reconciliation by any speech preaching teaching writing or any other open deede or if any person or persons within this Realme or any the Queenes Maiesties dominions after the sayd first day of Iuly shall willingly receiue or take any such absolution or reconciliation or else if any person or persons haue obtayned or gotten sithens the last day of Iuly in the first yeare of the Queenes Maiesties Raigne or after the sayd first day of Iuly shall obtaine or get from the sayd Bishop of Rome or any his successors or Sea of Rome any manner of Bul writing or instrument written or printed containing any thing matter or cause whatsoeuer or shall publish or by any wayes or meanes put in vre any such Bul writing or instrument that theÌ„ all euery such act acts offeÌ„ce and offeÌ„ces shall be deemed adiudged by the authority of this Act to be high treason the offender offenders therein their procurers abbetters and counsellers to the committing the sayd offence and offences shall be deemed high treason to the Queene and the Realme and being thereof lawfully indicted and attaynted shall forfeit as in cases of high treason and their ayders counsellers or abbetters after the committing of the sayd offences and acts to the intent to set foorth vphold or allow the doing or execution of the sayd vsurped power iurisdiction or authority touching or concerning the premises or any part therof shall incurre the paine of the Satute of Praemunire made in the sixteenth yeare of king Richard the second 16. R. 2. cap. Prouided alwayes nd be it further enacted by the authority aforesayd that if any person or persons to whom any such absolution reconciliation Bull writing or instrument shall after the sayd first day of Iuly be offered moued or perswaded to be vsed put in vre Conceale or executed shall conceale the same offer motion or perswade and not disclose and signifie the same by writing or otherwise within sixe weekes next following to some of the Queenes Maiesties Priuie Councell established in the North parts or in the Marches of Wales for the time being shall incurre the paine and forfeiture of misprision of treason Treason B. 19. 6. El. 6. which is to forfeit the profit of his lands during his life all his goods and chattels and to haue perpetuall imprisonment And the paine of the sayd Satute of the Praemunire is to forfeit all his lands that he hath in fee-simple Forfeit B. 101 24. H. 8. to the Crowne for euer and all lands that he holdeth in tayle or for life during his life and all his leases for yeares and other his goods and chattels for euer and shall haue perpetuall imprisonment Protection and be out of the Queenes protection And it hath bene taken that any man might kill such a one before the making of the Statute of 5. F. n. b. 232. Coron B. 193. El. cap. 1. but now he may not Although it may be doubted for that we are deuided for religion if any inuasion should be attempted in this Realme Inuasion that some desirous of alteration thereof would ioyne with them yet it is to be hoped that there are thousands and thousands of true and faithfull subiects German fo 122. Forfâ—it B. 102 Triall F. 54. 5. R. 2. 2. H. 5. cap. 7. which will spend their lands liues and goods as they ought before the enemy should preuaile And one reason moueth me thus to thinke for that the Quéenes Maiestie doth not punish them by death nor losse of goods and lands as was vsed in Queene Maries time for religion but imposeth vppon some of them a certaine summe of mony to be payd monethly for not comming to Church besides great numbers of others which perhaps would like well of the change of religion as well as the rest and yet are neither charged with like payment nor otherwise any way dealt withall And another chiefe reason moueth me thus to thinke for that they which shall shew themselues traytors false and vntrue to their owne Prince and countrey A forreyn Prince that conquereth trusteth not him that is conquered in adhering to strangers besides that they shal ouerthrow themselues and their houses and vtterly vndoe their wiues children for that they shall forfeit al they haue may in all reason assure theÌ„selues the no forreyn Prince will thinke that such persons wil be true to him for he that will not regard his countrey where he was bread and borne his father mother wife children kinsfolkes nor allies his lands liuings and possessions his liberty and freedome how can a stranger that commeth to conquer and bring all these into his subiection seruitude and bondage be perswaded that he will loue obey or carry any loyalty or faithfulnesse towards him as is aforesayd How such haue bene dealt withall by them with whom they haue ioyned against their Prince and countrey how faire soeuer they haue promised appeareth in part afore and more ensueth Of the conspiracies and trecheries of certaine Nobles and others against their Prince and country and what haue bin the rewards of such traitors by them who made vse of their treasons and how dangerous the controuersie in religion is to a common wealth CHAP. 10. WHen William Duke of Normandie attempted to inuade this land Holinsh 298. WilliaÌ„ Duke of NormaÌ„dy there were certaine Noblemen of England which were aiding assisting to him in this action to whom he made many faire and large promises vntill he had wonne the Crowne and then he forgot and nothing regarded them and they which thought themselues sure to be made for euer by bringing in this stranger into this realme did sée themselues vnderfoot and to be dispised mocked on all sides Ibid. 197. Againe when the variance was in England betwixt king Iohn and some of his Barons and that the king did put them often to the worst they did write to the king of Fraunce Philip Ibid. 600. Lewes the FreÌ„ch kings sonne came into EnglaÌ„d when ciuill waires were there praying aide of him and requiring him to send Lewes his sonne with men of warre into England to assist theÌ„ against their king promising that they would accept him for their king and do him homage whereupon the French king sent his sonne Lewes with a great company into England to whom the Barons did homage and the said Lewes tooke an oath also to maintaine and performe the old lawes customs of the realme and to restore to euerie man his rightfull heritage and lands requiring the Barons to continue faithfull vnto him and he vsed them so curteously and gaue them so many faire words and made them such large promises that they beléeued him assuredly but they remembred not that Lewes looked for a kingdome And what will not manie do if they may thereby be sure or in hope to get a Crowne as one writeth Ad quid non adagis regnandi dira cupido
violence vpon paine of death and shortly after they fired the towne and tooke the seas and they brought also with them into England diuerse of the best sort of the Spaniards taken in the said Citie as prisoners to abide their ransome what the king will do being herewith moued I know not but no doubt her Maiestie will prouide to defend the worst as good pollicie willeth Salomon saith Beatus qui semper timet hoc est qui cautus prouidens est ad omnia mala quae possunt in illum incursare depellenda paratissimus How most graciously Almighty God hath dealt for her Maiestie to defend her her kingdomes from forraine forces inuasion you may sée in that in the beginning of winter about three yeares last past when the king of Spaine had gathered together as great a number of Shippes as he could furnish from all partes of his dominions or could recouer by imbarking all other shippes of seruice which came for trade into Spaine or Portugall intending to haue inuaded her Maiesties realme of England and yet such was the prouidence of God contrary to his expectation intētion by hastening of his enterprise in a time vnlooked for to surprise some place in England or Ireland before her Maiesty could haue had her owne force in readinesse she still prouiding to haue liued in peace which she professeth both to her self all Christēdome it pleased him who frō heauen with iustice beholdeth all mens purposes sodainly most strāgely to drowne make vnseruiceable diuerse of his best ships of warre being vnder saile comming from Lisbone and verie neare to the deffined hauen of Ferroll with destruction of no smal numbers of souldiers and mariners among which manie of those Irish rebels which were entertained in Spaine to haue accompanied either that Nauy or some part therof into Irelād were also cast away by which manifest act of Almightie God the Armie was so weakened as the same could not put to the seas according to his former purpose And here I protest that I write not anie thing to disgrace anie Prince or nation against whom our nation hath so often preuailed but that you may by the said examples sée that God giueth the victorie where it pleaseth him although the said other Princes be right couragious and valiant in armes That notwithstanding the difference of religiō or anie other cause whatsoeuer we ought all to ioyne together for the defence of our Prince and countrey against the enemie with a repetition of certaine lawes tending chiefly to the preseruation of her Maiesties person and the safetie and defence of the realme CHAP. 12. ANd though we be deuided for religion which God of his mercie bring to vnitie yet I trust that we will wholly Though we be deuided for religion yet we must ioyne against the enemie faithfully and as we are bound and belongeth to good and loyall subiects and naturall men to their countrey ioyne together in this seruice of defence of our Prince and countrey against the enemie following the good example of the Iewes who although great dissention and ciuill discord was among themselues as Iosephus writeth in his booke de bello Iudaico yet when the enemie did inuade their countrie Lib. 6. cap. 10 they ioyned together and valiantly defended thēselues So did the Romans as Bodinus writeth his words be these Bodinus 563 Cùm enim aliquando in visceribus vrbis Romanae patres cum plebe capitalibus odijs inter se contenderent hostis in Capitolium inuasit repentè ciues ad concordiam adducti hostem repulerunt rursus parta pace cùm ciuiles discordias relapsas intuerentur venientes Romanos agros vastare coeperunt repent è ciuilis motus conquieuit vt hostes propulsarent That is When the chiefe of the citie of Rome with the common sort of the Citizens there were at deadly hate the enemie entred the Capitoll wherupon sodainly the Citizens being reduced to concord they did driue away the enemie and by that meanes peace being obtained when they againe fell into ciuill discord the enemy that perceiuing they destroyed the fields at Rome whereupon the commotion ceased that they might repulse the enemie To that effect he writeth of the troubles of Spaine Ibidem 563. thus Nec verò motus ciuiles Hispanorum aliter sedare potuerunt cum absente Carolo quinto Imperatore nouum creauissent regem Gallorum exercitu in Cantabriam Nauarram tunc irruente quas regiones Galli occupauerant sed Hispani repentè conciliatis animis hostiles impetus represserunt amissa recuperarunt That is The ciuill warres and troubles in Spaine could not otherwise be appeased when Charles the fift Emperour being absent they made a new King at which time an armie of the Frenchmen entredinto Cātabrie and Nauarre and possessed the same but the Spaniards sodainely according within themselues did expell them and recouered againe those losses By these examples the naturall affection which these men had and euerie man ought to haue to the preseruation and safetie of their countrie doth euidētly appeare And whatsoeuer the cause be that moueth ciuill warres yet that ought not to worke such malice in them as the safetie and good of their countrie should thereby be endangered or neglected wherby the saying of the Poet Ouid may appeare to be true Nescio qua natale solum dulcedine cunctos Ducit immemores non sinit esse sui And because there are many good lawes ordained Diuerse lawes meet to be set downe and knowne in these dangerous dayes as well in the time of our most gracious Soueraigne Ladie that now is as also of her noble Progenitors by the authority of their high Courts of Parliament touching the securitie of her Highnesse person and the safety and defence of the realme which be necessarie at all times but especially now in these dangerous dayes to be knowne I haue thought good here to make mention of them to the end men should not be ignorant thereof although in truth the ignorance of the law doth not excuse German fol. 52. but of the déed as the saying is Ignorantia legis non excusat sed ignorantia facti And first touching her Maiesties person 25. E. 3. cap. 2 Compasse or imagine the death of the Queene it is ordained by a Statute made in the fiue and twentieth yeare of Edward the third which some hold to be but a confirmation of the common law that if anie compasse or imagine the death of her Maiestie whom Almightie God of his great mercy vouchsafe to preserue and to graunt her life with most prosperous health in high felicitie long to cōtinue and to raigne ouer vs to the ouerthrow of her enemies confusion of all traitors this is high treason Treason B. 24. 1. Mariae These words ompasse or imagine the death of the King or Quéene are large words for he that doth deuise how the Prince shall come
among Christian Princes and to moue their subiects to oppose against them surely his owne conscience shall testifie against him which will be as strong as a thousand witnesses as Persius very well sayth Poena autem vehemens ac multo seuerior illis Satyr 3. Quas Ceditius grauis inuenit Rodamanthus Nocte diéque suum gestare in pectore testem And againe Conscientia mille testes onus Aetna grauius Can he find by the word of God No subiect can rebell for any cause Rom. 13. that it is lawfull for the subiect to rebell against his Prince for any cause whatsoeuer Saint Paul sayth Let euery soule submit himselfe to the higher powers there is no power but of God all powers that are be ordayned of God and whosoeuer resisteth the power resisteth the ordinance of God and procureth to himselfe damnation When Pilate sayd to Christ Iohn 18. Knowest thou not that I haue power to loose thee also to crucifie thee he sayd thou shouldest haue no power at all ouer me were it not giuen thee from aboue our Sauior Christ was called afore the high Priests to answere to his doctrine did he oppose himselfe any way against them no he knew they had their authority from God and therefore he shewed all obedience to them in respect of their place and patiently suffered death though vniustly according to their wicked law and iudgements When Malcus with other of the high Priests seruants came by their commandement to take Christ Iohn 18. Peter drew out his sword cut off Malcus eare Christ said vnto him Put vp thy sword into thy sheath Math. 25. for all that strike with the sword shall perish therewith thinkest thou that I cannot speake to my Father and he shall giue me more then twenty legions of Angels but how should then the Scripture bee performed The famous clarke Erasmus in his Paraphrase vppon this place of Scripture Paraphrase speaketh these words vnto Peter as it were in the persō of Christ Put vp thy sword into thy sheath matters of the Gospell are not in such manner to be defended if thou wilt succeed me as my vicar thou must fight with no other sword then of Gods word which cutteth away sinne and saueth the man And the auncient father Tertullian in his Apologia cap. 37 sayth In our profession more meeter it is to be slaine then to slay So did all the Martyrs of God by whom the Church of Christ increased Saint Augustine saith Not resistendo sed perferendo Not by resisting but by suffering If the Prince should set foorth a law touching the worshiping of God or matter of conscience against the word of God and lymit a paine to the breakers thereof Acts. 4. though the subiect be not bound in conscience to obserue that law for in such cases a man must rather obey God then man yet he may not rebell nor oppose himselfe violently against his Prince but he must rather referre his cause to God and submit himselfe to the punishmēts of the law Peter 2. as Saint Peter saith Submit your selfe to euery ordinance of man for the Lords sake whether it be to the king as to the chiefe or to them that be sent of him then it followeth he may not rebell whatsoeuer the ordinance be The Iewes had a law that whosoeuer should say he was the Sonne of God should die Christ that was the soonne of God in déede Looke Iohn 19. verse 7. and so declared himselfe to the people to be yet he did submit himselfe to the paine of the law thoughit be vngodly ¶ The manner how to suppresse rebels with a perswasion to all subiects to the due of obedience of their Prince the great inconueniences that arise of ciuill warres How hatefull the name of a traytour is to the posteritie and what plagues haue fallen not onely vppon traytors but also vppon such as haue bene murmurers against their Princes Gouernors CHAP. 8. WHen the Princes of Germany determined to take armes against the emperor for the defence of their religion Bodinus 211 they asked Luther if it were lawfull so to do who answered expresly that it was not Sleildan 4. and would not perswade them thereunto saying that no cause could be iust for the subiect to beare armes against his Prince countrey And because it is conuenient that rebellious and disordered people should be dealt withall with conuenient speed Bodinus lib. 4. fol. 487. let vs heare what Bodinus writeth concerning the maner how Si tamen seditio priùs coorta fuerit quà m prospiceretur sapientissimos ac summa virtute praestantes viros qui populi motus orationis lenitate ac prudētia regere possunt adhibere oportebit nam qui vi◠adhibent perinde faciunt vt ij qui torrentem praecipiti casu de rupibus altissimis labentem sistere se posse confidunt How rebels must be suppressed If seditious persons and rebels be assembled together afore it be foreseene the wisest men and such as for their great vertue excell can moue the people with their gentle and wise perswasions are most meetest to be vsed for such as at the first vse force do as they which thinke to stay a great water falling headlong from the high rocks If wild beasts cannot be tamed with strokes but by gentle and skilfull vsing of them who can thinke with sharpe and rough words to tame such as of all beasts are most fierce The Senate of Rome did very often reprehend such as vsed force to appease the furie of the people and rather cōmended Menenius Agrippa which not with bitternesse but rather with gentlenesse and cunning vsed to reduce the people to their obedience and dutie which aboue all other bred to him immortall praise and glorie to the common wealth And to that effect the Poet Virgill writeth thus Ac veluti magno in populo cum sepè coorta est Seditio Aeneid lib. 1. saeuitque animis ignobile vulgus Iamque faces saxa volant furor arma ministrat Tum pietate grauem ac meritis si fortè virum quem Conspexêre silent arrectisque auribus astant Ille regit dictis animos pectora mulcet Whē sedition is raised amongst the common people in their rage firebrands and stones flie for furie doth minister weapons then if they see by chaunce anie graue man to be reuerenced for his vertee and good deserts they are silent and hearken to him diligently and he asswageth with his mildnesse and wise speeches their minds and rages Pericles So did Pericles the Athenian Peter Loredan the Venetian and others whereby it appeareth that vertue and wisdome doth sometime mors preuaile in these cases then either lawes armes or the commandement of rulers And to restraine such rebellious people and reduce them to due obedience the feare and reuerence of Religion hath bene in times past of great force Lib.
4. fol. 480 for as Bodinus writeth whē ciuill warres were raised amongst the Florentines and great slaughter and bloudshed happened amongst them in the Citie and no force of man could restraine the same Frauncis Soderinus the Bishop hauing on his pontificall ornaments and a companie of Priests attending on him and the Crosse borne before him entred into the middest of the Citizens thus assembled whereupon they forthwith for the feare they had of religion did put off their armour so did Iudas Bishop of the Hebrues High Priest when Alexander the great came to the citie of Ierusalem with a great host being apparelled in his holy vestiments met him which sight and the brightnesse whereof being feared Alexander did reuerence the Bishop did not spoile the countrie nor holy Citie but with great benefites did inlarge the same By like meanes Vrbane the Pope is said to haue turned and remoued away the siege of Attila from the citie of Aquila 5. Ioseph in anti as Iosephus writeth but when none of these will serue then the extermitie of armes must be vsed And because good perswasions and mild spéeches are thought so conuenient to be vsed to appease such vprores I haue thought good to set downe this simple exhortation which followeth After that Almightie God had destroyed the world for the finne of man Exhortation to rebels sauing Noah and his family who were preserued in the Arke by Gods prouidence and that nations and people did againe increase and multiply vpon the face of the earth knowing in his euerlasting wisedome how necessarie good and wholsome lawes should be for the gouernment and direction of his people he gaue the lawes of the tenne commandements in the mount Sinay wherein is contained first our dutie to almighty God and next to our neighbour then he also ordained Kings Princes and Gouernors to rule and order their subiects and to punish the offenders thereof by these lawes and gaue them power to make lawes as Salomon saith Prou. 8. By me kings raigne through me Princes make good lawes And lastly he gaue straight commandemēt to the subiects touching their obedience to their Soueraigne Lords and rulers Rom. 13. as Saint Paule saith Let euerie soule submit himselfe to the higher Powers there is no power but of God all powers that be are ordained of God whosoeuer therefore resisteth the power resisteth the ordinance of God and they that resist procure to themselues damnation for rulers are not fearefull to them that do well but to them that do euill Wilt thou be without feare of the power do well then and so thou shalt be praised of him for he is the minister of God ordained for thy wealth But if thou do euill then feare for he beareth not the sword in vaine for he is the minister of God to take vengeance of them that do euill Wherfore we must obey not onely for feare of vengeance but for conscience sake also for that cause we pay tribute for they are Gods ministers seruing for that purpose Now what euill counsel hath moued you thus to enter into armes against your naturall Prince and Liege Ladie whom Almightie God hath ordained to supply his place and to raigne ouer you Who hath be witched you thus to abuse the great loue and fauour of so gracious a Quéene which she hath borne alwayes and doth dayly shew to her good subiects to oppose against her that is studious to set forth the Gospell that is and hath bene so carefull to maintaine such common peace amongst vs these fortie yeares and more Though this be touched afore yet it is not vnmeet to be vsed here to these men as the like hath not bin séene nor heard of neither is to be found in anie record or Chronicle of this realme sithence the conquest therof which is aboue 528 yeares for the like time of gouernment that is desirous to raigne with mercie with loue with pitie and tender compassion and not by tyrannie nor by effusion of bloud neither alwayes by inflicting the extremitie of her lawes vpon such as most iustly haue deserued the execution of the same that is mercifull to offenders bountifull to well deseruers of her Maiestie and their conntrey that to her great charge hath fortified this realme with strong Castles and a Nauie of warlike shippes and all other things necessarie for the warres in great aboundance for the defence of her kingdome and people that hath not laid vpon vs any taxes or tallages but the like thereof hath bene before her time and greater also that hath made good lawes and taken a solemne oath in the day of her coronation to endeuour her selfe that the same shall be holden kept and executed vnto all her subiects indifferently without respect of persons and is also well pleased to be ordered by the same her selfe If you consider the horrible murthers of great persons the pitifull slaughter of man woman and child by fire and sword the lamentable rauishments of maids wiues and widowes the ransacking and spoiling of Cities and townes with many other miseries and calamities which haue hapned continued in other countreys not farre hence these many yeares by occasion of ciuill warres and dissention you shall find that we haue cause to thinke our selues most bound of all nations to the goodnesse of God in that he hath not suffered vs to be afflicted and visited with the like all which haue bene preuēted by the great wisedome and prouidence of her Maiestie her graue Councell These besides other infinite great kindnesse and benefites her highnesse hath daily most graciously bestowed vpon vs that more nor greater no Prince can extend to her people and shall we now be vnthankfull for the same shall we yéeld vnkindnesse for kindnesse shall we recompence her daily care studie to do vs good by seeking danger to her person and perill to her state which may ensue by your forcible and violēt opposing against her There is nothing worse bestowed then that is done to the vngratefull and forgetfull man as Erasmus writeth Nihil peius confertur quà m quod hemini ingrato atque non scienti A man that receiueth a good turne if there be any good nature in him will alwayes be thankful and so much the more when he is not able to deserue or requite the least part thereof king Dauid that receiued many good things at the hands of God shewed not himselfe vnthankfull but breaking out as it were on a suddaine sayd vnto himselfe Quid retribuam Domino pro omnibus quae retribuit mihi calicem salutaris accipiam nomen Domini inuocabo Psal 116. 107. What shall I yeeld vnto God for all that he hath done vnto me I will take the cup of thankesgiuing and call vpon the name of the Lord. It is all that Almighty God doth looke for at our hands that we should be thankfull vnto him for all his mercies louing kindnesse that
Ireland to the vse of his Lord Thomas Fitzgerauld and being dealt withall by the king of England his Lieutenant there to yéeld to him to the vse of the king the sayd Castle for a certaine summe of money agréed in the end so to do and deliuered vp the hold accordingly and receiued his money After the Lieutenant considering the vniustnesse of this man to his Lord which had put him in trust with the safe kéeping of his Castle and to whom he was déepely beholden meaning to make an exāple of such treacherie caused this Captaine presently to be executed declaring thereby though for the time he imbraced the benefite of his treasōs yet after he could not disgest the vnfaithfull dealing of this traitor to his Maister that had trusted him with a place of such great credence and defence Christian van de Veque betrayed for a great pension the the Castle of S. Christiā van de Veque Iohn being one of the most importāt fortresses of Portugall to king Philip who in the end was rewarded with such as a traitor deserueth for being a while entertained with hope was at last banished to the wars of Affrica for ten yeares The like vsage in maner receiued all his fellowes which betrayed the king of Portugall their lawfull king by deliueries of such places as they had in gouernement or by doing the king of Spaine any other seruice to the preiudice of Don Anthonio king of Portugall Haue we not séene the vnnaturall practises of Shelley Charles Paget and others with the Spaniards to inuade our countrey and to haue ouerthrowne this happy state and gouernement thereof looke into a litle treatise published 1585 where it is set downe at large Esay 22. Sobna The Prophet Esay speaketh of one Sobna whom the king Hesekiah had greatly aduaunced who outwardly shewed that he would liue and dye with him but he had a false hart to his Prince and more fauoured the Assirians the kings enemies who sought to inuade his countrey but he was caried captiue into a forreine countrey farre off according to Gods ordinance and there dyed in confusion Such as are traitors to their owne countrey may be well compared to the viper Rhetorik Wilso fo 64. Plinie whose nature and propertie is as Pliny writeth that when by course of time he is to come foorth of the belly of his damme he eateth a hole through the same by meanes whereof she dyeth and so is he the cause and the destruction of her that did breed nourish and preserue him It is a commō saying He is an euill bird that defileth his owne neast and so is he a monster and no man that conspireth or intendeth any perill or daunger to his natiue country Who that desireth to know what hath bene the end of traitors and false conspirators against their Prince and countrey in old time may reade M. Renegers booke Reneger wherein they are disclosed at large As ciuill warres Ciuill wars and dissentions are perillous to all states so are all occasions to be preuented which may bréed the same amongst which there is no one thing that sooner ingēdreth such discord Contention for religion breedeth oftentimes ciuil dissentiō then contention for religion which carieth away men with such vehement passions that they will fight for the same more willingly then for their wiues or children lands or goods in respect of it they regard nothing through the diuersitie thereof French Academie ca. 63 the father is against the son and the son against the father they which are nearest of kinne loose their naturall loue they which are of the same country and linage persecute one another as mortal enemies sundry nations abhorre one another for the same cause To raise seditiō tumults in a Citie Bodinus li. 4. fo 486. nothing is more daungerous saith Bodinus then to be diuided in opiniō whether it be in matters of state or of lawes and customes or for religion therefore the causes whereof such mischiefes may ensue by all pollicies in the beginning are to be looked vnto He is not counted a good Phisition onely that cureth the disease but that preserueth health and preuenteth sicknesse to come A small sparke raiseth great flames of fire as the saying is Concitat ingentes flammas scintilla minuta In the beginning a fire with litle water may be suppressed Nota. which if it increase to great flames without much ado will not be quenched Ouid. as the Poet Ouid verie well saith Ignis ab exigua nascens extinguitur vnda Sed postquam creuit volitantque ad sydera flammae Vix putei fontes fluuij succurrere possunt And the same Poet writeth also De arte amandi Principijs obstat serò medicina paratur Cùm mala per longas conualuêre moras Withstād the beginning for the medicine is too late prouiuided when the disease by ouerlong tarying is increased Afore religion is established Not meet to argue against religion setled by authority Bodinus li. 4. fo 481. Paradox fo 1 to argue of religiō to try the truth is allowable but when it is set downe by common authoritie it is not after to be disputed vpon or brought in question as Bodinus affirmeth for there is nothing so firme or stable which by force of argument can not be peruerted and to that effect Tullie writeth Nihil est tam incredibile quod non dicendo fiat probabile nihil tam horridum aut incultum quod non splendescat oratione tāquam excolatur And Plutarke affirmeth Quod extat Licurgi lex antiquissima Plutarke 5. quam Florentini disputatores omnium acutissimi in populari statu inferunt nec scilicet de legibus semel receptis ac probatis disserere liceret Bodinus li. 4. fo 48. intelligit leges disputatas in dubium reuocari dubitationem verò iniusticiae opinionem afferre ex quo legum ac magistratuum contemptum reip interitum sequi necesse est Quod si Philosophi Mathematici suarum disciplinarum principia in dubitationem reuocari non patiuntur quae demētia est de religione non modo priuatim sed etiam publicè disputare velle There is an ancient law saith he amongst the Ligurians which the Florentines most quicke in disputation did commaund to be holden that of lawes once receiued and allowed to dispute it should not be lawfull for to call in questiō lawes afore determined vpon doth bring in doubt the thing afore agréed vnto as though it were not right and iust whereupon contempt of the lawes and gouernement and the ouerthrow of the common wealth doth consequently ensue If the Philosophers Mathematikes will not suffer the grounds of their learning to be brought in question what madnesse is it then priuately or publikely to dispute of religion once set downe and allowed Fo. 5. Doctour Smith in his booke de Repub. Angl. saith Certaine it is