engendreth a hatred and imprinteth in the heart all other sortes of vehement passions And albeit that some ill experienced in dealing in the State and ordering of matters as naughtie Chirurgions vvhich sound not the bothome of the vvoūd but contente themselues to cure the vppermost part of the diseased member So these men only assay outvvardly to heale the hurt vvithout discouering the roote to pull avvay altogither that hurte vvhiche vvasteth vs by little and little euen to our vtter ruine and desolation Notvvithstanding these meanes can not close vp the vvounde of our harmes but rather it commeth to passe that of the one side and the other the least faulte that is committed is that the seruice of the common vvealth is slovvly and litherly done and dayly this heate of resisting the enimie grovveth cold and it is to be feared that the enimie vvho all this vvhile is not asleepe but rather continually spreading among vs flames of suspition vvill in the ende lighten suche a fire of diuision that of the one side and the other vve shall be consumed and destroyed by the same fire vvhich our ovvne suspitions and passions haue nourished and mainteyned These things haue caused that the Protestantes hauing an vnspeakeable griefe that the Religion vvhereof they make profession in the vvhich vvithout offending any person they seeke nothing but to serue God vvith cleannesse of heart is so vntovvardly expoūded and that to their greatest displeasure they see that it serueth Don Iohn for a foundatiō vvhereon to build his practises vvhich are to oppresse the one by the other as good Countreymen and Citizens they haue diligently sought out the vvelspring and originall of these mischiefes and if they vvere redressed it shoulde be easie to come to a good vnitie all suspitions being layde apart and defiances extinguished a thing so greately desired of good men and so necessarie to the vvhole common vveale This it is that of the one part they see in many places the Prelates and other Ecclesiasticall persons to bee in continuall feare that one daye the sayde Protestantes vvill sette vppon them to the vvhole ouerthrovve of their Religion and spoyle of goodes Of the other parte the sayde Protestantes thinke that they are onelye reserued to bee ledde by them to the butcherie seeing that after so many loyall seruices they can not haue the libertie of their Religion graunted them vvherevppon there ariseth some proude speeche of both sydes and ouermuche libertie of the Souldyoures or people vvhiche notvvithstanding vnder most humble correction of youre highnesse and my Lordes mighte seeme to bee remedied if in dealing vvith both parts freelie vvithoute dissimulation in disclosing among themselues the causes of the mischiefe vvhich is but too muche encreased they vvoulde graunte of the one parte the sayde Protestantes the free exercise of theyr Religion seeing that this is the onely cause vvhiche bringeth them in suspition and causeth that some doe enterprise matters not pleasing euerie man Of the other parte that the sayde Protestantes by meete meanes shoulde assure the sayde of the Romishe Religion that they soughte nothyng lesse than to roote oute by force the said Religion to take avvay and possesse their goodes and to do any acte contrary to the dutie of their fellovv countreyman Contrarivvise that they are readye to employe themselues for the vvhole preseruation of the Countrey and of all the inhabitants thereof as vvel generally as perticularly And if these things be executed there is no doubte but that all matter of diuision vvill ceasse and a good peace shall be vvell established the occasions of mutuall defiance beeyng by thys meane taken avvay and the old grudges and hatreds altogither buried Most humblie beseeche youre highnesse and my Lords to consider the lōg time that they haue looked that the generall Estates should prouide for matters of Religion But if for the discommoditie of the time the occasion be not yet offered to assemble or else by the drift of some vvho fauouring priuily the partie of Don Iohn do let it mainteyning by this meane the said defiances or others vvhiche hope yet after the victorie to burne the said Protestants meanes no lesse daungerous the one than the other and no lesse vnvvorthy of good Countreymen If then for suche reasons or the like they could not yet vvell prouide for this it resteth only if by your most vvise coūcell there be no other remedie the one of these tvvo meanes to vveete either that the saide Protestantes vvho for some danger could not be brought to the exercise of the Romish Religion doe abide alvvayes vvithout Religion or else that in deede they take in hande the publike exercise of their Religion The firste is so hurtfull to the common vvealthe that nothing can be thought more for it bringeth vvith it the contempt of God despising of Religiō Atheisme vvhereof follovveth the breaking of the lavves of God and man The second may be a cause of a diuision in the contrarie vvhiche mighte turne vpside dovvne the presente state the one taking one partie the other another vvhich might open a gappe to ouerthrovv the one by the other follovving the entreprise of the dead Escouedo the verie firebrand of this Countrey But if the rules and lessons of the auntients and of those vvhich haue bin reputed for their vvisedome ought to take place it is certaine that in affaires of such vveight vve can not take better councell than of oure enimie for if this argumente of the diuersitie of Religion be the best vveapon vvhiche he taketh in hande to beate vs it is good for vs to sette oure side in order that this falling out serue not him for a breach to make his tirannie enter in among vs And for asmuche as experience of time past shevveth vs that oure sinnes haue bin so great that vve coulde not all be broughte to one Religion alone it rested vnder moste humble correction to aduice hovv vvithout altering the vnitie of the Countrey the one and the other Religion mighte be mainteyned vvithoute the preiudice of one and other Wherevpon the saide Protestantes most humblie beseeche youre highnesse and my Lordes not to giue eare to those vvhiche to hinder so good a matter alleage firste of all the pacification of Gant secondly that tvvo Religions can not abide togither in one Countrey and thirdly that there is no assurance this point being agreed vpon that the Ecclesiasticall persons may be mainteyned For touching the first it is vvel knovven that the enimie hathe plainely renounced it by open declaration sent by Sieur de Selles that he vvould not in anie vvise holde it vvherein he shevveth manifestlie vvhereat he shooteth and teacheth the said Protestantes vvhereof they shoulde take heede Wherefore vve are not bound to keepe oure oth vvith him seeing that disloyally he first brake it And concerning that vvhich toucheth vs among oure selues for so muche as the saide pacification vvas concluded by the aduice and consente of other prouinces vvith
my Lorde the Prince of Orange and the Estates of Holland and Zelande it is certaine and nature teacheth it vvithoute vvronging of any that there is nothing so naturall but as by the consent of the tvvo partes the contracte hathe bin made passed and promised so by the consente of the one parte and the other it could not bee in parte broken qualifyed and interpreted for the common vveale of the Countrey and for cutting off the secrete vvorking of the enimie But the sayde Protestantes thinke not in anye vvise to vvithstande it nor doe mynde to be the cause of the breache thereof seeyng that they abyding in the tearmes of the saide pacification most humblie demaunde and require that by the meane of the generall estates there shoulde prouision be made for the free and publike exercise of Religion Concerning the second poynte experience hath at all times shevved the contrary vvhether vve consider the auntient or nevv Emperoures or behold the natiōs neere adioyning For it is vvell knovven to them vvhich are but meanely seene in Histories that the Emperoures being at the beginning Paynims haue neuerthelesse maynteyned vnder their Empire Christians and Paynims hauing vvhole legiōs of Christiās and the rest of their armie Paynims all marching vnder one generall of the armie And notvvithstanding there vvere founde in that time as at this present vncircumspect councellers vvhiche did put suche opinions into their Princes heads that the tvvo Religions coulde not endure togither vppon occasion vvhereof the Emperoures fell to persecute the most part but incontinentlie they firste suffered the punishmente for suche foolishe councels Aftervvard in the times of Christian Emperours the like hath bin a verie long time and not only that but also amōg them that did beare in common the name of Christians the Church hath bin allovved to stād open to them vvhich helde doctrine altogither contrarie vvhiche may be seene in the histories of Constantine his children Theodosius and others As for our time there are so many examples that if vve are to iudge them by the number one may sooner saye and more certainely that vvhosoeuer hathe gone about to abolishe one of the tvvo Religions hath put his state in greate daunger Hovvsoeuer it be if vve looke about vs the tvvo mightiest nations and vvith vvhich vve are enuironed to vveete Germanie and Fraunce after so much spilling of bloud haue founde no meane to staunch it but by condescending to the exercise of the one and the other Religion We beare yet in minde the greate inuasions that the Emperoure Charles of most famous memorie made into Germanie of the great likelyhoodes of good successe that he had in the beginning hauing subdued the better part thereof and hauing in his povver the chiefest brauest and mightiest Princes the issue notvvithstanding vvas such that after he vvas brought to greater extremitie thā euer such a mightie Prince vvas he had no vvay to assure himselfe but in condescending to the one and other Religion your highnes grandfather a Prince of greate and rare iudgement and councell the Emperour Ferdinand perceiuing that he had no other meane to assure the one and the other to take avvay the suspitions that vvere in Germanie condescended to the Religions-friedt and since that time there hath not bin one mutinie in Germanie the Ecclesiasticall persons might enioy their goodes dignities and preheminences vvith greater assurance than in any other place of Christendome in many tovvnes as at Francfort VVormes Vlme Ausbourg and others is exercised the one the other Religion vvithout diuision or vprore in the Churches of any of these tovvnes The Emperour of most noble memorie your highnesse father hath not onely mainteined that vvhiche hath bin so vvell framed by his predecessors but besides hath alovved it in his ovvne countreys vvell perceiuing that this vvas the onely meane to keepe his subiects in peace In like maner Rodolph your highnes brother at this presēt enioying the sacred seate of his predecessors hath not many days past grāted the same to the nobles of his kingdome of Hungarie I vvill not say vvhat the state of Hungarie hath bin since Sigismund As touching Fraunce vve are too neere neybors to be ignorāt that the stremes of bloud vvhich ran in such abundance could neuer be stayd vntill that she had hir libertie grāted vvhiche hath alvvays brought vvith it quietnes as vvhē she vvas hindred forthvvith the Realme hath bin vvholly on fire ready to cōsume himself to bring himselfe to ashes But if likevvise vve can take example by the cōmon enimie of Christendome to vveete the Turke vvho knovveth too vvell vvhat it is to beare rule vve see that he suffreth alike vnder his Empire the Christiās and the Ievvs being for al this in no doubt of any reuolting yet he hath vnder his Empire vvithout cōparison moe Christiās vvhich do not acknovvlege nor vvil acknovvlege the Pope thā ther be in this Europe vvhiche do acknovvledge him The K. of Marroques Fleez doth the like And as for the K. of Poland besides the diuersitie of Christian Religiō that he hath in his coūtrey he hath also a great nūber of Mahometanes vvhich obey him not hauing for this respect any cōmotiō in his coūtrey The Pope himselfe vvhome they of the Romish Church hold for their head his examples for infallible rules suffereth at Rome and in all places vvhere he hath any propertie that the Ievves haue their publike Sinagoges yea for a little money he vvill suffer that euery one may haue it to himself The like is seene in many Cities of the Empire Likevvise my Lordes the Estates heere vvith vs haue not let the said Ievves to dresse their Sinagogs in some places of these Countreys and that in consideration of a small profite vvhich in no vvise is to be compared to that vvhereof there is question at this presente And notvvithstanding the said Ievves do denie Iesus Christe and are enimies of the Churche of God the vvhiche shall not be found in thousands of Protestāts vvhich hope in Christ as the onely vvorker of their saluation and are not enimies of the Church but rather desire only the reformation As touching the thirde pointe the sayde Protestants can not so soone make knovven to al the vvorld the good desire they haue to liue peaceably vvith their tovvnesmates and Countreymen but hope in time to make most certaine proofe thereof the said defiances being set aside and suspitiōs taken avvay the vvhich they shall promise before God to performe In the meane season they most humblie beseeche youre highnesse and my Lords to offer all such meanes of assurance as you shall thinke meete and they shall be very forvvard as muche as lieth in them thoroughly to obey and to frame themselues thereto and persuade themselues vvith this that they shall promise that they vvill finde some Princes good friendes to this Countrey and great Lords vvhich vvill doe them this honoure to aunsvvere for their faithfulnes and
stedfastnes in their promises These things considered the saide Protestantes beseeche vvith all their most humble and obedient heart affectiō that it vvould please your highnesse and you my Lords as those to vvhome this common vvealth his cōmitted and for vvhich you are bound to giue accompt before God Man that it vvould please you in taking avvay all occasions of defiances and suspitions among the poore subiects of the lovv Coūtrey all vvhich bend their eyes vpō you to find the meanes vvith the liking and contentmēt of all to agree to the equall exercise of both Religions vntill that it hath pleased God surmounting by his mercy the multitude of our sinnes vvhich are the only causes of so many mischiefes by the meane of a good holy and free councell generall or at the least nationall to end the cōtrouersies that vve see in this Countrey touching matters of Religion to preuente by your vvise councels and deliberations so many mischiefes as you haue seene to light vpon neybours vvho vvith much adoe cā yet fetch breath to cut off by your vvisedome the enterprises of the enimie vvho vnder the shadovv of this variance vvould cast vs headlong into a bottomlesse pit of confusion and by your ripe deliberations to giue cōtentmēt to all the poore subiects vvhich feele the smart but looke for the remedie at their handes vvhome they haue chosen for their Phisitiās and to be guided to the hauen by thē vvhom they haue chosen for their gouernoures That it vvoulde please you to behold rather the examples of our neybours and others of vvhich the one by their vvise foresighte haue remedied the mischiefe to come the other being taughte by their calamitie had rather seeke remedie though the disease hath bin long and deepe rooted than in despairing their ovvne safetie to cast themselues headlong into vtter destruction That it vvoulde please you to haue pitie cōpassion of thē that haue placed themselues betvveene your armes looke not for any cōfort next after God but of you and so doing ordeine that by a sacred lavv of forgetfulnes al things past of the one parte may be buried vvithout that heereafter none may be sifted for any thyng happened by reason of the diuersitie of Religion and the said Protestāts shall promise to submit thēselues to all reasonable conditiōs such as it shall please your highnesse to offer to keepe them inuiolably and to put in such assurance as they are able And albeit the said Protestants ovve themselues their liues and their goods to their Countrey notvvithstanding they most humblie beseech that it vvould please you to remember hovve many yeares they haue suffered for the seruice of their coūtrey and since the vnitie of the prouinces vvhat their faithfulnesse obedience is hath bin but if any of them hathe committed any acte vvhich is not allovved of all there is nothing vvhereto a fitte remedy may not be giuē and they are not deadly faultes as theirs are vvhiche openly vnder pretence of zeale dravve themselues to the enimie Although also that the said Protestants should receiue any vvrong vvhiche they hope not they haue determined by Gods grace to stick to that vvhich they knovv they ovve of duty to their coūtrey Notvvithstāding they trusting to your vvisedome equitie most humblie desire you to fulfill their request as for a free recompence of so many trauels and for to encourage thē more and more to do vvel so shall you do vvell and the said suppliants shall be bounde to pray to God for the vvealth aduancemēt of your estate the vniuersal quietnesse of the Coūtrey and as til this present they haue bin very forvvard and disposed to serue faithfully and by the grace of God vvithoute reproche to the common vvealth so shal they settle thēselues by means thereof to do better in time to come ☜ TO THE READER OF late aduertisements are come ouer that the .xiiij. of this present moneth of Iuly the Estates assemble thēselues to deliberate vpon this request the sequele wherof is vncertaine for as Euripides in Iphigenia saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is Gods doings fall out otherwise than men looke for and he saueth whome he loueth