God and having once more by his Ambassadours sollicited the Pope but in vain to decide the matter the King had the same adjudged in Parliament and divorced himself from her yet conversed with her in a very friendly manner ever after till her death except that he did not bed with her since the time when this scruple first arose Some Months after he was married to Anna Bullen by whom he had Elizabeth who was afterwards Queen Anno 1535 the King caused himself to be declared Supream Head of the Church of England abrogating thereby all the Pope's Authority in that kingdom and John Fisher Bishop of Rochester and Thomas Moor the Lord Chancellour refusing to acknowledge him as such it cost them their Heads Yet would Henry never receive the Doctrine of Luther or Zwinglius but continued in the Roman Communion because he was mightily exasperated against Luther For Henry had formerly got a Book to be published under his Name against Luther in favour of the Pope for which he acquired the Title of Defender of the Faith which Title the Kings of England retain to this day But Luther setting aside all the Respect due to a King writ an Answer to the same full of Heat and bitter Reflections Yet because he esteemed the Monks as a sort of people that were not only useless but also such as depending on the Pope might prove very pernicious to him at home he gave free leave to all Monks and Nuns to go out of the Convents and Nunneries and by degrees converted unto his own use the Revenues of all Nunneries and Convents Colleges and Chappels as also those of the Order of the Knights of St. John of Jerusalem nevertheless he employed some part of them in erecting six new Episcopal Sees and Cathedral Churches and to the advancing of Learning in the Universities A great part also he gave away or sold for a little Money to great Families intending thereby to oblige them for the future to maintain the alterations he had made It is reported that these Church Revenues which were so reduced did amount yearly to 186512 l. or as some others will have it to 500752 l. He also abolished the superstitious worship of Images and made some other alterations in Religious Worship so that in effect he laid the Foundation of the Reformation Nevertheless England was at that time in a miserable condition for a great many Roman Catholicks that would not acknowledge the King for the Supream Head of the English Church were executed And a great many more Protestants received the same punishment because they would not own the Corporal presence of the Body of Christ in the Sacrament tho' this effusion of blood was not so much caused by the King as by the Bishops who had first brought in use such rigorous Laws and now executed them with as much severity In the Year 1543 another War happened with the Scots who making an Inrode into England were beaten by a few English which did grieve King James V. to that degree that he died for trouble leaving behind him one only Daughter Mary whom Henry would have engaged to his Son Edward thereby by to unite these two Kingdoms and the business was like to have succeeded very well if the Archbishop of St. Andrews had not opposed it Henry also enter'd into a League with the Emperour against France wherein it was agreed to join their Armies of 80000 Foot and 22000 Horse near Paris to plunder that City and to ravage the whole Country as far as the Loire But neither of them acted according to the Agreement for Henry wasted his time in the Siege and taking of Boulogne which he afterwards by the Peace concluded in the Year 1546 promised to restore to France within the space of eight Years in consideration of the Summ of 800000 Crowns to be paid him for the same which was performed accordingly under Edward VI. Neither do I believe that Henry was in good earnest by ruining the French to give such great advantages to Charles V. After his Divorce with Catharine of Arragon he was very unfortunate in his Marriages for Anna Bullen was beheaded for Adultery and Incest tho' some are of opinion that it was more the Protestant Religion than the Crime which proved fatal to her It is certain that the Protestant Princes of Germany did so resent this matter that whereas they intended to have made Henry the Head of their League they afterwards would hold no correspondency with him After Anna Bullen he married Jane Seymour Mother to Edward VI. who died in Child-bed Then he married Anna of Cleves whom he also pretending I know not what bodily infirmity in her quickly dismiss'd The fifth was Catharine Howard who was beheaded for Adultery The sixth Catharine Parre Widow of the Lord Latimer who outlived him Henry died in the Year 1547. § 20. Edward VI. was nine Years of age when he came to the Crown during whose Minority his Uncle the Duke of Somerset had the Administration of Affairs His first design was to force the Scots to agree to a Match betwixt Edward and their young Queen Mary wherefore he fell into Scotland and overthrew them near Muskelborough in a great Battel Nevertheless he miss'd his aim for the Scots sent their Queen into France who was there married to the Dauphin afterwards King of France by the Name of Francis II. Under this King Edward the Reformed Religion was publickly established in England and the Mass quite abolished which occasioned great disturbances in the Kingdom which were nevertheless happily suppress'd In the Year 1550 there was a Peace concluded betwixt England France and Scotland when also Boulogne was restor'd to the French But King Edward falling sick the Duke of Northumberland who had before destroyed the Duke of Somerset persuaded King Edward under pretence of settling the Protestant Religion to exclude by his last Will and Testament his two Sisters Mary and Elizabeth for of the Queen of the Scots they made but little account at that time from the Succession of the Crown and to settle it upon Jane Grey Daughter of the Duke of Suffolk whom he had by Mary Daughter of Henry VII which afterwards proved fatal both to Jane and the Author For after the death of Edward the Duke of Northumberland caused Jane to be proclaimed Queen in the City of London but Mary eldest Sister of Edward did immediately lay claim to the Crown in her Letters to the Privy Council And Letters proving ineffectual they began to come to blows but most of the Nobility unto whom Mary promis'd not to make any alteration in Religion did side with her and a part of the Army and Fleet most of the Privy Counsellors and the City of London taking her part proclaimed her Queen Northumberland himself being now willing to go with the tide did proclaim Mary Queen in Cambridge notwithstanding which he
the mean while to have found out an expedient to appease Luther And Cardinal Cajetan did in the year 1519. act a very imprudent Part at Augsburgh when he dealt so very rudely with Luther and refused to accept of his Proposal viz. that he would be silent provided his Adversaries would do the same For by this refusal made to so resolute a Man whom he would have obliged to make a Recantation he forced him to do his utmost and to fall directly upon the Pope himself It would have been no difficult matter to have granted him that some corrupted Manners were crept into the Church to keep him from meddling with the Reformation of the Doctrines But on the contrary the Pope making continual instances at the Elector of Saxony's Court to have Luther delivered up to him Luther was thereby obliged to show the unreasonableness of the Pope and to demonstrate that his own Doctrine was built upon a very solid and good Foundation And the Pope rendred his Cause very suspicious that he when Luther appeal'd to a Council did by making a great many evasions protract to call one From hence it was evident that he did not trust much to the goodness of his Cause if it were to be debated before impartial Judges It was also an unlucky hit for the Pope when he fell out with Henry VIII who to spite the Pope did open the Door for the Protestant Religion to be settled in England Likewise did those of the House of Navarre propagate and protect the Protestant Religion in France out of a hatred as some say against the Pope who had shown the way to Ferdinand the Catholick into that Kingdom Besides this there were abundance of good Men of the Roman Catholick Religion who were glad to see that Luther did wash the scabby Heads of the Monks with so strong a Lye as he did So that every thing seemed to concur to promote the Decree of God Almighty § 27. But why the Doctrine of Luther was not spread farther and the Ecclesiastical Monarchy was not quite overturned several Reasons may be alledged First it is to be considered that in those States where Luther's Doctrine was received the Supreme Direction in Ecclesiastical Affairs became necessarily to be devolved on the Civil Magistrates For if any one of these States would have pretended to this Direction over the others of the same Communion these who would have thought themselves no less capable would never have acknowledged the same Which did not a little weaken their Union and Strength and was the main occasion that they could not act so unanimously and vigorously against the Pope as he against them It is also to be considered that this Reformation was not undertaken after mature deliberation and as it were on purpose to form or set up a new State but this great Revolution happened upon a sudden and unexpectedly so that the whole Work was carried on as occasion offer'd and by degrees And tho Luther was the first that gave the Alarm yet the rest did not think themselves obliged to follow precisely his Opinion but were also ambitious of having contributed something towards the Reformation This occasioned Disputes among themselves and because no body had an Authority among them to decide these Controversies each Party persisted obstinately in their Opinion from whence arose such a Schism that they became neglectful of the Common Enemy and fell upon one another This furnished the Popish Party with a very probable Argument who cry'd out aloud the Hereticks were faln into Confusion among themselves as not knowing what to believe and since they had left the Church of Rome they were brought into an endless Labyrinth There were also a great many of the Protestants who under pretext of the Gospel did lead an impious and scandalous life as if by the Liberty of the Gospel they had obtained a License to abandon themselves to all sorts of Vices This gave also occasion to the Papists to defame the Doctrine of Luther especially since he had with great severity reproved the licenciousness of the Clergy and had been generally applauded for it It also proved very mischievous to Luther's Doctrine that immediately after whole swarms of Fanaticks Anabaptists and the like appear'd in the World and that the Boors in Germany run as it were mad and made a most dangerous Insurrection When some Princes took this Point into Consideration the Doctrine of Luther began to become suspicious to them as if thereby the licenciousness of the Common People was Taught and Authorised which they looking upon as a greater Evil than what oppression they were likely to suffer from the Clergy did with all their Power oppose the Doctrine of Luther There are some who will have it that the University of Paris also had a share in this For Luther having persuaded himself that this University was dissatisfied at Leo X. because he had abolished the Pragmatick Sanction concerning the Elections of Bishops and that therefore the Members thereof would be glad of an opportunity to revenge themselves he submitted his Disputation with Eckius to their Judgment but these gave their Judgment against him and that in very hard words The Kings of Spain also did afterwards consider that it was for their purpose to take upon them the protection of the Roman Chair wherefore they opposed the Protestant Doctrine with all their might and so powerfully assisted the League in France that Henry IV. if he would maintain his Crown was obliged to leave the Protestant Religion Some also have observed that when Zwinglius and afterwards Calvin began all upon a sudden to introduce too great a Reformation not only as to the inferiour but also the Essential parts of the Church and thereby fell from one extreme to another this proved a main obstacle to the increase of the Protestant Religion For Luther had hitherto made very little alteration in outward Matters He had left in the Churches the Ornaments Clocks Organs Candles and such like he had retained the greatest part of the Mass but had added some Prayers in the Native Tongue so that he was looked upon by most as a Reformer of the Abuses only But when it seem'd that this Revolution was likely to become Universal Zwinglius appear'd in Switzerland as did Calvin afterwards in France these instead of following the footsteps of Luther began to Preach against the Presence of the Body of Christ in the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper abolish'd all sorts of Ceremonies and Ornaments destroyed all Reliques broke the Altars and Images abolish'd all order of the Hierarchy and despoiled Religion of all such things as did most affect the Eyes and exteriour Senses of the People This caused an aversion and animosity in the Common People against them and increased its Zeal for that Religion which it had received from its Ancestors The Riches of the Church did partly promote Luther's Doctrine a great many having thereby taken
they make Converts 423 The Popes temporal State his Dominions Forces how he stands with relation to Germany Spain and France 424 425 Popish Monarchy as spiritual its particular Constitution 426 Why it was to be exercised in the Form of a Monarchy 429 Why it must be elective 430 Why the Pope was to live in the State of Celibacy 431 Popish Doctrine suited to the State 436 Penance 439 Purgatory 441 Prayers to Saints 441 The main Pillar of the Popish Monarchy 451 The Popes Inclination towards the Protestants 452 No Peace to be expected betwixt the Roman Catholicks and Protestants 453 Strength of the Protestants and Papists 454 The Protestant Religion estabished in Sweden 495 R. ROme a Warlike City 13 It s military Institutions 15 Religion of the Romans 17 Roman Kings expelled and a new form of Government erected 19 Defects of the Roman Commonwealth 21 In Rome were two distinct Bodies 23 The Rom. Monarchy could not be of long continuance 25 Rome taken by Charles V. 49 The Romans conquer England 99 Richard I. King of England 111 His expedition into the Holy Land 111 Richard II. King of England 120 Richard III. King of England 131 Rebellion begins in England under Charles I. 157 Richlieu made chief Minist of State under Lew. III. 235 Rochelle taken from the French Huguenots 235 Rudolf Earl of Habsburgh the first Founder of the present House of Austria 292 The Reformation in Germany 297 The Roman spiritual Monarchy 368 The Romans and their politick Reason against the Primitive Christian Church 378 Rome why it was made the Place of Residence of the Ecclesiastical Monarchy 389 Reliques 441 Reformation begun in Sweden 491 S. SParta 7 Spain and its ancient State 28 Spain conquer'd by the West Goths 28 By the Saracens 30 Great Divisions in Spain 34 The Sicilian Vespers 188 39 First Beginning of the Spanish Inquisition 43 Spanish Armado destroyed 145 56 The Nature of the Spaniards 67 The Spanish West-Indies 69 It s several sorts of Inhabitants and Its Riches 71 72 Sardinia and Sicily 74 Spanish Netherlands 74 Strength and Weakness of Spain 75 Its condition in reference to its Neighbours 77 The Saxons come into Britany 100 The Saxon Heptarchy 101 The Scotch defeated by the English 119 The Scotch Covenant 154 The constitution of the Scotch Nation 165 Spain enters into the Holy League in France 226 The Slingers in France 239 The Switzers and the first original of their Commonweal 273 Their first Union 274 Their Genius 279 Their Strength and Weakness 279 League at Smalkald 298 Stephen Batori made King of Poland 342 He puts the Cosacks in good Discipline 342 Sigismund III. King of Poland 343 His Wars with the Muscovites 343 His oversight during the troubles in Muscovy 345 Siâ—â— Venial and Mortal 438 States that are tyed by a particular Interest to the Church of Rome 448 449 Sweden the most ancient Kingdom in Europe 461 The Christian Doctrine first taught in Sweden 464 Celibacy of Clergy introduced in Sweden 468 The Kingdom of Sweden made hereditary and the Popish Religion abolished 497 A new Swedish Liturgy introduced 504 Sigismund King of Poland and Sweden 506 Is deposed 510 The Nature and Qualification of the Swedish Nation 535 Their Condition Strength and Neighbours 536 537 T TRuce with Holland made by Philip III. K. of Spain 60 The Tripie Alliance 66 The Templers suppressed in France 189 Truce betwixt the Emperour Charles V. and Henry II. King of France 216 The Tartars make the first inrode into Poland 338 Theodore Ivanowitz Czar of Muscovy 362 Traditions 438 First Translation of the New Testament into Swedish 492 V. THE Union of Utrecht the Foundation of the Common-wealth of the seven United Provinces 265 They enter into a Confederacy with the English 267 Uladislaus IV. King of Poland obtains a signal Victory over the Muscovites 348 The causes of the War with the Cosacks under his Reign 348 The Universities have promoted the Popish Sovereignty 442 W. WArs betwixt France and Spain and their first rise 44 Wars betwixt Charles V. and France 47 Wars betwixt Holland and Portugal 93 William the Conqueror 104 He conquers England 184 105 Intestine Wars in France under King Francis II. 218 William Prince of Orange 256 Is murthered at Delft 267 William II. Prince of Orange 275 He makes the two de Wits Prisoners 276 They are murthered 280 William III. Prince of Orange 277 Wars betwixt the English Parliament and the Dutch 277 A second War betwixt the English and Dutch 278 Wars betwixt Charles duke of Burgundy and the Switzers 276 Wars betwixt France and the Switzers 277 The Westphalian Treaty 304 Winifred the Monk 393 Wars betwixt the Muscovites and Swedes 5â—2 War betwixt the Swedes and Poles in Livonia 511 Zwinglius and Calvin 421 An Introduction to the History of the Chief Kingdoms and States now in EUROPE CHAP. I. Of the Ancient Monarchies and more especially of the Roman out of whose Ruines arose several Kingdoms and States § 1. NO Man of Common Sense imagines that at the first Propagation of Mankind there were such Governments as are among us at this time But in those Times each Father without being Subject to any Superiour Power governed his Wife Children and Servants as a Sovereign Nay it seems very probable to me that even to the time of the Deluge there was no Magistracy or any Civil Constitution but that the Government was lodged only in each Father of his Family For it is scarce to be imagined that such abominable Disorders could have been introduced where the Power of Magistrates and Laws was exercised And it is observable that after once the Rules of Government were Constituted we do not find that Mankind in general did run into the same Enormities of which God Almighty was obliged to purge the World by an Universal Punishment though the Root of the Evil was remaining as well after as before the Deluge It seems also that for a considerable time after the Deluge this Paternal Government continued in the World § 2. But the reason why the Fathers of Families left this Separate way of living and joyned in a Mutual civil Society seems to be That among the Neighbouring Families sometimes Quarrels used to arise which being often decided by Force drew along with them very great Inconveniencies to prevent which it was thought necessary for the Preservation of Peace and Quietness among Neighbours to referr the Decision of such Matters to the Judgment of some of the wisest and most Considerable among them After the increase of Mankind it was also easily to be observed how difficult it would prove for a Single Family to defend it self against the Joint Conspiracy of a malicious Party to Oppose which the Neighbours living so near as to be able to assist one another in case of Necessity did enter into a Society Mutually to defend themselves against their Common Enemies That they might do this with the better Success the
among them as Foreigners § 4. But the Christian Religion is not only much clearer and also has other great Prerogatives above the Jewish which Consideration we will leave to the Divines But it is also freed from those Circumstances which were particular to the Jewish Religion and endowed with all Qualifications requisite for an universal Religion wherefore every one is obliged to receive and embrace it which deserves particularly to be remarked that hereby we may investigate and penetrate to the very bottom the propriety and genius of the Christian Religion For here is no particular place appointed by God Almighty for performing in publick the Divine Service nor can any place claim a Prerogative before another so that no Nation henceforward has any occasion to make exception about the remoteness of the Temple but in all places you may lift up holy Hands unto him no Temple in the World having any particular promise appertaining to it that God will sooner hear your Prayers in that than in another No Nation has according to the Christian Religion a precedency before another whereby one may claim a Prerogative above the other Here is no Jew no Greek no Bond nor Freeman but they are all one in Jesus Christ Here is no particular Family or Tribe appointed by God for the publick administration of Divine Service as it was among the Jews but none is excluded here provided he be endowed with the necessary Qualifications There is no Article in the Christian Religion which forbids us to cultivate with others either familiarity or to render to one another the Duties required from us by the Law of Nature It is purely and by it self considered quite separated from all worldly Ends and Interests yet is her Doctrine not in the least repugnant to or alters Civil Society or Laws as far as they are consonant to the Law of Nature but it rather tho' that is not her main intention confirms the same There is nothing to be found in the Christian Religion which is destructive to the Ends of Civil Society or which hinders us from living honestly quietly and securely under the protection of Civil Magistrates or from executing in every respect the highest Civil Power according to the Law of Nature true Reason and the Necessities of the State or from administring all Offices and performing such Duties without offending against the Rules of Christianity as are requisite for the maintaining a State established according to the Law of Nature The Christian Religion rather promotes all these things expresly commanding us strictly to observe every Commandement of the Law of Nature and especially those where no temporal punishment could be conveniently inflicted by the Civil Constitutions and to perform our Duty with all Faithfulness and Zeal as far as the same is consonant with Honesty and the Law of Nature Wherefore not any Philosophy or Religion whatsoever is in this point to be compared with the Christian Religion which may be evident enough to all who will make a true comparison betwixt this and all the rest And every body is therefore obliged as he hopes to answer for his Soul before God not only to receive the Christian Religion but also all Sovereigns and Magistrates ought for the above-mentioned reasons and out of a Duty belonging to their Office to introduce and maintain it It is objected that the Effects of the Christian Religion are not so visible nor that the Life and Conversation of a great many Christians is not different from that of the Heathens and Turks it is to be observed that this Fault is not to be imputed to the Christian Doctrine but to the Inclinations of such as profess the name of Christians but will not in earnest apply themselves to alter their evil Inclinations and to live according to the wholesome Precepts of this Religion § 5. As what we have hitherto said can scarce be denied by the more understanding sort so there arises now a Question viz. Whether according to the Doctrine of the Christian Religion it is absolutely requisite that the outward Direction or Government of the same be committed to another besides him who has the supreme Civil Power in a State or which is much the same Whether according to the Christian Doctrine it be necessary that the outward Government of it be lodged with the whole Body or one of the Clergy in particular independent of the Supreme Magistrate Or whether there ought to be but one Sovereign Administrator of the Christian Religion on whom all other Christian States ought to depend in this Point Or which some take for the same thing whether every State ought to be governed according to its own Constitutions and Interest Or whether all other States are obliged to be Slaves to one and to promote the Interest of that one with the Detriment and Ruin of their own By the outward Direction or Government of the Christian Religion we understand the Power of constituting certain Persons for the exercising of the publick Divine Service and the supreme Jurisdiction over their Persons the supreme Administration and Direction of such Possessions as are dedicated to Religious Services The Power of making Laws for the outward maintenance of Religion and the determining of such Differences as may arise among the Clergy under what pretext soever it may be and such like We make a great difference betwixt the outward Direction of Religious Affairs and betwixt the Ministry of the Church which consists in teaching preaching and administring of the Sacraments all which doubtless belong only unto the Clergy This Question also is to be understood of a Church already planted and established not of a Church that is to be planted and established For since the Christian Religion owed its Original to Divine Revelation no humane Power could pretend to have any Direction in the same before this Doctrine was throughly proposed and taught by such as had an immediate Authority for so doing from God Almighty For when our Saviour after his Resurrection did send his Disciples as Delegates and Apostles throughout the whole World to publish and introduce the Christian Religion they received their Commission for Preaching every where not from the supreme Civil Magistrates but from God himself wherefore Kings as well as the common People were obliged to acknowledge them as immediate Messengers of God and obediently to submit themselves to their Doctrine and it would be next to an absurdity if any one should pretend to a Direction in such Matters as he was not instructed in before From whence arises this Consequence that what has been said is to be understood of such Sovereigns or supreme Magistrates as themselves profess the true Christian Religion but not of those who are Infidels or erroneous in the chief Articles of the Christian Faith For to commit the Direction of Religion to the latter would be to make the Wolf a Shepherd § 6. This Question may be considered in
three-several ways First Whether this Necessity arises from the Nature of each Religion in general Or Secondly Whether it arises from the Genius of the Christian Religion in particular Or Thirdly Whether the same is imposed upon us by Divine Institution or the particular Command of God That it should proceed from the natural Constitution of Religion in general I am in no ways able to find out For Reason does not tell me that if I intend to serve God I must of necessity make a division in the State and thereby introduce two different Powers independent of one another The dismembring of the supreme Power or such a double-headed Sovereignty in a State administers continual Fuel which at last breaks out into Jealousies Divisions and intestine Commotions On the other hand it is in no ways contrary to Reason to serve God and at the same time leave the supreme Direction of the outward Matters belonging to Divine Service to such as have the supreme Power in the State if we suppose that those who have the supreme Power in their Hands will not impose any thing upon their Subjects which is false or erroneous It cannot be denied that as every one is bound by the Law of Nature to serve God also is it at the same time in his Power to perform the outward Ceremonies in such a manner as he believes they are most pleasing to God But after Civil Societies were instituted that same Power is thereby devolved to those who have the supreme Administration of Affairs in a Civil Society And the most antient Fathers who did not live under any regulated Government exercised this Power in their Families which used to be transferred to the Eldest Son as haereditas eximia or a hereditary Prerogative if the Brothers after the Father's death did resolve to live together in one Community But when afterwards Civil Societies were instituted the same Power was transferred to the Heads of these Societies and that out of a weighty Consideration For if every one had been left to his free Choice in this Point the various and different Ceremonies in the Divine Service must needs have introduced Confusions Divisions and intestine Commotions And tho' by the Jews the publick Ministry was hereditary to one particular Family yet the inspection and supreme Direction was among them reserved to those who had the supreme Civil Power in their Hands as the same is practised among most other Nations § 7. Neither can any Reason be given why the Christian Religion is particularly so qualified as to imply a necessity that the abovementioned Direction should be committed to any other than the supreme Magistrates tho' it contains something more than is taught us by the Light of Nature since we suppose that by vertue of this directive Power they ought not to impose any thing upon us contrary to the Word of God nor be a hinderance to the Priests in performing the Ministry according to the Ordinances of God in the Holy Scriptures Neither can I find out any Reason why the supreme Magistrates should want means duly to qualify themselves for this Administration or Direction At least they may let this Direction be exercised under their Authority by such as have acquired sufficient abilities for the same In like manner as Sovereigns exercise their Power by others in Civil Affairs so the Power of making Laws was never denied to appertain to Sovereigns tho' it is certain that a Doctor or Professor of the Law ought to be better instructed in them than is required from a King For both in these and other Matters Sovereigns ought to act with the Advice of such as have applied themselves throughly to such Affairs And as it is against the Interest of a Good and Wise King if this Power be not well exercised so it is both his Duty and Interest to see the administration of Religious Matters well performed For the more zealous and earnest he is in maintaining the Christian Religion the more obedient and better qualified his Subjects are likely to be and he may the better hope for the Blessing of God Almighty Neither can any thing be alledged why God Almighty should not as well afford his Assistance to a Christian and Orthodox Sovereign as to any other to perform this Government praise-worthily Lastly because the Christian Religion does not in any other way derogate from Civil Ordinances and Laws or from the Power of Civil Magistrates as far as they are founded upon the Law of Nature so it is not to be supposed that it disagrees from this in this one Point except a positive Command of God can be alledged for the proof of this Assertion Whether there be such a Command in the Holy Scriptures which expresly forbids Sovereigns to intermeddle with this Direction and allows the same to others in the highest degree of Sovereignty without any dependency at all those are obliged to prove who endeavour to maintain this Assertion In the mean while we will inquire into the first Occasion and by what degrees this Ecclesiastical Monarchy was established in the Western Churches § 8. The Apostles therefore having after the Ascension of our Saviour according to the Instructions received from his own Mouth begun to spread the Doctrine of the Christian Religion in far distant Countries met with great approbation in a short time both among the Jews and other Nations but more especially among the Common People which having hitherto lived in gross Ignorance and in a miserable Estate very joyfully received this Doctrine which enlightened and comforted them in the miseries of this Life The Apostles also themselves who were of mean Extraction and of no great Authority used to converse most among this sort of People as having the most easie access to them as their equals But Men of Quality and Learning did scare at first think it worth their while to apply themselves diligently to search into the bottom of this Religion and very few of them would profess it If we may inquire into the Reasons why it was the pleasure of the Wise God to choose this way of planting the Christian Religion it seems very probable that God was not pleased to introduce the Christian Religion by the Power and Authority of Civil Magistrates nor by the Assistance of Learned Men because it might not be deemed hereafter a State Trick or a Philosophical Speculation but that whenever a due comparison might be made betwixt the slender beginnings and prodigious encrease of this Religion the World might from thence conclude that the whole was something above humane Power And because the Learned had proved unsuccessful with all their subtilties in their Discoveries concerning Divine Matters and that Socrates and some others who were sensible of the vanity of the commonly received Superstitions and had condemned them as such had not been able to abolish those and in lieu thereof to introduce a better Religion God Almighty was willing to convince the
World of the Vanity of worldly Wisdom and to shew how easie it was for him to effect this great Work by the means even of poor Fishermen Besides this the Doctrine of the Apostles seemed to be full of absurdity to the Philosophers and Politicians the same being founded upon and begun with Jesus who was crucified For it appeared very strange to them that the Apostles should acknowledge him for the Son of God and their Saviour who was of a hated and despised Nation who having lived without any great Splendour or performed any great Heroic Actions had besides this not made himself Famous throughout the World by long Study or Preaching but had in his younger years suffered a most infamous Death And this is the reason why the Jesuites when they teach the Christian Religion among the refined Chineses do not begin with the Doctrine of the Passion of Christ but argue first with them out of the Principles of natural Religion and so at last come about to this Article of the Christian Faith But whether these Fathers by this method are likely to be more successful than the Apostles I will not determine here It may also be alledged that God was pleased to deliver the common People among the Heathens before great Men out of their misery and darkness because the first were seduced by the latter and upheld in their Superstition for these tho' they were sensible of the Vanity of the Pagan Religion yet did not do their utmost endeavours to search after a better Wherefore God Almighty by first drawing away the common People from Paganism did undermine the whole Structure which was forced to fall of it self Since the simplicity and credulity of the common People were the Foundation Stones of the Pagan Religion § 9. The Christian Doctrine therefore having been most of all at first spread abroad among the common People as I have said before it was grievously oppressed and persecuted afterwards by the Roman Emperours for in the Territories of the Roman Empire it had its first beginning and chief increase One of the main occasions of these Persecutions was their Ignorance of the true nature of this new Religion or what was the main end of it since they saw the number of the Christians daily encrease who all despised the Pagan Religion The Emperours thought it below their high Station to make a due enquiry into the Foundation of this Doctrine and there were very few among the first Christians that were fitly qualified to represent their Doctrine in due form to People of Quality These therefore used to be led away by the false suggestions of the Enemies of the Christians who insinuated to them that the Christians in their nocturnal Assemblies did practise all sorts of Debaucheries much after the manner as formerly used to be practised at the Festivals of Bacchus or else that they were then Plotting against the State There were also not a few among the Romans who being averse to any Innovation whatsoever were of Opinion that since the Roman Empire had stood in a flourishing Condition several Ages past under the antient Religion the same ought not to be abrogated especially they did think it in no ways becoming the common People to pretend to an Innovation and to more Wisdom than their Sovereigns The Christians also having among themselves a certain Form of Ecclesiastical Government this rendred them suspected to the Romans who looked upon them as such that were for setting up a Faction against the State and erecting a new Society in it and so to divide the Empire and at last make themselves Masters of it Some also there were who perceiving that the more the numbers of the Christians increased the less frequented were the Temples of the Heathens and that the Roman Empire began to decline and received great shocks they perswaded themselves that these Misfortunes befel them because those Gods through whose Assistance the Roman Empire arrived to the Pinacle of its Grandeur were now despised among them and therefore looked upon the Christians as an Atheistical Generation endeavouring to over-turn the very Foundations of Religion And because the Christians refused to adore the Idols notwithstanding the Emperours Commands and suffered the most prodigious Tortures and Death with constancy and even Joy they were treated like a perverse and obstinate sort of People by the Romans who encreased their Cruelties to maintain their Authority against them But no sufficient Reasons can be alledged for the justification of these Persecutions against the Christians which ought to be considered no otherwise than unlawful Tyrannies and pernicious Abuses of the supreme Civil Power For their Subjects had received this Religion according to the express Command of God which could nor ought not to be opposed by the Civil Power the Magistrates as well as the Subjects being obliged to receive it except they would grosly sin against God Almighty Neither could their Ignorance serve them for an excuse since this being a new Doctrine it was their Duty to take due information concerning the same before they had sent the Innocent Christians to Execution only because they refuâ—ed to obey the Commands of their Sovereigns which ought not to oblige them to Obedience in this Point For no body ought to give Sentence of Death against any one before he is duly informed concerning the nature of the Crime he is accused of § 10. And because the Sovereigns did at first not concern themselves for the welfare of the Christian Religion the Christians therefore did without their assistance constitute a Ministry and the outward Church Government among themselves which was maintained among them as well as it could For this is common to all Societies which are instituted without the consent of the Supream Magistrate that the Members thereof are forced to agree among themselves which way to order their Affairs best and to Constitute certain Rules and Governours for the management of the Societies Else according to the Rules of Policy founded upon the Law of Nature the outward Government of Religion belongs to the Sovereigns But because the Magistrates would not perform their duty at that time the Christians were obliged to Constitute Ministers of their own accord who received their maintainance from the Charity of good Christians And if any Errors did arise or other matters happened of such consequence that the same could not be decided by one assembly several of these Assemblies used to consult among themselves concerning the matter in question or leave the determination to an Assembly of such Mininisters as were next at hand Tho it is certainly else not to be allowed in a State that private persons should Constitute a Society among themselves consisting especially of a considerable number yet the Assemblies and Synods of the antient Christians are not therefore to be deemed unlawful Meetings since their only aim was the exercise of their Religion which being commanded them by God ought not
them to all sorts of People whom he installed before they had taken Holy Orders And when the Emperour resolved to maintain his antient Right and Title he excommunicated him and stirred up the Bishops and the Estates of Germany against him who made him so much work that he was obliged to resign his Right of Constituting of Bishops The Pope under this pretext did not only intend to exempt the Bishops from the Emperour's Jurisdiction but the main point was to make himself Sovereign over Italy and to make all the other Princes submit to the Pope's Authority And some are of Opinion that this Design might have been put in execution considering that Europe was at that time divided into so many Principalities and most of these Princes being not very Potent might either out of a Devotion or to avoid falling under the Jurisdiction of more Potent Princes submit themselves under the Pope's protection and pay him Tribute It is therefore not improbable that if three or four Popes had succeeded one another instructed with sufficient Capacity to cover their Design with the Cloak of Holiness and in the mean while to uphold the Interest of the People against the Oppressions of their Princes the Popes might have made themselves absolute Sovereigns both in Temporal and Spiritual Affairs Neither did the Pope only pretend to free himself from the Emperour's Jurisdiction over him but also endeavoured to make him his Subject for he pretended to be his Judge he summon'd him before him to make answer to the Complaints of his Subjects excommunicated him and declared him to have forfeited his Right and Title to the Empire And tho' his Son the Emperour Henry V. did endeavour to recover what was forcibly taken away from his Father and made Pope Paschal a Prisoner whom he forced to restore to him the right of Constituting of Bishops yet were the whole Clergy in Europe so dissatisfied hereat and raised such Commotions that at last he was obliged to resign the same again into the Pope's hands Much about the same time there were great Disputes concerning this Point in England which were composed in such a manner that the King should not pretend to the Power of investing of Bishops but that these should do Homage to him The last of which the Pope was very unwilling to grant who would fain have had the Bishops to be quite independent of the King which was the reason why he expresly forbid the Bishops in France to follow this Example but King Lewis VI. and his Successours did maintain their Right with so high a Hand that the Popes were never able to establish their pretended Right in France Neither did the Popes think it advisable to fall out at once with the Emperour and France but that it would be more secure to have one at hand to uphold them against the other especially the Popes were not so much for weakening of France because they were not so nearly concerned with that Kingdom as for humbling the Emperours that were Potent in Italy and pretended to the Sovereignty over the City of Rome Neither was Germany so intirely united as France and most Princes of Europe being then very jealous of the Grandeur of the Empire were very willing to joyn with the Pope against the Emperours under pretence of upholding the Authority of the Holy Church and Papal Chair 'T is true the two Emperours Frederick I. and II. did afterwards endeavour to restore the antient Imperial Right but were not able to attain their aim especially since Italy was divided into the two Factions of the Guelfs and Gibellines the first whereof were for the Pope the latter for the Emperour which caused such a Confusion in Italy that the Emperours could never afterwards reduce Italy to an entire Obedience And because after the death of the Emperour Frederick II. the whole Empire was during that long vacancy of the Throne put into great Confusion and Disorders the succeeding Emperours found so much work in Germany that they were not in a Condition to look after Italy whereby the Pope had sufficient leisure given him to make himself Sovereign both as to his own Person and over the Possessions belonging to the Church of Rome § 22. But the Pope not being contended to have attained this degree of Grandeur quickly set on foot another Doctrine which was of far greater consequence viz. That the Pope had an indirect Power over Princes that it belonged to him in his own Right to take Care how they governed and managed their Affairs For tho' they did not expresly pretend in gross terms that Princes did depend on them in Civil Affairs yet they believed that the supreme Ecclesiastical Power did entitle them to an Authority to judge concerning the Actions of Princes whether the same were good or bad to admonish them to correct them and to command what was fitting and to forbid what was unfitting to be done If therefore Princes waged War against one another the Pope pretended to have an Authority to command a Truce to be made betwixt them to bring their Differences before him and refer them to his Decision not without threatnings that he would not only excommunicate them in their Persons but also forbid the exercise of Divine Service and administration of the Sacraments throughout their whole Kingdom They also did believe it belonged to their Office to obviate all publick Scandals to defend such as were oppressed and to see Justice done to all the World It was from this pretension that they received the Complaints of all such as pretended to be oppressed nay they went further for they sometimes took information concerning the Injuries done by Princes to their Subjects and concerning some Impositions laid upon the People whereby the People thought themselves aggrieved which they forbid to be levied upon them under the penalty of Excommunication Sometimes they used to declare the Possessions of such as were excommunicated forfeited exposing their Persons to danger and releasing the Subjects from their Oaths of Allegiance under pretence that the Government of a Christian People ought not to be trusted to the management of such as had rebelled against the Church This has been attempted against a great many Crowned Heads and put in execution against some of them This abominable pretension as they perswade the ignorant was founded upon their fictitious Decretals upon which they have built their Canon-Law which grants to the Pope an unlimited Power over Christians by vertue of which he may as the Common Father send out his Commands to all Believers and admonish them concerning all such Matters as belong to Religion and their Salvation and in case of Disobedience lay punishments upon them For that the Predecessours of Gregory VII did not make use of this Power they say was because the preceeding Emperours either kept themselves within their bounds or else the Popes lived an ungodly Life To give specious colours to these pretensions
able so to influence the next Election as to get one chosen fit for his purpose the whole design of Caesar Borgia came to nothing Tho after the death of Pius III. who Sate but a few Weeks in the Papal Chair Julius III. a most mortal Enemy of Borgia was chosen in his stead who having taken into his Possession all what he had got before banish'd him out of the Country Neither did this Pope rest satisfied till he had recovered all what formerly belonged to the Church except Ferrara which was not reunited with the Papal Chair till about the latter end of the last Age when the Legitimate Race of the Dukes of Esté was extinct This Pope also prevented the French from becoming Masters of Italy § 25. But when the Ecclesiastical Monarchy seem'd to be come to the very Pinacle of its Grandeur when all the Western parts were either in Communion with or in Obedience to the Church of Rome except some few Remnants of the Waldenses in France and of the Hussites in Bohemia and when just the differences arisen betwixt Pope Julius II. and Lewis XII which easily might have occasioned another Schism were after the death of the first happily Composed by Leo X. and all the complaints against the Ambition of the Court of Rome were almost extinguished there was such a Revolt made from the Chair of Rome first raised upon a very indifferent occasion that a great part of Europe withdrew itself from the Obedience of the Pope who was thereby put in danger of losing all We will in this as we have done in all other matters only relate how far human Counsels and helps were concerned therein For the hidden Counsels and Works of God Almighty ought in our judgment rather to be received with admiration and a submission than to be dived into with presumption And what Tacitus says in a certain place may conveniently be applyed here Abdiâ—'s numinis sensus exquirere illicitum anceps nec ideo assequare i. e. To search into the hidden designs of God is unlawful uncertain nor are they to be penetrated by us Pope Leo of the House of de Medicis was an affable and magnificent Man very liberal towards all honest and learned Men who might have made a very good Pope if he had but had an indifferent knowledge of Religion and an inclination to Piety whereas he was very careless of both He having lived very splendidly and by his Liberality and Magnificence exhausted the Apostolical Chamber and not being acquainted with the Arts of acquiring Riches made use of the Cardinal Laurence Puccius who at last when all the other Gold Mines were emptied proposed the way of raising mony by Indulgences These Indulgences were therefore sent abroad all over Christendom both for the dead and the living Eggs Milk and the like were allowed to be eaten on fast days The several sums of mony thereby to be raised were beforehand assigned to certain uses All what was to be Collected in Saxony and thereabout as far as to the Sea side having been granted to Magdalen the Pope's Sister She to make the best of the Pope's Grant had committed the whole management of her share to one Arcimbold a Bishop by his Title and Coat but who was most experienced in all the Genoese Tricks of Merchandising He again employed such as did proffer the most and had no other prospect than the getting of mony It had been formerly a Custom in Saxony that the Hermits of the Order of S. Austin used to proclaim the Indulgences But Arcimbold's Commissioners did not think fit to trust them at this time as knowing them to be expert in that Trade and fearing that they might not deal fairly with them or at least that they might not bring in more mony than used to be gathered at other times They chose therefore the Dominicans to Preach up the Indulgences which the Austin Friers took very ill as being thereby defrauded of their Authority Right and Profit The Dominicans in the mean while to show themselves well qualified for this new Employment did magnifie their Ware to that extravagant degree that their Auditors were extremely scandalized at it especially since the Commissioners lived in continual debaucheries and spent with great infamy what the poor Country Fellows spared out of their Bellies to redeem their sins This obliged Luther a Frier of the Hermits Order of S. Austin to oppose these impudent Merchants of Indulgences and having duely weighed the matter with himself he in the year 1517. did affix 95. Theses concerning this Point at Wittenbergh and John Tezel a Dominican Frier published some other Theses in opposition to those at Franckfort Thus the Dispute having been set on foot each of them began to enlarge himself upon the abovementioned Theses But Luther having upon his side both Reason and Scripture his Adversary had nothing to alledge for himself but the Authority of the Pope and the Church Wherefore Luther was obliged to make an enquiry upon what Foundation the Authority of the Pope was built and in what condition the Church was at that time which led him by degrees unto the discovery of the Errors and Abuses which were crept into the Church and to an invective against the Impostures and scandalous lives of the Monks and Priests and that it was a duty incumbent upon the Magistrates to abolish these Abuses And to this purpose as also to oblige the Magistrates to uphold his Doctrine he spoke very magnificently concerning the Nature and Grandeur of the Civil Power which the Priests hitherto had represented as despicable By which means he at first got a great Party and his Doctrine was spread abroad every where § 26. But that we may the better understand the Reason why a Poor Frier was able to give such a blow to the Chair of Rome we must next to the Supreme Direction of God Almighty consider the circumstances of these times and what disposition there was at that juncture of time in the minds of the People in General First then Luther's Propositions concerning the Indulgences were very good and reasonable and a great many Divines which afterwards opposed his Doctrine were at first of his side as were also some Cardinals and George Duke of Saxony himself His Adversaries were so perverse that every body lamented their folly and perverseness Neither was it at first in the least suspected that things would go so far as they did Luther himself had at first not the least thoughts of falling off from the Pope The Emperor Maximilian had no aversion to the Doctrine of Luther and it is credibly related that when he first heard of him he did say that this Frier ought to be kept safe since good use might be made of him Some Monks only and these Commissioners who were likely to be the losers by it did make such a clamour and raised such tumults by blowing up the Coals that this small Spark broke
unwilling to ruin their Fortunes by going over to the Protestant side where they are not likely to meet with so plentiful a share These Temptations are not easily to be resisted wherefore they think it sufficient for the obtaining of Salvation if they believe in Jesus Christ and trust upon his Merits but for the rest think it of no great consequence if in some matters which are the inventions of Priests they by conforming themselves play the Hypocrite and believe as much concerning them as is suitable with their Opinions They suppose it to be of no great consequence that perhaps the Female Sex and the vulgar sort of People that are always fond of extravagancies do believe these things in good earnest There are also questionless not a few who not having sufficient Capacity to distinguish betwixt such Points in Religion as are commanded by God and betwixt such as are invented by the Clergy for private Ends and perhaps coming afterwards to the knowledge of some of these deceits they take all the rest for fabulous Inventions only covering their Atheistical Principles with an outward decent behaviour to save themselves the trouble of being questioned and disturbed Every Man of Sense may without difficulty imagine how easily a sensible Italian or Spaniard that never has read the Bible or any other Protestant Book may fall into this Errour if he once has had an opportunity to take notice of the Intrigues of the Clergy tho' it is certain that since the Reformation of Luther the Church of Rome has changed her Habit and her Garment appears far more decent than before But besides this there are a great many Persons of Quality as well as of a meaner Condition who make their advantage of the Romish Religion where they have an opportunity to provide for their Friends by putting them either into some Order or other of Knighthood or into that of Monks or other Ecclesiasticks by which means a great many Families are eased of a great Charge and sometimes are raised by it At least the superstitious Parents are well satisfied when they see their Children are become such Saints And those that cannot make their Fortunes otherwise run into a Monastery where they are sure to be provided for All these conveniences would be taken away if the Popish Monarchy should fall and the Church Revenues were applyed to the use of the State The Popish Doctrine also has got so firm footing in those Countries where it now rides triumphant that if any of their Princes should endeavour to root it out he would find it a very difficult Task since the Priests would be for raising Heaven and Earth against him and not stick to find out another James Clement or Ravilliac for their purpose Besides this most of those Princes are tied by a Political Interest to the Church of Rome and by introducing a Reformation cannot propose any advantage to themselves but rather cannot but fear very dangerous Divisions and Innovations § 38. Italy by its particular Interest is obliged to support the Popish Monarchy it being much to the advantage of this Country that the Pope resides among them especially since now a-days no other but Italians do attain to this Dignity so that there is scarce a great Family in Italy but some of their Friends have some dependence on the Roman Chair Because the Bishops and Prebendaries in Poland are always chosen out of the Nobility the Noblemen who have the chief sway of Affairs in that Kingdom are tied to the Popish Interest and the Bishops who are there also Senators of the Kingdom have a great influence in all the Transactions of any moment The Clergy is very Potent in Portugal and in case of any Innovation would be assisted by the Spaniards this was the reason why the Portugueses of late years have been fain to comply with the Pope notwithstanding that the Pope to curry favour with Spain did not many years ago treat them so ill in the matter of Collation of Bishopricks which else might have served them for a fair Pretence to withdraw themselves from the Obedience of the Roman Chair Some of the Estates of Germany are to this day adhering to the Popish Interest among the Imperial Cities that of Cullen is the Chiefest which City is over-run with Ecclesiasticks Besides this there are abundance of Counts and others of the Nobility that hitherto have not thought fit by turning Protestants to exclude themselves from Ecclesiastical Dignities and Benefices Among the Temporal Princes the Elector of Bavaria has stuck close to the Romish Religion because the House of Bavaria has always had a great Appetite to the Imperial Crown which hope it must lay aside if it should leave the Popish Religion What has induced some Protestant Princes to return to the Romish Communion is sufficiently known Neither is it much to be admired at that the present Bishops and Prelates stand firm to the Popish Interest in Germany since they find it more advantageous to be great Princes than poor Preachers Besides this they have been deterr'd from undertaking any Reformation by the Example of two Electors of Collen which they in the last Age did begin with a very unfortunate Success in their Dominions After Charles V. being influenced by the Spanish Counsels did let slip the Opportunity of setling the Protestant Religion throughout the Empire the Emperours have ever since that time for reasons of State not been able to disentangle themselves from the Popish Sovereignty if they had been never so willing For as the case now stands the Ecclesiastical Princes of the Empire are tied to the Emperour's Interest from whom they hope for Assistance against the Secular Princes in case of necessity But if the Emperour should abandon the Church of Rome the whole Clergy would be against him and he could not promise himself any certain Assistance from the Secular Princes especially since some of the most ancient Houses of those Princes that now have laid aside the hope of attaining the Imperial Crown by reason of difference in Religion would then pretend to have the same right to that Dignity with the House of Austria The Pope also upon such an occasion would not cease to stir up Heaven and Earth against him and the King of France would not let slip this Opportunity but would with all his might endevour to obtain the Imperial Dignity in which design he perhap◠might meet with encouragement from the Clergy The Spaniards pretend to be the greatest zealots of the Romish Religion because they stand in need of the Pope's Favour to assist them in the preservation of the Kingdom of Naples and the State of Milan and they commonly use to lay their Designs under the cover of preserving and maintaining the Roman Catholick Religion wherein however they have for the most part miscarried not to mention here that the Clergy is very Potent in Spain and that the common People thro' the false
Protestants together by the Ears flattereth the Protestant Princes and takes care that many of them may marry Roman Catholick Ladies the younger Brothers out of the greatest Families he obliges to come over to his Party by bestowing upon them great Dignities and Church-Benefices all that will come over to his side are kindly received and very well used neither do they write so much against the Protestant Divines but rather endeavour to set up and maintain Controversies among them By these Artifices the Popish Clergy had got very visible advantages in this Age over the Protestants and are likely to get more every day since they see with the greatest satisfaction that their Adversaries do weaken themselves by their intestine Quarrels and Divisions § 40. From what has been said it is easily to be judged whether those Differences which are on foot betwixt the Roman Catholicks and the Protestants may be amicably composed either so that both Parties should remit something of their pretensions and agree to one and the same Confession of Faith leaving some by-Questions to be ventilated in the Universities or so that both Parties may retain their Opinions and yet notwithstanding this Difference might treat one another like Brethren in Christ and Members of the same Church Now if we duly weigh the Circumstances of the matter and the Popish Principles such a Peace is to be esteemed absolutely impossible since the Difference does not only consist in the Doctrine but both Interests are absolutely contrary to one another For first the Pope is for having the Church-Possessions restored but the Protestant are resolved to keep them in their possession The Pope pretends to be the supreme Head of Christendom but the Protestants States will not part with their Prerogative of having their Direction circa Sacra which they look upon as a precious Jewel belonging to their Sovereignty And to pretend to live in Communion and Amity with the Pope and not to acknowledge his Sovereignty in Ecclesiastical Affairs is an absolute contradiction In the same manner as if I would be called a Subject in a Kingdom and yet refuse to acknowledge the King's Authority Besides this the infallibility of the Pope is the Foundation Stone of the Popish Sovereignty and if that is once removed the whole Structure must needs fall wherefore it is impossible for the Pope and that for reasons of State to abate any thing from his 〈◊〉 wherein he differs from the Protestants For if it should â—e once granted that the Pope had hitherto maintained but one single erroneous point his infallibility would them fall to the ground since if he has erred in one point he may be erroneous in others also But if the Protestants should allow the Pope's infallibility they aâ— the same time must deny their whole Doctrine And it seems not probable that the Protestants can ever be brought to contradict and at once to recal their Doctrine concerning the vanity of the Popish Tenets Nay if it might be supposed that the Laiety should do it what must become of the Clergy Where will they bestow their Wives and Children Wherefore how good soever the intention may have been of those that have proposed a way of accommodation betwixt the Papists and Protestants which is commonly called Syncretism thâ—y are certainly nothing else but very simple and chimeâ—ical Inventions which are ridiculed by the Papists who in the mean while are well satisfied to see that the Protestant Divines bestow their labour in vain as to this point since they the Papists are no loosers but rather the gainers by it For this Syncretism does not only raise great Animosities among the Protestants but also does not a little weaken their Zeal against the Popish Religion It is easy to be imagined that some who do not thoroughly understand the Differences and hear the Divines talk of an accommodation betwixt both Religions are apt to perswade themselves that the Difference does not lie in the fundamental points and if in the mean while they meet with an advantageous proffer from the Roman Catholicks are sometimes without great difficulty prevailed upon to bid farewel to the Protestant Religion It is taken for a general Rule that a Fortress and a Maiden-head are in great danger when once they begin to parly § 41. But if the Question were put whether the Pope with all his adherents be strong enough to reduce the Protestants under his Obedience by force it is evident enough that the joint power of the Papists is much superiour to the strength of the Protestants For Italy all Spain and Portugal the greatest part of France and Poland adhere to the Pope as also the weakest part of the Swiss Canâ—ons In Germany those hereditary Countries which belong to the House of Austria the Kingdom of Bohemia and the greatest part of Hungary all the Bishops and Prelates the House of Bavaria the Dukes of Neuburgh and Marquisses of Baden besides some other Princes of less note some Counâ—s Lords and others of the Nobility and some Imperial Cities besides others of the Roman Catholick Communion that live under the Jurisdiction of the Protestant States all which according to my computation make up two thirds of Germany There are also a great many Papists in Holland neither is England quite free of them But of the Protestant side are England Sweden Denmark Holland most of the Secular Electors and Princes and the Imperial Cities in Germany The Hugonots in France are without strength and the Protestants in Poland being dispersed throughout the Kingdom are not to be feared Curland and the Cities of Prussia may rest satisfied if they are able to maintain the free exercise of their Religion neither is Transylvania powerful enough to give any considerable Assistance to the Protestant Party The Papists also have this Advantage above the Protestants that they all acknowledge the Pope for the supreme Head of their Church and at least to outward appearance are unanimous in their Faith whereas on the contrary the Protestants are not joined under one visible spiritual Head but are miserably divided among themselves For not to mention here those Sects of lesser note viz. the Arminians Socinians Anabaptists and such like their main Bod is divided into two Parties of very near equal Strength viz. into the Lutherans and those of the Reformed Religion a great many of which are so exasperated against one another that they could not be more against the Papists themselves Neither are the Protestants united under one Church-Government or Liturgy but each of these States regulate the same according as they think sit Neither can it be denied but that the Roman Catholick Clergy in general is more zealous and industrious in propagating their Religion than the Protestants a great many of these making no other use the Church-Benefices than to maintain themselves out of them just as if it were a meer Trade and the propagating of the Christian Faith is the least
of their Care or at least only their by-work Whereas the Monks and Jesuits gain great applause by their Missions in the East and West-Indies and tho perhaps they brag more than is true of their great Success there yet is this Institution in the main very praise-worthy Besides this there is such an implacable jealousy betwixt some of the Protestant States that it is not probable that they will be one and all against the Papists not to mention others here such a jealousy is betwixt Sweden and Denmark as likewise betwixt England and Holland Tho' on the other hand there is as great a jealousy betwixt France and Spain which will always be an obstacle to any union betwixt these two Crowns against the Protestants So that notwithstanding the unequality betwixt the Papists and Protestants these need not fear the Pope's Power Nevertheless there is a great difference to be made as to those Protestants that live in a Protestant State independent on any other and those who live under the jurisdiction of a Roman Catholick Prince the latter of which are not so very well assured of the free enjoyment of their Religion For the Hugonoes in France have no other Security but the King 's bare Word and the Edict of Nantes which would stand them but in little stead if the King of France should be overcome with a Zeal like to that of the Spaniards or the House of Austria Yet does it not seem probable to me that the King of France should easily pretend to force them to another Religion as long as they are quiet since he ought to consider what great Services the Hugonots have done to Henry IV. without whose Assistance he would in all likelihood not have been able to obtain the Crown It is not easily to be supposed that the Poles should raise a persecution against the Protestants in Curland and Prussia especially as long as the City of Dantzick maintains her Liberty The Protestants in Germany are so considerable that they may be esteemed equal in strength to a Kingdom But their being divided under several Heads and that of a different Interest much abates their strength And the Emperours within the space of a hundred Years have twice reduced them to that extremity that both their Religion and Liberty which are so link'd together that one cannot be lost without the other seemed to be near gone if France and Sweden had not prevented it 'T is true there has of late Years a new Maxim been set up viz that the Protestants of Germany are now in a capacity to maintain themselves without the assistance of the two above-mentioned Crowns and that the Elector of Brandenburgh is the most fitly qualified to be their Head and to have the Direction among them And as it is the Interest of the House of Austria to uphold them in this belief so Brandenburgh and Luneburgh make use of this supposition to cover their designs of getting into their possession those Provinces that were given to Sweden as a recompence for having been so instrumental in preserving the Religion and Liberty of the Protestants of Germany But suppose they should compass their Design it is most certain that those two Houses by the addition of those Countries would be much less formidable to the Emperour than they were at that time when they were upheld by Sweden And it is a great mistake if they perswade themselves that what assistance they may exspect from Denmark and Holland can countervail what they had from France and Sweden If the Emperour should obtain his Ends and drive those two Nations out of Germany and restore the Spanish Interest and then tire out the Estates by sending great Armies against them it would be a question who would be able to oblige the Emperour in such a case to disband his victorious Forces Or whether the Emperours might not under some pretence or another keep his Army on foot and oblige the States to provide for them in their Territories Whether Brandenburgh and Lunenbuhgh would be able alone to oppose the Emperour's design But if the Protestant Estates should find themselves not strong enough to resist his Power it would be the Question whether these Crowns would be immediately ready at their demands or whether the circumstances of their Affairs would be such as to be able to undertake such a task Or whether at the time of imminent danger such a one as Gustaous Adolfus would be sent down from Heaven who could act with the same Fortune and Success For he that believes that the Religion is sufficiently secured by Seals and Deeds or that the Emperours have laid aside all thoughts of making themselves Sovereigns of Germany if an occasion should present it self especially since Religion and the recovery of the Church possessions furnishes them with so specious a pretence must needs have lost the memory of all past transactions But the last Peace made at Nimmeguen has sufficiently convinced the World that these designs could not be put in execution Those Protestant States therefore that are Independent on other Princes need not fear the power of the Roman Catholicks For as two States that are of the same Religion nevertheless differ in State Interests and are jealous of one another which is plainly to be seen betwixt France and Spain and betwixt England and Holland so though States are of a different Religion it is not from hence to be concluded that if a Potent Prince of the Roman Catholick Persuasion should attempt to ruin a Protestant State the other Roman Catholick States would not prevent it if it was for their Interest to see that Protestant State preserved The best way then to preserve the Protestant Religion is that each of these States take effectual care how the same may be well preserved in their several States And this may be done without any crafty inventions as the Roman Catholicks are obliged to make use of but only by plain and simple means One of the main Points is that both the Churches and Schools may be provided with persons fitly qualified for that purpose That the Clergy by their wholesome Doctrine and a good Life may shew the way to the rest That the people in general but more especially such as in all likelyhood one time or another may have a great sway in the State be well instructed in the true and Fundamental Principles of the Protestant Religion that thereby they may be proof against the Temptations of the Court of Rome especially when they are to Travel in Popish Countries That the Clergy may be so qualified as to be able to oppose the devises and designs of their Eâ—â—â—ies who every day busie themselves in finding out new Projects against them Some are of Opinion that the Protestant Party would be mightily strengthned if the two Chief Factions among the Protestants that besides the difference in their Doctrine are also of a different Interest which seems to floâ—â—
Success that the King not only constituted him Minister in the great Church of Stockholm and put into other vacant Church-Benefices such Ministers as had studied at Wittenbergh but also constituted over the Dominicans and Black Fryars such Priors as he knew to be faithful to him and such of them as were Foreigners he banished the Kingdom and told unfeignedly to Bishop Brask that he could not deny Protection to the Lutherans as long as they were not convinced of any Crime or Errour But all this while one Soren Norby who still adhered to King Christian had Gothland in his Possession and did considerable damage to the Swedes in their Trade against him King Gustavus having sent Bernhard van Melan with some Forces to reduce the said Island and Norby finding himself too weak put himself and the Island under the Protection of Denmark which occasiaoned some differences between these two Northern Kings who had been very good Friends ever before About this time Olaus Petri was publickly married in the great Church at Stockholm and the King had not only demanded the Tenths of the Clergy towards the maintenance of his Forces but also Quartered some of his Horse in the Monasteries which so incensed Bishop Brask that he forbid in his whole Diocess so much as to name the Doctrine of Luther But the King having understood that Olaus Petri was busie in Translating the New Testament into the Swedish Tongue commanded the Archbishop to take care that the Roman Catholicks also should make a Translation which though it â—elished very ill with the Bishops yet were they fain to comply with the King's command who to mortifie them the more also ordered a Disputation to be held at Vpsal betwixt Dr. Pieter Galle and Olaus Petri concerning the chiefest Points in question betwixt the Roman Catholicks and Lutherans where Olaus Petri had much the better and his Translation was approved of before the others which had been patched up by so many Translators In the mean time the Danish Clergy had given a considerable Subsidy to their King to be employed against King Christian wherefore King Gustave taking hold of this opportunity demanded a considerable supply from the Swedish Clergy but these objecting that it was against their Privileges and Rights the King ordered the same to be examined in another Dispute betwixt Olaus Petri and Dr. Pieter Galle and because they were not able to prove their Title out of the Holy Scripture the King concluded them to be dependent on his pleasure and at the Dyet held at Westeraos not only demanded a supply from the Clergy but also proposed that the superfluous Bells should be taken out of the Churches and be employed towards the payment of the Debt due to the Lubeckers And because the Archbishop grew more troublesome every day the King first took him into Custody and afterwards sent him Ambassadour into Poland from whence he never returned into Sweden He also commanded another Disputation to be held concerning the chief Points in question betwixt the Lutherans and Roman Catholicks which however met with great opposition from Bishop Brask and the rest of the Roman Catholick Clergy who set up a Country Fellow against Gustave This Fellow pretended to be the Son of Steen Sture notwithstanding he was dead a twelve month before and having got a party among the Dalekerls and being upheld by Bishop Brask and the Bishop of Druntheim in Norway and encouraged in his undertaking by King Frederick of Denmark laid open claim to the Crown threatning all the Lutherans and especially the City of Stockholm with Fire and Sword which was the most forward in settling the Protestant Religion About the same time the Emperour had besieged Pope Clement VII in the Castle of St. Angelo wherefore King Gustave taking hold of this Juncture appointed a Dyet to be held at Westeraos where in his Declaration he professed that the Roman Catholick Clergy had made it their business to charge him with making Innovation in Religion for no other reason but that he would not let them domineer over the Laymen and had forced them to submit to the Civil Power and to give part of their superfluous Riches some of which they had got by fraud towards easing the Common People of those burthensome Taxes which he hitherto had been forced to impose upon them And that for the same Reason the Emperour himself had been forced lately to teach the Pope his duty The same thing was proposed by the King to the whole Dyet where he told them that the superfluous Revenues of the Clergy ought to be annexed to the Crown and especially such Lands as since the year 1454 had been given to the Clergy should be restored to the right Heirs promising withal that the Common People should be for the future eased of their Taxes in case they would give their consent to the reduction of the Revenues of the Clergy And the better to get the consent of the Temporal Lords and Senators he made a great Banquet where he gave the next place to himself to these Senators whereas the same had belonged formerly to the Bishops who now were forced to be contented with the next place after them the third place was given to the rest of the Nobility the fourth to the inferiour Clergy the fifth to the Citizens the sixth to the Boors which so exasperated the Clergy that they assembled in the Church of St. Egidius and secretly took a resolution among themselves not to obey the King in this Point not to surrender any of their Revenues or to recede from their antient Religion And Bishop Brask freely told the King that the Clergy of the Kingdom had such a strict dependency on the Pope that without his consent they could not do any thing whatsoever Which as it met with great approbation from all the rest of the Clergy and from some of the Temporal Estates so the King was so incensed thereat that he immediately rose from his Seat and told the Estates that he was ready to Abdicate the Kingdom if they would repay him his Charges and Monies which he had laid out for that use and to show them that he was in earnest retired for several days with some of his chief Officers into the Castle The Estates being much surprised at the King's resolution especially when they saw the Citizens of Stockholm to be stedfast to the King and that Dr. Peter Galle was worsted by Olaus Petri in a late Disputation thought it their best way to beg the King's pardon and to intreat him not to resign the Crown Upon their reiterated request the King having been at last prevailed upon to come out of the Castle demanded from several Bishops to surrender into his hands their Castles and to subscribe a Decree made at this Dyet concerning the regulating of the Clergy which they were fain to comply withal As soon as the Dyet was ended he took not only from the Monasteries such Lands as
procured a Truce with Denmark and having gathered what Forces and Mony they could among â—â—eir Friends and brought over some German Forces that were in King Erick's service to their side as also engaged Charles King Erick's Brother to join in the Confederacy they seised upon the Castles of Stockeburgh Lackoe and Wadstena in the last of which they found a great Treasure Then they published their Reasons for taking up Arms against the King and his evil Counsellours and marched directly with their Forces towards Stockholm near which place having fixed their Tents they attacked the City on the side of the Brunckehill King Erick on the other side defended himself valiantly for a while and by frequent Sallies did great mischief and being mistrustful of the Citizens of Stockholm he sent a Messenger into Denmark to crave assistance from King Frederick but this Messenger having been taken and killed by the way the Senate of that City who despaired to hold out much longer against the Dukes Forces and also were favourers of their party would have persuaded the King to a surrendry which proposition having been rejected by the King they whilst the King was at Church opened the Gates to his Enemies so that he narrowly escaped into the Castle The Dukes Forces laid then close Siege to the Castle so that King Erick having first received Hostages was forced to come out and after having resigned the Crown to surrender himself a Prisoner to his Brother Duke Charles The Estates then assembled at Stockholm having also jointly renounced their Obedience to him he was made a close Prisoner and committed to the care of some of the Friends of the murthered Lords who used him most barbarously § 11. After the Deposition of King Erick John was by the Estates then assembled at Stockholm proclaimed King of Sweden who having caused some of those that had been instrumental in the Murther of the Lords at Vpsal to be Executed sent his Ambassadour to Roeshild to treat with the King of Denmark either concerning a Peace or at least the prolongation of the Truce But these Ambassadours having exceeded their Commission and agreed to such articles as were very prejudicial to Sweden the whole Transaction was declared void at the next Dyer and King John sent other Ambassadours to desire more moderate propositions of Peace from the King of Denmark And to give some sort of satisfaction to his Brother Charles unto whom he had formerly promised a share in the Government he put him in the Possession of Sudermannia Nericke and Wermeland which Provinces were granted him before pursuant to his Father's Testament Then he was Crowned at Vpsal and having sent back the Russian Ambassadours he sent also some of his own into Moscovy to prolong the Truce betwixt them but no sooner were they arrived there but the Moscovites took them into custody and perceiving that the Liflanders would in no ways submit themselves under their Yoak they found out this expedient to put Magnus Duke of Holstein into the Possession of that Country with the Title of an Hereditary King paying only some small acknowlegement to the Grand Duke of Moscovy This Proposition having been approved of by the King of Denmark Duke of Holstein and all the Liflanders in general who were very willing to live under the jurisdiction of a German Prince The Moscovites to put their design in execution advanced with a great Army which obliged King John to make Peace with the Danes at Stetin upon very disadvantageous terms But whilst the Moscovites had employed all their Forces in Livonia and Finland the Tartars being set on by the Poles fell into Moscovy and having taken and burnt the City of Moscovy cut above thirty thousand of the Inhabitants to pieces This misfortune proved a main obstacle to their design upon Livonia yet having made a Truce with the Tartars and Poles for some years they again entred Livonia with 80000 Men and committed most inhuman barbarities which the Swedes who were much inferiour in number could not prevent at that time But a Swedish party of 600 Horse and 100 Foot that were faln in with the Moscovites having routed 16000 Moscovites killing 7000 of them upon the spot the Czar of Moscovy was so dismayed that he of his own accord offered a Treaty of Peace to be set on Foot at Newgarten which place being disliked by King John the War began a fresh which was carried on but with very indifferent success on the Swedish side they having been repulsed before Wefenbergh and Telsburgh There happened also another misfortune in the Swedish Camp which proved not a little prejudicial to their Affairs for the German Horse and Scotish Foot that were in their Service came to handy blows upon some distaste taken against one another wherein 1500 Scotish Foot were all cut to pieces by the Germans except 80 that escaped their fury and the Russians not long after surprised the Swedes and Germans that were drunk in their Camp and killed a great many of them upon the spot and because the Swedes were also not idle on their side but made frequent inrodes into the Russian Territories a Truce was concluded betwixt them for two years Most of the Swedes are of opinion that King John might have prosecuted this War with more vigour if he had not been more intent upon a Religious design than upon warlike preparations The business proceeded thus King John though he was Educated a Protestant yet having been very conversant with a great many learned Roman Catholicks and influenced by his Queen had resolved to restore by degrees the Roman Catholic Religion under pretence of making a Reformation in the lately introduced Protestant Religion To effect this he intended to follow the footsteps of Georgius Cassander that was employed by the Emperours Ferdinand I. and Maximilian II. to unite and compose the Religious differences in Germany and having called in some Jesuits disguised in Laymens Habits to be assisting to his Secretary Mr. Pieter Fretenius who was to be the chief manager of the business he at the Convocation of some of the Bishops and Clergy at Stockholm proposed to them a new form of a Liturgy wherein a great many of the Popish Ceremonies were to be used in the Administration of the Sacraments and Consecration of Bishops and Priests as also the Mass was again introduced which new Liturgy he got subscribed by the new Consecrated Bishops and some of the inferiour Clergy and was called the Liturgy of the Swedish Church conform to the Catholick and Orthodox Church This Liturgy having been published under the new Archbishop's name in the Swedish and Latin Tongues the Mass and other Roman Catholick Hymns were again sung in the Swedish Churches except in the Territories belonging to Duke Charles the King's Brother and the Celibacy of Priests and other Popish Doctrines mightily extolled in the Pulpits by these disguised Roman Catholicks The next thing to be done was to try whether he
six Books By the Famous Monsieur de la Quintinye Chief Director of all the Gardens of the French King To which is added his Treatise of Orange Trees with the raising of Melons omitted in the French Editions Made English by J. Evelyn Esq illustrated with Copper Plates The Commentaries of Julius Caesar of his Wars in Gallia and the Civil Wars betwixt him and Pompey with many Excellent and Judicious Observations thereupon By Clement Edmonds Esquire To this Edition is now added at the end of every Book those Excellent Remarks of the Duke of Rohan also the Commentaries of the Alexandrian and African Wars Written by Aulus Hirtius Pansa now first made English with a Geographical Nomenclature of the Antient and Modern Names of Towns together with the Life of Caesar and an account of his Medals The Roman History from the building of the City to the settlement of the Empire by Augustus Caesar being 727 years for the better understanding of the Roman Authors and Roman Affairs By Lawrence Etchard A. M. The Life of the Famous Cardinal Duke de Richlieu Principal Secretary of State to Lewis XIII A new Voyage to Italy with a Description of the Chief Towns Churches Tombs Libraries Palaces Statues and Antiquities of that Country with useful Instructions for those who shall travel thither By Maximilian Misson Gent. Adorned with Figures BOOKS printed for Tho. Newborough at the Golden Ball in St. Paul's Church-Yard THE Great Historical Geographical and Poetical Dictionary being a Curious Miscellany of Sacred and Prophane History containing the Lives of the Patriarchs Judges and Kings of the Jews of the Fathers of the Church of the Popes c. of Heresiarchs with an Account of their principle Doctrines of Emperours Kings and Illustrious Princes c. of Philosophers Inventors of Arts and those that have recommended themselves to the World The Genealogy of several Illustrious Families in Europe the Fabulous History of the Heathen Gods c. the Description of Empires Kingdoms Commonwealths Islands Mountains and Rivers and other considerable Places of Geography c. Collected from the best Historians Chronologers and Lexicographers by Lewis Morery D. D. The Sixth Edition Corrected and Enlarged by Monsieur l' Clarke To which are added the Lives and most Remarkable Actions of the English Scotch nad Irish Nobility Gentry Clergy and Artificers c. by several Learned Men with the five Years Historical and Geographical Collections of Edmund Bohun Esqiure never yet published Geographia Universalis The Present State of the whole World Giving an Account of the several Religions Customs and Riches of each People The Strength and Government of each Polity and State The Curious and most Remarkable Things in every Region with other Particulars necessary to the understanding History and the Interest of Princes Written Originally at the Command of the French King for the use of the Dauphin by the Sieur Duval Geographer in Ordinary to his Majesty The Third Edition Corrected and Enlarged by R. Midgley M. D. The most ancient State of Mankind The Original of Civil Societies At what time the first States were constituted The first States were very small and imperfect The Assyrian Empire By what means this Empire was maintained It s Fall The Persian Empire By what means it was maintained Greece Sparta Macedon The Politick Conduct and great Actions of Philip. Alexander the Great He dies young Great Troubles after the Death of Alexander The Fall of the Macedonian Empire Carthage Rome a Warlike City Bywhat means Rome became so populous Several other Military Institutions Of the Religion of the Romans The Expulsion of their Kings and the Erection of a new Form of Government Reasons of the fall of the Roman Greatness The Defects of the Roman Common-wealth Two distinct Bodies in Rome Factious Tribunes Citizens too powerfull The Constitution of the Roman Monarchy The Roman Monarchy could not be of a long continuance 〈…〉 Anno 1453. The ancient State of Spain West Goths conquer Spain 410. 554. 572. 586. 646. 677. The Ruine of the Gothick Empire in Spain 713. 714. The Saracens câ—nquer Spain Kings in Oviedo Pelagius 726. Favila Alfonso I. 737. Favila Aurelius Silo. Alfonsus I Veremundus 791. Ramirus Ordonius I. Alfonso III. Garsias 910. 913. The Origin of the Kingdoms of Navarre and Arragon Favila II. Alfonso IV. Ramirus II. 931. Ordonius III Sanctius 955. 965. Ramirus III. 967. Veremund II. 982. Alfonso V. 999. Veremund III 1025. Castile made a Kingdom Sanctius II. Major The perniciâ—us Division of Spain 1038. 1045. 1053. Sanctius III. 1067. Alfonso VI. 1073. 1085. Alfonso VII Alfonso VIII 1118. 1122. 1134. 1137. Sanctius IV. Alfonso IX Henry Ferdinandus Sanctus 1230. 1230. 1240. 1248. Alfonso X. 1256. 1284. Sanctius V. The Sicilian Vespers Ferdinand IV 1312. 1297. Alfonso XI 1324. 1350. Peter the Cruel 1366. 1369. Henry II. John II. 1390. Henry III. John II. 145â— 1442. Henry IV. 1468. 1469. Ferdinand the Catholick and Isabella The Kingdom of Castile and Arragon united The first beginning of the Spanish Inquisition 1497. 1481. 1483. Granada taken 1492. 1494. America discover'd The first rise of the War betwixt France and Spain 1504. Philip. 1506. 1512. Ferdinand conquer'd Naâ—â—arre Charles 1519. Wars betwixt Charles and France 1524. 1525. Rome taken by Charles V. 1527. A Peace madâ— at Cambray 1538. 1542. Peace made at Crespy 1544. Charles wages War against the Protestants in Germany 1547. 1550. Treaty at Passaw 1554. Abdication of Charles Peace betwixt Spain and France 1559. Charles dies Philip II. War with England The Spanish Armado destroyed 1588. 1596. 1594. Peace made at Vervin 1551. 1560. 1592. Portugal falls to Spain 1579. 1595. Philip III. Trucâ— with Holland 1609. 1602. Philip IV. 1622. 1628. 1639. Catalonia rebels 1651. Portugal falls off from Spain 1640. 1636. The Portugueses Duke of Braganza proclaimed King of Portugal 1642. 1647. Massanâ—llo ' s Rebellion at Naples 1647. 1650. The Pyrenean Treaty 1662. 1665. Charles II. 1668. Peace with Portugal The Tripple Alliance Peace made at Aix la Chapelle 1668. Peace made as Nimmegen 1679. The Nature of the Spaniards The Constitution of the Spanish Countries The Spanish West Indies Several sorts of Inhabitants in the Spanish West Indies Riches of America 1563. The Canary Islands Sardinia Sicily Naples Milan The Netherlands The Philippine Islands Strength and Weakness of Spain In what condition Spain is in in reference to its Neighbours and especially as to Barbary Turky Italian States The Pope Venice Genouae Savoy The Suiss Holland Germanâ— England Portugal France What may be the consequence of the Extinction of the Royal Family The Origin of the Kingdom of Portugal Henry Earl of Portugal Alfonsus I. King of Portugal 1126. 1139. The Origin of the five Shields in the Arms of Portugal 1179. 1185. Sanctius I. Alfonsus II. Sanctius II. 1246. Alfonsus III. Dionysius Alfonsus IV. Pieter Ferdinand 1373. Interregnum Some call in the King of Castile 1385. John the Bastard 1399. 1415. 1420. Edward Alfonsus V. 1476. 1479.