Heauen and Earth Religion and Policy OR The maine difference betweene Religion and Policy Written by C. L. Printed by H.B. for Ieffrey Chorlton and are to be sold at his shop at the great North dore of Paules Church 1608. The Contents of the Chapters 1 Of Religion Pag. 1. 2 Of Policie 8. Of their diuers workings 3 In respect of the Cath. Church 16. 4 Of the Clergie 32. 5 Of State 48 6 Of the Soueraigne of State 56 7 Of State Gouernours 66 8 Of Subordinate Gouernors 75 9 Of Honour Military Of Honour Courtly 86 10 Of prosperous Fortune 100. TO THE MOST REVEREND FATHER in God RICHARD by divine prouidence Archbishop of Canterbury Primate and Metropolitane of all England Chancellor of the vniuersity of Oxford and one of his Maiesties most honorable priuie Counsell May it please your Grace I Humbly present you this Tract of Religion and Policy wherin I acknowledge the disproportion betweene the matter and the manner I giue it Yet because it is a seruice of duety it may therefore please your Grace to accept it The reason of my vndertaking it is the duety of Christian conscience which bindeth every man to some profitable performance And because God hath not yet beene pleased to giue me particular place of seruice wherein I might imploy his talent with more aduantage I therefore endeauour my selfe in such trauell wherein God may receiue his part of honour his seruants their parts of profit and my selfe the discharge of Christian duetie all which respects are the lawes restrictions of euery lawfull worke The reason of dedication is the reuerence your Grace doth merit from all them who professe learning In which number though I be the meanest in respect both of Nature and Fortune yet beeing bound with others I like them both declare and direct my selfe to your Grace in my labours of best performance Againe the fitnes of your place with this argument doth challenge the dedication because the execution of your high calling is a continuall exercise of Religion and Religious Policy the weapons and prouident armour whereby both Church and State are secured from vngodly practise the which as your Grace best knoweth hath bin that murthering gun-shot bent against the truth of Religion and the peace of Christian States For these respects I haue both writ and giuen this trauell to your Grace humbly acknowledging my duety and the meanenesse of my deseruing Your Graces In all duty and humble seruice Christopher Leuer To the Reader IT is the common custome to intreate fauour from courteous Readers the custome is not good and therfore I vse it not for if the matter merit or the men bee courteous the sute of fauour will bee easily granted if otherwise it is but a needelesse shame to beg a commendation where it is not And therefore I willingly leaue to euery man the liberty of his iudgement and expose this Tract to general censure Faults escaped are corrected in the last Page Heauen and Earth Religion and Policy OR The maine difference betweene Religion and Policie OF The vndiuided Nature of Religion CHAP. I. THE best Policie is Religion and the best Religion is not politique but simple pure without duplicitie For as the vniting of many persons in one Diuinitie is the highest vnderstanding of Gods Nature so in the seruice of God Religion vnitie is the best demonstration of the truth thereof There is but one way to heauen be-because but one Christ in heauen by whom and by whom onely there is happie passage This holy trauaile is called Religion in whose practise the choice of Gods creatures exercise their gifts of grace the induments of Gods sacred spirit 2 Religion then is the holy exercise of Gods sacred worship whose precise forme is appointed by God in the witnesse of holy Scripture It is an exercise for the pleasure and for continuall practise It is holy because God is the obiect the forme is precise for the singularitie and it is iudged by the Scripture because they are the best and the onely witnesses of the will of God 3 As God is so is Religion one and but one For as pluralitie of Gods so pluralitie of Religions is Idolatrie For God being aboue all in euerie sense of dignitie will haue his seruice speciall and peculiar to himselfe by himselfe appointed and distinguished from all other orders of seruice 4 The diuers names of Religions are but names and not Religions as the diuers names of Gods were not Gods but Idols And this is worthie of note that these fabulous gods of the heathen were all of them in their kinde seruants to the most supreme God the Lord Iehouah The Planets in their Spheres the Elements in their Nature and all heauenly and earthly powers were seruants to the will of God moouing at his pleasure who by their motion influence did faithfully execute their offices wherunto they were assigned 5 For there is a sense of Religion in the Nature of all creatures who though they want instructions wil by their naturall instinct apprehend the generall vnderstanding of a God and according to their discretions frame such seruice and ceremonies as may please that supposed Deitie And from hence doth arise the number of fabulous superstitions and strange Religions from the blind and vnlearned deuotion of men meerely naturall who being taught by the wisdome of Nature there was a God would by a consequence of Reason conclude there must be a Religion a seruing of that God which they not vnderstanding nor able to comprehend without diuiue teaching erred in their blind constructions and so beleeued and taught that for religion which was most irreligious and vngodly 6 Of all the creatures of God only man hath failed in the knowledge of this high mysterie who though his soule be of a substance most diuine and his vnderstanding more apprehensiue then many the rest of Gods creatures yet he and not they hath failed in this weightie performance and they and not he haue obserued the law of Nature which to them is the law of God and the exercise of their Religion The heauens cast their influence vpon earth for the generation of all creatures the Elements performe their assigned offices who though they haue disagreeing Natures the hot and cold the moist and drie interchangeably fighting yet in this seruice of their God they conspire and friendly conioyne and giue both their natures and substances to continue in the world a succession of liuing creatures In like maner the rest of Gods creatures euerie thing in his order and Nature performing the will of God who made them 7 The learning of Nature then can teach vs the necessitie and the vndiuided Nature of Religion For the naturall creatures denie all diuersitie in the order of holy Religion For in all the Creatures of God saue man their Nature is their Religion against which they are not moued but by violence 8 Againe vniformitie in the order of Religion is
confirmed by the sentence of euerie mans iudgement For though the world be at this day and euer was diuided into infinite number of opinions euerie time and euerie place of men differing in their opinions of Religion yet neuer any would defend pluralitie of Religions euery man damning all diuersitie to that he himselfe maintained 9 And therefore it is both the iudgement of Nature of Sense and of Diuinitie that the true ancient and Catholique Religion is of the same nature with God one most absolute and sufficient which needeth no second neither can admit pluralitie Of the diuers natures of Policy CHAP. II. THE generall name of Policie like the double face of Ianus respecteth two seueral obiects the better hath regardful eie to honesty and lawfull warrant onely the other beholdeth all things with indifferent eie not respecting lawfulnes but conueniency in euery practise The better is the care of good men the worse the care of euill men the one doth merite no allowance the other the best allowance of our fauours the one deserueth to bee damned as a violence to the order of good gouernement the other to bee esteemed lawful and most conuenient in a Christian state being a most godly prouidence and a strength without which no State can stande in the flourish of prosperous fortune 2 For a Christian common weale and a Christian Church also hath often times very needfull vse of Policie the which may most lawfully be vsed the Policie being lawfull and proportionable to the rules of Religion For Religion is like the Sunne in the firmament from which all liuing creatures receiue light heat and Policy may bee compared to the Starres whose borowed lights serue the necessities of men in many weighty occasions And as at night the Sunne doth leaue vs to the direction of the Starres so according to the necessitie of time wee ought to resort to the Policy and directions of wise men especially then when our directors like the Starres order vs not by their owne light that is by their owne wisedomes but after the square of holy Religion the which like the Sun is the bodie and store-house of all light that is of all truth and lawfulnesse This is not the common vnderstanding of Policy which is euer taken in the euill and worse sense whereby the name of lawfull Policie doth often times receiue much iniury For the euill shiftings of leaud men are called Policy not that they are so but because their euil instruments are commonly men very cautulous of deepe apprehension and great spirit For spirit and the gifts of Nature in any one not gratious cannot be withheld from most dangerous and high attempting their spirits make them bolde and their prompt vnderstandings able to trauell with dangerous fortune in the affaires of highest state 4 The abuse then of euill men maketh that haue euil name whose Nature is not euill For the prouidence of God is a most diuine Policie and the cares of holy and good men are likewise politique preuentions whereby they both lawfvlly and to good purpose exercise their wisdomes euer obseruing that their meanes and end where to the worke be honest and allowable Against this policie I except not but commend it rather as the most necessarie prouidence in the best and wisest sort of people 5 But from this I must distinguish that common exposition of Policie vngracious and dishonest contriuements wherein the great polititians of the world haue proceeded so farre and with such varietie of precept and example as would require more time then a mans life to vnderstand them In which sense the whole world almost is become politique some of euerie place and of euerie qualitie coueting to be thought iudicious and of more then common knowledge in this secret and forbidden Art wherein it were much better to be ignorant insomuch as both the base the ambitious Spirit trauell alike to be learned in this kinde of policie And in the meanest and most vnworthy trades there are many principles of this secret Arte whereby the base professors many times raise themselues and fortunes to a wonderfull degree of estimation And this their speedie rising cannot be by honest and allowable meanes therefore by this Art of Policie which howsoeuer they would craftily excuse as the lawfull secret of their trades by themselues called crafts yet is that but a craftie cosening of their consciences and a politique inriching of their crafts 6 And this is that vnlawfull Policy which in this place I vnderstand when the subtill wits of craftie men contriue their subtilties for the better compassing of their vnlawfull purposes or when men pursue lawfull ends by vnlawfull dishonest meanes And this in men of great place hie attempting is called Policy In the baser sort cosenage or craft the diuers subiects giuing diuers names to that which is of one Nature wheresoeuer it be that is sinne wickednes and villany 7 It is therefore the circumstance in Policle that maketh the maine difference in the Natures thereof Policie being iudged good or bad according to the working meanes and not according to euent and prosperous fortune an opinion not of Religious but of damned Policie For it is not possible that a good cause should produce a bad effect but it is possible and very common that euill meanes doe often reach their desired ends which in the iudgement of prophane Policie is commendable but in the wisedome of Religion it is damnable and most vniustifiable 8 Thus then I diuide this name of Policie into these disagreeing Natures Holy and Prophane Holy Policie is that which is iustifiable by the law of God Prophane is that which respecteth neither Religion nor honestie but imbraceth the most base meane if it may aduantage the desired end The better policie is a seruant the worse is an enemie to the state of holy Religion The one doth make Religion the leuell of all that purpose whereto it aymeth the other maketh it a colourable meanes to reach other ends lesse godly And these two arein continuall faction the one offending the other defending the state of Religion Of the contrary workings of Religion and Policy in respect of the Catholike Church CHAP. III. IT is most true that there is no excellencie on earth which doth not suffer wrong by the enuie of euill For though vertue cannot be suppressed by the opposition of vice yet is it manie times much obscured by so bad a neighbourhood and like the Sun in his eclipse withheld from glorious appearing And this is naturall in the natures of all euill things to maligne the prosperitie of goodnesse in what speciall subiect soeuer it be This may be also a speciall obseruation from the Nature of all things that whatsoeuer is vertuous is directed by rules and by lawfull directions and whatsoeuer is vicious is not thus directed but helpeth it selfe by the cunning workings of Policie and bad practise 2 For God in the first creation made the world
and the infinite varietie of his creatures like a consort of so many conspiring parts yet hath the curse of sinne interrupted that vniuersall harmonie whereby the world is now in disagreeing parts and discord 3 For before that sinne made this alteration in the state of things there was no opposition but all things conspired the glory of God with generall consent and acclamation and then vertue was not bounded betweene two extremities neither had good any opposition of euill there being neither vice nor euill in the frame of Gods creation But with sinne hath this opposition entred and in the fulnesse of time and not before it shal be ended 4 From this first cause is deriued the wicked trade of euill Policie wherein many men exercise their best and most forcible indeuours with such appetite and pleasure as if the practise were honest holy and meritorious Neither doe these men trauel lesse in these vanities then the most painfull in their exercise of holinesse and Religion yet with much vnequall successe and with much diuers workings The maine difference is in their ends whereto they direct their labours Religion respecteth Heauen Policie the Earth There is great difference also in their meanes by which they worke and compasse their ends the one being tied to a necessitie of iustnesse the other not limited by any law taketh libertie vpon all occasions And to one of these two doe all the vnderstanding men in the world apply themselues either to Religion or to Policie either to be good or to bee great in the little number of their dayes here on earth 5 And though Gods sacred worship be ordered by most certaine directions from God himself yet haue men dared to touch this holy Arke with their prophane hands and to intermeddle their folly with the wisdome of God altering the most allowable formes of holy order whereby they iudge their Iudge of indiscretion and contradict the spirit and power of him who made them 6 These vngodly workings are caused by the vainglorious spirits of men who affecting popularitie and greatnesse haue not spared to violate the most holy ordinance of God wherby to aduantage them in their euill ends For the whole world is a general free-schoole wherein al Sciences and euery Art is both taught and learned The highest learning in this schoole is Diuinitie the whole number of the professors whereof make the militant Catholik church where there is continuall teaching and liuing in the rules of holy Religion Against this learning hath the world opposed it selfe and according to the order of schooles begun their enuie with sophistrie and cunning disputatiō And this was in the first yeres of the primitiue Church the which opposition being but weake yet valiantly resisted gained the Church a greater reputation though that enemie could neuer yet be silenced 7 The second attempt against the Catholique Church was persecution and this was in the time of the Tyrant Emperours the which was continued with such vehemence and furie as if the sacred fire of Religion had beene extinguished and the face of the Catholique Church for euer defaced These times were like the time of Ahab King of Israel when as Elias thought the whole bodie of the Church remained onely in his particular life A most wonderfull distresse that the most sacred spouse of Christ should for securitie flie to the holy Temples of the holie Ghost and there take Sanctuarie liue in the persons of some few particular men only It had beene most wonderfull had not the Lord Iesus himselfe done more wonderfully and suffered a greater extremitie euen death and a cursed death vpon the Crosse euen so Lord Iesus because it was thy pleasure But this extremitie did vanish with time and then againe the Church obtained the Garland 8 But the nature of euill which cannot be satisfied would yet again attempt against the Catholique Church and whereas before neither perswasion nor force could preuaile the last strongest practise is policie where with these euill ministers haue preuailed more then by all other maner of attempts whatsoeuer This is that secret iniurie who as K. Dauid saith eateth his bread at his table yet seeketh to destroy him For so doe many of these Polititians who liue by the profits of the Church yet betray the Church and spoile her of her highest ornaments 9 And though I be most far from that damned opinion of Athiesme that Religion is nothing but a Policie wherby the libertie of men is restrained from the violence of their natures yet I am most certainly perswaded that in the common exercise of Religion may be learned the highest vnderstanding of most dangerous practises And that the Catholike Church of God which in it selfe is most holy and without imputation hath indured the greatest violence that can be in any men of place and dignity in this holy order being men least affected to holinesse of life but most dangerous deepe practisers in this forbidden Arte of wicked Policie 10 Neither ought this to hinder the true worth and reputation of Gods Church that euill men worke their bad dessigne vnder the pretence of so sacred a presence For wee knowe that the very deitie of GOD is not free from mens presumptions the proud and the ambitious men of the world hauing dared to create manie deities and many Gods sometimes the starres sometimes stones wood and mettals sometimes the figures of beasts and sometimes a matter more vile themselues a deity worse then beastes all which though they were most horrible and damned in such as wrought them yet did not their impieties any whit detract from the Maiestie of God which cannot receiue violence from any mans euill practise 11 So the state of the true Catholique Church though men haue dared to offer iniuries to the most holy orders thereof to misinterpret misapplie hir most diuine mysteries to intrude among her sacred teachings positions and doctrines not onely diuers but aduerse to her orthodoxall and most ancient true principals nay to obscure as much as man may the verie diuinitie of that mother of vs all that true Ierusalem by making the state of that most sacred State the trauel of Policie and the exercise of most vngodly designes yet ought we not for this to condemne or iudge the Church but euill men who are the cause of these prophane iniuries the holy Church being of like diuine nature as Christ Iesus her most holy husband whom though his enemies place with theeues and malefactors yet was he most iust most innocent most meritorious And though the most precious mettall of Truth be intermingled with drosse and grosse mettals yet the Spirit of wisedome can diuide them and the triall of holy Scriptures like the touchstone will discouer all sophistication distinguish Truth from Error and Religion from Policie 12 Catholique Religion is the base or foundation whereupon the Catholique Church consisteth the Religious Policie is the supporter of that body of Religion but
imployment in Christian States therfore the best the best ablemen in kingdomes and States haue that prouident care assigned them being a wisdom aboue the reach of common capacity wherewith God is pleased his Church aduanced kingdomes continued in reputation and greatnes which without such prouidence would like vnrepiared building rotte and ruine in their decaye 10 But all the trickes of euill Policy like so many Traytors to God to his Church and to all Christian society ought to bee banished the confines of euery Christian place and to be excluded the consultations of reuerend honorable Senators and to haue place onely in their knowledge but neuer in their consent and practise In respect of the Prince of soueraigne of State CHAP. VI. T The Prince is the Soueraigne or principall of euery State by whom the lawes haue authority and the life of execution And therefore these respects are most considerable in his person on whose good or euill disposition the good or euill fortunes of a kingdome dependeth Euery Prince in his kingdome being the helme by which the whole body is moued and inforced to mooue as hee is moued For Princes are the precedents of God in respect of vniuersall power and generall obedience For as God the King of all the world doth moue all occasions in the world at his pleasure altering translating and establishing according to his diuine wisedome euen so kings here on earth the petite resemblances of God alter and confirme at their pleasure within their own liberty iurisdiction bineding their subiects to conformity and generall consent 2 And for this cause they are called Gods because like God they haue generall power ouer the States of all their subiects And as the dignity of a Prince doth worthily challenge a prerogatiue ouer all degrees of men so in them there is a naturall descent of noblenes and pregnancy of spirit whereby they are made fit to manage those weighty and great occasions which are common in the care of their gouernment 3 Therefore in them there is most soueraigne vse of Religion and Religious Policy without which they cannot discharge the duety of their kingly office to God supply the necessities of their kingdomes nor support their kingly reputations All which necessary seruice hath beene the practise and pleasure of all Religious Kings of former times wil be in the race of holy Kings for euer 4 If then I be demanded what is first and principally required in the person of a Prince I will answere Religion if what is next I will answere Religion if I be still further vrged I would still answere Religion for that must be the first the middle and the last of all his cares and that principall whereupon his kingly building can onely haue sure foundation 5 Religion then is the necessary in the person of euery Christian Prince all other cares being but seconds and subordinate to this one most absolute for therfore are kings Potentates and Superiours ordained of God and therfore haue they authority of superintendance ouer multitudes of people not for themselues or for their owne glory but for the seruice of their master and supreme soueraigne who hath giuen them these dignities for the seruice of holy Church that by their authority men may be forced to the obedience of holy Religion and that the disobedience of their people may be reduced vnder a Ciuill and a Christian gouernement and therefore are Kings and Queenes called the nurse-fathers and mothers of the Catholique Church because their National Church and euery child of grace in that Church liueth vnder their tuition and their protection for which they are countable before Gods tribunall 6 Againe Religion is not onely of necessity in the person of a Prince but of Religious Politique consequence also for that Prince or Potentate who is truely Religious hath not onely for his recompence the rewards of heauen which notwithstanding doeth abudantly satisfie more then any mans desert but also all other temporall blessings doe of necessity depend vpon the fortunes of him that is Religious And therefore peace plenty honour victory all these or as much of these as in the wisdome of God is thought conuenient for their happines are alwaies found in the fortunes of holy Princes to whom God doth apply himselfe and the largenes of his bounty when they apply themselues to God and to the seruice of Catholique Religion And this is conforme to that Iudgement of diuinity First seeke the kingdome of God and all other blessings shall be cast vpon thee 7 As Religion is most necessary so Religious Policy is much required in the person of a Prince because euery Christian kingdome consisteth of two States Ecclesiasticall and Ciuill the which like a body and a soule are vnited and made one State vnder the gouernment of one absolute Prince And as the naturall body and soule of a man liue not by one and the same meanes though both participate their seuerall blessings So in the State of Christian kingdomes the Church is the soule the State is the body whereof is compounded a Christian kingdome And therefore is it a speciall wisedome in the discretion of Princes to order this soule and this body of State by proper and peculiar directions For many things are needfull in the Church which are not in the State and many things lawful in the State which are not in the Church the State hauing by much a greater liberty in her directions 8 For the State then it is needefully required that the Prince bee Politique and haue vnderstanding in secrets of most curious search wherein he must bee moderated by his Christian iudgement that no vnlawfull Policy enter further then his knowledge whereby his Kingly reputation should bee stained with vngodly practise And therefore whatsoeuer is euill must be onely knowne and whatsoeuer is good must be onely practised especially with Kings whose seates are aboue all men because they ought to bee neerest God in sanctimonious life being neerest him in place and because all mens eyes are vpon them and euery mans desire is to fashion them 9 For me to aduise a Prince and to giue directions would assuredly be thought presumption because flattery and feare haue corrupted the writings of many men most men applauding the fortunes of the present times how vnfortunate so euer and flatering the Prince vnder whom they liue in the exercise of much vnlawfulnes Whereby such writers deny God deny their acknowledgement of Truth and deny that seruice to their King and Nation whereby both King and kingdome might be benefitted of which base feare I will euer be innocent And therefore I would boldly declare my iudgement euen in this particular but that the Christian labour of a Christian King hath preuented me whose learned iudgement and kingly experience hath made him better able to aduise in all such directions then my selfe or then any man I thinke this day liuing 10 These things ought a Prince to doe