controversie that is betwixt them and God that hee might be on their side secondly the weight of the subject and worth of the object would make them look to the laying of every stone for making sure the building lastly having got a stout resolution from advice wel grounded and the object wel thought upon they would stand fast quit themselues like men and esteem so high a prize worthy of their dearest bloud desiring rather to die with honour then to liue with disgrace Fourthly I come to the utility The utility of counsel Prov 2.11 Lib 8. Apotheg or good of counsell that enfues upon it Discretion or counsell saith the Wise-man shall preserue thee Erasmus citing that saying of Furipides that one good counsell may overcome many forces giveth this comment upon it It is not of so much waight to carry many forces into the field as to haue the Commanders of forces men of counsell because wise counsell and wittie skill is of far greater moment then strength voide of counsell As war without counsell is as a Citie without walls so counsell in war is both wals and munition it affoordeth both invasiue and defensiue Armes Counsell saith Caesar is the same to me against mine enemie Fame potuis quam ferro superandum bostes that the Phisitian is against sicknesse which he haed rather overcome with fasting then with physick so had I rather overcome with famine then with sword As this Counsell hath often more prevailed then the sword so is it grounded upon good reason First Fames intrinsecus pugnat vincit saepius quam ferrum li. 3 cap. 9. famine fighteth within as Vegetius vvell observeth and therefore it prevaileth oftner then the sword Secondly if the Defendant haue to doe with a humane enemy he may saue himselfe by capitulation Lastly the forces of the assaylant are without hazard If you look but on the good successe of counsell yea even then when forces haue fayled the utility of it shall further appear Was not Romes Common-wealth advanced by the counsel of Q. Fabius Cato in his Oration against Catiline said that their Ancestors made themselues great especially by good Counsell Was not the State of Hungaria and Bohemia advanced and maintained to the dishonour and damage of their enemies the one by the counsell and dexterity of that renounmed Hunniades the other by the counsel and prowesse of that admirable Sisca against the two most potent adversaries of the world Amongst all instances of this kind there is none more remarkeable then that of the State of France under the government of Charles the Wise vvho comming to the Crown found a ruinous State ful of confusion and calamity for all Guyan part of Normandy and Picardie were possessed by the English through the great overthrow of Phillip of Valois vvith eleven Princes and tvvelue hundred Knights and Gentlemen given by King Edward himselfe at the battell of Crecy and by another given by Prince Edward at the battle of Poiteiurs wherein King Iohn was taken and his son Philip with many Princes and great Lords sent prisoners into England besides those two sore defeates one on the neck of another whereby the foundation of France was shaken and nothing left but the ruines of a Kingdom These reliques were all on fire by civill dissentions Notwithstanding all these the aforesaid Charles Lesage so called for his gravitie and wisdome comming to the government did with such prudencie and counsell compose and order the affaires of that troublesome state that he first quenched the civill discord and after in time recovered a great part of that which the two former Kings had lost and that not without wonder for he was not so brave a warriour as his father King Iohn nor his grand-father Philip. Againe he had to doe with as wise a Prince as great warriour as happy valliant a Generall as euer Europe had yet for all these necessitie made him wise and he tooke a contrary course to the former undertaking and managing Armes with great advice and counsell without which he would not moue one foote it had indeed an answerable successe beyond the expectation of his adversary who seeing and admiring his wise courses whereby he dulled the edge of the English forces loosing ground they could not well tell how King Edward gaue this testimonie of him Froysord lib. 1. cap. 132. that he never knew king that used armes so little and yet made him so much adoe For as by missives he effected much businesse so said he he makes me more a doe with his Pen then his father or grand father did with their forces and Armes By this his Counsell he brought his Kingdom from being a field of war a triumph of spoile a map of miserable povertie to be peaceable plentifull and rich In these instances I could be larger then the treatise will suffer but I will shut up all with one not unknowen namely of the state of Spaine What I pray you is the roote of his over spreading in Europe and other parts Is it his prowesse valour No the few Spanish warriours of note upon record sheweth the contrary It is then their counsell and slight especially since it hath been fed with a fountain running under the ground In this their craftie disposing of themselves they are not unlike the Hedghogge running with the Hare Let the race be through the hedge the Hedghogge is too good for the Hare for what side soever he be on he is alwayes before But that the Spaniard should not be proud of this let Alva his Trophees stay his boasting If he had beene a man of as much counsell as crueltie he might haue saved a sea of bloud his Master a masse of mony and prevented Spaines greatest losse which I hope he shall never reedeeme What is it but the wisedome and counsell of a Prince assisted by his privy Councell that commendeth himselfe commandeth others It is not any personall indowment nor the Princely perogative of place without this that ever will advance his glory or his subjects good neyther can he without this procure his subjects continuance of obedience in love nor cause his name to smell like a precious oinâ—ment What made Severus to be beloved feared and obeyed but his prudent counsell Witnes that exemplary act of his when his souldiers mutined because he was carryed lame of he gout in his Horse litter theâ— would haue his sonne Bassianus to governe He called the Commanders together and after a grave and wise remonstrance made to the Army he caused the chiefe mutiniers to be beheaded giving this item to the rest that they should know that it was the head and â—ot the feet that commanded meaning thereby that it is counsell and wisdom in the Superiour that commandeth and not any gift of the body CHAP. XXI The evill of evill Counsell or want of good Counsell THe last ground for use of counsell is taken from the evill that
is the friut of D. Hall his correspondencie with poperie for which he pleadeth in his treatise of travells and urged hard for conformitie with popish ceremonies by Heylin in his Geography As for the Papists applauding of our leiturgie as he speaketh there it is but a sorry prayse to it when they reckon with him they will pay him for this as they doe in the Epistle to Spalatoes recantation where belying him falsly with the name of an unlearned Minister they flout him for his bragge In the honour of the maried clergie pag. 55. that the English Church was honoured with a Dalmatian pall put upon a Bandogg indeed I know the Doctor knoweth them well enough and that there is no peace with Rome who haue sworne themselues deadly enemies to the gospel and the Professors thereof It is the oath of the Kinghts of the holy Ghost ordeyned by Henry the third of France Anno 1570. that they should persecute the Hugonits Now I come to the last argument which is the evill ensuyng upon the toleration of any false religion The Lord telleth the Israelits that if they destroy not all the idols of the Canaanits that his angershould be kindled against them Deut. 7.4 and he would destroy them suddenly How angry was God with Iehosaphat for hauing any thing to doe with idolatrous Achab therefore he rebuketh him sharply threatneth him fearfully by the mouth of Hanani the Seer 2. Chron. 19 2. shouldest thou helpe the ungodly and love them that hate the Lord therefore is wrath upon thee from before the Lord. And falling in the same fault againe in ioyning with wicked Ahaziah King of Israel he telleth him by the mouth of Eliezer because thou hast joyned they selfe with Ahazia the Lord hath broken thy workes 2. Chron. 20 37. If the Lord were thus angry for joyning in civill affaires how angry would he haue been if he had admitted their idolatry or matched with them The most part of the Kings and great ones Applicatiō they eyther forget God altogether or they thinke he is not the same God I would therefore haue them to cast but their eyes upon examples of later times and see how the Lord hath met with tolerators of false religion Henry the fourth of France begun well but he held not out whose tolerating of others though upon extremitie and imbracing of popery for a kingdom though from the teeth outward caused the Lord as one said well to him to smite first at his tongue wherewith he had denyed him and at last to smite at his heart by one of the furies of the same hellish religion which for the world he was content for a time to tollerate How did Q. Mary pay Cranmer and Ridley for pleading so hard to the King that she might haue a Masse Men must not thinke first to serve their owne turnes and then to serve Gods turne to goe on with policie making religion dance attēdance to it which indeed should serve religion is to set the Asse upon Christ and not Christ upon the Asse The disturbance and distraction of the Germanes which weakeneth them exceedingly against the common enemie ariseth especially from the toleration of diversitie of religion No thing as one saith well doth more combine the minds of men together then unitie of religion and nothing more dis-ioyneth them then diversitie of religion And it were good me thinke for the united Provinces to make up their union with unitie of religion And I may say boldly upon my former grounds made good by instances that they indanger themselues most by toleration of diversitie of religion Besides the multitude of idols in their houses whereof they make no bones though thereby they keep life in Poperie what a confused chaos of heresies what a State renting breach of Schismaticall divisions with a hotch-potch of opinions are to be found with them wherin to their blemishes they are holden the Antesignans or ring-Leaders through the world so that it is growne to a proverbe If a man had lost his religion he might find it at Amsterdam Which proverb I think may rather be inverted thus If a man bring any religion to Amsterdam he had best take heed he loose it not for reason and experience makes this position good that a place of opposition is not so dangerous to Religion as that place where for Religion every man may doe what he list They must not think that their manner of government or necessitie of trading or any other thing will serue to tolerate this toleration against the Law of God and nature the office of the Magistrate the example of the enemy and the evill ensuing on it I wish they may obserue and ponder together with the aim of their cruel enemy who looketh for more advantage out of this evill then out of any other thing Where there be many Apes there be but a few men Many weeds a little corn So a small deale of true religion where is so much diversity of religion Where there is a Cachexia or evill habite of humours there is but a little good bloud so an evill habit of corruption taketh away the life of true Religion in which indeed consisteth the life of true policy I pray God they may look to it and that he would open our hearts from the head to the foot to look to it at home where Popery is as freely practised as if it had publique toleration and that by connivency which God will not winke at And because matching with Idolaters setteth up the greatest gate to idolatry and by consequence layeth us open to Gods heavy wrath as God himselfe doth witnesse Deut. 7.4 They will turne away thy sonn◠from following me that they may serue other gods so will the anger of the Lord be kindled against you and destroy you suddenly We must shut that floud-gate if we will not haue the plague come in and consume us I wonder how men can hold up their faces to speak for such Matches They are first flatly against the Word 2 Cor. 6.12 be not unequally yoked which the Doctors of Doway quote in their Marginall note upon Levit. 19 to condemn all matches with schismaticks and hereticks For confirmation whereof they cite Theodoret. Secondly the Lord taxeth such Matches as a high measure of sin instance in Ahab of whom it is said as if it had been a light thing to haue walked in the waies of his father 1 King 16.31 hee took to wife Iezabel who served Baal Thirdly of the evill effects of these Matches we need not goe no further then our own Nation It is reported in our Histories of Vortigern who Anno 450 at the perswasion of Hengist brought in a multitude of Saxons and marryed Rowen daughter to Hengist Intravit Satanas in cor eius Math. Westmonasteriens pa. 156. of whom it is said that the devill entred into his heart because being a Christian by profession he matched with
the Chancell our of Rochel told the King that the right pretended was not well deceided and that he should not doe well to attempt war but upon a good ground Vpon this Embassadours were sent to the Duke and on both sides it was referred to learned Counsell to search out the right In the mean while the Duke dyed the King had the heire to wife and so the controversie was ended Annal. in Ann. 1488 The like course the same King took for resolution of his right to Naples and Cicily before he would attempt any thing he convocated all the Presidents of his Parliamentary Courts his Chauncellors privy Councell and Princes of the bloud willing them to inform him truely Where upon due search of the Genealogies of the Kings of the aforesaid Kingdoms Annal. in An. 1493. they found the true title to be in him So that upon this ground he carryed his forces into Italie not that he meant to intrude upon Italie as Matchivel would foolishly charge upon him bringing this his attempt as an instance of a just vvar vvithout any truth of title at all but he meant nothing lesse for in suyng out a good ground for Cicilie and Naples he never pretended any right to Italie onely hee assured himselfe of some Towns for his safer passage which hee minded to giue up at his departure To come to a present instance Application The equitie of the cause is an undenyable good ground for the Bohemian war undertaken by his Highnesse Frederick King of Bohemia Hapily some scoffing Ismalites and the rayling crew may flout and make mouthes at the Title because hee is abandoned the possession of that and all other his right but howsoever truth is truth in despite of the devill and the Lord vvill up one day and restore him to his right The equity of the Bohemian warre on the Kings part As for the equity of the vvar it will appear to the view of every indifferent eye in these two particulars First on his part it was meerly Defensiue secondly it vvas undertaken for the maintenance of Civill right and true Religion If vvar be not just undertaken upon these grounds I know not any vvar at all to be just For the former of these two that the Crown and Kingdom of Bohemia is his Right it is as cleere to every impartiall minded man as the Sun-shine at noon day and that upon these grounds First it was freely offered unto him when he did not so much as think upon it Secondly it is cleer from the state and condition of their Kings and Dukes vvhich from the very first beginning of their state to this present time Dubrav Aeno Silv. Haiccius hath been meerly electiue witnesse their uninterrupted practise of free election recorded by the unanimous consent of all that ever undertook their Histories together with the testimonies of Kings and Emperours and lastly the reversall letters of all the Emperours even to this present Ferdinand will witnesse the same Lib. 30. Haic fol. 167. One pregnant instance for all recorded by Dubravius and Hajecius when Anno 1458 some seven or eight Competitors and that no small ones as the Emperour himselfe and the King of France put in for the Kingdom The States to manifest and to maintain their undoubted and indisputable free right of election made choice of Georgius Podiebrachius So that you see without any respect to treatie or intreatie or any motion of disposall upon pretence of hereditary right that State stood ever fast in their free liberty of election They that will be further satisfied may see this truth from point to point discovered and confirmed in the defence of the Bohemian right with a full answer to one that calleth himselfe the Informer who indeed is rather a misinformer and of lesse truth and honestie then the basest sharking Promooter For as I doe not think but he hath perused their Lawes and read their Histories so against the tenour of the one and the truth of the other hee hath laboured to his shame by shifting and shuffling to with-hold the truth in unrighteousnesse but if the light in him and others be darknesse how great is the darknesse His onely overture is that foisted-in clause of Charles the 4 to procure and confirm to his posterity hereditary succession This is fully answered in the related answer Doth it stand vvith reason that a King Electiue shall of his own head infert a new clause to the subversion of the fundamentall Lavves of the State vvherein he is elected Besides this No man is a sufficient witnesse in his own cause Yea the same Charles in another priviledge bearing the date of the same day and year shevveth the approving of the free election of Wenceslaus by Frederick King of the Romans so if the clause be his he is contrary to himselfe As for the right of pre-election of Ferdinaend novv Emperour as the said ansvver sufficiently proveth it was none at all First he deprived himselfe of all right or title to that Kingdom by rejecting and contemning the right electiue and striving to possesse it by hereditary right as the adopted son of Matthias or by some other right of bloud And that this came not barely of himselfe but was the plot of the whole Imperial faction is as cleer as the light in the particular instruments of the pactions and conditions betwixt Phillip the 3 King of Spain and Ferdinand Archduke of Austria Mathew the Emperour procuring and confirming the same The summe of all which is this that upon certain conditions amongst themselues agreed upon the hereditarie right of Bohemia and Hungary should passe from one to another upon the fayling of issues Where obserue that all right of election and by consequence all right indeed is quitted by the Emperour but because great is the strength of truth when hereditary right would not hold water they pretended the right of election A bare pretence indeed if it be duely examined First it was done the King being aliue and still King and therfore of no validity for in every Election two things are required a vacant state and lawfull Electors the former must precede the latter both these in this pretended election was wanting for the full right was by reservation in Mathias with a joynt inhibition that Fordinand should not meddle with the government and that upon the challenge of intrusion which notwithstanding he laboured to infringe against law and promise and by vexation of Armes endevoured to turn an electiue power into an hereditary right yea and that before he was actually possessed which made his election voide if it had been lawfull for elections being conditionall the conditions broke the election is no election As for the Electors besides their want of power the place being full as they wronged themselues so they wrong all those that had any interest therein If the same grounds be well sifted his title to the Empire and Hungary will proue but
a broken title This I was forced to cleer as briefly as I could that the right of King Frederick might be the clearer which being laid in the ballance of equity with the former pretended right shall shew it selfe of a just weight which the other vvants First the place was orderly quitted of all lavvfull challenge Secōdly he vvas called vvithout seeking or intruding Thirdly he had an orderly unanimous and plenarie election all vvhich as I haue shevved vvere vvanting in the former Neither did ever the said king infringe any of their liberties This being as you see his undoubted right stood it eyther vvith equitie or pietie not to maintaine it Compare his right and maintenance of the same vvith the examples quoted of the Campani the Romanes and out of them you shall see as from the minor to the maior that his cause action is as just as may be First the Campani vvere a free people to make choyse at their pleasure of their Head and Governor so vvere the Bohemians and ever haue been since their first being Witnes all the Histories of Bohemia Hungaria Polonia the Annalls of Cilecia and the examples monuments of the Bohemians Aeneas Silvius in hist Bohem. To the vvhich I may add for the better cleering of the point that Embassye of Charles the seventh of France to the Bohemians after the death of Ladislaus to vvhom he had contracted his daughter vvherein he requested them eyther to chuse one of his sons for their King or such a one on vvhom he might bestovv his daughter Secondly they vvere unjustly invaded by a mightie people the Samnites so did the Bohemians suffer much from the hovvse of Austria and no litle by the present Emperour Thirdly they sought aide from the Romanes vvho would not but on just ground undertake the vvarre and therefore they became their subiects and so they vndertooke it so the Bohemians made suit to the Prince Elector in their feare of cruell dealing that he vvould become their King and take the maintenance of their iust cause which he did and that lawfully not undertaking any thing for them directly or indirectly before he vvas their King Compare these together In Nevio licet quod in Gais non licet and except that we wil say that it is lavvful in Nevius which is not lawful in Gaius or a heathen Senate may doe for their subiects vvhat a Christian King may not doe for his I see not whye the one in him is not as lawful or more lawful then the other was in them But to conclude this point If his successe of possession had seconded his right of election a great many of our English Imperialists other drowsy Sybarits would never haue torne his title nor exclaimed on his practise as they now doe To them for the present I will say no more but to iudge actions by events right of titles by present possession is in these evill dangerous dayes rather to approve of tyrannous intruders both in church commō wealth then of the true owners As for the latter point of the ground namely truth of religion the defence whereof he undertooke It is the trueth and none but it against which the gates of hell the dragon beast and false Prophet the croaking frogges and all the drunken Princes of the earth with the cup of the whore doe what they can shall never be able to prevayle As hitherto then appeareth the equitie of the warre on the Kings part The iniquitie of our onemies war so likewise from the want of this ground is laid open to the view the iniquitie of all the warres vndertaken by the enemies of God against his people as the warres of Gog and Magog and of the heathen Emperours made vpon Gods inheritance What ground had the great red Dragon for making warre against the woman and to stand before her to devour the man child when it was brought forth Rev. 12.3.4 As for the greatnes of this persecution by the Roman Emperours and for the bloudy crueltie of it it may justly be called a wonder so not vnfitlie may it so be called because there was no cause given them by those whom they persecuted but rather by their quiet and holy behaviour they deserved to live in peace So the Psalmist speaketh of the rage of the wicked against Christ his Church Psal 2.2 Why doe the people tumulteously rage Where David marveileth at the tumulteous hurling together of the wicked as if they would devoure the godly as they would indeed What ground had the scarlet whore to bathe her leprous carkasse in the bloud of the Saints Where observe likewise Rev. 17.6 that it is called a great wonder What equitie was there that the Popes unholinesse under a pretence of the inlargement of Peters patrimony took armes against Kings and Emperours as Iulius the second against Lewes the tvvelfth of France Yea he gave battel on Easter day against the French at Ravenna Innocent the second against Roger king of Cicilie What ground of stirring up one Prince against another giving of Kingdoms from hand to hand the French against the English as Lewis against King Iohn by Innocent the third the English against the French as Rich of England an Vrbanist made war at the Popes command upon the King of France a Clementine Paul the third sent Cardinall Poole to forraigne Princes to stir them up against Henry the eight giving him his people as a prey to their enemies So how like is the Pope to the devill his father in being prodigal of Kingdomes which are none of his to deale Doe wee ever reade as a fryer Minorite said well that Peter did so Vpon what ground doe they incite subiects to take armes against their soveraigne Kings and Princes as Pius quintus Sixtus quintus the one by his Bull the other by his Declaration excited the subiects of England to take armes against their soveraigne Queene Elizabeth yea to lay hands on her and punish her What just cause had Philip the 2 of Spaine to undertake by force of Armes against law and covenant the establishing of the bloudy Inquisition in the Low countries The best ground I can find was Duke de Alva his hart-burne against the people and Cardinall Granvils spleene against the Gospell What account in conscience could the Duke and Red-cap giue to counsell the King to conquer England whereto he had no right at all and to suppresse religion in all other places For the effecting of this Chiapin Vitelli Duke de Alva his Chiefe Captaine was sent with some faigned message to the Queene but indeed his errand was to try the Papists for immediatly after his departure out of England the Earles rebelled in the North. And for fuell for this fire Duke de Alva had ready in Zealand 10 Regiments to be imbarkt for England but God quenched our fire quickly and found him enough to doe at home for all
pit against the Lord and his annoynted What warrant had they even by their pretended right to undertake warre Did ever Aaron under the Law or Peter under the Gospell levie Arms for the field But this their practise is agreeable to a rule of their own so it be for the good of the Church they never look for further authority then the Popes whom they pretend to haue authority Romish Clergie no persons authorized for war over heaven Hell and Putgatorie And what may they not then doe on earth But if they be prest to shew lawfull authority for the taking up of Arms I think the best evidence they can giue is some forged transcript from the back side of Constantines donation I may vvell resemble this Antichristian vvarfare for vvant of authority unto the vvar of that false Christ that arose in the raign of Traian the Emperour vvhose name vvas Barr Chochab that is sonne of the Star falsly alluding to that place of Numbers Numb 24.17 where Christ is truely so called but for his mocking of the people and blaspheming of God he was slain in the battell and called afterward Of him mention is made in the Talmud by the deluded people Bar Coziba that is the son of falshood And such indeed are the Iesuites the very Incendiaries of unlawfull warres or if you will you may compare them in this case with that rebellious rout of the Iews vvhich called themselus zelators under colour of fighting for religion and common-wealth they choosed for their Chiefetains the grand-captains of vvickednesse they committed cruelties outrages and impieties of all sorts Insomuch that Vespasian Ioseph de bell lud lib. 4 ch 5 lib. 7. Lieftenant generall to Nero vvas sent to suppresse them vvhose termes of peace by the mouth of Iosephus from him offered they scorned by their going on so that as Iosephus Vespasian vvas forced to proceed to vvar vvhich as it continued a long time so it discovered these goodly Zealators The Iesuiteslike the Zelators vvho in their extremity set the Temple on fire and brought utter ruin upon themselus vvith the death of a million of men Iust so these Babilonish brattes pretend Religion as appeareth especially in their new Psalter or seven-fold Psalmody The gunpowder psalter vvith the hymnes vvhereof they solaced themselues in the expectation of the Cunpoâ—â—der Iubilee but their aim indeed is the racing out of Religion the ruin of Kingdoms Psal 4. and the disposing of them at their pleasure In one of their hellish hymns they tell us that holy King Edward and gracious Queen Elizabeth were the curses of the land vvho indeed vvere great blessings they shew vvhat fire vve haue deserved and vvhat fire in effect they had provided for us praying heartily that the hearts of the labourers therein may be strengthned Another of their Hymnns is all full of triumph namely how after the year of visitation and Ioy of Iubilie Ierusalem should be built again and the second glory thereof should be greater then he first But vvhat authority had these fire-work-men in that tempestuous night as they call it to blow up a vvhole State and to dispose of our Kingdom at their pleasure A man vvould not think that they had any but from the Pope and such a devill whose name is Legion yet they point in their psalm at a Fabius and Marcellus both in one person whom they call a second Cyrus stirred up to confirm his Scepter for the good of his people Who this should be except it be the Popes eldest sonne whom the Iesuites hold to be the great Lord of the world I know not But this I am sure of that Tarquinius Furius hath more fire in his bosome and more snakes in his hands to devoure us and to set up their Cyrus then ever they had The heads of Hydra increase and such a number of Todes come out of the brains of the Pope and Serpents out of the raynes of the Iesuites that they cover the face of the earth especially of these Kingdoms But we had need to awake for if we come to the Popes disposing which the great God forbid vvithout doubt the Iesuites Cyrus should not vvant his double portion for the obtaining vvhereof Viriatus vvants not his ovvn stratagem CHAPT V. Of the Vertue of a Souldier THe second personall circumstance is vertue 2 Vertue by which I meane not barely those morall vertues wherewith the heathens were rarely gifted as Caesar Pompei c. who indeed by these make our age blush but also those cardinall or Theologicall vertues 1. Tim. 6.6 Exodus 10. 21. Non sunt verae virtutes sed umbrae called somtimes by the name of godlines and sometimes the feare of God and that because the feare of God or godlines is the fountaine and foundation of all other vertues Where this is not as one saith well the rest are not true vertues indeed but shadowes It is worth the observation that where God amongst the rest of his blessings doth promise that their war shall prosper Deut. 28.3 He first blesseth the person he must be a good man before he be a good and acceptable souldyer to God God will not accept or blesse the action at least to that partie before he blesse and accept the person but the person being accepted howsoever it fall out it is a blessing to him Such especially should be the commanders from the highest to the lowest yea as every one excelleth in eminency so he should labour to excel in true pietie and that for these reasons First 2. King 16. Reasons of vertues necesitie Tanto conspectius in se crimen habet quanto qui peccat major babeâ—ur a fault in the face is foule and the greater person the greater sin Secondly the sin of such is exemplarie and therefore a double sin Let Vitellius play the ryot Tiberius the drunkard will the souldiers be sober Let Sardanapalus sit down to the distaffe will his souldiers care for armes Let Nero play the Mad-man or rather the monster of men will not his souldiers be as mad and monstrons as he Let Ieroboam be an Idolator all his followers will be of that fashion Let Lewis 11 be an egregious dissembler his Courteours will be of that cut Thirdly as nothing corrupts more theÌ„ evil example so nothing is of more force to correct theÌ„ their good example When Lewis the 11 of France scorned learning all the Court Nobles thought it but foolery but Francis the 1 both being learned himself and affecting the learned every state fell to affect learning As the Romane Emperours and coÌ„manders were good or bad so were the souldiers better or worse As valour failed in King Iohn he began to submit to the Pope so his subjects were content to put their necks under forreigne Government but as Edward the third rose up to be the hammer of popish power to challenge maintaine his right
turned to the undoing of himselfe and of the businesse Another notable instance vve haue in the aforesaid Lewis Sforcia a Prince as Histories report highly adorned vvith all endowments of nature Non tutor at crudelis hostis proripit imperium nepoti lov l. 4 de El. and ornaments of the minde a quick vvit eloquence at vvill but that the bloud of his Nephew did staine all these excellencies for of a Tutor he proved a Traytor like Richard the third he might vvell haue deserved the name of a meek and benigne Prince but as his haughtinesse and arrogancie vvas such that he thought to dispose of Italy at his pleasure so he vvas puft up vvith such a false-conception of his ovvn selfe-sufficiency that he contemned and rejected all counsell For though he made a shew thereof in his coulors as I shewed you yet indeed he made use of nothing lesse hee carryed all by the compasse of his own opinion whereunto he was so much addicted that nothing relished with him that came not from himselfe But this selfe-confidence and despising of counsell brought him to a tragicall end as witnesseth Guicciarâ—ne For being foyled by the French Lib. 4. Hist Ital. he betooke himselfe â—ong the Switzers to the habite of an ordinary souldier â—t he was discovered and taken by the French and in an â—ominious manner vvas conducted to Lyons vvhere in the â—ew of a great concourse of people he was tossed betwixt â—vie and pitty for a time and being denyed the Kings preâ—nce which he did exceedingly desire vvas shut up in â—ison which served both to limit his ambitious thoughts â— which all Italy could not contain and likewise to put a â—riod to his disgracefull and disdained life after ten yeares â—prisonment One instance more let me giue you in Iames the 4 King â—f Scots as braue a man as vvitie a King so benigne and â—acious a Prince to his subjects as Europe had not so great â—usticiarie so that he seemed to be composed of clemency â—nd equity and vvhich surpast all the rest he vvas so guarâ—ed vvith the tranquillity of a good conscience arising from â—he innocency of his princely carriage that he counted â—ot the aspertions of the wicked vvorthy of requitall with so much as an angry vvord In a vvord he did so ravish vvith â—oue the hearts of his subjects that as he vvas deerer to them â—hile they had him then their very liues so the rememâ—rance of his death did so gall their soules vvith sorrow that â—ever a Prince in the world lived more desired and dyed more â—mented Yet this one Coliquintida put death in the pot nameâ—y neglect of counsell both in undertaking and managing â—he war against the English which put an untimely end Jncertum est peiore concilio an eventu B. R. Scotie lib. 13. â—oth to his being and his princely vertues Insomuch that â—t is well observed by the learned authour It is uncertaine whether the counsell or event was worse These examples and many others of the same nature makes good that position of Plato That a proud man carryed altogether on the wings of his own conceit scorning the advice both of the wise and warriour is left at length by God to be his own destruction To this effect Comineus a Statesman infâ—riour to none laies this down as an infallible prognostioâ— of future ruin both of King and Kingdom when a Prâ—â— neglecting counsell cleaveth onely to his own wit Yea he sheâ— eth it plainly to be a fearefull fore-runner of Gods judgment when God doth infatuate the heart so that it 〈◊〉 not hearken to counsell The instance that vvee had last in hand maketh it plaiâ—â— For the wise Councel of that good King did earnestly 〈◊〉 swade him from vvarre Besides that strange monitor thâ— appeared to him at prayer as a man of credit vvith the Kinâ— informed the Historian David Lin desius eques Montanus that he saw him with his eyes yâ— for all this by the instigation of Lamote the French Emâ—â— sador he would to it The English forces being gathered 〈◊〉 gether under the conduct of the Earle of Surry and Heraâ—â—â— being sent to the King desiring that he would design thâ— day and place of battel his wise and warlike councel dissâ—ded him from it and that upon substantiall grounds first they had already the better and so much as they could we desire secondly the English were twice so many and thâ—â— fresh souldiers against them being wearyed vvith taking iâ— of Castles thirdly by delaying fight they might vvearâ— the English out or at least draw them to such a disadvantage of place that they might carry the victory rather by Coursell then by Armes Victoria magis consilio quam Armis maximi ducis proprium vvhich as the Earle of Anguiâ—â— said vvell is the property of a good Commander The saiâ— Earle likewise refuted all the allegations of the French whâ—â— put the King on onely for their own ends But all this vvould not vvork upon the King vvho in great indignation against the noble Earle vvilled him to depart if he were afraid for I vvill fight saith he against the English if theâ— vvere a hundred thousand Which hee did but to his ovvâ— undoing and the griefe and damage of his Nation The vvhich I rather relate for confirmation of the former position That when God hardens the heart againsâ— councell in judgement hee maketh way for ruin Foolish then is that forgery of those who attribute this â—â—ngs fall to the taking sacrilegious Armes as they call them â—gainst Pope Iâ—lius the second Englands holy Lord. It was â—e Lord of heaven that gave him this defeat neglect of â—unsell being the secondarie cause I might instance this â—â—t further in Richard the second a stout Prince and goverâ—ng well for the time that he was counselled by his three â—od uncles the Dukes of Lancaster Yorke and Gloucester â—ut the rejecting of them their counsell made vvay to the â—sse of his Crovvn dignitie life Iratus ad paenaÌ„ Deus si quis trahit auferre mentem talibus primü solet Poets and other writers â—e plentiful to this purpose wherof I give you but a taste When God in wrath will men to judgement bring The soules cleare light from such he first removes So another to thesame effect A supreme power void of councell good Falls of it selfe as though it never stood And there is great reason why ruine should follow negâ—ct of counsell not onely from the equitie of Gods judgment but also from the dangerous disposition of a Princes â—ounsell without the mixture of advice For as the â—imple or pure element would not feed or nourish but â—ill or starve so the counsell of a compound body The necessite of a mixt Counsell had â—eed to be a compound counsell Plato and others explane â—his wel by comparison taken from the two-fold course of â—he Sunne The Counsell of the soveraigne power say they is
against God God calleth not every man to this he gaue some to be Pastors and some to be Teachers not all Thirdly great are the enormites that doe accompany warre as I haue shewed both in Commanders and in ordinary souldiers Bello nulla salus and therefore they had neede to be hedged in by the Lords husbandmen with the pale of the word Fourthly from their excellency they are the greatest gift saue Christ that ever was giuen to man A Prophet will I rayse up from among their bretheren Dâ—ut 18.18 like unto thee In which words though Christ be especially meant as S. Luke applyeth them Acts 3.22.23 Yet they necessarily imply the giving of others though Christ be the chiefe God by the Prophet Ieremie speaking of the desolation of his people whereunto they were fallen by their owne sinnes and wickednes of their for-lorn Priests telleth them of a great blessing Jerem. 23.4 That he will set up sheepheards over them that shall feede them Such are called Gods in the booke of God I haue made thee a God to Pharao Exod. 7.1 saith the Lord of Moses namely in bringing judgements and removing of them They are said by God himselfe in Ieremie to stand in his counsell Ier. 23. And for their service with God pietie and holines towards him they are called Angells Fifthly for their industry fidelitie they are called Seers Watchmen Elisha kept Centinall against the King of Aram over the King of Israel when he slept So the men of God in the armies of God whether they sleep or wake they are alwayes at Centinall For though they sleepe as Salomon saith yet the heart is awake In this respect Ministers may well be called the foure beasts full of eyes before and behind Rev. 4. being round about the throne to watch and discover As for their industrie and watchfulnes they are the surest guard so for their fidelitie and plainnesse they are the safest counsell Kings with Antigonus and warriours with Severus may all in those dayes goe out of the Court out of the Counsell and out of the Camp to seeke truth because they cannot find it but they shall find it with the watchmen of Israel There were never indeed more vile and wicked flatterers both in Courts and Camps for as flesh-flies and other Vermin are bred out of the putrifaction of some humid matter by unnaturall heat so this kind of vile vermin is bred and fed out of the corruption of the times What a swarme of Munkies and Marmozets and Ianglers and Gnatoes are every whereâ—â— It is not my purpose to particularize their differences but this may be said of them all they are the corrupters and ruine of Kingâ— and Kingdoms To busie the reader with instances of this nature were but to prove that which no body denyeth for Dioclesian one of the worst men that ever was was so pestered with those flyes that from an Emperour he turned a Gardener hauing observed as Flavius Vopiscus observeth of him all their villainies he concludeth thus A good wise and vertuous Prince is bought and sold by this people 2. Sam. 15. Yea David a man after Gods owne heart holding out against the cursing of Shemei was overcome with the flattery of Zyba Yet this one thing is no lesse lamentable then remarkcable that though they be such ravenous vipers and haue eate out the bellies of so many great Ones yet still they creepe into their bosomes and are nourished by the selfe same heat which they doe extinguish Yea they cast King and Court and good counsell and State first in a Marasmos or deadly Hectick and then out at dores yet for all this who but they Comineus giveth one cause of this because such doe best please the humours of Princes Princes love better those that are of Placentia then those that are of Verona They love the things that please better then those that profit â—â—b 1. c. 21 Plutarch rendereth another cause namely they are often touching that string that Princes much affect namely their owne prayses in things many times not praiseable which flatterers can cunningly effect by palliating their vices with the seeming vicinity of some vertues As the despising of his people they wil term it a Princely inawing of them the imposing of what he pleaseth upon them an improuement of his prerogatiue Royall the doing of all out of his own devise the singularity of wit or quintessence of policy Secondly they vvill make them beleeue they are affected and praised of others and then it is as wel as can be when indeed there is nothing lesse But to leaue their shifts and the great Ones evils that accreweth upon them my purpose is to point out the remedy and the Physitian namely that plain-dealing Word from the mouth of the man of God against the venome of those Aspes and the poyson of all the sinnes which they loue to palliate I know no better Physitian then a good Minister That saying of Gordianus is most true and worthy the memory That miserably is that Prince from whom the truth is concealed And Lewis the 11 complained that this one thing wanted in his Court Yea sundry great Princes haue gone in private manner amongst their subjects to un-boult the truth But this is the way for Court and Camp to haue the Trumpet of truth in it that dare not nor will not lye or flatter This impartiall dealing and plain course is set forth at large in Deuteronomy where Moses by the spirit of prophesie declareth the excellency of the Tribes and the blessings that should be upon them upon Levi as he sheweth should be Vrim and Thummim yea he should say of his father and his mother I respect him not Ch. 33.1.9.10 and his brethren he acknowledgeth not and his sonnes he knoweth not Where as there is an allusion both to the commandement Lev. 21.11.12 and to the execution of the idolaters Exod. 32 so the morality of it is his that Gods Ministers gifted with light and perfection shall giue every one his portion from the Word without partiality yea neither Highnesse nor nighnesse shall make him play the Huckster with the word Papinian the Lawyer was never so plaine with Caracalla nor Ephestion so free with Alexander nor Mecenas so faithful to Augustus as Eliah was plaine with Ahab Iohn Eaptist free with Herod and Nathan faithfull to David One instance amongst many is worth the noting When the Gospel of God in the Northern parts of this Iland began to be set on foot the devill bestirred him exceedingly in the enemies of the Gospel Queen mother of the house of Guies with the Scottish Papists and her French Forces did so overtop the Lords and others of the Congregation that with griefe enough they were compelled to quit Edenburgh and to goe to Sterueling where a man of God made a worthy Sermon in his application much lamenting the confusion that was come upon them
is on the doers part to deceiue With this soule blemish Lucullus that great Roman Warriour did stain all his honour He being under termes of peace with the Portugals whose forces lay in severall places desired them so to remain and he would shew every company where they should build and seat themselues most conveniently He commeth to the first company and under shew of friendship perswadeth them to lay down their Armes whereupon he causeth his Army to fall upon them and kill them every man yea so quickly was it done Appian in hist. bellor Hispan perfidiae non stratagematis nomen meretur that the last knew not of the murthering of the rest From this treacherous Massacre a very few with Viriatus escaped One speaking of this giveth it the proper name namely Perfidie and not a Stratagem Likewise in a stratagem the least lye is to be avoyded It is true that the most of your memorable Stratagems where speeches hath past haue been strewed with untruths but we must not use in the best presidents â—he least evill that is in them Gen. 12.27 We should follow the Midwiues piety in saving the children Exod. 1. Rev. 19. Abrahams charity in securing of himselfe Rahabs mercy in saving the Spyes Iaâ—obs industry in getting of the blessing and Iohn his zeale and admiration of Gods good power and of the glory of the Saints but withall we must not follow Abraham his counterfeiting Rachabs and the Midwiues lye Iacob his untruth nor Iohn his doâ—ing on the Angell I know some will hold it much precisenesse in Stratagems to be effected with speech not to allow an officious lye since all such Stratagems hath been so effected and almost it is impossible without such a lye to bring it to passe I answer First what hath been done de facto will not serue but what may be done de jure we must examine Secondly the Word is so precise both in the generall and even in the very particular that it will allow no lye at all For the generall this rule is without exception We must not doe the least evill that the greatest good may come of it Rom. 3 8. Epes 4.25 As for the particular put away lying saith the Apostle Lye not one to another And least men should take these places with a Pharisaicall glosse Lev. 19.11 that the Spirit forbiddeth lying one to another that is to a brother or neighbour but to â—â— enemy we may especially upon necessity the Spirit will haue no lye at all upon whatsoever good intent to come from the children of truth â— Ioh. 2.21 No lye saith S. Iohn is of the truth that is no lye will sort with the truth let the ground or pretence seem what it will Heathens that sees no further then Owles permits lyeâ— upon some necessity 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pâ—sâ—nder De repub lib. 3. Iob. 13.17 as a certain Poet he is not to be blamâ— that maketh a lye for saving his life Plato affirmeth that Physitians upon necessitie must haue leaue to lye that they may comfort the sick and hold them up with hopes althoughâ— there be none But neither recovery of health or saving oâ— life is a sufficient ground for a lye because we may not lye for the glory of God which should be deerer to us theâ— our own salvation Will you speak wickedly for God and talk deceitfully for him Hence it is that the defence of an officious lye fals to the ground We haue examples indeed both of pernitious merry and officious lyes but in the book of God Duo mendaciorum genera in quâ—bus non est magna culpa sed tamen non sine culpa in Psal 5. Ex si quis peccatum non putet seipsum decipit every lye is condemned and no lye warranted Austiâ— having spoken much of the divers kinds of lyes upon good deliberation giveth this resolution There be two kinds of lies saith he that are lesse faulty yet are not voide of fauitâ— for he who thinks any kind of lye not to be sin deceiveth himselfe Neither is there any reason we should use this lie if we consider it well First by this we cannot effect anything for it is not a lye that can saue life nor gain advantage of the enemy Secondly we dishonour God exceedingly and shew our distrust in the using of evil means Thirdly and lastly we provoke God to curse his own work for mixing that with it which is an abomination in his sight We must not then imitate Sopyrus mangling of himselfe and lay it upon others though it be to gain dominion to Dâ—rius glory and grace to himselfe and the good of hiâ— Countrey Neither must Synons cogging craft be a warranâ— to doe so though it were to gain Troy Neither must we emulate or imitate the new Synons of Rome the croaking frogges and other Papists who are become their crafts-masters in shamelesse lying and hellish equivocation They are apt schollers in Lysanders schoole tell them to their Thame as some did to him That by divellish lyes they haue brought many massacres treasons and outrages to passe They laugh it off and answer with their Master That a man must put on the Fox skin when the Lyons will not serue that is as Plutarch expounds it that which cannot be done by fair dealâ—ing must by fraud and dishonest meanes be accomplished But they need not goe so farre to schoole their hollow fathers fogged up with deceit will teach them to cast the keyes in Tyber and the Sacrament in the fire when plain dealing will not serue Yea old Leo the tenth hath taught the yong Whelps a Text which all of them hath by heart and all the comments upon it Flectere si nequeo superos c. Fetch help from hell if heaven deny you aid Neither last of all must we follow a multitude to doe evill The whole world lyeth in wickednesse and truth and faith haue left the world Men are now grown naturall Cretians It is a great peece of policy with great Ones to lye as ordinarily as to speak but it is a great shame and disgrace to them Prov. 17.17 Excellent speech becommeth not a foole much lesse doe lying lips a Prince For this quality in great Ones I cannot passe a remarkeable passage in the Scottish History Yong Malcom King of Scots fled into England from the cruelty of Macbeth who had murthered his father and usurped the Kingdom Macduff Earle of Fife escaped likewise from the Tyrant and comming into England to the King did solicite and incite him with arguments to labour for the deliverance of his people from the tyrannie of a Traytor Malcom fearing deceit which Macbeth by sundry means against him attempted he desired to be excused because he had two evill qualities incompatible to Kingly government namely avarice and lust Macduff answered that these might be remedied by matrimony and aboundance The King replyed that he would be
plain with him as a friend lest afterward he might be deceived that hee had another fault intollerable in any man much lesse in a King There was no truth in his words no sincerity in his heart he trusted no body neither was hee trusted by any At which Macduâ—â— brake forth in these speeches Away with thee saith he the dishonour of the name of Kings a monster rather to be abandoned society then to be called to rule a Kingdom With which speeches going away in a great rage the King got him by the hand and told him hee put the case but to try him for he was no such man indeed Hist rer Scoti lib. 7. yea there was not a more religious faithfull just and magnanimious King amongst them all then he was Davids lie to Achimelech did more hurt then if twenty others had lyed 1 Sam. 21.2 he said the King had commanded him some secret businesse which was not so indeed And though he coyned upon neer necessity yet cannot he be excused of infirmity although he made no trade of it This lye cost the Priests their liues as he ingenuously confessed 2 Sam. 22.22 I haue occasioned the death of all the persons of thy fathers house Besides this fault in great Ones as Kings Generals and Councellours makes inferiours of all sorts to count lying a grace The Courteours of Meroe a Kingdom of India counted themselues highly graced with limping and halting because the King halted Exemplary sin in great Ones maketh sin common and vice once common is counted novice but vertue though a lyar as the Poet saith is to bee hated to hell Yet for all this that hell is so hugely inlarged upon earth that we are become like the Egiptians who had no punishment for lying Nullus modus mentiendi summa meÌ„tiendi impunitas Alex. lib. 6 cap. 10. nor no measure in lying Two sinnes of all other the Persians most abhorred lying and breaking these two of all others bear now no little sway Yet it were our best to break off this sin For though we may lye by authority and no man can call us to account yet God will call us to an account for every idle word much more for every lye And though there be no penalty on earth yet the Iudge of heaven and earth hath appointed hell hereafter for lyers if they leaue not of and repent Rev. 22.15 Without shall be dogs saith the Lord and whosoever loveth and maketh a â—ye But some may reply what would you haue a Spy to doe how shall he accomplish his businesse except he deliver some untruths To which I answer as his calling is lawfull so he must use it lawfully whatsoever he doth he must not sin God putteth sin as a necessity upon no man he may conceale the truth or some part of the truth change his habite make shew of what he meaneth not to doe In all which he must take heed that they be not in matter of Religion for that will endure no part of dissimulation But some may instance that stratagem of Hushai in subverting the counsell of Achitophel wherein it seemeth he delivereth sundry untruthes 2 Sam. 16.16 and that against his knowledge as first he saluteth Absolom by the name of King and that he would be his and serue him Vers 18. Fuit officiosum meÌ„dacium Ambigue sermone ludificatur Osiander answereth that it was an officious lye but Iunius better That he dallied with Absolom in a doubtfull speech Peter Martyr pleadeth for warrant Divine instinct because David so directed him ch 15. v. 34. But howsoever if there were either untruth or equivocation in it it is no warrant for us CHAP. XXX The Oppugnation of an Hold. NOW I come more particularly to the oppugning and defending of an Hould wherein I mean to be briefe because the particulars of the service dependeth much upon the circumstances of the subject First then to the Assaylants There be two kinds of waies as Writers well obserue and experience teach Obsidendi duas esse species Veg. lib. 4. cap. 7. to besieg any place either by continued assault or by cutting off all supply of means wherby they may be forced to yeeld The latter of these is first to be attempted Fame potius quam ferro as Caesar well observed The Assaylants having chosen the best advantage of ground for entrenching of themselnes and planting of their Ordinance they are in the first place to look well to themselues Cum negligentia intervenerit paribus insidiis suliacent obsidentes Veget. lib. 4 cap. 28. for if neglect or carelessenesse overtake them as one well observeth they are subject to as great danger as the besieged Claudian the Poet both expresseth the danger and directeth the remedy multis damnosa fuere gaudia dispersi pereunt somnoque soluti Too many often joy Secure doth hurt whom lazie sleep doth slay The Apollinates whom Phillip besieged served him such a trick in the night time through the besiegers neglect they took in the Roman supply their enemies not knowing All the day following they kept themselues very quiet giving occasion to the Assaylant of security but in the silence of the night they sallyed forth without any noyse and possest themselues of the enemies Camp where they slew some thousands Livi lib. 33. and took more then they slew the King himselfe without his cloaths very hardly escaped Frontine gaue the same caution upon the same ground For whether the Assaylant saith he be taken with sleep or surfet or idlenesse or with any neglect of their place the besieged on a suddain sallyeth out they take kill consume and spoile with fire they undoe all their works take their munition In a word they marr all in an houre that the enemy hath been making and devising many daies moneths yea it may be years Therefore saith he they must look to guard themselues with all manner of defence and vigilancy as trenches towers Lib. 4. c. 28 or sconses against eruptions as well as with means to assault For men being blocked up where they must either fight starue or yeeld it may be to a cruell and faithlesse enemy they make a vertue of necessity the pinch putteth them to their wit and despaire strengthneth their resolution Foelices saepe sine ratione upon the wings whereof they are carryed to desperate attempts wherein they proue often happy beyond all reason Hereupon as the Assaylant must secure himselfe so in the next place he must keep the besieged doing Fiuethings necessary for the oppugnant To direct the Assaylant against the besieged these fiue things are requisite he must be wise cunning dilligent constant and upon occasion wisely adventurous By the first he is taught not to persist against that which must needs cost him more then it is worth The second includeth all lawfull stratagems whereby every wise Assaylant should labor to possesse himselfe of any
wee not prosper in any thing whither soever wee goe as Iosuah did euen because wee doe not as Iosuah did Wee walke not according to all the law of God which he hath commanded and yet for all this if we would turne to the Lord wee need not to feare the increase of their forces It is true that they doe increase and must once make a head that in great number for as the great Whore sitteth upon many waters that is as the spirit expoundeth to be the inhabitants Kings of the earth so the three uncleane spirits come out of the mouth of the DragoÌ„ of the beast of the false Prophet to gather the Kings of the earth of the whole world to the battle of Harmagiddon that they may the more prevayle they come with lying miracles in iudgment to those whom they doe deceive You see their number must be great for they must be many Kings yea of the whole world in account theÌ„ there must needs be many people to maintayne the tottring Kingdom of the devill wheÌ„ it is euen at the downefull Yet for all these hands they shall haue enough to doe The Angell that powreth out the seventh violl saith it is done Rev. 16. yea the cup of the wine of the fiercenes of Gods wrath shal be giueÌ„ her by the hand of Gods litle flocke The multitude shal neyther maintayne her nor themselves but all shall perish together Avoide superstition The seventh thing to be looked to is that superstition be avoyded whereunto as corrupt nature is very subject In Moral so most of all in extremitie A superstitious man as Plutarch well observeth feareth every thing except that which he should feare Foure especiall wayes doe men in this particular commit superstition by consulting with sorcerers or southsayers How many waies superstition is coÌ„mitted by taking some casualties as ominous by observing of dayes and by seeking to Idols To the first Gaius Marius had a Witch out of Scythia with whom he alwaies consulted of the event of warr Front lib. 1 Cap. 11. before he undertooke it Did not Saul in the like case seeke to the Witch at Endor They who forsake God and whom God hath forsaken may run to the devil for counsell for that is all their refuge yea when men take that course it is a shrewd evidence that they are forsaken of God As he would not answere God with any kindly obedience so God would not answere him by any manner of manifestation not by a dreame for he had no temper of the spirit not by the Vrim or Priest for he had killed the faithfull ones and so in his greatest necessitie he wanted the comfort of them not by a Prophet for he despised the spirit he runneth therefore to the devills dame for so the word doth signifie or the mother of a familiar â—al alah obâ— 1. Sam. 28. and she must tell him what shall be the event of the battel When God leaveth men to themselues they know not what to doe all his wit and policie and all the cunning of his courtiers could not helpe him out with this lurch This amongst the rest made way for Pompeys overthrow for he consulted with a woeman of Thessaly who brought him a souldier as he thought from the dead Luc. lib. 6. declaring to him the bad successe of the Pharsalian battel Iulian after his apostacie betooke him wholy to Sorcerers and Conjurers Richard the third made this a speciall part of his counsel Iames the third of Scotland was much corrupted with this kind of vermin and so much was the more pittie for he was a Prince of excellent parts but he plagued himselfe with two sorts of euill beasts namely superstitious figure-flingers and cater-piller favorits whereby he brought desolation upon the land and himselfe to an untimely end Considering Gods hatred against the sin and the euill end of all such as haue taken this course it is a wonder especially that men illuminated should looke this way but whom God will destroy he giueth them up to corruption of judgement and madnesse of mind as Austin well observeth of Saul being become a reprobate he could not haue a good understanding Mox reprâ—bus factus non potuit habere bonuÌ„ intellectum As for the Papists conjuring and consultation it is a main part of their Leiturgie Yea they haue one tricke more of this kind namely to giue Amulets to souldiers going to fight whereby they assure them of securitie from all hurt A worthy Historiam giueth an instance of this The French under the conduct of Charles Alobroge going against Geneva in the yeare of our Lord 1502 had Amulets from their charming fathers to hang about their necks wherein were ingraven crosses with the beginning of S. Iohns Gospell the name of Mary Iesus of the Trinitie with many odd Characters inscriptioÌ„s promising to all those that should wear them that they should not perish that day by earth water nor the sword But the devill was cunning enough to cozen theÌ„ Salustius Pharamumdus de adventu Alobrogum in Genevam for though they scaped those particulars yet they perished another way In the night their Characters were taken from them they were strangled and blowne in the ayre Iesuits know it is foule play to wear amulets in fight and against the lawes of Armes and yet they will be doing Let such as loue soule or life beware of these for such things haue neyther hid force nor elementary qualitie to saue or preserve Austin of such hath a very good speech with a counsell subioyned Many saith he being driven to a strayt seeke helpe of the devill in the persons of Charmers or Enchaunters and in the supposed force of Amulets what is this but to goe to our invisible enemies who kill the soule perswading us that there is no helpe with God The eares of such saith he are shut at the voice of God saying In Psalm 34. the Lord is my salvation but let us saith the father inquire of God and not of any other for our deliverance is of God howsoever he worke it by lawfull secundary meanes which wee may use but all the meanes of charming wee must hate as the devill from whence they are The second thing to be avoided is an ominous construction of casualties When Scipio transported his souldiers out of Italie unto Africa as he went a shore his foot slip and he fell on his face whereat his souldiers being astonished conconceiving it as a token of evill successe Scipio with a braue courage making a better construction Goe sport your selues said he my souldiers for I haue already taken possession of Affrica It is fit for avoyding this that a wise Generall be seen in some measure in the causes of naturall things which seeming to the ignorant prodigious they may therin giue them satisfaction Lucius Sulpicius Gallus foretold to his souldiers the Eclips of the
consequence then it must necessarily follow that there must be but one Religion and that of Gods own appointment Some Civilians who for the most are too much Matchiavalized loving the profits better then the Law labours to palliate this with utilitie matter of fact and necessity And for instance they bring Sultan Solyman the great Turke a fit example indeed who being moved by the Mufty or chiefe Pope and the Cadilesheiri or Arch-prelates together with some of the Bassaes to abandon the Christians Iews and all of diverse religions or otherwise to force them to Muzilmanize that is to professe Turcism The Turke looking out at a window pointed them to the variety of the flowers in the garden whereunto saith he I compare diversities of religions in my Dominions which are rather usefull then hurtfull so they liue in obedience The like they tell us of Alexander Severus Traian and others but what be these to Christian Kings and Rulers who haue not so learned Christ They must walk by Lawes and not by Examples neither must God loose the least jote of his honour for their greatest gaines As for necessity in regard of disturbance all wisedom is to be used in avoyding of it and all faire meanes used to reduce them to the truth but disturbing must not bee avoyded with sinne It is a clause worthy the observation and by the Popes themselues placed in the Canon right though not observed Reg. 1. de Regiminis num 6. but ill abused That it is far better that offence or disturbance should come then the least truth should be forsaken Is a King a noursing father and will he suffer a plaguy or leprous childe to be in the house or lye in the bed with his childe that is sound Will he suffer poyson to lye strawed about where his childe may reach it This were to murther his childe and not to play the parent to it Will a King suffer forraign Kings to erect their Lawes in his Dominions and permit his subjects to obey some one and some another No hee would scorn it and hold them Traytors that should motion it and will he put that upon God and force him as it were to bear that he will not bear himselfe Surely the Lord will not bear it It was a princely part and a royall resolution worthy the imitation in Edward the sixth a Sunâ—shine over-clouded by the sinnes of this land in the very rising hee being requested with his Councell by Charles the fifth then Emperour to suffer the Lady Mary his sister to haue a Masse in her house the Councell sitting about that and other things sent D. Cranmer and D. Ridley to perswade the King to grant it When he had heard what they could say he so learnedly and grauely did refute it out of the word of God that with astonishment their mouthes were stopt Then they fell to him with false grounds of policy as the loosing of the Emperours favour the hardening of his sisters heart the discontenting of Popish subjects to whom he replyed that they should content themselues for hee would spend his life and all that he had rather then agree or grant to that which he knew certainly to be against the truth Yet for all this they would not leaue him but pressing him further he fell a weeping and willed them to let him alone Fox pag. 1179. Hee had cause to weep indeed but they greater Where they should haue preserved him from sinne they were made the meanes to corrupt him The Prelates and pleaders for Conformity haue no great reason to brag of these men as they were Bishops not of Gods making for whilst their heatts were deceived and their eies vayled with the bewitching honours and glorious shewes of Pabel against the light of knowledge they proved as you see enemies to the crosse of Christ therefore God puld them out of their rags and cast them in the Furnace and then they proved his friends indeed and so may some Prelates proue if God bring them to the stake But to the matter for all that they could doe such was the zeale of that holy Saint and happy King that Lady Mary could haue no Masse at that time To conclude this reason men would haue thought that the union of Britains Kingdomes would haue cut short the increase of Babel his Kingdom and that the Foxes should haue been forced either to change their skins or holes but we see for our sinns by neglect of authority that to the dishonour of God the defacing of his Gospell the griefe of his people and indangering of life crown and dignity they are so hugely increased in both Kingdoms and in Ierland that in their own conceit they are grown too hard fâ—â— us it is most just with God if we spare the Cananits that the Cananits should vexus The fourth reason may be taken from idolaters who to our shame are zealous of their false worship The Lord may justly upbraid us with such as he did his people Israel hathâ— nation changed their gods Ier. 2.11 which are yet no gods but my people haue changed their glory for that which doth not profit So the Lord may inquire of us whether heathen Rome and Antichristian Rome do tolerate any worship but that which is of their owne appointment The Laws of old Rome forbade any strange Gods to be worshipped amongst them that is as Tully expoundeth Cic. de leg privatim adscitos of mens private device but by the Senats publique appointment so new Rome is as strict in that they will haue no mixture but of their own making instance the Tridentin excommunications witness likewise with many others the Doctors of Doway upon the Lords forbidding of mixtures of seed Lev. 19.19 cattle and garments here all participation say they with heretikes and schismatickes is forbidden Philip of Spaine said he had rather haue no subject then subjects of a divers religion and out of a bloudy zeale suffered his oldest sonne Charles to be murthered by the cruell inquisition because he seemed to favour profession for which Non pepercit filio suo sed dedit pro nobis Hieron Catina that mouth of blasphemie the Pope gaue him this for his panagyr that he had not spared his owne sonne but had given him for them As old Rome called the Christian religion a new religion so new Babilon calleth the ancient trueth a new religion or heresie and therefore they hold it a damnable thing to haue any thing to doe with it expecting but a day when they may race out the remembraÌ„ce of it As for our drawing nigh unto them in superstitious rites they flout us to our face and tell us in a bravado that let us come as nigh to them as wee will they will not come one haires breadth nigh to us yea they asperse our religion with this Quo vadis pag. 13. Heylin pag. 249. that if it were true wee would never bland it How bitter then