Crown to be Entailed on his Heirs Male in short for setling Luther's Reformation in his Country and Abridging the too great Power of the Clergy Eric the Eldest Son of Gustavus Succeeded him but wanted the Virtues of his Father He introduced into Sweden the Dignities of Count and Baron which before were unknown there It was thought this was done to divide the Nobility among themselves The too great Union of this Powerful Body was able to create Trouble to a Family newly raised to the Throne The Dignities bestowed on some gave a Jealousie to the rest Those who had most Ambition made their Court to the King to obtain the same Distinction And the New Nobility were obliged to support the Authority of the King and adhere here to his Family to preserve their Privileges Eric made himself Odious by his Cruelties and Despicable by his Debauches and Extravagancies His ill Treatment of John Duke of Finland and Charles Duke of Sudermannia obliged them to rise and put themselves at the Head of the Malecoutents These two Princes Attacked Eric in Stockholm it self He first delivered up his Favourite whom all the Kingdom Exclaimed against They inflicted an Infamous punishment on him John and Charles would have something more than all this They agreed to take the Sovereign Power from Eric who abused it unjustly and that the Duke of Finland should be declared King and the Duke of Sudermannia should share with him in the Government without having any outward Marks of Royalty John thought himself now discharged from the Oath he had taken when Eric delivered him out of a close Prison where he had kept him three or four years The Duke had given Assurance by a Writing under his Hand that he would continue faithful to the King and not aspire to the Crown neither before nor after the Death of the King his Elder Brother and that he would acknowledge those Children for lawful Heirs of the Kingdom which Eric had by a Mistress of Mean Birth whom he afterwards Marryed Solemnly But John was not very anxious about the Religious observing his Promises When he was Master of his Eldest Brother not contented with shutting him up in a Castle he soon poisoned him John and Charles continued to attack Stockholm The Senate of the City delivered it up to them and poor Eric reduced to Extremity was left to the Discretion of his two Brothers The States of Sweden declared him fallen from the Crown and John Duke of Finland was set up in his place John King of Sweden endeavours to alter the Religion Established by his Father The New King of Sweden was not truer to the Duke of Sudermannia than he had been to his Predecessor Charles had no share in the Administration of the Kingdom Men promise any thing when they are to ascend a Throne but when they are once Established in it they find other Principles of Religion and Honour John had Married Catherine Jagellon Daughter to the King of Poland Whether the Princess had inspired her Husband with an Aversion to the Protestant Religion or the Reading the Books and Conversation of able Men of the Papal Communion had raised doubts in him or he hoped to be King of Poland after the Death of Sigismund Augustus his Brother-in-Law who had no Children as soon as John had made a Peace with Denmark by the Treaty of Stetin in Pomerania he applied himself seriously to change the Religion which his Father had setled in Sweden It is not a place here to relate all the Artifices he made use of to prepare the Minds of his People for the Alterations he designed I shall only observe that the King who wanted not Wit or Judgment was convinced there were a great many things to be altered in the Worship and Doctrine of the Church of Rome He can neither be reckoned among the good Catholicks nor the true Protestants Ever uncertain and wavering sometimes he relished the Project of Accommodation which Cassander had given to the Emperor Maximilian II. at other times he was inclined to the Greek Church The Answers of Jeremiah Patriarch of Constantinople to the Divines of Wirtembergh pleased him so much that he once thought to unite with that Communion Possevin a Learned Jesuit whom Pope Gregory the XIII had sent into Sweden thought he had persuaded King John to Reunite himself in earnest to the Church of Rome He confessed himself to that Jesuit the Popes private Nuncio he received the Communion in the Form used in that Church Possevin imposed as a Pennance on him for the Murther of his Brother Eric whom he had poysoned to fast every Wednesday throughout the year It is said John observed this Practice regularly all the rest of his Life Nevertheless he frequented the publick Service of the Church of Sweden There was a New Liturgy used which himself had introduced and the Pope refused to approve of The Mixture of these two Religions was one of the ways by which this Prince pretended insensibly to bring the People to forsake the Worship and Belief of the Protestants of the Ausburgh Confession Several Romish Churchmen came into Sweden The Irresolution of King John and his Indulgence drew them thither Several of his own Subjects too favour'd his dissembled Designs By their manner of Discourse the more unthinking People took these Preachers for free Protestants But others observed in spight of their Disguises all they spoke tended to insinuate into the Minds of the People the Doctrines of Popery The Archbishop of Vpsal suffered himself to be won by them Some Prelates and divers ignorant or ambitious Churchmen follow'd his Example There were some Bishops ordained according to the Roman Pontifical The Bishop of Linkoping several of his Brethren and a great number of Churchmen couragiously defended the Reformation setled by Gustavus Ericson The Clergy of the Dutchy of Sudermannia shewed a firmness of Mind which much confounded King John Charles his Brother declared highly for the Ausburgh Confession He opposed this Alteration with all his Might Neither the King nor I can make any Innovation in the Religion established by Law he replied to those sent to dispose him to comply All things are well regulated by the last Will and Testament of the late King our Father We must fix there For my part I am resolved never to depart from it The States of Sweden shew'd great Vigour on several Occasions They represented to the King that mighty Jealousies were risen in Sweden and Foreign Countries that his Majesty would overthrow that Constitution which his Father had wisely established and that to put an end to all those Rumours it concerned him to declare publickly that the Reformation received in that Kingdom was conformable to the Sense of the Primitive Church Farther the States commanded several Popish Books brought into that Country to be suppress'd they press'd the King to place able Men of unblemish'd Reputation in the Publick Schools to instruct the Youth In the last place they desired that Sigismund the King 's eldest Son should be bred in the Protestant Religion because that young Prince
his tottering Crown The History of the Reign of Lewis XIII will discover to you my Lord the Reasons which Philip Frederick Henry had to foresee the Glory which was reserv'd for a Great King the Heir of his Blood and of his Virtues who gives you already signal Marks of his Distinguishing Favour 'T would be but a small Matter to learn from History The Interests of Sovereigns the Accounts of Battles and Sieges the Intrigues of Treaties and Negotiations the Good or Bad Quality of the different Actors It s greatest and principal End is to confirm in you the Good Sentiments of Religion Virtue and Probity which my Lord your Father hath took care to inspire you with They charm'd me the first Day I had the Honour to be in your Company and I bless God with all my Heart that they appear so pure and so deeply engraven in your Soul that we have all the Reason in the World to hope that the Contagious and insinuating Air of the Court and of the World will never be able to corrupt or wear them out and that you will never wander from the Paths of Piety Prudence and Valour which my Lord the Earl of Portland hath trac'd out to you Heavens grant which have design'd you to enjoy the great Advantages which a Father can leave to his Son that you may make an Use of them worthy of the Purity of the Holy Religion which we profess These are the ardent Desires of him who shall be all his Life with a prosound Respect and inviolable Fidelity My Lord Your most Humble and most Obedient Sevant MICHAEL Le VASSOR THE PREFACE Polybius in the beginning SInce all who have written History before me says an Able and Judicious Writer have taken pains to shew the usefulness of things past It would be to no purpose to excite the Curiosity of the Reader by a like Preface All Men are sensible that the reading of History is the most proper means to form the Mind and Inclinations of those who apply themselves to it with Reflection and Judgment They who are born to the first employs of the State learn here how to govern those whom Providence has placed under them and private Persons often find Instructions for the Conduct of their Lives To read the Ancients and Moderns and only fill the Head with a confus'd heap of different Facts is the vainest thing in the World and conduces most to Debauch the Mind But to run thrô History with a design to learn Human Nature to reflect on the Disorderly and Unjust Passions of Men to distinguish Solid and Real Virtue from that which consists in the mistaken Opinion of the Multitude This certainly is the most proper Study to form a Man for the World and Business Notwithstanding the reading History has these mighty Advantages there are few that profit by it The fate of those who spend their time in it is often the same with that of Persons who Travel live in a Court or Converse in the World A Man who has the Skill to make a good use of his Parts and Reason Accomplishes himself very much in Foreign Countries by Conversation with Courtiers and Men of Business But it ordinarily happens that Travellers only seek to Divert themselves in the places where they come A young Fellow returns out of Italy France Germany or England as ignorant as he went there And very often in stead of correcting his Domestick Vices he encreases them by the Addition of Foreign ones Most Men who come to Court or into the World only think how to wast away their Lives and spend their Time agreeably Very far from considering how private Interest and Passion play their parts on the publick Stage and reasoning with themselves oâ—… the different steps Men take and profitably observing their good and ill Qualities they only strive to please them and wiâ—… their savour by some Motives of Interest or Pleasure The greatest part of those whâ—… read History fall into the same Mistake They only aim to consume their Time and pass away the Tedious Hours It is enough for them if a Book be Pleasant and Diverting They are never in Pain to profit by the Examples of Virtue they meet with or reflect on the Faults of those who are exposed in it This Negligence proceeds from the little care taken to acquaint Youth with the Nature of Mankind and infusing good Principles of Morality into them before they are put on reading History sent into Foreign Countries or left to live at large in the World If their Tutors and Governors which had the Charge of their Education had accustomed them to Meditate on those Remarks which the Incomparable Author of the Search after Truth P. Malebranche de Recherche de la Verite has made on the Mistakes and Delusions of our Senses Imagination and Passions on the Maxims of Mr. de la Rochefancault and some other good Books published in our Times I do not in the least question but Minds thus prepared would draw a wonderful Fruit from Travelling Conversation in the World and Ancient and Modern History Perhaps too the small number of good Authors in this and former Ages is another cause of the little Progress made by those who promiscuously run over all without Choice or Distinction Herodotus whom the Ancients call the Father of History Cicero Liv. 1. De Legibuâ—… is a polite Writer and pleasant to read One may learn good Jonick in him Let him if you will have it so be a good Model of an Elegant and Clean Style but what Solid Knowledge can be gained out of an Author fill'd with Fables and Falsities who only aims to Divert and not to Instruct The History of Cyrus is thought to be a Romance devised by Xenophon I do not know whether the Plan of the Work do not come nearer Truth than what Herodotus delivers of the Birth Conquest and Death of Cyrus The one at least is more probable than the other However this be a Man of good Sense will ever prefer the Reading of Xenophon to Herodotus If the former did not design an exact History of the Life of Cyrus he draws at least the Idea of a good and just Government This should make us value the Eight Books of the Cyropedia of Xenophon more than the nine of Herodotus his History though they have the Name of the nine Muses given them This may amuse me indeed but the other will instruct me I find a thousand Maxims a thousand Reflections proper to improve my Mind and Reform my Passions Discourse of the manner of writing History Thucidides was very sensible of Herodotus his Fault Notwithstanding the great Reputation of a Man who first writ History among the Greeks I had rather said he as Lucian Reports displease by speaking the Truth than please by relating of Fables If I do not please my Reader so well I shall profit him more I would not prejudice him by Accommodating
Excommunicates and Absolves by himself or his Magistrates all Laymen and Ecclesiasticks Bishops and Cardinals themselves residing in his Kingdom This Right say they farther though derived from the Holy See is now Irrevocable it is the Sovereigns Property Thus the King of Spain is alike in Spirituals and Temporals and has the same Right there as the Pope has in Countries under his Obedience Joan the foolish Mother of Charles V. and divers other Princesses who Reigned alone Sicily every one of these Ladies were Sanctissimo Padre This Title was given them and their Magistrates They might in this Quality preside in Provincial and National Councils or substitute others in their Room The Kings of Spain are so jealous of this rare Prerogative that in the Reign of Charles V. a Vice-Roy of Sicily Collected all the Titles and Acts which serve for the Justification of it Three Authentick Copies of this Collection were drawn at the same time by order of the Viceroy In the year 1698. one was exposed to Sale in London it had been brought away the last time Barcelona was taken by the French I had it a pretty while in my Hands The Right Reverend the Bishop of Norwich curious in all good Books did not purchase it too dear considering the rarity of the Manuscript This is a Collection like that of the Proofs of the Liberties of the Gallican Church It contains chiefly divers Judgments given in the Tribunal commonly called of the Monarchy of Sicily The Cardinal Baronius in the eleventh Tome of his Annals vigorously Attacked this Spiritual Power which the Catholick Kings ascribe to themselves without Scruple A Right never heard of says the Cardinal A Right that Frederick the Second and his Children those unjust Tyrants and Rebellious Persecutors of the Roman Church never were so Audacious as to usurp This caused a great Contest between Baronius and the Cardinal Colonna who pretended his Brother had no Reason to set himself so violently against the King of Spain The Court of Madrid was so displeased at the Author of the Annals that she procured him to be excluded in a Conclave where he had 37 Voices At last upon the 3d of October 1610. Philip III. published an Edict where after great Complaints made against the Invectives of Baronius and a long Enumeration of the Services which the Kings of Spain and Sicily his Predecessors had done for the Church of Rome he forbids his Subjects on severe Penalties to Read or Sell the Eleventh Volume of Baronius Annals till the place Repugnant with the Monarchy of Sicily was Expunged Servin knew very well the example of the King of Spain was of great weight with Mary de Medicis who every day contracted new Tyes to Philip he hoped this would hinder the Regent from taking exception at the Proceedings of the Parlement against Bellarmine's Book The Advocate General was deceived in his Conjecture The Queen was not less devoted to the Court of Rome than that of Madrid The Nuncio in Spain did not dare to open his Mouth against the Edict of Philip. The Popes Agent was bolder and more Successful in France At his Sollicitation the Regent ordered the Execution of the Decree of Parlement against Bellarmine's Book to be Superseded The Enemies of the Sovereign Power of Kings ever had Liberty of Speaking and Writing Differences of the Marquiss of Aucre with the Count of Soissons and Dpke of Epernon The Marquess of Ancre a Favourite of Mary's began to be insupportable to the Princes and first Lords of the Court. In the Kings Journey to Rheims the Servants of the Machioness had some Contest with those of the Cardinal Joyeuse about Lodgings Conchini made first Gentleman of the Chamber had likewise a Dispute about the Precedence with Bellegarde Great Esquire at the Publick Entry of the King into Paris on his return from his Inauguration The Duke of Epernon a Kinsman of Bellegarde declared against Conchini Mem. de la Regence de Marie de Medicis and the Count of Soissons enraged at him for assisting the Duke of Guise to marry the Dowager of Montpensier would not any more speak to the Marquess of Ancre The Enmity of two such powerful Men made him very uneasie He labour'd to be reconciled to them Soissons was not very averse to this but he required the Marquess and his Wife should serve him in two Things which he passionately desired to marry the Count of Enghien his Son to the Princess Heiress of Montpensier and to ruine the Duke of Sully Their Reconciliation For the first Proposition the Marquess delivered himself in General Terms to those who were concerned in this Accommodation He spoke more positively on the Article of the Duke of Sully in case the Ministers would side with him Conchini did not love the Duke He was afraid the Interest of an Old Minister might be an Obstacle to his growing Favour Nevertheless the Count of Soissons did not dare to conclude this Reconciliation till the Duke of Epernon was satisfied It was not so easie to bring down his Haughty and Stubborn Spirit who pretended to be his own Support independently on all Favourites Epernon required Conchini should come to him and make him Satisfaction in the presence of the Count of Soissons He blown up with his Favour and New Honour refused that Submission to the Duke which he could without meanness make to a Prince of the Blood Soissons found an Expedient which might be a Salvo for the Nicety of the one and satisfie the Haughty Humour of the other The President Jeannin had presented Conchini to the Count after those Compliments had passed which were agreed oâ—… before the two New Friends sate down to play together The Game being over It is not enough says Soissons to the Marquess that we are Reconciled You must have a right understanding with all my good Friends I am going to make a visit to onâ—… of them I beg your Company I am disposed to do what you please replyed Conchini They were soon at the Hôtel of Epernon all things were carried there to thâ—… content of both Parties That which 〈◊〉 lookt on as a Trifle amonst Private Meâ—…passes for a weighty Matter with greaâ—… ones A Party formed at Court against the Duke 〈◊〉 Sully There was no need to take much painâ—… to gain the Ministers over to act in Concert with the others to ruine the Duke of Sully He had a Misunderstanding witâ—… Villeroy the only Man of their Number who had taken pains to keep him in Employ Sharp and Affronting words paâ—…sed between them in the Council in thâ—… Queens Presence Villeroy who though himself to be the more necessary and to have the better Interest leaves the Court. This was a sort of Menace that he would not return as long as Sully had a share in the Government The Regent her self was inclin'd to dismiss him A Protestant could not be very grateful to a Princess who blindly
Priest who being come to be Bishop of Rome was pleased to see himself flatter'd in such an Impious manner But the Monks and Bigots made a great Noise The Popes Nuncio was in a terrible Heat and Paul himself sent Briefs to complain of the Outrage done him The Regent was not less alarmed than the rest She could not endure to hear it said the Pope was Antichrist Besides the Reasons common to all of her Religion to oppose a Dogm which make them pass for Worshippers of the Beast Mary de Medicis had a particular one The Validity of her Marriage with Henry was grounded on the Authority of the Pope who declared his former with Margaret of France null and the Regent imagined all who looked on the Pope as Antichrist could not look upon her as the lawful Wife of Henry the IV. This made her desire to see de Mornay's Book blasted at least in appearance Du Plessis Mornays Book is censured by the faculty of Paris It is carried to the Sorbonne the first of August 1611. The Dean and Doctors of the Faculty of Paris having said a Solemn Mass of the Holy Ghost met to appoint Doctors to examine the Work They make the Report the 19th of the same Month and Condemn the Book as filled with an Infinity of Blasphemies Mercure Francois 1611. and Execrable Impieties against the Catholick Faith and Religion and against the Apostolick See These big Words only serve to dazle the Simple They would have the World believe the Catholick Faith and Religion are inseparable from the Pontifical Authority Every Doctor every Magistrate every Courtier may believe what he pleases But Policy do's not allow People to be drawn out of their Ignorance and Superstition The Censure of the Faculty was made according to the Report of the Doctors who were deputed to censure it The Book was detested and condemned as Heretical stuff'd with Furious Zeal exceeding Seditious contrary to the Divine Natural and Canon Law in short whatever those good Gentlemen pleased Reflections on their Censure Could they have declared themselves with more Vehemence against the Impious Dogms of Paul of Samosata Arius or Photinus To ask these Wise Masters â—…f the Sorbonne what reason they had â—…o thunder thus on an Author who deâ—…ies the Monarchy of the Pope to be of Diâ—…ine Institution would be an useless loss â—…f Time The Doctors set up for little â—…opes They thunder but do not instruct â—…o they think the Papacy founded on Naâ—…ural Right The greatest part of Manâ—…ind hitherto have not discovered this â—…trange Blindness indeed For the Diâ—…ine Law they shew us one or two Pasâ—â—ages in the Gospel The Roman Cathoâ—â—cks Disagree about the true sense of these â—…laces the Gravest Christian Writers did â—…ot see the Primacy of the Pope in them â—…efore there were any Protestants in the â—…orld If by the Canon Law the Moâ—…ern Decretals are to be understood we â—…ill submit to Condemnation But if the â—…ue Canon Law of France be as we are â—…ften told the ancient Code of Canons â—…ade or received in the first General â—…ouncils the Judicious and Disinterested â—…octors of Paris will find nothing less â—…an the Primacy and Monarchy of the â—…ope there It was the Name of Antichrist which â—â—d most disturb the Roman Catholicks The Pope do's not care to be the Beast â—…nd those of his Communion will not be â—…is Worshippers But in short if it be â—…ue and it is not commonly denyed in â—…rance that the Dominion usurped by the â—…opes is contrary to the Spirit of Jesus â—…hrist and the Institution of the Apostles it cannot be denyed that the Pope is Antechrist in this Sense and that his Monarchy is Antechristian If it be true as it seems to be that to rise and oppose what is called God or what Men adore be to put a Mans self above those to whom the Lord of all things has said Ye are Gods and the Sons of the most High and to assume Honours which are due to him alone is it not evident then that the Pope is or at least resembles very much the Son of Perdition and the Man of Sin foretold by St. Paul As for the Prophecies of St. John the Protestants are not the first who have applied them to the Pope There is no need of seeking ways round about to find Characters very much resembling those we see in him The Comparison between the Pagans and Christians in these latter times seems so just that it is difficult to determine which of the Interpreters are in the Right who Explain the Prophecies of the Revelations of one and the other Rome One Ferrier thought to distinguish himself in the beginning of this Age by maintaining a publick Thesis at Nismes where he was Professor of Divinity that the Pope is Antichrist The Parlement of Toulouse proceeded against him but he declined their Jurisdiction and removed the Affair to the Chamber of the Edict at Castres Some little time after the Protestants made a New Article of Faith in their National Synod of Gap in Dauphine in which they declared that they believed and would maintain That the Bishop of Rome is properly Antichrist and the Son Perdition foretold in the Word of God This New Article was to be the XXXI of the Confession of Faith of the Reformed Churches in France Henry IV. took it ill than in his Reign they should devise a thing they had never once thought of when the Disputes were hottest in the times of his Predecessors Whether it were that he feared for his own part the Consequences with regard to his second Marriage or that he was displeased the Reformed should Reproach him with leaving the true Religion to become a Worshipper of the Beast Henry commanded absolutely this New Article should be left out The more Wise and Moderate of the Protestants disavowed what was done at Gap or at least thought the Synod wanted Prudence and Moderation The Question of Antichrist was again brought upon the Board at the Synods of Rochell and St. Maixant But Henry the IV. constantly opposed the making of an Article of Faith which did not seem very necessary to Salvation Viguier having published a Book with the Title of the Theater of Antichrist the Jesuit Gontier a famous Converter of these Times preached against it in a Violent and Seditious manner The King forbid the publishing of the Book and imposed Silence on this Outragious Controvertist Du Plessis Mornay's Book coming out immediately after these Disputes which were not yet entirely stifled it is not to be wonder'd that it made such a mighty Uproar If it be owned this Gentleman who was very able and judicious in all other things failed in his usual Consideration and Conduct here the censure of the Sorbonne is no less extravagant and ridiculous Troubles of Aix la Chrpelle Mary de Medicis began to take that Method which has since been so constantly followed in the Reign of her Son and
they were sure of a speedy Convention of the States The well-meaning Men would have endeavoured at a Reformation of the Government if they had been better Seconded and the Prince of Conde had had more Wisdom and Sincerity A Treaty concluded at St. Menehoud between the Regent and the Prince of Conde He concluded at last his Treaty with the Regent at St. Menehoud in Champagne the 15th of May. The Duke de Ventadour and his Colleagues were there I will not recite all the Articles The Castle of Amboise was to be put into the Prince's hands until the meeting of the States The Duke de Nevers had St. Menehoud Mercure Francoise 1614. Memoires de Duc de Rohan de la Regence de Marie de Medicis say some Authors thô it is not mentioned in the Treaty These gave him besides a Sum of Money to satisfie him for pulling down his House to make way for the Fortifications of Mezieres which were part of them to be demolished Blavet and the other Places that were Fortified a little before in Bretagne by the Duke de Vendome being Dismantled He was restored to his Government and all his Places This was all that was agreed upon for Vendom He highly complained that the Prince oâ—… Conde had abandoned him in this Negociation As for the Mareschal de Bovillon it was easie to satisfie him The Money which the Regent Ordered to be paid him was thought by him a sufficient Recompence See said the Duke of Rohan who had more Integrity in him than all the rest that made such a noise see saith he how Mens private Interest make them forget the publick welfare of the Kingdom The Prince de Conde the Dukes de Nevers de Longueville de Maienne and the Mareschal de Bovillon who signed the Treaty very readily performed their Conditions Mary de Medicis was not less punctual of her Side The Dukes de Longueville and de Maienne were the first that return'd to Court Conde retired to his House of Vallery where Descures Governor of Amboise went to resign that Place into his hands His Highness came sometime after to pay his Devoirs to their Majesties That Restless Temper that was Natural to him would not suffer him to stay long at Court. Being vext that his late Design had lessened the Respect due to his high Quality instead of increasing it as he had flattered himself it would This Prince was again tempted to raise new Troubles before the meeting of the States But having taken no better Measures than he did before he was forced to let the Regent alone who was endeavouring to reduce the Duke de Vendom who refused to agree to the Treaty of St. Menehoud The Decree of the Parlement of Paris against a Book of Suarez the Jesuit Mercure Francoise 1614. It is a great while since we have had occasion to speak of the Jesuits But we shall now see them appear again upon the Stage upon the account of a Book published by Suarez a famous Divine of that Society in Spain The Book is Intituled The Defence of the Catholick and Apostolick Faith against the Errors of the English Hereticks There are always a certain sort of Men at Paris who narrowly observe all the Actions of these Good Fathers and will not forgive-them if they do amiss This new Book of Suarez being come to France Abstracts of it were presently made and brought to the King's Officers in the Parliament of Paris The Sollicitor General look'd upon it as a Book so dangerous that he thought it his Duty to desire the Condemnation of it The Parliament met upon the 26th of June and Condemn'd the Book to be burnt by the Hands of the Common Hangman as containing Seditious Principles tending to the Subversion of Kingdoms and to perswade the Subjects of Kings and Princes to attempt their Sacred Persons They ordered besides That certain former Decrees of the Faculty of Paris which condemn'd the Doctrine of Suarez should be Read every year on the 4th day of June not only in thâ—… Schools of Sorbonne but also in those in the Colledge of Clermont and of the Mendicant Friers The greatest mortification to the Society was this that the Parlement Decreed that the Fathers Armand the Rector of the Society Cotton the late King's Confessor Fronton le Duc and Sirmond two Persons very famous for their Learning should appear the next day before the Parlement When they came thither the first President told them in the Name of the Court that the Book of Suarez their Brother Jesuit was contrary to a Declaration they had made and to a Decree of their General in the Year 1610. They commanded them afterward to write to Rome for a Revival and Publication of that Decree and to get from thence an Order in Six Months to prevent the Members of that Society from writing any more in their Books such damnable and pernicious Doctrine and to Command them to Preach to the People Doctrines contrary to those of Suarez or else the Parlement would proceed against such Offenders as Guilty of High Treason and disturbers of the publick Peace Paul V. complains of the proceedings of the parlement against Suarez his Book The Court of France foresaw very well that the Proceedings of the Parlement of Paris against the Book of Suarez would make a great noise at Rome for indeed the Book was writ by Order of the Pope But the Regent to whom the Parlement had been very Serviceable in the Affair of the Prince of Conde would not oppose their Zeal which they expressed against these pernicious Opinions Siri Memo. recondite Tom. III. p. 256 257. 270. Her Majesty had more need than ever to keep fair with the Parlement by reason of the approaching Assembly of the States As soon as Paul V. had notice of the Decree of the Parlement against Suarez his Book he sent the Bishop of Foligni to the Marquiss of Trenel who succeeded Breves in his Embassy at Rome This Prelate had Orders to complain in the Name of the Pope of the proceedings of the Magistrates of Paris by which they Encroached on the Rights of the Holy See His Holiness said he to the Ambassadour is the more surpriz'd because he expected nothing less than a grateful acknowledgement of his kindness to the Queen of France Her Majesty cannot be Ignorant of that Affection that he has always shewed to her and the King her Son All the World is witness of that Zeal which his Holiness has discovered for the prosperity of France T is not long since he offered his good Offices to the Queen to appease the Troubles of the Kingdom And they are no sooner ended but the Parlement of Paris makes a Decree injurious to the Holy See If Suarezs Book contains any Positions contrary to the Sovereignty of the most Christian King her Majesty might have complained to the Pope He would have censur'd the Doctrine of the Author and