their Masters This occasioned a great difference in Religion between the Churchmen and the Magistrates The one and the other formed a different Idea of what they call'd the Reformation or the Reformed Doctrine The Ministers meant by these Words the Opinions in Divinity explained by their great Authors and inserted into the Confessions of Faith which the first Reformers had drawn up These Servants of God meant well But they did not consider that by aiming in their Formularies of Faith and Catechisms to compile a compleat and regular Body of Divinity they inserted their own Speculations as certain and essential Truths The Magistrates and wise Laity of Holland urged that the Reformation being only a purer Worship and more free from vain Superstitions than the Church of Rome with a greater Latitude of Opinions in things not plainly revealed in the Holy Writings it could not be said the Reformation stood on what some Persons thought the most crabbed and difficult Questions of School Divinity The Ministers always warm for their Opinions and Prejudiced often cried the Magistrates wanted Zeal for the true Doctrine And these in their turn complained that the other were stubborn and inflexible and would force all the World to be of their Mind When the Churchmen fir'd with Zeal brought befor the Magistrates those who opposed the Hypothesis of Calvin and Beza about Predestination and Grace as Men who subverted the Foundations of the Reformation the more wise and discerning asked these new Inquisitors if it were impossible to be a true Reformed Christian without embracing the Opinions of St. Austin and his Disciples From the first Reformation in Holland the contrary Sentiments had always prevailed in the City of Tergow The States of Holland too had not solemnly approved the Confession of Faith received in the Belgick Churches Is not this a Proof that those wife Magistrates thought there were Articles put in this Formulary which were not absolutely necessary which ought to be expressed in a more soft manner and less offensive to those of a different Persuasion from the first Reformers This appears very probable since we read in History that the States of Holland in other respects very averse to the Convocation of a General Synod of the Seven United Provinces consented in the Year 1597. to the holding such an Assembly where the Confession of the Faith should be exactly revised and amended in a Spirit of Charity and Peace For my own part when I consider the Disputes which have caused such a fatal Division in Holland I am in pain to comprehend how Men of Sense can be perswaded that the Opinions of St. Austin concerning Predestination and Grace are essential to a Reformation of Christianity How many Holy Men were there in the Times of the greatest Purity of the Church of Rome whose Thoughts were differenâ—… from the Fathers Cannot we renounce the monstrous and ridiculous Dogm oâ—… Transubstantiation the Religious Worship of Saints and Images the Fable oâ—… Purgatory Indulgences the false Traditions of the Church of Rome the Tyranny of the Pope without believing absolute Predestination and irresistiblâ—… Grace Did all those honest Men who convinced of the Absurdity and Falsity oâ—… the Things which I mentioned embraceâ—… the Reformation think of the Hypothesâ—… of the Bishop of Hippo Were they anxious to know if it were true or false 〈◊〉 These abstract and difficult Questions only employed some Doctors who were projecting to make a compleat System of Divinity Among these who took this pains there were some who preferred the moderate Sense of the ancient Greek Fathers Calvin himself was not perswaded thaâ—… his Thoughts of Grace and Predestination were essential to Religion He took the pains to translate the Common Places oâ—… Melancthon into French whose Thoughts of these Matters were quite different from his own In his preface he gives all imaginable Praises to Melancthon Could he in Conscience have done this if he had been perswaded the Opinions of his Author undermined the Foundations of the Reformation Able Divines of the Reformed Churches have publickly maintained that â—…e Opinons of Universal Grace of the â—…ower of resisting its Operation and â—…onditional Predestination are of the numâ—…er of those Articles which every one may â—…elieve without renouncing the Principles â—…f his Religion Several learned Hollanders had highly â—…efended this Doctrine before Arminius â—…ad preach'd it at Amsterdam and taught 〈◊〉 at Leyden before Gomar rose up against â—…im These Books are still extant It is â—…ue certain warm Ministers made a stir 〈◊〉 blast those Works and ruin their Auâ—…ors But the States of Holland always â—…op'd this impetuous Zeal The Professors â—â—d an entire Liberty to teach according to â—…e Sense of Melancthon And when Arâ—…inius was called into that University â—…one were ignorant of his Opinions He â—…ad declared them in the Church of Amâ—…erdam which gave an advantageous â—…estimony of them Gomar himself and â—…vers more of the same Mind with him â—…tring into a Conference with Arminius â—…ade no Scruple to say their Differences â—â—d not concern the Grounds of Reformaâ—â—on It is true Gomar did not long live 〈◊〉 a good Understanding with Arminius his â—…ew Collegue either because his Reputaâ—â—on gave him Umbrage or the Enemies â—…f Arminius kindled his Choler by some â—…sinuation and then he vigorously oppoâ—…d a Man whom he look'd on as Orthoâ—…x but a little before The two Professors had soon their Disciples and Party The Division was so great in the University of Leyden that the Affair was brought before the Synod held at Rotterdam Gomar's Party was the strongest there The Assembly ordered that all the Pastors should subscribe the Confession of Faith and the Catechism Arminius and his Party refused to obey There are some things to be amended in both of them said they They ought to be considered in a National Synod We hope to see one meet in a little time The manner in which Questions should be treated and determined in this Synod caused new Difficulties One side required certain Conditions others rejected all In the meantime the ordinary Synods press'd Arminius and his Party to declare publickly what Exceptions they had against the Confession oâ—… Faith and the Catechism in order to have the Matter duly determined Arminius perswaded his greatest Enemieâ—… would be Judges in such an Assembly declined the Jurisdiction of a Synod as much as possibly he could Vtenbogard a Minister of great Reputation in the Hague his Friend and of the same Opinion with himself did him considerable Service with several of the chief Persons of the Government Never did Synod in its first Steps and perhaps thro' the whole Course of it more follow the Council of Trent than the Synod of Dort except that there were more able Divines at Dort than at Trent This is not in any manner surprizing almost all Councils are alike The same Interests give occasion to them and the same Passions reign in them Arminius presented a Petition to the States of
Crown to be Entailed on his Heirs Male in short for setling Luther's Reformation in his Country and Abridging the too great Power of the Clergy Eric the Eldest Son of Gustavus Succeeded him but wanted the Virtues of his Father He introduced into Sweden the Dignities of Count and Baron which before were unknown there It was thought this was done to divide the Nobility among themselves The too great Union of this Powerful Body was able to create Trouble to a Family newly raised to the Throne The Dignities bestowed on some gave a Jealousie to the rest Those who had most Ambition made their Court to the King to obtain the same Distinction And the New Nobility were obliged to support the Authority of the King and adhere here to his Family to preserve their Privileges Eric made himself Odious by his Cruelties and Despicable by his Debauches and Extravagancies His ill Treatment of John Duke of Finland and Charles Duke of Sudermannia obliged them to rise and put themselves at the Head of the Malecoutents These two Princes Attacked Eric in Stockholm it self He first delivered up his Favourite whom all the Kingdom Exclaimed against They inflicted an Infamous punishment on him John and Charles would have something more than all this They agreed to take the Sovereign Power from Eric who abused it unjustly and that the Duke of Finland should be declared King and the Duke of Sudermannia should share with him in the Government without having any outward Marks of Royalty John thought himself now discharged from the Oath he had taken when Eric delivered him out of a close Prison where he had kept him three or four years The Duke had given Assurance by a Writing under his Hand that he would continue faithful to the King and not aspire to the Crown neither before nor after the Death of the King his Elder Brother and that he would acknowledge those Children for lawful Heirs of the Kingdom which Eric had by a Mistress of Mean Birth whom he afterwards Marryed Solemnly But John was not very anxious about the Religious observing his Promises When he was Master of his Eldest Brother not contented with shutting him up in a Castle he soon poisoned him John and Charles continued to attack Stockholm The Senate of the City delivered it up to them and poor Eric reduced to Extremity was left to the Discretion of his two Brothers The States of Sweden declared him fallen from the Crown and John Duke of Finland was set up in his place John King of Sweden endeavours to alter the Religion Established by his Father The New King of Sweden was not truer to the Duke of Sudermannia than he had been to his Predecessor Charles had no share in the Administration of the Kingdom Men promise any thing when they are to ascend a Throne but when they are once Established in it they find other Principles of Religion and Honour John had Married Catherine Jagellon Daughter to the King of Poland Whether the Princess had inspired her Husband with an Aversion to the Protestant Religion or the Reading the Books and Conversation of able Men of the Papal Communion had raised doubts in him or he hoped to be King of Poland after the Death of Sigismund Augustus his Brother-in-Law who had no Children as soon as John had made a Peace with Denmark by the Treaty of Stetin in Pomerania he applied himself seriously to change the Religion which his Father had setled in Sweden It is not a place here to relate all the Artifices he made use of to prepare the Minds of his People for the Alterations he designed I shall only observe that the King who wanted not Wit or Judgment was convinced there were a great many things to be altered in the Worship and Doctrine of the Church of Rome He can neither be reckoned among the good Catholicks nor the true Protestants Ever uncertain and wavering sometimes he relished the Project of Accommodation which Cassander had given to the Emperor Maximilian II. at other times he was inclined to the Greek Church The Answers of Jeremiah Patriarch of Constantinople to the Divines of Wirtembergh pleased him so much that he once thought to unite with that Communion Possevin a Learned Jesuit whom Pope Gregory the XIII had sent into Sweden thought he had persuaded King John to Reunite himself in earnest to the Church of Rome He confessed himself to that Jesuit the Popes private Nuncio he received the Communion in the Form used in that Church Possevin imposed as a Pennance on him for the Murther of his Brother Eric whom he had poysoned to fast every Wednesday throughout the year It is said John observed this Practice regularly all the rest of his Life Nevertheless he frequented the publick Service of the Church of Sweden There was a New Liturgy used which himself had introduced and the Pope refused to approve of The Mixture of these two Religions was one of the ways by which this Prince pretended insensibly to bring the People to forsake the Worship and Belief of the Protestants of the Ausburgh Confession Several Romish Churchmen came into Sweden The Irresolution of King John and his Indulgence drew them thither Several of his own Subjects too favour'd his dissembled Designs By their manner of Discourse the more unthinking People took these Preachers for free Protestants But others observed in spight of their Disguises all they spoke tended to insinuate into the Minds of the People the Doctrines of Popery The Archbishop of Vpsal suffered himself to be won by them Some Prelates and divers ignorant or ambitious Churchmen follow'd his Example There were some Bishops ordained according to the Roman Pontifical The Bishop of Linkoping several of his Brethren and a great number of Churchmen couragiously defended the Reformation setled by Gustavus Ericson The Clergy of the Dutchy of Sudermannia shewed a firmness of Mind which much confounded King John Charles his Brother declared highly for the Ausburgh Confession He opposed this Alteration with all his Might Neither the King nor I can make any Innovation in the Religion established by Law he replied to those sent to dispose him to comply All things are well regulated by the last Will and Testament of the late King our Father We must fix there For my part I am resolved never to depart from it The States of Sweden shew'd great Vigour on several Occasions They represented to the King that mighty Jealousies were risen in Sweden and Foreign Countries that his Majesty would overthrow that Constitution which his Father had wisely established and that to put an end to all those Rumours it concerned him to declare publickly that the Reformation received in that Kingdom was conformable to the Sense of the Primitive Church Farther the States commanded several Popish Books brought into that Country to be suppress'd they press'd the King to place able Men of unblemish'd Reputation in the Publick Schools to instruct the Youth In the last
to obtain his consent The Advocate Montholon seeing what Confusion his Clients were in had a greater Presence of Mind than the good Father Provincial The Jesuits says he will readily follow the Laws of the Vniversity When these four Propositions shall be Signed by the Sorbonne the Jesuits will not make any scruple of subscribing them The dextrous Montholon knew there were so many Leaguers and Doctors in the Pope's Interest amongst the Sorbonists that they would never agree in these four Propositions And if the Faculty would have resolved to have Signed them the Court was so afraid of offending the Pope they would not have suffer'd them to do it So much Respect and Deference had Mary de Medicis for his Holiness The first President himself embarassed by the Advocates Reply would seem not to understand it being well pleas'd that the Jesuits had not handsomly explained themselves on what was proposed to them He pronounced a Decree forbidding any of that Society to teach the Youth at Paris or read any publick Lecture there The Members of the University Triumphed made a thousand Verses some good some bad in praise of their Judges and their Advocate The Jesuits obeyed the Decree They dismist their Scholars continued silent and did not write at all or at least did it under the borrowed Names of their Friends Here they comforted themselves on their Disgrace shewed the Imprudence of those who would renew Disputes out of Season which might create Differences between France and the Pope Every Man discoursed of the Decree of Parlement as his Fancy led him Some took part with the Jesuits others with the University The Pope's Nuncio complained of the Parlements having required such a Subscription of the Jesuits The Cardinal Gonzaga was then at Paris He was offended the good Fathers had been so ill spoken of Mercure Francois 1612. Montholon whose Voice was so low in his short pleading to the Audience printed a more ample Argument the following year This Discourse was divided into three Parts In the two first he justified the Conduct and Institution of the Jesuits The third answered the Objections made against the Doctrine of the Society and the Perverse Consequences which its Adversaries drew from it Disputes concerning Grace and Predestination The Zeal which the Jesuits shewed the latter end of the last and the beginning of this Age for the Doctrine opposite to that of St. Augustin and Thomas Aquinas in the Matter of Grace and Predestination drew still a greater number of Enemies on them the Advocate of the University Reproaching them with this in his Plea Not only the Order of Dominicans which is more Potent in Italy and Spain than in France where it is trampled on with the rest of the Mendicants had declared openly against the Jesuits But a great Number of the Doctors of Paris and Louvain bigotted to the Hypotheses of St. Augustin and Aquinas condemned too against the Society They decreed it as Pelagian At least said they she attempts to revive the Sentiments of Cassian and the old Priests who were called Semipelagians The Dispute began in Spain upon occasion of a Book of Molina a famous Jesuit This Author boasted of having found out a new System to reconcile the Certainty of God's Fore-Knowledge and the Operation of Grace with the Liberty of Man The Invention pleased the Society and she adopted it This was a Deviation from the first Laws of the Founder who ordered she should follow the Doctrine of Thomas Aquinas When the Jesuits reproached their Adversaries with maintaining the Sentiments of Luther and Calvin condemned in the Council of Trent they recriminated instantly Your Hypothesis said they to the good Fathers is the same with that of the ancient Enemies of St. Austin in Gaul The Dispute was so warm in Spain that the Matter was remitted to Rome Clement VIII resolved to determine this Controversie It is reported that he not only made Preparations for this by a serious Examen of all the Questions for which he setled a famons Congregation of Divines and Cardinals but farther had recourse to Prayer Fasting and extraordinary Mortifications The Holy Father believed that the Holy Ghost had inspired him to condemn the Sentiments of the Jesuits The Bull was ready But to speak after the manner of the People beyond the Mountains God did not permit Clement to pass on the Church his private Illusions for Divine Oracles The Pope died very luâ—…kily for the Jesuits Paul V. pleased with the Zeal the good Fathers had shewn for the Interests of the Holy See in the Difference between the Pontif and the Republick of Venice suppressed his Predecessors Bull. He imposed silence on the Dominicans and Jesuits Few except these two Orders had engaged publickly in this first Dispute The Universities of Doway and Louvain declared too against the Jesuits and their Doctrine of Grace was condemned there After this the Book of Jansenius Bishop of Ipres caused a long and famons Contest in the Faculty of Paris and all the Gallican Church At the same time that Paul V. endeavoured to stifle in his Church the Disputes concerning Grace and Predestination the Protestants of Holland were divided on the same Questions Luther and the first Reformers had at first embraced the Hypothesis of St. Austin either because they were prepossessed or because it seemed most proper to combat the Dogms of the Roman Church and settle those of the Reformation However Luther himself or at least his first Disciples soon saw the Inconveniences and ill Consequences of the Augustinian System That of the Greek Fathers appeared both more Ancient and Reasonable Melancthon took to this and his moderate Sentiments prevailed with those of the Ausburgh Confession Calvin Zanchy Beza and the greatest number of the Reformed adhered strongly to the Opinions of St. Austin Some strain'd them higher and used harder Expressions The rigid Thomists did the same in the Roman Church Towards the beginning of this Age divers of the Reformed Divines opened their Eyes after the Example of the Lutherans Upon examining the Scripture more attentively the Sense of St. Chrysostom and the ancient Greeks appeared preferrable to that of the Bishop of Hippo who did not certainly very well understand the Old or New Testament The Rise of Arianism in Holland As the Books of Erasmus Melancthon and Bulllinger were much esteemed in Holland where these Works had much conduced to give a Relish to the Reformation so the most knowing of the Magistrates and Laiety were inclined to the mild and moderate Sentiments of these Divines on Predestination and Grace rather than the rigid Hypothesis of the first Reformers They thought at least they were very tolerable and compatible with the Reformation which that Province had embraced But the greatest part of the Ministers on the contrary who had only studied Religion Grotius Apolog eorum qui Hollandiae praefueâ—…unt in the Books of Calvin and Beza stifly maintained the Opinions of
defended the Cause of his Party but has done it a great Injury too Though he do's not think as Socinus do's of the Trinity the Incarnation the Nature and Operations of God yet he maintains that the Socinian Doctrine is tolerable and not contrary to the Fundamental Articles of Christianity The Arminians of Holland embraced the same Sentiment which makes it to be believed that Arminianism and Socinianism are near a kin Yet these two things are very different It is common in the Church of England to find Learned Divines who think in the same manner as Arminius did on the five Articles and yet vigorously Defend the Decisions of the four first General Councils James King of England opposes the Election of Vorstius I will not speak of this Conference at the Hague This was as Fruitless as the preceding ones Vorstius appeared here He made a Harangue to the States to justifie himself against the Errors imputed to him These Gentlemen were well satisfied They demanded next of the Ministers of both Parties if they had any thing to say against Vorstius The Remonstrants declared they thought him Orthodox But the others alledg'd so much against him and intervened with so great Opposition that he continued still without doing any thing tho' the States were well affected to him Mercure Francois 1611. The Opposition of James I. King of Great Britain made the greatest Noise in Europe Vorstius's Books were brought to the King when he was taking the Diversion of Hunting in the Country King James run over these in less than an Hours time He saw such Shoals of Heresies with one cast of his Eye he immediately sent an Extract to his Ambassador to the States-General with an express Order to declare to them from him that if they suffered such a dangerous Man at Leyden his Majesty would publish a Manifesto to shew the World his Aversion against the Authors of these Heresies and those who allow them to be taught in their Universities The Ambassador punctually executed his Master's Orders The States-General were a little surprized to see the King concern himself in an Affair that was purely Domestick The Zeal which a King shews for the preserving the Purity of the Faith is not to be blamed He do's well to extend it beyond his Kingdom But however there are Measures to be kept towards his Allies and Neighbours His Britannick Majesty's Threat was very high and brisk The States-General gave their Answer some days after to the Ambassador If Vorstius said they with great Discretion and Respect be guilty of the Errors he is accused of we will not suffer him to teach in Holland The High Esteem we have of the King of Great Britain's Goodness and Wisdom gives us grounds to hope that his Majesty will be satisfied with our Conduct when he shall be better informed of this Matter and the Vprightness of our Intentions In the mean time James burnt the Books of Vorstius at London Oxford and Cambridge The Reply of the States-General did not satisfie him He wrote a long Letter exhorting them to Banish Vorstius out of their Provinces Arminius was treated in this as an Enemy of God and for Vorstius his Majesty looked upon him as a downright Atheist He concluded his Letter with threatning the States to separate from the Communion of their Churches if they suffered so abominable a Man as Vorstius amongst them He was at Leyden before this Letter of King James came The English Ambassador made a long Remonstrance when he delivered it to the States-General He gave them the Propositions which his Majesty had extracted out of Vorstius's Books and exhorted them to shew no less Zeal and Courage to preserve the Purity of the Faith against so pernicious an Heretick than they had done in the Defence of their Liberty against the Spaniards The States-General did not know what to think of the Letter nor the Harangue They answered the Ambassador that the Matter in Question only regarded the particular States of Holland who were Sovereigns in their own Province That Vorstius was only at Leyden as a simple Inhabitant in the Town and waited till he should justifie himself in the next Meeting of the States of Holland For the rest said they we humbly thank his Majesty for his Concern for the good of these Provinces and the preserving the Purity of the Gospel in our Churches The States of Holland were not to meet till three or four Months after This made the English Embassador look upon this Delay as a Civil Denial And now there was a New Remonstrance from the King his Master to the States-General This bad a Text after the manner of Sermons The Ambassador began with that place of the Gospel which orders Brotherly Correction and will have those brought before the Church who will not hearken to it He complained of their want of Respect to the King in receiving Vorstius not only in their Country but in a Famous University The States-General were threatned a second time with a Manifesto from his Britannick Majesty These Gentlemen kept their Flegm They answered the King should have Satisfaction in the next Meeting of the States of Holland This was to be in the Month of February the following year In the mean time the King of England saw his Zeal against Vorstius was not so favourably Interpreted The King of England's Apology for his Conduct in the Business of Vorstius as he hoped for Ill-natured Wits Censured him for making Ostentation of his Learning and Divinity Others imputed this to his Ambition and thought it an Usurpation on the Liberty of the Provinces for him to concern himself in Matters which Sovereigns are not obliged to give their Neighbours an Account of The King of Sweden this year sent a Challenge to the King of Denmark to fight a Duel with him A thing not seen since Francis the I and Charles V. James I. like another sort of Fighting better To justifie himself from the Sinister Interpretations put on his Conduct he took his Pen in Hand and printed his Apology In this the King gave an account to the Publick of what had passed between the States-General and him His Majesty farther protested he had no other design than to oppose the Rise of a Heresie to give the States-General a new Mark of his Kindness and to hinder the young Hollanders and the English themselves who should go to Study at Leyden from being infected with the Pernicious Opinions Vorstius should spread there The King's Apology had the same Fate with all Personal Quarrels Every one believed as he pleased The Revolution in Sweden after the Death of Gustavus Ericson Let us conclude this year with the Death of Charles the IX King of Sweden and speak something of his Elevation to the Throne He was the youngest Son of Gustavus Ericson so Famous in History for having delivered his Country from the Oppression of the Danes for having by his Great Services Merited the
as you have already done to the Resentments of the Princes of the Blood The Duke of Epernon was yet more necessary to the Queen upon this occasion he was gone from Court much discontented but he was gently dealt with during his Absence as soon as he came back to Court they made him all imaginable Caresses The Prince of Conti the Duke de Guise and the House of Lorrain the Duke de Nevers all the Courtiers except the Creatures of the Prince of Conde and Count Soissons paid him extraordinary Honours The Chancellor Villeroy and Conchini shewed him as much respect and deference as he could possibly wish from them T' was the surest way to engage this proud and haughty Man by letting him gain to himself a point of Honour of being Victorious over the Princes of the Blood and opposing them vigorously when ever they should undertake to break the Treaty of the double Match The Ambassador of England complain'd aloud of this Alliance but t' was hop'd they could appease his Master by sending to him the Mareschal de Bouillon Aersens Ambassador from the Vnited Provinces made a great Noise he moved Heaven and Earth to hinder this Affair the Consequences of which appeared to be dreadful to his Republick Refuge was order'd to go to the Hague to secure the Amity of Prince Maurice and the States-General Lastly Schomberg was sent to the Protestant Princes in Germany in order to dissipate the jealousies which this Alliance might give them The Double Marriage is in fine carryed in Council The Prince of Conde and the Count de Soissons being come back to Court about the beginning of the year 1612. all Persons were brought about to consent to the double Match whensoever it should be proposed in Council but the two Princes were not yet satisfied Siri Memorie recondite To. II. pag. 618. 619 ctc. The same day they were call'd to Council Conde first demanded that every one might declare his Opinion according to his degree Chancellor Sileri spoke much in praise of the Queen's Administration of Affairs and laid open the great benefit which would accrue to the State from this double Match The Duke de Guise set forth the Eloquence which was natural to his Family There 's no need said he of Deliberation upon so Advantageous a Proposition we ought only to thank God that her Majesty hath happily brought about the Noble design which Heaven had inspired into her The Constable Montmorency with the Dukes of Nevers and Epernon extreamly approved of what was said The Mareschal Bouillon and Lesdiguieres said only this that they ought to take care the New Treaty with the Spaniards might not be prejudicial to the ancient Alliances of the Crown with other Sovereigns At last came the Prince of Conde's turn to speak but he was so startled with the Duke of Guise's positive way of delivering himself as that he was quite dasht out of Countenance and after an indifferent manner said that since this was an Affair resolved upon it was needless to ask our Opinion It was believ'd that the two Princes came with a design to oppose the Treaty The words which the Count de Soissons let fall confirm'd Persons in this Opinion You see Sir said he turning himself to the Prince of Conde that we are dealt with here as Fools and Serving-men The Queen vext at this Reproach would have spoke but the Chancellor cunningly turn'd her by from it by proposing some other matter to discourse upon and so it was concluded that the double Match should be publisht the 25th day of March following and the New Duke of Mayenne was design'd for an extraordinary Embassy to Spain to demand the Infanta with the usual Ceremonies The Prince of Conde and Count Soissons shewed a great weakness upon this occasion their Consciences would not suffer them to approve the thing and either fear or hope hinder'd them from speaking as they ought to have done Sir then said the Constable to his Son-in-Law the Prince of Conde you neither know how to Fight with Courage or yield with Prudence The Popes Nuncio's Complaint of the Edict of Parliament given in favour of the Vniversity against the Jesuits The Queen Regent found her self otherwise troubled upon the occasion of an Edict which the Parliament had made upon the Contest of the University of Paris with the Jesuits for the opening of their College of Clermont The good Fathers flatter'd themselves that the chief President de Verdun would be as favourable to them as his Predecessor had been to the contrary but they were deceived in their Hopes whether it was that this Magistrate affected to appear Zealous for the Liberties of the Gallican Church or that the Remonstrances of Dr. Richer Syndick of the faculty of Paris Siri Memorie recondite To. II. pag. 624 625 c. or the pleadings of the Advocate General Servin had convinc'd the chief President that if once the Society should set footing in the University of Paris it would Establish there its pernicious Doctrine or Lastly whether it was that Verdun did not love so much the Jesuits at the bottom of his Heart as other Magistrates had done before he pronounc'd the Edict he put on so gay and content a Countenance as the good Fathers believ'd they had gain'd their Cause But what was their Mortification when they understood that t' was ordered them forthwith to Sign a Conformity to the Doctrine of the Sorbonne Schools and even in what concerned the preservation of the sacred Persons of Kings the maintaining their Royal Authority and the Liberties of the Gallican Church according as it was mentioned in the four Articles which had been proposed to them and were recited in express words in the Edict From hence was the Society brought to great Extremity They must Subscribe a Doctrine detested by the Court of Rome or must be exposed a second time to leave the Kingdom The Curates of Paris had now bound themselves to present joyntly a Petition to the Parliament that they should be hinder'd from hearing of Confession The University put up another Petition that the Jesuits might be enjoyn'd to shut up their Colleges in all the Towns of the Parlement of Paris's Jurisdiction where they have taught without allowing their Letters Patent which the late King had granted them to be made good in Parlement Now the good Fathers had no other Remedy but to make use of the Nuncio's Intercession and cause the Cardinals and Prelates devoted to the Court of Rome to act for them Vbaldini the Popes Nuncio was very forward to bestir himself in favour of them he was no less alarm'd than the Jesuits The chief President brag'd that he would make the four Articles proposed to the Jesuits be made Solemnly received in the faculty of Paris and whatever the Advocate-General maintain'd in his Pleading The Nuncio in his first Audience he had of the Queen greatly complain'd against the New Edict and Servin
His Discourse ended in earnest Prayers to her Majesty for this speedy prevention of the Mischief which this forward undertaking of the Parlement was making said he against Religion Mary de Medicis gave the Nuncio good words But it was not sufficient to have Circumvented a Woman not so clear-sighted Superstitious to the utmost degree and absolutely depending upon the Pope for the Ministers of State and the principal Men in Parlement were to be brought over The Queen was not in a capacity to do any thing without them upon this occasion The Nuncio sent first his Auditor to the Ministers of State 's Houses There he made a great noise Is it then come to this pass saith this Italian that the Kings Advocates General believe they have right to propose in Parlements Questions which respect the administration of Sacraments Doth this Assembly pretend to be the Sovereign Judges of them If the Edict which it hath set forth did only oblige the Jesuits to follow the Doctrine received in ev'ry Church or at least what the Prelats of the Gallican Church profess to believe the Matter might have been born withal but when a Parlement shall constrain them to conform to what is not taught but in so small a Corporation as Sorbonne the Pope must needs condemn so unsufferarable a procedure Then the Auditor insisted from the Nuncio that the Kings Privy Council might make void the Edict of Parlement or at least Suspend the Execution of it The Nuncio's Railing against the Advocate General Servin Then the Master on his part bawl'd and ask'd if the Sorbonne pretended to make a Schism in the Church by the Adoption of a Doctrine which was contrary to any received in all other Universities If this continue saith he the Pope will be obliged to call a National Council in France in order to have the Sorbonne Doctrine Condemned there as Rash False and Erroneous In the mean time his Holiness shall proceed by way of Ecclesiastical Censure against those Doctors who shall subscribe the Articles which the Parlement proposes to the Jesuits As for Servin added this Italian Minister all the World knows how he is a downright Hugonot and a Pentioner to the King of England His Office ought to be taken from him or he for the future be prohibited to speak any thing that concerns Religion the Pope the Court of Rome and the Immunities of the Church This Man infects the young Lawyers with his evil Sentiments he strives to serve the Hugonot Party by breaking the good intelligence betwixt the Court of France and the Holy Chair and by sowing Jealousie and Distrust betwixt the Pope and the most Christian King The Nuncio maintain'd further that the Clergy of France ought to Excommunicate the Advocate General If Humane respect he added stop the Bishops from doing this the Pope himself shall proceed against a Man who meddles with making of New Articles of Faith and Condemns for Heresie Doctrines conformable to the Truth which the Catholick Church teacheth Paul the 5th could he have dared to undertake the Excommunication of the principal Magistrates of France for having stood up for the Interests of the King and State Would to God this bold Pope had undertaken it One might have seen then how the Gallican Church would have defended this great Article of its Liberties viz. That a Magistrate cannot be Excommunicated for any thing that regards the exercise of his Office I question whether Paul the 5th could have got rid of this Affair as well as of his Interdiction fulminated against the Republick of Venice The Nuncio complain'd chiefly of the Article touching the Seal of Confession as it refers to ill Attempts upon the Persons of Kings and the State he spoke of this as if 't was nothing less than Impiety and Sacrilege This Doctrine said he is against the Security of the Persons of Princes This is Surprizing for the Parlement intended to do the King good Service in Establishing that the Confessor is obliged to Reveal what he knows of ill Attempts upon the Person of the Prince and State Observe here how the Popes Minister argued Should this be received he continued Those who conceive such black Designs will never come to Confession a Priest will be no longer able to disswade his Penitent from the execution of his wicked Enterprize When such sorts of Practices are made known by way of Confession it s permitted to give the Prince or Magistrate notice of them in general Terms without Naming or describing the Persons but to use such a way of dissuasion Discourageth Men from Confession of the Crime they intend and deprives their Confessors of the means to do this good Service for the Publick What Vbaldini said against the Article touching the Popes Superiority over the Council was more Malitious and more capable to affright the Queen Regent The same Arguments said he aloud which the Sorbonne use to establish this Doctrine prove likewise that the States General of the Kingdom are above the King The Hugonots or at least the troublesom Catholicks will be able to appeal to a future Council from the Sentence of Divorce which Clement VIII hath pronounced betwixt the Deceased King and Queen Margaret The Birth of the King is not certain according to these Principles and that Man is in the Right who provides against the Queen's Regency This is that which Servin aims at He 's a declared Enemy to the Queen and her Council This great bustle rais'd through the Nuncio's means was the reason why Mary de Medicis and her Ministers resolved to appease the Italian But the Grandees and Ministers of State could not well agree amongst themselves about the Expedients which ought to be taken The Grandees were for the Queen 's Suspending the Execution of the Parlement's Edict for the calling of this Affair to her Counsel and that the Advocate General should receive a sound Reprimand and be advised never to engage the Queen again to such Difficulties The Ministers of State were not of the Grandees mind They were afraid least this high dealing should provoke the Parlement Prudence required they should handle this Matter much more discreetly in a time of the King's Minority than at any other time T' was found at last more convenient to hinder the Sorbonne with soft words from explaining themselves upon the four Articles and to engage the Parlement it self to Limit the Edict and not to receive any more New Petitions against the Jesuits The Nuncio's tampering with the Members of Parliament to get this Sentence Mitigated Conchini was ordered to speak to the Presidents of Parlement from the Queen and inform them that her Majesty wisht their Edict were Limited The Chancellor Sileri and Villeroy were further employ'd for the obtaining the same from the Magistrates This Resolution did not at all please the Nuncio He sees himself sent back to the Parlement to Limit an Edict by a Negotiation with them which might not be to
the Pope's liking These Gentlemen are usually more stiff and have less complaisance for the Court of Rome than Ministers of State are But now see once again Vbaldini's Auditor bestiâ—◠〈◊〉 himself he goes to visit the chief Pâ—â—â—ident de Verdun His Master had ordered him to speak to this Magistrate as skillfuly and with as much Civility as he could The Auditor begins with the great praise of the chief President 's Zeal for the good of the Church his Devotion towards the Holy Chair his Affection to the Service of the Queen and his Inclination to do good to the Jesuits After long Complements after the Italian Fashion came his Complaints against the Edict of Parlement and Servin's pleading Lastly followed the Instances to this Magistrate not to lessen the good Opinion Men had of him but to confirm it by causing the Edict to be Limited Verdun excused himself saying he was not Master of what the Parlement had ordain'd by a plurality of Voices he told him that the Advocate General had not spoke of the Holy Father but in respectful Terms and promised that no more New Petitions against the Jesuits should be received and measures taken to stifle this Affair As for what concern'd the Limitation of the Edict Verdun answer'd that if the four Articles had not been there in express words one could not believe the Nuncio had any reason to complain Then proceeding We shall see saith he in the Interim what can be done for his Satisfaction The Auditor insisted that the Edict would be still reflecting upon the Jesuits and â—…hat might be therein suppos'd their â—â—â—â—ety taught a Doctrine contrary to the Security of the Person of Princes How going on the Auditor said can they promise with a secure Conscience to conform to the Sorbonne Doctrine touching the Liberties of the Gallican Church These words include all what the Advocate General had said in his Plea against the Authority of the Pope and Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction In vain did the Auditor display all his Eloquence The chief President remain'd always inflexible to retrench from the Edict any thing which was there said concerning the Liberties of the Gallican Church The Chancellor and Villeroy having press'd Verdun to this by the Queen's Order Her Majesty replyed he Courageously would do better to Dissolve the Parlement than oblige it to alter its Acts for the pleasure of a Foreign Minister The Act of Parlement Limited All that could be got from the chief Presisident was that the four Articles should not be express'd in the Edict and that where there was mention of the Liberties of the Gallican Church there should be added these words At all times kept and observ'd within the Realm 'T was promised likewise that the Jesuits should not be constrain'd against their will The Queen confirm'd all this to the Nuncio declaiming very much against poor Servin I promise you said she that he shall not any longer thus escape we shall make him become more prudent for the future Vbaldini was farther Intriguing with the Clergy for to stir up and incense the Bishops The Cardinal Perron and Gonzaga who was then at Paris cry'd ev'ry where against the Advocate General A Heretick a Heretick Marquemont Archbishop of Lyons was stoutly busie on his part with the Ministers and Prelates Servin happening one day to be in the Queen's Closet with Cardinal Gonzaga and Perron this latter had the boldness to tell the Advocate General that he was an ignorant Fellow The Cardinal was become extreamly proud from the Applauses which his easie way of speaking and writing had procured him from the common People who are rather dazled by the false appearance of a brisk and lively fancy than convinc'd by any solid Reasonings which the greatest part of Men are not capable to discern The remains we have of Servin and the Cardinal sufficiently prove that the Advocate General knew near as much as Perron At least this Magistrate had greater Integrity of of Mind and Sincerity The Subtile Cardinal dar'd not to take up the Cudgels against Servin upon the Pope's Authority or Liberties of the Gallican Church He could not have got the better of him but he fell upon the Article touching the Seal of Confession and as the Cardinal was a great Pratler and Sophister he entangled the question after such a manner for to find Heresies in what the Advocate General had said as Servin being put to a Nonplus deny'd what the Cardinal had laid to his Charge Cardinal Gonzaga not content to have given a Memoir to the Queen against Servin had a mind to affront him in her Presence He call'd Servin Heretick the King 's Queen's and States Enemy The Advocate General reply'd without being mov'd that his Office obliged him to be careful of what concern'd the Interest of his Master and the good of the Realm I know Sir he added That you have the Honour to be Related to her Majesty The Quality of being the Queen's Nephew makes me have a Respect for you but I am not to give an account of my Behaviour to any besides the Queen Gonzaga answer'd that the best Service Servin could do the King was never to swerve from the Catholick Faith and not to divide France and the Holy Chair and that one could not be a good Servant to the King and an Enemy to the Pope at the same time Before you prescribe us Lessons said Servin being incen'st at the Cardinal's boldness who led a Scandalous Life at Paris you ought to consider Sir of shewing us good Examples The Queen presently interrupted the Advocate General and dismissing of him order'd him to give the Cardinal Satisfaction I don't require any reply'd Gonzaga this Man is not in a capacity to give me any Offence Poor evasion of a Grandee whom the Truth of a Reproach had touch't to the quick The Prelates who were at Paris Animated by the Archbishop of Lyons set themselves likewise a crying against the Edict of Parlement and the Advocate General They very much blamed the Bishops of Beauvais and Noyon who 〈◊〉 present at the Judgment as Ecclesiastical Peers for that they went not out of the Audience as soon as they had heard what Servin had said against the Authority of the Holy Chair and Immuâ—â—â—â—es of the Church Some were of Opinion to condemn for Heresie what the Advocate General had said touching Confession But this did not content the Nuncio To stop at this one Article was tacitly to approve all the other which concern'd the Council's Superiority over the Pope and the Liberties of the Gallican Church The Bishops too did not well agree amongst themselves upon the Article of Confession They believ'd that they had not Authority enough to declare in a private Assembly upon a question of this Importance neither had they the boldness to undertake it Vbaldini had better luck at the Sorbonne He form'd there a Cabal numerous enough to hinder the Paris faculty from declaring upon the Articles
Dr. Duval at the Head of his Party promis'd to answer in case the Parlement press't them to it that the Faculty could do nothing without the Bishops or without an express Order from the Queen that the Articles in question had not only a Reference to Religion but to State Affairs also In the mean time the Jesuits were at a stand they long'd to open their College of Clermont To obtain this Permission The Jesuits puzl'd how they could content the Court of Rome and the Parlement at the same time they were to follow the Advice which the President Seguier their good Friend and some others gave to the Society which was to content the Parlement by a Promise to conform to the Doctrine generally received in the University of Paris But this exposed them too to the Indignation of the Holy Father and Court of Rome The Cardinal Perron the Bishop of Paris and many other Prelates Counsell'd them not to content the Parlement so far Vbaldini entreated them from it being persuaded that the Honour of the Holy Chair was concern'd in this Affair After great Consults the Provincial accompanied by five other Jesuits goes without giving notice to the Nuncio or Cardinals to make a Declaration in Writing before the Register of Parlement like to that which the Provincial had made in Parlement vivâ voce The good Fathers believed they should easily Extricate themselves in this Affair with the Court of Rome when the thing was done and should escape with only a chiding from the Nuncio and their General who would not be sorry for it at the bottom of his Heart As soon as the Nuncio had understood what the Jesuits had done he was in a furious Passion Father Coton was order'd to wait on him to Appease him The oily Tongu'd Jesuit represented to him to little purpose that his Provincial did not think to do any Mischief in signing what he had already said viz. That the Rules of the Society required it should conform to the Sentiments of the Universities where it had Colleges that their good Friends counsell'd them to prevent the Troubles which the Parlement would not fail to give them if the Society should obstinately refuse to obey the Edict Lastly that they had believ'd the Pope to have Reasons why he did not give them expresly Permission to submit to a Law which the Parlement would impose upon them but that they hop'd the Pope would not take it ill from them likewise to have contented the Parlement without the knowledge of the Court of Rome The Nuncio was not paid with these Reasons Doth it belong to you said he to Coton to guess the Intentions of his Holiness You should have consulted his Minister who knows them better than any one else And since you ought to conform to the Sentiments of Vniversities why have you not tarried till the Sorbonne explain'd clearly what it believes In stead of consulting your President Seguier and the Lawyers it might have been more expedient to have taken mine and the Prelates their Advice who have good Intentions and have expected Orders from your Father General Coton had nothing to reply but the business was over The Nuncio likewise could not further complain to the Queen of the violence the Parlement had done the Jesuits for one might have answer'd him that the good Fathers went of their own accord without any new Summons to promise to conform to the Sentiments of the University and Intentions of the Parlement As Equivocations Silence keeping and Mental Reservation are always the Society's great help the Jesuits of Paris made wonderful use of them in the Letters they wrote to the Pope and Cardinal Borghese his Nephew Can any one forbear laughing and see Coton speaking down right to his Holiness that by the Liberties of the Gallican Church they understood nothing but the Concordate made betwixt Leo X. and Francis I. A Book of Doctor Richer Sindic of the Doctors of Paris occasions there a great stir Vbaldini bestirr'd himself yet farther with the Clergy and Sorbonne to ruine Richer Doctor and Syndic of the Faculty at Paris At the beginning of the year two Books were put out one of which brought great trouble to the Author tho' his Name was not put to it The first was but a Collection of some Decrees of the Faculty at Paris upon the Authority of the Pope T' was intended to prove herein that the ancient Doctrine of Sorbonne is That Jesus Christ hath instituted an Aristocratical Government in his Church And because the Court of Rome accuseth all those of Huguenotism who oppose it's Usurpations the Author of this Collection was willing to prevent this Reproach against the Faculty in joyning to his Collection the Sorbonne Decrees against Luther and du Plessis Mornai The second Book unfolds the Hypothesis of the Aristocratical Government of the Church The Title of the Book is Of Ecclesiastical and Politick Power The Author pretended that Spiritual Jurisdiction belongs properly to the Church and that the Pope and Bishops are but the Instruments and Ministers whom she makes use of to exercise this Jurisdiction that Jesus Christ is the Essential Head of the Church of which the Pope is only Head Ministerial as they term it and that the Authority of the Pope extends only to particular Churches where he is to see that the Decrees and Canons publish't in General Councils be observ'd that the Church ought not to be govern'd by one Absolute Monarch but by the Canons that Infallibility is given to the Church in general that is to say to the Body of the chief Pastors every particular Bishop and Pope likewise being subject to Error that the frequent calling of General Councils is necessary that the Decrees of the Pope oblige no further than they are Conformable to the Canons Lastly that the Pope cannot impose any Obligation upon the Church against her will and without her consent to it As to politick Power the Author maintains that Jesus Christ hath given no Temporal Jurisdiction to the Church and that she hath not any power to use the Sword or Constraint that Censures and Excommunications are the Spiritual Arms of the Church and that they could not heretofore be employ'd without the Counsel of the Assembly which they call'd Presbyters that the King is the Defender and Protector of the Natural Divine and Canonical Law and that in this Quality he hath right to make Laws and use the Sword to maintain what God and the Councils have ordain'd that Christian Emperors have by Right call'd the first General Council That Appeals as Appeals from Abuse or Error are lawful and that Sovereigns ought to receive them in quality of being Protectors of the Canons that the Church hath an indirect Power over Temporal Matters by way of Persuasion and Excommunication but not by way of Constraint and Deposition of Sovereigns that the Decrees of Popes wherein Sovereigns who don 't Exterminate Hereticks are Excommunicated have no
or against the Court of Rome as the Court of France would have it the Abbot Chanvalon I say propos'd in an Assembly of the Faculty of Paris that another Syndic might be chosen in the room of Richer The Dr. modestly opposeth this last Effort of his Enemies The Faculty was divided Duval was at the Head of 43 cowardly Doctors or Ignoramus's who upheld the Abbot's Proposal 25 Doctors of clearer Judgment and no less fearful declared for Richer The Division in the Sorbonne was so great as the Queen and Parlement made a Prohibition that the Faculty might not proceed to the Election of a New Syndic But Perron the Nuncio and other Creatures of the Pope's stickled so mightily as notwithstanding all the just Oppositions of Richer and his Friends the King sent an express Command to the Faculty to choose a new Syndic They must obey Richer protested openly that he would die in the Communion of the Roman Church that he was a good Servant to the King and Queen that he would ever defend without Stubbornness and Ambition the ancient Doctrine of the Schools at Paris that he believ'd he ought to oppose the Pernicious and Detestable Doctrine which was Artificially insinuated viz. That it is lawful to Depose Kings and kill Tyrants Lastly that he submitted his Book to the Censure of the Church and the Faculty of Paris and his strongest Passion was to see it examin'd by equitable and disinteress't Judges What remains to us of Richer proves that he suffer'd with much Moderation and Patience the Injustice done to him Filesac was chosen to Succeed him in the Syndicate Amongst all these Troubles the Queen Regent diverted her self more than Religion or Decency in the second year of her Mourning would allow of she Mourn'd not the Tragical Death of the Deceased King but for meer fashion sake Nothing said Mary de Medicis to the President Jeannin whose Son had been Murder'd Nothing hath so much appeas'd my Sorrows after the Death of the King as the Affairs of the Regency Her Majesty might have said with more Reality if she had said as to see my self Mistress The Dukes de Vendosme and de Cheureuse were with Bassompierre Memoires de Bassompierre to dance a Ball every Sunday sometimes at the Prince of Conti's House sometimes at the Dutchess of Guise's because the Regent dar'd not to hold publick Assemblies in the Louvre The double Marriage being solemnly declar'd the 25th of March by the Chancellor in presence of their Majesties the Prince of Conti the Peers and Officers of the Crown the Spanish Ambassador gave his consent to it from the King his Master From that time he render'd to Madam the Eldest Daughter of France all the same Honours which the Spaniards give their Queens But the French Courtiers whose Demeanours are much different from those of the Spaniards could not forbear Laughter observing the Ceremonies and affected Gravity of the Ambassador Mary de Medicis had order'd a Magnificent Tournament in the Royal Square for joy of the double Marriage The three Champions were the Duke de Guise the Duke de Nevers and Bassompierre The Constable and four Marshals of France were to be Judges This Festival which doth not deserve a place in any serious History cost an infinite Deal of Money Mary spent in shews and indiscreet Liberality the Millions which the Deceased King had spared with too much providence New Broils at the Court of France The Prince of Conde and Count Soissons were not present at the Declaration of Marriage They were retired from Court with a Resolution not to return till after the King's Majority and not to Sign the Contract of Marriage The Queen said they is able to finish all alone what she hath resolv'd upon Siri Memoire recondite Tom. II. p. 640 641 642 c. and Negotiated without our Knowledge God forbid we should do this injury to the late King's Memory as to consenâ—… that the word which he hath given the Duke of Savoy should not be kept whose House hath been so many times ally'd to this of France Such good Sentiments would deserve praises if Princes did not ordinarily use such Pretensions when they are acted only by meer Interest Conde and Soissons did not see that the Regent was forward to grant them the Gratifications which they were made to hope for The Queen being strengthned with the House of Guise and the Duke of Epernon assured of the Constable and the Mareschals of Bouillon and Lesdiguieres who had been brought over Discontented with what the two Princes had said in Council when the double Marriage was propos'd the Queen seem'd not to be any more concern'd for the Princes of the Blood The Constable only endeavour'd to serve them by putting Mary de Medicis in fear He oft-times represented to her that the Civil Wars and Miseries of the precedent Reigns had no other cause than the evil Counsel given to Catharine de Medicis for to despise and lay aside the Princes of the Blood They Madam said he who insinuate into you the same Methods think more of Establishing their Fortunes and Reputation than the good of the State If your Majesty gives ear to them I foresee that Trouble and Confusion will speedily follow The Advice of the Constable allyed to the Princes of the Blood and Enemy to the House of Guise was look'â—… upon as Partial the Regent gavâ—â—â—o Attention to it but at the last push The Guises and the Duke of Epernon Triumph'd while the Prince of Conde and Soissons were absent The House of Guise had taken care to order the Tournament Under pretext of contributing to the Queen's Diversion they became more powerful than ever Some Satyrical Wits said that she lookt upon the Chevalier de Guise with too favourable an Eye He ordinarily waited on her at Table when the Princess de Conti or the Dutchess de Guise regaled her Majesty Mary seem'd very much content to look near the fine Hand of the Chevalier which he himself affected to shew The Marquess d'Ancre who all of this House and the Duke of Epernon hated could not endure the great favour shew'd the Guises and their Ally The Ministers of State were much alarm'd at it They thought to pluck down the pride of these two Ambitious Houses Conchini was so much the more disquieted for that the Queen was angry with him Mary raised him up to this Greatness but in consideration of his Wife and the Marquess did not live kindly with her His anger at home proceeded sometimes so far as he talk't of leaving the Court They quarrelled lately at Table with so much heat as they threw Plates at one another's Head The Regent upheld the Marchioness The Guises and the Ministers of State who lov'd not Conchini took Goligai's part and bemoaned her to Exasperate farther the Queen against her Husband All this set Conchini forward to side with the Princes of the Blood who had a mind to humble the
rather the Risque of yielding to Force and Injustice than augment the hatred they already have against our Reformation by giving our Enemies a new Pretension of accusing us of Rebellion What Crime can they upbraid me withal I don't fear their Scrutinies or their Informations what have they to find fault with me I have no part in Mr. Rohan's Concerns Set upon me for Religion This would be to set the whole Kingdom on Fire Du Plessis resolv'd not to stir He was contented to let the Ministers of State know the troublesome Consequence of the ill Counsels which were given her Majesty and to exhort them to let the Reformed enjoy peaceably the Repose which the deceas'd King had granted them with so much Justice and Prudence It had been better to have hearkned to the good Counsels Du Plessis gave if the Enemies which the Duke of Rohan had amongst those of his own Religion had not obstructed it In the mean time whether the Regent gave any heed to what the King of England had answer'd to the Marshal Bouillon upon the Subject Matter of the Protestants in France or that she fear'd many Provinces declaring for the Duke of Rohan a Civil War might break out in France her Majesty at last acknowledged that if the Duke of Rohan had withstood her Orders with too much Haughtiness she likewise had too easily given way for the King's Authority to be undermined There was sought then some way to accommodate Matters Themines Seneschal of Querci was sent to St. John d' Angeli to bring back the Duke Du Plessis Mornai had given him wise Counsel to yield willingly and fairly as if the Queen was in the Right provided he kept his Government in the same Condition as it was before The Negotiation was set on foot on that Condition The former Major was again put into the Exercise of his Office and the Subaltern Officers whom the Duke of Rohan would not suffer to be in the Town entred there again But in few Days after there was a new Election and the Regent gave other Employments to those whom the Duke did not at all approve of The Reformed Protestants after this held a National Synod at Privas in Vivarets They agreed there That the Division of the greatest Persons of their Communion was going to make Destruction of the Reformation in France The Synod was resolv'd to make a Reconcilement amongst them efficaciously They wrote to Du Plessis Mornai to join all his Earnestness and Diligence to that of the Commissaries which the Company had nominated to agitate in this important Affair The Marshals Bouillon and Lesdiguieres not content with the Court easily consented to the Re-union This made them more formidable to the Regent and her Ministers The Princes of the Blood with whom they were lately confederated should have had more Consideration for Persons who were capable of bringing the Huguenot Party well united on their side In the Act of Reconciliation prepar'd by consent with Du Plessis Mornai the Reform'd Lords mutually promis'd to forget all that had past to love one another to give one another reciprocal Testimonies of their Amity as far as Religion and their bounden Faith to the King would give them leave to labour jointly for the Advancement of God's Kingdom and the Repose of their Brethren to do nothing which might prejudice the Union and Conformity of the Doctrine and Discipline establish'd in the Reformed Churches of France The Dukes de Rohan and de Sulli the Marshals Bouillon and Lesdigueres Chatillon Soubize La Force and Du Plessis Mornai signed the Writing They agreed further that the Governours of places of Security and Gentlemen distinguish'd in the Provinces should be ask'd to subscribe the same The Protestation which the National Synod of Privas publish'd in the Name of all the Reformed Churches in France made a great noise in the World See here the Occasion The Regent in her Letter to the General Assembly at Saumur had enjoin'd the Deputies to retire into their Provinces and there make report of the good Intentions of her Majesty The Reform'd seeing at last that this Assembly was oblig'd to break up before they had time to examine the Answer made to their Address of Complaints and Demands thought to remedy this Misfortune by convening Provincial Assemblies The Regent seem'd to suffer these by ordering the Deputies to make their Report in their Provinces They assembled then for this Effect without that the Court could find any thing to say against them The King's Lieutenants had themselves call'd some and the Presidents of the Sovereign Court were present at others The Regent had her self given order to the Commissioners sent to examin the Contravention made against the Edict of Nants That they should repair to the Provinces before any Assembly was held They were present upon certain Occasions One can't say then that these were held without the Knowledge and Sufferance of her Majesty She thought that she had so fully allow'd them as her Commissioners had had Orders to assist there in Person and her Officers with the Magistrates were present there likewise The Deputies of the Eight Provinces being come afterwards to Paris with design to finish what the Assembly at Saumur was not able to perform and to sollicite more favourable Answers to the Remonstrance which they had presented the Regent found her self in a Perplexity she had not foreseen It is to be confess'd that the way of the Reformed upon this Occasion was not ill contriv'd This was a Means to hinder their secret and profess'd Enemies from gaining so great Advantages from the Separation of the Assembly of Saumur There was much likelihood that the Duke of Rohan had furnish'd them with this Expedient for to cross the Marshal Bouillon who had deserv'd much at Court by having manag'd so well Affairs in the Assembly at Saumur as the Regent could not from thence expect a more favourable Issue These Deputations put the Regent and her Council at a stand which was as troublesom as if the General Assembly had continued And the Marshal Bouillon did not now seem to have done such great Feats It concern'd him to save his Reputation by seeking some Remedy for this new Inconvenience A better could not be found out than to send back the Deputies of the Provinces as being sent from People who were assembled against the King's Will or at least without his Permission And for the Court should not scruple this by reason of the Discontentment that the refusal to hear the Deputies might raise the Marshal Bouillon took all the Blame upon himself that might ensue They went yet further The Regent had put forth a new Declaration which forbid the Reform'd to hold for the future these Provincial Assemblies Consistories Colloquies Provincial and National Synods were only allow'd them upon Condition that none should be there besides Ministers and Elders and that they should treat of nothing but what concern'd the Doctrine and Discipline of
Peace Represented that before they were Engaged in a War which â—…ight be a long and Bloody one it was fit to try if the Quarrel could not â—…e adjusted by way of Negociation The Princes and Great Men who thought that War would tend most to their Adâ—…ancement and Reputation did not utterly reject the Experiment of a Negociation but to make this Negociation â—…ow Effectual that they should have an â—…rmy ready to March in case the Duk of Savoy and King of Spain should refuse reasonable Terms When the latter had learnt by his Ambassador in France that they spoke in earnest of sending Troops into Italy his Majesty and the Duke of Lerma his Favourite who had no mind to go to War The Q. Regent sends the Marquis de Coeuvres into Italy for to negociate an Agreement between the D. of Savoy and Mantua began to speak with more humility They declar'd themselves inclin'd to terminate the Affair of Mantua by way of Negociation Philip coldly desires the Prince of Piedmont to write to Turin that his Majesty would not fall out with France and that he would not give occasion to others to break with Spain for the Duke of Savoy's Fancy's who had every day new Chimaera's in his Head Siri Memo. recondite p 165.172.173.175 Let your Father added the King think of nothing but lying still unless he find himself able to Cope alone with the Two Crowns and all Italy A certain Author relates upon this occasion a Circumstance which if True Hist du Connetable de Lesdiguieres Liv. VIII Ch. 6. proves Charles Emanuel to be the most fantastical Man in the World at least Villeroy told it for certain to the Nuncio Vbaldini The Cardinal Aldobrandin an Enemy to the Borgheses being at Turin perswaded the Duke of Savoy to become a Cardinal It would be very easie for you afterwards said Aldobrandin to be Elected Pope in the first Conclave I will undertake for all my Vncles Creatures In the mean time we will stick to one another and make the Pope and Court of Rome do what we please The Count de Verue a Confident of Savoy approv'd of this Project and thought it one of the finest in the World Let us return now to see what became of the Affair of Mantua His Catholick Majesty sent Orders again to his Ambassador in France to Declare that he would withdraw his Troops from Monferrat provided the Cardinal Duke would grant an Amnesty to his Subjects which had Sided with the Duke of Savoy and desist from demanding reparation of Damages The Marriage of Ferdinand with his Brother's Widow was proposed at the same time And as for the young Princess of Mantua Philip consented that she should be disposed of in a Third hand by the Agreement of the Two Crowns These Offers were tendr'd in the most Civil Language imaginable All this seem'd to give an opportunity to the Cardinal Duke to Extricate himself with Honour The Court of France was intent upon the Method of Negociaton and sent one for that purpose into Italy in Quality of Ambassador Extraordinary The unreasonable Ambition of Conchini now Mareschal of France and of Galigai his Wife The Marquiss de Coeuvres who was fixed upon for this Imploy set out from Paris at the End of this Year took the Road of Turin that he might Confer with the Duke of Savoy in the first place Coeuvres informs us himself that he had secret Orders to Treat with the Cardinal Duke about surrendring his Cap to Galigai the Mareschalless of Anchre's Brother These People set no Bounds to their Ambition Conchini obtained the Staff of Mareschal of France in the room of Fervacques lately dead And now Galigai not being content that her Husband was raised to the Second Military Honour in France Memoires de la Regence de Maria de Medics Siri Memo. recondite Tom. III. p. 36.160 proposes to obtain for her Brother the Second Dignity in the Church of Rome This Creature so far forgot her self that she did not observe the Rules of Decency with the Princesses of the Blood A little while before she had spoke in the Queen's Closet to the Princess of Conde in such a Proud and Imperious manner that her Highness was extremely Affronted All the World was offended at the Insolence of Conchini's Wife whofe behaviour did not a little provoke the Princes and Great Men against her Husband whose new Dignity of Mareschall of France did yet more expose him to the jealousie and hatred of the Courtiers Continuation of the Disputes about Questions concerning Grace and Praedestination in the United-Provinces There was not less Confusion in the Vnited Provinces about Questions concerning Grace and Predestination than in Italy about the Interests of the Dukes of Savoy and Mantua James King of Great-Britain interpos'd in the Disputes of the Divines of Holland with as much Heat and Zeal as the Kings of France and Spain did in the Quarrel occasioned by the Pretensions of Charles Emanuel upon Monferrat Winwood the English Ambassador to the States General of the Vnited Provinces was very much in the Interest of the Divines which adhered to Gomarus They did say that it was a Point of great Concern to the Crown of of the King his Master Nevertheless Prèface dee actes du Synode de Dordrecht Brand. Hist de la Rèformation Liv. XX XXI Grotius Apologeticus eorum qui Hollandiae praefuerunt Cap. VI. alibi passim the Question was only to know whether Vorstius should be excluded the Universiâ—…y of Leiden which had Invited him thither â—…r at most to determine whether the Five Articles of Arminians were contrary to the Fundamental Doctrines of the Reformed Churches The Ambassador pubâ—…ickly Declared that Barnevelt Pentionaâ—…y of Holland was Govern'd by Vytenboâ—…ard Minister of the Church of the Hague and that the States of Holland led by Barnavelt did all that he Suggested to them The Gomarists which now began to be call'd Contra-Remonstrants by Reason of the Contra-Remonstrances which they oppos'd to the Requests and Writings of the Arminians their adversaries the Gomarists I say did continually offer new Memorials to their Winwood someâ—…imes against Vorstius sometimes against the States of Holland whom they accus'd as â—…oo favourable to the Remonstrants and Socinians themselves The Ambassador Communicated every thing to the King or to the Archbishop of Canterbury and publickly disallowed Vorstius and the Arminians The Support which the Contra-Remonstrants Received from his Majesty did strangely perplex the States of Holland They tryed all possible ways to stifle these Disputes which might have unhappy Consequences And the Contra-Remonstrants which always reckon'd upon the Protection of King James would not be at Rest After the famous Conference held at the Hague in 1611. the States of Holland Ordered the Divines of each Side to draw up their Thoughts in Writing concerning the Five Articles in Controversie And to give their Opinion concerning the Means which
might be most proper to compose the Disturbance which their Dispute had occasioned in several of the Vnited Provinces The Remonstrants declar'd that their way of Toleration seem'd the safest and most convenient so that every one should have the Liberty to Teach and Preach his Opinion concerning the Five Articles in Dispute The Contra-Remonstrants propos'd a Convocation of the National Synode which should Examine and Determine which of the Two Opinions was most agreeable to the Word of God and to the Doctrine commonly received in the Reformed Churches When the States of Holland were consulting about this matter in their Assembly they found themselves divided into Two Parties the one approv'd the Advice given by the Remonstrants and the other was for a National Synod The First carried it Without declaring for one or the other the States of Holland publish'd an Edict in which it enjoined both the Remonstrants and Contra-Remonstrants Charitably to bear with one another not to disturb the Peace of the Churches not to say which had got the better of the other to speak with a great deal of Wariness and Consideration concerning the controverted Points in their Sermons to take more care to inculcate upon the People the duties of the Christian Life and the necessity of preserving Peace in the Church and in the Common-wealth then to explain to their Auditory abstracted and difficult Points in Divinity and whereas the Contra-Remonstrants complain'd that their Adversaries entertain'd Opinions contrary to the Doctrine of the Reformed Churches not only concerning Grace and Predestination but also about original Sin the Satisfaction of Jesus Christ and other important Articles of Religion The States of Holland forbid them to Preach in their publick Lectures and their Sermons any thing contrary to what the Reformed Churches had always Professed to be concerning Original Sin the Satisfaction of Jesus Christ and other Articles specified in the Edict of the States This is sufficient to refute the Calumny of certain zealous Contra-Remonstrants who had the Impudence publickly to accuse the States of Holland of a design to introduce into their Province the Impieties of Paulus Samosatenus which Servetus and Socinus had reviv'd in the last Ageâ—… They which compos'd this Illustious Assembly always detested the Enemys oâ—… the Divinity of Jesus Christ If severaâ—… Deputies to the States of Holland did noâ—… think themselves oblig'd to declare againsâ—… Vorstius his being call'd to the University of Leiden the Reason was because Vorstius publickly disavow'd the Opinions oâ—… Socinus The States desired him to Prinâ—â— the Declaration that he had made both in Latin and in Dutch and to send it to the King of England They Commanded him also particularly to answer all thâ—… Accusations which he had been charged with in Print and to stay at Tergow tilâ—… they were better inform'd of his reaâ—… Opinions Grotius so renown'd for his Works was then Fiscal Advocate of Holland he had a great share in what the States did with relation to these disputes This Learned Man did so abhor Socinianism Epistola Grotii 13. ad Walaeum 1611. that he declar'd that the Followers of Socinus did not deserve the Name of Christians and that he saw but little difference between a Socinian and a Mahometan Grotius afterwards did not seem to have quite so bad an Opinion of the Disciples of Socinus but yet he never espoused their Sentiments This might be clearly prov'd by abundance of Passages in his Letters and in his Works Whatsoever â—â—ey might say to stain his Reputation he â—…ill always have the Glory of having â—…etter refuted the deceitful subtilties of â—â—cinus against the Satisfaction of Jesus â—…hrist than any who have writ before â—â—m New Contests in Holland about choosing their Pastors The Wiser and more moderate Diâ—â—nes easily submitted to the Edict â—…ublish'd in 1611. Those of the Walloon Churches signaliz'd themselves upon this â—…ccasion they promis'd in their Synods 〈◊〉 1612 and 1613. to Respect as Breâ—â—ren those which maintain'd the Five â—…rticles in Dispute But the far greater â—…art of the Dutch Ministers were not so â—…ractable They had almost all took â—â—e Side or other in this Quarrel they â—…hich were for the Contra-Remonstrants â—â—claim'd against the Edict they acâ—â—s'd the States of Holland of a base Conâ—…escention to Men whose Doctrine tendâ—â— to re-establish Popery Grotius Oratione habità in Senatu Amstelodamensi Epist 18. ad Uytenbogardum 1613. or at least to â—â—troduce Socinianism into the Reformed â—…hurches In the Year 1612. there aâ—â—se a business which occasion'd a new â—…ontest the Remonstrants complained â—â—at their Adversaries were more numeâ—â—us in their Synods and certain Assemâ—â—ies which are called Classes in the Vniâ—â—d Provinces and which the Reformed 〈◊〉 France call Colloques they complain'd â—â—at it often happen'd that they refused 〈◊〉 admit to the Ministry those which â—…eclar'd for the Doctrine of the Five Articles upon this and some other considerations Barnevelt proposed in the Assembly of the States of Holland the Revival of a Law made in the Year 1591. concerning the manner of choosing the Pastors of the Church It seems that at the beginning of the Reformation in Holland Grotius Apologeticus eorum qui Hollandia praefuerunt Cap. VII William Prince of Orange and the States of Holland had a design to make a Law that the Election of the Ministers should belong to the Magistrates of the Places but the Clergy had Wit enough to baffle this Project A National Synod Convened at the Hague in 1586. Ordered that the Pastors should be chosen by the Consistory that they would do the Magistrates the Honour of giving them notice of the Election and of asking them whether they found any fault with the Manners or the Doctrine of the Person chosen The Decree of the Synod overturn'd the Right of Patronage Established in Holland a long time before the Reformation which the States and Gentlemen of that Country endeavour'd to retain as well as many other Reformed Provinces Far from approving this Order the States of Holland published an Edict the same Year by which they declar'd that their Intention was to reserve to themselves and to the Gentlemen the Right of Patronage upon Condition that they who are Named by the Patrons should not be received into the Ministry but after an exact Information of their good Manners and of their sound Doctrine Neither did the States of Zealand observe this Canon of the National Synod at the Hague In the Year 1591. They Convene'd a particular Synod of their own Province 'T was there Decreed that the Consistory should desire the Magistrates of the respective Places to Name certain Persons from amongst themselves who should proceed Jointly with the Consistory in the Election of their Ministers In Holland there almost every day arose some dispute when there was a Vacant Church to be provided for the Consistory maintain'd that this priviledge belonged solely to them The Magistrates and the Gentlemen endeavour'd to
maintain their Right of Patronage But to remedy the disorders which frequent disputes about this Point occasioned they endeavoured in the Year 1591. in the Assembly of the States of this Province to make a New Regulation concerning the manner of choosing Pastors According to this Project the Magistrates and the Consistory were to Name each Four Persons of their own Body to Elect Jointly The Act of Election was to be carried afterwards to the Body of the Magistrates who should have power to Accept or Reject the chosen Minister And in this last Case they were to proceed to a new Election This Law was agreeable enough to the Civil Law Establish'd by the new Constitutions of the Emperor Justinian touching the Election of Ecclesiastical Ministers And because it was convenient to Reserve some Priviledges to particular Persons who had the Patronage of Churches it was added in the same Law that if there were a Pastor to be chosen to a Church of which a particular Person was the Patron then this Person was to depute Four others to Elect in Conjunction with the Four Named by the Consistory So that a Gentleman had the same priviledge with respect to the Church of which he was Patron as the Magistrates had reserved with respect to the Churches of Towns and Cities A Regulation so well Contrived for the Satisfaction of all the World met with so much opposition in the Assembly of the States of Holland in the Year 1591. from several considerable Cities that it was not possible to pass it into a Law In the Year 1612. the Pensionary Barnevelt propos'd a second time to the States of the Province as more necessary than ever by reason of the Quarrels that arose about the Five Articles Besides that the Synod and Classes did not dare to make use of the pretended Heresie 〈◊〉 Remonstrants to Interdict those which haâ—… been chosen after this manner by thâ—… Consent of the Consistory's and Magistrates and Patrons this Project had a considerable Advantage in the present Posture of the Churches of Holland It allow'd the Magistrates to choose none but wise and moderate Pastors and such as should be acceptable to all the World and well inclined to Peace When Barnevelt spoke in the Assembly of the States of the Province of the Revival of the Law propos'd in 1591. Their Opinions were then decided Some thought it fit that they should publish it others thought that it was more convenient first to have the consent of the Synode These latter were apparently afraid that this Law should more provoke the Ministers of the Contra-Remonstrant Party who grumbled very much that the States pretended singly to decide matters belonging to Religion and the Government of the Church Barnevelt in this Affair in which he was so heartily engaged so managed those that were concern'd that he brought them all over to his own Opinion The States of Holland at last resolv'd that the Laws which had been Projected concerning Ecclesiastical affairs in the Year 1591 should be from that time observ'd but they found great difficulty in the Execution of them There arose immediately great Disputes both by word of Mouth and by Writing concerning this Deliberation of the States The Contra-Remonstrants said that the States had gone beyond the Bounds of their Lawful Authority and that it was not fit for them to put their hand to the Censor in Regulating the Doctrines of Faith and the Government of the Church The Remonstrants side with the States By this means they had opportunity to curry favour with the Government and likewise found their account in the Enacting of this Law The Armenians maintain'd and not without Reason that the States of Holland being Sovereigns in their Province had power to Establish any thing that was not contrary to the Law of God and to regulate the Government of the Church to make Laws for the Security of it's Peace according to the Example of Christian Emperors and Princes which have done so before them without any Contradiction from the primitive Church So that for the future we shall find there were disputes in the Vnited Provinces not only about the Five Articles of the Remonstrants but also about the Right of Patronage and the Lawful Power of Sovereigns in matters of Faith and Discipline of the Church This was the occasion of an excellent Treatise which Grotius published to the World This Learned Man does in that Book defend at large that which he had before advanc'd in an Apology for the States oâ—… Holland Grotius De Imperio summarum potestatum circa Sacra touching the Authority of thâ—… Sovereign Power in Ecclesiastical Affairs But before we speak of this Apology publish'd by Grotius It is fit to say something concerning this Quarrel which intreas'd every day in the Vnited Provinces The divisions increased in the United Provinces Before this time there had been Synod â—…gainst Synod that of Vtrecht in 1612. â—…eclare that the Five Articles of the Reâ—…onstrants were Tolerable That of the â—…rovince of Guelderland maintains that â—â—l the Doctrine contain'd in the Confesâ—â—on of Faith and in the Catechism of â—â—e Belgick Churches was agreeable to â—â—e Word of God Preface des Actes du Sinode de Dordrecht The Synod Solemnâ—â—â— Engage themselves to maintain and deâ—â—nd it In Some Cities they Suspend and â—…epose the Remonstrant Ministers as Hereâ—â—ks in others they drive out the Contra-â—â—monstrant as Violent and Seditious â—â—e People being devoted to their Old â—â—nisters would not acknowledge those â—â—t were put in their Room So that there â—â—s a Schism in one and the same Church Brand Hist de la Reformation Liv. XX. XXI â—â—e part of the People assembled with 〈◊〉 Depos'd Minister in spite of the Maâ—â—rates Another part stuck to the new â—â—e One Geselius gave a great deal of â—â—ble to the magistrates of Rotterdam â—â—ey Depose him he sets up Conventiâ—â— they Banish him and he refuses to â—â—ey them The Magistrates publish'd Manifesto giving an account of their â—â—duct to the People Geselius answers 〈◊〉 his own Justification In one Word â—â—e were not greater Divisions in the Church in the time of Arianism Circular Letters flew about to Exhort to forsake the Communion of those who embrac'd the Five disputed Articles The Contra-Remonstrants call'd themselves the unjustly persecuted Church They had a private Meeting in a Barn at Rotterdam The Magistrates ordered it to be shut up the Contra Remonstrants open'd it again Could they have had more Zeal and more Heat about the Fundamentals of the Christian Religion During these Confusions Gomar quitted the Chair of Divinity-Professor at Leyden and retir'd to Middleburg in Zealand Polyander a great Stickler for the same Opinion was put in his Place The Remonstrants comforted themselves under this disappointment with Episcopius being call'd to the same University He had obtained a great Reputation in the Party by his strong Defence of the Five Articles at the Conference in the Hague in 1611.
it was fit that the Five Articles should be Considered in the Synode before they that maintained them should be Tolerated by Law To give leave to any said they in the same Church in the same Pulpit to Preach such contrary Doctrines is to expose the Province to great Destractions The Disputes Replied the others are about Speculative Doctrines which are of no Importance to Salvation What Inconvenience is there in giving every one the Liberty of Speaking their own Thoughts with Modesty The Emperors and Christian Princes have often without the Assistance of the Clergy made Laws to Regulate the Doctrine and Practice of the Church These Reasons did not then Convince the Deputies and Magistrates of several Cities of Holland They a long time denied their Consent to the publication of the Edict These of Amsterdam were more obstinate than the rest They Demanded that their Dissent should be Entred in the Register of the State And hence it came about that the Edict Projected in the Year 1613. was not published till the beginning of the Year 1614. The States of Holland Exhorted the Ministers when they Preachâ—… from those Texts where Predestination destination is mentioned to follow the Precept of St. Paul and to Preach that the Beginning Progress and End of Salvation was owing alone to the Grace of Jesus Christ and not to Works of those that are Called They were forbid to Preach that God made Men to damn them and that he puts them under a necessity of Sinning and that he invites those to Salvation whom he has resolved never to Save Lastly the States Ordered that they should not be molested who in explaining the Doctrine of Predestination suppose that Men are saved by the alone Grace of Jesus Christ in persevering in the Faith unto the End and that all those that believe not in Jesus Christ are damned As for all other Doctrines the States forbid them to Preach any that was not agreeable to the Doctrines commonly received in the Chuches of Holland So far was this Edict which was drawn up with such Care to satisfie all the World from Calming the Tempest which had some time continued that it encreased its Fury some Contra-Remonstrants Ministers wrote Books to persuade the People not to submit to the Edict They openly accus'd the States of favouring Popery and of introducing a bad Doctrine into the Vnited Provinces Vytenbogard wrote in Defence of the Edict of the States There came out every day some Book or other for and against the Edict One for Sibrand and another for Grotius This Division entred the Churches The Contra-Remonstrants being resolved to hold no more Communion with their Adversaries met by themselves in private Houses It was matter of great Dispute between them whether the Edict was approved of in England or no. Grotius received a Letter from Casaubon a Man equally sincere and accomplished with all polite Learning Casaubon assur'd his Friend that the King the Archbishop of Canterbury and several other Prelates of greatest Note had approved of the Edict The Strain in which it is Writ says Casaubon seems to the King and to the Rest equally distant from the Two opposite Extremes Manicheism and Pelagianism The necessity of Grace is there Establisht The Contra-Remonstrants produc'd of their Side Letters from England which Imported that neither his Brittannick Majesty nor the Prelates of the Church of England approv'd the Edict and the Conduct of the States of Holland But upon the whole the Testimonies of Casaubon who in Person spoke to the King and the Bishops seems preferâ—…able to any angry Mans Letters which the Contra-Remonstrants pretended to THE HISTORY OF THE REIGN OF LEWIS XIII King of France and Navarre BOOK V. THE Joy which Mary de Medicis had conceived to see her self delivered from a Rupture with Spain occasioned by the Affair of Mantua was of short Continuance The Retreat of the Prince de Conde and several other Discontented Lords who by Consent had left the Court in the beginning of the Year 1614. very much allarmed her Majesty The Mareschal de Bovillon had very cunningly Formed this new Party to serve his own Interests This subtle and ambitious Man taking it ill that he was not intrusted enough in the management of Affairs Memorie du Duc de Rohan Siri Memoire recondite To. III. p. 222. and that the Regent did not Reward him suitably to the great Services he imagined he had done her Majesty try'd to make himself necessary to the Queen and her Ministers by involving them in Troubles out of which he alone was able to deliver them Hereupon he persuades with all his might the Prince de Conde whom the Queen had disgusted by the denial she had given him of the Chà teau-trompette and by recalling the Old Ministers who he thought were utterly turned of as also by the hasty Rise of Conchini who had been drawn of from his Party publickly to make known his Discontent The Dukes de Nevers de Maìenne de Vendòme de Longueville de Piney-Luxembourg and several others being brought over by the Mareschal de Bovillon enter into New Engagements with the first Prince of the Blood They agree to retire all from Court almost at the same time and to meet in Champagne in order to Demand conjunctly Redress of the Disorders of the Government An Illusion with which the Princes and great Lords have too often blinded the Eyes of the People when they have a mind to make use of them to effect their own private Designs The People would have been Fool'd by them to this very day in France If having been less Covetous of the Preferments of the Court they had had at least the Wit to have kept them from utter Slavery and had not utterly incapacitated them to joyn with them upon occasion But the Princes and great Lords by Sacrificing the Interests of the People to their own avarice and ambition are now themselves undone without Remedy After having opprest those who might have stood by them It was an easie matter to reduce them to a most shameful Slavery The Party which was then form'd under the specious Pretence of the publick Welfare might have done good Service to the whole Kingdom if those who Listed themselves in it had done it with an honester Design and had taken better Measures Nevers Commanded in Champagne Maìenne in the Isle of France Vendòme in Bretagne Longueville in Picardie the Government of which the Comte de St. Pol his Uncle had Surrendred to him But the Mareschal de Bovillon upon whom they most depended by reason of his wisdom and his Sovereignty of Sedan had no mind to Unite a Party which he was not able to dissipate when he should find it for his advantage so to do The Prince of Conde Retired to Chateauroux an Estate which he had in Berri The Duke de Nevers went to Champagne Maìenne to Soissons the Dukes de Longueville and de Vendòme were shortly to follow But the latter
punished him severely he would have made him left out what was of ill tendency in the Book Since the death of Henry IV. many French Authors have published several satyrical Libels against the Holy See and the Person of the Pope They have endeavoured to Ruine his Authority at that time when he employed it for the Interest of the King and for the Prosperity of France The Bishop of Folìgni charged the Ambassador to inform the Regent that the Pope complained of the violent Proceedings of the Parlement and to desire her Majesty to get the Decree revok'd The Discourse between the Pope and the F. Ambassador about the Parlements Decree The Marquiss de Trenel having an Audience of the Pope sometime after he represented to his Holiness how impossible it was to obtain what he desired of the Queen who in the present juncture of Affairs could not fall out with the Parlement of Paris Her Majesty said the Ambassador to the Pope will always retain a remembrance of those kindnesses which you have done her but she will be concerned to understand that your Holiness gives protection to a Book the Author of which is so far from incouraging Subjects to Obey their Sovereigns as be is obliged by his Profession to do that he laies down Maxims to stir them up to Rebellion and make an attempt on the Lives of their Princes France still bewails the Bloody death of Henry IV. Her Parlements will never fail to oppose those Authors whose pernicious Doctrine Struck the Knife in the Breast of so good a King The Magistrates will never cease to employ their utmost Care for the preservation of the Person of his Son without being defective in that Respect that they owe to your Holiness and the Apostolick See Accordingly the Parlement of Paris hath taken all possible Care that their Decree might not violate the Lawful Authority of the Successors of St. Peter These Remonstrances did not at all affect a proud and angry Pope If the King of France replied he will not revoke the Decree of Parlement as to those Points which concern the Rights of the Holy See I will follow the light and dictates of my Conscience You must not imagine that the fear of a Rupture will be any restraint upon me in this matter In case Her Majesty refuses to give me the satisfaction that I desire I 'le endeavour to do my self justice and follow the examples of my Predecessors Must I maintain â—…a Nuncio at Paris to be there the Spectator of the outrages that are done me and the Indignity with which they there trample under their Feet the Authority of the Holy See Is it so hard a matter to stop the proceedings of the Parlement I know the Chancellor well enough Maxims of Politicks are more pleasing to him than truths of Religion The Ambassador was not at all dismaied He desired the Pope to reflect upon the reasons which the Parlement had to Condemn Suarez his Book I have heard say added he like a Gentleman that Divinity is a holy Science It is therefore inconsistent with an Opinion which allows the murder of Kings The Parlemenâ—… is indispensably obliged to take care of the preservation of good Divinity in the Kingdom of the Authority and Person of the King They have a Book brought before them which maintains that in some cases a particular Person may attempt with a safe Conscience the Life of his Prince Caâ—… any one desire that the Magistrate should be Silent when Two Kings have been successively murdered by Fanaticks who have imbibeâ—… this damnable Divinity Paul replied that the matter in dispute was not about the killing of declared Tyrants I have forbid my self said he the teaching such Doctrines and I do not know but that I have complied too much in that matter Many approved Authors in the Church are of the Opinion But I complain of the Condemnation of certain passages recited in thâ—â— Decree which speak only of the Prerogativeâ—â— of the Holy See And what were these They were those where Suarez affirms that the Pope may depose Princes when they become Tyrants That which Paul Vâ—â— acknowledges deserves to be remarkâ—… He pretends to be very favourable to Kings in forbidding any to teach that iâ—… was lawful to kill them with a safe Conscience in any Case what ever But with a moderation altogether worthy of the Successor of St. Peter he reserves to himself the Right of Deposing them when ever he should judge that their Government is degenerated into Tyranny Trenel replied very aptly that Princes were not so much obliged to him and that it was his Holiness's own Interest that such a Doctrine should be banished all Christian Communions For says he the Protestants hold that the Popes are Hereticks Tyrants and Antichrist and if the Opinion which allows the attempting the Lives of Tyrants be once Established among Christians It is not impossible but a Fanatick Hugonot may take a fancy to do a brave Action and kill the Pope Paul V. was enraged instead of being pacified He said again with a threatning and angry Air that nothing should hinder him from defending the Rights of the Holy See if the King would not revoke the Decree of Parlement I wish your Holiness replied the Ambassador in a submissive manner would have the goodness to offer some Expedient that you would write to your Nuntio and would send Orders â—…o the Cardinals which are in France to consult with him about some means of accommodation the Queen will agree to any thing that she can do with Honour As for Revoking of the Decree it is not a thing possible to be done at present Trenel's design was only to hold him in play that so the hot and haughty Old Gentleman might have time to grow cool and reflect upon the Consequences of his Threatnings After some farther discourse he took a resolution to write to the Nuncio and to send to the Cardinals de Joieuse du Perron and de la Rochefoucault to enjoin them to confer with the Nuncio about the Satisfaction which his Holiness should Demand in the present posture of affairs in France In reciting these particulars Two things seem equally Surprising to me The arrogance of the pretended Vicar of Jesus Christ who will not endure that Crowned Heads should make use of their Authority to support their Sovereign and Independant Power or to preserve their Lives from Assasins They must humbly desire of the Pope the Condemnation of a Jesnit who allows attempts upon their Lives They must be content with his publishing throughout their Dominions that the Pope hath a Right to examine their Conduct and to Depose them when he thinks they Tyrancically abuse their Power The other thing which does not less amazâ—… me is the mean and low-spirited Superstition of the Princes of the popish Communion What good Reason did he alledge to oblige them blindly to submit to the arrogance and pride of the Bishop of Rome which grosily
the Reformed Churches in France The Assemblies held since the Separation of that at Saumar were in very mild Terms declared unlawful And to the end that they who had been present there might not be disquieted the King pardoned them this pretended Crime and forbid his Officers from prosecuting any of them His Majesty suppos'd they went thither with downright Intentions and that they had no Thoughts of disobeying the deceased King's Orders The Reformed were extremely surpris'd they should be pardon'd a Fault which they pretended to have in no wise committed Their Deputies General presented a Petition to the Parlements for opposing the registring of this Declaration They protested that being far from requiring any such Pardon their Churches look'd upon it as injurious and reflecting and that none of the Reformed intended to make use of it This Opposition stopp'd the Registring of it But the Court having got over some of the Reform'd under pretence that they had need of it for their own Security the Declaration was registred and approved of in Forms This Affair made a great noise in the National Synod of Privas 'T was resolv'd there to draw up a publick and solemn Protestation that the Provincial Assemblies had not been held against the King's Will and that the Reform'd look'd upon the Pardon which his Majesty had granted them upon this Occasion as a Reflection which they had not deserv'd They declar'd at the end of the Act that they would never make use of the Pardon which the King pretended to grant 'em and downright disavow'd those amongst the Protestants who sought for it As this caus'd great Stirs in some Provinces so the Court design'd to appease them by another Declaration put forth in Form to explain the former His Majesty acknowledg'd therein to be very well satisfied with the Fidelity and Obedience of his Protestant Subjects but at the bottom he did not remedy the Mischief t'other Declaration had done The Provincial Assemblies remained forbidden And this is all that the Court now delivered from the Deputies Sollicitations intended The Arrival of the Duke of Pastranâ—… at Paris was of great use to diminish the Troubles which all these Affairs had given the Queen He was receiv'd in all the Towns he pass'd through with extraordinary Honours The Dukes of Nevers and Luxemburgh went to meet him out of the Gates of Paris accompanied with four oâ—… five hundred Horse He made a Magnificent Entry He had a splendid Equipage and abundance of Men in his Retinue very well cloath'd Don Francis and Doâ—â— Diego de Sylva his Brothers and many other Spanish Lords were come with him The King gave him his first Audience the 6th of August The Princes of the Blood the Grandees and the Cardinals Sourdis and Bonzi were invited to this Ceremony These endeavour'd to be excus'd under pretence their Dignities would not suffer them to be beneath the Princes of the Blood Ridiculous and insupportable Pretension These Gentlemen to speak properly are no better than Priests and Deacons of the particular Church of Rome Since they have been suffer'd insolently to put on Purple they believe themselves not to be inferiour to crown'd Heads Mary de Medicis who had had a mind the Spaniards should see the Court of France in all its Splendour wish'd that the Cardinals were present at the Audience They were told from her That there should be no distinction of Places and that every one should sit as he came The Princes of the Blood strait took their Seats on the Right Hand of the King The Cardinals excluded from this place â—…ut themselves on the side of the Queen They did not tarry there long The Prinâ—…ess Dowager of Condé wou'd not suffer â—…hem above her and the Regent fearâ—…ng to cross the Princes of the Blood â—…ho wou'd not fail to maintain the Right â—…f the Princess let the Cardinals go out â—…ith Confusion with their sottish deserv'd â—…mbition There was another difference which made more noise on the King's side The Duke de Nevers had plac'd himself on the Bench of the Princes of the Blood The Count de Soissons busied in speaking with the Prince of Conti his Brother was not aware that Nevers had seated himself immediately after him As soon as the Prince of Condé who sat above his two Uncles perceiv'd it he jogs Conti and he did as much to Soissons who fail'd not to push at the Duke of Nevers with all his strength I don't know said he then why you croud me after this manner Because this here is none of your place replied disdainfully the Prince of Condé There were interchang'd on one side and 'tother sharp biting Words We will explain our selves better in another place said at last the Prince of Condé giving a Wink upon him to follow him The Marshal Bouillon run hastily to stop the Prince who in passing by the Duke made him understand that this was a Challenge The Quarrel was presently made up by Order of the King and the Regent blam'd the Duke of Nevers because he had seated himself in a Place which was not design'd but for the Princes of the Blood The Guises had no â—â—mtest aboâ—â— their Places The Duke and his Brotheâ—… were to go and conduct the Duke 〈◊〉 Pastrana to his Audience After the Ambassador had made his Compliments and presented to the King and Queen his Catholick Majesty's Letters he was conducted to Madam Elizabeth design'd for the Prince of Spain and from thence to the Duke of Anjou's Apartment to Salute the Prince and his other two Sisters Daughters of France Articles of Marriage sign'd between the Prince of Spain and Eldest Daughter of France The 25th day of August the Festival of St. Lewis was appointed for Sealing the Articles of Marriage between Madam Elizabeth and the Prince of Spain The Duke de Pastrana and Don Innigo de Cardenas King Philip's Ambassador in ordinary into France sign'd them as the Fathers and Sons Proxies immediately after the King and the Queen his Mother Madam Elizabeth and Queen Margarite The Nuncio and Ambassador of Tuscany as representing the two Mediators set their Names after those of the Princes of the Blood Elizabeth's Dowry was 500000. Crowns in Gold They were to be paid down the Night before the Consummation of Marriage The Princess renounc'd all the Rights she could pretend to in the Succession of her Father Mother and Brothers without excepting the States which are not Fief-Males into which the Daughters may Succeed This Clause had an Eve upon the Rights in the Kingdom of Navarre and Principality of Bearn which Henry the IV. held in right of his Mother The Duke of Pastrana tarried yet some days at Paris He was regal'd with all Divertisements possible upon such an occasion Having got to Bourde aux in his return to Spain he found there the Duke of Mayenne who came back from Madrid He had been gone thither to Sign likewise the Articles of Marriage between Lewis XIII King of