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
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
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
to increase and make vp the number of thy newe Spanish Armie the League of Arragon against theyr King rayse vp the vsurpers of Zaell in the Realme of Valencia I will propose no other Rebels to thee then onely of the Spanish Nation confederates Nursses of thy Fore-fathers extreame cruell and agreeable to thy humours The Rebels of Gallicia who cast off Ramis the third King of Leon The coniuring Bishops that scaffolded theyr King of Arragon and made him pay an honourable fine because hee had taken the reuenewes of the Churches whereto hee was constrained by necessitie to satis-fie the charges of the wars against the Moores in the yeere one hundred foure-score and two Get to thee also by the same enchauntments the Rebels of Sallamanca against the King of Leon Of the Nauarrets by whom neuerthelesse these seditious were besieged taken and chastised Of the Lords of Lara who mooued great threatnings and attempts in the raigne of King Henrie of Castile An Almorand quarrellous and sedicious against the estate of Nauarre The mutinous of Ebora hauing for their cheefe leaders Gonsallo and Vincent Ianes If the Spanish Tyrant Phillip if his sonne in lawe the Duke of Sauoy if the Duke of Parma who is come to thy succour for his owne profit and his maisters suffice not with theyr forces in steede of them which haue beene vanquished by our inuincible Hercules and his valiant Noblemen call vppe to thy ayde by thy charmes the predecessours of thy King no lesse cruell and bloody to wit Alphonsus King of Castile and Leon vnhappie vicious and most tyrannous Almundir desirous to raigne Berenger the murtherer of his brother Remond whervpon hee dyed very miserably Bermond the 21. King of Leon Henry the fourth of Castile Eringo who poysoned the King Bamba and raigned ouer the Gothes Don Alphonso the 11. who caused his brother the infant of Castile to bee smothered Ferdinand of Arragon who conspired with the Duke of Ferrara to poyson the King Don Ferdinand Garcia King of Leon Mahomet the fourth King of Granado and many others besides If the women that beare thee company haue not their wits sharpe enough to aduance both thine their own affaires withdraw thy selfe to hell and there consort thee with that wicked Queene of Metz Brunechilde the Sorceresse by nation of a Spanish Goth daughter to Atanagilde the twelfth King of the Gothes whom Sigibert King of Mets married for the plague of France And if thou wilt for company ioyne with her Goswind the Gotthish Queene who conspired against King Richard very troublesomely take likewise Brunehault Fredegonde and all the deuillish women of the world Ayde thy selfe yet if thou pleasest with Cerberus the Sisters Eumenides and with all the horrible route of hell because thy selfe art very hell in-deede Reuiue againe all the Monsters vanquished by auncient Hercules but being thy selfe so monstrous thou hadst neede fortefie thee well with the Monsters already subiected by the force of the aduenterous Thebane Doost thou trauaile thy selfe to seeke on the earth and vnder the earth all that is an emie pernicious monstrous cruell turbulent bloody barbarous odious horrible and contrary to vertue knowing the same to bide in thine owne selfe Needest thou any other assistance then thine owne other forces or other horrours Thou surpassest all the horrours of earth and hell all the malices of the ayre and neuer was any crueltie or treason exercised but thine hath surmounted them Canst thou not content thy selfe to haue thys Geryon of Spayne thy succourer Are not these thy fathers strong enough to maintaine thee in thy greatnesse But when thou shalt be thus assisted with all that I haue spoken of can all these forces all these cruelties treasons charmes Magical-arts Fryers frocks and hoodes these Monsters the horrours infernall these Furies ouer-throw our Alcides The body is stronger then the shadowe and trueth more forcible then falsehoode Thou groundest thy selfe on an vniust cause on humaine strength and exceeding violence our Hercules in his iust cause buildeth not on fleshly forces but on GOD onely that established him the vertue equity and right of hys claime thy in-iustice and ambition are the enemies that hetherto haue disgraced and defiled thee Thinkest thou to conquer by flattering and embracing thy foe the spye that betrayes thee and discouers all thy enterprises Would God thou hadst beene smothered in thy byrth then had not this estate beene in such combustion where thou raignest but thou hast gyuen him the fayre collours which beguileth thee and strengtheneth vs thou hast honoured and shaddowed him with the goodly titles of Catholique zealous the enemie of the Heretiques and Pollitiques the Freende of the Common-wealth and the holie Vnitie These couertures are too slender and feeble to blinde the eyes of our Lynceus and are no other to thee then Nets to wrappe thee in as Venus with Mars by the cunning of Vulcane or as ambuscadoes on suddaine to surprise thee Thou flyest fayre with thy enemie after thee following at thy heeles and euer-more to our great aduantage he spurres thee and yet as I haue said keepes thee companie albeit thou hast deckt him with so many double Crosses and bought Pater nosters after the fashion Castillane and Albanois as hee seemes to thee thy speciall friende thus louest thou thy fraudulent coulloured enemy and hatest and pursuest vs to thy vttermost And albeit so many learned pennes haue discouered him for a bold-faced shamelesse beast defacing his faire glistering collours where-with like a Peacock hee makes thee follow him about let vs once againe lift vppe this counterfeite Masque and wee shall see wyth what Chymaera and with what Hydra our Hercules hath to deale He that vnder thy Ensigne makes open war vppon vs and couert warre vppon thee or rather this enemie that fights for vs against thee for he neede not doubt but the faithlesse ambition which thou hast brought foorth and begunne will bring both thee and thy other Coniurers to a miserable end decks himselfe with feigned loue to the Common-weale the holy vnitie VVhat publique-weale what holy vnitie meanes he Callest thou it cōmon-good to ruinate so many Countreyes and Citties is this detestable League this coniuration so pernicious to the estate and the Catholique Religion a holy vnitie If it be the effects doe publish themselues VVas neuer seene such out-rages such impieties wracke of Religion corruption licentiousnesse and Atheisme as since thou thus exaltedst thy selfe and hast trode both iustice and Religion vnder foote thy Armes haue brought in thys dysorder and generally hath dyspersed bothe bloode and fyre Thou prophanest iustice thou forcest and slaue-like leadest it vnder thy irregular and most indirect Lawes thou makest the Catholique Religion the Goddesse of warre that strikes spoyles and kylles Hast thou no shame Knowest thou not that Religion is full of peace and makes it her glorie to suffer and endure torments and not to torment any Knowest thou not that
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
will to kill thys King as thou didst the last with the examples of Iaell and Iudith the first whereof kylled Sisera chiefe of the Armie to Iabin King of Chanaan he flying to saue hys life in her house and she perceiuing him a sleepe tooke a nayle of the Tabernacle and a hammer in her hand and so droue it thorow the temples of his head The other leauing the Cittie of Bethulia and brought into the Pauillion of Holophernes Captain of the Armie to Nabuchodonozer seeing hym drunke and a sleepe occasion presenting it selfe she cut off his head and brought it away in a bagge by her seruaunt These actes truly were very gracious in these Dames and worthy of great commendation in respect they attempted not against theyr King or Prince but against such as wold ouer-throw the estate royall of theyr Country and there-against opposed theÌ„selues with all their strength Do these examples excuse thy villanie faith-breaking with thy King In those tymes Iabin Nabuchodonozer had no right ouer those people they came as strangers and enemies against them as at thys day thy aliens and confederate Leaguers come against our King against his estate and against his subiects and therefore were they so entertained by them But after that God had permitted that one of them should commaunde his people what was he that would not endure it paciently and as we haue said before did not vse prayers in Ierusalem for Nabuchodonozer Balthasar his Sonne I could stand long vpon the reasons and examples of elder times to testifie the obedience and reuerence that the first Christians bare to theyr Emperours and Kings they that were both Pagans Ethnicks acknowledging their dignity to be venerable albeit they would not follow theyr Religion Which hath beene approued by the Canons of auncient Popes and deliuered in theyr owne Decretalles as before me hath beene very well noted by the Authour of the Labyrinth of the League They all haue agreed that the pretence of Religion what soeuer it be coulde not giue any collour to a Christian man to mutinie and rebell against hys Prince to take his life from him and hys estate They ordinarilie pronounced this sentence Malumus occidi quam occidere that they loued rather to be kild then to kill For although they were vniustly afflicted by their Princes rather woulde they submit themselues to the death then lyft Armes against them Therfore not to grow tedious to the Reader by prolixitie I will cease from bringing in the auncient Ecclesiasticall Histories and testimonies of the Fathers considering that diuers other haue largely discoursed thereon Thou pretendest a collour of libertie and ease of the people but doost thou therefore bring any remedie Doost thou discharge them when thou pillest and ransackest the poore and burnest what-soeuer thou canst not cary away Thou wouldest call the King to iudgement according to the fable of the Woolfe and the other Beastes to the end that vnder the shadow of reason thou mightest vse violence and murder him Doe we reade of the auncient Prophets that they complained of exactions of their Princes and that thereon they grounded occasions to make warre against them All theyr care was to shew the Princes their faults and to admonish them of Gods vengeances not to prouoke the people and to incite theÌ„ to lift Armes against them And it is not to be doubted but such as gouerned in theyr time were well worthy of reprehension for which cause Esay in the beginning of hys prophecie thus deliuered his words to the people of Israell Thy Princes are wicked and companions of theeues they loue gifts altogether and gape after rewards As for the fatherlesse they helpe him not to his right neyther will they let the widdowes causes come before them Therefore saith the Lord God of Hostes the mightie one of Israell Ah I must ease me of mine enemies and auenge me on my aduersaries and set thy Iudges againe as they were sometime and thy Councellers as they were from the beginning and then shalt thou be called the righteous Cittie the faithfull Cittie Thus this good Prophet fore-told the iudgment of God against these Princes and the restoring of the good Iudges and Counsellours considering that the reprobate were the cause of the euill happened in Israell A little after he sayth My people thy Leaders deceiue thee and corrupt the way of thy foot-steps The Lorde shall enter into iudgement with the Elders and Princes of the people and shall say vnto them It is you that haue burnt vp my Vineyarde and the spoyle of the poore is in your houses The Prophet Ezechiell sufficientlie witnessed noted the vices of the Princes in his time saying they weâ—â— as Woolues that rauished the pray that effused blood that they lost their soules and gaue themselues to auarice Hee brought in GOD speaking against their exactions and imposts and admonished them to keepe onely a iust ballance Amos calleth them Kine of Basan outragious to the needie oppressours of the poore Micheas deliuering them before God reprooueth them that they hated the good loued the euill they pluckt off the skinnes of the people their flesh from their bones Sophonia calleth theÌ„ roring Lyons all which tytles sufficiently testifie that the Gouernours and Iudges in theyr times were verie wicked Yet notwithstanding none of the Prophets although they beheld the people to sincke vnder the exactions as despoyled of all and brought into pouertie did at anie tyme vnder pretence of the Weale-publique counsell the people to mutinie or rebel against theyr Princes but rather vehemently perswaded them to pacience Callest thou in question any Pagans or of the doctrine of Mahomet or Heretiques who for maintenaunce and aduauncement of theyr deceitfull false opinions haue wickedly conspired against their Princes Alexander who was slaine by a Souldiour that prostrated hymselfe at his feet before the Cittie of Tauris Amurath the first King of that name in Turkie who after hee had discomfited the Despote of Seruia and Bulgaria was traiterously put to death by a slaue of Bulgaria who feigned that he came to saue his life King Sigibert enuironed with all his people who at the motion of Fredigonde was assailed and murdered by two aduenturous Gentlemen Certaine people of Phenicia holding the Law of Mahomet called murderers otherwise Beduines dwelling in hollow nookes of the most spacious MouÌ„tains lyuing vnder a Lord whom our predecessours knew by no other name then the Auncient or Great of the Mountain they vnder imagination of a Paradise of pleasure which he had perswaded into theyr heades bare this marke on them that they made a sollemne vow to massacre all Princes they could lay holde on that were contrary to theyr sect and opinion By them was the County of Tripoli put to death Edward of Englande taken and many other great Lords who by them were either slain or held as prisoners From them
came first the word of murder as whē one cōmitteth slaughter or such like crueltie by watching for spoile I knowe that dyuers other raised themselues against theyr Kings and Princes vnder the couerture of Religion but I deny that such murderers seeing necessarily we must so call thē were Christian Catholiques or that for the true faith they enterprised such massacres so oft and many times condemned in the holy Scripture Moreouer Alexander and Amurath were not Princes and Superiours to such as slewe them the other likewise were led by a sathanicall spirit euen as these murderers or Beduines were And the Anabaptists who within thys little while preached the aduauncement of the Kingdome of GOD teaching all Princes to crowde in with theyr feete likewise Then tell me Leaguer what remedy is left for thy euill What excuse can saue thee for thy late murder Thy leueying of al thy Armes and hostility against thy last Prince and hys so worthy successour our Alcides the restorer of the estate and the Father of hys Countrey Sayst thou he is a Tyrant or an Heretique if thou gyuest him these tytles it is onely but thy passion that leades thee because of the death of the Duke of Guyse hys brother for before their death the pernicious booke which thou didst cause to be imprinted in fauour of thy tyrannie intituled An aunswer of the true Catholique Frenchmen to the aduertisement of the English Catholiques for excluding the King of Nauarre from the Crowne of Fraunce published abroade in Paris since the Barricados exalted him and called him the enemy of heresie in the leafe 125. beside named hym the most religious and deuout of all the Kings of Fraunce or thorowe the worlde leafe fiue hundred seauentie-three and fiue hundred sixtie-one That he was verie foolish and a beast who shoulde imagine him to fauour an heretique leafe one hundred fortie-sixe and fiue hundred sixtie-two That the Catholiques ought to serue him faithfully and by all manner of good words to adore him leafe thirty How comes it to passe then thou art so suddainlie changed and gone so farre from thy dutie toward thy Prince by thee acknowledged so Catholique and voyde of all suspicion of heresie But if belying thy selfe thou wouldest notwithstanding tearme him to be a Tyrant lysten the resolution of Thomas of Aquine agaynst Tyrants Truely sayth hee if there be an excesse of tirannie it were much better to suffer for a time thys mys-gouerned tyrannie then in contending against it to be wrapped in many great dangers more full of griefe and trouble then the tyrannie it selfe For it may so fall out that they which make head against the Tyrant and lift themselues in reproofe of hym cannot get the vpper-hand and so by that meane the Tyrant shall be irritated and prouoked to become more cruell But if any one should goe beyond the Tyrant and vanquish him from the same successe often-times ensueth great discorde and dissention among the people eyther meane-while the presumption is offered against the Tyrant or after he is brought vnder for then the multitude deuide thēselues in diuers parts touching the qualitie and manner of theyr gouernement It happens also sometimes that when the people giue chase to the Tyrant by the ayde and Armes of any assistant the helper attributeth the power to himselfe and becommeth tyrannous likewise so that the feare to endure another considering what they did with him against the first presseth downe the people with a more troublesome and grieuous thought of seruitude For it falleth out by custome in tyrannie that the last is more insupportable then the first when the Tyrant giues not ouer hys predecessors extortions but himselfe following the mallice of hys own hart inuenteth new and farre more worse For this cause as oft-times els it happeneth in the Cittie of Siracusa each one desired the death of Dionisius the Tyrant yet a certain old Woman prayed continually for his health and desired that he might lyue after her The Tyrant beeing aduertised of the earnest prayer of thys olde Woman demaunded of her wherfore she did so and what was her meaning thereby whereto she thus aunswered When I was a young Mayden and our Countrey at that tyme had a verie troublesome Tyrant I desired hee might die when not long after he being slaine there succeeded him another farre beyond him in cruelty Then thought I we should be most happy indeede if we might behold likewise the death of him but he beeing deade the thirde Gouernour became worse then both the other Nowe therfore if you should die doublesse one more cruell would come in your sted and therfore I pray that we may keepe you still But if the excesse of tyrannie bee too intollerable some are of the opinion that it appertaineth to the vertue of couragious and valiant men to kill the Tyrant and expose themselues to the danger of death for deliueraunce of the people as of the like we haue example in the old Testament For Aioth gaue a stroke with his dagger in the belly of Eglon King of Moab who oppressed the people of God with exceeding great seruitude and killing him himselfe was made Iudge ouer the people But thys deede is not conuenable neither dooth it agree with the doctrine Apostolicall For S. Peter teacheth vs to be obedient not onely to good and ciuill Lords or Princes but also to the wicked and troublesome For this is most gracious when for the cause of conscience and loue of God any one endureth iniurie or suffereth vniustlie In thys case then when so many Romaine Emperours persecuted tirannously the fayth of Iesus Christ and a great multitude as wel of the Nobles as also the meaner sort were conuerted thereby to this fayth they were praised commended because they resisted not but endured pacientlie and with courage the death for the loue of Christ Iesus as we may see manifestly in the holy Legion of the Thebanes Shoulde we then rather iudge and esteeme that Aioth had kild an enemie then one that was a Gouernour of the people albeit he was a Tyrant By this reason we read in the old Testament likewise that they were put to death which killed Ioas King of Iuda although hee had left the seruice of God and the sonnes of them were reserued aliue according to the cōmaundement of the Law Now thys shall be dangerous to the people and theyr Gouernours if any one by particuler audaciousnes and presumption attempt the death of such as present the chiefe office although they bee Tyrants for often-times in such dangers the bad commeth sooner in place then the good and the Empire or signeurie of Kings is as burdenous and intollerable vnder the wicked as vnder tyrannie therfore according to the sentence of Salomon The wise King doth dissipate the wicked and vngodlie Then by the like presumption the losse of the King bringeth more daunger and damage to the people then profite