and Gentlemen if yet ye haue not sufficient manifestation that euen against Tyrants Religion cannot serue for anie cloake or collour The Spanyard hath not he declared so much who tearming himselfe in Fraunce Protector of the Catholique Religion hath not hee neuerthelesse suffered Paganisme in many places of Granado Andalozia and Arragon for the great profit hee got by it many yeeres together Will ye not yet bethinke your selues what good affection the Spanyards haue of old borne to the French Did they not no long time since kindly intreate theÌ„ at Florida where they pluckt out theyr eyes to make them die the more miserably Their drift is to bee Commaunders ouer ye and if you haue goods and faire wiues to put you and your heyres to death to possesse your wiues and your goods as they haue practised the like in Flaunders Naples Millaine and in euery place where they by force doe domineere It is the Crowne it is the Crowne that all this debate is for although we hauing as I haue proued a lawfull succeeder there cannot be gathered any occasion for such a debate VVhen heere-to-fore there happened anie such like strife they had recourse to the estates of FrauÌ„ce as it chanced after the death of Lewes the 10. called Hutin that the Crowne was adiudged to Phillip le Long his brother And after Charles le Bel to Phillip de Valloys his Cousin against Edward king of England who pretended the cause of his Mother the daughter of Phillip le Bel sister to the last three kings but there she had no right by force of the Salique Lawe which excludes the daughters of Fraunce from any succession It is now no question of holding the estates in this regard seeing no one maketh doubt but that the Crowne appertaineth to Henry of Burbon by whoÌ„ for his race admirable perfections with his happy fortunes in war amidst so many trauerses the estate receiueth more honor being gouerned by such a king theÌ„ the King dooth of the estate which comes to him by succession as beeing the very neerest heire to the Crowne Then you braue Lordes and Gentlemen of Fraunce whose famous Grandfathers defended this Kingdome by their vertuous strength and made their glorie wondered at through the world spend not your valiant noble blood to your eternal destruction but as your spirits are rockes of far more excellent perfection so seeke such waies as are more worthy and coÌ„mendable for ye To bring again this estate with the whole body of the Nobillity who haue euer stood with the King from whom through false impression your selues are dismembred into her former splendour honorable quiet Vnite your selues to your king your soueraigne Lord to extirpate this rebellion and chase hence your entertained euils the Spanyards your auncient and mortall enemies thereby to bring and re-establish this poore afflicted Realme into such peace and tranquillitie as all good mindes desire and is promised by your generositie force with the grace and blessing of God who I pray to open your eyes to let you wade no further in the loue of thys vnlawfull League that like a subtill Thais is prouided of a thousand baytes and sleights to catch yee withall But if ye continue in her seruice ye shall find your selues betweene two stooles wher-through as the Prouerbe is the taile falles to ground and too late repentance with most pittifull end will be the recompence of your pernicious pursutes and the dishonest pleasures you haue had with her Followe followe then the steppes of the most magnanimous and valiant Princes of the blood so many great Lordes Marshalles of Fraunce Dukes Earles Marquesses Barons and Gentlemen of marke the number wherof is infinite and innumerable al which expose them selues and their deuoire for the seruice of hys Maiesty the reliefe of the estate to preserue you if ye forget not your selues in your goods priueledges and immunities seeking nothing but the quiet and prosperitie heereof God giue them grace and you likewise to make some profit of this fore-warning to the end that wee hauing occasion more and more to bee thankefull to the King for his infinite bountie those faithful subiects that attend on him the celestiall fauour and assistance accompanying the Kings power your amendment and reconciliation may turne to the happie successe of these publique affayres the rest and re-establishment of thys disolate Kingdome FINIS A. M. * The King 〈◊〉 was 〈◊〉 by Iacobiâ— Fryar * Biaâ—â— a naâ—â— scorneâ— they 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 â—utward 〈◊〉 the â—â—tenance â—edition murder 〈◊〉 the exâ—â—ples Two Iacobines the procurers 〈◊〉 foure thoâ—â—sand and more to bâ— murdered Lisbone â—n obserâ—â—â—t Fryar â—â—â—swaded King of â—â—stile to 〈◊〉 sundry â—â—ristians â—eath â—â—ming 〈◊〉 Apoâ—â—â—â—aes * The dysâ—grace of 〈◊〉 begging Fryars by Doctor of Sorbonne Iesuits too â—roud to be â—eggers â—â—ey rather â—ake begâ—ers to â—aintaine â—â—emselues A Spanyâ—rd the first â—uthour of 〈◊〉 Iesuits â—lame â—â—ning 〈◊〉 proud â—â—nde of â—â—le that 〈◊〉 whole â—â—doms â—â—ther by â—â—ares * The 〈◊〉 counâ—â—â—naunce this 〈◊〉 vn-holie League * An othâ—â— bragge aâ— dissembliâ—â— shewe of these wickâ—â— CoÌ„federaâ—â— * The FreÌ„â—â— against 〈◊〉 French exâ—â—cute the bloody 〈◊〉 of the Spaâ—nyards And is â—â—â—ewise in â—â—glish by 〈◊〉 name of 〈◊〉 Spanish â—â—â—donie * A fitte â—â—â—ample of the Leaguers proâ—ceedings 〈◊〉 Fraunce â—â—at 〈…〉 to the 〈◊〉 black 〈◊〉 Son 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the 3. â—ngland 〈◊〉 re 〈◊〉 thys â—â—â—lesse K. 〈◊〉 seate 〈◊〉 he had 〈◊〉 it * The Sâ—â—â—nyards 〈◊〉 coÌ„tinue deuotion their Goâ— * A Caâ—â—â—logue of honest 〈◊〉 Spanâ—â—â—ards such they 〈◊〉 still to thâ— day * Bloodie Spanyard murderer of Kings spoylers oâ— Commoâ— weales * No examâ—â—es alleadâ—â—d but 〈◊〉 of the â—â—â—cked Spaâ—â—ards * Parmaeâ— war but 〈◊〉 his owne profit and the King 〈◊〉 maister The holy 〈◊〉 is â—â—ll it selfe * The blâ—â—dished 〈◊〉 of y e 〈◊〉 wherby tâ— deceiue 〈◊〉 world â—â—hn 29. 〈◊〉 5. 〈◊〉 59. â— Thes. 5 〈◊〉 6. * True Râ—â—ligion noâ— to be decâ—â—ded by thâ— sword 〈◊〉 the examâ—ple * Religioâ— not to bâ— changed any constraint bâ—â— to be 〈◊〉 stood by 〈◊〉 sufâ—â—raunce God in iâ—â—stice righâ— the cause â—ath 10. 〈◊〉 23. 〈◊〉 13. â—ct 2 â—â—ou 8. â—hat we 〈◊〉 to 〈◊〉 our 〈◊〉 and â—â—â—rebell any 〈◊〉 of cause * Deut. 17 * 1. Sam. 9 1. Peter 2 * 1 Sam. 1 * 1 Sam. 2 1. Sam 24 1. Sam 24 〈◊〉 26 1. Sam. 24. â— Sam 26. 1. Sam 3â— 2. Sam 1 â— Sam 16 â— Kings 1. * 1. Reg. â—â— * 1. Reg. â—â— * 1. Reg. â—â— * 1. Reg. â—â— Kin. 19. Kin. 21. Kin. 22. Kin. 9. Kin. 22. * Epiphaâ—us in hys boâ—ke oâ— the lyues the Prophets * Dan 3 and 6. * Iohn 1 â— * Luke 9 Acts 23 Exod 23 Rom 12 â— Pet 2 〈◊〉 1 et 3. * Baru 3. * Heb 11 * Math 3. Iohn 1 Marke 1 Esay 40 * Math â— * Math â— * Luke ◠〈◊〉 18 â—ath 15 â—ath 10 * Iameâ—â—
to imagine it may any way redownde to your profit and aduantage be not I entreate you so easily deceiued What mis-fortune is it to Fraunce that heeretosore hath beene a refuge to other afflicted Nations a terror to the very proudest people that reigned in Greece in Pâ—lestine and hath been renowmed thorowe Europe Asia Affrica hath astonied the Almaignes conquered the Gaules commanded in Italie often-times combatted the hardie English with-stood Emperours and other great Monarchies chased the Sarrasins of Spayne who neuerthelesse haue left behind them too many of their seede What mishap is it I say that Fraunce shold now be constrained to send for the succour of Strangers not to augment her glory to conquer from the enemy the auncient patrimony of the Crowne and thereby to erect Trophies of your victories according to the famous testimonies left by your Auncestors but to deliuer vp herselfe to them as a pray to expose to their pillage holy Temples Pallaces and Castels to giue them raunsome or rather to sell them her Gentlemen peaceable Cittizens Merchaunts handicrafts-men women children and sucking infants yea euen against herselfe to coniure so resolutely Behold the estate wherein you may now see thys poore King beggered well neere by the meanes of your League glyding vnder the species albeit a false pretence of Religion heere too long a time Will ye not my Lords by the accustomed fidelity of true French-men vnmaske your eyes see into what Labyrinth you are entred and ioyne in this most iust cause to recouer with your King the happy times that were in the raignes of K. Lewes the 12. Fraunces the first and Henrie the second whom your Fathers and Grand-fathers faithfully serued Who is the French Historian that now can say of the three estates of this Realme as Titus Liuius wrote of the good accorde of the three orders ordained in Rome Certainly saith he the Cittie of Rome is verie happie inuincible and eternall by her concorde the Knights are excellent men and worthy to be praised the people kinde and dutifull the mildnes and humanitie of the Senate onely conquers through the prompt and voluntarie obedience of the people The Antithesis heere is most apparent for Paris is brought into such estate as she may cal herselfe vnhappy neere her destruction The Ecclesiasticall persons that ought to maintaine this great Citty in peace concord they breath forth nothing but bloode and fire sowing no other seed but of dissention and perswading the people to force iustice and abuse the Magistrates Consider my Lords you that haue read Histories how discorde and partialitie the cause of sedition and troubles hath wrought the fall and vnfortunate end of most mighty Empyres and florishing Common-weales that strange enemies neuer brought them such misery and calamity as their own domesticall disquietnes where vnder the countenaunce of Weale publique liberty and such like pretences euen as the Leaguers do at thys instant they conspired and compassed the vniuersal ruine of the estate It hath been well noted from time to tyme that neuer was any florishing Cittie destroyed by an Armie of Strangers if first of all she nourished not ciuill warres in her owne bosome then must it needes follow that after long ciuill warre eyther her estate is changed or els by the stranger she is brought into a lamentable condition Doe not your selues heere beholde the like Paris is it not already and that very willingly in the Spanyards gouernement vnder collour of deliuerance seeing it remaineth now at hys deuotion O blinded French-men who for reiecting the sweet Lawes of peace abiure the fidelity you owe to your King to sheeld ye from the punishments due to your breach of fayth became Rebels murderers of the late King making recourse to your enemy who hath circkled you with his Armes that knowes right well how to raise his profit on your insolencies as already ye see what he hath doone Were it not better for you to acknowledge your faults and desire pardon of the King who naturally is inclined to mercy And you my noble Lords who through misgouernment haue suffered your selues to be carryed away with the passions of the League shall doe much better to reioyne againe wyth your King and heade you beeing as you are principall members of the estate whereby at once will be quenched sedition discorde warre partialities as also the stranger chased away who smiling in his sleeue at our deuisions by these bad affaires returneth himselfe good profit I beseech ye consider what Plato saith Ciuill war is nothing els but sedition a capitall pernicious plague to the Common-wealth which infecteth with the contagion thereof all the partakers therein and most commonly it proceedeth of couert and small occasions like vnto a pyning Ague which beeing not at the first perceiued and by medicines preuented consumeth the body by little and little to iust nothing This ciuill warre is then the more dangerous in that it is enterprised against the King and the estate vnder a false pretence which will cause if you open not your eyes God vouchsafe to holde strong hande with the true and holy intent of the King such ciuill spoyle among our selues as wee shall be made forreiners in our owne Country For thus will the Spanyard if he can deale with ye in the end set foote vpon your throates to rid himselfe of you and then will make warre on ye not as a freend or confederate but as an enemy both to one and other Not as a Protecter or Deliuerer as the foolish rebellious people vainlie tearme him but as a proude Vsurper and blood-thirstie Tyrant Can ye thinke his coÌ„ming into Fraunce is for any other intent If ye dreame on any other friuelous opinions ye but abuse your selues Preuent then in good tyme this slye deceitfull Spanyard beate backe his stratagemes with other of more honor for if ye with-hold your selues ouer-long from asswaging this discord which is daily and hourelie aduaunced by your mortall enemie that already leades yee with him as captiues in tryumph ye shall find it as hard to get any remedie or helpe as to heale the Feuer Ethique that hath got the maisterie in a languishing bodie This rebellion hatched so long time by the practises and deuises of the Spanyard who alreadie vaunteth that he hath yee in possession and as it were tyed fast in his snares is euerie hand-while mooued and enflamed as a fyre kindled in a thicke wood and as the one wyth the winde so the other with smooth shadowes sweet speeches and notorious trecheries is dispersed with such violence as the greater part of Fraunce is rent and mangled The rest that is left and abideth in obedience to the King receiueth wonderfull discommodities Notwithstanding they are resolued not to forsake hym or to participate with a thought of thys rebellion because they are not ignorant that GOD hath expresly commaunded in so many places as heer-tofore wee
treades your state vnder his feete but you drawe your weapons to helpe him to his enterprise Knowe ye not that alteration in all things but chiefelie in these publique affaires is most dangerous Without wandring for farre fetcht examples Phillip de Commines deliuereth one of the Realme of England where thorow the partialities betweene the Houses of Lancaster and Yorke each aspyring to the Crowne dyed in eyght and twenty yeeres more then four-score persons all of the blood royall with the verie flower of the English Nobilitie and infinite other valiant men the onely and best Souldiours in all the Land The other Lords were thrust in prison or banished passing the remainder of theyr liues very miserably in strange CouÌ„tries In the end the two Houses being vnited by the marriage of Henrie the seauenth with Elizabeth daughter to King Edwarde the fourth all these troubles ceased See the hurt that ensueth by such deuisions what more strange matter are wee then to expect in such a huge rebellion as this is of the Leaguers Find you it any way reasonable that the true and naturall successour of the Crowne shold endure any other to call his right in question by force of Armes to take it from him that is the most hardie valiant Prince on the earth and who hath learned to haue his Armour oftner on his bodie then the habit royall or the pompe and seruice that other Princes haue which lyue in quiet It is the common cause of all Monarchies to maintaine against the Subiects the estate of a iust and lawfull King and you beeing Noble-men that holde assuraunce of your noblesse goods and faculties of your King will not you maintaine the same against his Subiects and rebellious enemies The Lawe and custome of Fraunce receiued at the first establishing of the Kingdome dyd alwaies refer the Crowne to the next Male issue of the blood royall our Kings then heerin beeing giuen vs by nature mee thinkes there is no reason that any occasion shoulde remooue our estate The Crowne is seated in this so ancient illustrious and royall House of Burbon next succeeding that of Valoys discended of the linage of Orleance In the time of K. Charles the sixth thorowe the practises of the Duke of Burgundie who had made a League with the King of England against Charles Dolphine sonne to the King beside the exheriditation his Father made of him depriuing him of succession in the kingdome there was a certaine iudgment giuen against him in an assembly held at Paris wherby he was exiled banished the Realme beeing declared vnworthy there to succeede On this vniust iudgement he appealed to God and hys sword when the iustice of his cause beeing assisted by the inuincible power of GOD the Crowne was preserued for him and hee established with very wonderfull victories thorow all all his kingdome from whence hee chased the Englishmen beeing reconciled to the Duke of Burgundie and deceassed to the great griefe of all his Subiects leauing them in good peace quiet Whereby you may perceiue that albeit euery one was set against the true heyre to the Crowne yea the Father himselfe yet God in his admirable prouidence woulde not permit that the kingdome should be trans-ferred from the race and linage of S. Lewes neither is it to be doubted that his grace preuenting with the deuoire of all good and faithfull French-men but that it will be continued to all his posterity whereof this most famous and royall House of Burbon is the very neerest and onely heyre to the Crowne What cause then is there to prolong these ciuil warres troubles for the estate seeing we haue the legittimate successour Ah nothing els but absurd and monstrous ambition But some zealous Rebel tels me that he is an Heretique tush these are old stale lyes thys poynt if he were so seeing he demaundeth and offereth to be better instructed is not as yet discided To be an heretique as els where I haue said is obstinately to holde an opinion concerning Religion and rather to die then to forsake it Seest thou in our King any such headdie or obstinate resolution Howe many times hath hee giuen thee to vnderstand his ready will and intent Moreouer this is no argument and good consequent The King is not of our Religion therefore hee is dishabled from succeeding in the Crowne Thou argumentest very ill not like any good Logitian The debate thou vrgest for the Crowne makes a greater breach blemish into Christian religion then if willinglie thou didst consent giue him place as in dutie thou art bound to do seeing that right neither thou or hee can hinder from him to whom it appertaineth which thou hast neither eyes to behold or wit to conceiue If heerin thou mightst preuaile couldst thou be tearmed a good Christistian that flyes and abhors as a plague the ininfamous note of rebellion yea fosakes landes goods wife children and all to follow his King That tearme thou maist returne vpon thy selfe though now thou callest his Highnesse followers pollitiques and heretiques as pleaseth thee to baptise theÌ„ notwithstanding they are more assured of their fayth then thou art and better Chritians then any that take part with thee Of what Religion were our first Kinges of the Merouingians race vntill Clouis the fiâ—t king of Fraunce and first Christian King VVere they any Christians or knewe they what the name of a Christian was What were their subiects hauing receiued the Christian fayth Dyd they for thys cause refuse the obedience they ought in dutie Did they reiect chase or kyll them Ye shall not find one such poynt or anie History that maketh such mention But you Rebels that are too much at your case will not acknowledge your King who so many times hath protested to ye to preserue maintaine ye in your estates and in the Christian Catholique Religion vnder a shadow saist thou himselfe not beeing a Catholique Doost thou know the inward of his words purpose Is there any one can say that euer he falsified his fayth Hee hath sollemnely sworne to defende the Catholique religion as his proper life thinke then if it should be hindered although he neuer will goe against his owne commaundement thy selfe must be the onely cause therof Obey theÌ„ the King let the estate be brought againe into quiet and then thou maist assure thy selfe that when the King would alter any thing in Religion whereon I am perswaded he neuer so thinks he cannot do it nor is it any part of his intent You rather ought to pray to GOD with vs that he will graunt him grace stedfastly to embrace the Catholique religion to plant it heere mildly by reason and not force violence or fyre likewise to loue and esteeme so many valiant good French of contrary opinion that sell not as our zealous Leaguers doe theyr King and Countrey to the Spanyard It is not by blood and death to winne mens consciences
shee defends her-selfe by Martyrs by Fayth Humilitie Obedience yea all the other Vertues and not by mortall Armes The Church is millitant but with what warre hurts and woundes euen those of her Spouse CHRIST IESVS who so giues Religion anie other Armes then those that Christ Iesus gaue to hys Church in stedde of aduauncing dooth ruinate it The Armes gyuen by GOD to a Christian are iustice in sted of a Corselet the Helmet of Health the inexpugnable Target of Equitie the Shield of Fayth the Sworde of the Spirit which is the worde of GOD. Heere-vpon Saint Paule sayth Let vs which are of the daie bee sober putting on the Breast-plate of Fayth and Charitie and the hope of Saluation for our Helmet For God hath not appointed vs to wrath but to obtaine Saluation by our Lord Iesus Christ. And to the Ephesians he sayth Finally my Bretheren be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might Put on all the Armour of GOD that yee may stande against the assaults of the deuill For wee wrestle not against fleshe and bloode but against Rulers against powers against worldly Gouernours of the darkenesse of this world against spirituall wickednesse in heauenly places For this cause take vnto you the whole Armour of GOD that yee may be able to resist the euill daie and hauing fynished all things to stand fast hauing your feete shodde with the preparation of the Gospell of Peace Aboue all taking the Shielde of Fayth where-with you maie quenche all the fierie Dartes of the Wicked Take also the Helmet of Saluation and the Sworde of the Spirite which is the Woorde of GOD. These Armes are commendable meete for a Christian and hee is forbidden to vse other materiall Armes where he goes for Religion and for hys conscience vvhich are no proper meanes to maintayne and defende them withall And nowe at thys instant comes to my memorie an example well worthie noting shewing that Religion ought not to be debated or prooued by corporall Armes The Hystorie is taken from the faythfull Corriualles of Spayne The Maister of Acantara D. Martin Ianes de la Barduba of the Portugall Nation entred in quarrell with the King of Granado about Religion and woulde make proofe of the trueth of his Religion by Armes Heereupon at the motion of a certaine Hermit vvho had promised hym victorie against the Infidell Moore King in despight of the King of Castile to whom he was subiect and had forbidde him to enter war on this occasion he brought an Armie to the Fielde gaue Battaile to the Moore King and there by the iust iudgement of God was worthily punished For there was he slaine and hys Armie vanquished driuen to flight by the Granadanes In thys case he vsed no manner of collour or pretence the trueth was that he tooke Armes for the maintenaunce of the Christian Religion and yet neuerthelesse was ouer-come Then thou that vnder cloake of Religion hast raised these Armes and perpetrated so manie sundry euils what thinkest thou will become of thee That it is not lawfull for a Subiect to Arme himselfe against his King for what pretence so euer it bee IS it not permitted thē sayst thou to bandie our forces against an hereticall Prince Albeit thou hadst such a one yet is it not for a Subiect to Arme himselfe against his King and that the Catholique Noble men which follow him may well gyue thee to vnderstand Tush this is nothing els but thy deceit it sits thee well to haue such a colloured pretext although thou hast no hereticall Prince For the good life and behauiour of his Maiestie with the desire hee hath to be better instructed without obstinacie if he were in errour as he is not exempts him from that infamous name and renowneth him wyth the most Christian King The tree is knowne by his fruite good reason then that thy barbarous actions shoulde shewe thee to be plunged in the bottomlesse depth of Atheisme For if thou didst beleeue in GOD or but loue him thou wouldest folow his word and obey thy Prince what euer he be in hys conscience he seeketh not to constraine thine He is a Christian most Christian King further of from the infidelitie and impietie that raignes in thee then thou or thy helpers are neere your tyrannous willes to despoile him of hys Crowne I would particulerly aunswer to all thy false inductions placed in a rancke vnder thys slye pretence if others better able then I had not doone it before mee wherein there is not anie thing forgotten This is to bee granted that a soueraigne Prince is not to be violate and hys Subiects are bound to obey him whatsoeuer he be without doing that which is contrarie to the honour of God If the King command me to goe to war in his seruice to mount my horse and to giue a charge vppon the enemies of his estate I will doe it most gladly and am bound in duetie so to doe If he commaund me to change my Religion I will not doe it neither is there any such duetie to be exacted on me But his Highnesse is so wise as he well knowes that his power tendeth not that way at his descretion and appointment remaines our bodies and goods the conscience onely appertaineth to God He can not force it and if perchaunce he should offer the meanes of constraint I would withstand him by sufferance and giue ouer force not resist againe by force I will change my Countrey to shunne this compulsion or I will dye in the defence of my Religion notwithstanding our good Kings thoughts are farre from this he wil not make warre against God to take from hym his kingdome which is our conscience soule he being inspyred with him and burning in the zeale of his loue Hauing deuided the French Empire with God thinkest thou hee will take from him his part or but enterprise vppon hys estate Hee is no Tyrant to doe so like thee that wouldest vsurpe and teare it altogether out of his handes but hee shall well enough defende thee thou hast a puissant and vnconquerable aduersarie against thee hee that with him hath part of this Empire And when thou hast presented all thy humaine forces those that thou hast gathered together of lost men and strange Spanyards equall in number with the Armie of Xerxes yet shalt thou not be able I will not say to fight but onely to hold head against our Alcides hauing hys Maister the most mighty King of Kings to be hys helper who holds him by the hand who in thys estate established him and the predecessours of hy srace for the space of sixe hundred yeeres and more commaundeth vs to obey him thou to thy extreame damage hast prooued hys force more then Herculean Hys Edicts and holy ordinaunces be obeyed and most expresly already proposed by manie pennes and sundry Doctors of diuinitie for our perfection which consisteth in the obedience due to
GOD and consequently to such as he hath placed ouer vs Kings Princes and other theyr Lieuetenants for the chastising and punishment of male-factors and sounde assuraunce of the good To resist the King and hys seculer authoritie is to ryse against GOD the Authour and protector of royall dignitie by which Kings raigne and the Princes of the earth exercise iustice towards theyr Subiects By which the wise are maintained Rebels prostrated theyr enterprises ouer-throwne and the iniury doone to the blessed and annoynted of the Lord searched into and venged wyth seuerity The antiquity of the Royall estate is most excellentlie noted in the holie Scripture and recommended in Melchisedech King of Salem in the tyme of the great Patriarch Abraham long before Moises Kings depend and are established by God ouer theyr people God sayd to the people of Israell When thou art come into the land which the Lord thy God giueth thee and enioyest it and dwellest therein and if thou shalt say I will sette a King ouer me like as all the other Nations that are about me thē thou shalt make him King ouer thee whom the Lord thy God shal chuse from among the number of thy Brethren and thou maist not sette a stranger ouer thee that is not of thy Bretheren Since thys Lawe in the tyme of Samuel the Israelites desirous to vse theyr priuiledge receiued of GOD demaunded that a King might goe before them leade theyr warres defend theyr Countrey and venge them on theyr enemies euen as by all other Nations they behelde the Maiestie royall to florish and be aduaunced Which by the commaundement of God was graunted to them wheron succeeded Dauid chosen according to Gods owne hart and so continued this dignitie among the Israelites tyll by the deuision of the people diuorce of the auncient Religion it was tottered and shaken and afterward in the ende dissipated and brought to nothing Neuerthelesse what captiuitie ensued on the people of the Hebrewes what-soeuer strange Kings were commaunded them yet had they euermore in chiefe commendation the Royall greatnesse and were instructed by the Prophets to obey and pray for their Kings yea although they were Ethnickes and Pagans in so much as GOD had appointed them theyr Lords during theyr bondage and captiuitie Subiects ought in all feare to submit themselues to theyr Princes not onely the good and humaine but those likewise that are stearne rigorous for this is agreeable to the wil of God If any one for the cause of hys conscience towards God endureth vexation and suffers vniustly our God in no case will permit the Seruaunt to contend against his Maister nor the vassayle to take vp Armes against his King But the King sayst thou is contrary to thee in doctrine what dooth thys pretence auayle thee when were he contrary in doctrine and as impious and sacriligious as thy selfe yet it followes not that iustly thou art to reuolt from him to make warre vpon him to attempt hys life and the spoyle of his estate It is certaine that Saule for hauing contraryed Gods commaundement in pardoning the Amalechites whom he should haue put to the sword hee was giuen ouer to the euill Spirit who by times tormented him and declared him vnworthy of the Realme Notwithstanding was it lawfull for any liuing man among his subiects to enterprise against him So much wanted it in Dauid himselfe who coulde finde farre greater occasion to doe it than any other not onely pretending to the Crowne hauing beene before by the Prophet Samuell annoynted King of Israell but also carrying in memorie the iniuries he receiued of Saule day by day in recompence of his good and faithfull seruices albeit he were a fugetiue he his father and all his race albeit in despight of him through cruell indignation Saule had caused to be slaine the sacrificing Priests of God to the number of foure score and fiue that wore the linnen Ephode besides discomfited their cittie Nob in the same rage slewe with the edge of the sworde so many men women children yonge sucking Infants Oxen Sheepe and Asses as were there to bee founde onely because the hygh Priest Ahimelech gaue Dauid to eate in extreame necessitie as also deliuered him the sword of Goliah being ignorant that he had fled the Court and was in Saules displeasure Although that Dauid was searched through all the corners of Israell in the Mountains Deserts Rockes and places very neere vnaccessable although that Saule had appointed concluded his death and Dauid hearing this sentence well knew himselfe to be innocent although that God had giuen the King into hys handes and easily hee might haue put him to death Yet had he no will to touch the person Royall assuring himselfe that who soeuer durst be so hardy what good right to euer he coulde pretend in the cause yet should he not stande innocent before the face of God Which well hee witnessed in the Caue of En-gadi and in the Desert of Ziph euen there where soone after Saule was discomfited For euen as Dauid was hyd in the Rockes of En-gadi Saule beeing aduertised thereof tooke three thousand of the most chosen men in all Israell and so went to seeke Dauid and his men in sollitarie and vn-habitable places There Saule causing his men to come before hym went into a Caue to ease himselfe and Dauid and hys men remained behind within the same Caue whē as Dauids people thus spake to him Nowe is the day whereof the Lorde thy God tolde thee see heere I giue thine enemie into thine hand and thou shalt doe with him what thou pleasest Dauid behelde his enemy alone in a place conuenient farre enough from hys men disgarnished of defence and brought in all poynts according to hys owne wyll Hee coulde haue smytten hym without hazarding the meanest of hys people or without moouing his enemies troupe now could he haue left the Host a buried memorie of the place wher Saule had withdrawne himselfe that there should not remaine any tracke of hys entrance or foorth-comming Albeit he knew by thys deede he should be deliuered from all hys enemies at once and aduanced to the Maiestie royal promised him before notwithstanding hee was so farre of from reknowledging the ingratitude and ill will of the King as secretly hee arose and cutting a peece of the skyrt of hys garment beeing yet touched in his hart because he had done so much he sayd to hys men The Lord keepe me from dooing that thing to the King my Soueraigne Lord Maister the Lords annointed let not me lay my hand on his person that is sacred and annointed For albeit hee is nowe in my power to reuenge my selfe yet will I not doe that which I knowe is defended and prohibited by God seeing he is annointed of him Thus Dauid appeased the people wyth hys words and woulde not permit them to ryse against Saule notwithstanding all the reasons they
scattered in the vineyard of the innocent whose death shee had before sollicited Dyed not Athalia who put to death all the royall Children of Ochozias whereto withstood the high Priest Iehoiada that reserued Ioas in whom the reigne was afterward established and made peaceable But very true is it that when Ioas fell into forgetfulnesse of thys good turne hee consented to the death of Zacharia sonne to Iehoiada for which cause God suffered that he shoulde be slayne by hys owne proper seruants which notwithstanding none of the sacrificing Priestes nor Prophets woulde attempt or perswade considering that aboue all things the person Royall is to be reuerenced How many Prophets were in tymes past put cruelly to death by Kings who neuer excited any tumult against them but rather councelled and induced them to repentance Esay was parted through the myddest of the bodie with a Sawe by the commaundement of the King Manasses Ieremie was kept prisoner vnder Zedechias by the Gouernours of the Lande of Beniamin The three Children were cast into the midst of the fiery Fornace by the commaundement of Nabuchodonozer King of Babilon Daniel was two seuerall tymes cast out to the Lyons vnder the raigne of Pagane Kings Yet reade we not that these dyd so much as speake euill of the Princes Magistrates that gaue such sentence on them Looke then vpon our Sauiour Christ hymselfe the true example of iustice albeit hee knew the wicked intent of Pilate did he make any acknowledgement of hauing power from aboue Where dyd he commaund to force the cruell Magistrates albeit he could haue done it when himselfe pleased Moreouer did he not reproue the wish of S. Iames and S. Iohn who desired that fire might discend vppon Samaria because theyr entrance there was refused S. Paule albeit he were smitten before the Prince of the Priestes dyd he not freely say He knew not his greatnes when he reproued him For it is written quoth he Thou shalt not curse or speak euill of the Ruler of the people howe much lesse lawfull is it then to attempt any ill against hys person But still thou obiectest that the King is of a contrary Religion The late King whom thou dydst murder was not he a Catholique yet in thy bloodie passion hast thou not slaine him cōtrary to the will of God And shold it be that our King were of a contrary Religion and an enemie to the Lawes of God which hee is not but feares honours him cherisheth his subiects both of the one and other Religion would gladly pacifie hys Kingdome requires to be instructed if he were in errour is that sufficient cause for thee to kyll him whom GOD alone hath lifted to thys authoritie The contrary were more necessary rather as S. Paule sayth To ouer-come euil by dooing good so that our good works may serue to stop the mouthes of ignoraunt and foolish men whereby those may be confounded that esteeme Religion to be an enemy to the publique quiet For who doubts that Nabuchodonozer was not a man of pernicious opinion when hee destroyed the Temple ouerthrew the Altar pyld away the holy Vessels led captiue the people of Israell into Babilon and constrained many to worship the Image which he caused to be erected yet neuerthelesse so farre were these people from conspyring against him as Baruch the Scribe to Ieremie in the name of them wrote to the Iewes that remained at Ierusalem that they should pray for the life of Nabuchodonozer King of Babilon and Balthazar hys Son See Daniell himselfe was not he faithfull to Darius and Cyrus theyr successours Albeit he was a stranger and a Captiue found he not grace of thē for hys loyall seruice yet notwithstanding he was by nation a Iewe the other Gentiles he the seruaunt of God the other Idolaters he a Prophet of God the other blinded in al their doctrines I would haue all the Prophets alleadged find me but one that vnder any pretence whatsoeuer it were dyd at any tyme take Armes against hys Prince yet were they vsed but as vagabounds glad to lyue in Mountaines in sollitarie and desert places to escape and not to mooue persecution S. Iohn the fore-runner of our Sauiour Iesus Christ saw in his time Herode Idumean a counterfeit Iewe vsurpe the Realme of Galilee and Iurie he knew the Romaines to be Gentiles and Idolaters that they had by force not right depriued the people of Israel of theyr lybertie brought them to be tributarie ordained Gouernours after theyr owne minde and doone such things against the people of God as hee myght well complaine on and lament did he for al that purpose any thing to their preiudice or teach them to reuolt against theyr Empyre The Pharisies came to hym for counsell gaue he them any meane to mutinie against the Romaines The Souldiours and men of war came to hym sayd he any thing else to them but that they should remaine contented wyth their wages Dyd he say to them that the Romans ought not to raigne or because it was permitted that therfore they should rise agaynst them Moreouer Herodias molested him King Herode hated him because he was not a pleaser of theyr persons He knew wel that his death was plotted by Phillips wife dyd hee therefore animate his Disciples to sette themselues against her or Hered or dyd he practise any meane to escape Nothing lesse but willingly entred the pryson submitted hys necke to the Executioner offered himselfe to the death hauing good meanes by hys followers that day by day visited hym to rayse a mutinie among the people for his deliueraunce For how should hee haue prepared the Lords way if at that time and place hee had shewed himselfe impacient Hee was the fore-runner of hym that taught him to obey pay tributes doe the rest of hys dutie to the Princes of this worlde albeit they were Pagans and Idolaters That it should be so our Sauiour IESVS CHRIST dyd hee euer preach or permit that any one should styrre against Caesar he so much despised it as beeing demaunded if it were lawfull to pay hym tribute or no hee aunswered Giue vnto Caesar that which is Caesars and vnto God that which is Gods I say furthermore himselfe although he was poore yet paid he the Trybute for him and S. Peter commanding him to take out of a Fish a peece of money to dyscharge there-with his duetie Hee sawe the Publicanes and gnawers of the people to be exacters ransackers of poore soules vnder pretence of seeking the Romaine Princes right neuerthelesse he neuer did or would take occasion to murmur but himselfe haunted to the Publicans and dyd eate drinke wyth them He well noted the ambition of the Kings of the Gentiles saying they would stand vppon the tytles of gouerning yet did hee euer animate the people to chase them frō their seates He knew the cruelty of Herod the iniustice
of Pilate the auarice and hypocrisie of the Scribes and Pharisies notwithstanding he euer-more commaunded to obey them Dyd he find fault with the Scribes and Pharisies sitting in Moises chayre or that the people should not do what they sayd albeit theyr workes were very contrary Beeing brought before Herode dyd he murmure When he was bounde to be presented before the wicked Iudges as well Iewes as Pagans Did not he forbid S. Peter to vse the sworde yet neuerthelesse he knew himselfe to be innocent the other vile men he iust the other vniust he trueth it selfe the other full of lyes and corrupted by false witnesses He could with one word haue ouer-thrown them as sometime hee did the imperious Rulers he could haue past thorow the middest of them as he dyd in Nazareth hee coulde haue made the earth swallowe them as of olde the mutinous were with Dathan Corah and Abiram Notwithstanding to leaue an example to such as were his he esteemed it better to suffer and councelled rather to flye then vse violence against the Magistrate So other-whiles seeing his Disciples began to animate themselues against the Pharisies Let them alone quoth hee they be the blinde leaders of the blinde and so taught them rather to Arme themselues with pacience then to offer any violence He very often fore-told them That they should be brought before Kings Princes and Iudges for his sake Did he therefore bid them finde some meane to sette footing in the Realmes they entred to the end they shold cōplot and practise the death of the Lordes that there ruled Did he councell them after theyr entraunce into speech to aduaunce theyr complaints afterwarde Armes and then treasons Did hee euer aduise to vse humaine forces to such as had nothing but the two weapons in the time of their furie To take from any for such as had left their owne to lift such to the seates of the earth as war-fared onely but for heauen He told them that they should be happy when they endured persecution when they were afflicted and chased Did he ioyne hereto that they should be happy when they had murthered a King spoiled a faire Countrey prayed on all the goods of poore people massacred and killed all such as withstood them In what place of the Scripture canst thou finde one onely point for confirmation of such deedes Where canst thou shew that the Apostles made themselues heades of such enterprises From what word dost thou gather that the Subiects may bandye themselues against their Prince If we shall come to the Apostles wee shall read sufficiently howe they endured perpersecution by Tyrants yet shall wee not read that by corporall armes they offered rebellion The Apostle S. Peter was helde prisoner by King Herode the Armes of the Church was fasting and Prayer for his deliuerance The selfe same Herod put to death S. Iames the brother of S. Iohn yet did not the Church in any case mutinie against him S. Stephen was stoned by the wicked sentence with what Armes did he reuenge himselfe He knewe that the Prophet had sayd Leaue vengeance to me for I will doe it therefore he spake no euill but prayed to God for his persecutors Thys charity dyd hee learne of hys Maister Christ Iesus who kissing the Traytour Iudas called him friende and prayed vpon the Crosse for hys tormentors Likewise he had learned of him that he which sheddeth blood is the child of the deuill such as the Iewes were in following the desires of their fathers For quoth he the deuill your father was a murderer from the beginning And because that light and darkenesse Christ and Beliall God and the deuill are not alike Therefore our Sauiour gaue his Disciples manifestly to vnderstand that they ought to abhorre bloode and slaughter VVhich S. Paule well witnessed when he gloried not in temporall Armes but spirituall not in the honours of thys world but in afflictions for Iesus Christ in prisons fastings shyp-wracks hatred perrils on the way daunger of spoyles deceite of false bretheren and other persecutions assuring himselfe that these were the meanes whereby a Christian man was to be exalted Hee sayth he shall be hated and despised of the world Likewise He is as a sheep appointed for the slaughter Great difference is betweene the Apostles and the false Apostles at this day in seeking the meanes to surprize Kings gainst whom they no way practised any reuenge We endured persecution sayth Saint Paule yet were we not vanquished in that as witnesseth S. Iames That the persecution of our fayth moulded vs in patience whereby all the worke of a Christian is accomplished For thys cause he taught hys scholler Timothie to make prayers for Kings Princes and Gouernours to the end hee might liue peaceaably albeit such as then raigned in hys tyme were Pagans and Idolaters S. Peter enioyned the lyke to the Churches to honour their Kings acknowledging that they were established of GOD who ordained that all persons shoulde be subiect to the higher power He commaunded they should be obeyed and if any one offered to resist them he went against the ordinaunce of God Notwithstanding who ruled in hys tyme Was hee a Christian Prince or any King that looued true Religion Hee was a barbarous Nero inhumaine an Idolater the most cruell of all the worlde Dyd the Apostles resist his tyrannie by Armes although he was not theyr naturall Prince S. Paule reuerenced Agrippa and Felix he honoured Lithius the Proconsull he neuer lifted weapon against the Princes after he had rid himselfe of those Armes which at first he bare against Christ Iesus Of a Woolfe he became a Lambe of a blood-seeker peaceable of a sedicious humble and obedient of a mutiner soft and tractable thys chaunge hee made of himselfe after he was brought into the yoke of the Euangelicall doctrine On the contrary madly these false Apostles haue throwne off thys manner of life forsaken Christian Religion gyuen place to rebellion enemies to GOD the Church Princes sedicious robbers spoylers murderers and in all points lyke to the Prince of dissention For who-soeuer commeth into the Church is conducted by the Spirit of peace endureth all things rendereth good for euill and according to the words of Christ loueth his enemies doth good to them that hate him pray for them that persecute and afflict him surmounting the wicked not in euill but in good But he that is abandoned to the euill spirit is ruminating on bad thoughts prepareth traines for his brother and by force seeks to lay hold on hys enemy And in all these actions is not foūd any one more detestable against God and man then to rise against the person of a King or Prince to smite or murder him for he is hallowed and annointed of God of whom he representeth the maiestie though he be but a man and mortal as others are Thou vnder-proppest thy hatefull
and remedie by the end and cutting off a Tyrant Likewise that it is more necessary to proceede against the crueltie of Tyrants rather by publique authoritie then by particuler wilfulnes or presuming But if any people haue right to prouide themselues of a King and that by them he is chosen for iust cause the King so established may by the people be supprest or his authoritie taken from him by them that created him King because so tyrannously hee abused the Maiestie royall Now are the people to bee iudged vnfaithfull in forsaking and subiecting thys Tyrant because before hee was neuer Gouernour of himselfe neither carryed that faithfull and honourable minde as is required in the office of a King Thus misleading and misgouerning his people hee deserues not that hys subiects shoulde keepe the promise they made and swore to him So the Romaines chased out of the Kingdome Tarquine the proude whome they had receiued as their King but because of the tyranny of him and his sonne they subiected thēselues to a lesser authoritie namely of Consuls In like case Domitian who succeded the most modest and debonnaire Emperours Vespasian his Father and Titus his brother because hee excercysed tyrannie hee was slaine by the Romaine Senate and by their decree were reuoked and annihillated all such things as he badly had established ordayned against the Romaines For this cause S. Iohn the Euangelist the beloued Disciple of Christ who was sent in exile by Domitian into the I le of Pathmos was recalled from thence and sent by the Senate to Ephesus But if any superiour Gouernour hath right to giue a King to the people he ought to regarde his dealing to yeeld remedie against the malice and wickednesse of the Tyrant Heereof Archelaus may remaine example who hauing begun to raigne in Iurie in the place of King Herod his father began to imitate him in wickednes and crueltie when the Iewes framed a cōplaint against him before Augustus Caesar then first his authoritie was deminished the name of King taken from him the moitie of his Realme deuided to his two brethren And because by thys meane hee could not bee kept from vsing tyranny Tyberius Caesar sent him in exile to the cittie of Lyons in Fraunce And if it bee not possible to haue humaine succour against a Tyrant let vs make our recourse to God the King ouer all who will help the oppressed in trybulation for it is in the power of God to conuert the heart of a Tyrant into mildnesse according to the words of Salomon Cor Regis in manu Dei quocunque voluerit inclinabit illud The hart of the king is in the hand of God he may turne it whether soeuer he will For he turned into meekenes the crueltie of King Assuerus who prepared to put the Iewes to death Hee likewise conuerted and changed the cruell King Nabuchodonozer that he became a Preacher of the diuine power saying Nowe therefore I Nabuchodonozer praise extoll magnifie the King of heauen whose works are al truth his wayes iudgement and those that walke in pride or arrogancie is he able to humble and abase But as for Tyrants they are reputed by him vnworthie of conuersion he will cut thē off or bring them into base estate according to the words of the Wiseman God destroieth the seates of proud Princes and setteth on them such as are meeke and humble in their sted Hee it is who seeing the affliction of his people in Egypt and hearing the cry of them ouerthrew the Tyrant Pharao with his Armie in the Red-sea It is he that not onely threw from the throne Roall the fore-named Nabuchodonozer who was become verie proude but also depriued him of the company of men and changed him into a beast Hys arme is no whit shortened but hee can and will deliuer his people from Tyrants For he promised to his people by the Prophet Esay that he would giue rest to the trauaile confusion and troublesome seruitude wherein they were before subiected And by Ezechiell hee saith I will deliuer my flocke from the mouthes of such sheepheards as doe nothing but feede themselues But to the ende the people may obtayne this mercifull benefit from God it is necessarie for them to leaue theyr sinne because that in vengeaunce thereof the wicked and vngodly by diuine permission get hold of the principalitie And God saith by the Prophet Osee I will giue thee a King in my furie and in Iob it is written that hee will suffer the hypocrite to raigne because of the sinnes of the people It is requisite thē to take way the fault to the end GOD may cease to punish vs by the meanes of Tyrants Hetherto Thomas Aquinus shewed the errour of such as lifted themselues against Princes albeit they were Tyrants and dyd intreate their Subiects cruelly Sayst thou then vnder this pretence of tyrannie that iustly thou mayst raise thee against the King to kyll him murder him by treason and so to take his estate from him For the first he is no Tyrant and though hee shoulde consent to make any tyrannous Act as therein thou saist most false yet thy wordes fauour of most abhominable errour and are condemned by the counsell of Constance who aboue all things would haue abolished and rased foorth such a pernicious doctrine That it shoulde bee lawfull to kill a Tyrant for any cause what soeuer it be They declared such people to be wicked erronious in fayth and manners reproouing and condemning them as Heretiques or scandalous preparers of the way to fraudes deceites dreames periuries and treasons Thys holy Sinode declared furthermore and ordained that such as obstinatly affirmed and maintained this doctrine were heretiques and ought to be punished according to the holie and Canonicall ordinaunces Then tell me Sorcerer art not thou an heretique hauing murdered not a Tyrant but a iust debonnaire lawfull King Art not thou an heretique to pursue the life and estate of his admirable successour whom thou art enforced to confesse account for a mightie generous and affable Prince gracious euen toward his verie enemies a conseruer of Religion although he make profession of that is contrarie to thee But thou fearest as it seemeth that beeing the heade of his Subiects hee wyll not change his Religion but rather his clemencie into rigour and seuerity thys proceeds but frō the fardle of thy malice As concerning the matter of Religion I haue thereto aunswered thee alreadie but for the alteration of his kinde nature into another more rigorous I am perswaded that he is established by GOD to doe iustice to the wicked Beside he is so soundly acquainted with mercy and gentlenes as hee will neuer from them degenerate but will pardon hys simple Subiects that gaue but consent to rebellion and were not authours or procurers thereof Dooth it then appertaine to thee to iudge thy Prince Men saith the
holy Scripture see the outward part but God onely regardeth the inward God reserueth to himselfe the examinations of the intents and thoughts of men wherefore presumest thou then to iudge the hart of thy Soueraigne when thou sayst he will doe but as such a King or such a Queene Art thou a Prophet or hath GOD reuealed to thee the minde thoughts of the King It is not for thee beeing a seruaunt and Subiect to iudge thy Maister but it appertaineth to the Maister to iudge his seruaunt thy offences are the cause of thys temerarious iudgement A man can haue no better censure of others then of himselfe for he is of this nature that he thinkes others doe erre in what himself erreth so because thou art a lyar and deceiuer of thy King thou iudgest his Maiestie after thine own affections and in respect thou art not capable of any good therefore thou attributest an euill end to all good works eyther because thou valuest them as nothing or for the enuious wyll thou bearest to the King The Sunne whose radiant beames passeth thorow the glasse receiueth his collour of the same glasse in like sort the iudgement which passeth the hart of a wicked man must needes be wicked because hys hart is painted wyth a wicked collour so thy euill opinion of the Kings deedes proceedes but from thyne owne euill disposition A wande thrust neuer so right into the water seemeth crooked and broken euen so thy broken vicious and rebellious hart censureth the sound actions of the King to be broken as the sicke-man that reiecteth good wholesome meates and imagineth them to be bitter because himselfe hath lost his taste The deuill seeing hee could not ouer-come by slaunder the good workes of Iob iudged wickedly of hym that what he did was doone to an euill end and therefore he sayd to God The good which Iob did was rather for his owne profit then his loue King Dauid wyth a holie intent sent to visite Ammon King of Ammon to comfort hym after the death of his Father Nahas but the people sayd incontinent that Dauid had sent priuie Spyes for inuasion of the Kingdome So Leaguer in like manner thou interpretest to an euill end the good endeuours of the King as also of hys followers and faithfull Subiects The better sort of people because they are well minded iudge euer-more the better way and wyll themselues excuse the bad dealings of theyr neighbours so much as in them lyeth to performe Ioseph in Egypt excused so much as he could the mallice of hys Brethren who enuiously had sold him into that Kingdome saying to them That God had permitted it for their profit and the succour of so manie people Saint Stephen excusing before God the mallice of hys persecutours that stoned him sayd they did it through ignoraunce so to make lesser the faulte of hys enemies Euen so the mallice or good inclination of each ones hart is cause of their iudgements good or euill The naturall heate in a man that is healthfull of good nature complexion consumeth all that he eateth and conuerteth it into good blood as by the like example the man that feareth God is enflamed wyth his loue turneth what-soeuer he beholdeth to profit therby but the wicked conuerteth euery thing to euill A good man giueth credite to all good wordes sayth Salomon and thys facillitie in beliefe is not to be blamed in him but rather commended Thys is the holy simplicity of the Doue which Iesus Christ commended to his Apostles wherein consisted that they should not be malicious they should iudge well of all and take in good part what-soeuer they saw doone by their Bretheren The Gabaonites came to Iosuah with an euill disposed will and betrayed the holy person and people of GOD by theyr falshood deceits and so long as Iosuah with his followers did well these Gabaonites woulde not beleeue but that they were come to beguile them Charitie thinketh no euill or misiudgeth of anie one A good man hath no eyes to looke on the faultes of another but thou that art wicked hauing lost both charitie and the vertue of obedience thou considerest rashlie thinking others to be sinners and thy selfe iust Our Sauiour reprooueth thee where hee sayth Hypocrite thou seest not the great beame in thine owne eye but thou well notest the lyttle moate in thy neighbours eye It is a great matter that not caring for thine owne conscience thou art become so busie an examiner and inquisiter of the deedes of thy Superiours as thou wylt see and pry into theyr thoughts wherein thou shewest thy selfe but a foole that hauing to correct so many faults by thee committed beeing a Subiect thou wilt presume to iudge of thy King Prince as also hys Seruaunts whose deedes imploied to a good end by thee are misconstrued and iudged after thyne owne fancie In the old Law God forbad the Priest to iudge presently of the Leper but to let 7. dayes first be past If then God wold not permit the priest to iudge so suddainly of the Leper whom he manisfestlie beheld thinkest thou he wyl suffer thee beeing a Subiect to iudge of thy King and of the mallice which thou sayst is in hys hart where-into thou hast no eyes to discerne Thou Leaguer thou examiner of the hart and thoughts of thy King remember the chastisement of God on the Bethsamites because they would needes so curiously looke search into the Arke of the Testament as it passed thorow their Countrey God smote to death three-score and ten men of the chiefest sort and fifty thousand of the common people The hart of thy King is as the Arke inscrutable much more interiour and secrete are the intentions of a Kings hart and his seruaunts then were the tables of the Law the vessels for the Manna or the rod which was within the Arke of Israell If then thou weenest so curiously to sift and examine the thoughts meaning of thy King being good and iust yet notwithstanding interpreted by thee to an ill ende thou canst not escape the punishment which God inflicted on the Bethsamites iudge not then rashlie nor detract thy King The Apostle saith detracters are abhominable before God then speake wee in general how much more abhominable are such subiects as dare detract against their King and Superiours All these detracters and slaunderers promise to themselues by their rebellion a high step into glory hauing hetherto lyued at theyr ease on robberies and spoyles made on the faythfull French-men But ô God! howe farre of are they from theyr account hauing in hatred the bridge of true repentance with solemne acknowledgment of theyr offences ouer which all sinners that are Christians must of necessity passe What-soeuer good the K. doth thou art in such sort possest with the spirite of dissention as thou sayst it is no more then a Dreame or fantasie Thou blamest the Catholiques that they
are allyed with such as thou callest Huguenotes for maintenaunce of the royall authority in the house of Burbon the most famous of the world Didst thou imagine them to be so mad after the slaughter of theyr most Christian King as to defend the cause of murderers And then when no question was to be made of the estate wouldest thou haue them falsely breake theyr bond to theyr naturall legittimate Prince to whō by dutie they owe all fidelity Thy tearme of Religion ought not hinder the assistance due to him by allegeance for the Prince is elected of God what is he thē that shal refuse be disobedient to the heauenly appointment And who hath made this alliance or coniunction of the Kings Catholique faithfull seruaunts together for the placing him in his estate but thy selfe Leaguer that didst betray and kill a most Catholique King to trans-fer the Crown whether thou pleasest Art not thou thy selfe leagued with certaine Protestants who euery day make a preaching in thine Army commit great indignities in the Churches which thou both knowest and beholdest But heereof I neede not make anie wonder for thou art content that thy zealous Catholiques shall spoile euen to the high Altare and yet not be sacriligious Thou pillest Churches our King vseth them as a defence for hys person so according to thy mallice inuetterated by nature thou immediatly turnest all hys good works into poyson as all things els likewise of thys vertuous Prince The Pope himselfe did he make any dyfficultie in matters of estate to cōsent heretofore with the Huguenotes by meanes of a certaine anuall pension for the conseruation of the Countie of Auignon which appertained to him The Emperour Charles the fift and Phillip hys sonne King of Spaine the source and support of the League did they find any fault in assembling their troupes and Armes composed of men of all religions for the ayde and defence of theyr busines Thou Sorcerer doost thou oppose to mee by the mouthes of thy false Prophets that Iosaphat was contented by the Prophet Iehu to ioyne in affinity with Achab And by the prophet Elizeus he was likewise vnited to Ochozias King of Israell he beeing giuen to do ill That King Asa for making a couenaunt with Benhadad King of Assiria was tempted That God by the mouth of Esay as also by the Kinges of Iuda sayd Euill be on you that walke to goe downe into Egipt and haue asked no question at my mouth but seeking strength in the ayde of Pharao haue knit your selues with the number of Egipt therefore shall the strength of Pharao be your confusion That in Ieremie we read the like words and how GOD commaunded hys people not to make any alliance with the Cananites Amorites and other Infidell Nations I aunswer to these arguments that the prohibition made to King Iosaphat reached no further then to himselfe particulerly because hee was ioyned with a King not onelie irreligious but also impious And Asa is reprooued because forgetting God he trusted in humane power whereto in lyke manner tendeth the reprehension of Esay But a Christian Prince that beleeueth in God may not hee according to occasion and time receiue the amitie and alliance of another Prince different in Religion especially in the affayres of the estate Said not Moises When thou cōmest neere to a Cittie to fight against it thou shalt offer them peace If then they aunswere thee againe peaceably and open the gates to thee then let all the people that is founde therein be tributarie to thee and serue thee Dyd not Iosuah receiue the Gabaonites into alliance which albeit hee had discouered their fraude and treason he woulde neuer after breake What sayst thou to the alliance Abraham made with King Abimelech Was not Dauid in such sort ioyned in amity with king Achis as himselfe was made of the Guarde to the person of the King Dyd hee not beare like amitie to Nahan King of the Ammonites allied himselfe with him Hys Sonne Salomon did not he the lyke with Hyram King of the Tyrians Of whom by the meane of alliance he receiued both matter and worke-men to build the Temple of God in Ierusalem It is not then vnnecessarie that Catholique faithfull Subiects should ioyne themselues with their naturall and legittimate Prince although he differ from them in Religion and with those also of contrary opinion in so iust a cause and if they should doe otherwise who doubts but they are to be attainted and conuinced of the selfe same crime as Rebels are What saist thou then now Wilt thou make the Law appertaineth it not to the King to do it who relieth on no bodie els but God Darest thou attempt against his Maiestie Darest thou yet oppose thy selfe against Gods annointed Hydra dooth more heads stil bud foorth hauing alreadie lost so many Who doubts but hell is called hell Thou hast murdered Henrie the third a Christian King and yet thy violence is not therewith pacified Thou hast striuen still doost daily striue to glut thy false and most cruell hart with the blood of our present King who hath been so kind and debonnaire to thee and beeing able to doe nothing by force thou hast recourse to Magique-artes and Charmes but the goodnesse of God is farre beyonde thy mallice and in pittie he wil not permit but that the King and his poore Subiects who suffer by thee so many abuses and enormities shall haue the vpper-hand in these waighty affayres and that it is his pleasure to let vs shortly see thy nose flatted to the earth wyth thy neck broken and neuer heere-after to be better then thou art as I am fully perswaded thou canst not be beeing clothed with such cruell passions and violent executions Spare not for vs still to lighten the warre with thy ambition that thou take to thee thy Spanish King Maister that thou bestow on him the supreame power that thou associate thy selfe with men of spoile and fit for the halter robbers theeues murderers such like and that all such are the most gratefull and welcomest guests to thee we expect no other but the ende of thee and them at the Fourca or Gallowes Thou braggest a little that thou hast some Gentlemen of good birth whose Fathers with the price of their liues did valiantly defende the crowne these hast thou in such sort inueigled by thy wicked wrappings enchaunting perswasions as their fault and themselues are alike and their crime of Lesae Maiestatis beares witnes of their vertue They Idoll-like honour thee and willingly are charmed with thy Siren perswasions thy sweet songs affecting blandishments because thou layest thy selfe wide open to theyr lightnes But I attende the time that according to the good nature they receiued from their Auncestors if any at all be left within them they comming to discouer how hidious thou art how false and full of
Oligarchia which is the gouernment of the most mightie and factious And in the ende by vnbridled libertie in many places and Citties where the Rebels are you shall beholde not any Democratia or populer estate wel pollitiquely gouerned by the Lawes but rather a most miserable Olocratia an insolent domination of the multitude or rather a many headed Anarchia the oppression whereof is most horrible and pernitious For you knowe that the people either serue humbly or commaunde imperiously and tasting a little of the bayte of libertie exemption of taskes subsidies and charges in furie they reiect and throwe off the yoke of obedience to the King Superiours and Magistrates themselues weilding and managing the highest authoritie Then pretending an equalitie they practise nothing els but seditions mallice robberies spoyles insolencies and destructions wherevpon Plato thus spake very notably The whole Common-wealth shall decay and perrish when it is to be gouerned by Brasse or yron that is to say by foolish men such as are borne rather to serue and obey then to rule and commaunde For albeit that men are both the one and the other composed of soule and bodie and that in the soule is bestowen the seed of the diuinitie which ought to be receiued tilled and husbandred by reason to the ende it may bring forth fruite according to the seede yet is not the culture or husbandry in all men alike but there is found a great difference betweene their spirits so that in some it appeareth that the diuine seed poured and thrown into a barren field is eyther smoothered and lost or taketh so weake roote that it cannot prosper and increase Such is the varietie difference among men as some for the exercise of reason and vertue are more noble valiant and â—orne as it were to commaund others againe for their rusticitie and ignoraunce seeme more proper or aptly disposed to serue Therefore Plato helde this opinion that God in the creation of man did so distinguish and seperate their natures that such as were naturally apt and proper to commaund them in generation he formed as it were of fine gold such likewise as were meet and conuenient for theyr aide and assistance hee constituted not of so precious a mettal yet of pure siluer the third sort as labourers and work-men to attende on the other of a more grosse matter to wit brasse and yron GOD established Superiours to commaund and made the other to obey the one estate worthy of honor the other not to presume so high as the Potter according to the Apostles words of one selfe same matter maketh a vessell to honor and annother seruaunt to meaner things You see my Lords the trouble dysorder and vniuersall confusion of your partakers yet will ye follow them and giue theÌ„ your voice Will yee imploy your courage put on your Armour draw your swords for the defence of theyr vniust cause and to aduaunce the Spanyards vsurping Where is the vertue and honor which Trogus Pompeius in his time attributed to the French Nation when he thus spake of them They are sharpe hardie and valiant the first of them next Hercules who therfore was admirable reputed immortal reached the height of the inuincible Alpes they beeing not passe-able by reason of the cold and managed sundry battailes hauing vanquished the people of Pannonia vvhich at thys day are called Austria and Hungaria Ah open your eyes my Lordes and come to your Prince whom you ought to acknowledge consider what before I haue declared to yee out of the word of God to bring again the strayed rebellious people in obedience to their King Heerein ye may perceiue that a Subiect cannot find or pretend any occasioÌ„ to rebel against his King notwithstanding any cause what-soeuer it be But perhaps thou wilt tell mee that in the warre for the Weale-publique against King Lewes the eleuenth certaine of the chiefest sort entred Armes moued with a discontent against the King because they were not honoured and recompenced as their deedes had deserued yet he gaue to such as were vnworthy men vtterlie vnknowne of small acquaintance They reconciled themselues to theyr King and did not as these Leaguers doe who vnder collour of reconciliation troubled the estate in the ende bereft the King of lyfe And that which is most horrible to speak and scandalous to men of sound Religion they practised wyth an vnhappy Iacobine Fryar making him the instrument and Executioner of theyr accursed conspiracie and monstrous crueltie As for the other thou talkest of they only were but Male-content as they wel declared by their appointment and reconcilement with their King but these Leaguers breaking all order and pollicie diuine and humane after they had proditoriously by a trayterous Fryer or rather a very deuill of the Cloyster massacred murdered the late King would change the estate or as the truth is they would transport a stranger out of one house into another Haue not these Leaguers despoyled the good nature of the auncient French Nation vnnaturally to participate with the treason of the Spanyards And if they tearme themselues good French-men looke on their pernicious damnable complots against the King and the estate of Fraunce Doe they not apparantly be-lie Iulius Celsus who thus speaks of the French-men in his fift booke The French saith he are men sound and plaine no deceiuers or troth-breakers and by custome they will rather fight for vertue then for fraud malice treason or such like How can these Leaguers then by any right attribute vnto themselues thys faire and excellent French title seeing they are Rebels enemies to the Countrey and Traytors to the estate they should most labour to preserue Doe not all Nations of the earth detest the perfidie of Rebels against the Maiestie royal which is the image of the Diuinitie the King being Lieutenant Vicegerent of God in the kingdome which he hath put into his hande Haue not the Allemaignes good occasion at this present to call theÌ„ Schellums hauing in such sort dispoyled the naturall fayth of true French-men toward theyr King coniuring against him atempting his estate life Can they be so ignorant as not to know that the K. hath the soueraigne power next vnder God and that no subiect of his can take it from him without full condemnation of Crimen lesae Maiestatis in the highest degree a most horrible Traytor and more to be detested then if he had murdered his own Father See yee not also my Lords that God who is iust doth dailie pursue them with vengeaunce and punishment by the fidelitie of so many generous and magnanimous Princes of the blood royall of the house of Burbon that onely remaineth heyre to the Crowne besides with so many great Lords of Fraunce so many GentlemeÌ„ and all the good and loyall French-men You likewise that are issued of Fathers so vertuous and faithfull to the Crowne who for the
most part made prodigall expence of theyr bloode for the defence of thys most royall estate see ye not now how a stranger would rauish and carry it away Will ye be so blinded as to imploy your forces in so bad a cause Are ye so vnnaturall as willingly to betray your King and Countrey Will ye turne your backes in so true and iust a cause and subiect your selues to the iniurious rebellion of the Leaguers The other Lordes and confederates of this Crowne are mooued with vs and resolued to pursue such monstrous iniustice will you then be so blinded deceiued with the false inducements and perswasions of the League as to maintaine the ruine and ouerthrow of the estate and of your owne selues likewise Ah that it might please yee to lende your eares a while to this my simple and not deceyuing declaration perhaps some one of you being touched either with hate enuie or some other discontentment or the bond of affection he beares to the chiefe of the contrary part vvill enter into consideration that he cannot do this without blemish to his honour and reputation which hee ought to esteeme more deere than any thing else so that rather then he will consent to such a detestable rebellion generall spoile of his natiue Country the loue wherof he ought to preferre before all other vaine passions hee will imitate the example of worthy Scipio Africanus who thought it better to withdraw himselfe to Linternum then bee the cause of trouble and sedition in Rome albeit the Common-wealth had dealt with him very vnthankfully Would yee my Lords purchase the tytles of Rebelles with this rude heape of people which cannot agree with you in that betweene your courage and those of the vulgare sort there is no simpathie or likelihoode but euen so great a difference as is betweene vice vertue Wold ye my Lords haue the dishonored name of factious enemies against the king the estate Ah thinke what a hell and eternall infamie followes such as are coÌ„demned of high treason breach of faith and rebellion are ye ignorant that the end of all pernitious complots deuised by rebels by the help of God return to their own euerlasting shame and confusion In euery Kingdome Common-wealth we ought principally to regard the benefit therof For if the Estate be in prosperitie as saith Thucidides euery one particulerly shal profit feele the blessing therof but if it be destroyed ouerthrownt all the particuler members notwithstanding whatsoeuer Treasure or riches they haue shall therwith bee lost and vtterly spoiled When I speake of the good of the Common-wealth I meane not onely the riche hazarde of fortune but also â—ne good more firme and assured to the better part of man which is of the Spirit wherby the commoÌ„wealth is made more happie and is defended against all the assaults of Fortune In a priuate mans house are these vertues in a Common-wealth good lawes and manners prescribed and established by wise Kings Princes Gouernors and soueraigne Magistrates to well order command gouern their seruants in a direct compasse y e people likewise to obey dutifully thereby to liue in peace and tranquillitie For the felicitie of men and of the Common-wealth commeth both from one selfe same fountaine to wit reason which ought to rule in all things and such are the Citties as are the Cittizens whose liues and behauiour makes the Cittie happie or vnhappie Plato in the Cittie which he reformed instituted two kind of disciplines the one for the exercise of the spirit which he called Musique to wit an harmonie or concordance of the spirite when the actions agree consent with the vertues The other was for the exercise of the bodie which he tearmed Gymnasâ—eum which augmented and maintained the strength of the body to declare y t these two exercises coupled together did vpholde an estate pollitique as they make a man fit and aptly composed Will not you my Lords trauaile to recouer this good quiet for your couÌ„try Will ye yet longer time consent to their disorders and insolencies that doe nothing else but hinder vs from this good Maâ—e ye so little account of your honour as to hold hand with them in their execrable complots You should immitate the Pilot who least the shippe should be altogether rent and mangled wisely fore-seeth aduiseth least he should be accounted wise after the hurt is receiued For it is a most simple and foolish kind of speech to say after the iniurie and daunger is gotten I neuer thought on this When the ship is beaten with outragious tempests so fiercly assailed with the windes as there remaines no hope of bringing her to some Porte whereby she might escape the perrill and ship-wracke the skill of the Pilot then serues him to no purpose The shun you these Rockes flye from these tempests dangers in due time although yee beginne when it is almost ouer-late yet me thinkes he saide wisely that better is late then not at all But if on the side you now follow you vainlie promise your selues some happie issue of your guilefull deseignes imaginations consider my Lordes what our Elders haue saide Man hath desire in his power but not Fortune for what shall happen is unknowen to man Let the Leaguers purpose what they will deuise theyr enterprises and the execution of them leuey so many men and strange forces as they can and vse what stratagemes shall come into their heades yet the diuine prouidence who hath established in this estate the order of Supâ—rioritie and the Maiestie royall whereby to command vs with the most happie and assured forme of a Common-wealth As I haue already saide will dispose of all according to his infallible and neuer changing will In vaine then doe these Rebels repose their trust on strange forces against him that can consume them all and their imaginarie deliberations which are no other as Pindarus saieth of man then a dreame or shaddowe The hopes of mortall men remooue many thinges sometimes high sometimes lowe feeding but on vaine fantasies and oppinions There is no man living in the worlde that canne conceiue a certaine signe of his future actions because of things to come the councels are concealed and many occasions happen to men farre different from their liking and expectation Yet some there are that being smitten with tempests of griefe and sorrowe immediatly the euill is turned into as great a good These thinges you shoulde thinke on that attende an vniust cause of Rebelles who haue troubled the estate slaine their King and nowe continue disobedient to their Prince whome GOD by lawefull succession hath giuen vs that they will bee deceiued in their attempts and all theyr opinions are but vayne and friuolous They imagine one thing and an other will happen they thinke to ouer-goe the Estate by the force and assistance of the Spanyard and the Spanyard will vanquish and spoile
haue declared to obey our soueraigne Princes and Magistrates and beside they know right well by the behauiour of Rebels that the greatest euil in sedition treason as Cornelius Tacitus others haue learnedlie described is That euerie one woulde commaund hauing no other counsel or reason then their owne wil. Moreouer the most factious and turbulent will euer presume on most authoritie by whom the Magistrates and peaceable Cittizens are ordinarily suspected and are in danger to be prescribed robbed killed or banished There is such mixture of defiances as nothing is ingendered but hate suspition and priuie dissembling so that all honestie all Fayth and humilitie is vtterly forgotten and violated and true reconciliation euer-more hindered All things amongst Rebels are very miserable yet if there fall out any thing to their own desire nothing is more miserable then such a successe as not onely makes them to be more arrogant and vntractable but rather entertaines or nourisheth them more more in mischiefe Do ye not behold that of necessitie the Duke De Maine must doe all things by the aduise and will of the Spanyards although by them he pretends to conquer Marie the Duke of Parma he is too fine to serue them as a Seruaunt he rather wold vsurpe for himselfe if he could a cruell and tyrannicall gouernement to maintaine himselfe by force ouer-throw the Noblemen of this Country afterward beate down the people with feare and terrour VVill not you then take aduantage offered against these Rebelles If yee loue your King and Countrey as I thinke ye doe lay hold yet on the vallour of your Auncestors who valiantly repulsed the Spanyard when hee would haue entred Fraunce made a famous slaughter of all his followers Consider the vnfortunate fal ruine of the ancient estate of Greece very latest Empire therof of Carthage Rome Italie and infinite other Common-weales kingdoms and Signories which onely happened by partialities and deuisions Phillip de Commines heereof wrote well and truelie Such dissention and discordes saith he are verie easily sowne amongst rebellious people and they are a true signall of the ruine and destruction of a Countrey or Kingdome when they take roote therin as they haue doone in diuers other Common-weales and Monarchies And to thys purpose if I were not well assured that the mallice and ambitions of the rebellious Leaguers rather thē destenie is the cause of the desolation of thys estate I could say as Salust sometimes saide of Rome I am perswaded seeing all things that had beginning must haue end that then by destinie the ruine of Rome shall approch when the Cittizens fight against the Cittizens and so beeing spent and weakened shall be exposed as a pray to some King or strange people otherwise all the Nations of the world assembled together cannot ouer-throwe this Empire But any man not sinisterlie carried awaie doth euidentlie perceiue that the originall and source of the downe-fall of this estate except God set his hand to in time ariseth frō the rebellion of these Leaguers so long time practised by the Spanyard and his adherents To escape then from so great an euill withdrawe your selues my Lords to this partie reconcile your selues to your King and relieue your Countrey exposed by the Rebels as a pray to the Spanyard who hath no little while beene plotting and practising this deuice for his purpose Demosthenes fore-seeing the ruines of Greece through the vnderminings and policies of Phillip King of Macedon who kept it in deuisions not only Cittie against Cittie but the Cittizens deuided against each other in euery Cittie by corruppting the chiefe Gouernors that were drawne to take part with him imployed all his paines to reconcile the Athenians and other people of Greece from such dangerous factions and to regard the maintenance of their estate For my selfe I haue not the eloquence of Demosthenes wherewith to perswade yee but this I plainely giue you to vnderstand that an other Phillip King of Spayne hath vsed the like deceits in Fraunce wherby to spoile and ruinate the Countrey as Phillip King of Macedon did in Greece to make himselfe Lord thereof Fly my Lordes fly this partialitie cause of so great troubles pernicious to the publique societie and priuate kind of life euermore readie to hurte and which bringeth no meane damage according to the occasion and occurrences of the time your selues do daily behold the effects heereof for the Armie of the Leaguers beeing hemde in with this partiall Monster as well among the French-men as the Spaniards it will come to passe that without any great labour bestowed by the King their owne deuision wyll both frustrate their enterprises and hinder the victorie they liue in hope to haue euen as it happened in the battaile of Cannas where the Romains lost the day thorow the partialitie of the two chiefe Leaders Paulus Aemilius and Terentius Varro I cannot thinke that the Duke De Maine and the Duke of Parma the onely commaunders of the League will agree long time together but that the one must giue place to the other for the Spanyard is too braue arrogant to holde yoke with the French Rebels hauing occasion so fayre and fit for the purpose whereby to gette the maisterie ouer them now or neuer My Lords you that are faithfull Gentlemen and Seruaunts to the King me thinks thys one cause should induce a good accord and vnion among ye for the seruice of his Maiestie that ye shoulde be both iealous and enuious of the charge and honors distributed by his highnes not to haue thē trans-ferred to such as are so farre vnder you in woorthinesse and vnlesse this fire of iealousie kindle the sooner in yee it will redounde to the great disaduantage of the publique affaires and your own proper ruine As for the rest of you my Lordes that side it with the Rebels wrap not your selues in theyr offences loose not your selues altogether in the heape of theyr discords nor yet forget that you but defend their perfidie impietie in so myserable a confusion forsake such part-taking They can talke enough that the publique Lawes and common rights ought to be kept as also the auncient receiued religion of Christian Catholiques the liberty of the estates the comminalty of the Citties the authority of the Princes Officers of the Crown the Magistrats and Parliaments yet notwithstanding they trauaile day and night as by their effects is plainly discerned to trouble all these by disorder and sedition and to thrust the estate into the hande of a stranger who makes himselfe assured therof alreadie except next the helpe of God you ioyne with vs to remedy this danger The Leagues and deuisions that were in Gaule betweene the Sequani and Autini when as Iulius Caesar there arriued was the cause that brought the Gaules vnder the Romaine obedience This League of Rebels is more pernicious dangerous to the estate were it not we
haue a King that wel enough wil preuent them but God especially on our side who hitherto hath ouerthrown the enterprises of the Rebels and theyr Defenders and will confounde the one with the other that in the end we may haue the maisterie ouer them Behold howe the Spanyard woulde reconcile and bring ye into quiet if it were possible for him if so be the King and his fayre forces had their hands bound to gyue leaue to these Rebels and their gracious Deliuerers to vse them at theyr pleasure Doe not yee remember the ciuill warres that endured so long time in the reignes of King Charles the sixt and Charles the seauenth occasioned through the partialities and dissentions betweene the houses of Orleaunce Burgundie when the Burgundians caused the King of England to enter Fraunce The times were then so full of calamity and miserie the French being afflicted with warre famine pestilence so cruelly as the Fieldes were long time fallowed and vnmanured the Cittie 's ransacked the houses and Fortresses ruined destroyed and burned the great Lordes and loyall Officers of the Crowne the most worthy heroyick valiant personages kilde massacred or banished then was iustice prostituted and brought into bastardie merchandise and publique negotiation abolished In breefe all religion and humanitie violated for certaine yeeres was so great a mortalitie in Paris as the Woolues could not be kept out but entred the Cittie and deuoured the dead bodies Are we not now in danger to beholde the like times If the French Rebels get not some whol-some Elleborus and become wise by the remembrannce of passed examples well may they doubt to see farre worse troubles For the violence of this warre so long time closely practised and intended tooke beginning by excesse of treasonable offences and afterward proceeded by murder of the King the progresse and end cannot but presage but to be worse then the warres I haue alreadie alleaged Let vs be aduised by what wee haue seene because the testimonie of sight is more assured and certain then that which we receiue by hearing and we know that there is nothing so diuine humaine holy religious chast nor anie thing so well established and ordained but the rebellion of these Leagues hath troubled spoiled broken violated defaced and ouer-thrown See yee not alreadie a most deplorable estate of all the Leagued and rebellious Citties Semblable to the opinion of Thucidides vvho speaking of the vniuersall dyssention which in his tyme happened in Greece most ellegantlie in these tearmes set downe his minde So soone as anie noueltie or insolence is vnderstoode to be committed in a Cittie there are such as presently practise howe to make it worse prouoked moreouer to enterprise new stratagems eyther to declare themselues more insolent or for their burning desire to be reuenged And what-soeuer euil is doone they haue arteficiall names to disguise it withall which for their excuse they change into contrarie signification as if they were no such matters as they call them For they tearme rashnesse to be hardinesse and magnanimitie so that such sudden fellowes are called valiant defenders of theyr freendes Softnes or temporising they name honest feare modestie couert cowardlines violent rage couragious resolution wise and discreet deliberation cloked dissimulation So by these meanes he that is most vehement and audacious is reputed faithfull and as they say verie zealous and wel affected to the cause and he that wil not ad-here to thē is held suspicious As for him that brauely executes their enterprises and reuenges he is a wise and able man but much more he that knowes best how to fore-see and discouer the intent of his enemie and prouides that no man on his side shall depart from the faction or stand in feare of the Resister In breefe who most readily out-rageth or offendeth others is praised but especially he that can induce another to execute his determinations Such a faction is farre greater among strangers thē freends or kinred because they are disposed to all enterprises without any excuse euen so conspiracies and assemblies are not doone by authoritie of the Lawes or for the weale publique but for auarice against all reason and the fayth kept among such is not for Religion as they would haue it seeme but to entertaine such contagious euill in the Common-wealth Thucidides declared that such was the valour and courage among these partialists as the one party thought nothing that proceeded frō the contrary faction and altogether tended to no other end then the extermination and destruction the one of the other As for anie appointment or reconciliation made with theyr sollemne oath there was very slender assurance in their words when they had neyther feare or reuerence in an oath because they wold keepe them no longer then while they found occasion to lay hold on theyr aduersaries or some-what returned to their own aduantage These factions proceeded of couetousnes and ambition and they that were the cheefe heereof in the Citties made an honest pretence of euery partialitie Each one in words debated the defence of the Common-wealth but theyr deedes did witnesse the contrary because that without hauing any regarde to the common-good they laboured but to satis-fie their owne greedines making profit of others spoyle executing vengeances as themselues pleased If there were any one that shewed himselfe a newter he was forth-with assailed by both parties where because he was affected to neither side or the enuie of them to see him in quiet he was thrust into the euil which the other suffered In such ciuill diuisions the mishaps are so great that without cōsideration of good turnes and benefites receiued or the vertuous actions of excellent men the people so furiously cast themselues vpon them as they cease not to pursue them euen to death or banishment As it happened in Athens to Themistocles Aristides Demosthenes and Phocion in Rome to Coriolanus Camillus Scipio Affricanus Cicero and others Beholde ye not my Lordes you that should see more cleerely thē the rest euen a like forme of estate among these Leaguers and Rebels Will yee not acknowledge it to be an extreame disorder and insolence See yee not heere tyranny in place of Monarchie which is the most perfect firme and surest fourme of a Common-wealth so highly commended by Homer It is not good saith he that many haue an equal authoritie but one sole King to haue the prehemenence to him hath God giuen a golden scepter therwith to cōmand and well gouerne his Subiects Heere you see in stead of an Aristocratia which is the iust and ciuill administration of certaine vertuous personages who haue all their thoughts and deliberations prouided for the Weale-publique beeing called by the Latines Optimates such as through the will and consent of the soueraigne Prince haue euermore beene ioyned to thys Monarchie to keepe it in a temperate state cōdition is now growen among vs a confused