Chaire it must bee either in Apostleship or Doctrine But the first dyed with the Apostles as a personall Priviledge and the second is lost because they haue not the Chaire of S. Peter who hold not his Doctrine This their opinion of not erring is a Capitall errour thereby they tye God to them and theirseate while they loose them selues to sin But God hath confuted their folie and shewed to the world that that seate is but a seate of scorners for their is no Lyne of Christian Princes or Prelates that hath moe monsters in it than the Succession of Popes For the space of an hundreth and fiftie yeares some fiftie Popes fell close away from the vertue of their Predecessors and were rather inordinate and Apostaticke than Apostolicke and in a word they were â—lagitious Monsters as I said before from their owne confession Indifferent men would think that where truth forceth their Conscience to confesse so matchlesse wickednesse in their Popes they would grant also a possibility of erring the interrupting of Succession at least in Doctrine and so the Apostacie of their Church c. But they inferre the contrare conclusion That not witstanding the wickednesse of Popes who both neglected to guide the Shippe of the Church and did rather what they could to drowne it yet God had a care to keepe a Church amongst them These are the conclusions of hardened hearts who take the worke of their owne sin and Gods punishment to bee a worke of mercie Wee grant they haue a Church but an whorish and hereticall one not an Apostolicke as they pretend but an Apostaticke as they confesse 2. The worke of the royall Gift Iust Governement That hee may judge thy people in righteousnesse THis is the second thing hee prayeth for the worke and vse of the gift the governing of Gods people aright Everie gift of God is his blessing to mankinde and that both to the possessour and others It maketh the possessour idonous and fit for to doe some good to mankind And the want in other it respectes as a remeedie to worke such a good as they neede Therefore there is required a worke of the gift to proue the liuelinesse of it in the possessour and to produce the worke of helping others A gift without its owne proper worke is but liuelesse and a Talent digged in the earth The gift it selfe is a sort of Gods presence with the possessour but the right vse of it is a greater degree of his presence And for this cause a gift even in a Mechanicke calling is called a Spirit I will powre my Spirit on Bezaleel c. To testifie it is all in action a vigorous and actuous power in man setting him on worke The end also of all gifts is for action whither it bee a gift of common providence the possession is personall but the vse is common or whither it bee a gift of grace for edification the possession is also personall but for a common vse Wee shall consider this worke in the rule the Practise the Difficultie and Remeedes The rule is the Law As all gifts are for worke so the gift of Kinglie governement and that both to make good Lawes by common consent and governe according to them In the beginning Societies had no enacted Lawes but a power committed to one But when they saw that one to abuse his power GOD by that same Law of Nature that led them first to Governement tooke them a steppe further to make Lawes that both Ruler and people might haue a standing and set Directorie by common consent So that as tediousnesse of solitarinesse drew them to Societies and iniuries of Societies drew them to Governement so the tyrannie of Governours drew them to Lawes for the good of the whole Bodie Lawes doe not onelie teach what should bee done but also enjoyne that it bee done and that with respects of rewarding obedience and punishing disobedience so God gaue his Law hedged with promises to allure and threatnings to terrifie for hee knoweth our slownesse to good hath neede to be allured by rewards and our forwardnes to evill to bee bridled with punishment These respects are proper to man for other creatures as naturall Agents worke according to the Law that God hath given them They haue no more but a common assistance of God as the first cause neither hath the worke the morall respect of vertue or vice or of reward or punishment But man commeth in another estate hee hath a minde to consider the equitie of the Law a Conscience to bee sensible of the obligement and a will to incline to doe And therefore his obedience hath the Name of righteousensse looking to the promised reward and his disobedience the name of sinne looking to the threatned punishment Good Lawes are the sinewes of Societies though they direct vs in outward things yet they sticke fast on our Reason which beeing in kind but one in all men maketh a great sibnesse of Notions in all so that reason in everie man can easilie conceiue or condescend to that equitie which vniversall reason the extract of the eternall Law of God directeth vs to doe All Lawes haue a binding notion and vse though in diverse respects The eternall Law is in God his will the fountaine and rule of all Lawes And amongst men the Noetick Law of Nature writteÌ„ in the hearts of all people in principles The laws of nations Dianoetick or discursiue in conclusions drawn out of these principles which are divers in sundrie places because of the diversitie of circumstances The greatest perfection of humane Lawes is in their conformitie to that prime and eternall Law in God and in their vigour when they are put in execution like the effectuall providence that executeth the prime Law Written Lawes are for direction and the living Law that is a King is for actions to see that direction obeyed As their calling prescryveth this so the people craue it For Iustice is an habite dwelling in the Soules of Kings and cannot be seene but in the worke and people are not so subtile as to consider royall Iustice in an habite but as they see it in practice When they see sinne punished and vertue honoured that is more forcible to perswade them of the gift of governement in Kings than a thousand subtile demonstrations This is plaine in the end of Solomons desire hee craved a wise heart not for that end to dwell in pleasant theorie but for practice that I may goe out and in before thy people No King abounded more in profound speculations yet â—ee made them not his end but vsed them as meanes to fit him for a practike Governement and to giue the world a proofe of his habilitie for his calling It was not the habite of wisedome in his heart but the practice that made him famous to the world The words that hee spake the order of his house and wise dispatch of
when they should haue led them to Heaven The pietie of olde Prelats turned Pagans to Christianitie But they did what they could to make Princes and people forsake the Religion of so proude and fleshlie Prelats That which seemed to bee peace betweene Emperours and Popes for some three or foure Ages was but a conspiracy each of them flatetred other in offending God but hee turned this â—ust irritation of Princes in a preparatiue to reformation that Princes being sensible of the Effronts done to their honour by the Popes tyrannie might bee led to feele the wounding of their Soule by his heresie so stirred vp to reform the Church in both People were also irritate For beside their defrauding of spirituall coÌ„fort wherof as then they were senseles they were cast in civill discord The factions of the Guelfs Gibelins so called from Guâ—lfus D. of Baveere Conradus Giblingen Ann. 1140. c. The excoÌ„municatioÌ„ of Princes turned them all in division some of duetie conscience adhering to their princes other of superstition and treason falling froÌ„ them Kingdome against Kingdome Kingdomes Cities and Families divided amongst themselues So soone as the alarme was given by excommunication there was neither peace nor place for Neutralitie but the olde bloodie proscriptions of Sylla and Marius were acted everie where This made them wearie of such broiles and disposed them to embrace a more peaceable Religion that would keepe them in peace with their Princes and Neighbours Their intolerable crueltie against the Emperours inforced the world to this remeede Gregorie the seventh against Henrie the fourth Paschal the second against Henrie the fifth Innocent the third against Philip. Innocent the fourth hyred men to poyson and stobbe Fridericke and Conrad Iohn the twentie two and Benedict the eight vexed Lodovicus Bavarus They excommunicat them stirred vp other Princes to invade them and forced them to base vnreasonable conditions of peace they poysoned them with the hostie or cup. It is impossible to consider what miseries these iarres brought on people For Otho testifieth that they brought so many evills and Schismes and involved the bodies and soules of men in so many dangers that the crueltie and durance of that persecution was sufficient to proue the miserie of mankind In all these broylâ—s people smarted being brought to desperation were forced to take some course to vendicat themselues Their law provyds that feudum meretur amittere qui feudum inficiatur CHAP. XXIII Of the second fruit of their folie An exact inquirie of the matter THe second fruite of their foolishnesse is an exact inquirie of the matter When men saw their tyranny they inquired the cause and as Tertullian speaketh of the Martyrs when they know the trueth they follow it For as hee speaketh in another place who so studieth to vnderstand shall bee forced to belieue Their tyrannie is so grosse and manifest that the world shall bee forced to see the thing they could not imagine The more that Princes inquired the more they found their owne innocencie and the tyrannie of the Pope Moderate iniuries are tolerable but extreme indignities put men to the highest degree of redresse so bring them neerer to a remeed thaÌ„ lesser wrongs This was a meeting of their Inquisition For their bloody inquisitours inquire persons to destroy them But this inquirie seeketh out the cause to follow the trueth If they had keepâ—d themselues in moderation the world possiblie would haue bidden in their implicite Faith in the point of iurisdiction as well as in doctrine But when they went to intolerable insolencies men were forced to inquire in the state of the matter as a man brangled in his Possession searcheth all his writs So Princes set Lawyers Divines c. to worke to plead their cause at least by writ for there was no place for iudiciall pleading their partie beeing their Iudge and stopping all meanes of redresse by his tyrannie Everie onset that the Popes made brought both a new search of the matter a new discovery of their shame Divines Politicks were divided amongst themselues and their contraire disputs and treatises made the world see more in these deepes than otherwise they could haue seene Their strife with the two Henries gaue some light the other with Fridericke Barbarossa gaue more Even in these times of greatest tyrannie God raised vp some good Patriots to plead the cause of Princes as well as hee had Witnesses of the truth And though the Pope bare downe the one vnder the name of Hereticks and the other vnder the name of politicke Shismaticks yet their workes testifie that God lette not Antichrists pride goe without a witnesse It is a wonder that so many durst write so plainelie in those Ages and of that argument that was then tossed de potestate imperiali Papali Beside the Sorbone who proved loyall to their Princes Many Divines else where made it their taske as may bee seene in Otho Frisingensis I read and I â—read over againe the doings of the Romane Bishops c. And the fruite of their reading at least so many of them as were honest minded was with Occam to implore the Emperours protection Defend mee O Emperour with thy Sword and I shall defend thee with mâ— Penne so dangerous a thing it was then to write the trueth Goldastus hath done good service to God and authoritie but hath given a blow to the Pope in gathering together in great volumes these many Treatises which were scattered in obscure corners As a Physitian by seeing the Recepts and Medicine of a diseased Age will easelie know what hath beene the Epidemicke disease of the time So a iudicious Reader will perceiue that Christendome was then in a burning fever by the Popes ambition Such were then the Emperours best defences with Apologies Protestations c. Their authoritie was broken the Maiestie of the Impyre defaced and their Sword so blunted by Superstition in their people that they could neither defend their right nor revenge their wrong And if wee consider exactlie the ingynes of these times wee shall finde that God stirred vp for the defence of Princes the most godly iudicious and learned men but a rable of fleshlie flatterers defended the Pope This great exact search of the matter was a second preparatiue to reformation Irritation gaue the first by the Alienation of Princes minds from the Pope And this inquirie gaue the second by the illumination of their mindes in the trueth It will befall him as to the Asse who not content with his long eares asked two hornes of Iupiter And beeing importune in his pleading hee got his eares cut off And when the Persians were not content with their dominions in Asia but incroached on Greece they stirred vp Alexander to â—ast them out both of Greece and Asia So the Pope not content with his spirituall power but vsurping on the
A LOOKING GLASSE For Princes and People Delivered in a Sermon of Thankesgiving for the Birth of the hopefull Prince CHARLES And since augmented with Allegations and Historicall Remarkes Together with a Vindication of Princes c. By M. WILLIAM STRVTHER Preacher at Edinburgh Psal. 2. Bee wise O Kings Printed at Edinburgh by the Heires of Andro Hart. 1632. TO THE MOST HIGH AND MIGHTY KING CHARLES OF GREAT Britaine Defender of the Faith c. Most Dread Soveraigne BOth these Arguments craue your Ma. kyndlie patrocinie as Father of that Prince whose birth occasioned the Thanksgiving And Sonne of that King who went before all Kings in vindicating royall Authoritie Gods Providence over Man his last Creature in time but first in Loue is so great that his care of other Creatures comparatiuely seemeth a Neglect Hee hath distinguished him in Order and Degrees Gathered him in Societies And perfited these Societies with an supereminent power That Head giveth a natiue influence to its Bodie and the Bodie subiecteth it selfe to that Head Wee bring this Law from the Wombe written in our Hearts and Christ confirmed it by Word and Example Hee disposed so his Birth at Bethlehem that at once hee fulfilled his Fathers promise and obeyed Augustus Edict beeing taxed in his Mother The Church for ten Ages followed her Head in that Obedience Though her Worke bee Heavenly by the Keyes of the Kingdome of Heaven to winne Soules â—o Goâ—t and her Reward bee to sit on Thrones and judge the Tribes of Israel Yet shee gaue to Caesar the things that are Caesars And though Ambrose say that Sublimitas Episcopalis nullis potest comparationibus aequari And nihil esse in hoc sâ—câ—do sublimiius sacerdote yet hee both practised and perswaded obedience to Princes But Babâ—l confounded all And Antichrist in a more fearefull Collision of the Civill and Ecclesiastick Powers then the two Hills in Marius Sylaes time trod the honor of Princes in the dust he thought it greater to divide Lands than remit sins and thurst himselfe in their Thrones Hee exposed their Kingdomes to violence and their sacred Persons and Authoritie to contempt These insolencies might seeme tolerable in times of blindnesse as S. Austine speaketh of Romulus Apotheosing But now after so long contest they maintaine them Their Advocate affirmeth Paul the fifth approved it That he is the onelie Emperour and King the Superiour of all Kings from whom all Iurisdiction floweth What ever in danger they deny or in necesitie they mitigate this is the just Modell of their Pope and the prime Article of their faith That Luciferian pride was so eminent in Popes that it is hard to know whether to wonder more at the Impudencie of Christs Vicar vsurping or the patience of Princes suffering Poperie was never further from the Truth and meeknesse of Iesus then since it was Iesuited That name is not a denomination of a new Zeale or goodnesse but the maske of exquisite craft and crueltie and the tincture of impenitencie And as the Apostle maketh the opposition of Christus and Antichristus and Cyprian of Spiritus and Antispiritus somay wee of Iesus and Anti-Iesus But God by Reformation hath mended that confusion The light of the Gospel hath at once revealed his heresie in Doctrine and tyrannie in Vsurpation This is a tryall of Princes for they are free and happie Princes who haue shaken off his Yoak and reformed themselues and their Kingdomes to the Gospel of Christ But thrise miserable are they who lye still drunke in her fornications God in mercie hath put your Ma. in the first ranke The Titles of Defender of the Church from King William of Scotland and of Defender of the Faith from Henrie 8. of England are both Ensignes of your profession and remembrancers of your royall Duetie to defend the true Church and the true Faith your Ma. devotion testifies the peaceable part of the discharge And doth promise the other part by the Sword when GOD shall honour Kings to execute his will on the Whore And in GODS time they who now adhere to her shall count it their happinesse to follow your Ma. Example Behold now your Ma. Happinesse in their miserie Their common end to destroy Protestants hath made them Confederats But God hath divided them by their privat ends like Sechem and Abimelech And juggling Proteâ—s of a bloodie Dragon it turned a craftie Serpent and seeketh his saftie by wynding betwixt the Iealousies of these great Princes Hee is carried violentlie as hope and feare canvasse him Rut fire will breake out from Abimelech and devoure Sechem And these Princes shall dwell in brotherlie loue when they receiue the Gospel of peace This private offering is a fruit and testimonie of a commoun joy the Flowre of the States of this land present in this Citie at the glad newes of the Princes birth were overjoyed And this citie expressed their loyaltie in all significations so that no place of these three Kingdomes could exceede It was S. Austines discretion to Macedonius a Iudge taken vp with publick affaires not to deteine him with long Epistles What shall wee doe to so great a KING Almightie GOD who hath set your Ma. on these three Thrones multiplee royall gifts on your sacred person and make You a King of many Royall blessings That great Britaine vnder you and your clement Name may more and more be a terrour to Anti-christ a comfort to the Saints and a Land wherein GOD delighteth to dwell AMEN Your Ma. most humble Subject and Servant M. WILLIAM STUTHER The Table of the Thanksgiving THE Preface of the Princes Birth Pag. 1 1. The first part King David a Supplicant 4. 2. The second part Of a Monarchie 6. The Author of it 7. 2. The Necessitie 8. The Excellencie 11. The Character of K. 12. Their Limitation 13. Monarchie the best Government 15. Affectation of Divinitie is a frensie 16 The PoPe taken with that frenesie 17. Errours about Magistracie 19. 20. Wee should pray for Kings 21. And obey them in the Lord. 21. Three wayes to come to a Kingdome 1. Conquest 24. 2. Election 26. 3. Succession is better than both 28. Womens Governement lawfull 29 Queene Elizabeths instance determineth the question 30. King IAMES instance 30. A new borne Prince a great blessing 31. 3. The third part of the Royall Gift 1. The habite of Iustice. 33. Religion falleth vnder the care of Kings 37. Popes debarred them from it 38. Hee gulled them by Cannonizing 39. Some Princes abused Religion Reformation a blessing to Princes and People 40. Popes tye God to themselues and loose themselues from God 43. 2. The worke of the royall Gift is Government 44. 1. The rule of it good Lawes 45. Difficultie of iudgement in cause parties witnesse 46. The necessitie and danger of Forture 50. Princes Difficulties and Dangers 52. Flatterers of Princes are Pests 54. It is faintnesse to lay downe their Crownes
Monuments of his ingrne and speciallie in that Basilicon Doron they turned their hopes in dispaire took them to plot his debarring from England and when the Pope had written Brieues for that end and all men looked for wars God in mercie according to the right of Succession gaue him a peaceable entrie to that Kingdome and keeped this Yland from the invasion of strangers and factions within They found their former peace continued when God had provyded him one who could as well by his Tongue and Pen mainetaine the Truth as by his Sword But wee neede not dispute where God hath determined hee promised to the King of Israel that if hee would adhere to him in his governement hee should prolong his dayes and the dayes of his Sonnes in the midst of Israel And when hee had sette David on the Throne hee stablished the Crowne in his Line by Succession put it in a promise as a blessing When thy dayes shall bee fulfilled and thou shalt sleepe with thy Fathers I will set vp thy Seede after thee which shall proceede out of thy Bowels and I will establish his Kingdome Therefore all things beeing duelie considered Succession is the best way to come to a Kingdome The next point is Davids acquiescing to Gods designation testified by this prayer for his Sonne Heerein hee found sure grounds for rest Hee had obtained a great blessing hee reioyced and prayed for the continuance of it and thankes God for giving him such a Sonne as was able for so great a Kingdome Shall not a soule rest in the sense of Gods mercie in a ioyfull praising and confident praying for moe It is kindlie to a Father to reioyce in his Sons succeeding and a worke both of sound Nature and of grace Nature maketh them loue the Child who is another themselues and Grace maketh them reioyce in Gods ordinance Where can it fall more pleasantlie to them then in their Sonne who is not so much another person as themselues and that not decaying or dying but waxing and surviving Some Kings haue beene so vnnaturall as to cut off their Sonnes in â—ealousie as Solyman did to Mustapha and some write that Constantine moved with Calumnies killed Crispus his Sonne though other deny it but let that crueltie byde with Barbarians Barbaritie is the dreg and vre of Humanitie till it bee refined by Letters and Sustition and false Religion makes them more vnnaturall So soone as the father dyes the most powerfull Brother embrues his Funerals in the blood of all the rest of his Brethren but there the father bathed himselfe in the funerall of his sonne Gods feare teacheth Christian Kings to rejoyce when they see their Sonnes in their Thrones but Tyrants as they desire none to reigne with them so they wish that the Kingdome and world ended with them Of all this second point is manifest that a Kings Son is a great blessing hee is a pledge of Gods loue both to his Parents and people and a band to tye all their hearts to God and amongst themselues Kings are the more bound vnto God that giues them that fruite of their Body and the more tyed to their people also because a Sonne is the best Pawne of their loue to people Hee is also a strong motiue to moue them to a loving peaceable Governement that thereby they may endeare him in the peoples affection The Sonne of a good King is pretious to a good people and what ever loue his personall worthinesse deserues it is doubled for his Fathers cause There is no such Rhetorick to perswad a people to loue the Kings Sonne as the good governement of his Father Their loue to the Sonne diminishes not their loue to the Father but rather augments it and the increase of the Obiect increaseth loyalty It was the error of some to worship rather the Sunne rysing than going to But Christian Subiects are taught of God not to make them opposite Obiects of their affection but in a Christian loyaltie to loue each of them the more because of other Our new borne Prince then is Gods great Blessing to this Yland Hee is a Guarde to his Father and a comfort to the Subiects in stopping their perplexities about Succession and the plots of factious and ambitious men This Land for almost eleven Ages was ruled by electiue Kings Thereafter for some eight Ages it hath beene ruled by Succession And the race of Stewarts aboue two hundreth yeeres hath succeeded one another and the new borne Prince whom God preserue is the eleventh of that Name and the hundreth and ninth of the never interrupted Line of Fergus the first The third part Of the royall Gift And first of Iustice. Thy Righteousnesse and Iudgements THe third thing in this Text is the Blessing that hee craâ—es to Solomon and that in three thinges The Gift the worke of the Gift and the Fruite of that worke The gift is Righteousnesse and Iudgement wherein wee shall consider the Nature the Necessitie and the Extent of it I will not trouble you with Schoole distinctions of these words because the excesse of Affection is impatient of Subtiltie For Ioy ever hasteneth neither can Gladnesse suffer delayes And I must say with one that your Affection hath preveened my words so that I cannot satisfie you yet with another I promise to speake briefely least in such a solemnitie the length of speach burden your Devotion In a word heere is meaned the gift of Kingly governement in the Spirit of righteousnes prudence So David exponeth it in his prayer to God for Solomon O Lord giue Solomon a perfect heart And in his Blessing of him The Lord giue thee Wisedome Vnderstanding And Solomon cleareth it by his desire when God â—ade him chuse what he would he chused not Riches or honour but a wise heart even the heart of a good King Giue thy Servant an vnderstanding heart to iudge thy people that I may discerne betwixt good and bad and this is iustice an habite of the minde keeped for the good of the common giving everie man his due It looketh to Ius or Right as the obiect to Iustice the Habite or Vertue and to iudgement the sentence or fact flowing from both containeth three things The first is a discerning knowledge to vnderstand exactly and judge betweene right wrong together with a conscience to temper the rigour of right with equity in some coÌ„siderable cases This is as the Eye of the Iudge The second is puritie of the Will and Affections flowing from that knowledge that they loue the knowne Right though it were in cause of their enemie and hate the knowne wrong though in the cause of their Friends This keepeth the Heart free from the base affections of feare or hope The third is Courage cled with Authoritie both to pronounce and execute according to that knowledge A private man may haue exact knowledge
of causes in his minde with equitie and puritie in his affections and yet wanting authoritie his sentence hath no weight nor his worke any efficacie But God hath joyned all these three in this Kinglie gift as their place is aboue privacie so are their eyes to see and their heartes aboue these base and perverting Passions and they are cled with supreme authoritie to giue life and power to their words They haue both a Mouth to pronounce and an Hand to doe for where the word of the King is there is power Iethros counsell to Moses hath all these Chuse said he men of courage and that because their administration will encounter many rubs of miscontent humours which they cannot through without Courage Next men that feare God because that is a Bridle to keepe them from ill and a Cordiall for faintnesse Thirdlie men that loue the Truth that is haue Veritie in their minde Veraoitie in their word and Sinceritie in their actions that Heart Tongue and Hand goe all one way And lastlie men that are not greedie because it is impossible for an avaricious man either to bee iust in private Bargans or righteous in Iudgement God hath stablished that Soveraigne power amongst men for three speciall reasons The first is the vniust and selfish disposition of man Wee are all in societies ought to seeke the good of the common and of our Neighbours but selfe-loue turneth euery man into himselfe It killeth in vs the loue of the common and of our Neighbour and suckes in our owne particular good with the hurt of them both God hath written this law in our hearts and in his word Doe to other as thou would be done to and hath given vs a Conscience to checke vs for the breach of that law But the violence of selfe-loue caries vs away against both Law and Conscience Therefore there must be without vs an Iustice clad with a coactiue power to represse that corruption that Conscience cannot mend This correcting Iustice God hath primelie seated in Princes So there is a necessitie of a living Law armed with authoritie to vrge the Observation of the written Law This is Gods arrest on mans corruption For the power of Kings and the force of the Sword and the instruments of the Burrio the Armes of Souldiers all the Discipline of Rulers are not appointed for nought For when men feare these thinges both the wicked are dauntoned and the Godlie liue more peaceablie among the wicked Innocen cie is safe among the vnrighteous that while their desires are bridled by the feare of punishment their will may bee healed by calling vpon God The second Reason is from our Lotte God hath given everie man his Lotte and fenced everie part of it from the Iniurie of his Neighbour with commands Hee hath fenced our Honour with the fift Command Thou shalt honour thy Father and Mother Our life with the fixt Thou shalt not kill Our Chastitie with the sevent Thou shalt not commit adulterie And our Goods by the eight Thou shalt not steale c. These Commands are like Marches in a field divyded to a Commonalitie whereof everie one hath his portion designed vnto him But man who can never bee content with Gods appointment is given to passe these Marches and incroacheth vpon his Neighbour to hurt him in his goods name c. Therefore God hath set Princes as Wardens of these Marches to see that they bee keeped as his Providence hath fixed them and everie mans Lotte secured by the ministration of iustice which is nothing else but a perambulation vpon the Lottes and Marches of people What are Kingdomes without Iustice but great robberies And by the iust governement of Kings wee possesse and brooke peaceablie our possession This is Gods Guarde on everie mans Lotte The third Reason is for settling inumerable and endlesse questions for everie calling hath the owne gift for it's worke and righteousnesse is the gift and accomplishment of Kings and God hath given them power as an Usher of that righteousnesse to make way for it through the bodie of their Kingdomes Right and Equitie are a straight Line and beeing rightlie applyed make a cleare difference in mens causes betweene Contentment and miscontentment Peace and oppression c. But mans affaires furnish many questions to his contentious humour and the least circumstance maketh a new case and every case altereth the state of the Question It is impossible to write such Lawes as can either meete with all cases or decide all questions That same question the day may bee diverse the morne by the smallest change of place Person or Time For this cause God hath sette Kings as living Lawes in respect of the habite of Iustice in them and speaking Lawes to expresse that Iustice by word Edicts And doing Lawes to apply the generalitie of the Law to everie particular by execution It was said of olde That the Common-wealth could not bee governed without wrongs so natiue to man is iniquitie And therefore the best Remeed is Iustice without which said an other Proverbe Iupiter himselfe can not reigne Iudgement is justlie put in the hand of Princes because their place setteth them aboue outward things that may corrupt or passions within that may bee corrupted They are aboue honour riches c. And so neede not be ambitious of honour nor greedie of goods And within foure things especiallie pervert Iudgement feare of Hurt hope of Gaine hatred of Boes loue of Friends Where these rule the Ballance is deceitfull persons causes are confounded together They see the right of their Foe as a wrong and the wrong of their Friende as a right What ever Iudge puttethon the person of a â—riend or Fâ—e in Iudgement hee layes aside both the person and Conscience of a Iudge But righteousnesse seated in the heart of Princes purgeth them of these base affections within and secureth them from these temptations without There is no temper nor disposition of it selfe more capable of Equity or more able to pronounce execute Iudgement aâ—ight Of Princes care of Religion THis much for the necessitie of Iustice The extent of it is not to bee restrained to civill things alone as though Princes might not meddle with Religion but God hath given them an interesse therein For if the proper worke of Iustice giue everie one his due then surelie that must bee her first taske to see God get his due and so Religion commeth within her compasse as the first and maine taske The Kings of the Earth serue Christ when they make Lawes for Christ and heerein they serue God if in their Kingdomes they command good and forbid evill and that not onelie in things pertaining to humane Societie but also in divine Religion In matters of Religion three parties haue interesse First GOD hath absolute power as Hee is the onelie Author and Obiect
his affaires made the hearers beholders astonished Lawes are not made for Theorie but for Practice and the best practice on the part of the people is Obedience and on the part of the Magistrate execution And the best execution is when rewards and punishments the pases of the worlds Clocke are applyed as men deserue the god lie rewarded the wicked punished It hath bene an olde coÌ„plaint that Lawes haue bene well made but evill observed And he cannot be innocent who either spareth him that should bee punished or punisheth him that should bee spared By just punishment three things are procured First the amendement of the offender for so the evill of punishment layde vpon the evill of his disobedience will curbe that corrupâ—ion in him since it bringeth vpon him a worse evill in his account Next a bettering of other who seeing iniquitie punished will feâ—re to doe the like least they incurre the like punishment Thirdlie the peace of the whole Bodie when such as trouble it with their wrongous dealing are condignelie punished for their wrongâ— On the other part when righteousnesse is rewarded three answerable fruites doe follow First the righteous are made better when the good of their righteousnes is augmented by the good of their reward Next others are provoked to righteousnesse when they see it rewarded Thirdlie the whole body is reioyced to see the good honoured for when the godly are exalted the people reioyce and so publicke peace is keeped by the vniversall care and study of well-doing But when the application of these things goe contrare both to the meaning of the Law and the deserving of the persons then fearefull confusions follow All men are discouraged from righteousnesse which they see neglected and punished And none sleeth from evill but rather followeth it when they see it honoured with the reward of good The wicked are both imboldened to committe sinne and proud of their reward The godly are grieved that matters goe so crosse and lament to see good men cled in the liveray of the wicked and the wicked in the liveray of the godly It is a shame for the sonnes of men when the wicked are exalted In such a case Lawes are without life their execution is contrare to their direction and their direction serveth for no other end but as a shining light to discover the iniquitie of such application Impyres and Kingdomes are no lesse mortall than a man they haue their owne Infancie Adolescence and Vigour and from that their inclination decay death and others arise of their fall Their greatest high is in Pietie and Iustice and their deadlie disease is in profainesse and vnrighteousnesse As the heate decaying in the heart so is profainnesse in a Kingdome and injustice is as a palsie that dissolveth the whole Bodie It was one of Solomons remarkes of vanitie I saw vnder the Sunne the place of Iudgement that wickednesse was there and the place of righteousnesse that iniquitie was there It is grievous to see iniquitie any where but most in the seate of Iustice and it is great boldnesse in iniquitie to out-face Iustice in her owne seate and great presumption in the vnrighteous when they darre either prosecute or defend iniquitie in Iudgement The case of that â—and is lamentable where Iustice â—eats are â—ade seates of injustice and the remeede of inquitie turned in the disease there is no hope that Iustice can reigne where iniquitie vsurpeth so vpon her as to thrust her out of her place and from thence vnder her name maintaineth wrong That case seemeth so desperate to Solomon that hee putteth it amongst these cases reserved to Gods owne cure and the great appellations to be discussed at the last day I said in mine heart God shall iudge the righteous and the wicked for there is a time for everie purpose and for everie worke God hath established Iustice amongst men to doe them right but when shee is so oppressed as to bee displaced and her name borrowed to colour iniquitie then of a Iudge shee turned a Plaintiue compleaning to God of that violence Though Lawes were wrong exponed in their meaning and their rewards wrong applyed yet supreme reason the life of the law liueth with God and will vindicate the owne true sense and apply rewards aright This is the law of Lawes abyding in God which wee may know and ought to follow â—ut may not iudge so that wee may say THAT THE LAVV OF THE COVRT OF HEAVEN AND OF REPVBLICKS IS THE VVILL OF GOD. Hee hath appointed Indicatories to keepe men in order but when they are abused to maintaine wrong and oppresse right hee hath the last Iudgement for a remeede to call all proceedings to a new tryall and to discusse the appeales of the distressed Kings indeede haue long eares to heare and long hands to doe many things yet they cannot heare and doe all by themselues Therefore Iethroes counsell to Moses was good to divide his burthen and set vp Iudges and Magistrates with authoritie vnder him But that work is full of difficulty that in respect of the Lawes the parties Witnesses Lawes are many yet short for all incident and daylie emergent causes Iustinian thought hee had put out a perfect bodie of the Lawes when hee caused digest the Roman Lawes for twelue hundreth yeare and yet these many Volumes may be called short for so vniversall a purpose and the matter appointed to end Pleas is turned a seminarie of pleas because of briefnesse Though all Lawes and Decisions were gathered together they cannot meete with everie new circumstance Mans corruption is ever devysing new wrongs and new colours to colour them withall â—he diverse interpretation of Lawes increaseth this difficultie and that Emperour misseth his end of the hastie decision of pleas when after long disputing the question is more doubtfull than when it was first stated albeit the small brookes of Lawes before Lotharius time are turned since in Mare magnum a great ocean of Lawes The parties vsuallie whither of simplicitie or purpose are bold to bring the evill cause to Iudgement they are confident of their cause and oft times the worst cause hath most diligence to supplie the want of equitie by the excesse of businesse If righteousnesse ruled men Iudges would haue little to doe and if Truth were in their words questions were soone decided But the Clients information to their Advocats is so badde that it is hard either for them to know or the Iudge to discerne where the Truth is Witnesses also helpe this difficultie They are subiect to their own corruptions and may deceiue the best Iudges who by their office are bound to judge according to things alledged and proven If the religion of one Oath had force the matter were easie for God hath ordained it to put an end to controversies but mans wickednesse hath turned it in a
meanes to hyde the truth If Aequivocation had place in Iudgement God had never ordained Oathes for ending of questions though the Iesuits haue perfected that coloured periurie in our time yet it is naturall to man who is a liar It confounded all Iudgement so that neither the oath of calumnie in the parties nor the oath of veritie in the Witnesses wants the owne suspicion But possiblie betime Iudges will bee forced to invent a third sort of oath occasioned by Aequivocation to make parties and Witnesses sweare that they sweare truelie Moreover though Knowledge and Experience in Iudges overcome these difficulties yet their frailtie of affection is inclinable to the Parties Therefore it was a good devyce to pleade causes without designing the names of the parties but vnder the fained names of Seius and Titius c. And that suffrages should not bee given by Word but by Notes on a Table or by White-stones for assenting or blacke-stones for dissenting So a way was provyded for libertie in votting and for securitie from challeng for that libertie But the absolute best remeede for Parties Pleaders Witnesses and Iudges is to set God the supreme Iudge before them and to remember that God sitteh in the assemblie of gods and to proceed as in his sight When cause is simplie compared with cause and reason with reason the sentence will easilie ryse according to right and equitie But this difficultie is greatest in criminall causes and hath brought on the necessitie of torture which is a sort of torment to a pittifull Iudge It is a miserable supplie of the want of probation and so insufficient that the vrgers of it permit the sufferer after torture to goe from his deposition or byde at it It was first devysed by Pagans and is iustlie called a Tarquinian crueltie They had not spirituall and divine motiues taken from GOD or Heaven or Hell c. to presse the Consciences of the guiltie therefore they tooke them to that brutish motiue of a bodilie paine Man is reasonable and truth should bee sought out of him by reasonable motiues which choppe on his reason and Conscience and that in the respects of eternall reward or punishment But the way by bodilie paines is more fleshlie and the order is preposterous by the bruising of the flesh to open the minde An extorted confession is but a bastard confession as fire forced out of the flint It is lamentable that among Christians there is as great necessitie of torture and as small fruite of it as among Pagans What ever bee the lawfulnesse of it the minde of he Iudge is tortured Hee would know the Truth and must vse such a meanes to search it Hee knoweth not whither the sufferer bee guiltie or not yet must hee suffer as suspected of obstinacie in denying lest hee die as guiltie and in avoyding death hee suffereth death in torments hee suffereth not because hee hath done the crime but because it is vncertaine if hee haue done it And so the vnavoydable ignorance of the Iudge is the calamitie of the Innocent and the more hee presse to helpe his ignorance hee hurteth the innocent the more This is lamentable and to bee washeth with floodes of teares that while the Iudge tortures the suspâ—ct person least hee kill an innocent hee killeth that innocent whom hee tortureth lest hee should kill him And when their paine maketh them chuse to die rather than to bee tortured they confesse the cryme that they did not and so are innocent both in torture and in death And yet when they are execute the Iudge knoweth not whither they be guiltie or innocent And so oftimes both tortureth and killeth an innocent while hee laboureth to eschew it By these things a wise Iudge is drawen on not by desire of hurt but by necessitie of ignorance and yet since humane Societie craveth it by necessitie of Iudgement This is contrare to the tortures of the olde persecutors they tortured confessing Christians and let them goe free if they denyed but the criminals torture that they may confesse and destroyeth them for their confession On the other part how oft doe the guiltie endure torture with obstinacie and harden their hearts to conceale the truth Such obstinacie at the first is resolved but if it turne iudiciall by a wilfull denying with cursings and execrations then it worketh either a stupifying senselesnes in their flesh or else by way of diversion fasteneth the minde so vpon losse or shame that followeth a confession that it lets not the flesh feele paine Sathan can stupifie his martyres in maintaining lies that hee may play the Ape to GOD who mitigateth the paines of his martyrs by spirituall comforts It is not therfore for nought that God tooke of the Spirit of Moses and put vpon the Elders because they had a Calling full of difficultie In all which cases it is best for a Iudge to looke to God and that eternall Law in him and withall to craue his direction that hee erre not in Iudgement and cry Deliver mee O Lord out of all my necessities But there is no better spur than Iehosaphaâ—s exhortation to Iudges Take heede what yee doc for yee iudge not for man but for the Lord who is with you in the Iudgement Wherefore now let the feare of the Lord bee vpon you take heede and doe it For there is no iniquitie with the Lord our God nor respect of persons nor taking of gifts Of Princes difficulties dangers IT lyeth then on Princes to exercise their Gift as they would proue the liuelinesse of it and this brings on them a world of difficulties There is none in their Kingdome of a more laborious life The Head that moveth all must haue action in it and the heart is in a continuall motion to furnish fresh Spirits to the bodie Great is their taske to know the state of their Subjects to heare the plaints of the poore to represse the insolencies of the proude by causing minister Iustice to all God hath set them aboue their Subiects but that same exalting in some sort putteth them vnder because they are servants to their Subiects in that they watch for their weall and safty I herefore the Apostle in that same place where hee calleth them supereminent powers calleth them also the Ministers of God to minister Iustice for hee is the Minister of God to thee for thy good They are Gods Ministers attending continuallie vpon this verie thing They haue supreme power bowing downe to a Ministeriall worke and a Ministerie cloathed with supreme power Many are quicke-sighted to see the defects of Governement who will not see the difficulties and dangers of it for beside the weight of such a Calling the most lawfull vse of their coactiue power beareth them on many dangers either in punishing the vniust or affraying them that would bee so Every curbed humour by feare of punishment
fretteth against them God hath fenced them indeede against briares and thornes with their supreme authoritie and yet sometime they feele their sharpnesse It is impossible to them to please all yea not to curbe many in execuâ—ing Iustice and their danger is not so much from open Enemies and secret male-contents as from their friends and Attendants The force of the one is not so fearefull as the treason of the other Their guards are to keepe them safe and yet are they often in greatest danger in the midst of them So both solitarinesse and Societie are dangerous to Princes They reigne over the multitude wherein are moe vniust than iust and moe that will bee offended than pleased And in every Kingdome the mightie and the people are as two factions and Princes saile betwixt them as two extreames but the vpright ministration of Iustice is the best waâ— Private men can hardlie please both parties but Princes cled with authority neede not sticke in these straiâ—es but to giue everie man his due This is the great benefite of Iustice that beside the natiue intrinsecall goodnesse it hath also this accessorie good to make a safe way for Princes betwixt contrarie factions When a Iudge inflicteth punishment the cause of punishment is not the Iustice of the Iudge but the merite of the Crime a Greatest Princes haue greatest cares and the largenesse of their Dominion enlargeth their labour as great hollow Statues overlayed with gold are full of wormes and Spiders so the greatest Monarchs vnder show of worldly glorie are full of noysome cares All these cares should indeere them in the hearts of their people because they are not for themselues but for their people A good Princes wakerifenesse keepes the sleepe of his Subiects His labour their idlenesse His businesse their vacancie and his care maketh them carelesse The greatnesse of a Prince is as much for his peoples good as it is aboue them Great businesse with dangers and difficulties are their ordinarie dyet vnder which they would succumbe if God supported them not with as great a Spirit to dispatch businesse contemne dangers and expede difficulties So that though their Crownes bee of Gold yet they may bee called Crownes of thornes and their just â—mbleme is a man sitting in a Chaire of state with a naked Sword hinging by a small haire over his head But God the King of kings hath a speciall care over them and guardeth their persons by a particular providence lâ—st his sacred image in supreme authoritie should bee violat by everie miscontent humour These are their seene dangers but they haue another enemie lesse hated but more hurtfull and that is Flatterie the bane of greatnesse it followeth it as the shadow doth the bodie and lookes not to truth but to acceptance and putteth a visorne on the natiue face Sathan durst thereby assault Christ though hee despaired of successe how much more will he assault sinfull man where he is sure of victorie Hee knoweth that even they who overcome vice are often corrupted with praise Scarcelie is there one who giveth not patent cares to flattery and as they will not patiently suffer evill to be spoken of them so if they liue well they would bee counted of And who is hee whole vertues breaking foorth desireth not to bee commended Or that contemneth the praise of men Princes therefore are most exposed to the praises of mankind both for their eminencie as an obiect and for their power to requyte with reward Flatterers haue suggested that poyson to Princes as to make them thinke their will is a law their power the measure of their will and that supreme Reason and their pleasure are all one They labour to possesse them with the opinion of compleate absolutenesse from dependance on any Author from limitation by any Law from errour in their doing and from reckoning for their doings to God All men by nature like to bee rubbed with this Combe and with a deceiving delight admitte that praise which their Reason and Conscience refuseth But the angrie countenance of a wise King will scatter these flies For expeding these difficulties some Princes haue vsed the faint remeede to lay downe their Governement Diocletian re signed his dignitie to Galerâ—us and turned privat It was not so much for saâ—ietie of honour as impatiencie of disappointment Hee had for eighteene yeares cruellie persecuted the Christians and not beeing able to roote them out as hee desired hee satisfied his miscontentment by retirednesse and privacie The Martyres courage made him a Coward and hee brake his owne spirit in despite because hee could not breake them the Name of Iesus was more glorious by his persecution and in end hee dyed miserablie This was the hand of God throwing him downe from the toppe of honour which he abused Hee would bee worshipped as a god but fell low from the Throne to a Garden and from the Scepter to a Spade more from an affected Godhead to a male-contentment but indeede that swelling conceate of a Godhead was a worse fall than when he turned private Lotharius also resigned his Kingdome to his Sonnes and beeing wearie of the imperiall Crowne hee would take on him the Monkish shaven Crown and render himselfe to a Monasterie This last age also saw some of it in Charles the fist so long as hee was zealous for God and earnestlie sought Reformation God blessed many great things in his hand But when the Pope fedde his ambition with the baite of the Impyre of Germanie and he had devoured it by hope a conceate where with his house is drunke vntill this day then hee persecuted the Protestants with an vniust and civill war After that never thing prospered in his hand but God cast him in such disastures as suffered him not to brooke the publicke and therefore choosing retearednesse to digest them hee was digested and overcome by them Such a dispositioÌ„ in Princes is a deserting of their place their gift themselues and on Gods part a just desertion dryving them in the straits of a private spirit who haue prevaricat in his publicke service The largenesse of the heart is the vprightnesse of it When it dilateth it selfe on God by Faith and affection but when men close their Heart vpon God by seeking themselues they are both separate from him and excluded from themselues in that selfe-respecting But the best remeede to overcome all these difficulties are Pietie and Prudence Pietie directeth them in all actions towards God maks them in their adoes to depend on him it holdeth them daylie with him to seeke both the gift and the vse of it in his assisting and blessing of their labours Though hee be high he must day lie doe homage to God who is higher than the highest as he wold haue his presence with his Governement The more hee pray ardently and looke on God he shall the more finde wisedome in that Fountaine haue a
righteousnesse amongst themselues and yet for all this they haue neede of civill Governement The best man hath some remanent Corruption and in the best particular Churches are some who haue not the power of Religion nor are disposed for righteousnes Herein appeareth mans vnrulines Gods mercy supplying it with Governement And the happinesse of such Kings as rule the people of God This is mans vnrulinesse that though hee bee reasonable and of one stocke in Adam and of one condition in sinne which should make him to loue his Neighbour yet wee are most vnreasonable and inhumane to other Neither the bands of common nature nor common miserie no not of Religion can make vs liue in righteousnesse It was truelie said That the necessitis of many Physitians in a Citie argued great intemperance in a people So the necessity of Magistrates argueth great vnrighteousnes amoÌ„gst men If we had stood in Innocency as wee were created wee had beene to others as harmelesse Lambes and gallesse Doues our pure minde tooke light of God fully our Will followed that Light freelie and our Affections and the whole man went one way to obey him But by our fall that furnishing is lost and that harmonie broken our mynde taketh not Gods Light our will and affections miscarie the whole man violently wee breake to God and so cannot doe a duety to man That fansie of some Schoole-men of a meere and pure Nature is a pernitious errour that ignorance and concupiscence were the conditions of that Nature and that man in his first estate would haue beene caried to the desire of sinfull things This obseureth the integritie of our creation the miserie of our fall and Gods mercie restoring vs In our innocencie we had no disposition to sin our originall righteousnesse was a sweete applying of everie power in vs to another and all of them to God But now beeing voyde of that originall iustice and full of iniquitie wee are like vnreasonable creatures Man is in honour and vnderstandeth not hee is like a beast that perisheth As the greater Beastes devour the smaller and ravening fowles prey vpon the weaker and greater fishes eat vp the lesser So everie man as hee hath a gift aboue his Neighbours vseth it to their hurt The wise man turneth his wisedome to intrappe the simple the mightie man his power to oppresse the weaker and the rich man maketh his riches as feete and hands to fulfill his evill purpose against the poore So though it would seeme an easie thing for a King to rule a multitude of reasonable men brought vp in civilitie and Religion yet it is a matter of great difficultie Therefore one said right That Kings ought to bee Pastours and that because they rule men who are led by brutâ—sh affections This is a Glasse for mans infirmitie That hee is the most disobedient creature the will of God is an eternall Law the cause and rule of all equitie and reason thereby hee disposeth his owne actions and giveth the extract of it respectiuely to creatures and all of them except man obey that Law according to their power This power is specified in their essentiall formes and these formes are the immediate cause of their working and Character of their worke Mans disobedience is the greater because he hath the most excellent forme is best obliged and best furnished he hath a reasonable Soule and the greatest extract of Gods eternall Law both wriâ—en in his heart and revealed to him in Scripture Hee alone hath a Conscience to charge him with obedience in the Name of God As a Center hee is compassed with obedient creatures If he looke aboue hee seeth the Angels keepe their celestiall Law in loving adoring and imitating God if beneath hee seeth all creatures keepe their Law the fruite of their obedience is his comfort and if they altered their course but a short space hee would perish And yet notwithstanding of the excellencie of his forme the riches of his furniture and his compassing with a cloud of so many obedient witnesses hee remaineth still vntractabâ—e Secondly herein is Gods great mercie to man that hee leaveth him not in this disorder Hee knoweth that hee would be as a beast pushing and goaring other therefore he hath set vp Magistracie as a soveraigne remeede of that furie and given it power to secure the weake from the injuries of the mightie wisedome to saue the simple from the snares of the craftie That if the great sort will abuse their power in tyrannizing over the weake they may finde in Kings a power to controll them The greatnesse of Kings aboue their Subjects is both a staffe to the weaker to leane to and a bridle to restraine the outrages of the mightie as the Prophet expresseth Defend the poore and fatherlesse doe Iustice to the afflicted and needie deliver the poore and needie ridde them out of the hand of the wicked This vindicating power of Princes is as great a blessing to the oppressours whom it restraineth as to the poore who are rescued Thirdly this is the happinesse of Kings that rule over Gods people that their lotte is fallen pleasantly in Gods inheritance They who reigne over Barbarians are Kings over beastes rather than men and they who rule over civill Countries where true Religion is not are Kings but of men but they whose Kingdome is a particular Church to God are Kings over Kings or Christians more than men and their common Subjects by grace haue more true worth than such Kings as are over Barbarians because wee are a royall Priest-hood The one reignâ—th in a Paradise the other as in a barren Wildernesse This excellencie hath also an easinesse with it to overcome mans natiue vnrulinesse for Gods Scepter bringeth people to obedience as this Prophet acknowledgeth It is God that subdueth my people vnder mee When mans rudenesse is broken with a true Religion it is most plyable to authoritie as to the ordinance of God hee both commands and alloweth that obedience and disposeth people thereto willinglie Numa by Religion plyed his rude Romans more to the offices of Warre and peace than Romulus austere governement If a false Religion did this in Pagans what shall the true Religion and the grace that accompanieth it worke in Christians It is farre more easie to rule good people than badde because there is none so rebellious to Authoritie as those who rebell against their own reason a good man is more obsequious to Princes than a Russian The godly doe feare Princes more than they are to bee feared of Princes but no bands can keepe the wicked in order True Religion binds vs to God and the grace of it is our greatest perfection in this life and that partaking of the divine Nature maketh vs the more respectuous to Gods ordinance Where that is not Lawes Rewards and Punishments are but weake motiues but where it is they neede not a Law The
feeder but peace is both best purchased preserved when Iustice absolutely reigneth Therefore good governours of Provinces may tightlie bee called Iustices of peace their name beareth these twinne blessings of Iustice and peace and if they answere to their name they are worthie instruments vnder God and the King by ministration of Iustice to keepe peace amongst people In this point David alludeth to Solomons name for God tolde him Beholde a Sonne shall bee borne to thee who shall bee a man of rest And I will giue him rest from all his enemies round about For his Name shall bee Solomon and I will giue peace and quietnesse to Israel in his dayes On that prophecie David foundeth this prayer and Experience proveth both the truth of the Prophecie and force of this prayer Hee answered to his name as hee was called peaceable so hee ruled his people in peace and God blessed them with great prosperitie vnder him Iudah and Israel dwelt every one vnder his vine c. They had peace with God so long as they keeped his Commandements and peace with neighbouring Nations and amongst themselues And the fruite of long peace was gold and silver as Stones at Ierusalem Heerein hee was the type of the true Solomon Christ Iesus whom this Psalme principallie respecteth and who for this same end was shaddowed by Melchisedecke hee is first King of Righteousnesse or Iustice and then King of Salem or of Peace Hee proved the King of righteousnesse when hee fulfilled all righteousnesse in satisfying the Iustice of God for vs and then applying and imputing that Righteousnes vnto vs is the Lord our Righteousnesse for hee is given of the Father to bee our Righteousnesse Redemption c. Hee proveth the King of our Peace in that hee hath purchased vs peace by righteousnesse For the chastisement of our peace was on him and by his strips wee are healed When wee are covered with his righteousnesse God seeth not sinne in Iacob nor iniquitie in Israel His Iustice beeing satisfied hath no quarrell against vs but by vertue of that satisfaction iustlie adiudgeth peace and salvation to vs. It is as proper to Iustice to pardon a penitent sinner in Christ as to punish an impenitent sinner If wee confesse our sinnes hee is faithfull and iust to forgiue them Christs obedience hath a double respect to Iustice the one of satisfying all it can claime of vs the other of meriting all good to vs. The first putteth away the demerite of sin The other possesseth vs in peace and glorie Of Warre THus a good King ruleth his people in peace but some time necessitie will draw him to Warre and that either for defence of the truth his Crowne or Countrie the iust causes for a lawfull warre Some haue thought Warres vnlawfull to Christians but that was onelie in some times and cases when the Heathen Emperors vrged Souldiers to offer to idoles and if they refused they were shame fullie cashired or martyred In such a case it was good to abstaine from a voluntarie or mercenarie warrefare To goe to warre is not sinne but to doe it for prey is sin And though warfare bee a lawfull calling yet warre is one of the three plagues wherewith God vsuallie breaketh the pride of mans body As by with-holding of nourishment in Famine So by violence with his Arrow of pestilence or by the hand of man in warres Our sins procure war at Gods hands For when we will not serue him in peace hee maketh vs suffer in warres And when our lusts rebell against his grace why should hee not punish vs with the warres of man Yea our lustes fighteth within vs before wee can fight with man without For if man could dwell in himselfe in the contentment of his loâ—te hee would not encroach on his neighbour in ambition crueltie avarice c. Miscontentment with our lot and too great loue of earthly thinges maketh vs quyte peace and fall in iarring Warres are sweete to them that haue not felt their miserie but a taste of them giveth a sweeter relish to peace and this is among other reasons why God afflicteth a Land with warre that thereafter they may count more of the blessing of peace The fruite prooveth it to bee a plague Thereby peace is broken Lawes are silent oppression and iniquitie doe reigne There is neither marches of possession nor propertie of vse and no man hath place to iudge or power to set things aright beside the violence of the enemie the insolence of our assistants is intolerable They who come to helpe vs thinke they cannot hurt vs but vnder colour of defence they bereaue vs of our goods and of our liues also if wee resist and though neither the enemie nor assisting Friend vse violence the licence of people in their owne Countrie is no lâ—sse hurtfull The Souldiers girdle looseth the most part from all feare of God and respect to man childreÌ„ women the obiects of pitie find no pitie but their chastitie and liues destroyed at once and their defyling is more bitter than their death cities of many yeares building in one houre turned in ashes And though a â—and bee a Paradise before Armies yet after them is an horrid wildernesse Man exceedeth all creatures in Hostilitie Lyons against Lyons and Dragons against Dragons are not so cruell as man against man Their fighting is but at occasionall encounters yet out of sight of other their rage ceaseth But man can spend dayes nights and yeares in devysing mischiefe against absent man their yoaking in Battell is but the fruite of their former plotting Reason our priviledge aboue Beastes when it turneth furious putteth vs farre vnder them Wee are borne naked but crueltie hath turned vs all in armour And where it might bee called prudence to invent defensiue weapons yet crueltie is more inventiue of offensiue weapons to hurt other and more forward to destroy others than saue our selues This last Age the Rendevous of all wickednesse hath fetched from the hel 's the invention of Gunnes and fire worke and that with a defect on the defensiue part There was no hurting weapon before but Nature found a Guard for it but fire-work hath not yet found a shield Corrupt Nature is more ingenious to destroy than to preserue and decaying mankind falling further from God â—urneth more to Sathans image both in an actiue and passiue destruction When Armies ioyne in Battell man is going out of himselfe And though hee bee reasonable yet beeing cloathed with Brasse or Yron hee is more brasen and irnish than his Armour Hee hath none other respect to his enemie but to destroy him and that rage is so bâ—nded that they cannot helpe their Friend Though woundes strike their neighbour-Souldier to the ground yet the necessitie to keepe their ranke turneth them out of loue and humanitie and if they bee straited they must trode on his bellie to keepe their order The feete
tastlesse hee delighteth in his lame and pithlesse dilemmes and like a Con in a Cage moveth much but promoveth nothing c. If a man shall cast over their Volumes with Martiall hee shall offend at Homers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nothing but triviall iuffâ—ing a thousand tymes refuted by Protestants and as oft reponed by Papists Some new quirk of humane Invention and some new forme or lustre put vpon olde damned heresies and exsibilate Paradoxes Ther Expurging Indices are Evidencies of their evill conscience in an evill cause they distrust all and adde delete change in bookes what maketh against them They destroy genuine bookes as Bertrame calling it Oecolampadius forgerie And set out supposititious Treatises without number and rase Scripturall sentences out of the Indices of all Wryters Yet they stand not at these Purgations Sixtus did it with more iudgement Possevine with more diligence and yet they are not content with them The purging of Doway and Spaine are not enough but the Vaticane must bee added And when Angelus Rocha hath revised all Ioannes Maria must purge out more But Bellarmine latelie vrged a further purgation of Bookes against the Iesuits Their new faith is so ambulatorie that it knoweth not where to consist They are convicted by the testimonies of their owne writers and therefore reject them as Tertullian said of the Pagans But let them purge Bookes as they will their faith is damned and stobbed by so manie testimonies as they in revenge doe pearce with the Popes obeliske It were good service to God and his Church to gather in one all these sentences which they haue purged And a worke worthie of the Church of England who is most able for it How ever they deale with Authours wee say as S. Austine did to Donatists Constantinus quidem defunctus est sed eius Testimonium contra vos vivit These men are dead yet their Testimonie is quicke against you Men would thinke that with all this furniture they would bee bold to dispute But they are come now to shift disputs So Salmeron condemneth disputing with Protestants So Becan and Scioppius in the foundations of peace Iansenius giveth vs a floorish out of Tertullian Wee neede not to bee curious after Christ nor to inquire after the Gospel And Baronius before him abusing Ambrose That wee neede not accuse the Apostolicke faith of noveltie But this wee craue is not a curious inquiring after Christ but a tryall of their faith if it bee that Faith that Christ delivered to his Apostles They confesse reallie that it is not that same faith while they eschew the try all of Scripture This their shifting of Disputs is contrare to the auncients practice as may bee seene in Athanasius against the Arrians Cyrillus against the Nestorians Augustine against the Pelagians and Donatistis c. And most against their owne Practice for first when the Iesuits arose they made disputs their sacrum Asylum or sacram Anchoram and for this cause glutted themselues with humane learning But now in end they finde their furniture as stubble before the fire For one place of Scripture rightlie vrged against them burneth vp all their baggage This shift commeth first of experienced weaknesse in disputes and next of a confidence in bloodie massacring So Austine noted these two The first in the Donatists e Sed quia bonam causam c. Because they knew they had not a good cause they first did what they could that there should bee no Dispute and that their cause should not bee handled all The confidence in other meanes hee noteth in the Manicheans g Non enim disputare amant for they loue not to dispute but pertinatioustie to overcome any wayes In like manner Mahomet discharged all disputing in his Religion And the Iconolaters the Papists fathers refused to dispute with Orthodoxes But if they bee forced to dispute they fill all with clamours as Cyprian noteth of the Pagans and boast of victorie though they bee overcome as Pascentius and Maximus two Arrian Bishops did boast that they overcame Augustine in disputs Yet they like some sort of disputs such as they had with Iohn Hus and Ierome of Prage whom they burnt at Constance and the like latelie with Padre Fulgentio and Abbas Sylvius at Rome thogh incoÌ„stant Spalato could not be wise by their example This they haue learned of the Arrians For when King Hunnericus called a dispute at Carthage hee began it with burning an Orthodoxe Bishop Lactance shall close this point and lead mee to their last refuge Novi hominum pertinaciam I know the mens pertinacie They feare least they be convicted and forced to yeeld vn to vs Therefore they close their eyes least they should see the light wee offer to them Wherein they shew the diffidence of their damned reason while they will neither vnderstand neither dar dispute because they know they will bee easilie over-come Their seventh and last refuge is crueltie The Ignatian fierie temper of the Iesuits This Lactance a noteth Disceptatione sublatâ pelliturè medio sapieÌ„tia vigeriturres They lay aside all reasonable dealing and take them to violence And that because sententiam quam defendere nequeunt mutare erubâ—scunt they thinke shame to change that opinion which they cannot defend This they haue oâ— Mahumet and Cusane objecteth that the sword was his greatest argument wherein hee resolved all d And Baronius Macta and Manduca kill and eate So Paul the fifth at his death recommended the inquisition to the Cardinals quo vno niti affirmabat Apostolicae sedis authoritatem a bloody pillar of a bloodie Kingdome and not content to kill vs by Inquisitions they draw on Princes to be their Burrioes This is the fruite of their fornication with the whoore in giving their power to the beast against the Lambe France serveth them at turnes but when shee openeth her eyes to see the Butcheries of her owne to bee the vantage of Spaine shee relenteth till a new deceite set her on againe And yet because the trueth shineth greatlie in her they incline more to the Bigotisme of Austria and the wilfulnesse of Spaine as bloodie in zeale as pertinatious in errour Their rysing at the least in the Ambition of a fifth Monarchie is a fitte support for staggering Rome The Pertinacie of Heresie and furie of blind zeale can haue no other arguments of defence but Ureseca burne and cut as an absurde man wanting reason turneth to passion and furie This proues the Pope to bee his first-borne who was a lyar and murtherer from the beginning The credulitie of his pretended Omniscience hath long misled the world Now when they see and would refuse his lyes hee vseth the crueltie of his pretended Omnipotence to destroy them Hee is now Abaddon the authour of bloodshed in Europe for many ages Thus wee haue traced them in their degrees
they measure their trustie Professours what ever men hold or deny in other points so that they maintaine this all is well But if they oppugne this though they bee sound in other points they are persecuted as Hereticks They charge vs falsely that we make our doctrine of Antichrist an expresse article of our Creede but they hing all their Creede and Faith vpon it And vpon their grounds it may passe since they make the Pope their Church They obiect sayeth Gretzer that wee call Papam Ecclesiam quid tum non abnuo What of that I deny it not And Ualentia more posedly Nomine Ecclesiae intelligimus caput Ecclesiae by the Name of the Church wee vnderstand the head of the Church Since therefore they make their pretended head the Church no wonder that the greatnesse of that Head bee the greatest articlâ— yea the summe of their whole Faith And Baronius a firmeth that without obedience to this Head neither Faith nor good workes availe And againe that even Arrian Princes prospered when they obeyed the Pope This Head is All to them their Faith their Creede the rule and cause of prosperitie to blesse Hereticks if they obey him to damne the Faithfull if they disobey him But seeing they will haue it an head article wee aske in what Creede they finde it It is neither in the Nicene nor Athanasian Creede neither in these larger formes as Ierome wrote to Damasus or Augustine to Laurentius or Petrus Diaconus neither in the Creede of the Apostles which crediblie was written before Peters supposed comming to Rome and containeth nothing of his Supremacie Therefore they must come home to their Trent Creede canonized by Pius the fourth This is their idole of Ecclesiasticke libertie wherein though they speake diverselie yet all runneth to a lawlesse licence Sometimes they restraine it to Canonicke election of Prelats Some times to the investures of benefices and immunities of the Cleargie but Aventine descriueth it more partiticularlie that Hildebrand was desirous to shake off the Emperours yoake breake his authoritie and turne all power to himselfe and so to confirme the principalitie of the Pope That there was nothing better than to take away all feare and bee affrayed of no man and that hee might enioy the Ecclesiasticall libertie and haue such an Emperour whose forces hee feared no as one that did reigne at the pleasure of the Pope This is the first branch of it in his Securitie The second is in being terrible to others that as hee feared not the Emperour so although hee iniured him yet the Emperour must bee affrayed of him And Gerochus an eager defender of Hildebrand descryveth it more shortly The Romaines said hee vsurpe divine honour they will giue no reason for their doing neither suffer they any man to say to them why doe yee so But vse that verse of the Poet so I will so I command and let my will passe for a reason But Hildebrand expoundeth it himselfe most cleerely to bee a power to take away and giue Impyres Kingdomes Principalities and what ever mortall men may haue And what these proud words meaneth hee exponeth it in his twentie seven Dictats the hammers of all lawfull authoritie And Vendramenus the Venitian defines it libertatem quodvis agendi rapiendi impune a libertie to doe and pull what they please But seeing they must haue this Title of Head in their owne sense let them haue it as Aquinas calleth the Antichrist perfect or an Head quo modo dicimus perfectum latronum as wee say a Brigand is perfect But there needeth no comparison where there is an Identitie Their Church cannot bee perfect in faith that is ever parturiens bring out new Articles of faith Their Regulars haue latelie affirmed Quod Regulares sint de herachia absolute articulum fidei esse puto But the Parisian Divines haue censured it thus Author novum eumque falsum fidei articulum fingit And that same Sorbone gaue the like censure against Becan Bellarmine Suarez c. in the point of the Popes headship There is as much truth amongst themselues as to refute their new bred Articles of faith Asorius is sufficient Facta pontificum rem fidei non faciunt faciunt tamen probabiliorem sententiam If the Popes doing make not rem fidei a Matter of faith how can it make a thing de fide an Article of faith and that a prime one I will close this point with Alvarez strange positions of this head Maioritas Papae that the Popes greatnes is in all by all before all and aboue all Christians This might suffice but we shall haue more Papa est Deus imperatoris the Pope is the Emperours god And yet more blasphemouslie sicut Deus as God cannot set a god aboue himselfe so the Pope cannot set an equall to himselfe These and other like blasphemies they suffer to stand in print albeit they purge out better things by their Indices Expurgatorii And when Paul the fift was latelie called Vice-Deus a Vice-God by Thomas Carafa and Benedictus and offence was taken at these Titles by Plessie and other Protestants the Consistorie tooke it in their considerations to moderate them But the Pope stayed all moderation and said That no more was in these Titles than agreed to Peters successour Thus their Head is farre from found judgement when hee will suffer no mitigation of the blasphemous titles of his Headship CHAP. VIII That the end of the Popes Vsurpation is his Monarchie HIs end in all this Vsurpation is hee will hee must be a Monarch At the beginning hee was subiect to Emperours as well as other men As the Popes submissiue and humble Letters to Princes beares as shall bee seene heereafter Next they aspired to an equalitie as Symmachus with the Emperour Anastasius Itaque non dicam superior cerâ—è aqualis honor est I will not say it is a superiour but certainelie it is an equall honour But they knew that Equalitie of power cannot well stand therefore they ascended in end to a Superioritie So Gregorie the seventh to Henrie the fourt And Hadrian to Friderick who was angrie that hee preferred his name to his This was farre from Gregorie the first who reproved a noble woman for calling her selfe his hand-maide For this cause they are not content with the Myter as Church-men but weare the Crowne which they call Regnum And Hildebrand hath decreede Quod solus Papa potest vti imperialibus insignibus That the Pope alone may vse imperiall Ensignes And hee hath a triple Crowne to tell that hee is greater than all the Kings of the Earth in glorie and authoritie This they make plainer by a strange collation making themselues to bee all and Kings but as cyphers For temporalis potestas est in Rege ut administrante But they put it in the Pope in fiue respects The first as in conferente by
reconciliation after a just censure but suffered a rash and vniust Interdict to bee revoked by a verball declaration The Cardinall Ioyeous sent by the Pope declared that the Pope revoked his interdict and they gaue him an Act of the revocation of their Protestation Hee keeped no order in giving out an Interdict and as little in revoking of it the pronouncing was in splene and passion and the retreate was in shame and confusion This was against their owne Lawes for the interdicted persons should not bee received vnlesse first they satisfie for their fault or that they giue their oath for fulfilling of the commandements of the Church But the late â—asuists helpe the Pope in this straite Avila sayeth that that the Pope may relaxe an Interdict by his inward Act alone Papa potest solo actu interiori relaxare Interdictum And Fernandes affirmeth that the Pope may absolue albeit the cause cease not and a Rodrikez sayth That one who is absent or vnwilling may bee absolved All these cases serue to cure the Popes folie His intention is good enough to vndoe that whereby he had plondered the world two yeares And while the Venetians held at the point of their innocencie and would not bee absolved by him he was forced abruptlie to declare them free But Becanus telleth vs That they are ashamed of the matter for when it is obiected hee frets and fumes saying That since the matter is setled it ought not to bee wakened againe because such doing is the worke of seditious men Ais venetos sed bis peccas 1. quia cum lis illa sopita sit tu illam tuo flabello resuscitare non debes Hoc seditiosorum hominum est But I will serue him with his owne dilemmes Either the Pope had a good cause in hand or a badde If a good cause why did hee quyte it so shamefullie Where was his omnipotencie that hee could not double out the defence of the great and maine Article of his faith If hee had an evill cause where was his omniscience and infallibitie that they suffered him to enter in such a quarrell But the trueth is it was the witlesse impotencie of his proude spirit By their fretting they testifie they are ashamed of the cause contest and event But if they had prevailed in this contest they would haue put it in the Catalogue of the Popes victories over Princes and gloried in it as they did of Dandalus subiection to Clemens the fifth Thus was the Question cariage of it vulgarlie takeÌ„ vp but God had a secreit in it to giue the Pope a foile at his owne doores and that not so much in the opposition and event as in the cause which was not onely avarice and pride but most of all the defence of sorcerie and villante Heere in GOD would haue the world looking on the Whoore in her owne colours Sathan also blinded the Pope that hee saw no more but to pouse his power and smyled in his sleeue when hee brought Sanctissimus on the Stage to patronize Villanie It is their custome to act and maintaine villanies and though they confesse Iohn the tweluth to haue beene a monstruous adulterer yet they damne the Councell that condemned him Lastlie God was heerein teaching the possibilitie of the Popes curbing when a petite state in comparison of great Kings at his Elbow gaue him an irrecoverable blow for his folie CHAP. XXXIX Their cruell attempts in great BRITAINE THeir other attempt was in great Britaine They assayed it with all sorts of weapons First by the wind of cursing Henrie the eight and Elizabeth But that proved evill wind to the blower Next by VVater and Sea by their great Armado wherein Sixtus the fifth a had his hand but God scattered them and made the winds Seas fight for this Yland Therafter they pressed to barre K. Iames entrie by Brieues perindiciall to his Succession but when they saw they prevailed not they pressed to flatter him at least to feede themselues with hope of toleration And when that failed they turned to their wonted practice of treason and laboured to kill him before his Coronation And when God disappointed them therein and all hope of toleration was lost they went to extremitie and fetched from hell the devyce of the powder-plot Some thing lik was attemped in Florence and Lisbone latelie in Genua but they are nothing to this for these were Papists against Papists their grouÌ„d was civill miscontentments but heere Religion was the cause that against a King a Queene Prince and flower of all the Estates of a Kingdome and many Papists also These were against some few foes onelie but this was to blow vp friends with foes and not to giue them leaue to thinke of God at their death but in one instant to bee Breathing dead and evanished without Buriall But GOD turned this Mine vpon the Miners to discover and overthrow the depths of Rome This brought the matter of vsurpation againe on the Stage with a new and singular sort of acting Before it was disputed by Divines and Lawyers but then by the pen of a King and while other Kings were either killed in the question or beeing aliue durst not or could not debate it God set vp a living and learned King on a throne to plead his cause Strangers acknowledged his furnishing with wisedome and learning as farre as any King since Solomon Iacobus 1. Mag. Brit. Rex omni laude maior eminet adeo ut cum Solomone sapientissimo certare posse videatur And that our Age hath seene him onelie among Princes plenished with all knowledge beloved of them for his most learned works Cum autem nostra aetas te solum augustissime Princeps incomparabili felicitate sortiatur qui excelsamente doctissi mis lucubrationibus omnium Principum animos tibi conciliasti And himselfe professeth that God had raised him from an obscure Kingdome to a greater that from so eminent a place the world might heare him pleading for the trueth Two glorious Titles concurred in him First the title of Defender of the Church from the Crowne of Scotland And the title of Defender of the Faith from the Crowne of England And God gaue him a double measure amongst Kings to bee one of his Worthies and to lift vp his penne against many hundreth Papists That royall Premonition dedicate to Princes was easilie vshered comming from a Prince but it cast the Iesuited Papists in a plunge Manie of them railed against it as Bellarmine Becane Suarez Cofteau Schioppius and others to the number of fourtie fiue But it stands yet vnanswereable because they brought nothing against it but their owne preiudicate and ranâ—ide Paradoxes And the worthy Divines of England vnder such a Chiftane haue so tortured them in that argument that they haue left the field And whereas the Parliament and Sorbone censured some Bookes written
worke Baronius called it Divinum consilium a divine counsell So bee like these troubles of Germanie are a divine counsell with them With this vsurpation over Princes hee intendeth mainlie the rooting out of Protestant Religion and for that end stirred vp both France and Austria against the Protestants which wee may perceiue in his Resolutions and practice His Resolution is with Innocent the third to destroy the rising trueth This hath ever beene in following Popes and fullie concluded in Trent The Cardinall of Lorraine reveales the Conclusion of Charles the ninth Philip the second and the Pope was ad exstirpandas Germaniae haereticos novam toto Imperio formam instituendam ex prescripto Pontificis and is confident that the Heretickes beeing assaulted both at home and abroad shall be killed as beastes by Dogges sent amongst them and no wayes esâ—hew the snares And againe seeing there is so great a confederacie and power against Hereticks both the Pope and Cardinals doe exspect shortlie so great a mischiefe on them as shall double the ioy for the Massacre of Paris As for the Germanes hee sayeth that nothing is to bee feared from these improvident beasts who know not their strength but shall perish before they perceiue their danger And againe That they are so imprudent and senselesse that they never minde to repell a common danger by common force but everie one labours to defend their owne privatlie And thereafter There they are so stupide that they know not their owne danger till they bee overthrowne This is the opinion of the Pope and his Cleargie of the Germanes which imboldneth them to abuse Germanie as they doe To effectuat this end they haue consederate the Emperour Pope Spaine Bavere and the holy League as they call it even as the Pagan Priests stirred vp the Emperours to persecution and contribute large money to their Armies So now doeth the Pope and his Cleargie in the persecution of Protestants Their wayes to worke this end are Policie periurie and oppression Their policie first they pretend civill causes to hide the other plot of persecution and yet the Emperour discoverth it in his Letter to the King of Spaine That their businesse concerned the conservation of the holie Faith and the standing of their House And it is manifest that long before the sturres of Boheme they were persecuting the Protestants in Westphalieâ—614 â—614 in Silesia 1614. and 161â— in some imperiall Cities as Ulme Aken Wesell 1614. in Donawerda 1617. in the Volteline Stiria and Bohemia it selfe 1618. And the Bohemian wars were occasioned by these persecutions when they were driven to that desperate state in Religion as to seeke the protection of some foreraine Prince Their second policie They divided the Protestants and drew a part of them on their side as Charles the fifth did at the Smalcaldicke war and they boast of it that the Protestants are so loose that many of them fight on the Papists side In all their meetings they pressed to draw the Lutherans from the Calvinists as they call them and vsed that speach Sicut Catholicus sic Lutheranus promifing as great quetnesse to the Lutheran as to the Papist that when they had broken vs by the Lutherans they might destroy them also Some of them contemned the D. of Saxe as a man of no Spirit but the most part feared him for his great power and therefore first â—ngaged him by the offer of Lusatia Next they held him on to bee Executor banni Imperialis And lastlie they fed him with the title of Vicarius Imperij All this was to guâ—l him as Charles the fifth did to Maurice his predecessor So their secret correspondence reveales that they studied by all meanes to please him that at least iâ— sâ—ow hee might bee satisfied Thirdlie in all meetings they ever treated of peace to make the Protestants carelesse And while they were busiest in warre they protested most they were seeking the publick peace and when Armies were gathered on both sides they fained a Cessation of Armes to make Protestants disband their forces which beeing done the Papists with their standing Armies seased on some Provinces as the Palatinate Lastlie as they confounded Religion and policie so in policie they confounded the quarrell of the house of Austria with the quarrell of the Impyre This was the rypenesse of a long plotted persecution for the Papists learned of Severus Canals the arte of Intelligence and myning Hee found them about the walls of Bizantium and brought their Copie in this Land to his Dyke betwixt Forth Clyde They went so alongst the roote of it that all Forts were advertised in an halfe houre what the enemie was doing and where hee assaulted So the Iesuites turned their vniversall intelligence whereof their rules giue a direction to worke mines in all the reformed Churches beyond Sea In France Boheme Silesia Moravia Uolteline Westphalie c. Princes were irritate People were miscontent the Papists fretted at the prosperitie of the Protestants and Protestants abridged of their owne wonted liberties in Religion and debarred from publicke imployments and defrauded of the course of Law c. Such a broyling disposition was like powder layed aboundantlie in mines that lacked nothing but firing In Boheme was their head-mine because of the electiue Kingdome and the exasperate minds of people for their crossing in Religion Thervnto the Iesuits layed the match of a new oppression to force the fire of defence They both sought and wrought this occasion of the Bohemianes the meeting of all their Provincials at Rome was to devise how to vse their opportunitie which they had long exspected So soone as Boheme fired their mines played in all places at once so that none could either helpe another as they were wont nor saue themselues Thus the Protestants were at one time everie where oppressed Secondlie their periurie is manifest For they come directlie against their promise confirmed by oath The Pacification of Passau was solemnelie ratified at Augsburg And the Emperour Rudolph and Mathias confirmed the liberties of Boheme by Letters reversall which in electiue Kingdomes are strong obligements of Princes and haue the force of mutuall contracts And Ferdinand the second by the like Letters declarations and Edicts confirmed the same But most solemnelie by his oath at his Coronation did sweare to maintaine both the Sacred and civill peace of the Impyre That hee would keepe the Electours Princes c. in their possessions dignities and rights That hee would keepe friendship and good correspondence in the Impyre and not bring strange forces in it That he would iniure or offer violence to no Elector nor Prince of the Impyre That hee would not proscriue any vnheard or without a cause That hee would not labour to turne the Imâ—yre hereditarie to his house And finallie that if hee did any thing beside or contraire to his Capitulation it should