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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A29573	An apologie of John, Earl of Bristol consisting of two tracts : in the first, he setteth down those motives and tyes of religion, oaths, laws, loyalty, and gratitude, which obliged him to adhere unto the King in the late unhappy wars in England : in the second, he vindicateth his honour and innocency from having in any kind deserved that injurious and merciless censure, of being excepted from pardon or mercy, either in life or fortunes.	Bristol, John Digby, Earl of, 1580-1654.	1657 (1657)	Wing B4789; ESTC R9292	74,883	107

his Power and Greatness why should he not expect that Subjects should make as bold to transgress the same Duties in hope of recovering Liberty with the false shew whereof people are apter to be further transported than by any earthly desire whatsoever Neither will the fear of Death or Danger restrain them because they will not attempt untill opportunity make them hopefull of prevailing and then they conceive by Power to provide for their own Impunities But besides this proness in people to be easily led perswaded into Rebellion under the false and specious shew of recovering liberty The great Monarchs Princes of Christendom have been in great part the fomentors upholders of Rebellion and their Doctors have not so much by their preaching and writing beaten it down as the Princes themselves have by their Examples and Actions given encouragement unto it for although I shall ever speak with Reverence of Princes and their Actions yet I shall hope that the humble representation of this truth will receive a fair interpretation For it is undeniably true that in this later Age all the great Monarchies and States of Christendom have been made unhappy by Intestine Wars which have been fomented if not contrived and designed by one Christian Prince against another every one countenancing and encouraging Rebellion untill it become his own Case and then he is offended of this I shall give no particular instances the Notariety of it is too great and I fear every State may too easily apply it to what they have done And it may be feared that the sad Condition of almost all the States of Christendom at this present day may feel something of Gods Iudgements who hath said With what measure ye mete it shall be measured to you again And wicked Kings as they are sure they shall not escape the severe Iudgment of God in the next world if they do believe the Scripture So if they will believe Antient Histories of what hath passed in former times or their own experience of what they see daily with their eyes or that they do believe that God will repay unto them that which they have either countenanced or contrived against others they must expect to have troublesome and uncomfortable lives accompanied with Hatred Hazard and Infamy And if these considerations will not restrain them yet we must not be wicked because they are so Neither will God admit of Recrimination for our Excuse Our Duty of not resisting is positive upon pain of damnation from which no good Success or Prevailing can kee● us although it may save us from the Gallows Besides this great hazard of our Souls Moral Prudence should teach us That a Civil War is commonly a Cure much worse than the Disease For no Oppression nay no Tyranny bringeth with it half those Miseries and Calamities which of necessity do ever accompany an Intestine War Wicked Kings may be Cruel Covetous and Licentious But their Oppressions and their Lusts are restrained to some Wickednesses and to some Persons But in a War Rapes Murthers Robberies Sacrileges and all Impieties break in and all sorts of People are made miserable which the poor Kingdom of England hath found by sad experience where within these five years last past more hath been taken from the Subject than would have been exacted by Subsidies Projects or any unjust Taxes whatsoever by the worst of Kings in the space of one hundred And so all other wickednesses proportionably have been increased I shall conclude this Discourse with my humble and hearty Prayers to God Almighty to avert his heavy displeasure from that most unhappy Kingdom which I have seen the most prosperous and flourishing of all the Kingdoms of Europe And by our own Dissention is now become of all other the most miserable And so like to continue unless it shall please God so to dispose the minds both of King and People that they may really desire and endeavour a just moderate equitable Accommodation Whereby they and the Kingdom may be again put into the Way of recovering some measure of happiness It not being to be doubted but that the many Afflictions which have happened to the King will adde much of Wisdom and Circumspection unto his other Virtues And the publique Calamities that have befallen the Kingdom and the Distractions that the War hath visibly brought both in Church and Commonwealth wil make the people value and esteem Peace and not so Wantonly be again ingaged in new Miseries And although unto me in regard of mine Age and other Considerations there remaineth little Hope of ever seeing my Country again Yet where or howsoever it shall please God to dispose of me I shall dye with Comfort if I may judge it in a probable way of recovering some measure of its antient Happiness and Honor THE APPENDIX Containing Many PARTICULARS Specified in the First Part of this DISCOVRSE With the Citations of the Chapters and Pages where they are Cited CAEN 1647. A Speech made by the Right Honorable IOHN Earl of BRISTOL in the High Court of Parliament MAY 20 1642. Concerning an Accommodation MY LORDS I Have spoken so often upon the subject of Accommodation with so little acceptance and with so ill successe that it was in my Intention not to have made any further estay in this kind but my zeal to the peace and happiness of this Kingdom and my apprehensions of the near approaching of our unspeakable miseries and calamities suffer me not to be Master of mine own Resolutions Certainly this Kingdom hath at all times many advantages over the other Monarchies of Europe As of Situation of plenty of rich commodities of Power both by Sea and Land But more particularly at this time when all our neighbouring States are by their sevetal interests so involved in War and with such equality of Power That there is not much likelihood of their Mastering one another nor of having their differences easily compounded And thereby we being only admitted to all Trades and to all places Wealth and Plenty which follow where Trade flourisheth are in a manner cast upon us I shall not trouble your Lordships by putting you in mind of the great and noble undertakings of our Ancestors Nor shall I pass higher than the times within mine own remembrance Queen Elizabeth was a Princess disadvantaged by her sex by her age and chiefly by her want of Issue yet if we shall consider the great effects which were wrought upon most of the States of Christendom by this Nation under her prudent government the growth of the Monarchy of Spain chiefly by her impeached The United Provinces by her protected The French in their greatest miseries relieved Most of the Princes of Germany kept in high respect reverence towards her and this Kingdom and the peace and tranquillity wherein this Kingdom flourished and which hath been continued down unto us by the peaceable government of King Iames of blessed memory and of his now Majesty

AN APOLOGIE OF JOHN EARL OF BRISTOL CONSISTING OF TWO TRACTS IN THE FIRST He setteth down those Motives and Tyes of Religion Oaths Laws Loyalty and Gratitude which obliged him to adhere unto the King in the late unhappy Wars in England IN THE SECOND He vindicateth his Honour and Innocency from having in any kind deserved that injurious and merciless Censure of being excepted from Pardon or Mercy either in Life or Fortunes Printed in the Year 1657. TO THE COVNTESSE of BRISTOL MY BELOVED WIFE HAving by the space of almost forty years lived comfortably together and God having been pleased to give us Children and a Posterity to whom instead of Plenty which they might have expected I might have left unto them I am now like to leave nothing but the same want and poverty which is already befallen my self I have sent unto you and them the best Legacy that I can think of to leave amongst you which is a Discourse consisting of two Parts In the first the Motives of Honour Loyalty and Religion are set down which deterred my Conscience from taking Armes against the King In the second I endeavour a Vindication of my Honour and Innocency from that severe and injurious Sentence of Exception of the Houses whereby they have declared me a Delinquent that must not expect Pardon or Mercy either in point of Fortune or of Life which must of necessity insinuate me unto the World and unto Posterity to have been a Malefactor of a more h●gh and horrid Nature than the Generality of those that have served the King in this War I wish you and they may have as much Comfort in the reading of it as I had in the writing of it which I believe to have been greater notwithstanding my Banishment and Want in my old Age than hath remained in the Breast of any of those that have made us so miserable Although you may communicate it with your Children and Family and near Friends yet I would not have it generally divulged or made publike for although it commeth to you in Print That is only because I wanted the means of transcribing it and I found here a great Conveniency of Printing it And it is not the more divulged thereby for that there is not any one Copy thereof but such as remain in my hands And this unto you is the only one that I have yet parted with The last request you made unto me with Tears when I departed from you and left the kingdom was That I would set down in writing mine own Proceeding and the unavoidableness and Iustifiableness of the Cause for which we have suffered and whereof I had so often discoursed unto you And truly such hath been in all kinds your great Deserving from me That I have taken this pains chiefly for your Satisfaction as I should do much more in any thing that I should judge might be to your Comfort and that might remain as a Testimony of my Kindness Affection and Value of you BRISTOL THE CONTENTS OF THE SEVERAL Chapters contained in the first part of this Discourse Chap. 1. THe Introduction and Motives of Writing this Discourse page 1. Chap. 2. The particular Reasons of adhering unto the King in this Cause and the Method observed in this Discourse 10. Chap. 3. Reasons deduced from Scripture 12. Chap. 4. The Doctrin and Practice of the Primitive Church of not resisting their Princes notwithstanding they were Heathens or Apostates 19. Chap. 5. Setting down the Obligations and Tyes by Solemn Oaths and Protestation of not taking Arms against the King 31. Chap. 6. Setting down the unlawfulness of Hostile Resistance drawn from Humane Laws 34. Chap. 7. The Motives deduced from Honor Honesty and Gratitude of not forsaking the King in his Troubles 38. Chap. 8. A Vindication of the King against that false and injurious Aspersion of unsettledness in his Religion 44. Chap. 9. Shewing the War not to have been begun by the King but that he condescended to all things that could in reason be demanded of him for the preventing of it 51. Chap. 10. Shewing a particular Tye of Gratitude by the Generousness and Reconcileableness of the Kings Disposition 59. Chap. 11. A brief summary of the Reasons formerly set down for the not taking Arms against the King 61. Chap. 12. All the former Reasons applyed to the present Case of King CHARLES with a positive opinion thereupon 63. CHAP. 1. The Introduction and Motives of writing this Discourse I NEVER more unwillingly took pen in hand than at present to set down the subsequent Discourse for mine own Vindication against so many unjust and untrue aspersions as have been cast upon me and so great severities as have been used towards me For it was in my hopes that rather some publique and legal Tryal should have given me the means of clearing my self to the World than my pen Neither could I but in reason expect that whether by Treaty or by Force this unatural War should be extinguished such only as had been accused of illegal Oppressions or such as had been the Inventors to set on foot or the Instruments to act those things which were the cause of those unhappy mis-understandings and divisions betwixt the King and the People should have been reserved to the highest and severest punishments But that others who neither were nor could be charged with any other Crime but their adherence to either party according as they were guided by their Consciences might after some such moderate sufferings as the less successfull party are usually liable unto or after some legal Trial have been admitted to an Act of Oblivion whereby those general animosities which this War hath raised might have been allayed and by little and little have grown to be forgotten and those naturall and near relations betwixt man and wife parents and children friend and friend which this War by difference in opinion and part-taking hath destroyed might together with the peace of the Kingdom have been restored And in expectation of some such happy accord or some moderate reducement when that all mens Cases might have been calmly considered of and that the great Successes of the Houses in their war would have been seconded by their Acts of the greater and clearer Iustice And that such as had made their humble addresses unto them should have been admitted to the means of informing them and not to be censured or condemned unheard especially such as Petitioned for and submitted to the Justice of the Kingdom Upon this hope and expectation I passed by more than twenty printed aspersions full of infamy bitterness and detraction but void of all Truth These I neglected although I saw the operation they had of raising a hatred and detestation in the People who fetched their intelligence from them and grounded their opinions of prejudice upon them But that which I was far from neglecting but lay'd to my heart with great sadness and grief of mind was The severe Censures of the Houses

pass by were left unto the Iustice of the Parliament without the Kings Protecting or Interposing for any one of them CHAP. VIII A Vindication of the King against that false and injurious Aspersion of unsettledness in his Religion THe second main and important point that hath been made use of to the Kings Disadvantage and by which the Hearts of the People have been most alienated from him was chiefly by ill informed Ministers in the Pulpit who have most untruly suggested an unfirmness and unsettledness in the King in point of his Religion and an inclination in him to overthrow the true reformed Protestant Religion established by the Laws of the Kingdom and to introduce Popery This I must confess was so far from planting in me any thing to the Kings Prejudice That by so much the more it confirmed me in my Duty and Affection towards the King by how much of mine own knowledge this wicked Aspersion was false and injurious For in that point of the Kings Religion few men living had the Cause or could have the means to be so perfectly informed of it as my self For besides that from his Youth upward I had been an eye-witness of his Education being in the King his Fathers time admitted as a Gentleman of his Bed-chamber I was for divers years imployed in the Treaty of a Mariage for him with a Princess of a differing Religion And was to that purpose his Fathers Ambassador in Spain when the King then Prince arrived there in Person And it is true that the Spaniards had conceived great hopes of his becomming a Romish Catholique wherein there wanted not incouragement both from divers in England and from some about him and for the effecting of it there was no industry omitted by them but the learnedst men in Spain were imployed to satisfie him And he was by Artifice brought to set a Conference with the said Divines upon Tearms of great Disadvantage For one Wadesworth that had been an English Minister and was then become a Romish Catholique was put upon him for his Interpreter neither had he the Assistance of any learned man with him Yet gave he so good an Account of his own Religion and answered so pertinently the Objections of the others as was much beyond the expectation of all that were present at the said Conference But seeing himself still pressed in that kind Although the King of Spain assured him that with this one thing all difficulties were overcome and that he would sign him a Blanck in all things else yet not to entertain them with any further hopes he positively declared his Resolution to remain unremoveable in his own Religion and would afterwards admit of no more Conferences in that kind and certainly if any earthly consideration could have been prevalent with him he had then such Motives as might have wrought upon him For besides the Disgrace of failing in his first Enterprice especially an Enterprise of Love and in his own Person the Princess was of that Merit and her Value of him such And his satisfaction of her Virtue and his Affection to her Person so great that nothing but point of Religion could have made him leave her behind him For it was declared unto him that in Case he would conform himself in point of Religion no Dispensation from the Pope would be then needfull but the Mariage should be consummate without any further expectation from Rome as soon as he should desire it But he thereupon declared that he would rather expect the Dispensation and resolved to imploy his indeavours that way and so presently sent one Mr. Andrews a Servant of his to Rome to cause Mr. George Gage that was then there solliciting of the Dispensation to procure the dispatch thereof with all possible diligence and Letters were written unto him by the Princes Order to desire him that if there were at Rome any Opinion of the Princes becomming a Roman Catholique and upon hope thereof any Retardment of the granting the Dispensation he should undeceive them in that point and press the Dispensation upon the Articles of Religion agreed upon The Prince was then moved by the Spanish Ministers to write unto the Pope in answer of some Letters which the Pope had sent unto him and to move him for the granting of the Dispensation and the Letters were brought ready drawn unto him and some passages there were from which some hope might be gathered that in time when it might be thought more seasonable than at the present lest it might be thought he had changed his Religion for a Wife he would not be unwilling to receive further satisfaction in the Catholique Religion all which he strook out and wrote only a Letter of Civility such a one as he thought fit to write to one from whom he was to receive favour in a Business that he most desired and without whom there was no possibility of obteining it unless he would have conformed himself in point of Religion which he being resolved not to do he thought it fit to apply himself unto the Pope by all fair and amiable means and particularly in promising not to be severe against those of his Religion thereby to facilitate with the Pope the granting of the Dispensation All which Diligences he might have excused by his Conformity for then no Dispensation would have been needfull And hereby no further hope remaining in the Court of Spain or at Rome of his altering his Religion the Dispensation was granted upon the Articles formerly agreed on in point of Religion These Letters have been published and translated into several Languages which though I cannot say corruptly yet strained as much as might be to his disadvantage And it is probable that the like Letters of Complyance to the Pope may have been procured in the Treaty of the Match with France wherein the Popes Dispensation was likewise held necessary But all are Arguments of the Kings firmness in his Religion when he would rather undergo the trouble and delay of the Dispensation than by his Conformity to have effected what he desired without any difficulty or further hazard and this hath been fully confirmed ever since by his profession and living in the Reformed Religion established in the Church of England from which no man can say with truth that he hath prevaricated in the least tittle Besides this great proof of his firmness and settledness in his Religion his constant and daily Practice both in Publique and Private in the exercise of his Devotions may and ought to give satisfaction to all that consider him without prejudice For his resorting twice every day to Publique Prayors and twice a week at least to Sermons and his frequent receiving of the Holy Sacrament is publiquely known unto all but his private Devotions to those only that are of nearer Attendance about his Person who well know that he never faileth morning nor evening to retire himself to his private Prayers and upon Occasions in the day time

besides he shutteth up himself to his Devotions Insomuch that it is known that upon particular Causes he hath constituted to himself some Fasts with that secrecy that those nearest ahout him have gotten no knowledge of it but by his Abstinence for God hath given him so good a Health that he neither needeth nor otherwise useth to forbear Meals It is likewise well known that he hath Composed excellent Prayers which he hath caused to be used suitable to the Occasions as particularly for the good success of the Treaty at Uxbridge Further I may testifie and do it in the presence of God that in Conference with me of great and private Trust concerning his present sad Condition he hath told me that although he could not but be sensible of his own Distress of that of the Queen and of his Children the Calamity of the Kingdom and very particularly of his Friends likely to be destroyed for their fidelity unto him yet that which most afflicted him was the Apprehension of the Ruine and Destruction of the Church of England and of the true Protestant Religion which he conceived had the least to be mended in it and most both in Doctrine and Discipline agreeing with the Primitive Times of any Church he knew in the World And I am of belief that it will be found of much difficulty to pull from him this Opinon unless his Conscience and Iudgement shall be convinced by some such learned and unanswerable Arguments as he hath not yet known For although it be very probable that temporal regar●s may make him condescend unto great inconveniences and great lessenings yet if I much mistake him not that have known him many years no sufferings or Dangers nor other worldly Considerations whatsoever will be of Power to cause him to make Shipwrack of his Conscience And although it be very true that the Queen his Wife be most dear unto him and in all other things of greatest Power with him yet in matter of Religion his Resolution to live in it and his Ability to defend it was so well known unto Her and to all about her that as they could not but think it bootless to Attempt any thing in that kind so they knew they could not essay it without Offence And although he hath alwaies indeavoured to breed up the Prince his Son in great Duty and Reverence to the Queen his Mother with a strict command unto him to be obedient to her in all things yet it hath alwaies been with this Restriction Except it be in point of Religion And upon my own knowledge I dare and do deliver this for a positive Truth So likewise the matching of his eldest Daughter to a Protestant Prince though not of the Rank of Kings may be judged as a great Argument of his love to the Reformed Religion Besides in the beginning of these troubles knowing this malicious suggestion cast upon him he set forth a publick Manifest unto the Protestant Churches to vindicate himself from that scandal and to assure the World of his Constancy and Resolution to live and die in the Reformed Religion And as for his Piety in this his Profession the Scripture saith Shew me thy Faith by thy Works And what greater Argument of Religion and Piety can there be to man who cannot search into the Heart to God that only belongeth than a temperate sober good Life and Conversation What blood in his Reign hath been sacrificed to his Wrath or Revenge What Confiscations have enriched his Treasure What noble Family hath been dishonored by his Lust What Incouragement hath Vice Excess or Licentiousness received from his Example Nay I am perswaded that it will much trouble his Enemies yea Malice it self to find out the Vice wherewith to reproach his Life yet how many Shimei's have reviled the Lords Anointed of whom we are taught not to speak ill in our Bed-chambers And when Cause of speaking ill against him hath been wanting they have set him up as a But before them for their scurrilous Wits Libels and Hue and Cries c. I am far from charging the Houses for having a hand in these low and unworthy things only I shall say that it is possible for private Errors to become publique Faults non Committendo sed non Castigando It was Elies Case and Gods Iudgement followed it Besides this certain knowledge that I had of the Kings settledness in his Religion I was far from being satisfied in my Conscience that if the King should have changed his Religion and become a Papist it should have been lawfull to take Arms against him For as Moulins above saith in the name of the Church of France We ought not from the Religion of our Princes to take occasion of disobedience making Piety the Match whereby to kindle Rebellion c. And when Hen. 4. that great King of France did leave the Communion with the Reformed Churches and was reconciled to the Church of Rome and conformed himself to the Rights thereof by going to the Masse and performing all other Ceremonies and Worship established by it yet those of the Reformed Religion in France did not thereupon think it lawfull to withdraw their Obedience or take Arms against him but continued to serve him with all faith and Loyalty And such as made those detestable Assaults and that Paricide who committed that horrid and execrable murther upon his Royal Person took not their Incitements and Incouragements from the avowed Doctrine of the Reformed Churches but from the writings of some hotter-headed Papists to the great Scandal and Reproach of their Church And from the Tenents of our new Puritan Doctors who by those Maxims wherin they both agree have instead of the Eastern Assassinates brought in on both sides their Enthusiasts fitly prepared Instruments for Treasons and Murthers by whose hands so many Princes and Kings have fallen and by whose Doctrine so many States have been involved in Rebellions and Civil Wars So likewise upon the several Changes of Religion in England under Hen. 8. Edw. 6. Queen Ma. and Queen Eliz. The Protestants of the Reformed Religion declared against h●stile Resistance and exhorted to obedience and suffering and confirmed their Doctrine by their own Martyrdome as is before set down Besides the Precepts of Scripture of not resisting the Powers ordeined by God over us were to command obedience to Princes that were all Heathen Idolaters and Persecutors of Gods Church Our Saviours Precept was To give unto Caesar what belonged unto Caesar and what St. Paul and the Apostles injoyn was towards Nero Neither did the Christians take Arms against Iulian notwithstanding his Apostacy but continued to serve him and to sight against his Enemies with fidelity and courage And I conceive it is the general received Opinion of all moderate Christians That as Religion ought not or to speak more properly cannot though Dissimulation and Hypocrosie may be planted by force so Subjects may not withdraw their civil and natural Allegiance