Romish religion into the free States and Cities of Germanie which had abandoned it contrary to his former promises when hee solicited their ayde against the Duke of Saxonie and Landgrave of Hessen not as the chiefe maintainers or patrons of reformed religion but as rebels against his imperiall Majestie This unexpected purpose of Charles was most clearely bewrayed in the siege of Magdeburge against which Citie no occasion of hostility could be pretended besides her Citizens resolution to maintaine that religion which by publique Authoritie had beene established The whole body of Germany besides was in a manner so drowned and choaked that libertie especially in points of religion could scantly draw breath save onely through Flaccus Illyricus his penne For subduing this Citie which for a while had held out stoutly against others set to besige it Maurice of Saxony was adjudged the fittest man who being imployed in this service gaines opportunity by protraction of the warre to make leagues as well with the French King as with some Princes and States of Germany but after many suspitions and jealousies taken against him so cunningly goes on with his project that he came upon Charles the Emperour on such a sudden manner at Inchborrouh as made him and his Courtiers with the forraine Embassadours there attending to leave the Supper which had beene provided for them unto Maurice and his company There was a horse-liter and torches provided for the Emperour himselfe with some few attendants but such scarcity of horses for the rest that a man might have seene that common resemblance of Princes of Nobles and common people to a company of Chesse men promiscuously put up into a coÌ„â—on bag when the game is ended really acted in the confused flight of this great Emperours amazed Court Dukes Earles Lords great Commanders in Warre common Souldiers and Kitchin Boyes were glad to trudge it on foot in the mire hand in hand a Duke or Earle not disdaining to support or helpe up one of the blacke Guard ready to fall lest he himselfe might fall in the mire and have none to helpe him This was the issue of the greatest Warre which Germany had seene or knowne since the dayes of Charles the Great in the managing and prosequution whereof more excellent Commanders were imployed by Charles the fift than any Prince in Christendome since hath had to imploy 10 Vnto many is given power and wit sufficient for compassing the conquest of their potent enemies unto whom the wisedome of using the victorie aright which they oftentimes purchased at too deare a rate is denyed The same Lord of Hoasts which put his hooke into Senacheribs nostrills and thereby dragged this furious Monster which had ranged farre and neere to devoure others into his owne Land there to fall by his owne bowells in the house of his false gods had all this while led Charles the fift a Prince of more calme and moderate spirit as it were in a silken string yet strong enough to bring this roving projector back againe within the Rheine where he is now to encounter with the French And being thus overwearied in the Germane Warre the Duke of Guise at the siege of Metz beates his Souldiers out of heart and breath and makes Charles himselfe thus to pant Iam me desertum circa me nullos viros video Now I see I am a man forsaken and have no men about me Few there were besides himselfe that were willing to have the siege continued any longer and one of his common Souldiers out of the bitternesse of his discontented soule and diseased body calls him the sonne of a mad woman to his face for continuing it so long But whether his undertaking or prosequuting this siege did relish more of his mothers disposition than of his owne let Warriours judge he never shewed more wisedome in any enterprise before then he did in this that he sought not from this time to wooe his wonted fortunes by wrestling with Fates But after he perceived the Lord of Hoasts did not goe out with his Armies as before he had done he willingly puts off his imperiall Robes with his Armour and betakes himselfe to a private retired life How much happier in this resolution than either the Davus or Diabolus Germaniae than the often mentioned Maurice of Saxony surnamed the Victorious or the turbulent Albert of Brandeburgh which had brought him into these straits As these two Princes in all their undertakings in their secret confederacies whether for Charles the fift or against him had aymed more at their private ends than at the publique weale of Germany so it pleased the Lord of Hoasts after he had by their joynt forces so turned the seales of the Germane Warre as is before set downe to settle the publique peace by their fatall discord So I terme it partly because they had beene so deare friends partly because a reconcilâ—ation betwixt them was so earnestly sought by many and would have beene readily embraced by Maurice had not Albert more out of the strength of wine than either of wit or courage provoked him to battaile by a most gross and most unseasonable challenge Maurice had given good tokens of his inclination to peace and the like was expected from Albert. But the messenger being dispatched after dinner when Bacchus was more predominant with Albert than either Minerva or Mars in stead of a pledge of peace hee sent his colours to Maurice and so after they had eaten and drunk they rose up to play after such a manner as Abners young men and Ioabs did 2 Sam. 2. 14 15. The manner of their mutuall assault was more like a butchery than a sober warre Albert in this furious conflict was so foyled that hee never recovered root or branch againe but after some few attempts lived as a perpetuall Exile or Vagabond his memory being as hatefull to his Country in his absence as his presence had beene terrible whilest he was able to gather forces And Maurice who deservedly enjoyed the title of Victorious did take up victory upon exchange of life having so much use of sense and memory as to have his Enemies colours presented to his eyes now ready to be closed up in perpetuall darknesse This was the end of this victorious Prince which had outstripe the greatest Statesmen of those times in maturitie of wit and deepnesse of judgement in matters Martiall or Civill before his body was come to its full growth in so much that Policy whom Caesars in their greatnesse are oft-times forced to serve did seeme to attend on him enabling him to atchieve those projects with an heroicall carelesse resolution and majestique grace for the purchase of which many powerfull Monarchs have beene often drawne to use untowardly shifts and slye collâ—sions odious and contemptible to their inferiours He was the only man of his age as one writes of him that had the skill to take occasion when it offered it selfe by the very point and to
A TREATISE OF THE DIVINE ESSENCE AND ATTRIBVTES BY THOMAS IACKSON Doctor in Divinitie Chaplaine to his Majestie in ordinary and Vicar of S. Nicolas Church in the Towne of Newcastle upon Tyne The first part LONDON Printed by M. F. for Iohn Clarke and are to be sold at his shop under St. Peters Church in Cornhill 1628. TO THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE AND TRVLY noble WILLIAM Earle of Penbrooke Lord high Steward of his Majesties Houshold Knight of the most noble Order of the Gaâ—ter and Chancellor of the Vniversity of Oxon The blessings of this life and of the life to come be multiplied HAd the consciousnesse of my weaknesse left any place for expectation that my poore Labours should have found such benigne acceptaÌ„ce with men of higher place and judgement as by the report of Honourable personages and mine owne late experience of your noble favours some of them I now perceive have found with your Honour these present papers had come to crave your patronage in a better dresse than now they doe Besides the consciousnesse of my inabilities to please the acurate judgements of this age want of opportunities for these many yeares to give my selfe that contentment which I was once bold to promise unto my selfe had almost deterred me from publishing any part of my former labours which were not popular and for the Pulpit of which ranke this present Treatise is not The subject or matter of it is Academicall and was conceived in that famous Nurserie of all good literature which for these many yeares hath flourished and many more may it flourish under your Honorable patronage If either these or other of my Labours of the like argument which tooke their first being from the benignity of that soile may finde acceptance with your Lordship I shall need no other Apologie for publishing them beside my unfaigned desire to leave the Christian world a testimonie of that high esteeme which I have ever made of your Honourable favours to that renowned Vniversity and of my thankfulnesse for my particular interest in your generall goodnesse If this manifestation of my weaknesse may occasion other Academickes to shew their strength in this and like Arguments it shall be a great part of my joy and comfort to see better fruits of your Lordships favour brought forth by others than I can present unto you But if these may finde that acceptance which I most desire your Lordship will haply bee deemed by some to patronize not my weaknesse onely but mine errors It is not so unusuall nor so much for mee to be censured for an Arminian as it will be for your Lordship to be thought to patronize Arminianisme To give your Lordship that satisfaction therefore in this point which I am not bound to give unto others If the man which most mislikes the Arminian or Lutheran doctrine in the points most controverted through reformed Churches will but agree with me in these two That the Almighty Creator hath a true freedome in doing good and Adams off-spring a true freedome of doing evill I shall not dissent from him in any other points controverted unlesse it be in this one that there needs to be no other controversie at all betweene the Arminians and their opposites in point of Gods Providence and Predestination In all other particulars save onely so farre as they are reducible to these two I have not yet the learning or understanding to conceive what contradiction there is or can bee betweene men not willing to contend about words But if any in opposition to Arminius will maintaine that all things were so decreed by God before the Creation of the world that nothing since the Creation could have fallen out otherwise than it hath done or that nothing can bee amended what is amisse I must crave pardon of every good Christian to oppugne his opinion not as an errour onely in Divinity but as an ignorance which involveth enmity to the sweet disposition of the All-seeing and unerring Providence as a forerunner of ruine to most flourishing States and Kingdomes where it growes common or comes to full height For supplanting or preventing the growth of such opinions I make bold to crave your Lordships patronage Thus with my continuall praiers for your Lordships health with all increase of honor and happinesse I humbly take my leave From my Study in Newcastle upon Tine November 20. 1627. Your Lordships in all duty and observance THOMAS IACKSON THE CONTENTS OF THE SEVERALL Chapters in this ensuing TREATISE SECTION I. OF the one absolutely infinite and incomprehensible Essence in generall Chapter Folio 1 How farre wee may seeke to expresse what by light of nature or other wayes may be conceived concerning the incomprehensible Essence or his Attributes 3 2 Containing two philosophicall Maximes which lead us to the acknowledgement of one infinite and incomprehensible Essence 9 3 Of infinity in Beeing or of absolute infinitie and the right definition of it by the ancient Philosophers 20 4 There is no plurality of perfections in the infinite Essence albeit the perfection of all things be in him Of the absolute identity of the Divine Essence and Attributes 31 SECTION II. OF the severall branches of absolute infinitie or of the infinitie of the Divine Attributes as they are severally apprehended by us Chapter Folio 5 Of Divine Immensity or of that branch of absolute infinity whereof infinity in magnitude or space imaginary is the shadow 42 6 Of Eternity or of that branch of absolute infinity whereof successive duration or the imaginary infinity of time is the modell 62 7 Of the infinity of Divine Power 83 8 Of the infinity of Divine Wisedome That it is as impossible for any thing to fall out without Gods knowledge as to have existence without his power or essentiall presence 90 9 Of Divine Immutability 115 10 Of the eternall and immutable Decree 120 11 Of transcendentall goodnesse and of the infinity of it in the Divine nature 128 12 Of the infinitie and immutability of Divine goodnesse communicative or as it is the patterne of morall goodnesse in the creature 132 13 In what sense or how Gods infinite will is said to be the rule of goodnesse 147 14 Of Gods infinite love to Mankinde 157 15 What the Church of England doth teach concerning the extent of Gods love of the distinction of singula generum and genera singulorum of the distinction of voluntas signi and voluntas beneplaciti 166 SECTION III. THat Gods good will and pleasure is never frustrated albeit his unspeakeable love take no effect in many to whom it is unfeignedly tendered Chapter Folio 16 In what sense God may be said to have done all that he could for his Vineyard or for such as perish 182 17 The truth and ardency of Gods love unto such as perish testified by our Saviour and by S. Paul 195 18 Want of consideration or ignorance of Gods unfeigned love to such as perish a principall meanes or occasion why so
instinct determine and resolve upon essentially depends upon the disposition of Gods peculiar providence who hath an authentique negative in the use of every meanes which men make choice of albeit in using them he admit men as his coworkers but not as sharers in production of the principall effect or end He alone bestoweth victorie where hee pleaseth by what meanes or whose agency hee pleaseth but not alwayes with victorie and successe unlesse such as be his agents or instruments in the execution of his consequent will upon others be ready to doe his antecedent will or pleasure themselves 3 This is a subject whos 's fuller explication would require a larger volume then this whole Treatise in my intendment shall be I will therefore instance especially in one battaile and another warre of the greatest consequences that the histories of these three hundred yeares past present unto us The first shall be in that fierce and violent conflict at GruÌ„wald betweene Iagello or Vladislaus King of Poland and Lituania and the Crucigeri or Knights of Prussia about the yeare one thousand foure hundred Should a Politician or Souldier that will beleeve no more then hee sees grounds for out of his owne Art have seene the mighty preparation and couragious resolution of both parties hee would haply have demanded a signe of Gods providence and said in his heart Let us see either of these two Armies take flight upon a conceipted noise of Chariots or Horsemen or an imagination of an Army not really existent or what Gedeon is hee now alive that dare adventure on the weaker of them with three hundred men although hee had thrice three hundred Trumpeters to encourage them We will not therefore presse any with beleefe of Miracles in these later times but rather perswade them with us to acknowledge that those extraordinary manifestations of power more then naturall in battailes fought for Israell and Iudah by Gedeon or Sampson by the Angels by the Hoast of Heaven or by inferiour Elements were not more pregnant documents of Gods immediate hand in managing warres nor better proofes of his just title to be the Lord of Hosts than the contrivances of ordinary causes and occurrences in martiall affaires of moderne times doth or might afford to all such as rightly survey them To make a mighty armie fall by the free and unimpeached exercise of their owne valour and strength can be no lesse wonderfull to unpartiall eyes than to scatter them by fire and lightning than to beat them downe by mighty hailestones from heaven To cause the stronger and more skilfull in warre to faint without diminishing of their courage and strength is no lesse the Lords doing than if their hearts had beene surprised with a panick terrour or their armes suddenly deprived of life and motion as Ieroboams was Yet this was the case of the Prussian Knights of the Crosse and the Germane Forces which assisted them against Iagello 4 The conduct of the right wing of Iagelloes Army which did consist of Lituanians was commended to his brother Vitoudus not out of any foresight of advantage but in honour of his person or of that Nation which was perhaps an oversight in point of warre However this wing was fiercely assaulted by the opposite wing of the Germane Armie which was a great deale the stronger especially for horsemen God by his secret providence did so dispose that this advantage should redound unto their greater overthrow For the Lituanians being the farre weaker part of Iagello his Army both for want of skill and of Armour after a furious encounter fled the faster and the Germane wing which had put them to flight not suspecting but that their other wing had beene as able to match the Polonian as they had beene to defeat the Lituanian pursued the victorie so long and so farre that they were neither able fully to succour the other wing being scattered and broken by the Polonians before their returne nor to flye from their enemies with that speed they desired as being over wearied with the former chase Of the Germans by this oversight and presumption fiftie thousand were slaine and as some relate almost as many taken prisoners They had put their confidence in the valour skill and multitude of their Armie which did consist of an hundred and fortie thousand choice souldiers The good King Iagello his trust was in his praiers to God and in the presumption of his Enemy which had beene so triumphant before the victory so certaine of victorie before the joyning of the battaile that they would not give Iagello leave to say his prayers or doe his wonted service unto God but sent him two swords in mockerie one for himselfe and another for his brother Vitoudus as if they had wanted weapons to defend themselves profering him withall that if the place wherein hee then was were too strait for ordering his men they would goe back as in contempt and scorne they did and make him roome This insolent message was by the religious King embraced as a welcome prognostique that they should give him place against their wils And so it fell out that they were not able to defend themselves within their trenches their Tents and cariages became a prey to Polonians being so well fraught with all manner of provision not for necessitie onely but for pleasure that Iagello caused a great number of Wine-vessels to bee burst in pieces lest his souldiers should be overcome with plenty of wine after they had overcome their potent enemies or at lest be hindred from further pursuite of victorie There a man might have seen a strange spectacle a flood or stream not of blood or wine but as if it had bin of gore by the mixture of the wine and the blood alike violently shed in the Germane Camp The gaudinesse of their Armour would not suffer such as escaped by flight toly hid in the fennes or reeds into which they ranne This was the issue of their unhallowed confidence which had in their Tents abundance of Torches and of chaines the one provided â—or leading the Nobles of Poland Captives the other for firing their Cities 5 There is a storie mentioned by Salvianus exactly paralleld to the former for the different dâ—spositions of the parties conflictant and for the contrary successe which befell their contrary demeanours before the battaile The conflict was betwixt the Goathes and the Gaules The Goathes were a kinde of Christians but Arrians through default of their Instructors The Gaules were Catholiques as good as Rome had any in those dayes so were the Prussian Knights Iagello was a late convertâ—Christian and very devout in his kinde yet not quite purged from some Heathenish inbred superstition It was a custome with him to turne thrice round about and to breake a straw in three pieces before he went abroad How much more acceptable or lesse displeasing unto God how much more availeable in the day of battell unâ—ained humilitie fear devotion though in
carve opportunities out of perplexities Yet for all this â—ad no skill or forecast to prevent no fence to put by the sudden stroke of Death which seâ— a short period to his farre reaching plots and dashed the masterpiece of his projects when it was come to the very height and ready to fall upon the marke it aymed at The Spaniards have more cause to blesse the day of this Princes death then the day of their victory over the Duke of Saxony his uncle For if he had lived but a little longer the wings of Austria and Spaine had in all probability beene cut a great deale shorter throughtout Germany and the Low-Countries than since they have beene by the confederacy which the French King and he had made lately for ruinating Charles the fift But whatsoever devices were in their hearts the counsell of the Lord was against them and that must stand though by the sudden fall of the Confederates 11 To reflect a little upon the more speciall interpositions of Gods providence in moderating the proceedings and issues of this warre The Romanists have small cause to brag though many of them doe so of Charles his victorie over the two confederate Princes as of some speciall token of Gods favour to their Church and religion Chytreus a most unpartiall Writer and well acquainted with the State of Germany as then it stood and with the severall dispositions of the chiefe confederates ingenuously confesseth as a speciall argument of Gods favour towards the professors of the reformed Religion throughout Germany that the Duke of Saxony and Landgrave of Hessen had not the victory which they expected over the Emperour Hee might have more reason thus to write then I know or now remember but certainly their agreement during the time of the war was not altogether so good as to promise any lasting concord or sure establishment of true Christian peace throughout the severall Provinces of Germany if they had prevailed Shertelius who commanded in chiefe for the free Cities did as some write forsake the Campe as being wearie of their wranglings However their few yeares captiuitie was a fatherly chastisement no plague or token of Gods wrath against them As the unjust detention of the Landgrave brought greater dishonour to the Emperour Charles then any one Act that ever he did so the Duke of Saxonie wonne himselfe more honour by his durance then the Emperour could bestow upon him Victorie in battaile abundance of wealth and titles of honour are gifts and blessings from the Lord yet of which Pagans and Infidels are capable and such as many Heathen have scorned or not affected But for a Prince by birth which had beene continually borne upon the wings of better Fortune alwayes reputed the chiefe stay and pillar of his Country to endure captivity in an uncouth Court with such constancy of minde as could turne the intended contempt and scorne of his witty enemies into kindnesse and admiration and cause such as had led him captive not only to pitie but to honour him and propagate his fame unto posterity This was a blessing peculiar to Gods Saints That character which forraigne Writers have put upon him will hardly befit any that is not a Christian inwardly and in heart Neque in prosperis elatum neque in adversis dejectum sui hostes unquam vidêre His enemies did never see him either puft up with prosperitie or dejected with adversity But was it not the greater pitie if we may speake after the manner of most men and as many Germanes in those times did that so noble a Prince should be punished with the perpetuall losse of his Electorall dignity Yet even this that we may with veneration rather admire than question the secret wayes of Gods providence was no losse but gaine unto Gods Church and the publique weale of Saxony which he more sought than his owne ends or commodities For by his falling into Charles his hands the Electorall dignity of Saxony fell into another Collaterall line which proved as beneficiall and favourable to good learning and Reformed Religion as any other Princely Family of Germany in those times Witnesse to omit their other good deeds in this kinde that Princely munificence of Duke Augustus brother and heyre to Maurice the victorious annually exhibited to Ministers Orphans related by Polycarpus Lyserus How well those good examples which Maurice himselfe and his brother Augustus had set have beene followed by their Successors falls not within my reading or observation But surely these two advancers of this second Line did better imitate the princely vertues of their deprived Vncle than his owne sons were likely to have done For the judicious unpartiall French Historian assignes this as one speciall reason why the fame and memory of Iohn Duke of Saxony did not continue so fresh and pretious after his death as he deserved Quia reliquit filios sui dissimillimos CHAP. 29. Of Gods speciall providence in making unexpected peace and raising unexpected warre 1 THE hand of the Almighty is not more conspicuous in managing warres begunne by men than his finger is in contriving their first beginnings Love is his nature and friendship or mutuall love betwixt man and man Princes or Nations is a blessing which descends from him alone who is the onely Author of all true peace but not the Author onely of peace Sometimes hee kindles unquenchable dissentions where the seeds of secular peace have been sowne with greatest policy and watered with continuall care and circumspection Sometimes againe hee maketh sudden unexpected concord between spirits which jarre by nature and joynes the right hand of inveterate foes to strengthen the stroke of Iustice upon his enemies 2 Later Chronicles will hardly afford any example of worse consort betweene neighbour Princes than was betweene Charles of Burgundy and Lewes of France whether wee respect the contrarietie of their naturall dispositions or the incompossibilitie of their projects or engagements Nature had planted and policie had nourished a kinde of Antipathy betwixt them And yet how quickly and unexpectedly did these two great Princes after irreconcileable variances close and agree together to crush the wise the rich and martiall Earle of Saint Paul then High Constable of France He that had beene of both these Princes Courts and of both their Counsels hath left it observed that they could never bee brought in all their life time to concurre in any other action or project besides this albeit they had often greater motives to entertaine peace betweene themselves than provocations to conspire against this Earle Perhaps his experience of their ill consort made him more confident than otherwise hee would have beene though confident he might have beene upon better grounds than most great Subjects or inferiour Princes can be if wit if wealth if policie if martiall power or authority could secure any from the execution of Gods Iustice 3 The best use which Machiavel or his Scholars make of this Potentates mishap is
as policy could devise their practise and execution of meanes invented was more exact then the patterne which Machiavel gives for like designes First because store of armour and munition was necessary for such an action and provision of such store of munition would be suspicious for a private man to undertake in a popular and factious State Fliscus perswades young Doria whose death he especially sought to be his partner in setting out a Man of Warre against the Turkes Doria kindly accepts the offer altogether ignorant of the others intent which was by this colour to furnish himselfe with armour and munition out of the Countrie for Doriaes overthrow And being once furnished with such tragicall attire without suspition of any tragedy to ensue for to provide himselfe of sutable actors hee invites a multitude of the Commons to a night feast where in stead of thanksgiving before meat hee makes a patheticall oration exhorting them to banquet it that night in the Nobilities blood assuring them that they should bee their owne carvers for ever after of the good things of that Citie Some for love to Fliscus others for hate to the Nobility some for feare of present danger and others for hope of greater dignities for one cause or other all at length save two who desired to be spared for their faint hearts offer themselves to Fliscus his service And by their forwardnesse the City gates next to the key whose command made most for their purpose are presently surprised yet not without some noise which comming unto Doriaes eare makes him suspect that his Mariners were quarrelling and rifing out of his bed to compose the supposed quarrell by his presence he falls immediately into his enemies hands before he was sought for But however this yong gallant had committed no actuall crime that by course of humane law deserved a violent death by such executioners yet the right hand of the Lord had found him out for consenting by Piracy to disturbe the publique peace lately concluded betwixt Charles the fift and the Turke which peace the Genoezes amongst others the Dorian faction above other Genoezes but especially this young Doria his Fathers house which had stood for Caesar against the French were bound in conscience to observe But leaving the cause of his death unto the righteous Iudge his sudden end in any Politicians judgement was a good beginning to Fliscus mischievous designes And what more could Machiavel have in the next place given in charge but that the Gallies which made some stirre at the noise should with all speed bee boorded to make all sure untill the Tragedy were fully acted This Fliscus sought to put in execution with as great speed as Machiavel in like case could have wished But haste as wee say makes waste his forward minde had made him forget that his body was not so nimble in armour as out of it not so apt either to avoid a slip or to recover himselfe when he began to slide By his hasty treading upon a loose plank as if the snare had been set for his soule by the Almighties hand he and one or two of his companions fell some yard or two short of their purpose and drowned themselves and their plot even whilest it was come to such perfection that the younger Fliscus yet hoped to make himselfe Duke of Genoa as haply he might have done if the Lord had lent him so much wit as to have concealed his elder brothers death scarce knowne to any till he bewrayed it to such as enquired for him in hope to finish all instantly by his presence But they partly amazed with the elder brothers sudden disaster and seeing no sufficiency in the younger to satisfie their expectation dissolve the rout and ceasing to project the ruine of others begin every one to seek the best meanes for his owne safety Thus hath this politique Gentleman consulted shame unto his house his stately Palace is demolished and his Noble Family almost extinct Yet were all the conditions which greatest plot-masters require in such projects exactly observed in this the plot it selfe as acurate as could by the reach of man be devised their counsell communicated but to a few at the first the execution of it so speedy that the appointed actors could have no leisure to deliberate whether it were better to relent or goe forwards and yet the successe more dismal and sudden than their enemies could expect or wish Thus Machiavels rules have their exceptions but the Prophets Calendar is never out of date Non est viri dirigere gressus ejus Not Machiavel himselfe had he been present could so have directed Fliscus his steps that his treadings should not slip yea he should have fallen though Machiavel had held the plank For his iniquity had overgrown his plot and being come to ful height it strikes upon that immutable irresistible doome which God by Moses had pronounced Deut. 32. v. 35. Vengeance and recompence are mine their feet shall slide in due time and the day of their destruction is at hand and the things that shall come upon them make haste These men we spake of hastned their owne destruction by making too much haste to destroy others 4 Perhaps the Politician will reply As Haman was too slow so Fliscus was too hasty and should have observed the contrary rule Differ habent parvae commoda magna morae Suppose this hot-spur were revived to re-act his former or the like cunning plot and for his better remembrance should take the Dolphin and Harrow for his devise with this inscription Festina lente it were not possible his speed should be better so long as his intentions were as bad or worse then they had beene and his adversaries no worse then they were when he conspired their death To omit more examples ancient or foraigne the fresh memory of the Powder treason eclipseth all that have gone before it No Politician can justly accuse the Actors of this intended Tragedy either of Hamans too long delay or of Fliscus his haste Such maturity and secrecie they used in their actions and consultations as none on earth could have used more considering the many lets and impediments which did crosse their projects Hell it selfe had gone so long with this hideous monster that it was weary and well content to make an abortive brood as fearing the pangs that must have accompanied the full delivery of what had beene conceived within her bowels would be unsufferable But Achitophel had wit at will to plot a treason to his Soveraignes overthrow yet herein blinded by him that gave him sight in other projects that he could not forecast what harmes might befall him by Absoloms folly And though the Arch-plotter were Vir profundae dissimulationis one that could give traiterous counsell as the destroying Angell of the Lord and hide his counsell as deep as Hell though he had this extraordinary quality in him of making his friends so sure unto him