mighty Caesar take Of which I may thy tombe begin to make Your Highnes needs not these aduertisements the memorie whereof presage our lamentations though it shall bring you in present possession of perpetual glorification who liue and labour to passe off this worlds Kingly Theater with that approbation bene fidelis serue Well done faithfull seruant enter into thy Masters ioy Our hearty and humble prayers shall euer be powred foorth to the King of Kings from the bottome of our soules that your Highnesse may still reigne many happie yeares on earth in prosperous health Kingly honour and all happinesse and may oft renew and reuiue our hearts with these annuall ioyes and when the last period comes that God may make you as glorious a Saint in Heauen as you are a great gracious high and happy King on earth and leaue behinde you the succession of your loynes to sit vpon the Throne to the worlds end and all your faithfull seruants and subiects will ioyne with mee in this prayer and say Amen Amen Next to your Honors most graue and wise Senators the politicke Statists of the land who represent Romanos rerum dominos gentemque Togatam The most honourable Counsell to the royall head whom for fidelity I may compare to the heart of England to you by right of office place and charge this faithfull seruice principally appertaines to procure and pray for the Kings safety who is as it was said of Iudith the exaltation of Ierusalem the great glory of Israel the great reioycing of our Nation That hee may enioy many Alcion daies and reigne many golden yeares in safety and securitie Virg Aurea securi quis nescit saecula regis It is your noble taske carefully to consult in the preuention of publicke mischiefes and though wee may now say with Agamemnon Victor timere quid potest What need the Conqueror feare yet Cassandra will tell vs Quod non timet feare that you doe not feare feare procures precaution precaution preuention feare the plots and proiects of the sonnes of Anak the Popes Giants traiterous Iesuites of whom I may say as Ammianus Marcellinus writes of the Saracens Nec amici nobis vnquam nec hostes optandi si amici perfidi si hostes foedifragi VVee need not to wish them to be our friends or foes if friends they will proue treacherous if foes perfidious Circumspect precaution is the life of pollicy for stultum est cum sit is fauces tenet puteū fodere for that is like the Phrygians sero sapere to be wise too late But why doe I like an vnexpert Phormio dispute of warres in Hannibals presence you are the Nestors of this kingdome wise as Serpents but innocent as Doues be careful to take the Foxes which would destroy our Vine Faber cadit cum ferias fullonem neyther state nor statute free till the Realme be freed of them being like Nouatus whom S. Cyprian describes in these colours Saepe blandus vt fallat aliquādo saevus vt terreat semper curiosus vt prodat nunquam fidelis vt diligat Alwaies flattering to deceiue sometimes cruell to terrifie alwaies curious and cunning to betray neuer faithfull to loue But your Honours know best how to preuent the mischiefes of such miscreants who desire the ruine of King and Country for you can best tell how to doe it Propert lib. 2. Nauita de ventis de tauris narret arator enumeret miles vulnera pastor oues I will not meddle with your high affaires rather follow mine owne duety fall to prayers for you that God may euer be present and president at your Counsels giuing you the spirit of counsell and of courage wisely to foresee and happily to preuent all misfortunes and miseries intended against our King and Country and that our Iudah and Israel may dwell without feare euery man vnder his vine and figtree from Dan euen to Beersheba al the daies of our Salomon That God would still multiply these happy yeares and grant that our high and princely Cedar with all the faire goodly branches may long flourish in this land and that all his subiects high and low may safelie shelter vnder the shadow of his gracious gouernment blessing your Honors the very supporters of the state the pillars of the land with grace and wisedome from aboue to prosper your Counsels and euer direct you to consult for the glory of God the good of the King the comfort and welfare of Church and Common-weale To you also the bright stars of Court blest with the dailie beames and influences of the Regall Sunne who like orient Pearles serue to adorue the golden Diadem to you I may fitly tender these present meditations who no doubt dailie doe meditate vpon this Theame to say and pray God saue the King You faire flowers of honor who flourish in the courtly Canaan a place which flowes with plenty and pleasure the very garden of delight where the Bee gathers hony and the spider poyson where you may reape all earthly pleasures which are like Ionas Gourd content a while but not continue your eies behold the subiect of our prayers the ornament of our land Nay I may say with the Poet Hor. lib. 4. od 14. od 2. O quâ Sol habitabiles Illustrat oras maxime Principum Quo nil maius meliusue terris Fata denavere bonique diui Nec dabunt quamuis redeant in aurum Tempora priscum Vpon no shoares the Sunne doth shine Blest with a King more diuine The fire of your feruent prayers for the welfare of the King should perpetually flame at the high Altar of deepe deuotion being graced with all kingly fauours and aduanced with honour and rewards if you should proue disloyall or vndutifull to the King hee might rightly vse the Prouerbe Mercedes locat in pertusum sacculum Put his rewards in a broken bagge and might iustly frowne on you and his wrath like the roaring of a Lion and euen strike you dead with a Quos ego If you desire the Kings fauour which is the way to honor be faithfull and loyall This raised Mordecai to ride on the Kings horse in royall apparell a Crowne of gold on his head c. and to be eternized with the eternall Crowne of truth It raised Ioseph to ride in the second Chariot of Egypt Daniel to be clothed in purple and a chaine of gold about his necke Look vpon King Dauids gratuitie for Barzillays loyalty who commanded Salomon on his death bed to let the sons of Barzillai to eate at his table This is the onely way to winne the Kings fauour which if you lose you are but falling starres your Fame obscured your Names contemned Macro salutes Seianus no longer then he is in Tiberius fauour Actum est ilicet peristi But your faithfull seruice to your Soueraigne will be commendable to God and men seruing in soule the King of
and fidelity will animate vs like that Romaine Marius who being accused by the Senate of Treason in a passion teares his garments and in sight of them all shewes them his wounds receiued in the seruice and defence of his Countrey saying Quid opus est verbis vbi vulnera clamant What need of words our wounds declare our blood was shed for your welfare Faithfull seruice is laudable before men and acceptable before God it may be by the wicked sometimes blamed but it cannot be shamed though it be not alwayes rewarded on earth it shall be sure to find rewards in Heauen as they once complained Penes caeteros imperij praemia penes ipsos seruitij necessitas that others found the sweet preferment and they had horse and heauy burthen for their seruice yet vertue is a reward to it selfe bonorum laborum gloriosus fructus the seruice of the righteous is accepted and the remembrance thereof shall neuer be forgotten Ipsa quidem virtus sibimet pulc herrima merces And this seruice due to our King and Country if neede require must reach vsque ad aras prodigall of labor limbe or life to defend both the safetie of both eyther King or Country is so inseparable that the seruice done to eyther is alwaies commendable and honourable VVee haue famous presidents in this kinde to presse vs to performe the vtmost of our seruice in loue to our Country in duety to our King the 3 Decij Zophirus Cn Scipio â—uluius Nassus c. all offered to sacrifice their liues in loue for their Countrie Dulce decorum est pro patria mori The story is most famous of Quintus Curtius a noble Romane who hearing by the Oracle that the safety of the city of Rome consisted onely in the sacrifice of one of her best affected children valiantly and voluntarily leaped into that deuouring gulfe and so preserued the Citie Hor. ad Flor. Hoc opus hoc studium parui properemus ampli Si patriae volumus si nobis viuere chari A spectacle of loue and loyalty a sacrifice of high obedience that is presented vpon the wings of death I will not â—…y worthy of imitation because like vnto selfe sacrifiing of Cleombrotus they were Martyrs stultae Philosophiae Martyrs of their fond Philosophy yet notwithstanding worthy to stirre vp great affection for Subiects to loue as truely their King and country and the King and Country to loue such Subiects that for them aduenture their liues Naturally euery one loues his Country Nemo patriam diligit quia magna est sed quia sua est saith Seneca No man loues his Country because it is great but because it is his owne Ouid Nescio quâ natale solum dulcedine cunctos ducit immemores non sinit esse sui The Persians did beare such loue to their Country that they must sweare by the Sunne rising neuer to become Iewes Grecians Romans Egyptians but euer to remain Persians They counted no fault more foule then to be a foe to his owne Country It was an excellent saying of Aulus Fuluius who finding his sonne in the conspiracy of Catiline tells him Ego non te Catilinae genui sed Patriae I did beget thee not for Catiline but for thy Country They that are Traytors to their King and Country may fitly be compared to Vipers The Vipers are conceiued as Pliny writes by biting off the Males head and borne by eating through their Mothers belly So they would Decapitare Caput destroy the King their head and lacerare matrem teare the bowels of their mother their natiue Countrey Our English Fugitiues are the spawnes of these Vipers Parsons Saunders c. who because they could not eate through her bowels and belly with their teeth in reuenge raile at her with their tongues to whom I cannot giue a fitter answer then that which the Spanish Verdugo gaue to Sir William Stanley railing against this his natiue Country saying Though you haue offended your Countrey yet your Countrie neuer offended you These Iesuited fugitiues who at Rhemes or Rome doe now Caluo seruire Neroni vnnaturally forsake their King Country Kindred and deuote their liues labours to giue all homage to the chayre of Rome and though they colour their treasonable plots and proiects of confusion vnder pretence of conuersion yet bloudy is that faith that Cain-like will kill their natiue brothers and Nero-like rip vp their dearest Mother Conuersio animae praetenditur subuersio regis reip Ecclesiae intenditur They pretend religion but they intend rebellion and desolation But to leaue these Vipers of whom I may say as the Souldiers at the death of the sonne of Maximus Non debet seruari vnus Catulus Not any of their young ones worthy to be kept vp for store let vs in an example or two behold the deepe affection of Kings loues vnto their Subiects The story is common of King Codrus the Athenians King who being assaulted and assailed by enemies receiued this Oracle That his army should preuaile if he would suffer himselfe to be slaine of his enemies which newes when it came to the eares of his aduersaries they made an edict Nemo tangat Codrum None might touch Codrus Codrus then changed his habit see the fire of loue he went to his enemies thus disguised marke the flame there was he slaine looke vpon the ashes the vrne of Codrus what doe they say but Hor. Quo nos cunque feret melior fortuna parentes ibimus ô socij comitesque So King Leonides sacrificeth his dearest bloud at Thermopilas fighting valiantly in defence of his Country and kingdome Cic. 1 Tusc Dic hospes Spartae nos te hic vidisse iacentes dum sanctis patriae legibus obsequimur In a worde I neuer read of any King vnlesse such as Nero and Caligula that did not wish well to his owne Country and kingdome For Principis est consulere omnibus prospicere saluti patriae saith Cicero It is the office of a King to take care and counsell for the welfare of his people Princeps suorum subditoruÌ„ velut sui ipsius corporis membrorum curam gerit saith Agapetus A Prince takes care of all his Subiects euen as the members of his owne bodie And so Alfonsus a King had his symboll a Type of his true loue a Pellican with her bill pricking her brest feeding her young with her bloud with this inscription pro lege pro grege declaring Emblematically That Kings with continuall cares wast their liues to prouide for their peoples welfares For good Kings will say with Hadrianus Caesar Sic se gesturum principatum vt sciant rem populi esse non suam They will so gouerne that all men may see they aime more at the publicke good then any priuate gaine It is their office to protect their people prouide for the welfare of the common-wealth maintaine good Lawes execute
Natious accept and approue Ius pendendi vectigalia apud omnes gentes fuit semper receptissimum saith the same Hiperius The Law and right of paying Tribute among all Nations hath euer beene accustomed for how could Kings maintaine their States defend their Countries reward their faithfull seruants vndergoe so manifold expences which belong to a regall reckoning vnlesse their Subiects with Tributes Taxes and Subsidies helpe to sustaine the common charge And therefore Caluin writes well that Tributes and Taxes are the lawfull reuenewes of Princes which serue to maintaine their royalty and the Common-wealths tranquility Tributa necessaria sunt reip sine eis nec quies nec arma haberi possunt saith Tacitus Tributes are so necessary for the Common-wealth that neither peace nor warre nor weapons can be without them for warre cannot be maintained without men nor men without money which is Neruus belli The sinew of warre Tributis vectigalibus nulla resp aut imperium nedum magnum carere potest saith the same Tacitus No Countrey or Kingdome be it neuer so great can lacke the payment of Tributes c. In regnis bene constitutis certum constitutum est Tributum saith Herodotus In wel gouerned Kingdomes there is certaine Tribute to be paid Augustus Caesar taxed all the World that is all the Regions and Prouinces then subiect to the Romaines as the learned interpret it and this was as Caluin notes Annuum Tributum sed non quotannis fiebat descriptio A yeerly Tribute though not euery yeere put in wrighting And the Iewes though at first they did aegre ferre mentionem discriptionis Hardly away with this yeerely taxing Non tamen reluctatos esse pertinaciter as Iosephus writes They did not obstinately resist it but by the perswasion of their High Priest they suffered themselues to be taxed Salomon could not haue beene so rich if his people had not payed him Tribute but the weight of gold they brought to Salomon in one yeere was sixe hundreth threescore and sixe Talents of Gold This duty of paying Tribute Subsidies and Taxes c by the subiects to the Soueraigne is by the law of God and lawes of men and common customes of most Nations commanded and approued and that for foure principall causes First to maintaine that royall estate which God hath giuen to Kings the glorious patternes of Kings magnificence may be fully seene in royall Salomon Looke but vpon his Throne 2 Chro. 9. 17 and you may iudge of all the rest of his royalty Secondly To defend the Common-wealth both in peace and in warre which requires a great Treasury A great Bird had need of a great neast That High Head which cares for all the politicke body and night and day studies to preserue their welfare must participate of their wealth without which the publike peace and security cannot be effected for it is Status insolidus qui earet solidis Thirdly To contestate and acknowledge their homage and subiection to their Soueraigne for Tributum dare est imperatori subiici signum seruitutis say the Canonists nonists to pay Tribute is to be subiect to the Emperour and a signe of seruitude confessing all duty and loyalty to be due to their annointed Soueraigne who hath power to command them their goods lands liues for the seruice of the Kings and Countries preseruation Looke vpon the Israelites when King Saul was dead comming to elect and annoynt Dauid in Hebron to be King ouer Israel Behold we are thy bones and thy flesh meaning as I take it that their liues and all were at his seruice and commandement for Tribute is not onely of money but Sudor sanguis populi The sweat and blood of the people if such need require to defend their King and Countrey is a Tribute due from them willing and ready to aduenture their liues and limbes to giue repulse and resistance to forraine or domesticall violence Fourthly To testifie their gratefull affections to their gracious Princes in thankefulnesse for the great benefits by their prudent prouident and politicke gouernement reaped and receiued So Dauid in lamenting Sauls death remembers the benefits his subiects receiued by him in his life time Ye Daughters of Israel weepe for Saul which cloathed you in scarlet with pleasures and hanged ornaments of gold vpon your apparell So Ieremy of the good King Iosiah lamenting his death The breath of our nostrels the Annoynted of the Lord was taken in their nets of whom we said Vnder his shadow we shall be preserued among the Heathen A good King brings many blessings benefits vnto his people and therefore when such as are in authority be righteous the people reioyce saith Salomon A King by iudgement maintaines the countrey By a man of vnderstanding and knowledge a Realme endureth long saith the same Salomon yea as wise Plato well said Beatas fore resp cum aut Philosophentur reges aut regnent Philosophi When as Kings were Philosophers or Philosophers Kings then such Common-wealths should be happy And indeed all earthly happinesse which is deriued to the members proceeds from the Head next vnder God the primary Author of all good things by whose direction discretion circumspection care counsell and continuall vigilancy they are preserued in peace and prosper in plenty for there are sixe externall earthly helpes necessary for the temporall prosperity of any Kingdome 1. A King to rule 2. A Law to iudge 3. Pollicy to guide 4. People to inhabite 5. Power to defend 6 Riches to maintaine it and which is the Alpha and Omega of all and aboue all and before all the Lord and King of all to prosper and preserue all without whose protection these must come to ruine all Except the Lord keepe the City the keeper watcheth but in vaine Except the Lord gouerne and guide the shippe of State it runnes vpon the rocke Therefore Prince and people ought duly to say with the Psalmist Thou art our King O God send helpe vnto Iacob Through thee haue wee thrust backe our enemies through thee haue wee trodden downe them that rose vp against vs c. Rise vp for our succour and redeeme vs for thy mercies sake Well Tributes Subsidies Taxes c are a good meanes to help to support the state of Kingdomes and as they bee the publike Tribute of the Common-wealths so should they bee imployed about the publike tranquility Let no Theudas herein deceiue you or any Iudas of Galile who in the dayes of the Tribute drew away much people as Gamaliel speakes delude you for he perished and all that obeyed him Si quis putat non esse vectigal soluendum aut tributum aut honorem exhibendum in magno errore labitur saith Austen If any one thinke Imposts Tribute and honour ought not to be paid to them he falles into a great errour Iure debemus nisi facimus
all the World and that the Emperour holds his Empire of the Church of Rome and may be called the Popes Vicar or Officiall as Iacobatius Writes Agreeable to the doctrine and propositions of Bellarmine that Kings are subiects to Popes and haue degraded Emperors and thereupon they challenge both swords and striue to free themselues and Dragon-like with their taile would draw the third part of the starres from all obedience and allegiance from the Kings of the earth denying all suites and seruice tributes trials or secular punishments to be inflicted vpon them exempting all their Cleargy from temporall subiection Contrary to the Precepts and practise of the Priests and Prophets of the Law and Christ and his Apostles in the Gospell yea contrary to the practise of the purer times euen in the Church of Rome when as their Bishops acknowleged their seruice and fealty to Caesars and paied them tribute Episcopi dederunt tributa potestatiregiae non resistentes c. saith Eusebius The Bishops paid their Tributes not resisting regall power yea let their Pope Vrban speake tribute was found in the mouth of a fish Peter fishing Ecclesia tributum reddidit then the Church paid Tribute yea Tributarium nummum debetis dare quo vos indicatis obedientiam vestram You ought to pay tribute mony by which you ought to declare your obedience But peraduenture they will alledge King Artaxerxes commission giuen to Esdras in which it pleased the King to command that no Tribute or taxe of the Priests Leuites holy Singers Porters Ministers of the Temple or workemen of the Temple should be taken or any had power to taxe them in any thing the answere is easie First this immunity proceeded ex mera gratia beneplacito from the meere fauour and pleasure of the King the better to incourage them in their worke at Ierusalem Secondly they possessed no lands but liued by oblations and sacrifices being herein like the Druides among the Frenchmen who payed no Tribute as Caesar writes the reason was because they had nothing and where nothing is the King loses his right Thirdly a particular fauour or example makes not a generall law Indeed Iustinian the Emperor hath granted to the Cleargy speciall priuiledges and freed them from military or martiall imployments personall officers and from many exactions but all this proceeds ex beneplacito out of an Emperiall fauour and royall grace which all vertuous Kings beare vnto Gods Ministers non ex praecepto or praxi for practise Christ himselfe payed Tribute for himselfe and Peter and by precept Giue vnto Caesar that which is Caesars telling his Disciples The Lords of the Gentils had dominion ouer them And S. Paul commands euery soule to be subiect to the higher Powers to pay Tribute and to giue Tribute to whom they owe Tribute To them therefore that challenge immunity from the performance of these publicke debts of tributarie duties to their Liege Lords and Kings I may say to them as Dioclesian to the Philosopher Thy profession differs from thy petition thy profession teaches thee to giue Caesar his due and not to rob him of his right Bishop Latimer calls such theeues that rob the King of his due debt Subsidies Tributes or Taxes Rather imitate that Ambrose the famous Bishop of Millan who teacheth thee a better lesson Si tributum petit Imperator non negamus agri Ecclesiae soluant tributum si agros desiderat Imperator potestatem habet vendicandorum tollat eos si libitum est Imperatori non dono sed non nego If the Emperor demand Tribute we doe not denie it your fields of our Church shall pay tribute If the Emperor demand the fields he hath power to challenge them let him take them I neither giue them nor denie them in no case arguing obedience in ordinary or extraordinary exactions agreeing fully with Luther If thy substance bodie or life should be taken from thee by the Magistrate thou maist say thus I doe willingly yeeld them vnto you and acknowledge you for ruler ouer me I will obey you but whether you vse your power and authority well or ill see you to that For Kings must one day giue account of all their workes to the King of Kings and if they haue abused their power by Tyrannie crueltie or any bad gouernment an hard iudgement shall such haue that beare such rule for then abides the sorer triall as the Sonne of wisedome speakes The power is from God the abuse of it from themselues and they will finde it when God and it cals them to reckon The chaine of gould is not made the worse because an harlot weares it about her necke it is Luthers comparison in this case so still Kings must be obeyed for conscience sake if not commanding contrary to Gods commandements Let vs in these follow the steppes of faithfull Fabricius of whose fidelity Pyrrhus boldly speakes Difficilius Fabricius a legalitate quam sol a suo cursu vertipossit Let the Sunne first turne from her course then we from the course of loyall obedience and allegiance alwaies remembring that Christian saying of the Martyr Ignatius No man euer liued vnpunished which lifted vp himselfe against his betters superiours his Princes disobedience brings infamie disgrace death yea hatred after death that the sorrowfull Sonne may say of his treacherous sire Ye haue troubled me and made me stinke among the inhabitants of the land as Iacob said of Simeon and Leui. Let vs alwaies from the bottome of our heartsâ— pray for the Kings safety corporally for his saluation spiritually and preseruation politically Let vs obey him because hee is the Lords annointed appointed by God to be his vicegerent representing the person on earth of the King of Kings in heauen Let vs honor him not with lips onely but with hearts truelie because he is the Father of our Countrie the constant Defender of the Faith and so worthy of double honour Let vs be ready to performe at his command our best seruice being his natiue and naturall Subiects born and bound by Allegiance to all Christian dueties of subiection Let vs be willing to pay Tribute a publike purse must helpe the publicke peace Multorum manibus grande leuatur onus Yet let vs pay him his duty Tribute to him for we owe him Tribute Custome to him for we owe him Custome Feare Honor Obedience Seruice and all other loyall seruices and performances of duties belonging to good subiects in their seuerall degrees and places humbly to tender them and render them vnto our gracious and high Soueragine Lord the King whose Sword Crowne Scepter Throne and Person iustly requires all these duties the Sword exacts obedience Crowne commands honor Scepter seruice Throne tribute and Person prayer alwaies powring forth to God this prayer and petition God saue the King Corporally Spiritually Politically CHAP. IX First Corporally
AND if euer Praiers needfull in this kinde now is the time Nolite tangere abhorred of Heathens is now applauded and defended of false Christians Religion and superstition now comes forth with her knife ready to cut Kings throats it beeing the generall rule of them Occide haereticum Kill an hereticke make away with him giue him an Italian posset poyson him though it be in the Sacrament as Henry the seuenth Emperour poysoned in Sacramentall bread Victor the third Pope in the Sacramentall cup and yet they say that Christs bloud is really in the wine how then comes that poyson of death mixed with that sacred substance of life The Patrons and Proctors to plead for King-killers I meane the Iesuites with their adherents make this for a conclusion That any priuate man may be an executioner of a King excommunicated and deposed by the Pope and Caesar Baronius alledges commends out of Iuo a breue of Pope Vrban the second wherein it is pronounced that they are no homicides who kill such as are excommunicate for wee doe not iudge them to bee murtherers who burning with the zeale of their Catholike mother against such as are excommunicate happen to haue killed any of them And so Suarez the Iesuite in his last booke against our King writes After sentence condemnatory is giuen of the King c. then hee that hath pronounced the sentence or he to whom it is committed may depriue the King of his kingdome euen by killing him if hee cannot doe it otherwise and the very Cannibals are not more thirsty of bloud then these false Catholickes commending commanding murther the murther of Gods Anointed Kings which any heart not stupified with Atheisme or reprobate sence would tremble at it and appropriate the doing of that deed onely to Papists for so Suarez saith If his lawfull successor be a Catholike and so that hee be a Catholike that succeedes in the right challenging the right of committing so execrable villany to appertaine to none but onely to Romish Catholikes disdaining that any should haue an hand in so horrible and hellish mischiefes against the King but onely a friend and follower of the Popes religion true-borne children of their bloudy Mother the whore of Babilon the mother of murder drunken with the bloud of Saints and with the bloud of the Martyrs of Christ Iesus If the Pope cries against any King with the Citizens in that parable Nolumus hunc regnare Wee will not haue this man to reigne presently pollicie villany mischiefe and murder fraud and deceit all shall conspire to accomplish the Popes desire If poyson and policie faile power shall â—reuaile like to him when intreaty could not moue laid his hand on his sword saying At hic faciet but this shall doe it if Mercurie be too weake Mars shall second him then leaue Apolloes harpe and take Hercules club both pens and pikes heads hearts and hands are too nimble to hurt Kings Sanguiuolenta est mens Sanguinolenta manus A bloudy heart must haue a bloudy hand How many Princes of Christendome hath that Sea of Rome swallowed and deuoured A Sea indeede nay a red Sea of bloud or Mare mortuum wherein that Leuiathan makes his Sea as the Lord tells Iob like a potte of oyntment Sed mors in illa ella Death is in the pot Out of this Sea creepe those Crocodiles I meane Iesuites Seminaries and men vsually troubled with the Kings euill Treason These Romish rats creepe into regall Pallaces at last take and taske their owne bane like the spirits of Deuils of whom S. Iohn worke myracles to goe vnto the Kings of the earth and those whom they cannot draw by their collusion they would deuoure by effusion I may say of them as Polymnestor speakes in the Tragedie of Hecuba Hastifera armata equestris Marti obnoxiagens They are well weaponed people dagges and daggers charmes poysons powder all tragicall and traiterous engines and instruments they haue to touch Gods Anointed the Kings of the earth corporally In olde time scarce any treason without a Priest in our time scarce any without a Iesuite As Iudas was the antesignanus of traytors chiefe Captain of the cursed crue so since him the false stiled Iesuits but the true Iudaites are the cheefe Shibas to blow aloud the trumpet of rebellion And there was a wicked man named Sheba the sonne of Bicri a man of Iemini and hee blew the Trumpet and said We haue no part in Dauid nor inheritance in the sonne of Ishai Euery man to his tents O Israel 2 Sam. 20. 1. And there are many of Israel that follow these Shebas but the men of Iudah claue fast vnto their King from Iordan euen to Ierusalem All good subiects will cleaue with the men of Iudah faithfully to their King and will goe with Ioab to pursue these Shebas vntill their heads be cut off and throwne to them ouer the wall These Shebas make Kings the markes of their murther saying with treacherous Achitophel I will smite the King onely or with the King of Aram Fight neyther against small or great saue onely against the King of Israel Feriunt summos fulmina montes The highest mountaines most exposed to Thunders And to perpetrate such crying and capitall murders they will hazard the perill of their liues and losse of their soules and but that the Lord hath giuen his Angels a charge ouer his Anointed to keepe them in all his waies the attempts of such desperate miscreants were deadly dangerous for as Seneca Vitae tuae dominus est quisquis suam contempsit He is Master of thy life who contemnes his owne Cato when hee had got a sword though therewith to kill himselfe cried out Now am I my owne man So these desperate villaines who runne with desire to their owne deaths are their owne men to act murder but God doth bring to nought their desires and deuices and raiseth vp for his seruants in extraordinary dangers extraordinary deliuerances The imminent danger of King Croesus yet a Heathen King opened the mouth of his dumbe sonne to tell it Bessus his parricide discouered by the chattering of Swallowes verifying Salomons wordes The fowles of the ayre carrie that voice God can cause euery fowle of heauen and euery creature on earth to finde a tongue to tell treason to deliuer his Anointed Our gracious King is a speaking mappe of many wonderfull deliuerances in extraordinary dangers still we cry and craue with Dauid Domine saluum fae Regem Lord saue the King cloath all his enemies with shame and breake them in peeces like a Potters vessell Let thy hands O Lord finde out all that hate him make them like a fiery ouen in the time of thine anger and destroy them in thy wrath Deliuer his soule from the sword and saue him from the Lions mouthes confound all Shebas that would stirre
and protection against the wicked by our obedience ad laudem recte agentium v. 14. to the praise of them that do well So the Apostle Paul in that excellent Lecture of obedience foreseeing that Citie would be the mother of rebellion and that her Gouernour like the Prince of the Ayre should beare rule in the children of disobedience layes downe a generall and substantiall foundation for obedience Let euery soule c. No exception or exemption of Pope or Priest omnis anima c. etiamsi Apostolus Euangelista Propheta saith Saint Chrysostome vpon that place though an Apostle an Euangelist or a Prophet yet let him be subiect to the higher powers which Augustine Chrysostome and the best Ancients confesse and affirme to be potestates saeculares the secular powers and so acknowledged by the Iesuite Pererius to be temporall powers and the Apostle enforceth all to this obedience by three reasons 1. Drawne à causa procreante the efficient or procreant cause of gouernment For there is no power but of God and the powers that bee are ordained of God vers 1. 2. Drawne ab effectu pernicioso from the pernicious effect of disobedience Whosoeuer resisteth power resisteth the ordinance of God and they that resist shall receiue to themselues condemnation or iudgement v. 2. 3. Taken A beneficio or ab effectu vtili from the benefit or profitable effect of obedience For hee is the Minister of God for thy wealth v. 4. Concluding that obedience is necessary Non solum propter timorem sed propter conscientiam v. 5. Not onely for feare but for Conscience sake So againe the Apostle Paul layes downe his Apostolicall lesson to his sonne Titus Put them in remembrance or admonish them that they be subiect to Princes or Principalities and powers and that they be obedient c. Nay indeed it is naturae thesis natures theame to obey Princes and of this theame Grace is the Hypothesis Looke vpon the silly Bees the best emblemes of obedient Creatures painefull in their labour dutifull in their life their king being safe they are all at vnity Rege incolumi mens omnibus vna Amisso rupere fidem constructaque mella destruere So long as their King is well they follow their worke but being lost they leaue and loath their Hony-combes and when their king waxes olde and cannot flie fert ipsum turba apum they carry him on their wings Et si moritur moriuntur ipsae And if hee die they die with him as some write Behold how nature hath stamped obedience by instinct to Bees to bee subiect to a superiour in their kinde how much more should nature reason and grace stampe obedience in the hearts of Christians knowing that without a kingly gouernment Kingdomes are thraldomes remota iustitia quid sunt regna nisi magna latrocinia saith Austen Take away Iustice and what are kingdomes but dens of theeues Take away obedience to gouernment and that were miscere terris Tartara make earth and hell all one but only in name There is not wanting diuine precepts or diuine patternes to allure loyall obedience take two in stead of many the first and best of all our Sauiour Christ in whom God is well pleased and the second Dauid a man after Gods owne heart Our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ yet God and man in the daies of his flesh disdained not to obey such as were in authority commanding to giue vnto Caesar that which is Caesars and paying tribute to Caesar for himselfe and Peter by the hands of Peter though Peters supposed successors will pay none And though our Sauiour Christ receiued manifold iniuries and indignities from vniust and faithlesse Gouernours yet he neuer moued rebellion or resistance but digested all with patience and obedience knowing that the powers that be are ordained of God telling Pilate that vniust Iudge that his power was Datadesuper giuen him from aboue for the rule is giuen of the Lord and power of the most high Deo obediendum est propter se tanquam summo domino magistratui propter deum tanquam illius ministro saith one God is to bee obeyed for himselfe being chiefe Lord the Magistrate is to bee obeyed for God as being Gods Minister or deputie So that the patterne of Christs obedience to temporall powers must be our platforme of instruction in the duty of obedience 2. Dauids obedience to King Saul is very commendable and remarkeable Saul was a Tyrant sought without cause or colour to kill Dauid yet Dauid often hazarded his life and limmes against Sauls enemies the Philistines euermore testifying his prompt obedience and seruice to his Soueraigne and when this King Saul like that other Saul breathing out threatnings and slaughter against Dauid following him to the wildernesse of Engedi where Dauid vsed pia fallacia hid himselfe in a Caue and had opportunity to cut off Sauls head as well as the lappe of his garment or if hee were timorous to dip his hand in bloud as once a Gregory willed Sabinian to tell the Emperor exciting him against the Lombards Timeo Deum metuo habere manum in sanguine alicuius I feare God and am afraid to haue any hand in bloud oh that Popes had now hearts like Gregory fearefull to shedde bloud if I say Dauid had such a qualme of feare come ouer his heart lo the hands of his seruants ready to haue done it and scarce could be kept from it onely Dauid doth terrifie them from doing it The Lord keepe mee from doing that thing vnto my Master the Lords Anointed to lay my hands vpon him for he is the Lords Annointed Dum timuit oleum seruauit inimicum as excellently Optatus in fearing the annointing he preserued his enemie But after this obedient fidelity performed by Dauid to King Saul behold the sicknesse of that Tyrant suspition moues Saul still to persecute Dauid the Ziphims tell Saul Dauid hides himselfe in the hill of Hachilah In a worde Dauid might haue killed Saul sleeping or if hee would not himselfe do it Abishai offred his seruice I pray thee let me smite him once with a speare to the earth and I will smite him no more but stil see how obedience holds his hands and moues his tongue Destroy him not for who can lay his hand on the Lords Annointed and be guilt lesse And afterward Saul being slaine and a certaine Amalckite hoping to haue beene a happy Post in telling Dauid Saul is dead and shewing Dauid that hee hasted Sauls death though Saul himselfe had acted the Prologue of his owne death this made the Epilogue of his life and brought the Crowne in his hand a tempting bait to gette praise or pardon yet all in vaine how wast thou not afraid to put forth thy hand to destroy the anointed of the Lord
kind A fearefull example worthy to make vs more thankefull to God more dutifull in our liues more carefull of Gods Lawes who out of his infinite loue and mercy preserued vs from this generall and diabolicall massacre And as I haue read how the Romanes in detestation of the name of proud Tarquinius who tyrannized ouer them banished a good Citizen onely because he had that name so let the name of the Powder Treason worke such detestation in the hearts of all Papists that they may neuer hereafter thinke of any treasonable plots against King or Country but banish for euer all such intentions or inuentions out of their hearts which I pray God giue them grace to doe And let all from high to low fall downe vpon the knees of humble and thankfull hearts and cry with Dauid Praise the Lord of Lords for his mercy endureth for euer let Israel now say that his mercy endureth for euer who deliuered his people when like Izaacke almost the knife at their throats and when they had prepared their fire wood powder to offer vp Prince Peeres and People like Isaacke as a burnt offering when they purposed to persecute their soules and take them to tread our liues downe vpon the earth and to lay our honour in the dust then did the Lord arise in his wrath and lift vp himselfe against the rage of our enemies so that they who made a pit and digged it fell into it themselues their mischiefe returned vpon their owne heads and their cruelty fell vpon their owne pates The wicked are snared in the worke of their owne hands and may moue all to cry aloud Come and behold the workes of the Lord he ruleth the World with his power his eyes behold the Nations the rebellious shall not exalt themselues Praise our God ye people and make the voice of his praise to be heard Praise him in his mighty Acts praise him according to his excellent greatnesse let euery one that hath breath praise the Lord for this great and gracious mercy in the meanes of our maruellous and mercifull deliuery CHAP. III. The discouery of the Plot IN the discouery of this Archtrayterous plot I may truly repeate Liuies words who in a great case of ioy saith Maius gaudium suit quà m quod vniuersum homines caperent It was a greater ioy then men are able to comprehend by an vnusual discouery to haue a generall deliuery from so dismall Tragedy For when they had thought and writ that God and Man had concurred to punish the wickednesse of the time God and Man consented to reueale the wickednesse of their treason and makes vs hope well of that Prophecy we do reade in Telesphorus Antichristus non poterit subiugare Venetias nec Parisios nec Ciuitatem regalem Anglia Antichrist shall not be able to sub due Venice nor Paris nor the Kingly City of England London The principall instrument and humane meanes of the discouery of this diuellish treachery was a letter like Dauids letter to Ioab which Vriah carried for his owne death sent some ten dayes before the Parliament should haue begunne priuily and cunningly conueyed by an vnknowne man to one of the Footemen of that Right Honourable Lord worthy of perpetuall honour for his fidelity the Lord Mount-Eagle charging him to put that Letter into his Lord and Masters hands which Letter that thrice-honoured Lord receiuing wondring at the strange contents thereof and perplexed what construction to make of it like a most dutifull Subiect and diuine Eagle concluded not to conceale it but for all the latenesse and darkenesse of the night repaires presently to his Maiesties Pallace at White-Hall and there deliuered the same to the late deceased Earle of Salisbury Sir Robert Cecil a very vigilant Counsellour and wise Statesman then his Maiesties principall Secretary which said Letter being afterward vpon the Kings returne to White-Hall presented to his Maiesty euer fortunate in his Princely iudgement in clearing obscurities and doubtfull mysteries did vpon the instant interprete and apprehend by the darke phrases yet contrary to Drammaticall construction that it must be done by blowing vp the House of Parliament by Gunpowder commanding a search to be made by which the matter discouered and Agents were apprehended Whereas if his Maiesty had not accommodated his interpretation to this kind of danger no worldly prouision or preuention could haue put backe this lamentable destruction So that is here verified which Salomon deliuered Diuination in labijs Regis A diuine sentence shall be in the lippes of the King The glory of God is to conceale a thing secret but the Kings honour is to search it out In this Gunpowder Treason our King was Regi◠〈◊〉 Kingly Prophet inspired by God in deciphering and declaring the darke meaning of their ambiguous and mysticall Letters It was the Lords mercy to put into the Kings mind the darke meaning of this dangerous mischiefe for Ibi incipit diuinum auxilium vbi deficit humanum When humane helpes are ready to faile God will come in the very point and article of time to deliuer his seruants and will raise vp some meanes either ordinary or extraordinary to discouer and defeate the deuices of the wicked As indeed did diuinely appeare in this deliuerie first that a Letter should be writ secondly a glosse or commentary made vpon it by the King contrary to common construction yet that was the second meanes vnder God whose might and mercy was aboue all of our preseruation Telenus prophecied to Cyclops his eye should be put out but he was incredulous to beleeue it contemned this aduertisement Risit o vatum stolidissime falleris inquit So some might haue thought this letter to haue beene the euaporation of an idle braine but our Teltroth Cassandra sacred Soueraigne presently presaged the truth knowing Traytors to be like Sampsons Foxes to haue fired tayles and to be firebrands of fury presupposed it to be a plot of fire for Traytors are Flagellarci◠Flabella seditionis scourges of Common-wealths Bellowes of sedition to inkindle fireworkes of destruction they are like cruell Surgeons that alwayes launce and seare and vse the cutting knife and fire no gentle Remedies as their heads like the head of Nilus vnsearchable so their hearts in cruelty insatiable and hands in execution infatigable as their bloody heads hearts and hands appeare in this bloody businesse These gunpowder Traitors plotting so abhorred a Particide though God frustrated their inhumane attempts and brought the wheele vpon themselues yet were they most accursed murtherers in the sight of God Saul a murtherer in mentall affection in hunting after Dauids life though he failed in manuall action and execution So Hamax in plotting the death of innocent Mordecai was a murderer in heart and had a murderers reward Neuer drop of innocent blood-shed but it cries for vengeance therefore
Ioh O earth couer not thou my blood A murtherer is the very Image and picture of the Deuill who was a murtherer from the beginning as our Sauiour saith and they that practise or doe purpose to murder men poyson Princes destroy Countries blow vp Cities fire vp Parliaments are of their Father the Deuill and led by his Spirit And truly this practise as it was of extraordinary ascendencie so it had a rare discouery by a letter of their owne darke doubtfull and Sphinxian deliuered strangely and when accepted it might haue beene thought to haue beene an idle gull or pasquill and neuer further haue come to light or being further examined they might haue missed the marke in the interpretation of the mischiefe but God so ordered that this foolish letter as it might haue bin iudged was the meanes to discouer their treachery and confound their villanie And further though a Treason suspected yet nothing detected till the very night before the day of their intended slaughter they had almost brought it to this passe Paulominus in inferno habitasset anima nostra Our soule had almost dwelt in silence yea they had almost consumed vs vpon the earth we were in articulo mortis not onely as men appointed to dye but at the point to dye but God who is adiutor in opportunitatibus a refuge in due time of trouble did breake the snare and we were deliuered It pleased God to permit the Deuill to feede these his true seruants with false hopes let them go on freely without rub till they had fully wouen their Spiders web and come to the very point of execution and deliuery of that deuillish monster whereof they had so long trauailed and might say with those mourning messengers of King Ezechiah sent to Esay the children are come to the birth and there is no strength to bring forth when we were albicantes ad messem white for the haruest and ready to be cut downe and wanted nothing but thrusting in of Falx their sickle to cut vs downe or Fax the fire to burne vs vp or Faux euen Guido Faux or Faux Erebi hellish Faux to swallow vs vp when we might say with Dauid there is but a step betwixt vs and death being at the mouth of the pit then the Lord takes vs as brands out of the fire or as Amos like firebrands pluckt out of the burning When our enemies thought they had the prey in their hands and all had beene sure when the danger was most deadly and deliuery desperate then the Lord did fight against them in our cause Now will I arise saith the Lord now will I be exalted now will I lift vp my selfe Yee shall conceiue chaffe and bring forth stubble the fire of your breath shall deuoure you as you haue sowen iniquity so shall you reape affliction ye haue sowen the winde yee shall reape the whirle-winde Then did the Lord dash their deuices in peeces and made their Sun set at noone as Amos 8. 9. or rather caused their sinne to be discouered at midnight All the former part of the night their hellish factor Faux was about his worke of darkenesse in preparing all his Engines and snares of death ready for the morning and yet before the morning watch I say before the morning watch they were disappointed and discouered and their chiefe Agent Faux apprehended Sorrow might endure a night but ioy comes in the morning Redeunt spectaculâ— manâ— VVhen these Romish Idumeans enemies to our Israelites had said like them in their hearts Who shall bring vs downe to the ground then did the watchman of Israel who neyther stumbers noâ— sleeps bring the deuices of the wicked to light manifesting their mischiefe detecting their conspiracy saying to these sinners as to the seas Thus farre shall ye goâ— and no further Eâ—… Deus 〈…〉 When God arose his enemies were soone scattered they also that hate him shall flye before him to make all to say with Esay Heare ye that are a far off what I haue done and ye that are neâ—e know my power when the wicked had said in their hearts Let vs destroy them alltogether 〈…〉 Lord awake as one out of sleepe and as a Giant refreshed with wine and smote his enemies in the hinder parts and put them to a perpetuall shame praised be his blessed name for euer And that no heart of man should presume to detract or defalke any part of the glory from Gods entire and plenary praise in the work of this deliuerance or sing like them Saul hath slaine his thousand and Dauid his ten thousand Consider the gracious and wonderfull prouidence of God that the malefactor and Powder-Monster Faux was taken when hee was new come out of the vault from working his fire-worke hauing three matches and all other instruments ready in his pocket whereas if this Sinon had beene taken while hee was enclosed in his Troian Horse hee confessed hee would not haue failed to haue blowen vp the house himselfe and his takers all together for as the Poet well writes of such Nihil est audacius illis Depraensis iram ac animos à crimine sumunt Such wretches taken and their deeds once seene Harden theis hearts and doe increase their spleene Yet such was the ouer-ruling power and prouidence of God herein without any secondary causes that the party assigned for the deed should be then without who if hee had beene within had done the deed in part and in stead of touching the parties had ouerturned the place To moue all King and Subiects not to sacrifice to their owne nets as if any worldly policy could haue preuented this wretched impiety but that alone the sacred goodnes and prouidence of our most deare and blessed God might triumph in this deliuerance Not vnto vs O Lord not vnto vs but vnto thy name giue the glory Thou art worthy O Lord to receiue all the glory honor and power and let all the Creatures in Heauen and Christians on earth fay Praise and honor and glory and power be vnto him that sitteth vpon the Throne and to the Lambe for euermore who hath deliuered vs from this ocean of misery this odious Massacre And should mooue all Head and members to cry with Ezra Seeing that thou our God hast stayed vs from being beneath and hast giuen vs such a deliuerance should we return to breake thy commandements and ioyne in affinity with the people of such abhominations Seeing the Lord in this extraordinary worke hath declared such liuely markes and expresse Characters of his diuine maiesty might and mercy towards vs shall we not magnifie the Lords mercy with Miriams melody Sing ye vnto the Lord for he hath triumphed gloriously the horse and his rider hath he ouerthrown in the Sea He hath confounded the barbarous immanity and inhumanity