that so be too But the causes are ouer-manifest that make them to be so rife For the great wickednes of the people on the one part procures this horrible defection whereby God iustly punisheth sinne by a greater iniquitie and on the other part the consummation of the world and our deliuerance drawing neere makes Satan to rage the more in his instruments knowing his kingdome to be so neere an end And so farewell for this time ΒΑΣΙΛΙΚΟΠΔΩΡΟΠOR HIS MAIESTIES INSTRVCTIONS TO HIS DEAREST SONNE HENRY THE PRINCE THE ARGVMENT SONNET GOD giues not Kings the stile of Gods in vaine For on his Throne his Scepter doe they swey And as their subiects ought them to obey So Kings should feare and serue their God againe If then ye would enioy a happie raigne Obserue the Statutes of your heauenly King And from his Law make all your Lawes to spring Since his Lieutenant here ye should remaine Reward the iust be stedfast true and plaine Represse the proud maintayning aye the right Walke alwayes so as euer in his sight Who guardes the godly plaguing the prophane And so ye shall in Princely vertues shine Resembling right your mightie King Diuine TO HENRY MY DEAREST SONNE AND NATVRAL SVCCESSOVR VVHom-to can so rightly appertaine this Booke of instructions to a Prince in all the points of his calling aswell generall as a Christian towards God as particular as a King towards his people Whom-to I say can it so iustly appertaine as vnto you my dearest Sonne Since J the authour thereof as your naturall Father must be carefull for your godly and vertuous education as my eldest Sonne and the first fruits of Gods blessing towards mee in my posteritie and as a King must timously prouide for your trayning vp in all the points of a Kings Office since yee are my naturall and lawfull successour therein that being rightly informed hereby of the waight of your burthen ye may in time beginne to consider that being borne to be a king ye are rather borne to onus then honos not excelling all your people so farre in ranke and honour as in daily care and hazardous paines-taking for the dutifull administration of that great office that God hath laide vpon your shoulders Laying so a just symmetrie and proportion betwixt the height of your honourable place and the heauie waight of your great charge and consequently in case of failing which God forbid of the sadnesse of your fall according to the proportion of that height J haue therefore for the greater ease to your memory and that yee may at the first cast vp any part that yee haue to doe with deuided this Treatise in three parts The first teacheth you your duetie towards God as a Christian the next your duetie in your Office as a King and the third informeth you how to behaue your selfe in indifferent things which of them-selues are neither right nor wrong but according as they are rightly or wrong vsed and yet will serue according to your behauiour therein to augment or empaire your fame and authoritie at the handes of your people Receiue and welcome this Booke then as a faithfull Praeceptour and counsellour vnto you which because my affaires will not permit mee euer to bee present with you J ordaine to bee a resident faithfull admonisher of you And because the houre of death is vncertaine to mee as vnto all flesh J leaue it as my Testament and latter will vnto you Chargeing you in the presence of GOD and by the fatherly authoritie J haue ouer you that yee keepe it euer with you as carefully as Alexander did the Iliads of Homer Yee will finde it a iust and impartiall counsellour neither flattering you in any vice nor importuning you at vnmeete times Jt will not come vn-called neither speake vnspeered at and yet conferring with it when yee are at quiet yee shall say with Scipio that yee are nunquam minûs solus quà m cum solus To conclude then J charge you as euer yee thinke to deserue my Fatherly blessing to follow and put in practise as farre as lyeth in you the praecepts hereafter following And if yee follow the contrary course I take the Great GOD to record that this Booke shall one day bee a witnesse betwixt mee and you and shall procure to bee
shall at this time follow their example and my Sentence shall be this Si peccauerit in te frater tuus argue eum inter te ipsum solum si audiuerit te lucratus es fratrem tuum si non audiuerit te adhibevnum atque alterum vt in ore duorum vel trium stet omne verbum si non audiuerit eos dic Ecclesiae If thy brother trespasse against thee goe and tell him his fault betweene him and thee alone if he heare thee thou hast wonne thy brother but if hee heare thee not take yet with thee one or two that by the mouth of two or three witnesses euery word may bee confirmed and if hee refuse to heare them tell it vnto the Church There is not any one of you as I suppose in this Assemblie that will not acknowledge the brotherly loue wherewith the King my Master hath alwayes affected the good of your Prouinces and the fatherly care which hee hath euer had to procure the establishment of your State In which respect his Maiestie hauing vnderstood that my Lords the States of Holland were determined to call vnto the place of Diuinitie Professour in the Vniuer sitie of Leyden one Doctor Conradus Vorstius a person attainted by many witnesses iuris facti of a number of Heresies the shame whereof would light vpon the Church of God and consequently vpon his Maiesties person and Crownes is therewith exceedingly offended And for the more timely preuention of an infinitie of euils which necessarily would thereupon ensue did giue mee in charge by expresse Letters to exhort you which I did the 21. of September last to wash your hands from that man and not to fuffer him to come within your Countrey To this exhortation your answere was that in the carriage of this businesse all due obseruance and regard should be had vnto his Maiestie Neuerthelesse so it is that his Maiestie hath receiued so little respect heerein as that in stead of debarring Vorstius from comming into the Countrey which euen by the lawes of friendship his Maiestie might haue required the proceedings haue beene cleane contrary for he is suffered to come vnto Leyden hath beene receiued there with all honour hath there taken vp his habitation where he is treated and lodged in the qualitie of a publique Professour His Maiestie then perceiuing that his first motion had so little preuailed thought good to write himselfe a Letter vnto you to the same purpose full of zeale and affection perswading you by many reasons there set downe at length not to staine your owne honour and the honour of the reformed Churches by calling vnto you that wretched and wicked Atheist These Letters were presented in this Assembly the fifth of Nouember a great number of the Deputies of the Townes of Holland being then present At which time as I was commanded by his Maiestie I vsed some speach my selfe to the same effect Some sixe weekes after I receiued an Answere to my Proposition but an Answere confused ambiguous and wholly impertinent by which I haue reason to conceiue that there is no meaning at all to send Vorstius away who is at this present in Leyden receiued and acknowledged respected and treated as publique Professour whether it be to grace that Vniuersitie in stead of the deceased Ioseph Scaliger I cannot tell or whether it bee to giue him meanes to doe more mischiefe in secret which perhaps for shame hee durst not in publique For these reasons according vnto that charge which I haue receiued from the King my Master I doe in his name and on his behalfe Protest in this Assembly against the wrong iniurie and scandall done vnto the reformed Religion by the receiuing and reteining of Conradus Vorstius in the Vniuersitie of Leyden and against the violence offered vnto that Alliance which is betwixt his Maiestie and your Prouinces the which beeing founded vpon the preseruation and maintenance of the reformed Religion you haue not letted so much as in you lies absolutely to violate in the proceeding of this cause Of which enormous indignities committed against the Church of GOD and against his Maiesties person in preferring the presence of Vorstius before his Amitie and Alliance the King my Master holds himselfe bound to bee sensible and if reparation thereof bee not made and that speedily which cannot be by any other meanes then by sending Vorstius away his Maiestie will make it appeare vnto the world by some such Declaration as he will cause to be printed and published how much he detests the Atheismes and Heresies of Vorstius and all those that maintaine fauour and cherish them This is my charge which if I had failed to performe I had failed in my duetie both towards the Seruice of GOD which is now in question as also toward the honour of the King my Master who will alwayes bee ready to maintaine the puritie of the reformed Religion though it were with the profusion of his owne blood the blood of his children and subiects This Protestation being made the States after some deliberation framed vs an answere in these termes That howsoeuer His Maiestie of GREAT BRITAINE had not yet receiued that contentment which Hee might expect in this businesse of Vorstius neuerthelesse they did not doubt but that at the Assembly of the States of Holland in February next His Maiestie should receiue entire satisfaction Which answere gaue some life to our hope that at the said assembly of the States to bee holden the fifteenth day of the next moneth of Februarie GOD will vouchsafe so to open the eyes of those of Holland as that they may be able to discerne what a Cockatrice egge they hatch within their bosome and that seeing the smooth speaches of Vorstius doe but verifie the old Prouerbe Latet anguis in herbâ There lurkes a snake in the grasse they will at that assembly resolue to purge their Territories from the poison of his Heresie Wee mention Holland because the other Prouinces namely Frizeland and Zeland and some part of Holland likewise are already so distasted with his Heresies as of themselues they haue desired Holland to banish him out of the Countrey And certainely wee are no lesse sorie then amazed that the Curators of Leyden as appeareth by a long letter which they haue written to the States Ambassador resident with vs can haue their vnderstanding so stupified as to haue made choice of the person of Vorstius for a man well qualified to appease the Schismes and troubles of their Church and Vniuersitie and as an apt instrument of peace For to shew their blindnesse in this they need no other answere then Exitus acta probat The issue tries the action Seeing to our great griefe it cannot bee denied but that there hath bene more distraction of spirits and a greater diuision in their State since the comming of Vorstius then was for many yeeres before witnesse so many Bookes and Accusations written against him and his answeres thereunto
witnesse also the protestation of a great number of Professors of Leyden against him and many of the principall members as well Prouinces as Townes of the Vnited body of that State who haue accused him as before we haue said So as if for that purpose onely they brought him vnto their Vniuersitie they must needes acknowledge it hath had a very vnhappie successe HAuing now finished the discourse of our whole proceeding in this cause from the beginning vntill this present It remaineth that we set downe the reasons which perswaded vs to ingage our selues in alienâ republicâ in a businesse of this nature But wee haue done that already although but summarily and by the way For in that place where wee make mention of the bookes of Vorstius which were brought into our Kingdome wee yeeld three Reasons which mooued vs to take this cause to heart First the zeale of Gods glory to whom we are so much bound Secondly charity towards our next neighbours and Allies and Thirdly the iust reason we had to feare the like infection within our owne Dominions As concerning the Glory of God If the subiect of Vorstius his Heresies had not bene grounded vpon Questions of a higher qualitie then touching the number and nature of the Sacraments the points of Iustification of Merits of Purgatorie of the visible head of the Church or any such matters as are in controuersie at this day betwixt the Papists and vs Nay more If hee had medled onely with the nature and workes of GOD ad extra as the Schoolemen speake If wee say hee had soared no higher pitch although wee should haue bene very sory to see such Heresies begin to take roote amongst our Allies and ancient confederates Neuerthelesse wee doe freely professe that in that case wee should neuer haue troubled our selues with the businesse in such fashion and with that feruencie as hitherto we haue done But this Vorstius mounting aloft like an Anti-S Iohn with the wings of the Eagle vp to the Heauens and to the Throne of GOD disputing of his Sacred and ineffable Essence Quae tremenda admiranda est sed non scrutanda Which is to be trembled at and admired but not to be searched into confounding infinitie one of the proper attributes of GOD and immensitie sometime applied to creatures the essence and substance with the hypostasis disputing of a first and second creation immediate and mediate making GOD to be quale and quantum changing eternitie into euiternitie teaching eternitie to consist of a number of aages and in the end as a sworne enemie not onely to Diuinitie but euen to all Philosophie both humane and naturall denying God to be Actus purus and void of qualities but hauing in some sort with horror be it spoken aliquid diuersitatis aut multiplicitatis in se ipso etiam principium cuiusdam mut abilitatis That is to say Some kind of diuersitie or multiplicitie in himselfe yea euen a beginning of a certaine mutabilitie Let the world then iudge whether we had not occasion herevpon to be moued not onely as one that maketh profession of thereformed Religion but as a Christian at large yea euen as a Theist or a man that acknowledgeth a GOD or as a Platonique Philosopher at the least Secondly for the Charitie which we owe to our neighbours and Allies the Charitie of euery Christian ought to extend to all men but especially towards them that be of the Houshold of saith The States then being not onely our confederates but the principall bond of our coniunction being our vniformitie in the trew Religion we had reason to admonish them not to permit such dangerous Heresies to spring and take roote amongst them which being once suffered could produce no other effects then the danger of their soules a rent betwixt them and all other Christian Churches and at the last a rupture and diuision in their Temporall State which next vnder God can be maintained by nothing but Vnitie To which resolution we were the rather induced by the example of diuers other Prouinces vnder the dominion of the said States who did accuse Vorstius and perswaded Holland to send him away out of their countrey as before we haue declared It is trew that if Vorstius had beene a natiue of Holland as Iohn of Leyden was it had beene sufficient for vs to haue giuen them a generall warning of the danger and then to haue referred it vnto themselues to take such course therein as to them should seeme conuenient But this Vorstius being a stranger and sent for out of another Countrey to instruct their youth hee can challenge no such priuiledge by reason of his birth but that the States may lawfully discharge him whensoeuer they please And for his profession it is without doubt lesse dangerous to suffer a thousand Lay Heretiques to liue in a Common wealth for that is but matter of policie so long as they offend not in their speach and seduce not others then to haue so much as one Doctour that may poison the youth For Quo semel est imbuta recens seruabit odorem Testa diu The vessell will tastea long time after of that liquor wherewith it is first seasoned And what shall become of the litle brookes if their Fountaine be corrupted And from hence is deriued our third reason which perswaded vs to meddle in this businesse For if generally the youth of those Countreys our neerest neighbours should happen to be infected in what danger then were wee especially seeing so many of the yonger sort of our Subiects doe repaire for learning sake to the Vniuersitie of Leyden an Vniuersitie of long time famous but so much the more renowned for that within our remembrance it hath beene adorned with those two excellent personages Scaliger and Iunius It is furthermore to bee noted that the spirituall infection of Heresie is so much more dangerous then the bodily infection of the plague by how much the soule is more noble then the body which caused the Apostle S. Iohn when entring into a Bath he met there by chance Cerinthus the Heretique to turne backe againe vpon the suddaine for feare of infection Now if that great Apostle the beloued of Christ did so much feare the infection of Heresie as himselfe hath giuen vs a warning in one of his Epistles Ne dicas illi Aue Bid him not God speed haue not we then much more cause to feare the corruption of the youth of our owne Kingdomes But we very well know that some will say Vorstius is not rightly vnderstood that some consequences are violently wrested out of his words contrary to the intention of the Author that those things which he propounds scholastically by way of question should not bee taken for his owne resolution and admit pearaduenture hee may haue spoken in some phrases minùs cautè not warily enough yet that is but Logomachie contention about words and ought not to bee imputed vnto him for Heresie and besies