it and the holiest dispised it and that which doth stay them from the fruition of eternall happinesse and tie them to the bondage of flesh which of all other prisons is most slauish especially to a soule of diuine and heauenly contemplation For the holy men of all ages haue neuer thought it burden some to die but haue desired death to release them from the miseries of life neither haue they feared the Image of death when it hath bene presented in the most dreadfull forme that Tyrants and wicked men could deuise because such men make their life but seruant to their death desiring onely to liue to the glorie of their God that so they may die in his fauour for such death setteth open the gates of eternity whereas euery houre of this our transitory life is subiect to many deaths and many hard extremities Secondly The experience of this is common and therefore lesse admirable neither is it strange that Christian men should dispise transitorie life and the vaine glory of flesh because they are bound thereto by the dutie of Christianity Christ himselfe the examples of Christians both commanding and commending it And therefore is this obediencâ— most worthie in the Children of Grace but most strange in the sonnes of Nature such as haue onely a generall vnderstanding of God and of his mighty power not knowing him in his mercie nor in the hope of saluation who by the naturall iudgement of sence could iudge the miseries of mans life and therefore would preferre death before a life so vnconstant and variable Such were the noble spirits of many worthy men in former ages and such were many of those graue and learned Philosophers who contemned the vaine glorie of mans life and triumphed in the hope of death being their comfort and that wich in their opinion would conclude their infinite trauell and secure them in the pleasure of perpetuall rest And such were they who vnderstanding the immortality of the soule and how the faculties thereof were letted in their diuine offices by the indisposition of their bodies and the naturall pronenesse thereof to aduersity and euill would by violent death haue freed their soules from the prison of their flesh The which howsoeuer it was by the rule of Religion both damnable and foolish yet they not knowing Religion nor the duty of conscience gaue a notable demonstration how much they esteemed death more than a life so full of misery and change Thirdly Such is the miserable condition of mans life as that euery minute thereof is subiect to euill change no man hauing power to resist the infinite number of occasions that daily threaten him insomuch as if God withdraw his prouidence and leaue vs to our guidance we are then the most miserable of all others hauing more to afflict vs than all the other creatures of God because by our offending the Lord of all wee haue made both him and them our enemies So that all occasions and euery worke of nature watch the aduantage of Gods sufferance to reuenge themselues on man for whose sinne they haue indured the curse of euill And from hence doth issue the infinite number of grieuances which continually threaten the prosperity of mans life whereby the most pleasurable time of mans life is subiect to this great misery that hee cannot secure any little continuance of those pleasures wherin he so delighteth neither can hee preuent the sorrowes of his life nor rid himselfe from the least of them neither can he as he is naturall with any patience beare them So that both with them and without them he is most miserable and so for euer would be if the mercie of God did not supplie to this weakenesse and euill condition of our Nature Fourthly Now to relate some particulars of these infinite miseries I first begin with sicknesse an infirmity that beginneth with our life and endeth in our graue which God hath ordained to subdue the pride of mans nature least being puft vp with too much prosperity we should forget that wee are mortall and but creatures And this in a double respect is very grieuous to our Natures first in respect of the diuersity of sicknesses which being infinite in number seeme like so many enemies to threaten our tranquillity and quiet Secondly in respect of our selues all men being at all times subiect to all infirmities And therefore they that haue heaped the glory and treasure of this worlde and seeme to ingrosse the pleasures of this life are notwithstanding arrested by sicknesse and that many times with such violence as they earnestly desire death to release them of the miseries of life neither is the basest condition of men exempt from this generall infirmitie the rich the poore the base and the Noble being in this respect equalls all men being alike seruants to the sorrow of sicknesse whose generall power preuailes to the destruction of all flesh Fifthly Another maine grieuance is pouerty of life which doth depresse the spirits of many which otherwise would rise to those deseruings which in the iudgement of the world are most honourable And this is both in it selfe euill and a punishment for sinne also in generall opinion it is most hatefull and that which almost all men carefully shunne because in the reputation of the world men are estimated not according to their being what they are but after their hauing how much they are in the fauour of fortune And such men are onely esteemed honourable and best worthy who are most worth in vaine and vile possessions the better sort of men commonly enioying the least part of those earthly blessings which God hath giuen his creatures by which vneuen distribution it commeth to passe that many times the honourable man hath the vilde place and the vilde man the honourable the seruant many times exceeding his Lord in the true worth of honesty and vertue by whom he is exceeded in vaine glory and honour And this must needs be a great deiection to such as haue spirit to vnderstand themselues for when men liue in a disproportion to their worth it exceedingly blunteth that alacrity and good spirit which in a better condition of fortune would be gracefull And surely it cannot but grieue the spirit of vnderstanding men to see the blockish and most vnworthie like idols with ornaments and trappings to be inuested with dignities and high preferments that onely know to vse those dignities to their couetous profit and not to any honourable deseruing And though pouerty to a good man be but like the foyle to a diamond to make it appeare the more beautifull yet generally to mankinde it is most hatefull and that which is onely indured by necessity and Christian patience begetting many times most dangerous discontentments in them of best apprehension and obscuring the gifts of God and nature which otherwise
witnesse of his conscience yet did take it and therefore Stephen by dissembling saued his life which the other by plaine expressing himselfe lost So that both these though they conspire one end yet in themselues are they very diuerse the one with a manly resolution and with the witnes of his blood profest himselfe and his resolution the other by swearing and for swearing to banne and disclaime that which in his purpose was the marke whereto hee shot himselfe and his euill pollicies the one ending all opposition in his owne voluntary death the other by subtilty continuing his euill life that life being the death of many the deare Children of God 13. Another highly in the Kings fauour and most worthy of high fauour was the Lord Cromwell a man so resolute in the worke he had begunne as neuer any did pursue a holy businesse with better Spirit who notwithstanding the greatnesse of his enemies who after the fashion of all Courts enuie such most vnto whom the Prince is most gratious and then most when the degrees of honour are deriued vpon any of meane beginning yet so could this man rule the prosperity of his fortunes as neither in generall opinion was he thought proudly to delight them nor yet not to vnderstand what those honours were which the Kings fauour had giuen him So aduised was he in the passage of his honourable life as that use which seeth the least aduantage could neuer finde iust occasion though occasions were sought to scandalize his reputation in the generall opinion of good men And howsoeuer God did suffer the euill of his enemies to preuaile ouer his life yet neuer to the death of his honourable remembrance to whose Godly care all the louers of Religion in Christendome are beholding especially the English Nation he being a principall instrument whereby the King was moued to reforme Religion 14. In this mans time the Religious then liuing had great hope of prosperity in their holy cause aswell in respect of his diligence to that end directed as also of the Kings inclinable nature which did seeme to consent with the honourable desires of the Lord Cromwell intertaining him in all fauourable regard giuing him names and places of high honour whereby his godly cares went the better forward hauing the strength of the Kings authority which he applyed to no other end but that God might receiue honour in restoring the truth of his seruice and that the king might not receiue dishonour in abādoning the protection of faith whereof God by the sentence of his enemie had made him defēdor And this good cause did this good man prosecute with the best strēgth of his indeauor not regarding his life more then God that gaue it nor the honours of his life more then the honors of his king from whose boūty his honors were deriued 15. Thus we see the diuersity in the king whereby he grew remisse in following this holy care which was because of the diuersitie of opinions in those men whom the king most trusted in the state he suffering himself to be driuen against the currant of his owne streames by the violence of other mens perswasions 16. And here is offered a large consideration of the Kings Nature who notwithstanding his great spirit and his many other honourable deseruings he had this infirmitie That he would be induced to doe those things which were much disagreeing in themselues and to goe forward and backward in one course and suffer himselfe to be moued whether the violence of other mens affections would carrie him sometime for sometimes against Religion and by this he gaue an open demonstration of the weakenesse of his nature For there is no alteration in a State that is not dangerous and then is the danger most when the greate ones great in authority and neere in the fauour of the Prince deuide themselues For difference if it be not compounded by the awfull Maiesty of the Prince it will growe to faction by consequence to open breach And though the Prince so gouerne that they dare not come to open difference yet will they worke by conspiracie and secret practise the confusion of each other For where faction is there can be no assurance men wil seek to assure themselues though it be by the fall of others And this euill is best preuented by the prouidence of the Prince who when hee seeth deformity in the body of the State and that of necessity there must bee alteration to make such choice of instruments as best loue the cure least otherwise in steade of physicke they administer poyson and so not cure but destroy the body diseased 17. And this was the Kings error who though his purpose to reforme was good yet the course he tooke was not good making ill choice of particulers to whose trust he commended that businesse some of them being Protestants some Papists so that the King may bee said to build with one hand and to cast downe with another to reforme Religion and to deforme it againe And therefore this aduice I dare giue the best Prince in the world Let those you loue best and trust most be one in themselues and one with their Soueraigne and worke not vpon the foundation Truth by contrarie meanes for hee that so buildeth buildeth Babel that is confusion and not the walles of Ierusalem Obseruations Diuine Pollitique Morall FIRST to intertaine and beginne a Religious worke is both an honourable and a holy attempt but to finish it is more because it is possible that vnworthy men may vndertake and retire But Pietie is not Pietie if not constant For no vertue is rewarded but perseuerance Secondly To faint in the prosecution of a Religious cause is of all cowherdice the most shamefull and recreant because in all such quarrells God is our Generall and doth arme his souldiers in compleate security Thirdly A Prince that hath many about his person cannot but must haue much difference in their quallities his pollitique parte is to obserue and iudge the difference and to distinguish them to such seruice in the State as may make them emulous to exceede and not enuious to extirpe the prosperities of one another Fourthly It hath beene thought good Pollicie that in a Senate or Counsell of State it were good to haue men of opposite Iudgement because it doth prouoke both factions from exact declaration of their best indeauours This in a state meerely pollitique may haue pretence but in a Religious State it hath none because it is impossible to goe to one God in one truth by contrarie steppes Fifthly It were dishonourable and dangerous for a Prince that hath his state free and in quiet to dissemble or to deuide himselfe to contrarieties because hee that doth not declare himselfe certaine to one doth remaine suspected of all and doth giue a generall hope to generall varieties Sixthly The errour and vice is greater in
These banning Popeâ— like Shemei and Balam The Princes agree not in their ends The Emperors bad fortunes The indignities wherewith the Pope did vse the Emperor The Popes insulting pride The Emperors end vnfortunate The King very fortunate In respect of themselues the two Princes were equalls in respect of their fortunes they disagree The Emperours praise God the fouÌ„taine of goodnesse All men naturally euill Grace the gift of God God decreeth the good and deuiseth the meanes K. Edward K. Edward fit to finish the worke of Reformation God had the greatest part in this businesse The King beloued of God The King the best of all Christian Princes then liuing The Nation happie in K. Edward to defend the Faith The praise of King Edward The miserie of manie kingdomes Alexander of Macedon Alexander leauing his Empire to his friend diuided did sooner perish The kingdomes of France Edward the Third The title of England to the crowne of France FraÌ„ce much vexed with English warres France still in the hazard of English warres English examples Yorke and Lancaster The cause of the Eâ—glish ciuill warres was the interrupting of lawfull Succession Queene Elizabeth The danger that was feared by her want of Issue The danger of the State Gods preuention The euent did exceed expectation The subuersion of great houses The Sonnes of gouernors are best fitted for gouernement King Edward did exceed and succeed his Father Diuine Pollitique Morall The Kings praise His mercy to his enemies The particular of his deserts The King did inherit his kingdome and hâ—â— care for Religion together His first care He secondeth his Fathers attempt His first act of defence to the Faith King Edward was not tempted as was King Henry by euill counsell His holy zeale for reformation The King well fitted for this businesse The King not moued by any respect Wherein K. Edward principally defended the Faith Popery vtterly extirped by the King The consent of Parliament An vniforme order of common prayer appointed by the King Verity could not stand without vnitie Iosias of Iuda The ceremonies of Poperie like the rites of the Heathen Priests Anno 1547. The repeale of statutes concerning Religion Sixe Articles Gardiner Bonner The Kings renowne The King put out the fires of persecution The King did cure the wound his Father made The Kings furtherance The orders of the Church â—stablishâ—d by the King The King most mercifull and compassionate In mercie men resemble God His care for poore Hospitalls by him erected The workes of mercie the best witnesses of holy Faith The King deserued his Stile Diuine Pollitique Morall Contraries iudge one another Note There must be faction Prouidence The reason of this opposition of good and euill Goodnesse not confounded but confirmed by the opposition of euill The way is good if the end be happy Truth Euill men and euill practise against the King Scotland The Marriage with Q. Mary of Scotland The importance of that Marriage King Iames our Soueraigne The King euer victor RebellioÌ„ moued by perswasion and not by any proper motioÌ„ The Papists The practise of rebâ—lâ—ious Iesuits and Priests The Duke of Somerset Protector His deserts The reforming of Religion diuided the kingdome into a faction The Dukes care to compound these differences The Duke slandered The variance between the Lord Protector the Barrons Honour and desert beget dangerous enuie The Dukes error in pollicie Post est occasio Calua Note This ouersight was his death The cause of this discord The Dukes improuideÌ„ce His euill gouernement of the State Ambition This opinion is all malice no truth The true cause was a practise of enuie A double enemie The nature of great and enuious spirits Vertue most subiect to enuie The tryall of law onâ—ly a colour to satisfie reports The Dukes extremitie of hard fortune The greatest are most subiect to the fall of Fortune Diuine Pollitique Morall Life is a sicknesse The contempt of life Holy men neuer feared the Image of death Holy death setteth open the gates of life The ChildreÌ„ of Grace The sonnes of nature The iudgement of sense can iudge miserie of mans life The antient Romanes and GreciaÌ„s Against the rule of Religion A notable demonstratioÌ„ Man hath more to afflict him than all other Creatures Because of sinne The cause of the many grieuances of mans life Sickenesse Sickenesse ordained to subdue the pride of our nature A double respect First the number of sicknesses Secondly the generality All men being subiect at all times to all infirmities Rich men The poore the rich are both alike â—fflicted with sicknesse Pouertie of life Pouertie hatefull to men The false opinion of the world The honourable and the vile man do oâ—cupiâ— on the others place Want dâ—iecteth the spirits of well deseruing men The griefe of noble spirits Pouertie to a good man is like the foyle to the Diamond The desperate effects of pouertie Mutability and change The continuall trouble of mans life The graue the resting place 〈…〉 Custome is another nature Men by their naturall motions moue to euill but to goodnesse by the mouing of Grace That Roman Conquerour The Duke of Somerset A custome among the antient Romanes Variable fortune maketh men miserable Discontent Minde Discontent a dangerous disease The danger in discontenting great spirits All men haue at some times their discontents Holy men haue bene discontented Griefe is a greater torment then sickenesse The greatnesse of Discontent Death Death an enemie against whom there is no resistance Death doth controule the prosperities of our life Death is not a misery to all men Death maketh holy men immortall Good men hope for death and bad men feare it Death and the graue make all things equall No man hath pleasures but with limitation To good men there is no miserie How to vse the pleasures of this life Who are happie No man can know any part of Gods secrets vnles God reueals them God not contrarie but aboue reason The cause of false constructions In diuine matters Christians must belieue when they cannot iudge The vse that God can make of all our actions K. Edward The wonderfull effects of Gods prouidence The blood of the Martyrs was the seed of the Gospell The deaths of a few was the life of many God is mercifull in his iudgements The Kings death Great occasions of trouble in the kingdome The nobility commâ—ns disagree in the choice of their Prince King Edward euill counselled Northumberland Suffolke the cause of this great iniurie Reasons why the King did it not of his owne motion but by perswasion A doubtfull question resolued Good ends cannot be compassed by euill meanes God is the Father of truth What good men must do Diuine Pollitique Morall Iosias of Iuda and Edward of England Their age when they began their Reigne Both of these Kings conspiring one holy end Both their Kingdomes were corrupted with idolatrie Both of them yeeld their obedâ—ence to holy perswasion effect their purpose Both these
would appeare most glorious Sixthly Againe the variable change of mans life whereby he is violently carried to many disagreeing ends sometime to the better sometime to the worse according to the seuerall power of occasions insomuch as in this respect a man is like a vessell at Sea driuen with many contrarie windes too and fro alwaies in the extremities of storme and wearie passage neither can any man ariue his peacefull port before death bring him to his graue his life being nothing but a breath of contrarie windes bearing him to indure the misery of many hard and variable fortunes And this euill is most sensible to those vnto whom Fortune hath bene most gratious who enioying the pleasures of life with full appetite and by the change of fortune forced to change that state wherin they thought themselues most happie For then is aduersity in full strength being in him whose former life hath bene most prosperous for the common induring of bitternes and misery dulleth the edge thereof and maketh it by much lesse sensible to him whome Custome hath made familiar with griefe neither are mens natures so inclineable to the good as to the bad alteration it being generall in all men to moue themselues to their owne destruction the motion to perfection not being our owne but the worke of Grace which onely hath the glorie of euery good worke Seuenthly It were needlesse to giue particular instance of this mutability of fortune euery particular man hauing instance in himselfe to witnesse it and for those of extraordinary glory and greatnesse we may remember that Romane Conquerour who passing the streets of Rome in the glorie of his Triumph had his braines beaten forth with a Tyle which by casualty fell vpon him or that of better memorie the Duke of Somerset the occasion of this discourse who from the highest degree of a Subiect fell into the ignominie of Treason and vntimely timely death And therefore the antient Romanes vnderstanding â—he miserie of variable fortune ordained that when any of their worthy Captaines should ride in triumph a slaue should ride with him in his triumphall Chariot holding fast with his slauish hand the lawrell Crowne vpon the Conquerours head who then did triumph both to moderate the vaine glory of the Conquerour and also to remember him to what condition he himselfe was subiect and therefore in respect of mutability of fortune is mans life most miserable no man being able to secure himselfe in any reasonable condition of life Eighthly But that which of all other is most burdensome is Discontent the disease of the soule and that which of all other infirmities is most dangerous and hard to cure especially in spirits of best apprehension and in them who haue aspired the reputation of high place For the spirits of great men are not moued to impatience without dangerous euents because their anger maketh them willing and their greatnes maketh them able to reuenge And therfore such men are neuer discoÌ„ntent but it prouoketh either their owne or other mens destruction neither is this euill tied to particular men onely but like a generall Plague it spreads it selfe ouer all degrees of men though not in like vehemencie For the best and the worst the basest and the most noble haue at some time their discontents whereby they are offended in themselues and wish to die and that which is more admirable those men renowned for holinesse of life haue had this loathing to liue and desired to die as Iob Elias and many other holy men which may well conclude the misery of a discontented minde and how insupportable it is in his extremity for as the soule exceedeth the body in the excellencie of their Natures So the grieuances of the soule are much more sensible to our faculties then those of our bodies because griefe is properly belonging to the soule and to the body onely by consequence or participation And if I were to define the greatest miserie on earth next to that of hell sin and damnation I should call it discontent in his extremitie because next the sorrow of sinne the liuing part of man his soule hath not any thing of like torment and affliction and as all other miseries are the seed from whence doth proceed this Monster Discontent So from discontent can be expected no better then destruction and death Ninthly The last misery of our life is Death the which at one stroake doth reuenge all the euill of mans life and this howsoeuer in it selfe it be not euill yet in mens generall vnderstanding it is thought the worst of all euills and the most fearefull of all other miseries And therefore the very name of death hath oftentimes stroake astonishment and terror in the hearts of tyrants and euill men knowing that death was an enemy against whom there was no resistaÌ„ce hauing preuailed against them of the first age though they liued many hundreds of yeares For if the honours and pleasures of this life were infinite and the enioyers of them eternall then were not the life of man so miserable a condition but hauing death to controule the most glorious among men and to depriue them of their prosperity and honours in this respect the best of mans life is no better then misery and griefe because he foreseeth the end of all his prosperity the remembrance of death sowring the greatest part of the pleasures of life euerie man hauing griefe to loose that wherein he so much delighteth Tenthly Yet Death though his power be geuerall ouer all flesh is not therefore a misery to all men but to many an end most happie and desired For though it be a curse for sin to be mortall die yet is Death most happie to them that die well God by the death of his Sonne hauing reconsiled himselfe to his seruant Man which by no other meanes could be made immortall But this condition of happinesse is not in the Nature of Man but in the fauour and grace of God And therfore is death that which good men hope and bad men feare the poore mans comfort and the rich mans terror and that which maketh the King and the Subiect the rich and the poore equall making of euery mans flesh but earth and putrifaction And therefore the life of man euen from the wombe to the Graue is nothing but misery and vexation of Sipirit no naturall man hauing the pleasures thereof but with such limitation as maketh pleasure it selfe burdensome Eleuenthly The holy and good men of the world not otherwise regarding life then as a time wherein to exercise their Christian offices and to such there is no miserie neither in life nor death happie are such to whom God shall giue Grace to dispise the vaine glorie of earth and that vse the creatures of God with christian moderation not
Discontent CHAP. XXI OF REBELLION FIRST It is not in my purpose to reckon vp the seuerall opinions of men in this argument neither to discourse at large herein but onely to report my owne Iudgement and that which I think is answerable in this question to Religion and holy reason For if this controuersie were disputed according to the Pollitique practise of time and not by the rules of Religion and reformed iudgement it would be then verie controuersall and require large circumstance because the Matchiuells of these times diuersly disagree in their seuerall iudgements but if men desire onely to satisfie conscience to such men the testimonie of God is sufficient which ought to square the practises of all degrees of Christian men and to determine all controuersies be they neuer so important But this tryall hath not alwaies authority in gouernement meerely pollitique for Religion and Pollicie are two diuers or rather in full opposition and that many times in the practise of State is commendable which in the iudgement of Religion is most damnable because they conspire not one but disagreeing ends neither can the quarrell of these two be euer reconciled but onely by these conditions that Piety may command Pollicie and that such Pollicie may bee onely in Christian States allowable as may be seruant to the worke of holinesse and iudged lawfull by the sentence of true Religion And if these respects had regard in Christian States then should not Christendome haue had that dishonourable imputation to bee reputed of the barbarous Nations vnfaithfull and full of dishonourable practise wherein the Popes haue especially abused the Christian Faith who vnder the outward face of holinesse haue contriued and effected Conspiracies and Treasons of most horrible report and such as neuer were the like by men or diuells inuented Secondly And these euill Ministers doe arrogate to themselues authority which they would deriue from God not onely to license Rebellion in a Christian State but also to command it vpon paine of damnation a power which neuer any Christian Prince durst challenge and a pollicie whereby they haue principally inriched themselues with wealth and dignities taken at the spoyle of Christian Princes and wherewith he doth yet vnderprop the falling state of his Empire And this how vnequall it is with Gods Word may appeare to any iudgement there being no example in the Storie of the Bible for his imitation where any Priest did euer challenge any such soueraigne authority Thirdly And in respect of State practise there was neuer any thing more dishonourable then for Princes and free States to enter voluntary into a seruitude so base slauish taking their honours from their owne heads to dignifie their mortall enemy and to feed his ambition which like Hell cannot be satisfied who hath euer fed vpon the bowels of their wealth and on the blood of Saints and doth glorifie himself in the spoile of Christian Princes and thus will doe vntill God shall please to destroy him with the breath of his displeasure Fourthly The example of K. Dauid may suffice to conclude against this doctrine who notwithstanding he had Gods promise to inherit the kingdome of Israel being by the Prophet anointed by which God did crown him King and knowing moreouer that God had forsaken his master Saul hauing taken his good Spirit from him whereby he was Anathemate and interdict by the sentence of God himselfe yet did not Dauid for all this conspire against his master Saul but onely sought to secure his life by withdrawing him from the kings presence who hee assuredly knew did seeke after his life And when opportunity was offered him so fit as that he at one stroake might both haue reuenged the iniuries of his greatest Enemy and vpon such an Enemy as stood betweene him and a Kingdome yet would he not destroy him being vrged thereto by the earnest perswasion of his follower but withstood both them and opportunity induring the trouble of his Conscience for presuming to cut off not his Masters head but the lap of his garment only Fiftly Another time Saul pursuing after Dauid to destroy him was found by Dauid and Abishai sleeping with his speare at his head as if occasion should haue led Dauid to an opportunity most fit and thus haue perswaded him See here is thy enemy sleeping and here is a weapon to destroy him which aduantage when Abishai would most gladly haue imbraced he was disswaded by Dauid with this answere Destroy him not for who can lay his hand vpon the Lords Anointed and be guiltlesse whereby hee concludeth it to be impossible for any man whosoeuer to conspire the death or dammage of his soueraigne with the testimonie of good conscience And this opinion of King Dauids is aduerse to the practise of the Romane State which hath often laid their hands of blood and death vpon the Lords annointed neither haue they euer done as Dauid did denie the offer of fit occasion to reuenge wherein they are answerable to their Italian prouerbe If thy enemie be vp to his knees in water reach him thy hand to helpe him But if hee stand vp to the Chinne set thy foot vpon him to destroy him Sixthly Now if King Dauids example and authority will not serue because he was but Man I will then produce his witnesse who was both God and Man the Lord Iesus who commanded the Iewes to giue obedience to Caesar in all those duties which respect Soueraignty though Caesar did not acknowledge the Iewish Religion but rather did persecute that profession Neither did he perswade rebellion against the Romane state though in his diuine wisedome he did foresee that the Kingdome of the Iewes which he so much loued should be vtterly wasted by the power of the Romanes whereby hee would teach vs that as by God onely Kings do Reigne so by him onely are they both supported and as he shall onely please are they displanted and deposed from their dignities Seuenthly It is euident then by the testimonie of them who are most holy and absolute that no earthly man by the authority of his place hath or can giue license to conspire against any Soueraigne power whatsoeuer and the reason is because there is no power but from God and the powers that be are ordained of God and therefore to resist that power is to withstand God and his ordinance and to condemne the forme of Gods gouernement And such are all they who goe about to translate authority where God hath not giuen it and to throw downe and depose them whom God hath established and such are all they who either plot or practise Rebellion Conspiracie or Treason or that can giue allowance thereto Traitors they be to God Traitors to their Prince Traitors to their Countrie and to themselues Traitors whom God will withstand as Traitors and iudge as
dutifull obedience not reaching to the life of any of the Queenes Subiects for their opinion of Religion onely insomuch as the most resolute Papist were he assured in the dutie of his allegiance and not guiltie of any treasonable practise was not vrged by torture or extremities to abiure his opinion and Faith of Religion but might continue himselfe in safety vnder the assured protection of the Q. her mercifull lawes it being the purpose of the Q. and state to reclaime the disobedience of her subiects in respect of Religion by faire and not by forcible meanes and to effect that by the gratious meanes of mercy which the Pope others lesse merciful haue attempted by the violent meanes of Blood fire and Persecution Ninthly It is therefore mallice a verie slander to the Q. princely name that Gods enemies hers doe report her a persecutor of Gods Saints that her lawes were bloody tyrannous that many of that Religiō whom they call Saints haue in this kingdome suffered Martyrdome for the witnes of their conscience onely their being no one particular person I think in all the Q time that can truly be said thus to suffer death but either as actors or abettors of Treason the lawes hauing no authority to iudge them otherwise For though by the law they were rebellious and disobedient Subiects that would not cōforme themselues to the reformed Religion then established though by the Law they indured some easie punishment to make a difference betweene the dutifull vndutifull Subiects yet there was no Law so strict as to giue the sentence of death to any offending onely in Recusancie neither was there any law before this occasion of the Popes Bull to make any the professors of that Religion traytors vnlesse they were actors or abettors of conspiracie or treason in which cases the Protestants themselues were iudged with like seuerity Tenthly And vnles the prouidence of the state would haue slept and bene regardlesse of the Q. the state and state of Religion there could not haue bene lesse done thē was done for the security of al the purpose of the state being onely to preuent and not to reuenge the iniuries of the Pope and his adherents Eleuenthly It is wonder then the Papist should condemne that in our state for seuerity which in their own states is a mercie neuer practised for with them the least suspition to fauour or affect the Protestant Religion is persecuted with much seuerity let a man in other respects be neuer so deseruing or his place birth neuer so eminent if once he be conuict to be a Protestant it is assured death it is strange then they iudge vs persecutors when our iustice hath lesse seueritie then their mercy we but easily correcting that offence which they punish with death and they seuerely punishing that which we most easily pardon Twelfthly For how many with vs dare and doe fauour those dangerous instruments of state and how commonly dare men discouer their superstitious affections in common conference and often with earnest reasonings defending and damning according to their appetites whereas with them euery little circumstance is quarrelsome and presumptions many times are most seuerely punished 13. And this seuerity in them is assuredly verie considerable for their Pollitique State of Religion being one maine prop whereupon they repose their greatnesse for it is verie necessarie for them to vse all their forceable violence to suppresse that truth which in despight of violence like the palme will sprout and prosper vnder their grieuous oppressions And considering how the Protestant Religion notwithstanding their oppressing it hath spread it selfe into verie spatious limits they may well vnderstand how much more it should haue flourished if by their violent hinderances it had not bene letted in his prosperous growth But this bloody pollicie of theirs was not answerable to piety and holy reason for so could the wise Gamaliell teach them who withstood the bloody counsell of the Iewes who would haue persecuted the holy Apostles withall seueritie with this perswasion that if their cause were not good that then GOD would be enemie vnto it and so of it selfe it would fall and if it were good it would bee in vaine to resist it because GOD would support it against all resistance 14. The mercie of our English Lawes then in matters concerning Religion onely is an assured demonstration that our Prince our State and our Religion is mercifull and these demonstrations of mercie are no weake proofes that our Religion is most Catholike and Christian most Catholike because of conformity to the Primitiue Church and most Christian because the exercise of mercie is the best imitation of Christ himselfe the Lord and true patterne of the Catholike and true Christian beleeuer And therefore the Queene and the Parliament were both mercifull and prouident in concluding these statutes the which by no other cause but by the Papists themselues were occasioned 15. The purpose of the Statutes was this principally first to prohibit the bringing ouer of Bulls or interdictions from the Pope Secondly to restraine the Runnawaies and Trauellers beyond the Seas without license and to prohibit Iesuits and reconsiled Papists from returning into the Queenes Dominions vnlesse vpon their returne they would submit to such as by the State were authorized to that purpose Now how needfull it was for the Church and State of England to haue this prouidence for their security and peace I purpose in the next Chapter verie briefly to discouer Obseruations Diuine Pollitique Morall FIRST Such are onely and alwaies to be opposed as enemies to a Christian State as are so iudged by the sentence of Gods Word For seeing Christ who is the Word of his Father is our Generall in all spirituall conflicts we must onely and alwaies fight his battailes by his direction Secondly To restraine disorder and disobedience in subiects the State doth vsually resort to the wisedome of a Parliament for though the King by his Proclemations may command or restraine his Subiects he being that one particular in whose person the whole authority of the State consisteth yet doe Parliament Statutes the rather satisfie because they proceed both from the Kings authority and from the generall wisedome of the Kingdome Thirdly There is no man can liue in that indifferencie of fauour withall but that hee shall haue cause to make distinction of friend and enemie or if he be free from all enmity yet he shall finde difference in his friends and therefore he must distinguish them CHAP. XXVII Of what importance the Statutes in the 13. of the Queene were in respect of the Church and State FIRST In respect of the Church were they most important for the which they were principally enacted they did also much import the State because the prosperity of the Common-Wealth doth by a necessarie consequence