grant reformed which did eate at the roote of religion state which they thought they should never be once suffered to speake of much lesse to question sift out if the customes were once granted for they knew that many great crimes of lust murder oppression the like could not get hearing much lesse justice when they had been laid to the Duke and his confederates in former sessions and sittings of Parliament as well since the death of King Iames as before that also in matters of treacherie in religion and state as about the losse of the Palatinat treasure shipping munition and honour in the expedition to Cales Rees Rochel and in other designes wherin they of that faction under publik pretences seemed to be private Agents for Rome France the howse of Austria and divers of them manifest introducers of Arminianisme which they used as a shooing-horn to draw on Popery division though they know that a Kingdom divided in it selfe can not stand In this last sitting divers things of these kindes were manifested against som Bishops and others when now the house beeing ready to declare them to the King they that were sick of the Parliament to shoulder out theese proceedings and finde them other worke animated the officers of the custom howse som others to use all extremity among others against a burgesse then sitting in Parliament who beeing therefore questioned in the howse of cōmons they that got them the kings protection on purpose to engage him in that cause as their manner is in others had then pretence to crie out that the Kings prerogatiue was infringed he obliged to adjourne the Parliamēt which well perceiving that by such divises shifts they should be prevented as they had often beene of questioning delinquēts that the assemblie was like to be therefore dissolved began to protest more openly and plainly against such whisperers who in the meane while as men guiltie and unable to stand the triall laboured uncessantly by all the pretences that could be invented to prove the Commons contemners of regal authority the King obliged on point of honour to dissolve that assemblie Yet afterwards theire greatest enemies that counted them litle better then traitours could not prove theire demur insuffifient nor that they had dōne any thing against the lawes whence it came to be held honourable in them all to choose rather to abide in prison then to gaine offered libertie by beeing bound to the good behauiour which may be an argument to the King that those men incensed him against them to save their owne treacherie from cōming to triall that this was the ende of getting theire freinds chosen Knights and Burgesses as also of all theire intelligences in the howse guarding the Kings eares and preventing all Parliament complaints procedings by a prevaricating exposition of them even of the verie talke of another parliament Many of them had got theire honours and offices of the Duke by such services to him therefore now to save theire owne stakes and maintaine that pride they have made all this division and left the king to get money and hearts where and how he can while in the meane time they account these councels and services trustie honourable and meritorious and thus as wisdom saith Many wil boast every one of his owne goodnes but vvho can finde a faithfull man Only by pride doth man make contention And hence it was that they ever geered and scorned the best indeavours of the Parliamēt therefore though they be many and of greate wit no marvaile if yet theire wisdom have failed them in many greate designes for as wisdom saith A scorner seeketh wisdom and findeth it not A wicked man diggeth up evill and in his lips is like a burning fire setting whole Kingdoms in division and combustion A frovvard person sovveth strife and a tale-teller makes division amonge Princes he divideth the head from the members and the peeves and Princes one from another He shutted his eyes to devise vvickednes he will not be brought to see what is evill nor suffer others to see it but to prevent good men with cunning speaches he moveth his lips and bringeth evill to passe If any thinge be neuer so litle amisse in his adversaries he aggravates and repeates it to keepe them from discovering his owne greater faults so he makes a man an offendour for a vvord and turnes aside the just for a thinge of naught and therefore Wisdom saith He that justifieth the vvicked he that condemneth the just even they both are an abhomination to the Lord. Now since it is apparant that such are the Achans that trouble our Israel through the secret love they beare to the vvedge of gold babylonish garments to honours proffits and Romish superstition and that many such are got aboute the King partly by reason of King Iames his treatie for a match with Spanie which made him broock none but such as praised and furthered it his favouring of papists both which drew them and other church-papists lukewarne newters and temporisers aboute him partly through the craft of Gondomar the Duke his mother and other Agents of Rome Spaine and France who intruded into places of counsaile and trust instruments best fitting themselves and theire owne endes partly through the match with France for seeing the French King is such a manifest freind champion of Antichrist a Protestants peace and alliance with him can not be so safe as it was with his father nor much better then with Spaine partly by suffering the Duke the Papists Arminians and theire supporters Bishops and others with other delinquents to passe unquestioned or at least unpunished principally by reason that by lies devises they have daubed up matters as they did the losses at the I le of Ree guarded the Kings eares and suffered them to give effectuall hearing to none but themselves hence it came to passe with him as Wisdom saith Of a Prince that hearkens to lies all his servants are vvicked Every one growes and hopes to shuffle off his wickednes as others have donne and even those who if they lived where religion and justice were truly maintained would be honest men they yet to keepe theire places proffits and honours and to get greater are not only faine to connive at the practises of such as the Duke was who could helpe them to honour offices but evē to excuse and justifie many of them as Wisdom saith Every man is a freind to him that giveth gifts they blinde the eyes of the vvise So that vvhen the vvicked come up the man is tried what he is as many Lords spirituall and temporall have beene who are found too light while though it be true that He that receiveth gifts overthrovveth the Land yet for honour or proffit they temporise or connive when delinquents prevaile and a Romish or Spanish faction is revived
though God religion Prince people state all loose by it which hath filled the Land with many secret murmures and groanes in so much that some who are reckoned wise men have not sticked to infer that there is no likelihood that God shoult ever give a blessing to such mens counsailes as have either assisted the Duke and his faction in theire projects of betraing the Palatinate the French Protestants and the religious indeauours of Parliament men and other good Subjects or connived at these vile practises and so justified him and his confederates for say they such counsellours as could not see these practises which every mechanical fellow and very ploughmen perceived beeing so many so frequent and so apparant they are blind guides unfit to be about Kings and such say they as percived them and did not lay themselves and theire fortunes downe at the Kings feete to shew him the trechery and danger but connived to get or keepe preferment they were cowardly and mercinarily base and unfaithfull to God religion theire King countrie and the verie State wherin they were chosen watchmen Where in policie poperie is connived at neutralitie and Arminianisme favoured delinquents borne out and Parliaments for theire sakes dissolved the King must needes have such Servants and them ever false Cum privilegio for if he hearken to them that say that these are good policies to hearkens to lies God saith Of a Prince that hearkens to lies all his servants are vvicked Men that take his word say that therefore as theire roote must needes prove rotten so things can never goe wel with the Christian world much lesse with the religion and state of England till the councell which hath beene so Dukified be in a manner wholy changed they therefore count them fooles who thinke if God should take the King away issules that the injured King and Queene of Bohemia should come to the crowne things must needes mend saying that could not be unles the councell were also changed and made examples to keepe others from the like treacherie and temporising for say they if a King be constant to religion they also can make greate shew of defending religion as the Duke and others dâ—d thereby to get trust that they may under hand betray it And people say they had the like hopes when King Iames died seeing our King that now is make greate preparations and for ought wee know with sincerity but by the practise of the Duke and his faction retaining all his fathers counsell which for the most part were Hispanolished Frenchified Romanâ—sed or Newtralised and suffering som worse both spirituall and temporal to be added unto them al those forces weere soone brought to nothing things are growne a greate deale worse and to the greater greife of all goodnes and good men without Gods speciall mercie remediles seeing that a king who only heares and sees things in such mens reports can not know the truth and that no man dares speak for a free Parliament that may sift it out much lesse for an effectuall reformation for as Wisdom saith of such potent counsellours When the vvicked rise up men hide themselves but when they perish the righteous increase A man that hardeneth his neck when he is rebuked shall sodainly be destroied and can not be cured as God manifested in the Duke when the righteous are in authority the people rejoice but when the wicked beareth rule the people sigh Rehoboam was not strengthened by such counsellors but weakened A King and his people are a body politik and the Parliament his representative body Now as in a body if the faculty of the braine in one side be stopped that it can not descend through the sinewes to the senses of moveing in the limbes and members then those parts have the dead palsie and the man becomes as it were halfe dead and as unable to doe any service effectually as our men were at the Palatinate Cales Ree Rochel and in the Parliament howse so is it with the body politick of greate Britain through the practise of som Iesuited Spirits who beeing disguised in the sheepes clothing of a protestant outside gotten into the place of favourits counsellors have cuningly infected many both Bishops and others In whom and by whom the braine for the most part is ill affected and the reciprocall passages betweene the head and the members are stopped so that the right facultie can not descend through the sinewes the peeres Iudges and Bishops to the senses of moveing in the Kings body the Parliament and so his Ma tie giveing no life and strength to that body and the best members thereof nor they meanes to him the whole body is halfe dead so unable to offend adversaries that it can not defend it selfe but must needes perish if those ill humours in the braine of counsell be not by his maiestie purged and removed whereas if he did agree with the Parliament and had a counsell favouring the moveing indeauours of the same he must needes grow dreadfull to them who now hope to see his kingdom by these continued divisions easely conquered witnes the Popes Bull to the present French King given at Rome Septemb. 4. 1626. Now then seeing that it is cleare that in these things the Kings Ma tie himselfe who is ruled and abused by them is not the least sufferer but hath cause to say of them as old Iacob did of Simeon and Levi bretheren in evill Jnto their secret let not my Soule come and that thus divided from his people which under God are his strength he must nedes be in more danger of foraigne enemies forced to treate with them on harder conditions which is one of the secret ends that som of these whisperers had to helpe the Catholike cause at least under a pretext of zeale to the Kings prerogative which zeale they used both as an instrument to worke division and a cloake to cover theire treacherie to our religion and theire secret favour to Rome and her champions what true Subject but wil pray and indeauour that the King may see expell these dangerous counsellors which is the ende of these few collections and reflecting the light of that wisdom on theire practises which saith Blessed is he that shall not be offended in me but wisdom is justified of her children practises so desperatly persisted in that there seenes to be eniuitie jelousie and emulation betweene France and Spaine whether shall by theire meanes hold the continued honour of cousening in the end of conquering us wherein yet I should abhor to be so plaine indeede to medle at all if the many greate and manifest wroÌ„gs done to God religion my King countrie with the extreme danger the three later stand in did not seeme to crie out of silence banking to call to me for plaine dealing what ever it cost me as Isa 1.23 Ezech. 22.27 for 1. What a miserable thing
Commanders in war but such as they knew were sure to theire religion and would strive all they could to maintaine and propagate the same In all theire treaties and warres this was ever one main ende they aimed at as appeareth by Gondomars practises in his treating with England and the care and zeale of theire Generals of Bavaria Tillie Spinola and the rest as he saith that writes the seidge of Breda Against them it was thought fit our forces should be bent not for affectation or desire of Soveraignty but for the reestablishing of religion and regaining what they usurped Now if they had seene like true zeale and care in the English councell and Generals for the Protestant religion they never durst have attempted so much as they have but they grew confident that England then the strongest of all protestant States and most likely to worke Romes Ruin if truly zealous could not to any purpose helpe the Palatinate the French Protestants nor the King of Denmarke much lesse hurt the proceedings and conquests of Romes champions spirituall or temporall knowing the Kings dispositiō and that she and they had the Duke and other secret freinds in England who one while would hold the Kings hands easily kept from drawing his sword under vaine pretexts of hope to set all right by treatie while they of the Palatinate and the French Protestants were loosing and bleeding and another while when they could with no colour use that course any longer would in counterfeyt zeale get forces raised with greate shew of ayding and defending religion and the freinds thereof but with secret purpose to bringe them for Romes sake to nothing as besides delaies the lame commissions procured the popish leaders and instruments imploied and munition and victuals to the enemies transported sufficiently manifested that so at last England might be glad of peace with France and Spaine on hard conditions And in the meane while they could with gifts presents flateries promises and som small supplies and services make shew that they were greate freinds and Agents to the King for the King and Queene of Bohemia theire issue the King of Denmarke and the Rochellers the easier to cousen them all and get the fault laid on the Parliament that stroue most to remove such deceitfull practisers as by working these things seemed to hope a rebellion would follow and then Romish champions might be called from France or Spaine to take a side and get all as wisdom saith A seditious person seeketh only rebellion therefore a cruell messenger shall be sent against him Kings can not binde them from such practises by shewing them favour for papists wil forfeit all other bands to strengthen those of theire religion Secondly because in Germanie France and Spaine the Popish clergie high and low have ever had free libertie to speake and write unto Princes and others for the defence and propagation of theire owne religion and rooting out of theire adversaries and to reprove all such as failed therein and get them punished while in the meane time the Duke and other theire secret freinds in England so laboured and by the helpe of the Bishops obtained that protestant preachers writers should not doe the like for theire religion no not though it were by Gods undeniable word and that if any did it should be never the better yet till there be the like care zeale both in the counsell of state and in the clergie things can never go well with our religion and state nor they be enabled to stand against the zeale and practises of a contrarie religion and kingdom Ministers are Christs Embessadors and Agents and therefore ought to have free libertie to speake in the word of the Lord to Kings statesmen so it be in good and reverent sort for things pertaining to the furtherance of Christs Kingdom and against such practises as hinder the same They ought rather to have had this privileidge then Gondomar the Dukes mother such others as on the contrarie laboured for the kingdom of Antichrist and till they have it princes can not say rightly that Christ hath his Embassadors or Kingdom received in theire courts Which som undertake to prove can not be till the hierarchie and dominion of the Lord Bishops never by Christ ordained but forbidden be overthrowē as dangerous to protestant Princes and states because the greate places thereof are only baites to make som divines temporisers instruments and freinds of such trecherous Arminians church-popelings and delinquents as can prefer them and others to spend theire zeale in maintaining the hierarchie and the fruitles dominiō traditions and ceremonies thereof Out of all which he that wil may see that the losses dishonours and troubles that have befallen this Land and indeede our religion and brethren also in the Palatinate Germanie France and other parts have cheifely sprunge from these two fountains 1. A corrupt councell and clergie in England that were more for the Duke and his confederates that helped them to honours offices and preferments thē for the religion and state divided and kept low by his and theire practises which the Pope the howse of Austria and the French King perceiving tooke that for a time of persecuting conquering and depelling all Protestants 2. A vaine policie of suppressing such preachers writers and Parliament men as sought to discover the mischeife of trecherie and obtaine effectuall reformation In the later if not in both the power and flatterie of the Bishops were principall helpes theire seeming holy habit reverence and authority countenanced the projects of the Duke and his cōfederates while for preferment they stuck fast to him and them in court and Parliament and theire power and hierarchie served to terrifie suppresse and stop the mouthes of such ministers writers who otherwise might by theire sermons and bookes have discovered the homebred enemies and obtained releife for the freinds of our religion which is the service Christ gets by Lord Bishops and theire hierarchie who hereby shewed that they will sooner let religion Prince State and all go downe then theire owne usurped dignities and hopes of further preferment for these and other courtiers and Dukanists that have stil pretended the Kings power and prerogative have not strengthened but rather weakened and debased the same 1. By those fruitles expeditions that they caused abroade which were so forecasted that the Sailers and Souldiers neither comming to good service nor theire pay should refuse to serve the King any more or to be governed by his officers but be readier to spoile theire countrey when they returned 2. By those dangerous divisions that they have procured and nourished at home And while they got his majestie to suffer divers ambitious divines for advancement to broach anew the doctrines of Pelagius and to erect popish superstition to the treading under foote as wel of the divine law as of the Parliamēt have they by al these things gotten the King and his lawes to be
grow from bad to worse make but the adversaries abroade and at home more insolent and God to give us over to be deceived by their practises As wee may see in the fruite of that treatie with Spaine wherin King Iames who had euer favoured the Papists and slacked the execution of lawes against them at last to attaine his ends first with Spaine and then with France permitted aide to goe to the Archduches and after to the French King against the Rochellers more manifestly connived at poperie favored the ould Countesse divers Lords others the freinds therof frowned on the religious opposers of their practises in court parliament suffered not the lawes to be executed on Priests Iesuits but suffered them in a manner openly to dispute preach and write and in som sort forbad preaching writing against them all which could not but make Israel to sinne many to leave their love and zeale of the truth others to fall to Poperie Arminianisme temporising or neutralitie which things it seemes were also donne and suffered to binde them by those favors from practising against his life as they had done against the life of Queene Elizabeth Howsoeuer neither by those fauours nor yet by urging and pressing fruitles traditions and ceremonies and silencing such as groaned under them were theire number lessened and drawne nearer to our religion but rather multiplied and made to affirme that the most learned and wise on our side did hereby shew theire good opiniō of Popish religion In so much that Fisher the Iesuit grew so insolent in print as to incite the King by the example of the French King Henric 4. to let in the Iesuits saying that besides thanks presents from Peru China c. he purchased 2000. pounds for his fame But he knew the Kings timerous nature and therfore as B. White observed He had his ende in mentioning that instance knowne to the world direfull and tragicall a hope by that trope to intrude by terrour for how they requited that Kings loue the dolefull catastrophe shevved therefore he addeth male ominatis parcite verbis Knowing that mē would be ready to infer that King Iames was like to finde no better requital of Papists for his politik favouring of them which is alwaies just with him to permit who saith He that vvil saue his life viz. by ungodly temporisings shal loose it The King knew that though he should call the best protestants puritans wrong them and theire religion yea see it suffer never so much injurie and losse from others yet there was no danger of them much lesse that a King should neede to burne Paraeus his workes though he meant to deserve evill for religion bindes theire hands But must they therfore have the more injuries heaped on them to please the Papists or because Papists are bloodie if crossed in religion must Kings therefore temporise with them and not rather trust in Gods protection as Queene Elizabeth did That which men doe in an unjust policie to prevent an evil is in Gods justice suffered to be the cause that brings it on them as Gen. 11.4 Ioh. 11.48 And accordingly it seemed so probable that King James died by the practise of such papists and popelings as every day lulled him asleepe with tales flatteries wine jests songs and catches while the Palatinate was loosing that the Parliament desired to have it sifted out but this proceeding for him was dashed in such sort as he to his owne hurt had oft crushed the indeauours of many Parliaments by prerogative wherein he haveing by checks and scornes prevailed against the councels and priviledges of Parliaments and refused to let them rid him of such flatterers and secret enemies as neither truly feared the Lord nor the King but midled with jesuited Spirits given to change religion and government as beeing of the Spanish faction that was true in him which the Preacher saith J saw a time that man ruleth over man to his ovvne hurt In so much that some saide Better is a poore and vvise child then an old and foolish King that vvill be no more admonished But certainly he had greate abilities of understanding and judgment if feare of the papists power and practises and an unlimited desire of peace with them had not made him use many temporising policies pleasing to them and greivous to his best subjects Howsoeuer his policies of that kinde found no better fruite then the increase of papists and the emboldening of them here the shamfull losse of the Palatinate the undoing of his posterity there the danger of loosing his only Sone in Spaine the more violent persecution of the protestants 〈◊〉 Germanie and France to the losse of many freinds abroade of 〈◊〉 Subiects hearts at home and his owne fame every where In further proofe whereof I neede say the lesse seeing vox populi votiva Angliae and Tom tell-troth have said so much yet som men make a god of him and urge his Sonne to follow his fathers wisdom as if wee had not yet had mischeife enough by the reviveing Romish and Spanish factions But God graunt it may be a warning to him and all other protestant Princes to abandon all such fruitles and drangerons policies as favour divers religions together with the treacherous promoters of them to hearken in such cases to that which the Wisdom of God saith Trust in the Lord with all thy heart and leane not to thine owne understanding Cease from thine owne wisdom Aske counsell of God at his oracles for therefore Wisdom saith to such a one as hath not so consulted with Gods word as he ought Heare councell and receive instruction that thou maiest be wise in the later ende and for policies and counsels that stand not with Gods word My Sonne heare no more the instruction that causeth to erre from the words of knowledge Wisdom saith in the multitude of the people is the honour of a Kinge and for the want of people commeth the destruction of the Prince that is whether he lack people or haveing multitudes want theire hearts which Rhehoboam found true when embracing evill counsaile and seeking to be a more absolute Lord over them then his father he thereby lost the most of them and so his greatest strength under God whereby he was exposed to the more danger of all foraigne enemies which proves it to be one of the most traiterous offices that can be in councellours to alienate the heart of a Kinge from his subiects Here therefore questionles they can not be excused who incensed the King against his subjects in Parliament I know som lay greate fault in the Knights and Burgesses for delaying the graunt of the subsidie of tunnage and poundage considering the Kings wants The truth is they had beene worthy of greate blame if the necessity that compelled them to it had not pleaded for them which was to get som things before that