was offered them to discharge him all the answere he could procure from them was but this that Whereas a Proposition was made on the behalfe of his Maiestie of Great Britaine in the assembly of the Lords States Generall of the Vnited Prouinces by Sir Ralph Winwood his Maiesties Ambassadour and Councellour in the Councel of State in those countreys exhibited in writing the 21. of the moneth precedent the substance thereof being first amply debated by the Deputies of the States of Holland and West-Frizeland and thereupon mature deliberation had The said Lords States Generall in answere to the said Proposition haue most humbly requested and by these presents doe humbly request his Maiestie to beleeue that as for preseruation of the libertie rights and priuiledges of the Low-Countreys against the vniust tyrannicall and bloody courses contrary thereunto practised for many yeeres vpon the consciences bodies and fortunes of the good Inhabitants of all qualities of those Countreys by the Spaniards and their Adherents they haue been constrained after a long patience many Remonstrances Requests and other submissiue proceedings vsed in vaine to take armes for their necessary defence when they saw no other remedy as also to craue the assistance of his Maiestie particularly and of other Kings Princes and Common wealths by whose fauor but principally by his Maiesties they haue since continually susteined for many yeeres with an exceeding great constancie and moderation as well in prosperitie as in aduersity a heauie chargeable and bloody warre many terrible and cruell encounters notable Battailes both by land and sea matchlesse Sieges of a number of Townes Ruines and deuastation of Cities and Countreys and other difficulties incident to the warre So doe their Lordships alwayes confesse that in specie the chiefe and principall reason which hath moued them at first to entertaine and since to maintaine the said resolution hath beene the foresaid tyrannie exercised vpon the consciences bodies and goods of their people by introduction of the Inquisition and constraint in matter of Religion For which respects their Obligation to his Maiestie is greatly increased in that after so many demonstrations of affection fauours and assistances in the pursuite of their iust cause his Maiestie is yet pleased like a louing Father to assure vnto them the continuance of the same Royall affection and assistance by taking care that the trew Christian reformed Religion bee purely and sincerely taught within their Countreys aswell in Churches as in Schooles For which the Lords States Generall doe most humbly thanke his Maiestie and will for their parts by all lawfull meanes endeuour so to second his sincere and Christian intention in this particular as his Maiestie shall receiue all good contentment As concerning the businesse of Doct. Vorstius principally handled in the foresaid Proposition the Lords States Generall to make the matter more plaine haue informed themselues First that the Curators of the Vniuersitie of Leyden according to their duetie and the ancient custome euer since the foundation of that Vniuersitie hauing diligently made inquirie for some Doctor to bee chosen into the place of Diuinitie Professor there at that time voyd after mature deliberation were giuen to vnderstand that at Steinford within the Dominions of the Counts of Tecklenbourg Bentem c. who were of the first Counts that in Germanie had cast off the yoke of the Papacie Idolatrie and impure religion and imbraced the reformed Religion which to this day they maintaine there did remaine one Doct. Conradus Vorstius who had continued in that place about fifteene yeeres a Professor of trew Religion and a Minister and that the saide Conradus Vorstius for his learning and other good parts was much sought after by Prince Maurice Lantgraue of Hessen with intent to make him Diuinitie Professor in some Vniuersitie of his Countrey Moreouer that hee had sufficiently and to the great contentment euen of those that are now become his greatest aduersaries shewed with a Christian moderation his learning and puritie in the holy knowledge of Diuinity against the renowned Iesuite Bellarmine And that the sayd Conradus Vorstius was thereupon sent for by the Curators aforesayde about the beginning of Iuly 1610. which message beeing seconded by letters of recommendation from his Excellencie and from the deputy Councelors for the States of Holland and Westfrizeland vnto the sayd Counts of Tecklenburg did accordingly take effect In the moneth of August following the said Election and Calling was countermined by certaine persons to whose office or disposition the businesse did nothing at all belong which being perceiued and the sayd Vorstius charged with some vnsoundnesse of doctrine the Curators did thereupon thinke fit with the good liking of Vorstius himselfe that as well in the Vniuersitie of Leyden as at the Hage he should appeare in his owne iustification to answere all accusers and accusations whatsoeuer At which time there was not any one that did offer to charge him In the moneth of May following sixe Ministers did vndertake to prooue that VORSTIVS had published false and vnsound doctrine who afterward beeing heard in full assembly of the States of Holland and Westfrizeland in the presence of the Curators and sixe other Ministers on the one part and Vorstius in his owne defence on the other part and that which could bee said on either side to the seuerall points in their seuer all refutations respectiuely The said Lords States hauing grauely deliberated vpon the allegations as well of the one part as of the other as also heard the opinions of the said Ministers after the maner and custome of the sayd assembly could not see any reason why the execution of that which was done by the Curators lawfully and according to order ought to bee hindred for impeached In August following there being sent ouer hither certaine other Articles wherewith Vorstius was charged and dispersed in little printed Pamphlets amongst the people the sayd Lords States entred into a new consultation and there resolued that Vorstius according both to Gods Law the Law of Nature and the law written as also according to the laudable vse and customes of their country should be heard against his new accusers concerning those Articles there layed to his charge And moreouer it was generally declared by the States of Holland and Westfrizeland there assembled as euery one of them likewise in his owne particular and the Curators and Bourgmasters of Leyden for their parts did specially declare That there was neuer any intention to permit other Religion to bee taught in the Vniuersity of Leyden then the Christian Religion reformed and grounded vpon the word of God And besides that if the sayd Vorstius should bee found guilty in any of the aforesayd points whereof hee was accused that they would not admit him to the place of Professour The Deputies of the sayd Lords States of Holland and Westfrizeland further declaring that they doe assuredly beleeue that if his Maiesty of Great Britaine were well informed of the trew circumstances
of this businesse and of their sincere intention therein hee would according to his high wisedome prudence and benignitie conceiue fauourably of them and their proceedings whereof the Lords States Generall are no lesse confident and the rather for that the said Deputies haue assured them that the Lords States of Holland and Westfrizeland their Superiors would proceede in this businesse as in all others with all due reuerence care and respect vnto his Maiesties serious admonition as becommeth them And the Lords States Generall doe request the said Lord Ambassadour to recommend this their Answere vnto his Maiestie with fauour Giuen at the Hage in the Assembly of the said Lords States Generall 1. October 1611. BVt before wee had receiued this answere from the States some of Vorstius books were brought ouer into England and as it was reported not without the knowledge and direction of the Authour And about the same time one Bertius a scholler of the late Arminius who was the first in our aage that infected Leyden with Heresie was so impudent as to send a Letter vnto the Archbishop of Canterbury with a Booke intituled De Apostasia Sanctorum And not thinking it sufficient to auow the sending of such a booke the title whereof onely were enough to make it worthy the fire hee was moreouer so shamelesse as to maintaine in his Letter to the Archbishop that the doctrine conteined in his booke was agreeable with the doctrine of the Church of England Let the Church of CHRIST then iudge whether it was not high time for vs to bestirre our selues when as this Gangrene had not onely taken holde amongst our neerest neighbours so as Nonsolùm paries proximus iam ardebat not onely the next house was on fire but did also begin to creepe into the bowels of our owne Kindome For which cause hauing first giuen order that the said bookes of Vorstius should be publikely burnt as well in Pauls Church-yard as in both the Vniuersities of this Kingdome wee thought good to renew our former request vnto the States for the banishment of Vorstius by a Letter which wee caused our Ambassadour to deliuer vnto them from vs at their Assembly in the Hage the fifth of Nouember whereunto they had referred vs in their former answere the tenor of which Letter was as followeth HIgh and mightie Lords Hauing vnderstood by your answere to that Proposition which was made vnto you in our name by our Ambassadour there resident That at your Assembly to bee holden in Nouember next you are resolued then to giue order concerning the businesse of that wretched D. Vorstius Wee haue thought good notwithstanding the declaration which our Ambassadour hath already made vnto you in our name touching that particular to put you againe in remembrance thereof by this Letter and thereby freely to discharge our selues both in point of our duetie towards God and of that sincere friendship which wee beare towards you First We assure Our selues that you are sufficiently perswaded that no worldly respect could moue Vs to haue thus importuned you in an affaire of this nature being drawen into it onely through Our zeale to the glory of God and the care which Wee haue that all occasion of such great scandals as this is vnto the trew reformed Church of God might bee in due time foreseene and preuented Wee are therefore to let you vnderstand that Wee doe not a little wonder that you haue not onely sought to prouide an habitation in so eminent a place amongst you for such a corrupted person as this Vorstius is but that you haue also afforded him your license and protection to print that Apologie which he hath dedicated vnto you A booke wherein he doeth most impudently maintaine the execrable blasphemies which in his former hee had disgorged The which wee are now able to affirme out of our owne knowledge hauing since that Letter which wee wrote vnto our Ambassadour read ouer and ouer againe with our owne eyes not without extreme mislike and horrour both his bookes the first dedicated to the Lantgraue of Hessen and the other to you We had well hoped that the corrupt seed which that enemie of God Arminius did sowe amongst you some few yeeres since whose disciples and followers are yet too bold and frequent within your Dominions had giuen you a sufficient warning afterwards to take heed of such infected persons seeing your owne Countrey men already diuided into Factions vpon this occasion a matter so opposite to vnitie which is indeed the onely prop and safetie of your State next vnder God as of necessitie it must by little and little bring you to vtter ruine if wisely you doe not prouide against it and that in time It is trew that it was Our hard hap not to heare of this Arminius before he was dead and that all the Reformed Churches of Germanie had with open mouth complained of him But assoone as Wee vnderstood of that distraction in your State which after his death he left behind him We did not faile taking the opportunitie when your last extraordinary Ambassadors were here with Vs to vse some such speeches vnto them concerning this matter as We thought fittest for the good of your State and which we doubt not but they haue faithfully reported vnto you For what need We make any question of the arrogancie of these Heretiques or rather Atheisticall Sectaries amongst you when one of them at this present remaining in your towne of Leyden hath not onely presumed to publish of late a blasphemous Booke of the Apostasie of the Saints but hath besides beene so impudent as to send the other day a copie thereof as a goodly present to Our Arch-Bishop of Canterbury together with a letter wherein he is not ashamed as also in his Booke to lie so grossely as to auowe that his Heresies conteined in the said Booke are agreeable with the Religion and profession of Our Church of England For these respects therefore haue Wee cause enough very heartily to request you to roote out with speed those Heresies and Schismes which are beginning to bud foorth amongst you which if you suffer to haue the reines any longer you cannot expect any other issue thereof then the curse of God infamy throughout all the reformed Churches and a perpetuall rent and distraction in the whole body of your State But if peraduenture this wretched Vorstius should denie or equiuocate vpon those blasphemous poynts of Heresie and Atheisme which already hee hath broached that perhaps may mooue you to spare his person and not cause him to bee burned which neuer any Heretique better deserued and wherein we will leaue him to your owne bristian wisedome but to suffer him vpon any defence or abnegation which hee shall offer to make still to continue and to teach amongst you is a thing so abominable as we assure our selues it will not once enter into any of your thoughts For admit hee would proue himselfe innocent which neuerthelesse he cannot
on earth c. Our Ambassador therefore hauing on the one side consideration of that false report which was spred abroad of our coldnes in the busines and on the other side obseruing how Vorstius was established at Leyden after our first Admonition and request made vnto the States but before their Assembly on the fift of Nouember hee then resolued first to present vnto them our Letter making likewise himselfe a remonstrance to the same purpose which We haue here set downe together with an extract of certaine passages collected out of the said Bookes of Vorstius which We sent vnto our Ambassadour and was by him then shewed vnto the States that they might discerne the Lyon by his pawe MY Lords If euer the King of Great Britaine my Master hath merited any thing of this State and how much he hath merited in respect of his great fauours and Royall assistances your Lordships acknowledging them with all gratitude can best witnesse and best iudge be hath surely merited at this present hauing by his Letters full of zeale and pietie which he hath written vnto you endenoured to procure the establishment of that Religion onely within your Prouinces which the Reformed Churches of Great Britaine France and Germanie by a mutuall consent haue generally embraced For what is it to his Maiestie whether D. Vorstius be admitted Professor in the Vniuersitie of Leyden or not or whether the doctrine of Arminius bee preached in your Churches sauing that as a Christian Prince he desires the aduancement of the Gospel and as your best friend and allye the strengthening of your Commonwealth whose first foundations were cymented with the blood of his subiects and which in his iudgement can no way subsist if wittingly and willingly you suffer the Reformed Religion to be either by the practises of your Doctors sophisticated or by their malice depraued If therefore Religion be as it were the Palladium of your Common wealth and that to preserue the one in her glory and perfection bee to maintaine the other in her puritie let your selues then be iudge in how great a danger the State must needs bee at this present so long as you permit the Schismes of Arminius to haue such vogue as now they haue in the principall Townes of Holland and if you suffer Vorstius to be receiued Diuinitie Professour in the Vniuersitie of Leyden the Seminarie of your burch who in scorne of the Holy word of GOD hath after his owne fancie deuised a new Sect patched together of sener all pieces of all sorts of ancient and moderne Heresies The foole said in his heart There is no God but hee that with open mouth of set purpose and of prepensed malice hath let his penne runne at randome to disgorge so many blasphemies against the Sacred Maiestie of GOD this fellow shall weare the garland of all that euer yet were heard of since by the meanes of the Gospel the light of Christian Religion hath shined vnto the world If any man doubt of it for a proofe see here what his Maiestie with his owne hand hath collected out of his writings OVT OF HIS ANNOTATIONS CAEterùm nihil vetat Deo etiam corpus ascribere Pag 210. si vocabulum corporis in significatione latiore sumamus But there is nothing forbids vs to say that God hath a Body so as we take a body in the largest signification Non satis igitur circumspectè loquuntur qui Deum vt essentiâ Pag. 212. sic etiam volimtate prorsus immutabilem esse affirmant They therefore doe not speake circumspectly enough who say that God is altogether as vnchangeable in his will as he is in his essence Nusquam scriptum legimus Dei substantiam simpliciter immensam esse Pag. 232. immò non pauca sunt quae contrarium sensum habere videntur We finde it no where written That the substance of God is simply immense nay there are many places which seeme to cary a contrary meaning Magnitudo nulla actu infinita est ergo nec Deus Pag. 237. No Magnitude is actually infinite and therefore God is not actually infinite Etsanè si omnia singula rerum euenta praecisè ab aeterno definita fuissent Pag. 308. nihil opus esset continua rerum inspectione procuratione quae tamen Deo passim tribuitur And surely if all and euery euent of things were precisely set downe and from eternitie there needed not then that continuall inspection and procuration which neuerthelesse is euery where attributed vnto God Pleniùs tamen respondere videntur Pag. 441. qui certam quidem in genere vniuersalem Dei scientiam esse docent Sed ita tamen vt plures certitudinis causas in visione praesentium ac praeteritorum quà m in visione futurorum contingentium agnoscant They therefore who teach that there is in God a certaine vniuersall knowledge in genere doe seeme to answere more fully but so as they doe confesse likewise that there bee more causes of certaintie in the vision of things present then in the vision of things future contingent Omnia etiam decreta quae semel apud se praecisè definiuit vno modo actu Pag. 271. post factam definitionem accuratissimè nouit sed de alijs omnibus singulis quaecunque sunt fiunt seorsim per se consideratis hoc affirmari non potest quippe quae non modò successiuè in tempore verumetiam contingenter saepe conditionaliter existunt All things which GOD hath once decreed and precisely determined vno modo actu he doth after such his determination exactly know them But this cannot be affirmed of all and euery other thing which are or come to passe being considered seuerally and by themselues because they haue their existence not onely successiuely in time but also contingently and oftentimes conditionally OVT OF HIS APOLOGIE PAter peculiarem quandam entitatem Pag. 38. seu quasi limitatam restrictam essentiam habere putandus est It is to be vnderstood that the Father hath a certaine peculiar being or as it were a limitted and bounded essence Vnde porrò non difficulter efficitur Pag. 43. etiam interna quaedam accidentia in Deo hoc est in ipsâ vt sic dicere liceat proaereticâ Dei mente ac voluntate reuerâ existere From whence it is easily prooued that there are really certaine internall accidents in God that is to say if it be lawfull to vse such a word in the very fore-electing minde and will of God In the 16. Chapter he doeth dangerously dissent from the receiued opinion of Diuines concerning the Vbiquitie of Gods presence In the 19. Chapter pag. 99. he doth attribute vnto God Magnitude and Quantitie These are in part the opinions of that great Diuine whom they haue chosen to domineere in the Chaire at Leyden In opposition whereunto I meane not to say any thing else then that which the Romane Oratour did once
blanching it onely with some poore excuses And to the other two points his answers are doubtfull yet neither condemning the act of his schollers nor the last wicked booke called Dominicus Lopez Hauing now therefore briefly laied open the subtilties friuolous distinctions and excuses of the said Vorstius we will conclude this point with this protestation That if he had bene our owne Subiect we would haue bid him Excrea spit out and forced him to haue produced and confessed those wicked Heresies that are rooted in his heart And in case he should stand vpon his Negatiue we would enioyne him to say according to the ancient custome of the Primitiue Church in the like cases of Heretiques I renounce and from my soule detest them Anathema Maranatha vpon such and such Heresies And not to say For peace sake I caused this booke to be suppressed And these bookes are to bee read with great iudgement and discretion S. Hierome liketh not that any man should take it patiently to be suspected of Heresie And now to make an end of this Discourse we doe very heartily desire all good Christians in generall and My Lords the States in particular to whom the managing of this affaire doeth most specially belong to consider but two things First what kinde of people they be that slander vs and our sincere intention in this cause And next what priuate interest wee can possibly haue in respect of any worldly honour or aduancement herein to engage our selues in such sort as we haue done Concerning the first point There are but three sorts of people that seeke to calumniate vs vpon this occasion That is to say either such as are infected with the same or the like Heresies wherewith Vorstius is tainted ideo fouent consimilem causam and therefore doe maintaine the like cause or else such as be of the Romane Religion who in this confusion and libertie of prophesying would thrust in for a part conceiuing it more reasonable that their doctrine should be tolerated by those of our Religion then the doctrine of Vorstius or else such as for reason of State enuie peraduenture the good amitie and correspondencie which is betwixt vs and the Vnited Prouinces Touching our owne interest the whole course of our life doeth sufficiently witnesse that we haue alwayes bene contented with that portion which GOD hath put into our hands without seeking to inuade the possessions of any other Besides in two of our bookes as well in our 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as in the Preface to our Apologie we haue shewed the same inclination For in the first booke speaking of warre we say that a King ought not to make any inuasion vpon anothers Dominions vntill Iustice be first denied him And in the other booke hauing shewed the vsurpation of the Pope aboue all the Kings and Princes of Christendome our conclusion is that we will neuer goe about to perswade them to assault him within his Dominions but onely to resume and preserue their owne iust Priuiledges from his violent intrusion So as thankes be to GOD both our Theorique and Practique agree well together to cleare vs from this vniust and slanderous imputation And as for the States in particular it is very vnlikely that we who haue all our life time held so strict an amitie with them as for their defence wee haue bene contented to expose the liues of many of our Subiects of both Nations would now practise against then State and that vpon so poore a subiect as Vorstius especially that so damnable a thing could euer enter into our heart as vnder the vaile and pretext of the glory of GOD to plot the aduancement of our owne priuate deseignes The reasons which induced vs to meddle in this businesse we haue already declared We leaue it now to his owne proper Iudges to consider what a nursling they foster in their bosome A stranger bred in the Socinian Heresie as it is said often times accused of Heresie by the Churches of Germanie one that hath written so wicked and scandalous bookes maintaining and seriously protesting in the preface of his Apologie to the States for the libertie of prophecying and twice or thrice insisting vpon that libertie in the Preface of his Modest Answere a dangerous and pernitious libertie or rather licentiousnesse opening a gap to all rupture Schisme and confusion in the Church yea hauing had some disciples that be Heretiques themselues and others that accuse him of Heresie And though there were no other cause then the silly and idle shifts wherewith hee seekes to defend himselfe in his last bookes it were enough to conuince him either to haue maintained a bad cause and in that respect worthy of a farre greater punishment then to be put by his place of Professour or at the least to be a person vnworthy of the name of a Professour in so famous an Vniuersitie for hauing so weakely maintained a cause that is iust For our part GOD is our witnesse we haue no quarrell against his person he is a Stranger borne farre from our dominions he is a Germane and it is well knowen that all Germanie are our friends and the most part of the great Princes there be either neerely allied vnto vs or our Confederates he doth outwardly professe the same Religion which we do he hath written against Bellarmine and hath not mentioned vs either in speach or writing for any thing we know but with all the honour and respect that may be GOD knowes the worst that we do wish him is that he may sincerely returne into the high beaten path-way of the Catholique and Orthodoxall Faith And for my Lords the States seeing wee haue discharged our conscience we will now referre the managing of the whole Action vnto their owne discretions For wee are so farre from prescribing them any rule herein as we shall be very well contented so as the businesse be well done that there be euen no mention at all made of our intercession in their publique Acts or Records Their maner of proceeding we leaue absolutely to their owne Wisedomes Modò praedicetur Christus so as CHRIST bee preached let them vse their owne formes in the Name of GOD. For we desire that GOD should so iudge vs at the last Day as we affect not in this Action any worldly glory beseeching the Creatour so to open their eyes to illuminate their vnderstandings direct their resolutions and aboue all to kindle their zeale sanctifie their affections at the last so to blesse their Actions and their proceedings in this cause as the issue thereof may tend to his Glory to the comfort and solace of the Faithfull to the honour of our Religion to the confusion and extirpation at the least profligation of Heresies and in particular to the corroboration of the Vnion of the sayd Prouinces A REMONSTRANCE FOR THE RIGHT OF KINGS AND THE INDEPENDANCE OF THEIR CROVVNES AGAINST AN ORATION OF THE MOST ILLVSTRIOVS CARD OF PERRON PRONOVNCED IN
being scantly inhabited but by very few and they as barbarous and scant of ciuilitie as number there comes our first King Fergus with a great number with him out of Ireland which was long inhabited before vs and making himselfe master of the countrey by his owne friendship and force as well of the Ireland-men that came with him as of the countrey-men that willingly fell to him hee made himselfe King and Lord as well of the whole landes as of the whole inhabitants within the same Thereafter he and his successours a long while after their being Kinges made and established their lawes from time to time and as the occasion required So the trewth is directly contrarie in our state to the false affirmation of such seditious writers as would perswade vs that the Lawes and state of our countrey were established before the admitting of a king where by the contrarie ye see it plainely prooued that a wise king comming in among barbares first established the estate and forme of gouernement and thereafter made lawes by himselfe and his successours according thereto The kings therefore in Scotland were before any estates or rankes of men within the same before any Parliaments were holden or lawes made and by them was the land distributed which at the first was whole theirs states erected and decerned and formes of gouernement deuised and established And so it followes of necessitie that the kings were the authors and makers of the Lawes and not the Lawes of the kings And to prooue this my assertion more clearly it is euident by the rolles of our Chancellery which containe our eldest and fundamentall Lawes that the King is Dominus omnium bonorum and Dominus directus totius Dominij the whole subiects being but his vassals and from him holding all their lands as their ouer-lord who according to good seruices done vnto him chaungeth their holdings from tacke to few from ward to blanch erecteth new Baronies and vniteth olde without aduice or authoritie of either Parliament or any other subalterin iudiciall seate So as if wrong might bee admitted in play albeit I grant wrong should be wrong in all persons the King might haue a better colour for his pleasure without further reason to take the land from his lieges as ouer-lord of the whole and doe with it as pleaseth him since all that they hold is of him then as foolish writers say the people might vnmake the king and put an other in his roome But either of them as vnlawful and against the ordinance of God ought to be alike odious to be thought much lesse put in practise And according to these fundamentall Lawes already alledged we daily see that in the Parliament which is nothing else but the head Court of the king and his vassals the lawes are but craued by his subiects and onely made by him at their rogation and with their aduice For albeit the king make daily statutes and ordinances enioyning such paines thereto as hee thinkes meet without any aduice of Parliament or estates yet it lies in the power of no Parliament to make any kinde of Lawe or Statute without his Scepter be to it for giuing it the force of a Law And although diuers changes haue beene in other countries of the blood Royall and kingly house the kingdome being reft by conquest from one to another as in our neighbour countrey in England which was neuer in ours yet the same ground of the kings right ouer all the land and subiects thereof remaineth alike in all other free Monarchies as well as in this For when the Bastard of Normandie came into England and made himselfe king was it not by force and with a mighty army Where he gaue the Law and tooke none changed the Lawes inuerted the order of gouernement set downe the strangers his followers in many of the old possessours roomes as at this day well appeareth a great part of the Gentlemen in England beeing come of the Norman blood and their old Lawes which to this day they are ruled by are written in his language and not in theirs And yet his successours haue with great happinesse enioyed the Crowne to this day Whereof the like was also done by all them that conquested them before And for conclusion of this point that the king is ouer-lord ouer the whole lands it is likewise daily proued by the Law of our hoordes of want of Heires and of Bastardies For if a hoord be found vnder the earth because it is no more in the keeping or vse of any person it of the law pertains to the king If a person inheritour of any lands or goods dye without any sort of heires all his landes and goods returne to the king And if a bastard die vnrehabled without heires of his bodie which rehabling onely lyes in the kings hands all that hee hath likewise returnes to the king And as ye see it manifest that the King is ouer-Lord of the whole land so is he Master ouer euery person that inhabiteth the same hauing power ouer the life and death of euery one of them For although a iust Prince will not take the life of any of his subiects without a cleare law yet the same lawes whereby he taketh them are made by himselfe or his predecessours and so the power flowes alwaies from him selfe as by daily experience we see good and iust Princes will from time to time make new lawes and statutes adioyning the penalties to the breakers thereof which before the law was made had beene no crime to the subiect to haue committed Not that I deny the old definition of a King and of a law which makes the king to bee a speaking law and the Law a dumbe king for certainely a king that gouernes not by his lawe can neither be countable to God for his administration nor haue a happy and established raigne For albeit it be trew that I haue at length prooued that the King is aboue the law as both the author and giuer of strength thereto yet a good king will not onely delight to rule his subiects by the lawe but euen will conforme himselfe in his owne actions thereuneto alwaies keeping that ground that the health of the common-wealth be his chiefe lawe And where he sees the lawe doubtsome or rigorous hee may interpret or mitigate the same lest otherwise Summum ius bee summa iniuria And therefore generall lawes made publikely in Parliament may vpon knowen respects to the King by his authoritie bee mitigated and suspended vpon causes onely knowen to him As likewise although I haue said a good king will frame all his actions to be according to the Law yet is hee not bound thereto but of his good will and for good example-giuing to his subiects For as in the law of abstaining from eating of flesh in Lenton the king will for examples sake make his owne house to obserue the Law yet no man will thinke he needs to take a licence to
away of the Primacie of the Apostolique Sea then are they busie about cutting off the very head of the faith and dissoluing of the state of the whole body and of all the members Which selfe same thing S. Leâ—â— â—â—th confirme in his third Sermon of his Assumption to the Popedom when he saith Our Lord had a special care of Peter praied properly for Peters faith as though the state of others were more stable when their Princes mind was not to be ouercome Whereupon himselfe in his Epistle to the bishops of the prouince of Vienna doth not doubt to affirme that he is not partaker of the diuine Mysterie that dare depart from the solidity of Peter who also saith That who thinketh the Primacy to be denied to that Sea he can in no sort lessen the authority of it but by being puft vp with the spirit of his owne pride doth cast himselfe headlong into hel These and many other of this kind I am very sure are most familiar to you who besides many other books haue diligently read ouer the visible Monarchy of your owne Sanders a most diligent writer and one who hath worthily deserued of the Church of England Neither can you be ignorant that these most holy and learned men Iohn bishop of Rochester and Tho. Moore within our memory for this one most weighty head of doctrine led the way to Martyrdome to many others to the exceeding glory of the English nation But I would put you in remembrance that you should take heart and considering the weightines of the cause not to trust too much to your owne iudgement neither be wise aboue that is meet to be wise and if peraduenture your fall haue proceeded not vpon want of consideration but through humane infirmity for feare of punishment and imprisonment yet do not preferre a temporall liberty to the liberty of the glory of the Sonnes of God neither for escaping a light momentanie tribulation lose an eternal weight of glory which tribulation it selfe doeth worke in you You haue fought a good fight a long time you haue wel-neere finished your course so many yeeres haue you kept the faith do not therefore lose the reward of such labors do not depriue your selfe of that crowne of righteousnes which so long agone is prepared for you Do not make the faces of so many yours both brethren and children ashamed Vpon you at this time are fixed the eyes of all the Church yea also you are made a spectacle to the world to Angels to men Do not so carry your selfe in this your last act that you leaue nothing but laments to your friends and ioy to your enemies But rather on the contrary which we assuredly hope and for which we continually powre forth prayers to God display gloriously the banner of faith and make to reioyce the Church which you haue made heauy so shall you not onely merite pardon at Gods hands but a Crowne Farewell Quite you like a man and let your heart be strengthened From Rome the 28. day of September 1607. Your very Reuerendships brother and seruant in Christ Robert Bellarmine Cardinall THE ANSWERE TO THE CARDINALS LETTER ANd now that I am to enter into the field against him by refuting his Letter I must first vse this protestation That no desire of vaine-glory by matching with so learned a man maketh me to vndertake this taske but onely the care and conscience I haue that such smooth Circes charmes and guilded pilles as full of exterior eloquence as of inward vntrewths may not haue that publike passage through the world without an answere whereby my reputation might vniustly be darkened by such cloudie and foggie mists of vntrewths and false imputations the hearts of vnstayed and simple men be misse-led and the trewth it selfe smothered But before I come to the particular answere of this Letter A great mistaking of the state of the Question and case in hand I must here desire the world to wonder with me at the committing of so grosse an errour by so learned a man as that he should haue pained himselfe to haue set downe so elaborate a Letter for the refutation of a quite mistaken question For it appeareth that our English Fugitiues of whose inward societie with him he so greatly vaunteth haue so fast hammered in his head the Oath of Supremacie which hath euer bene so great a scarre vnto them as he thinking by his Letter to haue refuted the last Oath hath in place thereof onely paied the Oath of Supremacie which was most in his head as a man that being earnestly caried in his thoughts vpon another matter then he is presently in doing will often name the matter or person he is thinking of in place of the other thing he hath at that time in hand For as the Oath of Supremacie was deuised for putting a difference betweene Papists and them of our profession so was this Oath The difference betweene the Oath of Supremacie and this of Allegiance which hee would seeme to impugne ordained for making a difference betweene the ciuilly obedient Papists and the peruerse disciples of the Powder-Treason Yet doeth all his Letter runne vpon an Inuectiue against the compulsion of Catholiques to deny the authoritie of S. Peters successors and in place thereof to acknowledge the Successors of King Henry the eight For in K. Henry the eights time was the Oath of Supremacie first made By him were Thomas Moore and Roffensis put to death partly for refusing of it From his time till now haue all the Princes of this land professing this Religion successiuely in effect maintained the same and in that Oath onely is contained the Kings absolute power to be Iudge ouer all persons aswell Ciuill as Ecclesiastical excluding al forraigne powers and Potentates to be Iudges within his dominions whereas this last made Oath containeth no such matter onely medling with the ciuill obedience of Subiects to their Soueraigne in meere temporall causes And that it may the better appeare that whereas by name hee seemeth to condemne the last Oath yet indeed his whole Letter runneth vpon nothing but vpon the condemnation of the Oath of Supremacie I haue here thought good to set downe the said Oath leauing it then to the discretion of euery indifferent reader to iudge whether he doth not in substance onely answere to the Oath of Supremacie but that hee giues the child a wrong name I A B. doe vtterly testifie and declare in my conscience that the Kings Highnesse is the onely Supreame Gouernour of this Realme and all other his Highnesse Dominions and Countries aswell in all Spirituall or Ecclesiasticall things or causes as Temporall And that no forraine Prince Person Prelate State or Potentate hath or ought to haue any Iurisdiction Power Superioritie Preeminence or Authoritie Ecclesiasticall or Spirituall within this Realme And therefore I doe vtterly renounce and forsake all forraine Iurisdictions Powers Superiorities and Authorities and doe promise that from
Germanic c. 32. TORTVS Pag. 88. 5 Adde heereunto that Cuspinian in relating the history of the Turkes brother who was poysoned by Alexander 6. hath not the consent of other writers to witnesse the trewth of this History CONFVTATION The same History which is reported by Cuspinian is recorded also by sundry other famous Historians See Francis Guicciardin lib. 2. Histor Ital. Paulus Iouius lib. 2. Hist. sui temporis Sabellic Ennead 10. lib. 9. Continuator Palmerij at the yeere 1494. THE NOVEL DOCTRINES WITH A BRIEFE DECLARATION of their Noueltie NOVEL DOCTRINE Pag. 9. 1 IT is agreed vpon amongst all that the Pope may lawfully depose Hereticall Princes and free their Subiects from yeelding obedience vnto them CONFVTATION Nay all are so farre from consenting in this point that it may much more trewly be auouched that none entertained that conceit before Hildebrand since he was the first brocher of this new doctrine neuer before heard of as many learned men of that aage and the aage next following to omit others of succeeding aages haue expresly testified See for this point the Epistle of the whole Clergie of Liege to Pope Paschal the second See the iudgement of many Bishops of those times recorded by Auentine in his historie lib. 5. fol. 579. Also the speech vttered by Conrade bishop of Vtretcht in the said fifth booke of Auentine fol. 582. And another by Eberhardus Archbishop of Saltzburge Ibid. lib. 7. p. 684. Also the iudgement of the Archbishop of Triers in constitut Imperialib à M. Haimensfeldio editis pag. 47. The Epistle of Walthram Bishop of Megburgh which is extant in Dodechine his Appendix to the Chronicle of Marianus Scotus at the yeere 1090. Benno in the life of Hildebrand The author of the booke De vnitate Ecclesiae or the Apologie for Henry the fourth Sigebert in his Chronicle at the yeere 1088. Godfrey of Viterbio in his History entituled Pantheon part 17. Ottho Frisingensis lib. 6. c. 35. praefat in lib. 7. Frederick Barbarossa lib. 6. Gunther Ligurin de gestis Frederici and lib. 1. c. 10. of Raduicus de gestis eiusdem Frederici Vincentius in speculo historiali lib. 15. c. 84. with sundry others NOVEL DOCTRINE Pag. 51. 2 In our supernaturall birth in Baptisme wee are to conceiue of a secret and implied oath which we take at our new birth to yeeld obedience to the spirituall Prince which is Christes Vicar CONFVTATION It is to bee wondred at whence this fellow had this strange new Diuinitie which surely was first framed in his owne fantasticall braine Else let him make vs a Catalogue of his Authors that hold and teach that all Christians whether infants or of aage are by vertue of an oath taken in their Baptisme bound to yeeld absolute obedience to CHRISTS Vicar the Pope or baptized in any but in CHRIST NOVEL DOCTRINE Pag. 94. 3 But since that Catholike doctrine doth not permit for the auoidance of any mischiefe whatsoeuer to discouer the secret of Sacramentall confession he Garnet rather chose to suffer most bitter death then to violate the seale of so great a Sacrament CONFVTATION That the secret of Sacramentall confession is by no meanes to bee disclosed no not indirectly or in generall so the person confessing bee concealed for auoydance and preuention of no mischiefe how great soeuer Besides that it is a position most dangerous to all Princes and Common-wealths as I shew in my Praemonition pag. 333 334. It is also a Nouell Assertion not heard of till of late dayes in the Christian world Since the common opinion euen of the Schoolemen and Canonists both old and new is vnto the contrary witnesse these Authors following Alexander Hales part 4. qu. 78. mem 2. art 2. Thom. 4. dist 21. qu. 3. art 1. ad 1. Scotus in 4. dist 21. qu. 2. Hadrian 6. in 4. dist vbi de Sacramen Confes edit Paris 1530. pag. 289. Dominic Sot in 4. dist 18. q. 4. art 5. Francis de victor summ de Sacram. n. 189. Nauar. in Enchirid. c. 8. Ioseph Angles in Florib part 1. pag. 247. edit Antuerp Petrus Soto lect 11. de confess The Iesuites also accord hereunto Suarez Tom. 4. disp in 3. part Thom. disp 33. § 3. Gregor de Valentia Tom. 4. disp 7. q. 13. punct 3. who saith the common opinion of the Schoolemen is so NOVEL DOCTRINE Pag. 102. 4 I dare boldly auow that the Catholikes haue better reason to refuse the Oath of Allegeance then Eleazar had to refuse the eating of Swines flesh CONFVTATION This assertion implieth a strange doctrine indeede that the Popes Breues are to be preferred before Moses Law And that Papists are more bound to obey the Popes decree then the Iewes were to obey the Law of God pronounced by Moses NOVEL DOCTRINE Pag. 135. 5 Churchmen are exempted from the Iurisdiction of secular Princes and therefore are no subiects to Kings yet ought they to obserue their Lawes concerning matters temporall not by vertue of any Law but by enforcement of reason that is to say not for that they are their Subiects but because reason will giue it that such Lawes are to be kept for the publike good and the quiet of the Common-wealth CONFVTATION How trew friends the Cardinall and his Chaplen are to Kings that would haue so many Subiects exempted from their power See my Praemonition Pag. 296 297. Also Pag 330. 331. c. But as for this and the like new Aphorismes I would haue these cunning Merchants to cease to vent such stuffe for ancient and Catholike wares in the Christian world till they haue disprooued their owne Venetians who charge them with Noueltie and forgerie in this point A DECLARATION CONCERNING THE PROCEEDINGS WITH THE STATES GENERALL OF THE VNITED PROVINCES OF THE LOW COVNTREYS Jn the cause of D. CONRADVS VORSTIVS TO THE HONOVR OF OVR LORD AND SAVIOVR JESVS CHRIST THE ETERNALL SONNE OF THE ETERNALL FATHER THE ONELY ΘΕΑÎΘΡΩΠΟΣ MEDIATOVR AND RECONCILER OF MANKIND IN SIGNE OF THANKFVLNES HIS MOST HVMBLE AND MOST OBLIGED SERVANT IAMES BY THE GRACE OF GOD KING OF GREAT BRITAINE FRANCE AND IRELAND Defender of the FAITH Doeth DEDICATE and CONSECRATE this his DECLARATION THat it is one of the principall parts of that duetie which appertaines vnto a Christian King to protect the trew Church within his owne Dominions and to extirpate heresies is a Maxime without all controuersie in which respect those honourable Titles of Custos Vindex vtriusque Tabulae Keeper and Auenger of both the Tables of the Law and Nutritius Ecclesiae Nursing Father of the Church do rightly belong vnto euery Emperour King and Christian Monarch But what interest a Christian King may iustly pretend to meddle in alienâ Repub. within another State or Common wealth in matters of this nature where Strangers are not allowed to be too curious is the point in question and whereof we meane at this time to treate For our zeale to the glory of God being the onely motiue that induced
vs as he who is the searcher of the heart and reines can witnesse to make sundry Instances and Requests vnto the States Generall of the Vnited Prouinces for the banishment of a wretched Heretique or rather Athiest out of their Dominions named D. Conradus Vorstius hath bene so ill interpreted or rather wrested to a peruerse sence by a sort of people whose corrupted stomacke turnes all good nourishment into bad and pernitious humors as if it had bene some vanitie and desire of vaine glory in vs or else an Ambition to encroach by little and little vpon the libertie of their State which had caried vs headlong into the businesse As both to cleare our owne honour from the darke mists of these false and scandalous imputations as also to make it trewly appeare vnto the Christian world in what sort wee haue proceeded herein Wee haue thought good to publish this present Declaration containing as well the discourse of our whole Negotiation hitherto with the States in this cause as also the reasons which haue mooued vs to take it so to heart and to perseuere therein as we haue done and will doe God willing vntill it please him to bring it to some good and happy end In Autumne last about the end of August being in our hunting Progresse there came to our hands two bookes of the said Vorstius the one intituled Tractatus Theologicus de Deo dedicated to the Lantgraue of Hessen imprinted in the yeere 1610. the other his Exegesis Apologetica vpon that booke dedicated to the States and printed in the yeere 1611. Which books assoone as we had receiued and not without much horror and detestation cast our eye onely vpon some of the principall Articles of his disputations conteined in the first booke and his Commentary thereupon in the second God is our witnesse that the zeale of his glory did so transport vs as to say with S. Paul We stayed not one houre but dispatched a Letter presently to our Ambassadour resident with the States to this purpose following TRustie and welbeloued c. You shall repaire to the States Generall with all possible diligence in our name telling them that wee doubt not but that their Ambassadours which were with vs about two yeeres since did informe them of a forewarning that we wished the said Ambassadours to make vnto them in our name to beware in time of seditious and hereticall Preachers and not to suffer any such to creepe into their State Our principall meaning was of Arminius who though himselfe were lately dead yet had hee left too many of his disciples behinde him Now according to that care which wee continually haue of the weale of their State wee haue thought good to send vnto them a new aduertisement vpon the like occasion which is this That there is lately come to our handes a piece of worke of one Vorstius a Diuine in those parts wherein hee hath published such monstrous blasphemie and horrible Atheisme as out of the care that a Christian Prince and Defender of the Faith as we haue euer bene ought to haue of the good of the Church wee hold not onely such a scandalous booke worthy to bee burnt but euen the Authour himselfe to bee most seuerely punished This notwithstanding wee are informed that the States are so farre from beeing sensible of so great a scandall to the Church as that the most part of them haue already yeelded him their free consents and voyces for the obteining of the place of Diuinitie Reader in the Vniuersitie of Leyden which the aboue-named Arminius of little better stuffe lately enioyed and though himselfe be dead hath left his sting yet liuing among them Hauing therefore vnderstood that the time of Election will be about Michaelmas next and holding our selues bound in honour and conscience as a Christian Prince and one who hath vouchsafed the States our Royall fauour and support in respect of their Religion to preuent so great a mischiefe so farre as we are able Wee will and require you to let them vnderstand how infinitely wee shall bee displeased if such a Monster receiue aduancement in the Church And if it bee alleadged that hee hath recanted his Atheisticall opinions and that thereupon he may be capable of the place you shall tell them that wee thinke his Recantation so slender a satisfaction for so fowle an offence as that wee hold him rather worthy of punishment or at least to be debarred from all promotion Wherein though wee assure our selfe that they will of their owne discretions eschew such a viper who may make a fearefull rent not onely in their Ecclesiasticall but also in their Politique State yet notwithstanding all this if they will continue their resolution to preferre him you shall then make a protestation to them in our name That wee will not faile to make knowen to the world publikely in print how much wee detest such abominable Heresies and all allowers and tolerators of them And because the States shall know vpon what reasons we haue grounded this our Admonition you shall receiue herewith a * * This Catalogue is here purposely omitted for auoyding a needlesse repetition seeing the principall points therof are conteined in a little Collection annexed at the end of our second letter written to Wynwood Catalogue of his damnable Positions of which no one page of the booke is free Giuen vnder our Signet c. For obseruing that so prodigious a Monster began to liue among them We could do no lesse considering the infinite obligations which wee owe vnto God then to make Our zeale appeare against such an enemie to the Essence of the Deity Besides the charitie which Wee beare to the said States Our neighbors and Confederates professing the same Religion that we do did enforce Vs to admonish them to eschew and preuent in time so dangerous a contagion which dispersing it selfe might infect not onely the bodie of their State but all Christendome also the danger whereof was so much greater to our Dominions then to many others by how much the Prouinces of the said States are neerer vnto Vs in their situation Our Ambassadour therefore hauing sufficiently acquitted himselfe of that which Wee gaue him in charge by exhorting them in Our Name timely to preuent the danger which might ensue by enterteyning such a guest as VORSTIVS which at that time they might easily haue done seeing he was not yet setled at Leyden neither was he lodged in the house appointed for the publique Reader nor were his wife and family yet arriued and therefore much more easie for them to haue rid him out of their countrey sending him backe to the place from whence he came according to the old Prouerbe Turpiùs eijcitur quà m non admittitur hospes It is more honest to refuse a guest then when you haue once receiued him to thrust him out of doores Yet notwithstanding all the diligence that Our Ambassadour could vse and the oportunity which at that time
pronounce in the like case Mala est impia consuetudo contra Deum disputandi siuè seriò id fit siuè simulatè It is an euill and a wicked custome saith hee to dispute against God whether it be in earnest or in iest Now my Lords I addresse my selfe vnto your Lordships and according vnto the charge which I haue receiued from the King my Master I coniure you by the amitie that is betwixt his Kingdomes and your Prouinces the which on his part will continue alwayes inuiolable to awaken your spirits and to haue a carefull eye at this Assembly of Holland which is already begunne ne quid Respublica detrimenti capiat That the Common wealth take no harme which vndoubtedly at one time or other will be turned vpside downe if you suffer such a dangerous contagion to barbour so neere you and not remoue it out of your Prouinces assoone as possibly you may The disciples of Socinus with whose doctrine he hath bene suckled in his childhood doe seeke him for their Master and are ready to embrace him Let him goe bee is a Bird of their owne feather Et dignum sanè patellâ operculum A couer fit for such a dish On the other side the Students in Diuinitie at Leyden to the number of 56. by a duetiful Remonstrance presented vnto the States of Holland the 16. of October the last yeere did most humbly beseech the said States not to vse their authoritie in compelling them to receiue a Professor who both by the attestations of the Diuinitie Colledges at Basil and Heydelberg as also by manifest euidence out of his owne writings is conuinced of an infinite number of Heresies These reasons therefore namely the proofes of so many enormous and horrible Heresies maintained in his Bookes the instance of his Maiestie grounded vpon the welfare and honour of this Countrey the requests either of all or of the most part of your Prouinces the petitions of all the Ministers excepting those onely which are of Arminius Sect should me thinkes preuaile so farre with my Lords the States of Holland and we hope will so farre preuaile as they will at the last apply themselues to the performance of that which both the sinceritie of Religion and the seruice of their Countrey requireth at their hands Furthermore I haue commandement from his Maiestie to mooue you in his Name to set downe some certaine Reglement in matters of Religion throughout your Prouinces that this licentious freedome of disputation may by that meanes be restrained which breeds nothing but Factions and part-taking and that you would absolutely take away the libertie of Prophecying which Vorstius doeth so much recommend vnto you in the dedicatorie Epistle of his Anti-Bellarmine the Booke whereof his Patrons doe boast so much To conclude his Maiestie doeth exhort you seeing you haue heretofore taken Armes for the libertie of your consciences and haue so much endured in a violent and bloody warre the space of fourtie yeeres for the profession of the Gospel that now hauing gotten the vpper hand of your miseries you would not suffer the followers of Arminius to make your actions an example for them to proclaime throughout the world that wicked doctrine of the Apostasie of the Saints To bee short the account which his Maiestie doeth make of your amitie appeares sufficiently by the Treaties which hee hath made with your Lordships by the succours which your Prouinces haue receiued from his crownes by the deluge of blood which his subiects haue spent in your warres Religion is the onely sowder of this Amitie For his Maiestie being by the Grace of GOD Defender of the Faith by which Title hee doeth more value himselfe then by the Title of King of Great Britaine doeth hold himselfe obliged to defend all those who professe the same Faith and Religion with him But if once your zeale begin to grow colde therein his Maiestie will then straightwayes imagine that your friendship towards him and his subiects will likewise freeze by little and little Thus much I had in charge to adde vnto that which his Maiestie in his owne letters hath written vnto you You may bee pleased to consider of it as the importance of the cause doeth require and to resolue thereupon that which your wisedomes shall thinke fittest for the honour and seruice of your Countrey But our Ambassadour hauing after a delay for the space of diuers weekes receiued this cold and ambiguous answere vnto our Letter and Proposition that is to say That The Lords States Generall hauing seriously deliberated vpon the Proposition which was made vnto them by our Ambassadour the fift of Nouember as also vpon our Letters of the sixt of October deliuered vnto them at the same time did very humbly giue vs thankes for the continuance of our Royall affection toward the welfare of their Countreys and the preseruation of the trew reformed Christian Religion therein And that the said States Generall as also the States of Holland and Westfrizeland in their seuerall assemblies respectiuely hauing entred into consultation with all due reuerence and regard vnto vs concerning those Articles wherewith Doctor Conradus Vorstius was charged the Curators of the Vniuersitie of Leyden did thereupon take occasion to make an order prouisionall that the said Vorstius should not bee admitted to the exercise of his place which was accordingly performed So as vpon the matter hee was then in the Citie of Leyden but as an inhabitant or Citizen And that in case the said Vorstius should not bee able to cleare himselfe from those accusations which were layd to his charge before or in the next Assembly of the States of Holland and Westfrizeland which was to bee holden in February following the Lords States Generall did then assure themselues that the States of Holland and Westfrizeland would decide the matter with good contentment And therefore forasmuch as at that time there could be no more done in the cause without great inconuenience and distaste to the principall Townes of the said Prouinces our Ambassadour was required to recommend thus much in the best manner he could vnto vs and with the most aduantage to the seruice of their Countrey Vpon the coldnesse therefore of this Answere which hee feared would giue vs no satisfaction hee thought it was now high time to consider what the last remedy might bee whereof vse was to bee made for the aduancement of this businesse and perceiuing that hee had already performed all the rest of our commandements excepting onely to Protest in case of refusall and esteeming such a cold answere accompanied with so many delayes to be no lesse in effect then an absolute refusall hee thereupon resolued to make this Protestation in their publique assemblie which hereafter followeth MY Lords The Historiographers who haue diligently looked into the Antiquities of France doe obserue that the Aduocates there in times past were accustomed to begin their pleadings with some Latine Sentence taken out of the holy Scriptures I
shall at this time follow their example and my Sentence shall be this Si peccauerit in te frater tuus argue eum inter te ipsum solum si audiuerit te lucratus es fratrem tuum si non audiuerit te adhibevnum atque alterum vt in ore duorum vel trium stet omne verbum si non audiuerit eos dic Ecclesiae If thy brother trespasse against thee goe and tell him his fault betweene him and thee alone if he heare thee thou hast wonne thy brother but if hee heare thee not take yet with thee one or two that by the mouth of two or three witnesses euery word may bee confirmed and if hee refuse to heare them tell it vnto the Church There is not any one of you as I suppose in this Assemblie that will not acknowledge the brotherly loue wherewith the King my Master hath alwayes affected the good of your Prouinces and the fatherly care which hee hath euer had to procure the establishment of your State In which respect his Maiestie hauing vnderstood that my Lords the States of Holland were determined to call vnto the place of Diuinitie Professour in the Vniuer sitie of Leyden one Doctor Conradus Vorstius a person attainted by many witnesses iuris facti of a number of Heresies the shame whereof would light vpon the Church of God and consequently vpon his Maiesties person and Crownes is therewith exceedingly offended And for the more timely preuention of an infinitie of euils which necessarily would thereupon ensue did giue mee in charge by expresse Letters to exhort you which I did the 21. of September last to wash your hands from that man and not to fuffer him to come within your Countrey To this exhortation your answere was that in the carriage of this businesse all due obseruance and regard should be had vnto his Maiestie Neuerthelesse so it is that his Maiestie hath receiued so little respect heerein as that in stead of debarring Vorstius from comming into the Countrey which euen by the lawes of friendship his Maiestie might haue required the proceedings haue beene cleane contrary for he is suffered to come vnto Leyden hath beene receiued there with all honour hath there taken vp his habitation where he is treated and lodged in the qualitie of a publique Professour His Maiestie then perceiuing that his first motion had so little preuailed thought good to write himselfe a Letter vnto you to the same purpose full of zeale and affection perswading you by many reasons there set downe at length not to staine your owne honour and the honour of the reformed Churches by calling vnto you that wretched and wicked Atheist These Letters were presented in this Assembly the fifth of Nouember a great number of the Deputies of the Townes of Holland being then present At which time as I was commanded by his Maiestie I vsed some speach my selfe to the same effect Some sixe weekes after I receiued an Answere to my Proposition but an Answere confused ambiguous and wholly impertinent by which I haue reason to conceiue that there is no meaning at all to send Vorstius away who is at this present in Leyden receiued and acknowledged respected and treated as publique Professour whether it be to grace that Vniuersitie in stead of the deceased Ioseph Scaliger I cannot tell or whether it bee to giue him meanes to doe more mischiefe in secret which perhaps for shame hee durst not in publique For these reasons according vnto that charge which I haue receiued from the King my Master I doe in his name and on his behalfe Protest in this Assembly against the wrong iniurie and scandall done vnto the reformed Religion by the receiuing and reteining of Conradus Vorstius in the Vniuersitie of Leyden and against the violence offered vnto that Alliance which is betwixt his Maiestie and your Prouinces the which beeing founded vpon the preseruation and maintenance of the reformed Religion you haue not letted so much as in you lies absolutely to violate in the proceeding of this cause Of which enormous indignities committed against the Church of GOD and against his Maiesties person in preferring the presence of Vorstius before his Amitie and Alliance the King my Master holds himselfe bound to bee sensible and if reparation thereof bee not made and that speedily which cannot be by any other meanes then by sending Vorstius away his Maiestie will make it appeare vnto the world by some such Declaration as he will cause to be printed and published how much he detests the Atheismes and Heresies of Vorstius and all those that maintaine fauour and cherish them This is my charge which if I had failed to performe I had failed in my duetie both towards the Seruice of GOD which is now in question as also toward the honour of the King my Master who will alwayes bee ready to maintaine the puritie of the reformed Religion though it were with the profusion of his owne blood the blood of his children and subiects This Protestation being made the States after some deliberation framed vs an answere in these termes That howsoeuer His Maiestie of GREAT BRITAINE had not yet receiued that contentment which Hee might expect in this businesse of Vorstius neuerthelesse they did not doubt but that at the Assembly of the States of Holland in February next His Maiestie should receiue entire satisfaction Which answere gaue some life to our hope that at the said assembly of the States to bee holden the fifteenth day of the next moneth of Februarie GOD will vouchsafe so to open the eyes of those of Holland as that they may be able to discerne what a Cockatrice egge they hatch within their bosome and that seeing the smooth speaches of Vorstius doe but verifie the old Prouerbe Latet anguis in herbâ There lurkes a snake in the grasse they will at that assembly resolue to purge their Territories from the poison of his Heresie Wee mention Holland because the other Prouinces namely Frizeland and Zeland and some part of Holland likewise are already so distasted with his Heresies as of themselues they haue desired Holland to banish him out of the Countrey And certainely wee are no lesse sorie then amazed that the Curators of Leyden as appeareth by a long letter which they haue written to the States Ambassador resident with vs can haue their vnderstanding so stupified as to haue made choice of the person of Vorstius for a man well qualified to appease the Schismes and troubles of their Church and Vniuersitie and as an apt instrument of peace For to shew their blindnesse in this they need no other answere then Exitus acta probat The issue tries the action Seeing to our great griefe it cannot bee denied but that there hath bene more distraction of spirits and a greater diuision in their State since the comming of Vorstius then was for many yeeres before witnesse so many Bookes and Accusations written against him and his answeres thereunto
Church as of secular Lords and to make ordinances for the confiscation of all priuate persons goods By this Canon the Kingdome of Naples hath need to looke well vnto it selfe For one duell it may fall into the Exchecquer of the Romane Church because that Kingdome payeth a Reliefe to the Church as a Royaltie or Seignorie that holdeth in fee of the said Church And in France there is not one Lordship not one Mannor not one farme which the Pope by this meanes cannot shift ouer to a new Lord. His Lordship therefore had carried himselfe and the cause much better if in stead of seeking such idle shifts he had by a more large assertion maintained the Popes power to dispose of priuate mens possessions with no lesse right and authoritie then of Kingdomes For what colour of reason can bee giuen for making the Pope Lord of the whole and not of the parts for making him Lord of the forrest in grosse and not of the trees in parcell for making him Lord of the whole house and not of the parlour or the dining chamber His Lordship alleadgeth yet an other reason but of no better weight Betweene the power of priuate owners ouer their goods and the power of Kings ouer their estates there is no little difference For the goods of priuate persons are ordained for their owners and Princes for the benefit of their Common-wealths Heare me now answere If this Cardinal-reason hath any force to inferre that a King may lawfully be depriued of his Kingdome for heresie but a priuate person cannot for the same crime be turned out of his mansion house then it shall follow by the same reason that a Father for the same cause may bee depriued of all power ouer his children but a priuate owner cannot be depriued of his goods in the like case because goods are ordeined for the benefit and comfort of their owners but fathers are ordeined for the good and benefit of their children But most certain it is that Kings representing the image of God in earth and Gods place haue a better and closer seate in their chaires of Estate then any priuate persons haue in the saddle of their inheritances and patrimonies which are dayly seene for sleight causes to flit and to fall into the hands of new Lords Whereas a Prince being the Head cannot bee loosed in the proper ioynt nor dismounted like a cannon when the carriage thereof is vnlockt without a sore shaking and a most grieuous dislocation of all the members yea without subuerting the whole bodie of the State whereby priuate persons without number are inwrapped together in the same ruine euen as the lower shrubs and other brush-wood are crushed in pieces altogether by the fall of a great oake But suppose his Lordships reason were somewhat ponderous and solide withall yet a King which would not bee forgotten is endowed not onely with the Kingdome but also with the ancient Desmenes and Crowne-lands for which none can be so simple to say The King was ordeined and created King which neuerthelesse he loseth when hee loseth his Crowne Admit againe this reason were of some pith to make mighty Kings more easily deposeable then priuate persons from their patrimonies yet all this makes nothing for the deriuing and fetching of deposition from the Popes Consistorie What hee neuer conferred by what right or power can he claime to take away But see heere no doubt a sharpe and subtile difference put by the L. Cardinall betweene a Kingdome and the goods of priuate persons Goods as his Lordship saith are without life they can be constrained by no force by no example by no inducement of their owners to lose eternall life Subiects by their Princes may Now I am of the contrary beliefe That an hereticall owner or master of a family hath greater power and meanes withall to seduce his owne seruants and children then a Prince hath to peruert his owne subiects and yet for the contagion of Heresie and for corrupt religion children are not remoued from their parents nor seruants are taken away from their masters Histories abound with examples of most flourishing Churches vnder a Prince of contrary religion And if things without life or soule are with lesse danger left in an heretikes hands why then shall not an hereticall King with more facilitie and lesse danger keepe his Crowne his Royall charge his lands his customes his imposts c For will any man except he bee out of his wits affirme these things to haue any life or soule Or why shall it bee counted folly to leaue a sword in the hand of a mad Bedlam Is not a sword also without life and soule For my part I should rather be of this minde that possession of things without reason is more dangerous and pernicious in the hands of an euill master then the possession of things endued with life and reason For things without life lacke both reason and iudgement how to exempt and free themselues from being instruments in euill and wicked actions from being emploied to vngodly and abominable vses I will not deny that an hereticall Prince is a plague a pernicious and mortall sickenesse to the soules of his subiects But a breach made by one mischiefe must not bee filled vp with a greater inconuenience An errour must not be shocked and shouldered with disloialtie nor heresie with periurie nor impietie with sedition and armed rebellion against GOD and the King GOD who vseth to try and to schoole his Church will neuer forsake his Church nor hath need to protect his Church by any proditorious and prodigious practises of perfidious Christians For he makes his Church to be like the burning bush In the middest of the fire and flames of persecutions hee will prouide that she shall not be consumed because hee standeth in the midst of his Church And suppose there may be some iust cause for the French to play the rebels against their King yet will it not follow that such rebellious motions are to be raised by the bellowes of the Romane Bishop to whose Pastorall charge and office it is nothing proper to intermeddle in the ciuill affaires of forraine Kingdomes Here is the summe and substance of the L. Cardinals whole discourse touching his pretence of the second inconuenience Which discourse hee hath closed with a remarkeable confession to wit that neither by the authoritie of holy Scripture nor by the the testimonie and verdict of the Primitiue Church there hath bene any full decision of this question In regard whereof he falleth into admiration that Lay-people haue gone so farre in audaciousnesse as to labour that a doubtfull doctrine might for euer passe currant and be taken for a new article of faith What a shame what a reproach is this how full of scandall for so his Lordship is pleased to cry out This breakes into the seueralls and inclosures of the Church this lets in whole herds of heresies to grase in her greene and sweet pastures
witnesse also the protestation of a great number of Professors of Leyden against him and many of the principall members as well Prouinces as Townes of the Vnited body of that State who haue accused him as before we haue said So as if for that purpose onely they brought him vnto their Vniuersitie they must needes acknowledge it hath had a very vnhappie successe HAuing now finished the discourse of our whole proceeding in this cause from the beginning vntill this present It remaineth that we set downe the reasons which perswaded vs to ingage our selues in alienâ republicâ in a businesse of this nature But wee haue done that already although but summarily and by the way For in that place where wee make mention of the bookes of Vorstius which were brought into our Kingdome wee yeeld three Reasons which mooued vs to take this cause to heart First the zeale of Gods glory to whom we are so much bound Secondly charity towards our next neighbours and Allies and Thirdly the iust reason we had to feare the like infection within our owne Dominions As concerning the Glory of God If the subiect of Vorstius his Heresies had not bene grounded vpon Questions of a higher qualitie then touching the number and nature of the Sacraments the points of Iustification of Merits of Purgatorie of the visible head of the Church or any such matters as are in controuersie at this day betwixt the Papists and vs Nay more If hee had medled onely with the nature and workes of GOD ad extra as the Schoolemen speake If wee say hee had soared no higher pitch although wee should haue bene very sory to see such Heresies begin to take roote amongst our Allies and ancient confederates Neuerthelesse wee doe freely professe that in that case wee should neuer haue troubled our selues with the businesse in such fashion and with that feruencie as hitherto we haue done But this Vorstius mounting aloft like an Anti-S Iohn with the wings of the Eagle vp to the Heauens and to the Throne of GOD disputing of his Sacred and ineffable Essence Quae tremenda admiranda est sed non scrutanda Which is to be trembled at and admired but not to be searched into confounding infinitie one of the proper attributes of GOD and immensitie sometime applied to creatures the essence and substance with the hypostasis disputing of a first and second creation immediate and mediate making GOD to be quale and quantum changing eternitie into euiternitie teaching eternitie to consist of a number of aages and in the end as a sworne enemie not onely to Diuinitie but euen to all Philosophie both humane and naturall denying God to be Actus purus and void of qualities but hauing in some sort with horror be it spoken aliquid diuersitatis aut multiplicitatis in se ipso etiam principium cuiusdam mut abilitatis That is to say Some kind of diuersitie or multiplicitie in himselfe yea euen a beginning of a certaine mutabilitie Let the world then iudge whether we had not occasion herevpon to be moued not onely as one that maketh profession of thereformed Religion but as a Christian at large yea euen as a Theist or a man that acknowledgeth a GOD or as a Platonique Philosopher at the least Secondly for the Charitie which we owe to our neighbours and Allies the Charitie of euery Christian ought to extend to all men but especially towards them that be of the Houshold of saith The States then being not onely our confederates but the principall bond of our coniunction being our vniformitie in the trew Religion we had reason to admonish them not to permit such dangerous Heresies to spring and take roote amongst them which being once suffered could produce no other effects then the danger of their soules a rent betwixt them and all other Christian Churches and at the last a rupture and diuision in their Temporall State which next vnder God can be maintained by nothing but Vnitie To which resolution we were the rather induced by the example of diuers other Prouinces vnder the dominion of the said States who did accuse Vorstius and perswaded Holland to send him away out of their countrey as before we haue declared It is trew that if Vorstius had beene a natiue of Holland as Iohn of Leyden was it had beene sufficient for vs to haue giuen them a generall warning of the danger and then to haue referred it vnto themselues to take such course therein as to them should seeme conuenient But this Vorstius being a stranger and sent for out of another Countrey to instruct their youth hee can challenge no such priuiledge by reason of his birth but that the States may lawfully discharge him whensoeuer they please And for his profession it is without doubt lesse dangerous to suffer a thousand Lay Heretiques to liue in a Common wealth for that is but matter of policie so long as they offend not in their speach and seduce not others then to haue so much as one Doctour that may poison the youth For Quo semel est imbuta recens seruabit odorem Testa diu The vessell will tastea long time after of that liquor wherewith it is first seasoned And what shall become of the litle brookes if their Fountaine be corrupted And from hence is deriued our third reason which perswaded vs to meddle in this businesse For if generally the youth of those Countreys our neerest neighbours should happen to be infected in what danger then were wee especially seeing so many of the yonger sort of our Subiects doe repaire for learning sake to the Vniuersitie of Leyden an Vniuersitie of long time famous but so much the more renowned for that within our remembrance it hath beene adorned with those two excellent personages Scaliger and Iunius It is furthermore to bee noted that the spirituall infection of Heresie is so much more dangerous then the bodily infection of the plague by how much the soule is more noble then the body which caused the Apostle S. Iohn when entring into a Bath he met there by chance Cerinthus the Heretique to turne backe againe vpon the suddaine for feare of infection Now if that great Apostle the beloued of Christ did so much feare the infection of Heresie as himselfe hath giuen vs a warning in one of his Epistles Ne dicas illi Aue Bid him not God speed haue not we then much more cause to feare the corruption of the youth of our owne Kingdomes But we very well know that some will say Vorstius is not rightly vnderstood that some consequences are violently wrested out of his words contrary to the intention of the Author that those things which he propounds scholastically by way of question should not bee taken for his owne resolution and admit pearaduenture hee may haue spoken in some phrases minùs cautè not warily enough yet that is but Logomachie contention about words and ought not to bee imputed vnto him for Heresie and besies