more I think upon it the more I settle in Opinion That a War to suppress that Empire though we set aside the Cause of Religion were a just War After Zebedaeus had said this he made a Pause to see whether any of the rest would say any thing But when he perceived nothing but Silence and Signs of Attention to that he would further say he proceeded thus Zebedaeus Your Lordships will not look for a Treatise from me but a Speech of Consultation And in that Brevity and Manner will I speak First I shall agree that as the Cause of a War ought to be Just So the Justice of that Cause ought to be Evident Not Obscure not Scrupulous For by the consent of all Laws in Capital Causes the Evidence must be full and clear And if so where one Mans life is in Question what say we to a War which is ever the Sentence of Death upon many We must beware therefore how we make a Moloch or an Heatlien Idol of our Blessed Saviour in sacrificing the Blood of Men to him by an unjust War The Justice of every Action consisteth in the Merits of the Cause the Warrant of the Jurisdiction and the Form of the Prosecution As for the Inward Intention I leave it to the Court of Heaven Of these things severally as they may have Relation to the present subject of a War against Infidels And namely against the most Potent and most Dangerous Enemy of the Faith the Turk I hold and I doubt not but I shall make it plain as far as a Sum or Breef can make a Cause plain that a War against the Turk is Lawful both by the Laws of Nature and Nations And by the Law Divine which is the Perfection of the other two As for the Laws Positive and Civil of the Romans or other whatsoever they are too small Engins to move the Weight of this Question And therefore in my judgment many of the late Schoolmen though excellent Men take not the right way in disputing this Question Except they had the gift of Navius that they could Cotem novaculâ scindere Hew Stones with Pen-knives First for the Law of Nature The Philosopher Aristotle is no ill Interpreter thereof He hath set many Men on work with a witty speech of Naturâ Dominus and Naturâ Servus Affirm ing expresly and positively That from the very Nativity some things are born to Rule and some things to Obey Which Oracle hath been taken in diverssenses Some have taken it for a Speech of Ostentation to entitle the Grecians to an Empire over the Barbarians Which indeed was better maintained by his Scholar Alexander Some have taken it for a Speculative Platform that Reason and Nature would that the best should govern But not in any wise to create a Right But for my part I take it neither for a brag nor for a wish but for a Truth as he limiteth it For he saith That if there can be found such an Inequality between Man and Man as there is between Man and Beast or between Soul and Body it investeth a Right of Government Which seemeth rather an Impossible Case than an untrue Sentence But I hold both the Judgment true and the Case possible And such as hath had and hath a Being both in particular Men and Nations But ere we go further let us confine Ambiguities and Mistakings that they trouble us not First to say that the more Capable or the better Deserver hath such Right to Govern as he may compulsorily bring under the less Worthy is Idle Men will never agree upon it who is the more Worthy For it is not only in order of Nature for him to govern that is the more Intelligent as Aristotle would have it But there is no less required for Government Courage to protect and above all Honesty and Probity of the Will to abstain from Injury So Fitness to govern is a perplexed Business Some Men some Nations excel in the one ability some in the other Therefore the Position which I intend is not in the Comparative that the Wiser or the Stouter or the juster Nation should govern But in the Privative that where there is an heap of People though we term it a Kingdom or State that is altogether unable or indign to govern There it is a just Cause of War for another Nation that is Civil or Polliced to subdue them And this though it were to be done by a Cyrus or a Caesar that were no Christian. The second mistaking to be banished is That I understand not this of a Personal Tyranny as was the State of Rome under a Caligula or a Nero or a Commodus Shall the Nation suffer for that wherein they suffer But when the Constitution of the State and the fundamental Customs and Laws of the same if Laws they may be called are against the Laws of Nature and Nations then I say a War upon them is lawful I shall divide the Question into three parts First whether there be or may be any Nation or Society of Men against whom it is lawful to make a War without a Precedent Injury or Provocation Secondly what are those Breaches of the Law of Nature and Nations which do forfeit and devest all Right and Title in a Nation to govern And thirdly whether those Breaches of the Law of Nature and Nations be found in any Nation at this day And namely in the Empire of the Ottomans For the first I hold it clear that such Nations or States or Societies of People there may be and are There cannot be a better ground laid to declare this than to look into the Original Donation of Government Observe it well Especially the Inducement or Preface Saith God Let us make man after our own Image and let him have dominion over the Fishes of the Sea and the Fowls of the Air and the Beasts of the Land c. Hereupon De Victoria and with him some others infer excellently and extract a most true and divine Aphorism Non sundatur Dominium nisi in Imagine Dei. Here we have the Charter of Foundation It is now the more easie to judg of the Forfeiture or Reseisure Deface the Image and you devest the Right But what is this Image and how is it defaced The Poor Men of Lyons and some Fanatical Spirits will tell you that the Image of God is Purity And the Defacement Sin But this subverteth all Government Neither did Adams Sin or the Curse upon it deprive him of his Rule but left the Creatures to a Rebellion or Reluctation And therefore if you note it attentively when this Charter was renewed unto Noah and his Sons it is not by the words Tou shall have Dominion But Your Fear shall be upon all the Beasts of the Land and the Birds of the Air and all that moveth Not re-granting the Soveraignty which stood firm But protecting it against the Reluctation The sound Interpreters therefore expound this Image of God of
CERTAIN Miscellany Works OF The Right Honourable FRANCIS LORD VERULAM Viscount St. Alban PUBLISHED By VVILLIAM RAVVLEY Doctor of Divinity one of His Majesties Chaplains LONDON Printed by T. J. for H. R. and are to be sold by Wil. Lee at the Turks = Head in Fleet-street M. DC LXX TO THE READER I Have thought good as a Servant to the Labours and Memory of that Noble Lord the Lord Viscount St. Alban to Collect into one these few rather Parcells than Just Works of his excellent Pen. Which I have done for these Causes First to vindicate the Wrong his Lordship suffered by a corrupt and surreptitious Edition of that Discourse of his Touching a War with Spain lately set forth Secondly by way of Prevention to exempt from the like Injury and Defacements those other Discourses of his herein contained Lastly to satisfie the Desires of some who hold it unreasonable that any the Delineations of that Pen though in never so small a Model should not be shewn to the World I know it carries the Excuse with it after the Authors Death to publish Fragments Therefore I will make none These Works being all for the Argument Civil I cannot represent better than in Resemblance of Aristotles Parva Naturalia to account them as his Lordships Parva Politica Howsoever I doubt not but every Judicious Reader finding of his Lordships Spirit in them will know them to be his And will afford them a Place of Reputation amongst his Greater Works W. RAWLEY CONSIDERATIONS Touching a War with SPAIN To the Prince YOur Highness hath an Imperial Name It was a CHARLES that brought the Empire first into France A CHARLES that brought it first into Spain Why should not Great Britain have his turn But to lay aside all that may seem to have a shew of Fumes and Fancies and to speak Solids A War with Spain if the King shall enter into it is a mighty Work It requireth strong Materials and Active Motions He that saith not so is zealous but not according to knowledge But nevertheless Spain is no such Giant And he that thinketh Spain to be some great Over-match for this Estate assisted as it is and may be is no good Mint-man But takes greatness of Kingdoms according to their Bulk and Currency and not after their intrinsique Value Although therefore I had wholly sequestred my thoughts from Civil Affairs yet because it is a new Case and concerneth my Countrey infinitely I obtained of my self to set down out of long continued Experience in Business of Estate and much Conversation in Books of Policy and History what I thought pertinent to this Business And in all humbleness present it to Your Highness Hoping that at least you will discern the strength of my Affection through the weakness of my Abilities For the Spaniard hath a good Proverb Desuario siempre con la Calentura There is no Heat of Affection but is joyned with some Idleness of Brain To a War are required A Just Quarrel Sufficient Forces and Provisions And a prudent Choice of the Designs So then I will first justifie the Quarrel Secondly ballance the Forces and lastly propound variety of Designs for Choice but not advise the Choice For that were not fit for a Writing of this Nature Neither is it a Subject within the Level of my Judgement I being in effect a Stranger to the present Occurrences Wars I speak not of ambitious Predatory Wars are Suits of Appeal to the Tribunal of Gods Justice where there are no Superiors on earth to determine the Cause And they are as Civil Pleas are Plaints or Defences There are therefore three just Grounds of War with Spain One Plaint Two upon Defence Solomon faith A Cord of three is not easily broken But especially when every of the lines will hold single by it self They are these The Recovery of the Palatinate A just Fear of the Subversion of our Civil Estate A just Fear of the Subversion of our Church and Religion For in the handling of the two last Grounds of War I shall make it plain That Wars Preventive upon Just Fears are true Defensives as well as upon Actual Invasions And again That Wars Defensive for Religion I speak not of Rebellion are most just Though Offensive Wars for Religion are seldom to be approved or never unless they have some Mixture of Civil Titles But all that I shall say in this whole Argument will be but like Bottoms of Thred close wound up which with a good Needle perhaps may be flourished into large Works For the Afferting of the Justice of the Quarrel for the Recovery of the Palatinate I shall not go so high as to discuss the Right of the War of Bohemia Which if it be freed from doubt on our part then there is no Colour nor Shadow why the Palatinate should be retained The Ravishing whereof was a meer Excursion of the first Wrong and a Super-Injustice But I do not take my self to be so perfect in the Customs Transactions and Priviledges of that Kingdom of Bohemia as to be fit to handle that part And I will not offer at that I cannot master Yet this I will say in passage positively and resolutely That it is impossible an Elective Monarchy should be so free and absolute as an Hereditary No more than it is possible for a Father to have so full Power and Interest in an Adoptive Son as in a Natural Quia Naturalis Obligatio fortior Civili And again that Received Maxim is almost Unshaken and Infallible Nil magis Naturae consentaneum est quam ut iisdem modis Res dissolvantur quibus constituuntur So that if the part of the People or Estate be somewhat in the Election you cannot make them Nulls or Cyphers in the Privation or Translation And if it be said that this is a dangerous Opinion for the Pope Emperour and Elective Kings It is true it is a dangerous Opinion and ought to be a dangerous Opinion to such personal Popes Emperors or Elective Kings as shall transcend their limits and become Tyrannical But it is a safe and sound Opinions for their Sees Empires and Kingdoms And for themselves also if they be wise Plenitudo Potestatis est plenitudo Tempestatis But the chief Cause why I do not search into this point is because I need it not And in handling the Right of a War I am not willing to intermix matter doubtful with that which is out of doubt For as in Capital Causes wherein but one Mans life is in question in favorem vitae the Evidence ought to be clear So much more in a Judgement upon a War which is Capital to Thousands I suppose therefore the worst That the Offensive War upon Bohemia had been unjust And then make the Case Which is no sooner made than resolved If it be made not enwrapped but plainly and perspicuously It is this in Thesi. An Offensive War is made which is unjust in the Aggressour The Prosecution and Race of
indeed maketh her Missions into the extream parts of the Nations and Isles And it is well But this is Ecce Vnus Gladius hic The Christian Princes and Potentates are they that are wanting to the Propagation of the Faith by their Arms. Yet our Lord that said on Earth to the Disciples Ite praedicate Said from Heaven to Constantine In hoc Signo Vince What Christian Souldier is there that will not be touched with a Religious Emulation to see an Order of Jesus or of Saint Francis or of Saint Augustine do such service for enlarging the Christian Borders And an Order of Saint Fago or Saint Michael or Saint George only to Robe and Feast and perform Rites and Observances Surely the Merchants themselves shall rise in judgment against the Princes and Nobles of Europe For they have made a great Path in the Seas unto the ends of the World And set forth Ships and Forces of Spanish English and Dutch enough to make China tremble And all this for Pearl or Stone or Spices But for the Pearl of the Kingdom of Heaven Or the Stones of the Heavenly Hierusalem Or the Spices of the Spouses Garden not a Mast hath been set up Nay they can make shift to shed Christian Bloud so far off amongst themselves and not a Drop for the Cause of Christ. But let me recall my self I must acknowledge that within the space of fifty years whereof I spake there have been three Noble and Memorable Actions upon the Infidels wherein the Christian hath been the Invader For where it is upon the Defensive I reckon it a War of Nature and not of Piety The first was that Famous and Fortunate War by Sea that ended in the Victory of Lepanto Which hath put a Hook into the Nostrils of the Ottomans to this day Which was the Work chiefly of that excellent Pope Pius Quintus whom I wonder his Successours have not declared a Saint The second was the Noble though Unfortunate Expedition of Sebastian King of Portugal upon Asrick which was atchieved by him alone So alone as left somewhat for others to Excuse The last was the brave Incursions of Sigismund the Transilvanian Prince The thred of whose Prosperity was cut off by the Christians themselves contrary to the Worthy and Paternal Monitories of Pope Clement the Eighth More than these I do not remember Pol. No! what say you to the Extirpation of the Moors of Valentia At which sudden Question Martius was a little at a stop and Gamaliel prevented him and said Gamaliel I think Martius did well in omitting that Action for I for my part never approved it And it seems God was not well pleased with that Deed For you see the King in whose time it passed whom you Catholicks count a Saint-like and Immaculate Prince was taken away in the Flower of his Age And the Author and great Counsellour of that Rigour whose Fortunes seemed to be built upon the Rock is ruined And it is thought by some that the reckonings of that Business are not yet clear'd with Spain For that numbers of those supposed Moors being tried now by their Exile continue constant in the Faith and true Christians in all points save in the thirst of Revenge Zebed Make not hasty Judgment Gamaliel of that great action Which was as Christs Fan in those Countries Except you could shew some such Covenant from the Crown of Spain as Josuah made with the Gibeonites That that Cursed Seed should continue in the Land And you see it was done by Edict not tumultuously The Sword was not put into the Peoples hand Eupol I think Martius did omit it not as making any Judgment of it either way But because it sorted not aptly with Actions of War being upon Subjects and without resistance But let us if you think good give Martius leave to proceed in his Discourse For methought he spake like a Divine in Armour Martius It is true Eupolis that the Principal Object which I have before mine Eyes in that whereof I speak is Piety and Religion But nevertheless if I should speak only as a Natural Man I should perswade the same thing For there is no such Enterprise at this day for secular Greatness and terrene Honour as a War upon Infidels Neither do I in this propound a Novelty or Imagination but that which is proved by late Examples of the same kind though perhaps of less difficulty The Castilians the Age before that wherein we live opened the New World And subdued and planted Mexico Peru Chile and other Parts of the West Indies We see what Floods of Treasure have flowed into Europe by that Action So that the Cense or Rates of Christendom are raised since ten times yea twenty times told Of this Treasure it is true the Gold was Accumulate and Store Treasure for the most part But the Silver is still growing Besides infinite is the Access of Territory and Empire by the same Enterprise For there was never an Hand drawn that did double the Rest of the Habitable World before this For so a Man may truly term it if he shall put to account as well that that is as that which may be hereafter by the further Occupation and Colonizing of those Countries And yet it cannot be affirmed if one speak ingenuously that it was the Propagation of the Christian Faith that was the Adamant of that Discovery Entry and Plantation But Gold and Silver and Temporal Profit and Glory So that what was first in Gods Providence was but second in Mans Appetite and Intention The like may be said of the famous Navigations and Conquests of Emanuel King of Portugal whose Armes began to circle Africk and Asia and to acquire not only the Trade of Spices and Stones and Musk and Drugs but Footing and places in those extream parts of the East For neither in this was Religion the principal but Amplification and Enlargement of Riches and Dominion And the Effect of these two Enterprises is now such that both the East and the West Indies being met in the Crown of Spain it is come to pass that as one saith in a brave kind of Expression The Sun never sets in the Spanish Dominions but ever shines upon one part or other of them Which to say truly is a beam of Glory though I cannot say it is so solid a Body of Glory wherein the Crown of Spain surpasseth all the former Monarchies So as to conclude we may see that in these Actions upon Gentiles or Infidels only or chiefly both the Spiritual and Temporal Honour and Good have been in one pursuit and purchase conjoyned Pol. Methinks with your favour you should remember Martins that Wild and Savage People are like Beasts and Birds which are Ferae Naturae the Property of which passeth with the Possession and goeth to the Occupant But of Civil People it is not so Mar. I know no such difference amongst reasonable Souls But that what soever is in order to the greatest and