goddesse Diana would bee destroyed Act. 19.27 And what was pretended the cause of that tumultuous sedition but the preseruation of their Religion to their great goddesse Diana Liu. in Historiâ Romanâ Existimauit Ancus Marcius quâ—niaâ— Numa in pace religiones instituisset à se bellicae ceremoniae producerentur c. Liuie in the Historie of the Romanes relates of Marcus Ancus of the Progeny of Numa and his successor that when he had receiued some iniury from the Latines as vnlawfull taking away the commodities of his Realme and holding diuers of his subiects captiue and receiuing as he thought an insolent answer vpon demand of them to be restored being minded to recouer them by warre all his labour is to find out a faire pretence and giue a faire challenge and vpon these considerations he beginnes that since his predecessor Numa had founded Religion in peace it concerned him to ground his warre vpon Religion whereupon his Ambassador being dispatched with Commission to proclaime warre Audi Iupiter ego sum pulibcus nuncius populi Romani iustè piéque venio si ego impiè illos homines dedier nuncio populi Romani mihi exposco tum Patriae compotem me nunquam sinas esse haec quicunque ei obâ—ius fuit haec portum ingrediens haec forum ingressus peragit thus runs his message Heare O Iupiter I am sent by the generall consent of the Roman people and that what I do as Ambassador is iust and religious I call thee to witnesse and if I do herein vniustly or impiously then neuer suffer me to be a man thought fit for seruice or worthy regard in my Country and these things the Legate buzzed into euery mans eare that met him thinking that when hee had made Religion the colour of his Masters warre and inuoked God that then hee might fairely denounce warre for the effecting of his particular end When the Pharises were almost ready to burst with malice against our Sauiour Christ and could finde no rest within themselues till they had committed that deuillish matchlesse and colourlesse murther vpon him for Pilate confesseth he could find no cause they pretend he was a Sabbath-breaker he was a Deuill hee was a Blasphemer he was a mouer of Sedition and these things could not be tolerated in their Religion therefore away with him crucifie him crucifie him So that here the maintenance of Religion is the cloak of this horrible fact But there are too many witnesses of later dayes before our eyes of this truth What vnsheathed the sword of so many Massacrers in France not long since to the taking away of so many Christian soules in one night They will tell you Religion What gaue boldnesse to that desperate Villaine to make his Soueraignes the late King of France his bowels the Scabberd for his poison'd dagger If he were aliue he would tell you Religion What sharpened the wits and steeled the hearts of our Englishmen lately that if there had bene a Councell called in Hell and a company of grand Diuels sent vpon earth for the executing of their designes they could not haue found out a more damnable Plot nor with greater resolution haue prosecuted it then they did the Gun-powder Treason All their excuse would be that it was in the cause of Religion What hath plucked of late the louing Husband from his Wifes tender imbraces the beloued Sonne from his Parents carefull gouernement the diligent Seruant from his Masters serious imployment and the Loyall subiect from his Kings peaceable Dominions and all from their natiue Country either to make way for their enterprises thorow the bowels of men women and children or expose themselues to vnauoydable slaughter Is it not because men pretend Religion the colour of their warre though they intend nothing but the getting of some Towne or Country So that looke into men of all nations and conditions you shall find euery man claime an interest in Religion and yet how hard a thing it is to find sincere and true Religion planted in any Nation our owne excepted or particular mans heart Wherefore it is not altogether vnexpedient for a man as well as hee may to informe himselfe what true Religion is Some will haue the word Religion to be deriued from a Latine word RÄ•lÄ•go which signifies to reade ouer againe or to remember but this seemeth not to bee so proper a deriuation because reading is an act of the tongue and conuersant aswell about falshood as truth and Religion is chiefly seated in the mind and imbraceth nothing but truth Againe for remembrance it is of somthing forepast but neuer man yet knew what belonged to Religion before it is wrought in him by the holy Ghost and therfore cannot remember that of which hee neuer had so much as a notion Farther if it should haue this former deriuation it should onely intimate a bare remembrance of a thing and no way giue light to the nature of the thing There is a word which more fitly offers it selfe and signifies in Latine Religo August de vera relig religat ergo nos vera religio vni omnipotenti Deo vnde religio dicta est to bind or tye True Religion sayes an ancient Writer doth tye vs to the onely and Almightie God and from this tying doth Religion take its name Adam had no sooner transgressed the commandement of God but takes his flight seekes shelter vnder the trees of the Garden to hide him selfe from the presence of the Lord God but when God apprehends him with his cal there is no longer keeping out Adam being arraigned and hauing receiued the sentence of his punishment hee might yet bee like to many children or seruants that when they haue once gotten a custome of running away from their Fathers or Masters they shall neuer keepe them at home without they shackle or tie them fast and therfore God to preuent this runnagacy in Adam and his posteritie hath prouided this bond of Religion to tie them fast to himselfe as the reuerend Father sayes Ierem. super nonum cap. Amos. Ecclesia est fasciculus vnâ Domini religione constrictus vnde ipsa religio à religando in fascem domini vinciendo nomen accepit The Church sayes another is a bundle tyed together with the wreath of Religion whence saies he religioÌ„ takes the name from binding Till the comming of our blessed Sauiour the Church of God was only amongst the Iewes but they when he came into the world refused subiection to him Whereupon our blessed Lord sends his Apostles throughout all the World to gather vp as it were heere a sticke and there a Christian sticke which being presented to God hee makes a bundle and tyes it vp with this wreath of Religion and so hath made himselfe a new Church and this latter word binding giues some insight into the nature of Religion which is either a binding to or a binding from a thing a binding to is a
good Christians IOHN COPE A SHORT SCRVTINY AFTER RELIGION THe Poets tell of a Minerua The raritie of Religion whereby is vnderstood the knowledge of Arts and Sciences begotten of Iupiters braine The Philosophers speak of a first matter which must be part of euery thing and it selfe nothing being without forme which matter is so efficacious as nothing can bee without it and yet of it selfe so pure and simple as it is not to be found in any thing He that vndertakes to set forth Religion what it is seemes to goe about the Fiction of a Minerua or the description of a first matter for the holy Ghost who is the worker of all grace in a man may not altogether vnfitly be resembled to the brayne or conceiuing faculty of God as a man may with reuerence speake and this first matter Religion is presumed in euery man to be in himselfe and yet is not to be found perfect in any man Luke 1.28 Religion persecuted In the Euangelist Saint Luke the Angell Gabriel pronounceth the Virgin Mary to be blessed amongst women and yet examine her condition vpon earth you shall hardly find a woman more miserable at the birth of our Sauiour she had not a house to put her head in but was constrained to take vp her Lodging in a back Stable no sooner was shee deliuered of that King which was the cause why she was pronounced blessed but shee must fly to saue her Sonnes life into Egypt and all the time of our Sauiours being vpon earth was a sharer with him in his persecutions whilst here shee liued she was suspected of her best friend Ioseph of incontinency since she departed hence yea to this day is accused of sacriledge to rob God of his Worship in being praied vnto and of blasphemy to vndertake to command God to performe her own will Thus fareth it with blessed Religion when it comes into any Countrey or City it findes euery dore shut against it except it steale in at some backe dore into the heart of some poore Christian and if it make not the more speedy flight into some vnknowne Countrey or Desart Wildernesse sudden waight will be laid to cut off the very life of Religion as we see it at this day chased out of its natiue countrie of Iury and out of the seates of forraine Monarkes into an Iland or two and the confines of the earth next as it fell out with the Virgin Mary so this Religion shall bee reputed a harlot yea suspected by her owne friends and supplanted by the Strumpet of Heresie if God should not assist her and that sacriledge and blasphemy haue been euer layd to her charge will appeare by the accusations of her aduersaries Neither is good and true Religion reiected as odious impious and erronious Religion produced for the maintenance of errors but called to the patronage of all errors vicious liuers wicked practices The Papist because he holds the Catholike faith though stuffed with all manner of corruption he must be accounted Religious the Brownist because he will not endure the corruption of Church-discipline though hee forsake the Church yet he must be counted Religious the Anabaptist the Family of loue the Pelagians and all the rabble of the like Heretikes because they acknowledge Christ though neuer so full of erronious opinions yet they must be accompted religious nay the Turke that worships Mahomet the Infidels that worship the Sunne the Moone or other creatures yea some Nations that worship the Deuill himselfe for feare of him because they worshippe something though neuer so much against reason or common sence yet they account themselues to be Religious Religion the excuse of wicked liuers Tell the Drunkard that Adultery is a sinne he thankes God he is no adulterer and he is of the right Religion and he hopes it will goe well with him Tell the Oppessor that Drunkennesse and Adultery are sinnes he thankes God he is neither Drunkard nor Adulterer and he is of the right Religion and hee hopes it will goe well with him Tell the Swearer that Drunkennesse Adultery and Oppression are sinnes hee thankes God he is neither Drunkard Adulterer nor Oppressor and he is of the right Religion and he hopes it will goe well with him Tell any man of one sinne in another man that he findes himselfe not giuen ouer vnto though he liue in all other sinnes yet he hopes he is not so badde as that man that liues in that sinne and hee is of the true Religion and hopes God will be mercifull to him in Christ it will go well with him But there is a kinde of man that goes to Church vpon Sundayes receiues the Communion once a yeere at the least and that is at Easter because hereby hee hopes to goe to heauen beleeues the Articles of the Creed because he is taught so to doe that hopes God is mercifull because he lookes for a share in his mercy that sweares not but small oathes because to be a great swearer is of ill report that will not drinke extraordinary because it is chargeable that is very painefull and diligent in his calling because he desires to grow rich that keepes touch in paiment of money because he expects others should doe so to him or if they do not he will lay them as close as the Prison can keepe them that giues to the poore at his doore because he would not be hardly spoken of that hath few suites in Law because as neere as he can he will wrong no body that is either able or likely to goe to Law with him in a word he that liues the life of an ordinary ciuill man and holds himselfe to be a good Protestant And this man if you esteeme him not a religious man will thinke you doe him great wrong And yet there is another that goes beyond this ciuill man and that is hee that is vpright in his dealing for iustice sake he that is a true pay-master of his debts for honesties sake hee that is industrious for Prudence sake he that is absteynious for temperāce sake and he that is morally vertuous in any kinde which is his Religion for vertues sake who for point of faith is content with a generall beliefe as the Church beleeues and this man holds himselfe to haue climed vp to a high degree in Religion Religion the pretence of euill practices Farther what is made the colour of most sedicious bloudy wars and horrid practices but Religion As Sir Francis Bacō in his Essayes wittily obserues they bring downe the holy Ghost in sted of the likenes of a Doue in the likenes of a Vulture or Rauen out of the Barke of S. Peter set forth the flagge of a Barke of Pirates When Demetrius the Siluer-smith with all his fellow workemen found their trade like to go downe if the Gospell of Iesus Christ were receiued at Ephesus thē they cry out that the magnificēce of the great
A RELIGIOVS INQVISITION OR A short Scrutinie after RELIGION Wherein the large Cope of true RELIGION is narrowly inquired BY IOHN COPE of Grayes-Inne ESQVIRE LONDON Printed by FELIX KINGSTON and are to be sold by IAMES BOLER at the Marigold in Paules Church-Yard 1629. TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE AND right vertuous Lady ELIZABETH Countesse of Holland Madam I Had and haue buried a good wife since which time God hath not disposed of me in a second mariage by reason wherof I haue not a Child of my body being single I conuerted to my selfe and I know not how my braine became in labour and is deliuered of this I know not what to call it it is not worthy the name of a booke except your Ladiship will deigne to patronage it and giue it desert which fauour if your Ladiship indulge towards me then my Booke like some meane man that hath been entertained by some great personage vnder the protection of your fauorable approbation shall walk abroad without shame of it owne vnworthines and my selfe shall remaine as alwayes I shall haue cause to doe from your former large fauours Your deuoted seruant Iohn Cope TO THE READER COurteous Reader for so you must be to me if you haue patience or will spend time in reading so slight a piece of writing as this is instead of an Epistle I will tell you a tale which is this There was a yong man who after the death of his Parents was minded to venture his fortunes vpon the Seas and was furnished as hee thought with a prety tite vessell which was likewise fraught with commodities that were passable This yong man lanched out into the Ocean where for a long time together he had so faire gales of winde as his heart could desire thus with full sayles he made his way thorow the deepes but being ignorant of the passages of the Sea and would not be ruled by the Pilotes and Mariners of which kind he had some that were skilfull hee suddenly ranne himselfe into a crosse Sea where after hee had beene sorely tossed and troubled and washed with the surging waues his Barke began to leake which wrought in him a sore dismay but the dashing of these angry billowes one against another was a meanes to worke this weather-beaten Vessell into a calmer Sea This Young man resolues to returne home and though with much losse to desist from his adventure or to repaire his decayes but comming into the narrow Seas where he found a boysterous passage he discouered his owne Country and knowing of a safe Hauen that had beene open whence he put forth at his going to Sea where many a tottered shippe had found harbour he intended to put in there but so it was through the neglect of keeping the Hauen in repaire it was so choaked with quicksandes that no ship could venture to make passage into it without danger of shipwracke as it fell out with this yong man who putting to shore split the prore of his barke vpon a sand This yong man had two Iewels giuen him by his Parents in both which they had in their lines a ioynt interest At his going to Sea he lest one of them with his friends to keepe for him the other he wore tied with a string about his necke next his heart and though he had sustained great losse at last a Fisherman light vpon him who finding a Iewell about his neck that seemed of some worth though much blemished with the beating of the salt water vpon it being moued with compassion tooke him into his boate setting him on shore holpe him to land so much of his goods as could be preserued and with much difficulty he saued his broken Vessell If the Reader desire to know any farther meaning of this Fable thus it is applyed The yong man was my selfe my Parents knowne to be deceased the Sea was the world the vessell my estate as well of minde and body as that of my outward meanes the fraught some measure of vnderstanding apprehension and memory some knowledge both in humanity and diuinity farther my health strength of body and vse of sences which were good indowments and part of this aduenture The Ocean may resemble the large scope I gaue my selfe wherein I was carried amaine by the whisteling gales of all manner of pleasures which did so fill the sayles of my empty affections as that I feared not to passe thorow any deepes of hazard My ignorāce in the world was like with the Yong mans vpon the Sea The Pilots and Mariners whose direction I refused to follow were some of my friends that better knew the course of the world then my selfe The crosse Sea I fell into was the incounter betweene prosperitie and aduersity as the incounter betweene plenty and want betweene pleasure and trouble betweene sicknesse and health and so betweene any present good inioyed and any contrary euill that approacheth and now my Barke began to leake amaine when I could not with all the power of my vnderstanding body or estate so fast pumpe out the waters of aduersity as they brake in vpon me which made mee almost heartlesse yet after much tossing and struggling in vaine against the insulting fury of the billowes I was cast vpon a calmer Sea of patience Thē I resolued to returne home to a better vnderstanding of my selfe and see if I could find any meanes to repaire my decay yet when I came neere home I found but an vnquiet passage thorow the narrow Straights I had put my selfe into how-euer discouering where I was I aduētured to put in whence I had hoysed sayle expecting harbour but found the Young mans successe The two Iewels bestowed vpon me by my Parents were Religion and a good name the former I kept as neere my heart as I could which yet had lost much of its lustre being continually dashed vpon with the brinish water of many corruptions which I passed thorow The Fisher-man that tooke mee vp who had good knowledge of my Iewell was such a one as our Sauiour Christ vndertooke to make his Apostles fishers of men Now gentle Reader be pleased out of my Fable with the moral to take my intention in putting forth these few and imperfect Leaues which is to let all that know mee vnderstand what my Religion is which they may well suspect either to be none or not the right after so dangerous passages in the world And in the next place my earnest suite to my friends is that as farre as charity will moue them they would endeauour without apparant cause to suspend their good word or opinion of me to preserue my good name which I therefore desire to leaue in their custody And lastly my purpose in divulging these worthlesse Lines is to tie my selfe by them to the obseruation of my owne directions the frailties of corrupt nature being tolerated withall which successe if I find I shall haue my full desire and so rest a well-wisher to you and all