THE ANSWER TO Tom-Tell-Troth THE Practise of PRINCES and the LAMENTATIONS of the KIRKE Written By The Lord Baltismore late Secretary of STATE London Printed 1642. Most Gracious Prince I Know well what Reverence Subjects owe to their Soveraigne and am not ignorant of the puissance and Majesty of a King of great Brittaine believe I should not presume to write to so great a Monarch if the Loyalty of a Subject the honour of Your vertues and some particular obligations of my own did not command me to neglect all other respects and prefere Your safety honour and bonum publicum before any dangers or blame I foresee may incurre and the rather because I speake in your owne care only without publishing or imparting to others that which I delivered unto Your Majesty The cause is briefly thus Wandring abroad in the world I was informed of certaine secret conference in Holland and how to relieve the distressed estate of the Count Palatine and I have seene diverse discourses out of England of the necessity to maintaine the Ancient authority of Parliaments how to assure Religion from oppression and alteration and how to reforme the government there both in Church and Common-wealth audacious arguments and as insolently handled I meane not to trouble Your Highnesse with pedlors stuffe and so stale wares as Vox populi and votiva Angliae but to inform You of some books amongst many others T. T.Troth The practise of Princes and the lamentation of the Kirke which are the works of such Boutefeus as are able to set the whole State on fire imbroyle the Realm and aliene the hearts of people from their Prince for these Maskers under the Visards of Religion seeke to undermine Loyalty and either to ingage you abroad in forraigne wars or in danger Your person at home in Civill And yet I write not to confute these learned scriblers more worthy to be contemned then answered but to advertis Your Highnesse of them that by an obsta principiis you may upon such smoake prepare all things needfull to quench such a fire when it shall flame and first breake out which is may doe when you least looke for it For by nature these spirits are fiery hot spurs and fitter for any thing then that they most professe Piety and Patience And that they may plainely appeare in their own likenesse Your Highnesse may bee pleased to mark and consider how sawcily and presumptuously they contemne Monarches scorne and disgrace them The Emperour Tom Tell-Troth calls a quiet lumpe of Majesty and in scorne of him tells his Reader he cannot wrong a Mouse without the Spaniard which I think the K. of Denmarke Will not believe he mocks the K. of France and tells him he is not old enough to be wise and that he hearkneth to lying Prophets and to be led by spirits of illusion The King of Spaine he calleth the Catholike usurper and the great ingrosser of the West-Indies And which argueth a spirit of Frenzie he spareth no King for of King Iamâ—s himselfe he delivereth such a character as is both disloyall and most intollerable And first touching his maintenance of Religion he taxeth him mâ—st scandalouslâ— that he is only head of the Church Dormant there are so many corruptions in it that he hath more pulled downe the Church with his proceedings then raised it up by his writings and whereas he calleth himselfe defender of the Faith His faithfull Subjects saith he have just cause to question it for the Papists were never better defended as appeareth by the Kings private instruction to Iudges and prohibition of Pursevants And for his inclination to peace for which hee was most commended they wrest it wholly to his dishonour and professe they have too much cause to complaine of his unlimited peace and suspect that his peaceable disposition hath not proceeded so much out of his Christian pietie and justice as out of meere impotencie and basenesse of mind Besides touching his honour and reputation he flouts him for he saith a number of defects cover the glory of his Raigne and that the greaâ— stocke of Soveraigne reputation which our late Queene left us is quite banished and is to bee reckoned amongst other inventions we haâ—e lost through the injury of his time so as now great Brittaine is lesse in glory strength and riches then England was whereby our adverse parties have the triumph of the time and heâ— alledgeth the reasons because when Gundamore taught to juggle who knew the Kings secrets before most of His Councell so as discontent runs with a seditious voyce over the kingdome And in contempt of his choyce of a Treasurer they alledge that the Merchants feared the Court would pull down the Exchange because one of their occupation was made Treasurer so aâ— all things must be bought and sold But above all other scandalous defamations the description they make of a protestant King Page 25.26 27. is most transcendent and traiterous let him saith he excell in mischiefe let him act Nero Phalaris c. he shal not need to feâ—re nor weare a private Coate for he may have Lords temporall for hâ—s â—unuches spirituâ— for his mutes and whom hee will for his Incubus and kisse his Minions without shame Behold a Calvinist in puris naturalibus perfectly factious and under the Cloake of zeale Carnifex regum peruse Mariana and all the works of the Iesuites looke as curiously into their acts and proceedings as they were examined at Paris and you shall not find I such paradoxes of mischiefe and such prophane calumniations of Princes which may parallell and match these yet I can overmatch them or equall them for they murmure as much at Your Majesties own proceedings neither doth your Monarchie oâ— mild tempâ—r priviledge or exempt you from their tongue-shot and the poyson of Aspes in their lips The Author of the Practise of Princes printed 1630. in England pag. 11. saith that the people when King Iames died seeing our King that now is making great preparations and for ought we knew with great sinceritie Yet by the practise of the Duke and his faction retaining all his fathers Counsell which for the most part were Hispaniolized Frenchified Romanized or Neutralized and suffering some worse both spirituall and temporall to be added unto them all those forces were soone brought to nought Things are grown to a great deale worse passe then before and to the great greif of goodnesse and good men without Gods speciall mercy remedy lesse This is the picture and portraiture they make of your Government and they dare censure their Soveraign and like mad-men they also rave against your Councell pag. 13. what a miserable thing is it to see wicked Counsellors get such a hand over the King that he is wholly ruled by them neither dares he favour a good man nor his cause further then they admit Thus they currishlie barke against Kings and Councells and spitt upon the Crown like Friends of Democracies of confusion
causes evill effects of an evill spirit evill motions proceed I cannot marvayle of the tumults of Bohemia of the many battayles and rebellions in Fâ—ance and the horrible treasons in Scotland and I may well doubt that the like which hath been in other places may fall out in England knowing by whose doctrines they were all guided and bred by what furies they were inspired and what God they served and adored who was the Authour of sinne the badge of Calvinisme But to leave the persons and their errors and come nearer to the matter let us enquire what remedies these zealous brethren prescribe to cure the wounds of the State and salve the Kings honour You have two occasions saith Tom-tell-troth to have the honour of your Mayden Armes for which the old Martyrs would have suffered death first to reestablish your own Children in Germany and next to preserve Gods Children in France And there is no way to vindicate your honour but by fighting with him that hath Cozened you and by driving the Enemy out of their Country For men hardly think you are their father for the lamentable estate you suffer them to runn into How violent and ignorant are these discontented Empericks who appoint remedies worse then the disease For no wise man would counsell you to hazard all by taking armes against the two greatest Monarches in Christendom against whom you have no just quarrell of your own part or for the Common-wealth And yet I know that Anno 1623. a pamphlet was published without the Authors name intitiled Certaine reasons why the King of England should give over all treaties and enter into war with Spaine and that for two causes the one for the prescription of the Palatin which he calls the head of all these evills And the other for that the Spaniards possesse by force the patrimony of the Infants and eject the Palatin and his wife out of the same contrary to hopes and promises made for their restitution and therefore there is just cause why the Father should vindicate the honour of his Sonne So here are two motives to perswade the King to breake off all amity and further negotiation with Spaine only and in post to proclaime war against them The prescription of the Palsgrave and the invading and detaining of his Estate War and hostility are the meanes prescribed for this restitution and the finall end of all is to breake off all treaties all entercourse and correspondencie with Spaine A Colerick course certainly whereof King James approved not and although they seeme to vilifie and abuse his Judgement yet his speech uttered in Parliament was more solid and provident then the precipitation of these projectors For said he in matters of this waight I must first consider how this course can agree with my conscience my honour and the justnesse of the cause And next how I shall be enabled to performe the same a breif speech sound and methodicall For surely if the title and Crown of Bohemia was unlawfully usurped by the Palsgrave which his wisest and greatest Friends sought ever rather to excuse then defend then his prescription was well grounded upon lex Talienis aquum bonum and reason of State And so they would perswade you to undertake the patronage of a quarrell unjust and dishonourable which would lye as a heavie and sinfull burthen upon the conscience of a pious and just Prince Therefore I take this to be the foundation of all these controversies whether the Palsgrave were lawfully and justly elected King of Bohemia For if he were not you altogether loose and not vindicate your honour to fight for him being not a King injured but an injuror For no war can be justifiable but that which is begun upon just and urgent occasions wherein Justice prudence honour and safety shall beare the standard of England Neither were it convenient that England which hath so long triumphed in her peace and prosperitie should now thus rashlie be drawn fatally to maintaine the errors of ambition and a quarrell unnecessary for you not properly pertaining to England nor to your Majestie but by consequence and participation CHAP. 2. That Ferdinand was lawfully Elected King of Bohemia ANd although I doubt not but that your Majesty hath read some partiall breviat of the cause and state of this businesse yet I will be bold to lay open the truth of it breifly without glosse or partialitie or respect to either partie fearing neither nor having any other end but that your Highnesse may not erre with the Multitude by misinformation Ferdinand Sonne of Archduke Charles and nephew to the Emperour was elected King of Bohemia An. 1617. by an Assembly of the States of Prague upon the Emperours summons when Mathias declared that seeing his glasse was almost run to leave the Kingdom setled in peace and to prevent all Civill dissention he requested that after his decease they would agree to accept of Ferdinand for his successor whom for his vertue and piety he had adopted his Sonne provided that during his life without his speciall commission Ferdinand should not intrude himself into the government of his realme and should also take his oath to ratifie and confirme the priviledges granted to the Country Hereupon the 7. of Iune the three States of Bohemia gave this answer to the Emperours proposition That for his request and for the fatherly affection that he did ever beare to that kingdom they consented and agreed to accept Ferdinand for their King and thereupon they assigned the 24. of Iulie for the day of his Coronation at Prague upon which day this decree was solemnly read and the States assembled being asked according to Custome by the cheif Burgrave if any did dislike or could shew cause to contradict this Free Election they all freely and orderly with a generall applause approved it and upon that so good warrant the Burgrave proclaimed Ferdinand King of Bohemia and offered unto him as their Custome was a certaine contribution of his inauguration So here is an Election made Frequenti Senatu plenâ curiâ the Emperours assent who was King in Esse a consent of the States in a generall assembly and modo formâ according to Law and Custome And Ferdinand himself was present and brought upon the stage to take the Oath usually ministred to his predecessors and to conclude the whole Country acknowledged his regality by doing really the homage unto him So as no defect was in the proceeding no Competitor no barre or opposition to his claime neither was there any packing or partiality in the Election and by this solemnity he was created actually King and albeit his government was not to commence untill after the death of Mathias yet the Royalty he had in Esse their Oathes at his Coronation their homages and their contribution was a full confirmation of his title in presenti and the rather because the States themselves did him all the honour appertaining to their King so he
Officers of the Realme the President Slavata Methansky Marshall of the kingdom and Secretary Fabricius whom they cast headlong out of a window forty cubitts high from the ground who yet miraculouslie were preserved and afterwards they Hollandized bravely for they took the Scepter and Crown of Bohemia into their own hands and to make good their tumultuous proceedings they leavied an Army and took upon them to create new Magistrats whom they called Directors to govern the State and to excuse themselves of these insolencies they writ their Letters to King Mathias dated the 27. of March 1618 and alleadge a few poore reasons to excuse and shaddow their proceedings First that the President and the rest were enemies to the State and sought to disturbe the peace of the Realme and also whereas King Rodolphus granted them free exercise of their Religion which say they was confirmed by your Majestie that these men purposed to deprive us of the benefit of these your grants and therefore said they we were forced for our defence to enter into league against them so they oppressed the Magistrats before they sensibly felt the smart of persecution and to prevent a thing only purposed as they gave out they really actually rebelled But this was only a cunning shift for they practised to draw the Provinces of Moravia Silesia and Lusatia to joyne with them and not content to keep themselves within the limits of Bohemia they did rise a degree of mischeif higher and sollicited the upper Austria the Emperours own inheritance and no way subject to their Directorship to runn the like desperate course with them as if their end and scope had been to set all the Empire in combustion and to have a King and a Religion of their own Edition Although these excesses of disorder were inexcusable to be offered to the Emperour whom in their own Letters they acknowledge to be á Deo sibi prastitum Regem Dominum ac Magistratum clementissimum yet King Mathias with great mildnesse and clemencie sought to pacifie rather then to provoke their furies and therefore on the 6. of Iune 1618. he answered their Letters thus That it did not become Subjects to take Armes against his Lieutenants though they had offended before they did complaine of their injuries received and sought redresse by order of Justice For he protested he never intended to abrogate or suspend their priviledges or revoke his letters of tolleration and therefore they did him injurie without better grounds to forge such slanders against his Governour And further he promised to compound all quarrells and ease their greivances by a moderate course of commission Lastly seeing there appeared no enemies in Bohemia to molest and persecute them he advised them to dismisse their Armies and levie no more forces and he assured them reciprocally he would dismisse his Souldiers cui causam said he dederat vestra conscriptio and for the better assurance he vouchsafed to write unto them againe the 18. of June and a third time also to ratifie what he had graciouslie promised To all which letters they never returned thankes nor answer but like Salvages marched to Budvise and Comotonium where they compelled the Magistrats to revolt from the Government of the Castle and which was a treason in the highest degree they took Carleistein where the Kings Crown and treasure were kept they deposed the Burgrave seized upon the Kings rents and revenues and converted all to their own use which was an Apish imitation of the union of Vtreche So here is Riott in the beginning tumult in the proceedings and treason in all But now for the lawfull authority of the Directors whence had they their lawfull vocation and commission they took upon them an absolute power more like Tribuni plebis then Officers of the Crown nay a more high power to degrade a new King and at their own pleasures to create such Magistrats as they liked and to dispose at their pleasures the Crown and the kingdom a power unknown in any orderly State greater then the Ephori and Hermostae of the Lacedaemonians or the Archontes of Athens or Highstewards of England who notwithstanding were ordinary and lawfull Magistrats and established by consent of the States but these arrogate and usurpe a power to degrade old Kings and create new a transcendent prerogative which no wise State will admit nor trust any subjects with such unlimited power and if they be not Magistrats Idolum nihil est and if they be Magistrats I follow the Bishop of Rochesters judgment à superiore est potestas eorum ab eo solo destitui possunt à quo instituuntur Answer me then Categoricallie were they chosen by the King or States generall or were they his Lieutenants or Regents in his absence or Procuratores Regni No such thing no commission no durante beneplacito no authoritie appeareth no power from those that had power and superioritie to grant it Neither were they chosen by the Kings and States of the Countrie but by Assemblies of a faction who contrary to order and Custome presumed to usurpe Authoritie and Domineere over the Countrie The King is the head of the State the Clergie a part of the State yet neither was the King nor the Archbishop of Pragu nor the Bishops of the Realme the Chancellor the President of the Councell the Marshall nor the principall Secretarie nor the Burgrave nor most of the Nobilitie present either at the creation of their irregular Officers or at the Election of the Palsgrave All this was done by Count Thurn and a few seditious persons who had no power themselves to give such power to others and could have no supreame power unlesse they would unking Mathias which no man could do by Law or order for it is a false Paradox that the States of any kingdom are above the Prince and may bind his hands depose him And no man can demonstrate that the states and Directors of Bohemia had ever power to depose one and Elect another Prince In Denmark and Poland kingdoms meerelie Elective yet the Kings Office is to assemble the States as the Emperour doth at the Diett and the Danes also are bound to choose the Sonne of the last King as they confessed themselves in their apologie 1523. And therefore they did Elect Schioldus Sonne of that Monster Lother King of Denmark Moreover where a Prince is Soveraign no Subject can be partaker of his Soveraigntie which is a qualitie not communicable for it resideth in the union of a bodie politique and if it be devided without the Princes consent it looseth the Soveraigntie An. 42. Hen. 3. certain Officers were elected and appointed to see the performance of orders set down by the Parliament and to correct the transgressors thereof and the Kings brethren and the Barons did take their Oathes to see the same observed yet that act had no force till the King consented 1. Rich. 2. as Ranulphus Higdensis testifieth constituti
Empire in a pure mould and refine the governement they designed to swallow up the house of Austria whereupon that Atheist Bethâ—ehem Gabor assured the great Turke by his letters that the Palatine and Brandâ—nbergh would not endure nor suffer the advancement of Ferdinand And so did Anhalt write to Danau besides to weaken Austria the union agreed to assist Gabor to ravish the crowne of Hungaria and possesse it Moreover Anhalt councelled Danau by his letters 1619. to surprize a City which should be worth thirty two millions I wil be breife and omit infinite impietiâ—s never was there any plot so prophane and gracelesse as this one sclt to set open the gates of christendome to the Turk and suffer him to march into the heart of it I will draw the curtaine and reveale the mysterie of iniquitie to amaze their favoriâ—â—s and make themselves blush for undoubtedly to bring in the Turk to subdue the Emperour is all one as to fight by Mahomet to expell Christ yet so did Gabor certifie the Turk that al the Princes of the union Sultan et toti nationi Mahomâ—tica corde et animâ— omn a officia fidelissimi praestabunt and that thortly Ferdinand should be forced to abandon Germany and upon this monster the Palsgrave so much relyed asby his letters to him July 13. 1623. appeareth in their Chancerie where he honoureth him with the name of Father and Gossip as if yet he hoped for a sun-shine day by his intercession And that thâ—se things may not be denyed because they had not successe wherefore did Count Thurne the Author of those tumults accompany Gabors embassadour to the Turk onely to crave succour against the Emperour and draw the Janisaries into his Country 1622. wherefore did the Palsgrave in his prosperity at Prague receive a Chaous from the Turke and after treaty with him dispatched an Embassadour to the Port and wherefore did he afterward by his letters dated the twentieth three of Iuly 1623. and directed to the confederate Provinces advise them to consider de augendo legationis Turciae splâ—ndore And wherefore was John of Coelen sent to Constantinople by the union Wherefore did Count Hohenloe often threaten that the Turke should come in to vex their enemies whereupon did Gabor solicite the Grandvizier for aide to prosecute the warres of Hungaria Whereupon did the Turke write his letters to the Palsgrave and to the Prince of Orange that he had given order for the aide they desired and exhorted them to take the field couragiously against their enemies meaning the house of Austria c. They pretend that religion moved them to this and esteeme nothing for truth but the word and therefore let them heare sic dicit Dominus cap. Esay 30. vae qui ambulatis ut descendatis in Egyptum et os meum interrogatis sperantes auxilium in fortitudine Pharâ—nis et habentes fiduciam in umbra Egypti That is as he saith cap. 31. peribunt qui spe in Deumâ—r licto câ—nfugiunt ad humanum auxilium what a blindenesse then was this to invite the Turke for their ambitious pretences to march into the Empire and sucke the bloud of Christians that favoured the house of Austria And therefore upon so great and imminent dangers to the Church and State the league was made by the catholike Princes at Mulhowes in Turingia 1620 for their necessary defence against which the Palatine published an invective and tearmed it a Councell of blood But to omit all these who can by law defend or warrant the raising of such an army against the Emperour in the Empire as the Palatine had or their confederations with Yagendorffe P. Aubalt On lizbaâ—h the Marquesse of Auspack Durlack Baden and the Duke of Wittenbergh besides the assistance of Nurembergh Frankfort and many imperiall townes or the association with Holland Denmarke and the Duke of Bullion or the large contributions which Cogmandolo setteth downe to have beene taxed upon each of them particularly from the yeare 1608. to 1619. against the Emperour What Orator then can excuse the Count Palatine extenuate his offence or pleade against his proscription specially seeing which arrogateth his offence that hee still is content to usurp the tiâ—le of Bohemia and not to renounce it Nay though the Duke of Baviere sent an herald to the Bohemians they despised his letters the Eâ—ector of Saxony disswaded the States exhorted and admonished them but surdiscecinet they would listen to no pacification The Emperour himselfe wrote his moniteriall letters unto them but the Palsgraâ—e too obstinately refused all for a crowne is an infectious and tempting baite and as men stung by scorpions which breed the infection so nothing pleased Phâ—eton and his aspiring ambition but to guide currum solis rather desirous to dye then live losser then a King Therefore the Emperour had just cause to proscribe him and publish the Bann If you aske whether for the order of proceedings it were lawfully done I answer that the cause is already judged where the offence was committed for in the Imperiall-diet at Ratisbone the Embassadors of the Duke of Saxony and the M. of Brandenbergh Electors and Lewis Lantgrave of Hessen made this answer to the Emperours propositions Anno 1624 that they condemned the hostilities of Mansfield and the proceedings of the Hollanders a Westphalia and so in their consciences that they condemned the practises and proceedings of the Palsgrave and they acknowledged that the Emperour had cause to publish the Bann because they would not give eare to the councell of the Electors nor cease to assaile the Emperour in his owne territories but still disturbe the peace of the Empire And the Ecclesiasticall Electors joyned with them that all of them had deserved the Bann both for the causes aforesaid and for prosecuting the Emperours principal officers of Bohemia and for soliciting the Turkes enemies of Christ to invade the west Empire and put the whole State in danger and confusion So here is the Decree and Judgment of the Electors themselves Peeres to the Vicarius Imperij and his Iudges without appeale And here is also a concurrence of the whole Diett although Charles the fifth proscribed great Iohn Frederick and the Lantsgrave who never pleaded that in Barr that they were not justly condemned because not by their Peers But let the Law it self determine the question First for his Dignitie there is no doubt to be made by the feudall constitutions for by Aurea Bulla it is forfeited tit. 1. 10. the which was made by Carolus the fourth Imper. ex communi omnium at singulorum Electorum multorum S. Imperij Romani Principum Comitum Nobilium ac fidelium concilio consensu And by Farinaecius qu. 116. num 72. and all Lawyers agree that for rebellion they loose all Feuda old and new inheritance and expacto both Father and Sonne So Gigas l. 3. q. 4. Hernia Farinaccius de crimine laesae Maâ—estatis q. 116 num 80. Molina l. 4. c. 11.