as ye haue heard For that is the office properly belonging to God and besides that the soule once parting from the body cannot wander any longer in the world but to the owne resting place must it goe immediately abiding the coniunction of the body againe at the latter day And what Christ or the Prophets did miraculously in this case it can in no Christian mans opinion be made common with the diuel As for any tokens that they giue for prouing of this it is very possible to the diuels craft to perswade them to these meanes for he being a spirit may he not so rauish their thoughts and dull their senses that their body lying as dead he may obiect to their spirits as it were in a dreame and as the Poets write of Morpheus represent such formes of persons of places and other circumstances as he pleases to illude them with Yea that he may deceiue them with the greater efficacie may he not at that same instant by fellow angels of his illude such other persons so in that same fashion whom-with hee makes them to beleeue that they mette that all their reports and tokens though seuerally examined may euery one agree with another And that whatsoeuer actions either in hurting men or beasts or whatsoeuer other thing that they falsly imagine at that time to haue done may by himselfe or his marrowes at that same time be done indeed so as if they would giue for a token of their being rauished at the death of such a person within so short space thereafter whom they beleeue to haue poisoned or witched at that instant might he not at that same houre haue smitten that same person by the permission of GOD to the farther deceiuing of them and to mooue others to beleeue them And this is surely the likelyest way and most according to reason which my iudgement can finde out in this and whatsoeuer other vnnaturall points of their confession And by these meanes shall we saile surely betwixt Charybdis and Scylla in eschewing the not beleeuing of them altogether on the one part lest that draw vs to the errour that there is no Witches and on the other part in beleeuing of it make vs to eschew the falling into innumerable absurdities both monstrously against all Theologie diuine and Philosophie humane CHAP. V. ARGV Witches actions towards others Why there are more women of that craft then men What things are possible to them to effectuate by the power of their master The reasons thereof What is the surest remedy of the harmes done by them PHILOMATHES FOrsooth your opinion in this seemes to cary most reason with it and since ye haue ended then the actions belonging properly to their owne persons say forward now to their actions vsed towards others EPI In their actions vsed towards others three things ought to be considered First the maner of their consulting thereupon Next their part as instruments And last their masters part who puts the same in execution As to their consultations thereupon they vse them oftest in the Churches where they conueene for adoring at what time their master enquiring at them what they would be at euery one of them propones vnto him what wicked turne they would haue done either for obtaining of riches or for reuenging them vpon any whom they haue malice at who granting their demaund as no doubt willingly he will since it is to doe euill hee teacheth them the meanes whereby they may doe the same As for little trifling turnes that women haue adoe with he causeth them to ioynt dead corpses and to make powders thereof mixing such other things there amongst as he giues vnto them PHI. But before ye goe further permit me I pray you to interrupt you one word which ye haue put me in memorie of by speaking of Women What can be the cause that there are twentie women giuen to that craft where there is one man EPI The reason is easie for as that sexe is frailer then man is so is it easier to be intrapped in these grosse snares of the diuell as was ouer-well prooued to be trew by the Serpents deceiuing of Eua at the beginning which makes him the homelier with that sexe sensine PHI. Returne now where ye left EPI To some others at these times he teacheth how to make pictures of waxe or clay that by the roasting thereof the persons that they beare the name of may be continually melted or dried away by continuall sickenesse To some he giues such stones or ponders as will helpe to cure or cast on diseases And to some hee teacheth kindes of vncouth poysons which Mediciners vnderstand not for he is farre cunninger then man in the knowledge of all the occult proprieties of nature not that any of these meanes which he teacheth them except the poysons which are composed of things naturall can of themselues helpe any thing to these turnes that they are employed in but onely being GODS ape as well in that as in all other things Euen as God by his Sacraments which are earthly of themselues workes a heauenly effect though no wayes by any cooperation in them And as Christ by clay and spettle wrought together Iohn 9. opened the eyes of the blinde man suppose there was no vertue in that which he outwardly applied so the diuel will haue his outward meanes to be shewes as it were of his doing which hath no part or cooperation in his turnes with him how farre that euer the ignorants be abused in the contrarie And as to the effects of these two former parts to wit the consultations and the outward meanes they are so wonderfull as I dare not alleadge any of them without ioyning a sufficient reason of the possibilitie thereof For leauing all the small trifles among wiues and to speake of the principall points of their craft for the common trifles thereof they can doe without conuerting well enough by themselues these principall points I say are these They can make men or women to loue or hate other which may be very possible to the diuel to effectuate seeing he being a subtile spirit knowes well enough how to perswade the corrupted affection of them whom God wil permit him so to deale with They can lay the sicknesse of one vpon another which likewise is very possible vnto him For since by Gods permission he laide sickenesse vpon Iob why may he not farre easilier lay it vpon any other For as an old practitian hee knowes well enough what humour domines most in any of vs and as a spirit he can subtillie waken vp the same making it peccant or to abound as hee thinkes meet for troubling of vs when God will so permit him And for the taking off of it no doubt he will be glad to relieue such of present paine as he may thinke by these meanes to perswade to be catched in his euerlasting snares and fetters They can bewitch and take the life of men or women by roasting
any penance for the same And that ye may know that more Iesuits were also vpon the partie Owldcorne the other Powder-Martyr after the misgiuing and discouery of that Treason preached consolatory doctrine to his Catholique auditorie exhorting them not to faint for the misgiuing of this enterprise nor to thinke the worse thereof that it succeeded not alleadging diuers Presidents of such godly enterprises that misgaue in like maner especially one of S. Lewes King of France who in his second iourney to the Holy-land died by the way the greatest part of his armie being destroyed by the plague his first iourney hauing likewise misgiuen him by the Soldans taking of him exhorting them thereupon not to giue ouer but still to hope that GOD would blesse their enterprise at some other time though this did faile Thus see ye now with what boldnesse and impudencie hee hath belied the publiquely knowne veritie in this errand both in auowing generally that no Iesuite was any wayes guiltie of that Treason for so he affirmeth in his booke and also that Garnet knew nothing thereof but vnder the Seale of Confession But if this were the first lye of the affaires of this State which my fugitiue Priests and Iesuits haue coyned and spread abroad I could charme them of it as the prouerbe is But as well the walles of diuers Monasteries and Iesuites Colledges abroad are filled with the painting of such lying Histories as also the bookes of our said fugitiues are farced with such sort of shamelesse stuffe such are the innumerable sorts of torments and cruell deathes that they record their Martyrs to haue suffred here some torne at foure Horses some sowed in Beares skinnes and then killed with Dogges nay women haue not bene spared they say and a thousand other strange fictions the vanities of all which I will in two words discouer vnto you First as for the cause of their punishment I doe constantly maintaine that which I haue said in my Apologie That no man either in my time or in the late Queenes euer died here for his conscience For let him be neuer so deuout a Papist nay though he professe the same neuer so constantly his life is in no danger by the Law if hee breake not out into some outward acte expresly against the words of the Law or plot not some vnlawfull or dangerous practise or attempt Priests and Popish Church-men onely excepted that receiue Orders beyond the Seas who for the manifold treasonable practises that they haue kindled and plotted in this countrey are discharged to come home againe vnder paine of Treason after their receiuing of the said Orders abroad and yet without some other guilt in them then their bare home-comming haue none of them bene euer put to death And next for the cruell torments and strange sorts of death that they say so many of them haue bene put vnto if there were no more but the Law and continually obserued custome of England these many hundred yeeres in all criminall matters it will sufficiently serue to refute all these monstrous lies for no tortures are euer vsed here but the Manacles or the Racke and these neuer but in cases of high Treason and all sorts of Traitours die but one maner of death here whether they be Papist or Protestant Traitors Queene Maries time onely excepted For then indeede no sorts of cruell deathes were spared vnexecuted vpon men women and children professing our Religion yea euen against the Lawes of God and Nature women with childe were put to cruell death for their profession and a liuing childe falling out of the mothers belly was throwen in the same fire againe that consumed the mother But these tyrannous persecutions were done by the Bishops of that time vnder the warrant of the Popes authoritie and therefore were not subiect to that constant order and formes of execution which as they are heere established by our Lawes and customes so are they accordingly obserued in the punishment of all criminals For all Priestes and Popish Traitours here receiue their Iudgements in the temporall Courts and so doe neuer exceed those formes of execution which are prescribed by the Law or approued by continuall custome One thing is also to bee marked in this case that strangers are neuer called in question here for their religion which is farre otherwise I hope in any place where the Inquisition domines But hauing now too much wearied you with this long discourse whereby I haue made you plainely see that the wrong done vnto mee in particular first by the Popes Breues and then by these Libellers doth as deepely interest you all in generall that are Kings free Princes or States as it doth me in particular I will now conclude with my humble prayers to God that he will waken vs vp all out of that Lethargike slumber of Securitie wherein our Predecessors and wee haue lien so long and that wee may first grauely consider what we are bound in conscience to doe for the planting and spreading of the trew worship of God according to his reuealed will in all our Dominions therein hearing the voice of our onely Pastor for his Sheepe will know his Voyce Iohn 10.27 as himselfe sayeth and not following the vaine corrupt and changeable traditions of men And next that we may prouidently looke to the securitie of our owne States and not suffer this incroching Babylonian Monarch to winne still ground vpon vs. And if GOD hath so mercifully dealt with vs that are his Lieutenants vpon earth as that he hath ioyned his cause with our interest the spirituall libertie of the Gospell with our temporall freedome with what zeale and courage may wee then imbrace this worke for our labours herein being assured to receiue at the last the eternall and inestimable reward of felicitie in the kingdome of Heauen and in the meane time to procure vnto our selues a temporall securitie in our temporall Kingdomes in this world As for so many of you as are alreadie perswaded of that Trewth which I professe though differing among your selues in some particular points I thinke little perswasion should moue you to this holy and wise Resolution Our Greatnesse nor our number praised bee GOD being not so contemptible but that wee may shew good example to our neighbors since almost the halfe of all Christian people and of all sorts and degrees are of our profession I meane all gone out of Babylon euen from Kings and free Princes to the meanest sort of People But aboue all my louing Brethren and Cosins keepe fast the vnity of Faith among your selues Reiect 1 1. Tim. 1.4 questions of Genealogies and 2 Ibid c. 4.7 Aniles fabulas as Paul saith Let not the foolish heate of your Preachers for idle Controuersies or indifferent things teare asunder that Mysticall Body whereof ye are a part since the very coat of him whose members wee are was without a seame And let not our diuision breed a slander of our
often haue heard already and the in-dwellers of the earth shall wonder whose names are not written in the booke of life before the foundation of the world was laide of this wondering yee heard before they shall wonder I say at this beast which was to wit in great power and is not to wit in a maner as ye presently heard and yet is I meane doeth stand though farre decayed from the former greatnesse 9 Take good heede vnto this that I declare vnto thee for herein shall the trew wisedome of men be tried to wit in knowing by this my description what particular Empire and Tyrannie I speake of And the seuen heads of this beast signifie aswell seuen materiall hilles whereupon the seate of this Monarchie is situated as also seuen kings or diuers formes of Magistrates that this Empire hath had and is to haue hereafter 10 Fiue of them haue beene alreadie one is presently and makes the sixt another shall follow it and make the seuenth but it is not yet come and when it comes it shall remaine but a very short space 11 And this beast which was to wit so great and is not for now it is decaying as thou presently hast heard it is the eight and yet one of the seuen for this beast which rose out of the ruines of the fourth Monarchie as ye heard before in respect it vseth an hereticall Tyrannie ouer the consciences of men by that new forme of Empire is different from any of the rest and so is the eight and yet because this forme of gouernment shall haue the same seate which the rest had and vse as great Tyrannie and greater vpon the world and shall vse the same forme in ciuill gouernment which one of the seuen vsed therefore because it is so like them I call it one of the seuen 12 And the tenne hornes which thou sawest signifie tenne Kings to wit the great number of subalterne Magistrates in all the Prouinces vnder that Monarchy who haue not yet receiued their kingdome for vnder all the diuers sorts of gouernments that shall be in it except the last and hereticall sort these subalterne powers shall be but in the ranke of subiects but they shall take their kingly power with the beast to wit at the very time that this Apollyon shall rise out of the ashes of the fourth beast or Monarchie the kings of the earth shall become his slaues and subalterne Magistrates whereas the subiects were onely the power of that Monarchie before so as the hornes or powers of this beast were but of subiects before it was wounded but after the healing of it the worldly kings and rulers shall become the powers and hornes of it 13 These shall haue one counsell and shall giue their strength and power to the beast to wit these kings shal all willingly yeeld obedience to Babylon and shall employ their whole forces for the maintenance of that Monarchie and the persecution of the Saints 14 For they shal fight with the Lambe in his members albeit all in vaine for in the end the Lambe shall ouercome them because he is Lord of lords and King of all kings and these that are with him and followeth him are called Chosen and Faithfull 15 He also said vnto me The waters that thou saw this Whore sit vpon are the peoples multitudes nations and tongues that haue subiected themselues to her Empire 16 But as touching these ten hornes thou saw thus farre I foretell vnto thee although that for a time these kings shall be slaues and seruants to Babylon and shall be her instruments to persecute the Saints the time shall come before the consummation that they shall hate the Whore who abused them so strongly and long and shall make her to be alone for they shall withdraw from her their Subiects the nations that were her strength and shall make her naked for they shall discouer the mysterie of her abominations and shall eate her flesh and burne her with fire to wit they shall spoile her of her riches power and glory and so destroy her 17 But doe not thou wonder at this for God gaue them in their hearts to wit permitted them to be abused by her for a space that they might doe what pleased her and consent to all her vnlawfull policies and pretences and giue their kingdomes vnto this beast vntill the words of God might be accomplished to wit they shall submit their very Crownes and take the right thereof from her vnto the fulnesse of times here prophecied At what time God shall raise them vp as ye heard to destroy Babylon for the hearts of the greatest kings as well as of the smallest subiects are in the hands of the Lord to be his instruments and to turne them as it shall please him to employ them 18 And this woman or Whore which thou sawest is that great citie and seate of this Beast or Monarchie which beareth rule ouer the kings of the earth as thou hast heard alreadie But although it be one seat yet diuers and a great number of kings or heads thereof shall succeed into it one to another all vpholding an hereticall religion and false worship of God and one forme of gouernment as the fourth Monarchie did out of the which this did spring as ye haue heard CHAP. XVIII ARGVMENT The sorrow of the earth for the destruction of the Popedome The profite that worldly men had by his standing The great riches and wealth of that Church The Pope by his Pardons makes merchandise of the soules of men Heauen and the Saints reioyce at his destruction albeit the earth and the worldlings lament for the same ANd then I saw another Angel comming downe from heauen hauing great power so that the earth shined with his glory for so soone as God by one of the seauen Angels who had the phials had more plainely described vnto mee this woman sitting on the beast then he did before hee now appointeth this other Angel who is Christ to declare vnto me and proclaime to the world as is signified by his comming downe to the earth for that cause the iust condemnation of Babylon according to her sinnes 2 And hee cryed out with a loude voyce saying It is fallen It is fallen Babylon that great Citie and it is made the dwelling place of vncleane spirits and the habitation of all vncleane and hatefull fowles to wit it shall be destroyed and that great Citie the seate of that Monarchie shall be desolate for euer euen as it was prophesied of Ierusalem 3 Because all nations haue drunke of the Vine of her whoredome and the kings of the earth haue committed whoredome with her and the Merchants of the earth are become rich by the great wealth of her delights in so great a worldly glory and pompe did that Monarchie shine 4 And I heard another voyce from heauen to wit the voyce of the holy Spirit saying Goe foorth from her my people to wit all the chosen
factious seruants Tacit. eod 1. An. Teach obedience to your seruants and not to thinke themselues ouer-wise and as when any of them deserueth it ye must not spare to put them away so without a seene cause change none of them The ground-stone of good gouernment At. 5. polit Tacit. in Ag. Dion li. 52. Xent in Ages Isoc in Sym. et ad Ph. Id. de permutat Cic. ad Q. frat Pay them as all others your subiects with praemium or poena as they deserue which is the very ground-stone of good gouernement Employ euery man as ye thinke him qualified but vse not one in all things lest he waxe proude and be enuied of his fellowes Loue them best that are plainnest with you and disguise not the trewth for all their kinne suffer none to be euill tongued nor backbiters of them they hate command a hartly and brotherly loue among all them that serue you And shortly maintaine peace in your Court bannish enuie cherish modestie bannish deboshed insolence foster humilitie and represse pride setting downe such a comely and honourable order in all the points of your seruice that when strangers shall visite your Court 1. King 10. they may with the Queene of Sheba admire your wisedome in the glorie of your house and comely order among your seruants But the principall blessing that yee can get of good companie Of Mariage will stand in your marrying of a godly and vertuous wife for shee must bee nearer vnto you Gen. 2.23 then any other companie being Flesh of your flesh and bone of your bone as Adam saide of Heuah And because I know not but God may call mee before ye be readie for Mariage I will shortly set downe to you heere my aduice therein First of all consider that Mariage is the greatest earthly felicitie or miserie that can come to a man according as it pleaseth God to blesse or curse the same Since then without the blessing of GOD yee cannot looke for a happie successe in Mariage yee must bee carefull both in your preparation for it Preparation to mariage and in the choice and vsage of your wife to procure the same By your preparation I meane that yee must keepe your bodie cleane and vnpolluted till yee giue it to your wife whom-to onely it belongeth For how can ye iustly craue to bee ioyned with a pure virgine if your bodie be polluted why should the one halfe bee cleane and the other defiled And although I know fornication is thought but a light and a veniall sinne by the most part of the world yet remember well what I said to you in my first Booke anent conscience and count euery sinne and breach of Gods law not according as the vaine world esteemeth of it but as God the Iudge and maker of the lawe accounteth of the same Heare God commanding by the mouth of Paul to abstaine from fornication 1. Cor. 6.10 declaring that the fornicator shall not inherite the Kingdome of heauen and by the mouth of Iohn reckoning out fornication amongst other grieuous sinnes that debarre the committers amongst dogs and swine Reuel 22.25 from entry in that spirituall and heauenly Ierusalem And consider if a man shall once take vpon him to count that light which God calleth heauie and veniall that which God calleth grieuous The dangerous effects of lust beginning first to measure any one sinne by the rule of his lust and appetites and not of his conscience what shall let him to doe so with the next that his affections shall stirre him to the like reason seruing for all and so to goe forward till he place his whole corrupted affections in Gods roome And then what shall come of him but as a man giuen ouer to his owne filthy affections shall perish into them And because wee are all of that nature that sibbest examples touch vs neerest consider the difference of successe that God granted in the Mariages of the King my grand-father and me your owne father A domesticke example the reward of his incontinencie proceeding from his euill education being the suddaine death at one time of two pleasant yong Princes and a daughter onely borne to succeed to him whom hee had neuer the hap so much as once to see or blesse before his death leauing a double curse behinde him to the land both a Woman of sexe and a new borne babe of aage to raigne ouer them And as for the blessing God hath bestowed on mee in granting me both a greater continencie and the fruits following there-upon your selfe and sib folkes to you are praise be to God sufficient witnesses which I hope the same God of his infinite mercie shall continue and increase without repentance to me and my posteritie Be not ashamed then to keepe cleane your body which is the Temple of the holy Spirit 1. Cor. 6.19 notwithstanding all vaine allurements to the contrary discerning trewly and wisely of euery vertue and vice according to the trew qualities therof and not according to the vaine conceits of men As for your choise in Mariage respect chiefly the three causes wherefore Mariage was first ordeined by God and then ioyne three accessories so farre as they may be obtained not derogating to the principalles The three causes it was ordeined for are for staying of lust Mariage ordained for three causes Arist 7. pol. for procreation of children and that man should by his Wife get a helper like himselfe Deferre not then to Marie till your aage for it is ordeined for quenching the lust of your youth Especially a King must tymouslie Marie for the weale of his people Neither Marie yee Id. cod for any accessory cause or worldly respects a woman vnable either through aage nature or accident for procreation of children for in a King that were a double fault aswell against his owne weale as against the weale of his people Neither also Marie one of knowne euill conditions or vicious education for the woman is ordeined to be a helper and not a hinderer to man Accessory causes of mariage AEg Ro. 2. de reg pr. The three accessories which as I haue said ought also to be respected without derogating to the principall causes are beautie riches and friendship by alliance which are all blessings of God For beautie increaseth your loue to your Wife contenting you the better with her without caring for others and riches and great alliance doe both make her the abler to be a helper vnto you But if ouer great respect being had to these accessories the principall causes bee ouer-seene which is ouer oft practised in the world as of themselues they are a blessing being well vsed so the abuse of them will turne them in a curse For what can all these worldly respects auaile when a man shall finde himselfe coupled with a diuel to be one flesh with him and the halfe marrow in his bed Then though too
made doubt or stop in it but at the first offering it vnto him did freely take it as a thing most lawfull neither meanes of threatening or flatterie being euer vsed vnto him as himselfe can yet beare witnesse And as for the temperature and modification of this Oath except that a reasonable and lawfull matter is there set downe in reasonable and temperate wordes agreeing thereunto I know not what he can meane by quarelling it for that fault For no temperatnesse nor modifications in words therein can iustly be called the Deuils craft when the thing it selfe is so plaine and so plainely interpreted to all them that take it as the onely troublesome thing in it all bee the wordes vsed in the end thereof for eschewing Aequiuocation and Mentall reseruation Which new Catholike doctrine may farre iustlier bee called the Deuils craft then any plaine and temperate wordes in so plaine and cleare a matter But what shall we say of these strange countrey clownes whom of with the Satyre we may iustly complaine that they blow both hote cold out of one mouth For Luther and all our bold and free-speaking Writers are mightily railed vpon by them as hote-brained fellowes and speakers by the Deuils instinct and now if we speake moderately and temperately of them it must be tearmed the Deuils craft And therefore wee may iustly complaine with CHRIST that when we 1 Mat. 11.17 mourne they wil not lament and when we pipe they wil not dance But neither Iohn Baptist his seueritie nor CHRIST his meekenesse and lenitie can please them who build but to their owne Monarchie vpon the ground of their owne Traditions and not to CHRIST vpon the ground of his word and infallible trewth But what can bee meant by alleadging that the craft of the Deuill herein is onely vsed for subuersion of the Catholique Faith and euersion of Saint Peters Primacie had neede bee commented anew by Bellarmine himselfe For in all this Letter of his neuer one word is vsed to prooue that by any part of this Oath the Primacie of Saint Peter is any way medled with except Master Bellarmine his bare alleadging which without proouing it by more cleare demonstration can neuer satisfie the conscience of any reasonable man For for ought that I know heauen and earth are no farther asunder then the profession of a temporall obedience to a temporall King is different from any thing belonging to the Catholique Faith or Supremacie of Saint Peter For as for the Catholique Faith No decision of any point of Religion in the Oath of Allegiance can there be one word found in all that Oath tending or sounding to matter of Religion Doeth he that taketh it promise there to beleeue or not to beleeue any article of Religion Or doeth hee so much as name a trew or false Church there And as for Saint Peters Primacie I know no Apostles name that is therein named except the name of IAMES it being my Christen name though it please him not to deigne to name me in all the Letter albeit the contents thereof concerne mee in the highest degree Neither is there any mention at all made therein either disertis verbis or by any other indirect meanes either of the Hierarchie of the Church of Saint Peters succession of the Sea Apostolike or of any such matter but that the Author of our Letter doeth brauely make mention of Saint Peters succession bringing it in comparison with the succession of Henry the eight Of which vnapt and vnmannerly similitude I wonder he should not be much ashamed For as to King Henries Successour which hee meaneth by mee as I I say neuer did nor will presume to create any Article of Faith or to bee Iudge thereof but to submit my exemplarie obedience vnto them in as great humilitie as the meanest of the land so if the Pope could bee as well able to prooue his either Personall or Doctrinall Succession from Saint Peter as I am able to prooue my lineall descent from the Kings of England and Scotland there had neuer beene so long adoe nor so much sturre kept about this question in Christendome neither had 2 Bellar. de Rom. Pont. li. 4. cap. 6. Ibid. l 2. ca. 12. Master Bellarmine himselfe needed to haue bestowed so many sheetes of paper De summo Pontifice in his great bookes of Controuersies And when all is done to conclude with a morall certitude and a piè credendum bringing in the 3 Idem ibid. lib. 2. cap. 14. Popes that are parties in this cause to be his witnesses and yet their historicall narration must bee no article of Faith And I am without vanterie sure that I doe farre more neerely imitate the worthie actions of my Predecessours then the Popes in our aage can be well proued to be similes Petro especially in cursing of Kings and setting free their Subiects from their Allegiance vnto them But now wee come to his strongest argument which is That he would alledge vpon mee a Panicke terrour as if I were possessed with a needlesse feare The Cardinals weightiest Argument For saith the Cardinall from the beginning of the Churches first infancie euen to this day where was it euer heard that euer a Pope either commaunded to bee killed or allowed the slaughter of any Prince whatsoeuer whether hee were an Hereticke an Ethnicke or Persecutour But first wherefore doeth he here wilfully and of purpose omit the rest of the points mentioned in that Oath for deposing degrading stirring vp of armes or rebelling against them which are as well mentioned in that Oath as the killing of them as beeing all of one consequence against a King no Subiect beeing so scrupulous as that hee will attempt the one and leaue the other vnperformed if hee can And yet surely I cannot blame him for passing it ouer since he could not otherwise haue eschewed the direct belying of himselfe in tearmes which hee now doeth but in substance and effect For 1 Bellarm. de Rom Pont. lib. 5. cap. 8. et lib. 3. cap. 16. as for the Popes deposing and degrading of Kings hee maketh so braue vaunts and bragges of it in his former bookes as he could neuer with ciuill honestie haue denied it here But to returne to the Popes allowing of killing of Kings I know not with what face hee can set so stout a deniall vpon it against his owne knowledge How many Emperours did the Pope raise warre against in their owne bowels Who as they were ouercome in battaile were subiect to haue beene killed therein which I hope the Pope could not but haue allowed when he was so farre inraged at 2 Gotfrid Viterb Helmod Cuspinian Henry the fifth for giuing buriall to his fathers dead corpes after the 3 Paschal 2. Pope had stirred him vp to rebell against his father and procured his ruine But leauing these olde Histories to Bellarmines owne bookes that doe most authentically cite them as I haue already
my owne deed And therefore that ye may the better vnderstand the nature of the cause I will begin at the first ground thereof The neuer enough wondered at and abhorred POVVDER-TREASON though the repetition thereof grieueth I know the gentle hearted Iesuite Parsons this Treason I say being not onely intended a gainst mee and my Posteritie but euen against the whole house of Parliament plotted onely by Papists and they onely led thereto by a preposterous zeale for the aduancement of their Religion some of them continuing so obstinate that euen at their death they would not acknowledge their fault but in their last words immediatly before the expiring of their breath refused to condemne themselues and craue pardon for their deed except the Romish Church should first condemne it And soone after it being discouered that a great number of my Popish Subiects of all rankes and sexes both men and women as well within as without the Countrey had a confused notion and an obscure knowledge that some great thing was to bee done in that Parliament for the weale of the Church although for secrecies cause they were not acquainted with the particulars certaine formes of prayer hauing likewise beene set downe and vsed for the good successe of that great errand adding heereunto that diuers times and from diuers Priestes the Archtraitours themselues receiued the Sacrament for confirmation of their heart and obseruation of secrecie Some of the principall Iesuites likewise being found guiltie of the foreknowledge of the Treason it selfe of which number some fled from their triall others were apprehended as holy Garnet himselfe and Owldcorne were and iustly executed vpon their owne plaine confession of their guilt If this Treason now clad with these circumstances did not minister a iust occasion to that Parliament house whome they thought to haue destroyed courageously and zealously at their next sitting downe to vse all meanes of triall whether any more of that minde were yet left in the Countrey I leaue it to you to iudge whom God hath appointed his highest Depute Iudges vpon earth And amongst other things for this purpose This Oath of Allegiance so vniustly impugned was then deuised and enacted And in case any sharper Lawes were then made against the Papists that were not obedient to the former Lawes of the Countrey if ye will consider the Time Place and Persons it will be thought no wonder seeing that occasion did so iustly exasperate them to make seuerer Lawes then otherwise they would haue done The Time I say being the very next sitting downe of the Parliament after the discouerie of that abominable Treason the Place being the same where they should all haue bene blowne vp and so bringing it freshly to their memorie againe the Persons being the very Parliament men whom they thought to haue destroyed And yet so farre hath both my heart and gouernment bene from any bitternes as almost neuer one of those sharpe additions to the former Lawes haue euer yet bene put in execution And that ye may yet know further for the more conuincing these Libellers of wilfull malice who impudently affirme That this Oath of Allegiance was deuised for deceiuing and intrapping of Papists in points of Conscience The trewth is that the Lower house of Parliament at the first framing of this Oath made it to containe That the Pope had no power to excommunicate me which I caused them to reforme onely making it to conclude That no excommunication of the Popes can warrant my Subiects to practise against my Person or State denying the deposition of Kings to be in the Popes lawfull power as indeed I take any such temporall violence to be farre without the limits of such a Spirituall censure as Excommunication is So carefull was I that nothing should be contained in this Oath except the profession of natural Allegiance and ciuil and temporall obedience with a promise to resist to all contrary vnciuill violence This Oath now grounded vpon so great and iust an occasion set forth in so reasonable termes and ordained onely for making of a trew distinction betweene Papists of quiet disposition and in all other things good subiects and such other Papists as in their hearts maintained the like violent bloody Maximes that the Powder-Traitours did This Oath I say being published and put in practise bred such euill blood in the Popes head and his Cleargie as Breue after Breue commeth forth vt vndam vnda sequitur prohibiting all Catholikes from taking the same as a thing cleane contrary to the Catholike faith and that the taking thereof cannot stand with the saluation of their soules There commeth likewise a letter of Cardinall Bellarmines to Blackwell to the same purpose but discoursing more at length vpon the said Oath Whereupon after I had entred in consideration of their vniust impugning that so iust and lawfull an Oath and fearing that by their vntrew calumnies and Sophistrie the hearts of a number of the most simple and ignorant of my people should bee misse-led vnder that faire and deceitfull cloake of Conscience I thought good to set foorth an Apologie for the said Oath wherein I prooued that as this Oath contained nothing but matter of ciuill and temporall Obedience due by Subiects to their Soueraigne Prince so this quarrelling therewith was nothing but a late vsurpation of Popes against the warrant of all Scriptures ancient Councels and Fathers vpon the Temporall power of Kings wherewith onely my Apologie doeth meddle But the publishing of this Booke of mine hath brought such two Answerers or rather Railers vpon mee as all the world may wonder at For my Booke being first written in English an English Oath being the subiect thereof and the vse of it properly belonging to my Subiects of England and immediatly thereafter being translated into Latine vpon a desire that some had of further publishing it abroad it commeth home to mee now answered in both the Languages And I thinke if it had bene set foorth in all the tongues that were at the confusion of Babel it would haue bene returned answered in them all againe Thus may a man see how busie a Bishop the Diuell is and how hee omitteth no diligence for venting of his poysoned wares But herein their malice doeth clearely appeare that they pay mee so quickly with a double answere and yet haue neuer answered their owne Arch-priest who hath written a booke for the maintenance of the same Oath and of the temporall authoritie of Kings alledging a cloud of their owne Scholemen against them As for the English Answerer my vnnaturall and fugitiue Subiect I will neither defile my pen nor your sacred eyes or eares with the describing of him who ashames nay abhorres not to raile nay to rage and spew foorth blasphemies against the late Queene of famous memory A Subiect to raile against his naturall Soueraigne by birth A man to raile against a Lady by sexe A holy man in outward profession to insult vpon the dead nay to
blanching it onely with some poore excuses And to the other two points his answers are doubtfull yet neither condemning the act of his schollers nor the last wicked booke called Dominicus Lopez Hauing now therefore briefly laied open the subtilties friuolous distinctions and excuses of the said Vorstius we will conclude this point with this protestation That if he had bene our owne Subiect we would haue bid him Excrea spit out and forced him to haue produced and confessed those wicked Heresies that are rooted in his heart And in case he should stand vpon his Negatiue we would enioyne him to say according to the ancient custome of the Primitiue Church in the like cases of Heretiques I renounce and from my soule detest them Anathema Maranatha vpon such and such Heresies And not to say For peace sake I caused this booke to be suppressed And these bookes are to bee read with great iudgement and discretion S. Hierome liketh not that any man should take it patiently to be suspected of Heresie And now to make an end of this Discourse we doe very heartily desire all good Christians in generall and My Lords the States in particular to whom the managing of this affaire doeth most specially belong to consider but two things First what kinde of people they be that slander vs and our sincere intention in this cause And next what priuate interest wee can possibly haue in respect of any worldly honour or aduancement herein to engage our selues in such sort as we haue done Concerning the first point There are but three sorts of people that seeke to calumniate vs vpon this occasion That is to say either such as are infected with the same or the like Heresies wherewith Vorstius is tainted ideo fouent consimilem causam and therefore doe maintaine the like cause or else such as be of the Romane Religion who in this confusion and libertie of prophesying would thrust in for a part conceiuing it more reasonable that their doctrine should be tolerated by those of our Religion then the doctrine of Vorstius or else such as for reason of State enuie peraduenture the good amitie and correspondencie which is betwixt vs and the Vnited Prouinces Touching our owne interest the whole course of our life doeth sufficiently witnesse that we haue alwayes bene contented with that portion which GOD hath put into our hands without seeking to inuade the possessions of any other Besides in two of our bookes as well in our 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as in the Preface to our Apologie we haue shewed the same inclination For in the first booke speaking of warre we say that a King ought not to make any inuasion vpon anothers Dominions vntill Iustice be first denied him And in the other booke hauing shewed the vsurpation of the Pope aboue all the Kings and Princes of Christendome our conclusion is that we will neuer goe about to perswade them to assault him within his Dominions but onely to resume and preserue their owne iust Priuiledges from his violent intrusion So as thankes be to GOD both our Theorique and Practique agree well together to cleare vs from this vniust and slanderous imputation And as for the States in particular it is very vnlikely that we who haue all our life time held so strict an amitie with them as for their defence wee haue bene contented to expose the liues of many of our Subiects of both Nations would now practise against then State and that vpon so poore a subiect as Vorstius especially that so damnable a thing could euer enter into our heart as vnder the vaile and pretext of the glory of GOD to plot the aduancement of our owne priuate deseignes The reasons which induced vs to meddle in this businesse we haue already declared We leaue it now to his owne proper Iudges to consider what a nursling they foster in their bosome A stranger bred in the Socinian Heresie as it is said often times accused of Heresie by the Churches of Germanie one that hath written so wicked and scandalous bookes maintaining and seriously protesting in the preface of his Apologie to the States for the libertie of prophecying and twice or thrice insisting vpon that libertie in the Preface of his Modest Answere a dangerous and pernitious libertie or rather licentiousnesse opening a gap to all rupture Schisme and confusion in the Church yea hauing had some disciples that be Heretiques themselues and others that accuse him of Heresie And though there were no other cause then the silly and idle shifts wherewith hee seekes to defend himselfe in his last bookes it were enough to conuince him either to haue maintained a bad cause and in that respect worthy of a farre greater punishment then to be put by his place of Professour or at the least to be a person vnworthy of the name of a Professour in so famous an Vniuersitie for hauing so weakely maintained a cause that is iust For our part GOD is our witnesse we haue no quarrell against his person he is a Stranger borne farre from our dominions he is a Germane and it is well knowen that all Germanie are our friends and the most part of the great Princes there be either neerely allied vnto vs or our Confederates he doth outwardly professe the same Religion which we do he hath written against Bellarmine and hath not mentioned vs either in speach or writing for any thing we know but with all the honour and respect that may be GOD knowes the worst that we do wish him is that he may sincerely returne into the high beaten path-way of the Catholique and Orthodoxall Faith And for my Lords the States seeing wee haue discharged our conscience we will now referre the managing of the whole Action vnto their owne discretions For wee are so farre from prescribing them any rule herein as we shall be very well contented so as the businesse be well done that there be euen no mention at all made of our intercession in their publique Acts or Records Their maner of proceeding we leaue absolutely to their owne Wisedomes Modò praedicetur Christus so as CHRIST bee preached let them vse their owne formes in the Name of GOD. For we desire that GOD should so iudge vs at the last Day as we affect not in this Action any worldly glory beseeching the Creatour so to open their eyes to illuminate their vnderstandings direct their resolutions and aboue all to kindle their zeale sanctifie their affections at the last so to blesse their Actions and their proceedings in this cause as the issue thereof may tend to his Glory to the comfort and solace of the Faithfull to the honour of our Religion to the confusion and extirpation at the least profligation of Heresies and in particular to the corroboration of the Vnion of the sayd Prouinces A REMONSTRANCE FOR THE RIGHT OF KINGS AND THE INDEPENDANCE OF THEIR CROVVNES AGAINST AN ORATION OF THE MOST ILLVSTRIOVS CARD OF PERRON PRONOVNCED IN
Religion as beeing instructed by their schoolemasters in Religion And who were they but Ecclesiasticall persons All this presupposed as matter of trewth I draw this conclusion Howsoeuer no small number of the French Clergie may perhaps beare the affection of louing Subiects to their King and may not suffer the Clericall character to deface the impression of naturall allegiance yet for so much as the Order of Clerics is dipped in a deeper die and beareth a worse tincture of daungerous practises then the other Orders the third Estate had beene greatly wanting to their excellent prouidence and wisedome if they should haue relinquished and transferred the care of designements and proiects for the life of their King and the safety of his Crowne to the Clergiealone Moreouer the Clergie standeth bound to referre the iudgement of all matters in controuersie to the sentence of the Pope in this cause beeing a partie and one that pretendeth Crownes to depend vpon his Mitre What hope then might the third Estate conceiue that his Holinesse would passe against his owne cause when his iudgement of the controuersie had beene sundrie times before published and testified to the world And whereas the plot or modell of remedies proiected by the third Estate and the Kings Officers hath not prooued sortable in the euent was it because the said remedies were not good and lawfull No verily but because the Clergie refused to become contributors of their duty and meanes to the grand seruice Likewise for that after the burning of bookes addressed to iustifie rebellious people traytors and parricides of Kings neuerthelesse the authors of the said bookes are winked at and backt with fauour Lastly for that some wretched parricides drinke off the cuppe of publike iustice whereas to the firebrands of sedition the sowers of this abominable doctrine no man saith so much as blacke is their eye It sufficiently appeareth as I supose by the former passage that his Lordship exhorting the third Estate to referre the whole care of this Regall cause vnto the Clergie hath tacked his frame of weake ioynts and tenons to a very worthy but wrong foundation Page 9. Howbeit he laboureth to fortifie his exhortation with a more weake and feeble reason For to make good his proiect he affirmes that matters and maximes out of all doubt and question may not be shuffled together with points in controuersie Now his rules indubitable are two The first It is not lawfull to murther Kings for any cause whatsoeuer This he confirmeth by the example of Saul as he saith deposed from his Throne whose life or limbs Dauid neuerthelesse durst not once hurt or wrong for his life Conc. Constan Sess 15. Likewise he confirmes the same by a Decree of the Councill held at Constance His other point indubitable The Kings of France are Soueraignes in all Temporall Soueraigntie within the French Kingdome and hold not by fealtie either of the Pope as hauing receiued or obliged their Crownes vpon such tenure and condition or of any other Prince in the whole world Which point neuerthelesse he takes not for certaine and indubitable but onely according to humane and historicall certaintie Now a third point he makes to be so full of controuersie and so farre within the circle of disputable questions as it may not be drawne into the ranke of classicall and authenticall points for feare of making a certaine point doubtfull by shuffling and iumbling therewith some point in controuersie Now the question so disputable as he pretendeth is this A Christian Prince breakes his oath solemnely taken to God both to liue and to die in the Catholique Religion Say this Prince turnes Arrian or Mahometan fals to proclaime open warre and to wage battell with Iesus Christ Whether may such a Prince be declared to haue lost his Kingdome and who shall declare the Subiects of such a Prince to be quit of their oath of allegiance The L. Cardinall holds the affirmatiue and makes no bones to maintaine that all other parts of the Catholique Church yea the French Church euen from the first birth of her Theologicall Schooles to Caluins time and teaching haue professed that such a Prince may bee lawfully remooued from his Throne by the Pope and by the Councill and suppose the contrarie doctrine were the very Quintessence or spirit of trewth yet might it not in case of faith be vrged and pressed otherwise then by way of problematicall disceptation That is the summe of his Lordships ample discourse The refuting whereof I am constrained to put off and referre vnto an other place because he hath serued vs with the same dishes ouer and ouer againe There we shall see the L. Cardinall maketh way to the dispatching of Kings after deposition that Saul was not deposed as he hath presumed that in the Councill of Constance there is nothing to the purpose of murthering Soueraigne Princes that his Lordship supposing the French King may be depriued of his Crowne by a superiour power doth not hold his liege Lord to be Soueraine in France that by the position of the French Church from aage to aage the Kings of France are not subiect vnto any censure of deposition by the Pope that his Holinesse hath no iust and lawfull pretence to produce that any Christian King holds of him by fealtie or is obliged to doe the Pope homage for his Crowne Well then for the purpose he dwelleth onely vpon the third point pretended questionable and this hee affirmeth If any shall condemne or wrappe vnder the solemne curse the abettours of the Popes power to vnking lawfull and Soueraigne Kings the same shall runne vpon foure dangerous rocks of apparent incongruities and absurdities First he shall offer to force and entangle the consciences of many deuout persons For he shall binde them to beleeue and sweare that doctrine Pag. 14. the contrary whereof is beleeued of the whole Church and hath bene beleeued by their Predecessors Secondly he shall ouerturne from top to bottome the sacred authoritie of holy Church and shall set open a gate vnto all sorts of heresie by allowing Lay-persons a bold libertie to be iudges in causes of Religion and Faith For what is that degree of boldnesse but open vsurping of the Priesthood what is it but putting of prophane hands vpon the Arke what is it but laying of vnholy fingers vpon the holy Censor for perfumes Thirdly hee shall make way to a Schisme not possible to bee put by and auoyded by any humane prouidence For this doctrine beeing held and professed by all other Catholiques how can we declare it repugnant vnto Gods word how can wee hold it impious how can wee account it detestable but wee shall renounce communion with the Head and other members of the Church yea we shall confesse the Church in all aages to haue bene the Synagogue of Satan and the spouse of the Deuill Lastly by working the establishment of this Article which worketh an establishment of Kings Crownes He shall
the Order of Matrimonie and Relgion is wounded By this deuice not onely the Kings vices but likewise his naturall diseases and infirmities are fetcht into the circle of Religion and the L. Cardinall hath not done himselfe right in restraining the Popes power to depose Kings vnto the cases of Heresie Apostasie and persecution of the Church In the next place followeth Leo III. who by setting the Imperial Crowne vpon the head of Charles absolued all the Subiects in the West of their obedience to the Greeke Emperours if the L. of Perron might bee credited in this Example But indeed it is crowded among the rest by a slie tricke and cleane contrary to the naked trewth of all histories For it shall neuer be iustified by good historie that so much as one single person or man I say not one Countrey or one people was then wrought or wonne by the Pope to change his copy and Lord or from a subiect of the Greeke Emperours to turne subiect vnto Charlemaine Let me see but one Towne that Charlemaine recouered from the Greeke Emperours by his right and title to his Empire in the West No the Greeke Emperours had taken their farewell of the West Empire long before And therefore to nicke this vpon the tallie of Pope Leo his Acts that he tooke away the West from the Greeke Emperour it is euen as if one should say that in this aage the Pope takes the Dukedome of Milan from the French Kings or the citie of Rome from the Emperours of Germanie because their Predecessours in former aages had beene right Lords and gouernours of them both It is one of the Popes ordinary and solemne practises to take away much after the maner of his giuing For as he giueth what he hath not in his right and power to giue or bestoweth vpon others what is already their owne euen so he taketh away from Kings and Emperors the possessions which they haue not in present hold and possession After this maner he takes the West from the Greeke Emperors when they hold nothing in the West and lay no claime to any citie or towne of the West Empire And what shall wee call this way of depriuation but spoiling a naked man of his garments and killing a man already dead Trew it is the Imperiall Crowne was then set on Charlemaines head by Leo the Pope did Leo therefore giue him the Empire No more then a Bishop that crownes a King at his Royall and solemne consecration doeth giue him the Kingdome For shall the Pope himselfe take the Popedome from the Bishop of Ostia as of his gift because the crowning of the Pope is an Office of long time peculiar to the Ostian Bishop It was the custome of Emperours to be crowned Kings of Italy by the hands of the Archbishop of Milan did he therefore giue the Kingdome of Italy to the said Emperours And to returne vnto Charlemaine If the Pope had conueyed the Empire to him by free and gracious donation the Pope doubtlesse in the solemnitie of his coronation would neuer haue perfourmed vnto his ownecreature an Emperour of his owne making the dueties of adoration Perfectit landibus a Pontifice more Principum antiquorum adoratus est Auentinus Annalium Boiorum lib. 4. Posthaec ab eodem Pontifice vt caeteri veterum Prineipum mere maiorum aioratus est Magnus Sigeb ad an 801. Marianus Scotus lib. 3. Annalium Plat. in vita Leon. 3. Auent Annal. Boio lib. 4. Imperium transferre iure suo in Germanos Carolúmque tacito Senatus consulto plebiscitoque decernunt as Ado that liued in the same aage hath left it on record After the solemne prayses ended saith Ado the chiefe Bishop honoured him with adoration according to the custome of ancient Princes The same is like wise put downe by Auentine in the 4. booke of his Annals of Bauaria The like by the President Fauchet in his Antiquities and by Monsieur Petau Counsellour in the Court of Parliament at Paris in his Preface before the Chronicles of Eusebius Hierome and Sigebert It was therefore the people of Rome that called this Charles the Great vnto the Imperiall dignitie and cast on him the title of Emperour So testifieth Sigebert vpon the yeere 801. All the Romanes with one generall voice and consent ring out acclamations of Imperiall praises to the Emperour they crowne him by the bands of Leo the Pope they giue him the style of Caesar and Augustus Marianus Scotus hath as much in effect Charles was then called Augustus by the Romanes And so Platina After the solemne seruice Leo declareth and proclaimeth Charles Emperour according to the publike Decree and generall request of the people of Rome Auentine and Sigonius in his 4. booke of the Kingdome of Italie witnesse the same Neuerthelsse to gratifie the L. Cardinall Suppose Pope Leo dispossessed the Greeke Emperours of the West Empire What was the cause what infamous acte had they done what prophane and irreligious crime had they committed Nicephorus and Irene who reigned in the Greeke Empire in Charlemaines time were not reputed by the Pope or taken for Heretikes How then The L. Cardinall helpeth at a pinch and putteth vs in minde that Constantine and Leo predecessours to the said Emperours had beene poysoned with Heresie and stained with persecution Here then behold an Orthodoxe Prince deposed For what cause for Heresie forsooth not in himselfe but in some of his Predecessors long before An admirable case For I am of a contrary minde that he was worthy of double honour in restoring and setting vp the trewth againe which vnder his predecessors had endured oppression and suffered persecution Doubtlesse Pope Siluester was greatly ouerseene and played not well the Pope when hee winked at Constantine the Great and cast him not downe from his Imperiall Throne for the strange infide litie and Paganisme of Diocletian of Maximian and Maxentius whom Constantine succeeded in the Empire From this example the L. of Perron passeth to Fulke Archbishop of Reims Examp. 9. pag. 21. by whom Charles the Simple was threatned with Excommunication and refusing to continue any longer in the fidelity and allegiance of a subiect To what purpose is this example For who can be ignorant that all aages haue brought forth turbulent and stirring spirits men altogether forgetfull of respect and obseruance towards their Kings especially when the world finds them shallow and simple-witted like vnto this Prince But in this example where is there so much as one word of the Pope or the deposing of Kings Here the L. Cardinall chops in the example of Philip I. King of France but mangled and strangely disguised as hereafter shall be shewed At last he leadeth vs to Gregory VII surnamed Hildebrand Exam. 11. An. 1076. the scourge of Emperours the firebrand of warre the scorne of his aage This Pope after he had in the spirit of pride and in the very height of all audaciousnesse thundred the sentence of
Law of the King whereto themselues are also subiect Hauing now perfourmed this ancient Prouerbe A Ioue principium which though it was spoken by a Pagan yet it is good and holy I am now to come to my particular Errand for which I am heere this day wherein I must handle two parts First the reason why I haue not these fourteene yeeres sithence my Coronation vntill now satisfied a great many of my louing subiects who I know haue had a great expectation and as it were a longing like them that are with child to heare mee speake in this place where my Predecessors haue often sitten and especially King Henry the seuenth from whom as diuers wayes before I am lineally descended and that doubly to this Crowne and as I am neerest descended of him so doe I desire to follow him in his best actions The next part is the reason Why I am now come The cause that made mee abstaine was this When I came into England although I was an old King past middle aage and practised in gouernment euer sithence I was twelue yeeres olde yet being heere a stranger in gouernement though not in blood because my breeding was in another Kingdome I resolued therefore with Pythagoras to keepe silence seuen yeeres and learne my selfe the Lawes of this Kingdome before I would take vpon mee to teach them vnto others When this Apprentiship was ended then another impediment came which was in the choice of that cause that should first bring me hither I expected some great cause to make my first entry vpon For I thought that hauing abstained so long it should be a worthy matter that should bring mee hither Now euery cause must be great or small In small causes I thought it disgracefull to come hauing beene so long absent In great causes they must be either betwixt the King and some of his Subiects or betwixt Subiect and Subiect In a cause where my selfe was concerned I was loath to come because men should not thinke I did come for my owne priuate either Prerogatiue or profit or for any other by-respect And in that case I will alwayes abide the triall of men and Angels neuer to haue had any particular end in that which is the Maine of all things Iustice In a great cause also betweene partie and partie great in respect either of the question or value of the thing my comming might seeme as it were obliquely to be in fauour of one partie and for that cause this Counsellour or that Courtier might be thought to mooue me to come hither And a meane cause was not worthy of mee especially for my first entrance So lacke of choice in both respects kept mee off till now And now hauing passed a double apprentiship of twice seuen yeeres I am come hither to speake vnto you And next as to the reasons of my comming at this time they are these I haue obserued in the time of my whole Reigne here and my double Apprentiship diuers things fallen out in the Iudicatures here at Westminster Hall that I thought required and vrged a reformation at my hands whereupon I resolued with my selfe that I could not more fitly begin a reformation then here to make an open declaration of my meaning I remember Christs saying My sheepe heare my voyce and so I assure my selfe my people will most willingly heare the voyce of me their owne Shepheard and King whereupon I tooke this occasion in mine owne person here in this Seate of Iudgement not iudicially but declaratorily and openly to giue those directions which at other times by piece-meale I haue deliuered to some of you in diuers lesse publike places but now will put it vp in all your audience where I hope it shall bee trewly caried and cannot be mistaken as it might haue bene when it was spoken more priuately I will for order sake take mee to the methode of the number of Three the number of perfection and vpon that number distribute all I haue to declare to you FIrst I am to giue a charge to my selfe for a King or Iudge vnder a King that first giues not a good charge to himselfe will neuer be able to giue a good charge to his inferiours for as I haue said Good riuers cannot flow but from good springs if the fountaine be impure so must the riuers be Secondly to the Iudges And thirdly to the Auditory and the rest of the inferiour ministers of Iustice First I protest to you all in all your audience heere sitting in the seate of Iustice belonging vnto GOD and now by right fallen vnto mee that I haue resolued as Confirmation in Maioritie followeth Baptisme in minoritie so now after many yeeres to renew my promise and Oath made at my Coronation concerning Iustice and the promise therein for maintenance of the Law of the Land And I protest in GODS presence my care hath euer beene to keepe my conscience cleare in all the points of my Oath taken at my Coronation so farre as humane frailtie may permit mee or my knowledge enforme mee I speake in point of Iustice and Law For Religion I hope I am reasonably well knowen already I meane therefore of Lawe and Iustice and for Law I meane the Common Law of the Land according to which the King gouernes and by which the people are gouerned For the Common Law you can all beare mee witnesse I neuer pressed alteration of it in Parliament but on the contrary when I endeauoured most an Vnion reall as was already in my person my desire was to conforme the Lawes of Scotland to the Law of England and not the Law of England to the Law of Scotland and so the prophecie to be trew of my wise Grandfather Henry the seuenth who foretold that the lesser Kingdome by marriage would follow the greater and not the greater the lesser And therefore married his eldest daughter Margaret to Iames the fourth my great Grandfather It was a foolish Querke of some Iudges who held that the Parliament of England could not vnite Scotland and England by the name of Great Britaine but that it would make an alteration of the Lawes though I am since come to that knowledge that an Acte of Parliament can doe greater wonders And that old wise man the Treasourer Burghley was wont to say Hee knew not what an Acte of Parliament could not doe in England For my intention was alwayes to effect vnion by vniting Scotland to England and not England to Scotland For I euer meant being euer resolued that this Law should continue in this Kingdome and two things mooued mee thereunto One is that in matter of Policie and State you shall neuer see any thing anciently and maturely established but by Innouation or alteration it is worse then it was I meane not by purging of it from corruptions and restoring it to the ancient integritie Another reason was I was sworne to maintaine the Law of the Land and therefore I had beene periured if I
crept into the Law and I haue it ready to bee considered of Looke to Plowdens Cases and your old Responsa prudentum if you finde it not there then ab initio non fuit sic I must say with CHRIST Away with the new polygamie and maintaine the ancient Law pure and vndefiled as it was before TO the Auditory I haue but little to say yet that little will not bee ill bestowed to be said at this time Since I haue now renewed and confirmed my resolution to maintaine my Oath the Law and Iustice of the Land So doe I expect that you my Subiects doe submit your selues as you ought to the obseruance of that Law And as I haue diuided the two former parts of my Charge So will I diuide this your submission into three parts for orderly diuisions and methode cause things better to be remembred First in generall that you giue due reuerence to the Law and this generall diuides it selfe into three First not to sue but vpon iust cause Secondly beeing sued and Iudgement passed against you Acquiesce in the Iudgement and doe not tumultuate against it and take example from mee whom you haue heard here protest that when euer any Decree shall be giuen against me in my priuate right betweene me and a Subiect I will as humbly acquiesce as the meanest man in the Land Imitate me in this for in euery Plea there are two parties and Iudgement can be but for one and against the other so one must alwayes be displeased Thirdly doe not complaine and importune mee against Iudgements for I hold this Paradoxe to bee a good rule in Gouernment that it is better for a King to maintaine an vniust Decree then to question euery Decree and Iudgement after the giuing of a sentence for then Suites shall neuer haue end Therefore as you come gaping to the Law for Iustice so bee satisfied and contented when Iudgement is past against you and trouble not mee but if you finde briberie or corruption then come boldly but when I say boldly beware of comming to complaine except you bee very sure to prooue the iustice of your cause Otherwise looke for Lex Talionis to bee executed vpon you for your accusing of an vpright Iudge deserues double punishment in that you seeke to lay infamie vpon a worthy person of that reuerent calling And be not tild on with your own Lawyers tales that say the cause is iust for their owne gaine but beleeue the Iudges that haue no hire but of me Secondly in your Pleas presume not to meddle with things against the Kings Prerogatiue or Honour Some Gentlemen of late haue beene too bold this wayes If you vse it the Iudges will punish you and if they suffer it I must punish both them and you Plead not vpon new Puritanicall straines that make all things popular but keepe you within the ancient Limits of Pleas. Thirdly make not many changes from Court to Court for hee that changeth Courts shewes to mistrust the iustnesse of the cause Goe to the right place and the Court that is proper for your cause change not thence and submit your selues to the Iudgement giuen there Thus hauing finished the Charge to my selfe the Iudges and the Auditorie I am to craue your pardon if I haue forgotten any thing or beene inforced to breake my Methode for you must remember I come not hither with a written Sermon I haue no Bookes to reade it out of and a long speach manifold businesse and a little leasure may well pleade pardon for any fault of memorie and trewly I know not if I haue forgotten any thing or not And now haue I deliuered First my excuse why I came not till now Next the reasons why I came now Thirdly my charge and that to my selfe to you my Lords the Iudges and to the Auditory I haue also an ordinary charge that I vse to deliuer to the Iudges before my Councell when they goe their Circuits and seeing I am come to this place you shall haue that also and so I will make the old saying trew Combe seldome combesore I meane by my long deteining you at this time which will bee so much the more profitable in this Auditorie because a number of the Auditorie will be informed here who may relate it to their fellow Iustices in the countrey My Lords the Iudges you know very well that as you are Iudges with mee when you sit here so are you Iudges vnder mee and my Substitutes in the Circuits where you are Iudges Itinerant to doe Iustice to my people It is an ancient and laudable custome in this Kingdome that the Iudges goe thorow the Kingdome in Circuits easing the people thereby of great charges who must otherwise come from all the remote parts of the Kingdome to Westminster Hall for the finding out and punishing of offences past and preuenting the occasion or offences that may arise I can giue you no other charge in effect but onely to remember you againe of the same in substance which I deliuered to you this time Twelue-moneth First Remember that when you goe your Circuits you goe not onely to punish-and preuent offences but you are to take care for the good gouernment in generall of the parts where you trauell as well as to doe Iustice in particular betwixt party and party in causes criminall and ciuill You haue charges to giue to Iustices of peace that they doe their dueties when you are absent aswell as present Take an accompt of them and report their seruice to me at your returne As none of you will hold it sufficient to giue a charge except in taking the accompt you finde the fruit of it So I say to you it will not bee sufficient for you to heare my charge if at your returne you bring not an accompt to the haruest of my sowing which cannot be done in generall but in making to me a particular report what you haue done For a King hath two Offices First to direct things to be done Secondly to take an accompt how they are fulfilled for what is it the better for me to direct as an Angel if I take not accompt of your doings I know not whether misunderstanding or slacknesse bred this that I had no accompt but in generall of that I gaue you in particular in charge the last yeere Therefore I now charge you againe that at your next returne you repaire to my Chancellour and bring your accompts to him in writing of those things which in particular I haue giuen you in charge And then when I haue seene your accompts as occasion shall serue it may bee I will call for some of you to be informed of the state of that part of the countrey where your Circuit lay Of these two parts of your seruice I know the ordinary Legall part of Nisi prius is the more profitable to you But the other part of Iustice is more necessary for my seruice Therefore as CHRIST said to the