golden Touch As Whales doe play vpon the lesser Fish Till Harping-irons spoyle their latest wish So These wound Christ againe through Neighbours sides Till Earth denoures her due their hideous hides O curuae in terras Animae Coelestium inanes O stooping Soules to Earthly trumperies And quite deuoid of Heauenly Mysteries Shall I sleepe on both eares as the Prouerbe saith while these indignities range abroad vnpunished or conniued at among the learned Societie of Parnassus No mighty Monarch I feele an inward motion in my Soule pricking me like a spurre to run as at a deified Deuill against the defied foes of Charitie And now the rather being heere enforced in your Maiesties Court of Parliament the transcendent Light of all worldly Actions Take away the chaine of Charitie take away the Communion of Saints established on the eternall vnion of the Sonne of God who left vs at his departure this last Commandent Loue one another And doe we loue one another if we liue in hatred and watch opportunitie to hurt the members of Christ Decretum profer Apollo I appeale to this high Tribunall How can we say that God is in vs if our Soules and Bodies bee not his Temple The Ground-worke of this Temple is Faith as Saint Paul writes Faith is the ground of things hoped for The walles are the Gifts of Hope without which wee of all men were most miserable And what is the perfection of the Roofe which couers this Temple but Charitie This is the fruit of all our Actions both immanent and transient This brightsome vertue extends to God and man to Heauen and Earth It lifts it selfe vp to God as the prime Mouer of our wils to the Angels as our Guardians and to the triumphant Saints for their participation and spirituall fellowship with our Soules in the harmonious concent and agreement of Holy Workes expecting our humane minds to ioyne with them in their vniuersall Alleluiahs without iarres discord or disproportioned tunes O Angelicall Concord which requirest this Contemplation and Practice of all such which are predestinated to be saued O the depth of Gods scope which exacteth this obedience of the true Catholike Church to loue our Neigbours as wee would haue him to loue vs to doe euill to no man to wish well to all the World like vnto the Sunne which not onely casts his beames vpon all but refresheth the very earth which beareth weeds In what a miserable case then stand those Lawyers which polish their wits and with hired tongues goe about to defeat Oâ—phans Widowes and other innocents by desending wrong-doers Cursed be yee which speake good of euill and euill of good saith the Prophet Which likewise the Wiseman testified He that iustifieth the wicked and he that condemneth the Iust they both are abhominable vnto God What auailes it a man to gather wealth for a small time when hee knowes hee must leaue them behind him and answere for euery idle word and sentence which he produced to disgrace or hinder his Neighbour whom he was bound to tender and loue as himselfe What profit shal he get by his golden fees when Death dogges him at the heeles When his pulses shall faintly beat his senses faile and his eye-lids shut neuer more to open vntill they see the gates of New Ierusalem shut fast against their wretched Master No doubt but some of our Lawyers doe happily thinke vpon this fatall stroke but alas that weake thought for want of Zeale quickly perisheth like those seedes which were sowne by the Husbandman and afterwards for want of care suffered to be ouergrowne with weeds and choaked with auarice The want of employments in some other Professions or Trades which might benefit them in their worldly thoughts and dreaming conceits of priuate lucre doe constraine many great Spirits to fall to this wrangling course of life who otherwise would proue more notable members for their Countries Good But seeing no other way then this to arriue without danger of a bloudie nose to a great estate they forgoe those braue flames which Nature had kindled in them and in their steed doe harbour earthy and slimy cogitations like the Serpent whom God cursed and destinated to creepe vpon his belly and to licke the dust of the earth All their mind runnes on Gaine Gaine is their God the God which deliuers them out of the Land of bondage out of the iawes of Pouertie Gaine is the golden Angell which leades them out of the Wildernesse into the Land of Canaan Gaine is their Iosuah that gouernes their battels and giues them superioritie and victory not ouer the vncircumcised Philistines but ouer their owne Brethren the heires of Saluation in the world to come What faire protestations and goodly hopes will they not faile to promise at the first opening of their Clients Cause yet when the matter by their vnluckie Counsell succeeds not as they promised they will shamelesly stand vnto it that their Clients had not throughly informed them or else with admiration and eyes lift vp towards Heauen they will ioyne to lay an aspersion on the Iudge whereas themselues were the chiefe Procurers of the Suite About twenty yeeres past it was my fortune to bee present in a Counsellers Chamber at the Counsell of the Marches where a Gentleman of Worcestershire bitterly complained that the Counsell had ordred him to pay seuenscore pounds which hee might haue compounded for fiftie pounds And that this rigorous sentence proceeded by his relying altogether vpon his Opinion that the Counsell would not deale in matters aboue fiftie pounds being limited by their Instructions from the King To which the Lawyer answered that he had hard measure offered him that the Counsell reduced his Cause from a Common Law businesse to bee a matter of Conscience wherein the King had left vnto them the determining at large without tying their powers to a certaine Summe That hee was sory to see such extreme seueritie Yet notwithstanding somewhat glad that the matter hauing beene so chargeable and trouble some for a long time he might now enioy the continuall company of his wife and children at home which before he could not doe That Peace was a blessed thing and Patience an excellent vertue Which the Gentleman hearing and hauing no comfort else for his great expence paines and troubles he brake forth into Passion saying what doe you tell me of Peace and Patience and going home to haue the company of my wife and children All this I had before I met with your vnfortunate Counsell and but for you I might haue had more meanes to doe for them then now I haue Which Answere of his cals backe into my memory Captaine Eliots Tragedie which about fiue and twentie yeeres agoe he related vnto me at Paris In Queene Elizabeths dayes being enticed by a Iesuite heere in England this Captaine Eliot went to Lisbone with a Pinnasse of the Queenes which hee purposed thence forwards to employ for his New Masters seruice the King
NEWFOVND LAND THE GOLDEN FLEECE Diuided into three Parts Under which are discouered the Errours of Religion the Uices and Decayes of the Kingdome and lastly the wayes to get wealth and to restore Trading so much complayned of TRANSPORTED FROM Cambrioll Colchos out of the Southermost Part of the Iland commonly called the NEWFOVNDLAND By Orpheus Iunior For the generall and perpetuall Good of Great BRITAINE LONDON Printed for Francis Williams and are to bee sold at his Shop at the signe of the Globe ouer against the Royall Exchange 1626. THE MUSES AND THE GRACES BY THE hands of Orpheus Iunior doe here present this Treatise of the Golden Fleece at the Feet of the most Noble Mightie and hopefull King of Great Britaine GReat Monarch though You with Apollo's lore And with your Fathers rules are polisht more Though You of riper Iudgements doe not want Proiectours rare and full as elegant Disdaine not yet to marke what we entend And to Your Grace by Orpheus recommend Though we no Gold nor Precious Stones present The value notwithstanding here is sent King Gyges Ring to see the Cause of harmes A New-found Fleece to rayse both Arts and Armes Christ was wel pleas'd with the poore widowes mite No lesse a Larke excels the greatest Kite A little Part a wise King will preferre Of Practick Art before all Dreames that erre An Emperour one of Your Name the fift Commines Bookes held as a peerelesse Gift So did King Phillips valiant Sonne account Poore Homers Workes rich Iewels to surmount This no Eutopia is nor Common-wealth Which Plato faign'd Wee bring Your Kingdomes health By true Receits which You will rellish well If Humours ranke by Physicke You expell In pithy fresh Conceits Your mind may ioy When sundry Troupes of weightie Cares annoy Musae Charites hoc Opus de Aureo Uellere Orphei Iunioris manibus traditum ad Pedes Potentissimi maximae spei Magnae BRITANNIAE Regis humillimè submittunt Magne Monarcha licet scriptis ab Apolline magno A Patre Praeceptis perpoliare tuo Nec Polypragmatici pollentes munere fandi Nec tibi deficiant Cognitione graues Ne de digneris tamen haec Documenâ—aprobare Quae tibi nunc Orphei mittimus hausta manu Non Aurum Gemmasque tibi sed ditius Auro Et gemmis dignum Principe portat Opus Vota Precesque Deo viduae Munuscula Christo Regibus egregijs placuere Libri Carolus Historiam Cominaei Quintus amabat Sub Ceruicali deposuitque suâ— Nec minus Iliados Proles animosa Philippi Inter bellandum saepe legebat Opus Non hîc Eutopiam non hic Phantasma Platonis Regi nil praeter materiale damus Dulce reale tibi cuius Mens obruta Curis Multiplici rerum mole vacare neguit To the indifferent Readers IVdicious Readers in this busie time I know you will wonder how I dare bring forth new Proiects shadowed vnder a glorious Title to reforme Errours and to restore Trading when men of farre greater vnderstanding doe find themselues puzled grauelled and almost at their wits end accounting the taske to exceed all the labours of Hercules The presumption I confesse is great Yet when I had called to mind that Action of Diogenes how he tumbled vp and downe his Tub very laboriously at such time when all his Neighbours prepared themselues for Armes I resolued likewise to do somewhat and by toffing too and fro the barrell of my Conceits albeit barren and inferiour vnto many thousands in this Kingdome to encourage others to lend their hands vnto the Publicke prop if not perpetually to secure it yet for a time to stay it vntill their wisdomes had concluded on stronger meanes Among many Remedies which I haue heere produced perhaps they may light on some not to bee contemned At the least those which are Thriftie will con mee thankes for reprehending of multiplicities of Law Suits and Prodigality Both which do keep our State in an vnder ballance The one vice disunites our hearts from the harmony of Concord making vs vnworthy of the Communion of Saints and consequently of the Lords Table and the other disperseth our substance that wee cannot yeeld sufficient supplies to saue the honour of our Countrey What a masse of treasure doe we yeerely spend in forreigne Commodities What abundance of Silkes doe we consume on our backes What a deale of Gold and Siluer lace while the wary Spaniard who hath the Indies in possession contents himselfe with his owne Fashion and lesser moderation both in Apparell and Diet. The Dutch they follow no extrauagant Attires Euery man is distinguished in his Ranke some by wearing a Copper Chaine others a Siluer and the Nobler of Gold In France the meaner sort of women weare Hoods of Taffata other of Satten and the better of Veluet No man intrudes into anothers vocation But with vs Ioane is as good as my Lady Citizens Wiues are of late growne Gallants The Yeoman doth gentilize it The Gentleman scornes to be behind the Nobleman Yea many are not ashamed to goe as braue as the King And if a Wiseman chance to taxe them for their prodigall humour They will answere that it is for the credit of the Kingdome which indeed is a most weake excuse for what redounds to the publike damage and losse ought not to be termed honourable as not safe nor worthy for a discreet Inhabitant to vaunt of Such gaudie sights neuer last aboue a nine dayes wonder nay sometimes one only day like your Pageants and then the memory becomes stale their Silkes out of fashion But the example like a Leprosie is transferred from the Court to the Citie from the Citie to the Countrey Of these and many other abuses which our State had need to looke into I purpose in this Treatise to discourse submitting the necessitie of their Reformation to the Higher Powers consideration as is meete and conuenient In the first Part I will endeuour to remoue the Errours of Religion in the Second the Diseases of the Common-wealth And in the Third Part I will discouer the certainty of the Golden Fleece which shall restore vs to all worldly Happinesse To the vncharitable Readers or Deriders of our GOLDEN FLEECE MY Masters You that slight the first Lesson of the Psalmes you that plot at home like craftie Crowders torcape the fruits of all painfull Trades without wetting your Cats feet though the Fish bee neuer so dearely prized you I say who reposâ— your chiefest Felicitie in playing on the Violl of Fraud and in idolizing a painted Strumpet come not at Colchos nor presume yee once more then Tantalus to touch the Golden Apples of our Hesperides There lies a Couple of Dragons in the way Pinge duos Angues sacer est locus The Place is not for you They that labour not with sweate shall not taste of our Sweete Keepe yee then at home like Clinicall Apes to your Clogges As a blacke Sheepe among some of you is accounted a perillous beast no lesse
of some superfluous humour ingendred in the braine where the Intellectuall Faculties ought to reside and to direct the inferiour Functions How soeuer the Cure is not impossible yet perhaps a thanklesse Office for a man vncalled to take in hand This last is the cause and none but this which makes mee the more sparing of my remedies In this confusion of thoughts fearing to play with Iupiters beard or to dally with Saints and higher Powers who might misconster my Good-will I thought once to be silent left in lending my hand to saue others of tender charitie and compassion I might fal my selfe into the Whirle-poole and there sinke or swimme I should rather be laughed at then pitied Sic aliquis nanti dextram dum porrigit ipse Incidit in liquidas non bene cautus aquat For this cause I minded to lay afide my Melodie one of my chiefest Receits to restore mad men to their wits in respect of these thanklesse times and thus to lament my doubtfull disaster as Sir Walter Raleigh did to our late Queene Anne of happy memory My broken pipes shall on the willow hang Like those which on the Babylonian bankes These ioyes foredone their present sorrow sang These times to worth yeelding but frozen thankes At last the Cloudie sable vaile of iealous doubts being remoued which for a while had interposed themselues betwixt the Light of my vnderstanding and the other attributes of my Soule I valiantly resolued on this Treatise of the Golden Fleece and in regard of the fraikies which the greatest part of my fellow-subiects doe as it were by some vnluekie influence of the Starres participate I haue prepared sundry kinds of artiâ—…ce so that if some proue distastfull and nauâ—eatiâ—e yet others may sort out well according to my expectation I will therefore diuide this Worke into three Parts In the first I will refute the Errours of Religion preparing the way to Vâ—ilie In the second I will endeuour to remoue the Diseases of our Kingdome that Contraries may be cured by Contraries And lastly I will lay downe those Helps which may repaire the ruines of our State as the surest Elixir and Restoratiue which my poore Experience hath attained vnto THE FIRST PART OF THE GOLDEN FLEECE Discouering the Errours of Religion with the remedies CHAP. 1. The greatest care which Apollo takes for the Monarchy of Great Britaine The singular and respectiue loue which hee beares towards the hopefull magnanimous King Charles And how by his Proclamation he caused Mariana the Iesuite to be apprehended for animating Subiects against their naturall Prince ABoue all the magnificent courts which the sun beholds from East to West and from the one Pole to the other It is noted that Apollo as it were by Sympathy of some Heauenly Influence beares particular affection to the Regall Court of Great Brittaine and tenders the welfare thereof as of his owne Parnassus Insomuch that his Imperiall Maiestie foreseeing that Gâ—y Faux and his damned Confederates would haue blowne vp the Parliament house with the King and Estates there assembled vpon the fift day of Nouember in the yeere 1605. and that they afterwards intended to set vp their Romish Religion hee first caused one of the Aeriall Spirits to insinuate into Tressams braine and by often nibling on his imagination to procure from him that Aenigmaticall Letter vnto his brother in Law the Lord Mounteagle Then out of his diuine loue towards this Monarchy he assisted the Genius of the learned and most noble King Iames to discouer the whole plot by vnlocking with the key of Prophesie the Mysterie of that intricate Letter more intricate and darke then Sphinx his Riddle So odious appeared this Butcherly and Diabolicall Treason vnto his Sacred Spirit That no Scrutinies of Triall nor legall Consultations were by him omitted to know the hidden motiues and quintessence of this bloudie and vnnaturall practice so much degenerating from mans nature as with the Giants of old time to scale the Heauens and to assault the Authour of nature by whom they liued moued and had their being But for all his Examinations and vigilant cares Apollo could by no meanes ferret out the Fox for the Deuill had transformed the beast into an Angell of light vntill Raâ—illiac that monster of Mankind had massacred the great Hercules of France King Henry the fourth Vpon which Accident one Peter Ramus a learned Parisian whom the Papists sometimes nicknamed the Hugenotes Champion informed Apollo that the said Rauilliac the very morning of the same day when he committed this lamentable murther was heard to maintaine that Paradoxe how iustifiable and glorious an Act it were for a Subiect to kill a Tyrannicall or Hereticall Prince For the verifying and approuing of which position he quoted down certaine leaues of Mariana the Iesuites Booke de Rege Reg. Instit. cap. 6. whereby hee subiects all Powers and Dominions to the becke and dispose of his earthly God my Lord the Pope and frees them from their alleageance to their natiue Prince if his Holinesse storme or themselues doe imagine him to become an Apostata or to fauour Apostasie or Heresie Apolloes griefe conceiued by this Assassinate and Tragicall euent became somewhat asswaged when he knew the cause of this inhumane butchery proceeded through the Kings owne credulitie and tendernesse of heart in admitting the Iesuits into France against the will of his judicious Sorbonists and afterwards sostering them like Aesopes Snake in the Louvre his Regall Palace whose common Maxime he knew to bee One God in Heauen one God on Earth and one Catholike King Yet notwithstanding to let his vertuous followers vnderstand how heynous crying sinnes and the treacherous shedding of humane bloud seemed in his vnspotted presence Apollo commanded Robert Earle of Essex Lord High Marshall of his Empire and Sir I hilip Sidney the Prouost Marshall of his Court to make diligent search and inquirie within the Precincts of his Territories for the bodie of Mariana and him to apprehend and in sure and safe manner to bring before his Imperiall Highnes These Noble Gentlemen endeuoured to performe the contents of his command but in no wise could they light on Mariana's person For while the warrant was a writing by the Clarke of the Counsell it chanced that Pererius Tolet Posseuinus Bellarmine Cotton of Paris ouer-heard the charge and tenour thereof And it is to bee suspected that they gaue him notice for the repute and credit of their Societie to hide himselfe for indeed the Varlet fled before the Warrant was signed Apollo perceiuing that his Marshals had taken exceeding great paines and yet in vaine for his attaching hee caused a publike Proclamation to be fixed on the Gate of his Palace at Parnassus that what persons soeuer could bring this fugitiue Iesuite before him his Maiestie would preferre him to some Office or place about his Court. For all this no man could finde out his haunt or tracke So wary and carefull were these subtill
and in the neerest places adioyning vnto Rome that no Ecclesiasticall Policie could stand on foote nor erect publicke Churches and consequently no Mitred Bishops to solemnize or order the affaires of that spiritual Common-wealth in any complete forme no more then at this day we see in France a few places onely by their Ciuill Warres tolerated Specially in Paris the chiefe Citie they of the Reformed Religion cannot haue any but by permission about two leagues from the Citie they are allowed their Diuine Seruice The like though not so openly those ancient Christians were tolerated to enioy priuately in their Houses as in hugger-mugger at Rome the Capitall Seate of that Empire In processe of time Constantine the Great attained to the Empire who for some causes and principally because he would bee a neerer Neighbour to the Northerne Nations and also to the Persians who infested his State with sundry inrodes and hostile inuasions he was constrained to remoue the Imperiall Seate to Constantinople leauing the Bishop of Rome some power at old Rome whereby in his absence hee might as a Reuerend Prelate with his graue and Christianly exhortations retaine the Citizens in their Alleageance In this sort these good Bishops continued loyall to their Prince and subiect to their Command and to their Successours in the Empire vntill the yeere of our Lord 606. about which time after a great contention for the Primacie betwixt them and the Patriarch of Constantinople which then was called New Rome Phocas by the murther of his Lord and Master Maurice the Emperour hauing gotten the Soueraigntie made Boniface the Third Supreme Bishop aboue all other Bishops and to that end sent forth a Decree that all the Churches in his Empire should obey him as their Soueraigne Bishop which Iurisdiction he held onely in Spiritull matters After this the Emperour Iustine Iustinians Sonne raigned who sent Longinus as his Deputy into Italy to settle the confused state thereof after the expulsion of the Gothes who altered the forme of Gouernment in Rome and abrogated the Senate and Consulary Dignities which till that time continued and carried with it a glimpse of the ancient Maiestie of the Romane State and in steed of them appointed one Principall Gouernour whom he called an Exarch or Viceroy This innouation ministred an occasion to the Lumbards to enter into Italie And then the Citie of Rome felt new troubles But at last Theodoricus King of the Goths by the Popes Counsell remoued from Rome and erected Rauenna to be the Head Citie of his Kingdome and there keeping his Royall Court gaue room to the Popes to flourish in Rome Sometimes they tooke part with the Emperour some other times with the Lumbards accommodating their fortunes warily to the strongest parties liking Thus they continued vntill the Emperour Heraclius his time who being oppressed by the Persians Saracens and Arabians vnder Mahomet was so farre from looking into the affaires of Italy and into the Popes aspiring designes that he found much adoe to defend his neerer territories from those bloudy Enemies and Infidels The Popes watchfull to take aduantage partly by their Religious carriage among the common people and partly by Rewards got themselues to be equall in Power with the Kings of the Lumbards And then Pope Gregorie finding himselfe reasonable strong assaulted Raâ—enna the chiefe Citie of Italie and tooke it But being presently expulsed out of it by Astulfus King of the Lumbards hee was reseized thereof againe by succours sent vnto him from Pipin King of France After Astulfus death the Pope falling at ods with Desiderius the sonne of Astulfus hee sent for aide to Charles the Great King Pipins Sonne who in proper person came into Italie tooke Desiderius Prisoner augmented the Popes Dominion and at his motion crowned himselfe Emperour of the West at Rome At which time he againe to requite his good will enacted that from thenceforth the Bishop of Rome as Christs Vicar should neuer more bee subiect to any Earthly Potentate And whereas before that time they were themselues confirmed Bishops by the Emperour at Constantinople now by this new Emperour of the West they began to be of themselues and by their wits got the Emperours to be inuested at their hands This Pope was Leo the third And this notable Accident and alteration fell out about 801. yeares after Christ. After Leo his decease Pope Paschale after the example of his Predecessour Leo who had wrested the nomination of the Pope from the people of Rome and also the confirmation from the Emperour at Constantinople caused those Priests of the Citie who had elected him as the next neighbours to be enobled with a glorious Title and to be called Cardinalls Thus in lesse then two hundred yeares after their Supremacie obtayned from Phocas in spirituall matters the Popes aspired to a Supremacie in temporall affaires not so much for their hypocriticall holinesse as indeed for the Dignitie and repute of the Place and Seat their Citie of Rome hauing beene the Lady of the world and the eyes of all men being fixt on that Place brought at length most Princes of Christendome as Factions grew betwixt them to make profitable vse of their friendship either to appease their Aduerfaries or vnder colour of their Excommunications and Saint Peters keyes to oppresse one another Yea and that which was most strange as Machiauell obserues in his Florentine Historie King Iohn of England vpon the dissention betweene him and his Subiects yeelded himselfe at the Popes dispose when hee durâ—â— not shew his face in Rome by reason of the Factions of the Orsini and Columneses and of the Guâ—â—ses and the Gibellines but was faine to translate the Papacie to Aâ—inion in France Whereby our Politicians may gather this remarkable Rule that things which seeme to bee and are not such in very deâ—d are more feared or regarded afarre off then at home by reason of the vncertaine knowledge which strangers haue of other mens states Thus may all good Christians note by what meanes the Church of Rome arriued to her Greatnesse and how like a Foxe by little and little the Pope crept vp to the double Supremacie which Saint Peter and the blessed Apostles neuer once dreamed nor would our Sauiour Christ by any meanes accept of the Temporall Sword For hee vtterly defied the Deuill when hee motioned vnto him of an Earthly Kingdome And when some purposed afterwards to make him King he forsooke that Coast. To conclude this point of the Popes Supremacie Pope Hildebrand whom some call Gregory the seuenth after much contestation with the Emperour and his Gibellines was the first which triumphed ouer him about one thousand yeeres after Christ. Of whom an ancient Historiographer thus testifieth To this man only doth the Latin Church ascribe that she is free and pluckt out of the Emperours hands By his meanes she stands enriched with so much wealth and Temporall Power By his meanes shee stands inriched with so much wealth and
temporall Power By his meanes shee got the Soueraigntie ouer all Emperours Kings and Christian Princes whereas before shee was kept vnder like a base maid seruant not only by the Emperour but by any Prince assisted by the Emperour To returne now to the other cause which augmented the Popes Greatnesse that he cannot erre in matters of Faith and therefore men are perswaded to beleeue in his Church as the onely Catholick in the world or indeed as if shee were equall vnto Christ in Puritie and therefore partaker of our Creede But the Truth auoucheth otherwise that all men are Lyers and full of Sinne euen from the beginning The most Righteous man sinnes euery day in the weeke The Apostles in Christs time contended for Dignitie After his death Peter and Paul varied in opinion Paul and Barnabas could not agree Liberius Bishop of Rome subscribed to the Arrian Heresie Honorius Bishop of Rome was a Monothelite and condemned for the same Heresie by the Generall Councell held at Constantinople Saint Augustine mentions of the Errour maintayned by Innocent Bishop of Rome that Innocents could not be saued except they receiued the Communion And as Popes erred thus in matters of Faith so did Generall Councels themselues most grossely erre The Councell of Arimine established the Arriaâ— Heresie The Councell of Nice decreed the Soules of Angels and men had bodily shapes The Councell of Ephesâ—s enacted Canons on the behalfe of the Nestorian Heresie The consideration of which Errors whereto all mortall Creatures are subiect while they soiourne in their earthly tabernacles moued holy Augustine to reiect the authoritie of a Generall Councell which Maximinus alledged against him Neither ought I said he to be tyed to try my cause by the Councell of Nice or the Councell of Arimine to better or preiudice one anothers cause but to decide the Question to the Holy Scriptures Testimonie which are indifferent to both of vs and not partially bound to either of vs. And indeed there may bee yeelded a reason of Policie for not standing to any Humane Positions In a Generall meeting all men are not of the same mind nor of the same opinion but euery particular man as hee hath his voice so hee hath his seuerall will Velle suum cuique est nec voto vinitur vno Commonly where many meet some are selfe opinionated some factious others ouer-swayed by the most voices so that the Godliest being the fewest are abandoned and then the Canons doe passe according to mens affections and very oftentimes in fauour of the Pope and his Cardinals in hope of worldly preferments dispensations or for feare of angring their Superiors in Authoritie which the Holy Ghost obseruing he withdrawes his powerfull presence from their Consciences and leaues them puris naturalibus to their owne naturall endowments and consequently to bee seduced by the world Which of the ancient Fathers liued free from Errours Iustine Martyr Irenaeus and Tertullian held the Millenarian Heresie Saint Cyprian erred in his iudgement of Rebaptization Why then doth the Church of Rome arrogate to her selfe such Holinesse as to condemne all other Churches because they conforme not themselues with her Doctrine and Traditions It is one thing to belieue that there is a Catholicke Church and another thing though blasphemous to beleeue in the Catholick Church And now for the concluding of this present difference betwixt the Church of Rome and the Aethiopian whereof the Patriarch of Alexandria challengeth the Primacie wee doe order that euery Nation be allowed their seuerall Iurisdictions As in like manner hath heeretofore beene enacted by the Councell of Nice in the yeere 325. Let the ancient custome bee still in vse that the Bishop of Alexandria haue the Iurisdiction ouer Aegypt Lybia and Pentapolis euen as the Bishop of Rome enioyeth the like libertie in his Parts And so let the Churches of Antioch and of other Prouinces haue their preheminences maintained as informer times CHAP. XIIII Scotus the Master of Subtile Questions connents Sir Geffrey Chaucer for calling the Pope Antichrist and comparing the Romish Church to the griping Griffon and the true Church to the tender Pellican SCotus that famous Schooleman for subtile quiâ—ks and quiddities hauing watched for these two hundred and sixtie yeeres opportunitie to insinuate himselfe into his Maiesties fauour by some notable exploit and â—ow seeing that the Church of Rome began to totter he repayred to the Delphick Hall vpon the sixteenth of Iune last 1626. Where after an eloquent Oration against the Lutherans hee complayned of Sir Geffrey Chaucer the English Poet that he about the latter end of King Edward the thirds Raigne had published in his Ploâ—-mans Tale most abhominable Doctrine which infected not only diuers rare wits of that Age but likewise wrought so much alteration in succeeding times that Iohn Wickliffe Iohn Husse Ierome of Prague Luther and others now stiling themselues Protestants had quite abandoned their Mother Church of Rome which had flourished in stately Pompe and Pontificalibus for many hundred of yeares before And particularly hee charged Chaucer for calling the Pope Antichrist and for comparing his Followers to the Griffon and the pretended Reformed Church to the Pellican Apollo willing now vtterly to abolish those Patrons of Equiuocations lyes and deceits was glad of this occasion which so fairely presented it selfe vnto him And to that end iudicially to proceed against them he caused the chiefe points of the said Ploughmans Tale to bee openly read by the Pronotarie of the Court who with a loud voice thus repeated the same Euen as I wandred in a wro In a Wood beside a wall Two Fowles saw I sit thâ— The falser foule mought him befall That one did plead on the Popes side A Griffon of a grimme stature A Pellican withouten pride To these Lollers laid his lure Hee mused his matter in measure To counsell Christ euer gan he call The Griffon shewed as sharpe as fire But falshood foule mought him befall The Pellican began to preach Both of mercie and of meeknesse And said Christ so gan vs teach And â—eeke and mercifull gan blesse The Euangelists doe beare witnesse A Lambe he likeneth Christ ouer all In tokening that he meekest was Sith pride was out of Heauen fall And so should euery Christian be Priests Peters Successours Both humble and of low degree And â—sen none earthly honours Neither Crowne nor curious couetours Nor Pillour nor other proud Pall. Nor ought to coffren vp great treasures For falshood foule mought them befall Priests should for no cattell pleade But chasten them in charitee Nor vnto battell should men leade For enhaunsing of their owne degree Not wilne sittings in high Sea Nor Soueraigâ—tie in house nor hall All worldly worship defie and flee For who so willeth Highnesse foule shall fall Alas who may such Saints call That wilâ—eth weld earthly honour As low as Lucifer such shall fall In balefull blacknesse ybuilden their bowre That eggeth the people to Errour And maketh
Mastership haue Nor to carke for cloth or for food From euery mischiefe he would them saue Their Clothing should be Righteousnesse Their Treasure pure life should be Charity should be their Riches Their Lordship should be vnitee Hope in God their Honestie Their vessell cleane Conscience Poore in spirit and Humilitie Should be Holy Churches defence The Griffon said thou shalt abie Thou shalt be burnt in balefull fire And all thy Sect I shall destry You shall be hanged by the swire I le cause you soone to hang and draw VVho giueth you leaue for to preach Or thus to speake against Gods Law And the people thus false to teach Thou shalt be cursed with Booke and Bell And disseuer'd from Holy Church And cleane ydamned into Hell Otherwise but you will worke The Pellican said I doe not dread Your Cursing is of little value Of God I hope to have my meed For it is falshood which you shew For you beene out of Charity And would doe vengeance as did Nero. To suffer I will ready be I dread not that what thou caâ—st doe CHAP. XV. Sir Geffrey Chaucer being proâ—oked by Scotus to defend his Cause proues the Pope to bee the great and vniuersall Antichrist prophesied in the Scriptures AFter that the Pronotarie had read that Part of the Plowmans Tale which Sir Geffrey Chaucer had published against the Pope the Romish Church hee was commanded by Apollo to defend his Doctrine Sir Geffrey Chaucer obeyed and framed this extemporary Oration Most high and redoubted Emperour I am glad that Scotus hath prouoked mee this day to open that Secret which by the craft of our Arch sorcerer of the Christian Church hath beene concealed from the vulgars knowledge vntill this fulnesse of Time which the Holy Ghost hath appointed for his Discouerie The Waldenses Albigienses and many others long before my time haue done their endeauors in other Countryes to reueale him but here in England Abbot Ioachim excepted who in K. Rich. the firsts dayes proclaymed the Pope Antichrist no man durst for feare of his formidable Tyrannie disclose what they knew in their Consciences to bee apparantly true This Illumination and Gift of discerning Spirits was indeed kept from the Common people by that execrable Policie of with-holding the Bible from our English translation so that these two Witnesses which lay martyred and yet vnburied in the streets of Spirituall Sodome and Aegypt could not performe their proper offices Now that it hath pleased God to remoue that palpable Darknesse they begin to reuiue and to stand vpon their feet to the amazement of the Carnall Beholders By their sacred motion the eyes of my vnderstanding are likewise opened and I doubt not but all your Maiesties Court shall know out of my mouth this day that the Pope and none but he is that Antichrist which was so long agoe prophesied to come and seduce the Christian Church with lyes Equiuocations and the wonders of Sathan For the manifestation of which damnable practices inspire my heart O fierie Comforter Inflame my mind with true Zeale the seale of thy sacred Spirit that I may soare vp like an Eagle to the Sunne of thy Grace with feruencie founded on Diuine Discretion for Feruencie is but foolish furie without Diuine Discretion The first marke of Antichrist I gather from our Sauiour himselfe who prophefied many shall come in my name and shall say I am Christ vnder this Title the Pope doth most blasphemously coâ—er his Temporall Power For what signifies the word Christ but Anointed Insomuch that whensoeuer any of his Clergie hath offended the Temporall sword must not punish them but for their protection his Holinesse wardeth them with that saying of the Prophet Dauid Touch not mine Anointed Meddle not with my Christs Though they be taken fighting in the Field with Armour on their backs hee termes them his Sons the Conqueror must leaue them to depart in peace Which made a Prince sometime to returne him this Answer I haue sent your Holinesse your Sonnes Coat the Armour in which I found your Bishop fighting when I tooke him Prisoner And if you be as quick-sighted as Iacob let me know whether this be your Iosephs Coat vntill King Edward the first his time Clergie men were the Lawyers in England as an Ancient Writer testified Nullus Clericus nisi Causidicus They sate as supreme Iudges in Temporall Causes But when their King should chastize them for their briberies and extortions then they shrowded themselues vnder the Spirituall keyes and appealing to the Pope they freed themselues from all Accusations Thus did Errors play vpon the preheminence of Kings vntill they were beaten out from their Law and at the last from their chiefest holds by the valour of King Henry the Eight and well worthy seeing that they presumed to make vse of the name of Christ to cloke their falsehoods and lewd tricks The second Mark of Antichrist I collect out of Saint Paul that in the last dayes men should bee high-minded louers of pleasures more then louers of God hauing a shew of godlines but denying the power thereof All these are verified in the Pope and his Clergie Hee exalteth himselfe aboue Emperours and Kings comparing himselfe to the Sunne and them to the Moone and lesser starres Yea he ranketh his Courtly Cardinals with Kings Which ambition moued Cardinall Wolsey to place himselfe aboue his King Ego Rex meus What greater pleasure can worldly men enioy more then the Pope and his Hierarchie doe They haue a large command of Cities and huge Territories Besides Rome Romania Bolonia Ferrara Auinion the Pope is like to possesse very shortly the Dutchie of Vrbin Nor doth his Ambition cease in these pleasant places many other Episcopall Seates out of Italie doth hee dispose of In Humilitie farre from Christs life yet pretending sanctimonie and a vertuous life but denying the effects thereof as his tolleration of the Iewes and Stewes his seruing of Idols his vnlawfull Dispensations and monstrous Pardons doe plainly demonstrate The third marke of Antichrist is deriued from another place of Saint Paul Now the spirit speaketh euidently that some should fall from the Faith giuing heede to seducing Spirits and Doctrines of Deuils speaking lyes in hypocrifie forbidding Marriage and Meates Now what Church is the same which forbiddeth Marriage and the eating of flesh at prefixed times Is it not the Romish The Greeke Church whom for Antiquitie none can deny but they stand parraleld and equall with the Romane doe prohibit no such things Their Clergie as the Abissines in Aethiopia haue alwayes continued marriage Therefore let this Marke serue for one to conuince the Pope of the Doctrine of Deuils as Saint Paul calls it And for their prohibition of meates who doe insist more strongly then the Pope and his Clergie To eate Flesh vpon some dayes is a mortall sinne vnlesse it bee with their speciall dispensation as the Castilians haue bought out their freedome vpon some forbidden
of Spaine And for this cause with his commendatory Letters from a Iesuite in England to his brother Iesuite Robert Parsons at Madrid he posted thither in hope of high preferment In the meane time his men which hee left a ship-boord finding themselues betrayed by Captaine Eliot and destitute of necessaries to relieue their wants they complotted to steale the Pinnasse away But the matter casually discouered some of them were hanged and the rest made Gally-slaues which comming to the eares of Captaine Eliot at Madrid and hearing that his Brother whom he had left to ouer-see the Pinnasse had likewise tasted of this Spanish Courtesie hee repayred in this male-content to Father Parsons pittifully complayning of his cruell fortune and this bloudie course extended toward his people which hee brought of purpose to serue the King of Spaine hoping of reward rather then to bee so inhumanely dealtwith Father Parsons at that time being more in a moode of deuotion then willing to shew himselfe a Statesman began to reade a Lecture to Captaine Eliot of Patience Humilitie and of Mortification The which hee for a while gaue eare vnto but at last perceiuing that his speeches tended to defeate him of his Ship and to get him into a Cloyster he brake into these impatient termes What doe you preach vnto mee of Patience and Mortification Can flesh and bloud rest satisfied with this vsage Can I be patient when I see my brother and my friends executed and the rest of my men condemned to the Gallies Had it not beene for the aduise which your friend and brother Iesuit gaue me to betray the Q Pinnasse I might haue liued in my own Countrie a happy man far from this barbarous end Surely it were fitting that those which vndertake for money to direct their Clients should requite them for their charges if by following their sinister Counsell the matter goes against them If a Smith hauing but a penny for his paines vnwitting ly chance to prick a horse to the quick whereby the horse is the worse for it there lyes an Action of the Case against the Smith How much more then ought a poore Country fellow altogether without the rudiments of Law haue remedie against a learned Master of the Lawes which takes vpon him to know the whole proceedings of Iustice aswell as the wisest Iudge of the Kingdome O I would that men would become more charitable the one to the other that I might heare from time to time the like complaints as Lawyers made at the end of Michaelmus Terme last 1625. They bewailed their misfortune that whereas some one of them vsed to haue sixtie Clients hee had scarce eight at that Redding Terme which complaints moued mee no more to pittie then to see a Goose goe bare foot I rather reioyced to heare the tidings that Suites of Law were not become eternall And presently I ministred this Pill vnto them My Masters said I you seeme for all the world to bee like the Sextons and Diggers of Graues now of late in London who when any askt them how they did they answered with you Neuer worse It is a hard time For whereas one of vs haue receiued fees for ringing and opening of foure hundred graues a weeke now the Plague being abated wee receiue not money for eight graues A pitifull Case To end this my Apologie against Doctor Bartolus and Master Plowden for my vsurping of Orpheus Iuniors Title I doe it permissu Superiorum by your Maiesties command emboldned by the examples of those which in the like matters borrowed the like Titles as Terentius Christianus and Democritus Iunior lately haue done to their great honour and the Readers satisfaction euen as Ausonius before them had imposed the name of Cato to his little Booke of Manners Nor can any man much blame me if hee compare the Aduentures of our Newfoundland with the Argonaâ—ticks Golden Fleece though more sweetly sounded by the elder Orpheus Apollo after this Apologie seemed highly to extoll it And further to let the world know his fuller resolution hee vttered these words God forbid that Vice should raigne without controulement If my Attendants shall bee tongue tied when such vncharitablenesse possesseth mortall men it is to be feared that men wil sooner glory in euill then turne to good nay more it is to be suspected the whole world but for our peales of Charitie and sounding retraits from Hatred will fall vnder a generall Excommunication from the presence of God Take away the abuse which is meerely accidentall and let the substance of Law remaine still Long may Iustice flourish without ecclipse or stormie oppositions Florescat viuat vigeat celebretur ametur CHAP. XII The learned Vniuersities of Great Brittaine doe finde themselues agrieued that Popish Physicians are permitted to practice Physick in this Kingdome Apollo remedies their grieuances and decreeth that the Popish presume not to minister Physick to any Protestant but to them of their owne Sect. VPpon the Wednesday after Low Easter Sunday there arriued at Parnassus certaine Deputies sent from the Learned Vniuersities of Great Brittaine pitifully complaining that whereas sundrie honest Persons of wonderfull rare Spirits and singular dexteritie had spent the most part of their time in ruminating reuoluing the workes of Hippocrates Cornelius Celsus Galen and also had read the volumes of other Physicians aswell Arabian as Paracelsian Antient as moderne there crept notwithstanding some false Brethren seruants to the Mysticall Whore as Drones which vnder a counterfeit maske of more pregnant knowledge had ingrossed the Gaine and Rewards due vnto them as the laborious Bees of their Country and wrought so effectually with some of the Greater sort that by their example others repaired to them for helps in their Bodily Infirmities forsaking them being of the same Religion and no way inferiour vnto these Romish Physicians The danger both eminent and imminent which by this conniuence might happen they submitted to his Maiesties good will and pleasure Apollo nettled at this complaint called for the Romish Physicians and caused some Patients which had lately taken Physick at their hands to be brought before him to whom he said O yee of little Faith what a lunacie and distemper of the Braine hath peruerted your vnderstanding as to moue you to abandon the medicinable waters of Silo and Bethesdae and to haue recourse vnto muddie Pooles not deriued from the Rocke of liuing waters Is it because there is not a God in Israel that yee goe to the God of Ekron to enquire and looke counsell Did the example of Lopez the Portugall who by warrant from the great Dispencer of Murthers poysoned some Noble Personages of your Countrie nothing terrifie your mutable phantasies but ye must resort for cure vnto your knowne Foes the Foes of Christ Is it possible that my Remedies shall worke their proper effect which are ministred by profane hands but rather the contrary being accursed like the Fig-tree in the Gospell It was a sinne in