tyrant whom they can obiect nor was here fore-warned to the people of God and yet all rebellion countermanded vnto them if tyrannizing ouer mens persons sonnes daughters and seruants redacting noble houses and men and women of noble blood to slauish and scruile offices and extortion and spoile of their lands and goods to the princes owne priuate vse and commoditie and of his courteours and seruants may be called a tyrannie And that this proposition grounded vpon the Scripture may the more clearely appeare to be trew by the practise often prooued in the same booke we neuer reade that euer the Prophets perswaded the people to rebell against the Prince how wicked soeuer he was When Samuel by Gods command pronounced to the same king Saul 1. Sam. 15. that his kingdome was rent from him and giuen to another which in effect was a degrading of him yet his next action following that was peaceably to turne home and with floods of teares to pray to God to haue some compassion vpon him And Dauid notwithstanding hee was inaugurate in that same degraded Kings roome not onely when he was cruelly persecuted for no offence but good seruice done vnto him would not presume hauing him in his power skantly but with great reuerence to touch the garment of the annoynted of the Lord and in his words blessed him but likewise 1. Sam. 2 4. 2. Sam. 1. when one came to him vanting himselfe vntrewly to haue slaine Saul hee without forme of proces or triall of his guilt caused onely for guiltinesse of his tongue put him to sodaine death And although there was neuer a more monstrous persecutor and tyrant nor Achab was yet all the rebellion that Elias euer raised against him was to flie to the wildernes where for fault of sustentation he was fed with the Corbies And I thinke no man will doubt but Samuel Dauid and Elias had as great power to perswade the people if they had liked to haue employed their credite to vproares rebellions against these wicked kings as any of our seditious preachers in these daies of whatsoeuer religion either in this countrey or in France had that busied themselues most to stir vp rebellion vnder cloake of religion This farre the only loue of veritie I protest without hatred at their persons haue mooued me to be somewhat satyricke And if any will leane to the extraordinarie examples of degrading or killing of kings in the Scriptures thereby to cloake the peoples rebellion as by the deed of Iehu and such like extraordinaries I answere besides that they want the like warrant that they had if extraordinarie examples of the Scripture shall bee drawne in daily practise murther vnder traist as in the persons of Ahud and Iael theft as in the persons of the Israelites comming out of Egypt lying to their parents to the hurt of their brother as in the person of Iacob shall all be counted as lawfull and allowable vertues as rebellion against Princes And to conclude the practise through the whole Scripture prooueth the peoples obedience giuen to that sentence in the law of God Thou shalt not rayle vpon the Iudges neither speake euill of the ruler of thy people To end then the ground of my proposition taken out of the Scripture let two speciall and notable examples one vnder the law another vnder the Euangel Ier. 27. conclude this part of my alleageance Vnder the lawe Ieremie threatneth the people of God with vtter destruction for rebellion to Nabuchadnezar the king of Babel who although he was an idolatrous persecuter a forraine King a Tyrant and vsurper of their liberties yet in respect they had once receiued and acknowledged him for their king he not only commandeth them to obey him Iere. 29. but euen to pray for his prosperitie adioyning the reason to it because in his prosperitie stood their peace And vnder the Euangel that king whom Paul bids the Romanes obey and serue for conscience sake Iere. 13. was Nero that bloody tyrant an infamie to his aage and a monster to the world being also an idolatrous persecuter as the King of Babel was If then Idolatrie and defection from God tyranny ouer their people and persecution of the Saints for their profession sake hindred not the Spirit of God to command his people vnder all highest paine to giue them all due and heartie obedience for conscience sake giuing to Caesar that which was Caesars and to God that which was Gods as Christ saith and that this practise throughout the booke of God agreeth with this lawe which he made in the erection of that Monarchie as is at length before deduced what shamelesse presumption is it to any Christian people now adayes to claime to that vnlawfull libertie which God refused to his owne peculiar and chosen people Shortly then to take vp in two or three sentences grounded vpon all these arguments out of the lawe of God the duetie and alleageance of the people to their lawfull king their obedience I say ought to be to him as to Gods Lieutenant in earth obeying his commands in all things except directly against God as the commands of Gods Minister acknowledging him a Iudge set by GOD ouer them hauing power to iudge them but to be iudged onely by GOD whom to onely hee must giue count of his iudgement fearing him as their Iudge louing him as their father praying for him as their protectour for his continuance if he be good for his amendement if he be wicked following and obeying his lawfull commaunds eschewing and flying his fury in his vnlawfull without resistance but by sobbes and teares to God according to that sentence vsed in the primitiue Church in the time of the persecution Preces Lachrymae sunt arma Ecclesiae Now as for the describing the alleageance that the lieges owe to their natiue King out of the fundamentall and ciuill Lawe especially of this countrey as I promised the ground must first be set downe of the first maner of establishing the Lawes and forme of gouernement among vs that the ground being first right laide we may thereafter build rightly thereupon Although it be trew according to the affirmation of those that pryde themselues to be the scourges of Tyrants that in the first beginning of Kings rising among Gentiles in the time of the first aage diuers common-wealths and societies of men choosed out one among themselues who for his vertues and valour being more eminent then the rest was chosen out by them and set vp in that roome to maintaine the weakest in their right to throw downe oppressours and to foster and continue the societie among men which could not otherwise but by vertue of that vnitie be wel done yet these examples are nothing pertinent to vs because our Kingdome and diuers other Monarchies are not in that case but had their beginning in a farre contrary fashion For as our Chronicles beare witnesse this I le and especially our part of it
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
and adstipulation as they call it betwixt the King and his people at the time of his coronation For there say they there is a mutuall paction and contract bound vp and sworne betwixt the king and the people Whereupon it followeth that if the one part of the contract or the Indent bee broken vpon the Kings side the people are no longer bound to keepe their part of it but are thereby freed of their oath For say they a contract betwixt two parties of all Law frees the one partie if the other breake vnto him As to this contract alledged made at the coronation of a King although I deny any such contract to bee made then especially containing such a clause irritant as they alledge yet I confesse that a king at his coronation or at the entry to his kingdome willingly promiseth to his people to discharge honorably and trewly the office giuen him by God ouer them But presuming that thereafter he breake his promise vnto them neuer so inexcusable the question is who should bee iudge of the breake giuing vnto them this contractwere made vnto them neuer so sicker according to their alleageance I thinke no man that hath but the smallest entrance into the ciuill Law will doubt that of all Law either ciuil or municipal of any nation a contract cannot be thought broken by the one partie and so the other likewise to be freed therefro except that first a lawfull triall and cognition be had by the ordinary Iudge of the breakers thereof Or else euery man may be both party and Iudge in his owne cause which is absurd once to be thought Now in this contract I say betwixt the king and his people God is doubtles the only Iudge both because to him onely the king must make count of his administration as is oft said before as likewise by the oath in the coronation God is made iudge and reuenger of the breakers For in his presence as only iudge of oaths all oaths ought to be made Then since God is the onely Iudge betwixt the two parties contractors the cognition and reuenge must onely appertaine to him It followes therefore of necessitie that God must first giue sentence vpon the King that breaketh before the people can thinke themselues freed of their oath What iustice then is it that the partie shall be both iudge and partie vsurping vpon himselfe the office of God may by this argument easily appeare And shall it lie in the hands of headlesse multitude when they please to weary off subiection to cast off the yoake of gouernement that God hath laid vpon them to iudge and punish him whom-by they should be iudged and punished and in that case wherein by their violence they kythe themselues to be most passionate parties to vse the office of an vngracious Iudge or Arbiter Nay to speake trewly of that case as it stands betwixt the king and his people none of them ought to iudge of the others breake For considering rightly the two parties at the time of their mutuall promise the king is the one party and the whole people in one body are the other party And therfore since it is certaine that a king in case so it should fal out that his people in one body had rebelled against him hee should not in that case as thinking himselfe free of his promise and oath become an vtter enemy and practise the wreake of his whole people and natiue country although he ought iustly to punish the principall authours and bellowes of that vniuersall rebellion how much lesse then ought the people that are alwaies subiect vnto him and naked of all authoritie on their part presse to iudge and ouerthrow him otherwise the people as the one partie contracters shall no sooner challenge the king as breaker but hee assoone shall iudge them as breakers so as the victors making the tyners the traitors as our prouerbe is the partie shall aye become both iudge and partie in his owne particular as I haue alreadie said And it is here likewise to be noted that the duty and alleageance which the people sweareth to their prince is not only bound to themselues but likewise to their lawfull heires and posterity the lineall successiō of crowns being begun among the people of God and happily continued in diuers christian common-wealths So as no obiection either of heresie or whatsoeuer priuate statute or law may free the people from their oath-giuing to their king and his succession established by the old fundamentall lawes of the kingdome For as hee is their heritable ouer-lord and so by birth not by any right in the coronation commeth to his crowne it is a like vnlawful the crowne euer standing full to displace him that succeedeth thereto as to eiect the former For at the very moment of the expiring of the king reigning the nearest and lawful heire entreth in his place And so to refuse him or intrude another is not to holde out vncomming in but to expell and put out their righteous King And I trust at this time whole France acknowledgeth the superstitious rebellion of the liguers who vpon pretence of heresie by force of armes held so long out to the great desolation of their whole countrey their natiue and righteous king from possessing of his owne crowne and naturall kingdome Not that by all this former discourse of mine and Apologie for kings I meane that whatsoeuer errors and intollerable abominations a souereigne prince commit hee ought to escape all punishment as if thereby the world were only ordained for kings they without controlment to turne it vpside down at their pleasure but by the contrary by remitting them to God who is their onely ordinary Iudge I remit them to the soreit and sharpest schoolemaster that can be deuised for them for the further a king is preferred by God aboue all other ranks degrees of men and the higher that his seat is aboue theirs the greater is his obligation to his maker And therfore in case he forget himselfe his vnthankfulnes being in the same measure of height the sadder and sharper will his correction be and according to the greatnes of the height he is in the weight of his fall wil recōpense the same for the further that any person is obliged to God his offence becomes and growes so much the greater then it would be in any other Ioues thunder-claps light oftner and sorer vpon the high stately oakes then on the low and supple willow trees and the highest bench is sliddriest to sit vpon Neither is it euer heard that any king forgets himselfe towards God or in his vocation but God with the greatnesse of the plague reuengeth the greatnes of his ingratitude Neither thinke I by the force and argument of this my discourse so to perswade the people that none will hereafter be raised vp and rebell against wicked Princes But remitting to the iustice and prouidence of God to stirre vp such scourges as
likewise you cannot without most euident and grieuous wronging of Gods Honour bind your selues by the Oath which in like maner we haue heard with very great griefe of our heart is administred vnto you of the tenor vnder-written viz. I A. B. doe trewly and sincerely acknowledge The Oath professe testifie and declare in my conscience before God and the world That our Soueraigne Lord King IAMES is lawfull King of this Realme and of all other his Maiesties Dominions and Countreyes And that the Pope neither of himselfe nor by any authority of the Church or Sea of Rome or by any other meanes with any other hath any power or authoritie to depose the King or to dispose of any of his Maiesties Kingdomes or Dominions or to authorize any forreigne Prince to inuade or annoy him or his Countreys or to discharge any of his Subiects of their Allegiance and obedience to his Maiestie or to giue Licence or leaue to any of them to beare Armes raise tumults or to offer any violence or hurt to his Maiesties Royall Person State or Gouernment or to any of his Maiesties subiects within his Maiesties Dominions Also I doe sweare from my heart that notwithstanding any declaration or sentence of Excommunication or depriuation made or granted or to be made or granted by the Pope or his successors or by any Authoritie deriued or pretended to be deriued from him or his Sea against the said King his heires or successors or any absolution of the said subiects from their obedience I will beare faith and trew Allegiance to his Maiestie his heires and successors and him and them will defend to the vttermost of my power against all conspiracies and attempts whatsoeuer which shal be made against his or their Persons their Crowne and dignitie by reason or colour of any such sentence or declaration or otherwise and will doe my best endeuour to disclose and make knowne vnto his Maiestie his heires and successors all Treasons and traiterous conspiracies which I shall know or heare of to be against him or any of them And I doe further sweare That I doe from my heart abhorre detest and abiure as impious and Hereticall this damnable doctrine and position That Princes which be excommunicated or depriued by the Pope may be deposed or murthered by their Subiects or any other whatsoeuer And I doe beleeue and in conscience am resolued that neither the Pope nor any person whatsoeuer hath power to absolue me of this Oath or any part therof which I acknowledge by good and full authoritie to bee lawfully ministred vnto mee and doe renounce all Pardons and Dispensations to the contrarie And all these things I doe plainely and sincerely acknowledge and sweare according to these expresse words by mee spoken and according to the plaine and common sense and vnderstanding of the same words without any Equiuocation or mentall euasion or secret reseruation whatsoeuer And I do make this Recognition and acknowledgment heartily willingly and trewly vpon the trew faith of a Christian So helpe me GOD. Which things since they are thus it must euidently appeare vnto you by the words themselues That such an Oath cannot be taken without hurting of the Catholike Faith and the saluation of your soules seeing it conteines many things which are flat contrary to Faith and saluation Wherefore wee doe admonish you that you doe vtterly abstaine from taking this and the like Oathes which thing wee doe the more earnestly require of you because wee haue experience of the constancie of your faith which is tried like gold in the fire of perpetuall tribulation Wee doe well know that you will cheerefully vnder-goe all kinde of cruell torments whatsoeuer yea and constantly endure death it selfe rather then you will in any thing offend the Maiestie of GOD. And this our confidence is confirmed by those things which are dayly reported vnto vs of the singular vertue valour and fortitude which in these last times doeth no lesse shine in your Martyrs then it did in the first beginning of the Church Stand therefore your loynes being girt about with veritie and hauing on the brest-plate of righteousnesse taking the shield of Faith be ye strong in the Lord and in the power of his might And let nothing hinder you Hee which will crowne you and doeth in Heauen behold your conflicts will finish the good worke which hee hath begun in you You know how hee hath promised his disciples that hee will neuer leaue them Orphanes for hee is faithfull which hath promised Hold fast therefore his correction that is being rooted and grounded in Charitie whatsoeuer ye doe whatsoeuer ye indeuour doe it with one accord in simplicitie of heart in meekenesse of Spirit without murmuring or doubting For by this doe all men know that we are the disciples of CHRIST if we haue loue one to another Which charitie as it is very greatly to be desired of all faithfull Christians So certainely is it altogether necessary for you most blessed sonnes For by this your charitie the power of the diuel is weakened who doeth so much assaile you since that power of his is especially vpheld by the contentions and disagreement of our sonnes Wee exhort you therefore by the bowels of our Lord IESVS CHRIST by whose loue we are taken out of the iawes of eternall death That aboue all things you would haue mutuall charitie among you Surely Pope Clement the eight of happy memory hath giuen you most profitable precepts of practising brotherly charitie one to another in his Letters in forme of a Breue to our welbeloued sonne M. George Arch priest of the Kingdome of England dated the 5. day of the moneth of October 1602. Put them therefore diligently in practise and be not hindered by any difficultie or doubtfulnesse We command you that ye doe exactly obserue the words of those letters and that yee take and vnderstand them simply as they sound and as they lie all power to interpret them otherwise being taken away In the meane while we will neuer cease to pray to the Father of Mercies that he would with pitie behold your afflictions and your paines And that he would keepe and defend you with his continuall protection whom wee doe gently greet with our Apostolicall Benediction Dated at Rome at S. Marke vnder the Signet of the Fisherman the tenth of the Calends of October 1606. the second yeere of our Popedome THE ANSWERE TO THE FIRST BREVE FIrst the Pope expresseth herein his sorrow for that persecution which the Catholiques sustaine for the faiths sake Wherein besides the maine vntrewth whereby I am so iniuriously vsed I must euer auow and maintaine as the trewth is according to mine owne knowledge that the late Queene of famous memory neuer punished any Papist for Religion but that their owne punishment was euer extorted out of her hands against her will by their owne misbehauiour which both the time and circumstances of her actions will manifestly make proofe of
the Lawes but onely the clearing and the sweeping off the rust of them and that by Parliament our Lawes might be cleared and made knowen to all the Subiects Yea rather it were lesse hurt that all the approued Cases were set downe and allowed by Parliament for standing Lawes in all time to come For although some of them peraduenture may bee vniust as set downe by corrupt Iudges yet better it is to haue a certaine Law with some spots in it nor liue vnder such an vncertaine and arbitrarie Law since as the prouerbe is It is lesse harme to suffer an inconuenience then a mischiefe And now may you haue faire occasion of amending and polishing your Lawes when Scotland is to bee vnited with you vnder them for who can blame Scotland to say If you will take away our owne Lawes I pray you giue vs a better and cleerer in place thereof But this is not possible to bee done without a fit preparation Hee that buildeth a Ship must first prouide the timber and as Christ himselfe said No man will build an house but he will first prouide the materials nor a wise King will not make warre against another without he first makeprouision of money and all great workes must haue their preparation and that was my end in causing the Instrument of the Vnion to be made Vnion is a mariage would he not bee thought absurd that for furthering of a mariage betweene two friends of his would make his first motion to haue the two parties be laid in bedde together and performe the other turnes of mariage must there not precede the mutuall sight and acquaintance of the parties one with another the conditions of the contract and Ioincture to be talked of and agreed vpon by their friends and such other things as in order ought to goe before the ending of such a worke The vnion is an eternall agreement and reconciliation of many long bloody warres that haue beene betweene these two ancient Kingdomes Is it the readiest way to agree a priuate quarell betweene two to bring them at the first to shake hands and as it were kisse other and lie vnder one roofe or rather in one bedde together before that first the ground of their quarell be communed vpon their mindes mitigated their affections prepared and all other circumstances first vsed that ought to be vsed to proceed to such a finall agreement Euery honest man desireth a perfect Vnion but they that say so and admit no preparation thereto haue mel in ore fel in corde If after your so long talke of Vnion in all this long Session of Parliament yee rise without agreeing vpon any particular what will the neighbour Princes iudge whose eyes are all fixed vpon the conclusion of this Action but that the King is refused in his desire whereby the Nation should bee taxed and the King disgraced And what an ill preparation is it for the mindes of Scotland toward the Vnion when they shall heare that ill is spoken of their whole Nation but nothing is done nor aduanced in the matter of the Vnion it selfe But this I am glad was but the fault of one and one is no number yet haue your neighbours of Scotland this aduantage of you that none of them haue spoken ill of you nor shall as long as I am King in Parliament or any such publique place of Iuditature Consider therefore well if the mindes of Scotland had not neede to be well prepared to perswade their mutuall consent seeing you here haue all the great aduantage by the Vnion Is not here the personall residence of the King his whole Court and family Is not here the seate of Iustice and the fountaine of Gouernment must they not be subiected to the Lawes of England and so with time become but as Cumberland and Northumberland and those other remote and Northerne Shires you are to be the husband they the wife you conquerours they as conquered though not by the sword but by the sweet and sure bond of loue Besides that they as other Northerne Countreys will beseldome seene and saluted by their King and that as it were but in a posting or hunting iourney How little cause then they may haue of such a change of so ancient a Monarchie into the case of priuate Shires iudge rightly herein And that you may be the more vpright Iudges suppose your selues the Patients of whom such sentence should be giuen But what preparation is it which I craue onely such as by the entrance may shew something is done yet more is intended There is a conceipt intertained and a double iealousie possesseth many wherein I am misiudged First that this Vnion will be the Crisis to the ouerthrow of England and setting vp of Scotland England will then bee ouerwhelmed by the swarming of the Scots who if the Vnion were effected would raigne and rule all The second is my profuse liberalitie to the Scottish men more then the English and that with this Vnion all things shal be giuen to them and you turned out of all To you shall bee left the sweat and labour to them shall bee giuen the fruite and sweet and that my forbearance is but till this Vnion may be gained How agreeable this is to the trewth Iudge you And that not by my wordes but by my Actions Doe I craue the Vnion without exceptions doe I not offer to binde my selfe and to reserue to you as in the Instrument all places of Iudicature doe I intend any thing which standeth not with the equall good of both Nations I could then haue done it and not spoken of it For all men of vnderstanding must agree that I might dispose without assent of Parliament Offices of Iudicature and others both Ecclesiasticall and Temporall But herein I did voluntarily offer by my Letters from Royston to the Commissioners to bind my Prerogatiue Some thinke that I will draw the Scottish Nation hither talking idlely of transporting of Trees out of a barren ground into a better and of leane cattell out of bad pasture into a more fertile soile Can any man displant you vnlesse you will or can any man thinke that Scotland is so strong to pull you out of your houses or doe you not thinke I know England hath more people Scotland more wast ground So that there is roumth in Scotland rather to plant your idle people that swarme in London streets and other Townes and disburden you of them then to bring more vnto you And in cases of Iustice if I bee partiall to either side let my owne mouth condemne me as vnworthy to be your King I appeale to your selues if in fauour or Iustice I haue beene partiall Nay my intention was euer you should then haue most cause to praise my discretion when you saw I had most power If hitherto I haue done nothing to your preiudice much lesse meane I hereafter If when I might haue done it without any breach of promise Thinke so of mee that
wit the light of the trweth represented by the darkening of the Sunne and so in place of liuing vnder and by the true and cleare aire of the trueth the world shall liue vnder and by the bastard and darke aire of false doctrine 3 And out of this smoake came Grashoppers vpon the earth For this great blindnesse shall breed a multitude of diuers Orders of Ecclesiasticall persons as well Monkes and Friers as others but all agreeing in one hereticall Religion These are grashoppers because they breed of that filthy smoke of heresies euen as Grashoppers breed of corrupted aire they are euer teaching false doctrine with their mouth which carries with it as great destruction to the soules of men as the mouthes of Grashoppers doe to the greene grasse and herbs and the earth shal be ouerloaden with multitudes of them euen as Grashoppers sometimes come in great heapes and ouercharge the face of a whole countrey And like power was giuen to them as hath the earthly Scorpions for as the Scorpions sting is not felt sore at first and is long in working and impossible to be healed but by the oyle of a dead scorpion so the poysoning of the soule cannot be perceiued by the receiuer at the first but is long in operation for by peece and peece they infect the world with heresies and open not all their packe at first and the world shall neuer be freed from their heresies vnto the vtter destruction of these false teachers themselues 4 And it was said vnto them or they were forbidden to harme the grasse or any greene thing or any tree but onely these men that haue not the marke of God in their foreheads for though earthly Grashoppers when they swarme in heapes doe destroy all greene grasse or trees yet God shall so bridle the rage of these spirituall Grashoppers that they shall haue no power to peruert the Elect of whatsoeuer degree or sort compared to greene grasse and fruitful trees but their power shall extend onely vpon them that beare not the marke or Seale of God vpon their forehead and as withered and vnfruitfull sticks are ready for the fire 5 But they shall haue no power to slay them to wit they shall not discouer to the world their greatest blasphemies at the first as I said before but they shall torment them for the space of fiue moneths and their torment shal be like the torment that a man suffers being stinged by a scorpion to wit they shal by peece peece infect them with spirituall poison and as I haue said already they shall not feele the smart thereof while the second death make them to feele the same This torment shall endure fiue moneths that is the time limitted them by God which alludes to the fiue moneths in Summer when Grashoppers are This forme of speech doeth declare the continuing of the Metaphore 6 And in these daies men shal seeke death and shall not finde the same and men shall desire to die but death shall flie from them for then beginnes the troublesome times of the later dayes the miserie whereof I heard our Master while he was yet on the earth declare in these words that I haue now repeated 7 And the figure of these locusts was like vnto the horse prepared for the war to signifie that their forme of practise policie shal be so worldly wise that they shal lacke nothing perteyning to the setting forth of their intents more then a horse of seruice which is curiously barded feated and prepared for going forth to the battell And they had crownes like crownes of gold vpon their heads for they shall pretend to be holy like the Elders who for their reward gate Crownes of pure gold set vpon their heads as you heard before and so shall outwardly glance in an hypocriticall holinesse And their faces were like the faces of men and the faces of men signifie reason as man is a reasonable creature the likenesse then of their faces vnto men signifies that they shall by curious arguments pretend reason to maintaine their false doctrine but it shall be but a counterfait resembling of reason indeed euen as their crownes are like vnto gold but are not gold indeed 8 And they haue haire like the haire of women for as the haire of women is a speciall part of their alluring beautie so they haue such alluring heresies whereby they make the way of heauen so easie by their helpe to whomsoeuer how wicked soeuer they be that will vse the same as they allure them to commit spirituall adulterie with them And they haue teeth like Lions teeth for as the Lion is stronger in the mouth and so may doe greater harme with his teeth then any other beast so all these that will not be perswaded with their shewes prepared like horses for the warre with their crownes like crownes of gold with their faces like the faces of men nor with their haire like the haire of women they shall be persecuted by the power of their mouth to wit by their threatnings and thundering curses 9 And they had breast plates like breastplates of iron for they shall haue to backe this their authoritie the assistance of Princes whose maintayning of them shall appeare vnto the world strong as iron And the sound of their wings was like the sound of chariots running with many horses vnto the warre for as the grassehoppers make in the hot time of the yere the day a great sound with their wings so these shal be made so strong and fearefull by their brestplates like iron as what they being in the height of their day shall decree it shal haue such a maiestie and fearefulnes as the terrible noise of many horses and chariots hurling to battel 10 But they had tailes like the tailes of Scorpions and there were stings in their tailes for at their first dealing with any they appeare not harmeful to them that heare them and beleeue them but the effect and end of their practise is poison to the soule and thereafter their tailes are like vnto the tailes of Scorpions wherein is their sting And they had power to trouble and harme men the space of fiue moneths for as I shewed you before that they should torment men the space of fiue moneths to wit a certaine space appointed them so now I assure you to your comfort that as grassehoppers last but fiue moneths that are hottest so these shall be like vnto grassehoppers in that as well as in the rest for they shall remaine but for a certaine space prescribed and then shall be destroyed by the blast of Christs breath 11 They haue also a King but to rule ouer them who is the Angel of the bottomlesse pit and his name in Hebrew is Abaddon and in Greeke Apollyon for these by the permission of Gods iustice and working of Satan shall haue at the last a Monarch to be their head who shall be like vnto themselues the angel or messenger
lest ye be participants of her sinnes and of the plagues which are to fall vpon her for them For if but outwardly ye haunt with her and seeme to beare with her abominations yee shall bee accounted guiltie of her sinnes for if ye will haue Christ to professe you publikely at the latter day before his Father and his Angels and reward both your body and soule with eternall felicitie yee must not bee ashamed to serue him both in body and soule before men And this warning I giue you before-hand to make you inexcusable who will otherwise doe 5 For her sinnes are come to such a height as they haue touched the heauen and God is mindfull of them then not onely haunt not with her as I haue said for it is not enough not to doe euil but 6 Rayse your selues vp against her and render the like that she hath done to you yea pay her with the double of her owne workes and in the cup which she propined vnto others render her the double to wit trouble and destroy her by all meanes and in all things euen as she troubled and destroyed others before and according to her pride and wantonnesse recompence her with torment woe and wailing 7 For she sayes in her mind I fit a Queene or am a stabled Monarch neither am I a widow or shall euer bee desolate nor shall euer see dolour or taste destruction 8 And therefore because she thus builds her felicitie vpon her worldly strength by worldly instruments shall shee bee plagued with death with dolour with hunger and burnt with fire to wit after suffering all sorts of torments shee shall in the end be vtterly destroyed for strong is the Lord God who shall condemne her 9 And then shall the kings of the earth who were her hornes and had committed whoredome and riotousnesse with her before weepe and lament for pittie when they see the smoake of her burning for although some of themselues shall be the destroyers as ye heard before yet shall her destruction be so great as their hearts shall pittie the worke of their hands when they shall see the great smoake of her destruction 10 And they shall stand farre off from her torment to wit her torment shall put them in memorie of their guiltinesse of her sinnes which shall afray them wonderfully and shall say in great admiration Alas Alas for that great Citie Babylon that strong Citie whose iudgement and destruction is all come in one howre and at once 11 And the Merchants of the earth shall weepe and mourne for her because their merchandise wil no more bee bought for her pompe shall make the Merchants rich by getting readie sale of all fine wares 12 Such as gold siluer precious stones pearles fine linnen purple silke and scarlet for her garments and all kind of vessels to doe her idolatrous seruice of Iuorie costly wood brasse iron or marble stone 13 Cynamome and all kind of odours for her Church with oyntments and incense for the same purpose and the fine flower of wheat and all kind of victuals and cattell and sheepe for her sumptuous banquets and horse and Chariots and slaues for her triumphes and processions and soules of men for shee shall haue many that shall be Merchants vnto her of the soules of men by selling for mony Pardons giuen by that Monarch which shall bee thought to haue power to saue redeeme and free mens soules but ye shal heare more shortly of this hereafter 14 And the fruits of the desire of thy soule O Babylon shall goe from thee to wit thy ioyes and delights shall all turne to sorrow and all fat and faire things are gone from thee to wit thou shalt leaue all profit and pleasure neither shalt thou euer find them any more for thou shalt be destroyed for euer 15 And so the Merchants of these stuffes being made rich by the buying and selling of them they shall stand afarre off from thy torments and weepe and waile 16 saying Alas Alas for that great Citie that was clothed with fine linnen purple and scarlet and was of so glistering a pompe as was gilded with gold and decked with pretious stones and pearles 17 For loe now how in one houre all her riches and pompe is evanished and all the gouernours and owners of ships and all the multitudes of men in the ships and all the marriners in them and all these who gaine their liuing vpon the sea shal stand afarre off for feare 18 And cry seeing the smoke of her burning saying with a great admiration Who was like in power or shining glorie to this Citie 19 And for pittie of her decay and sorow for wanting by that meanes the carrying to her from all other countries all sorts of merchandise they shall cast dust and ashes vpon their heades and say Alas Alas for that great Citie wherein was made rich all these that had shippes vpon the sea by the prices and trade shee made vs haue and now she is made desolate in one houre 20 But although the earthly men bee sorrowfull for her fall as yee haue heard because they want their earthly commodities and pleasures thereby which she whose religion was earthly to wit founded vpon mens traditions and inuentions and maintained by earthly pompe and power did make them enioy yet reioyce yee heauens for her fall and ye holy Apostles and Prophets be glad thereof for God in punishing her hath reuenged your cause 21 Then for confirmation of this Prophesie of her destruction I sawe a strong Angel take a great stone like a milstone and cast it in the sea saying Euen with such a force shall Babylon that great Citie be casten downe and the very place thereof shall no more be found as Ieremy prophesied of corporall Babylon 22 And the sound of harpers and musitians and players on pipes and trumpets shall no more be heard in thee for no ioy nor mirth shall any more bee in that Monarchie or the seate thereof nor no craftes-man of any craft shall bee found in thee neither shall the grinding of the mill be heard any more in thee for that Citie or seate and Monarchie shall no more bee inhabited 23 And the light of a candle shal be no more found in thee and the voice of the husband and the wife shall no more be heard in thee for as it shall not be inhabited any more by the wicked so neither shall the godly dwell therein so accursed shall it be so as the lampes of the fiue virgins shall not burne there neither shall Christ and his spouse the true Church any more be there although that during the standing of that Monarchie some chosen though few and secret were and at all times shall be euen within that City the seate thereof whose merchants were the great men of the earth and with whose witchcrafts all nations wereseduced 24 And the blood of the Prophets and of the Saints was found in her and of all them
me vp Psal 69.9 But more largely expressed in the 132. Psalme composed at the same time while this worke was a doing The externall was a notable victorie newly obtained by the power of God ouer and against the Philistines olde and pernitious enemies to the people of God expressed in the last part of the 14. chapter preceding By this victorie or cause externall the internal causes and zeale in Dauid is so doubly inflamed that all things set aside in this worke onely he will be occupied These are the two weightie causes mouing him Wherof we may learne first that the chiefe vertue which should be in a christian Prince and which the Spirit of God alwayes chiefly praises in him is a feruencie and constant zeale to promote the glorie of God that hath honoured him Next that where this zeale is vnfained God leaues neuer that person without continuall powring of his blessings on him thereby to stirre vp into him a double measure of zeale and thankfulnesse towards God The Church euer troubled by men hath a ioyfull end Thirdly that the Church of God neuer wanted enemies and notable victories ouer them to assure them at all times of the constant kindnes of God towards them euen when as by the crosse as a bitter medicine he cureth their infirmities saueth them from grosse sinnes and trieth their faith For we find plainely in the Scriptures that no sooner God himselfe choosed Israel to be his people but assoone euer therafter as long as they remained his the diuell so enuied their prosperity as hee hounded out his instruments the nations at all times to trouble and warre against them yet to the comfort of his Church afflicted and wrack of the afflicters in the end This first was practised by Pharao in Egypt and after their deliuerance first by the Ammonites and then by the Philistines continually thereafter vntill the rising of the Monarchies who euery one did exercise themselues in the same labour But to note here the rage of all prophane Princes and nations which exercised their crueltie vpon the Church of God were superfluous and tedious in respect of that which I haue set downe in my former meditation Wherefore I onely goe forward then in this As this was the continuall behauiour of the Nations towards Israel So it was most especially in the time of Dauid and among the rest at this time here cited at what time hauing newly inuaded Israel and beeing driuen backe they would yet assemble againe in great multitudes to warre against the people of God and not content to defend their owne countries as the Israelites did would needes come out of the same to pursue them and so spread themselues in the valley But Dauid by Gods direction brings foorth the people against them who fights and according to Gods promises ouercomes them onely by the hand of God and not by their power as the place it selfe most plainely doeth shew So the Church of God may be troubled but in trouble it cannot perish and the end of their trouble is the very wracke and destruction of Gods enemies THE SECOND PART NOw followes secondly the persons who did concurre with Dauid in this action Three rankes of persons concurre with Dauid in this worke The Spirit noteth three rankes of them In the first are the Elders of Israel In the next are the captaines ouer thousands In the third are the Priests and Leuites of whom summarily I will speake These Elders were substituted vnder Dauid in the kingdome and as his hands in all parts of the countrey ministring iustice and iudgement to the Kings subiects And they were of two sorts maiestrates in walled townes who in the gates of the cities executed iudgement and chiefe in Tribes and fathers of families who in the countrey did iudge and minister iudgement as the Scripture reports They were not vnlike to two of the estates of our kingdome the Baron and the Burgesse The Captaines ouer thousands were godly and valiant men who vnder the King did rule in time of warre had the custodie of the Kings person and fought his battailes These were necessarie officers for Dauid who was appointed by God in his time as wee are taught out of Gods owne words speaking by Nathan to Dauid to fight Gods battailes to subdue the enemies of his Church and to procure by so doing a peaceable kingdome for Solomon his sonne who should in peace as a figure of Christ the Prince of peace build the Lords Temple These are spoken of here to teach vs first that their calling is lawfull next that in their calling they should be earnest to honour God and thirdly that these Captaines chiefly were lawfully called and lawfully walked therein as we haue plaine declaration out of Dauids owne mouth expressed well in the whole 101. Psalme seeing none were admitted in his seruice or houshold but such as vnfainedly feared God And without all question godly and zealous Dauid would neuer haue committed the guard of his person nor the fighting of Gods battailes to the enemies of God or men of warre of whose godlinesse and vertue he neuer had proofe See then their names and praise 1. Chron. 11.26 The third ranke of Priests and Leuites are set downe in the same chapter vers 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11. So men of all estates were present in this godly worke This is to be marked well of Princes and of all those of any high calling or degree that hath to doe in Gods cause Dauid doth nothing in matters appertaining to God without the presence and speciall concurrence of Gods Ministers appointed to be spirituall rulers in his Church and at the first meant to conuey the same Arke to Ierusalem finding their absence and want of their counsell hurtfull now in this chapter vers 12 13. he saith to them Ye are the chiefe Fathers of the Leuites sanctifie your selues and your brethren and bring vp the Arke of the Lord God of Israel vnto the place that I haue prepared for it For because ye were not there at the first the Lord our God made a breach among vs for we sought him not in due order And thus farre for the second part concerning persons Wherein we may learne first that a godly king findes as his heart wisheth godly estates concurring with him Next a godly king of his godly foresight in choosing good vnder-rulers reapeth this profit and pleasure that as hee goeth before so they with zealous hearts doe follow THE THIRD PART THe summe of this ioyfull conuoy may be digested in three actions The Arke is transported with ioy to Ierusalem which are these The transporting of the Arke the harmony of musicall instruments and Dauids dancing and reioycing before it He built a Tabernacle for the Arke in mount Sion transported it therunto to signify his thankfulnes for the many victories God had put in his hands and this transporting was the occasion of all this solemnitie and reioycing
for keeping of the peace where by their naturall dewtie they are oblished to obey the lawe and keepe the peace all the daies of their life vpon the perill of their verie craigges For remeid to these euils in their estate Remedie of such euils Arist 5. Polit. teach your Nobilitie to keepe your lawes as precisely as the meanest feare not their orping or beeing discontented as long as yee rule well for their pretended reformation of Princes taketh neuer effect but where euill gouernement precedeth Acquaint your selfe so with all the honest men of your Barrons and Gentlemen Zeno in Cyr. Iso in En. Cic. ad Q. fra and be in your giuing accesse so open and affable to euery ranke of honest persons as may make them peart without scarring at you to make their owne suites to you themselues and not to employ the great Lordes their intercessours for intercession to Saints is Papistrie so shall ye bring to a measure their monstrous backes And for their barbarous feides put the lawes to due execution made by mee there-anent beginning euer rathest at him that yee loue best and is most oblished vnto you to make him an example to the rest For yee shall make all your reformations to beginne at your elbow and so by degrees to flow to the extremities of the land And rest not vntill yee roote out these barbarous feides that their effects may bee as well smoared downe as their barbarous name is vnknowen to anie other nation For if this Treatise were written either in French or Latine I could not get them named vnto you but by circumlocution And for your easier abolishing of them put sharpelie to execution my lawes made against Gunnes and traiterous Pistolets thinking in your heart tearming in your speech and vsing by your punishments all such as weare and vse them as brigands and cut-throates On the other part eschew the other extremitie in lightlying and contemning your Nobilitie Remember howe that errour brake the King my grand-fathers heart Plat. in 1. Al. in pol. 5. del Arist 2. oecom But consider that vertue followeth oftest noble blood the worthinesse of their antecessors craueth a reuerent regard to be had vnto them honour them therfore that are obedient to the law among them as Peeres and Fathers of your land the more frequently that your Court can bee garnished with them Zenâ— in Cyr. thinke it the more your honour acquainting and employing them in all your greatest affaires sen it is they must be your armes and executers of your lawes and so vse your selfe louinglie to the obedient and rigorously to the stubborne as may make the greatest of them to thinke that the chiefest point of their honour standeth in striuing with the meanest of the land in humilitie towards you and obedience to your Lawes beating euer in their eares that one of the principall points of seruice that ye craue of them is in their persons to practise and by their power to procure due obedience to the Law without the which no seruice they can make can be agreeable vnto you But the greatest hinderance to the execution of our Lawes in this countrie are these heritable Shirefdomes and Regalities Of Shirefdomes and Regalities which being in the hands of the great men do wracke the whole countrie For which I know no present remedie but by taking the sharper account of them in their Offices vsing all punishment against the slouthfull that the Law will permit and euer as they vaike for any offences committed by them Ar. 2. pol. dispone them neuer heritably againe preassing with time Laudable custome of England to draw it to the laudable custome of England which ye may the easilier doe being King of both as I hope in God ye shall And as to the third and last estate The third estate which is our Burghes for the small Barrones are but an inferiour part of the Nobilitie and of their estate they are composed of two sorts of men Merchants and Craftes-men either of these sorts being subiect to their owne infirmities The Merchants thinke the whole common-weale ordeined for making them vp and accounting it their lawfull gaine and trade The formes of Merchants to enrich themselues vpon the losse of all the rest of the people they transport from vs things necessarie bringing backe sometimes vnnecessary things and at other times nothing at all They buy for vs the worst wares and sell them at the dearest prices and albeit the victuals fall or rise of their prices according to the aboundance or skantnesse thereof yet the prices of their wares euer rise but neuerfall being as constant in that their euill custome as if it were a setled Law for them They are also the speciall cause of the corruption of the coyne transporting all our owne and bringing in forraine vpon what price they please to set on it For order putting to them put the good Lawes in execution that are already made anent these abuses but especially doe three things Establish honest diligent but few Searchers for many hands make slight worke and haue an honest and diligent Thesaurer to take count of them Pl. 2. de Rep. 8. 11. de leg Permit and allure forraine Merchants to trade here so shall ye haue best and best cheape wares not buying them at the third hand And set euery yeere downe a certaine price of all things considering first how it is in other countries and the price being set reasonably downe if the Merchants will not bring them home on the price cry forrainers free to bring them And because I haue made mention here of the coyne A duice anent the coyne make your money of fine Gold and Siluer causing the people be payed with substance and not abused with number so shall ye enrich the common-weale and haue a great treasure laid vp in store if ye fall in warres or in any straites For the making it baser will breed your commoditie but it is not to bee vsed but at a great necessitie And the Craftes-men thinke Of craftsmen Plat. 11. de leg we should be content with their worke how bad and deare soeuer it be and if they in any thing be controlled vp goeth the blew-blanket A good policie of England But for their part take example by ENGLAND how it hath flourished both in wealth and policie since the strangers Craftes-men came in among them Plat. 9. de leg Therefore not onely permit but allure strangers to come heere also taking as strait order for repressing the mutining of ours at them as was done in ENGLAND at their first in-bringing there But vnto one fault is all the common people of this Kingdome subiect A generall fault in the people as well burgh as land which is to iudge and speake rashly of their Prince Sal. in Iug. setting the Common-weale vpon foure props as wee call it euer wearying of the present estate and desirous
emploied as middesses for the furthering of that principall And being content to let others excell in other things let it be your chiefest earthly glory to excell in your owne craft according to the worthy counsel and charge of Anchises to his posteritie in that sublime and heroicall Poet wherein also my dicton is included Virg 6. Aeu Excudent alij spirantia molliùs aera Credo equidem viuos ducent de marmore vultus Orabunt causas meliùs coelique meatus Describent radio surgentia sydera dicent Tu regere imperio populos Romane memento Hae tibi erunt artes pacique imponere morem Parcere subiectis debellare superbos THE TREW LAW OF FREE MONARCHIES OR THE RECIPROCK AND MVTVALL DVETIE BETWIXT A FREE KING AND HIS naturall Subiects AN ADVERTISEMENT TO THE READER ACcept J pray you my deare countreymen as thankefully this Pamphlet that J offer vnto you as louingly it is written for your weale J would be loath both to be faschious and fectlesse And therefore if it be not sententious at least it is short Jt may be yee misse many things that yee looke for in it But for excuse thereof consider rightly that I onely lay downe herein the trew grounds to teach you the right-way without wasting time vpon refuting the aduersaries And yet I trust if ye will take narrow tent ye shall finde most of their great gunnes payed home againe either with contrary conclusions or tacite obiections suppose in a dairned forme and indirectly For my intention is to instruct and not irritat if J may eschew it The profite I would wish you to make of it is as well so to frame all your actions according to these grounds as may confirme you in the course of honest and obedient Subiects to your King in all times comming as also when ye shall fall in purpose with any that shall praise or excuse the by-past rebellions that brake foorth either in this countrey or in any other ye shall herewith bee armed against their Sirene songs laying their particular examples to the square of these grounds Whereby yee shall soundly keepe the course of righteous Judgement decerning wisely of euery action onely according to the qualitie thereof and not according to your preiudged conceits of the committers So shall ye by reaping profit to your selues turne my paine into pleasure But least the whole Pamphlet runne out at the gaping mouth of this Preface if it were any more enlarged I end with committing you to God and me to your charitable censures C. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 THE TREW LAW OF FREE MONARCHIES OR The Reciprock and mutuall duetie betwixt a free King and his naturall Subiects AS there is not a thing so necessarie to be knowne by the people of any land next the knowledge of their God as the right knowledge of their alleageance according to the forme of gouernement established among them especially in a Monarchie which forme of gouernment as resembling the Diuinitie approacheth nearest to perfection as all the learned and wise men from the beginning haue agreed vpon Vnitie being the perfection of all things So hath the ignorance and which is worse the seduced opinion of the multitude blinded by them who thinke themselues able to teach and instruct the ignorants procured the wracke and ouerthrow of sundry flourishing Common-wealths and heaped heauy calamities threatning vtter destruction vpon others And the smiling successe that vnlawfull rebellions haue oftentimes had against Princes in aages past such hath bene the misery and iniquitie of the time hath by way of practise strengthned many in their errour albeit there cannot be a more deceiueable argument then to iudge ay the iustnesse of the cause by the euent thereof as hereafter shal be proued more at length And among others no Common-wealth that euer hath bene since the beginning hath had greater need of the trew knowledge of this ground then this our so long disordered and distracted Common-wealth hath the misknowledge hereof being the onely spring from whence haue flowed so many endlesse calamities miseries and confusions as is better felt by many then the cause thereof well knowne and deepely considered The naturall zeale therefore that I beare to this my natiue countrie with the great pittie I haue to see the so-long disturbance thereof for lacke of the trew knowledge of this ground as I haue said before hath compelled me at last to breake silence to discharge my conscience to you my deare country men herein that knowing the ground from whence these your many endlesse troubles haue proceeded as well as ye haue already too-long tasted the bitter fruites thereof ye may by knowledge and eschewing of the cause escape and diuert the lamentable effects that euer necessarily follow thereupon I haue chosen then onely to set downe in this short Treatise the trew grounds of the mutuall duetie and alleageance betwixt a free and absolute Monarche and his people not to trouble your patience with answering the contrary propositions which some haue not bene ashamed to set downe in writ to the poysoning of infinite number of simple soules and their owne perpetuall and well deserued infamie For by answering them I could not haue eschewed whiles to pick and byte wel saltly their persons which would rather haue bred contentiousnesse among the readers as they had liked or misliked then sound instruction of the trewth Which I protest to him that is the searcher of all hearts is the onely marke that I shoot at herein First then I will set downe the trew grounds whereupon I am to build out of the Scriptures since Monarchie is the trew paterne of Diuinitie as I haue already said next from the fundamental Lawes of our owne Kingdome which nearest must concerne vs thirdly from the law of Nature by diuers similitudes drawne out of the same and will conclude syne by answering the most waighty and appearing incommodities that can be obiected The Princes duetie to his Subiects is so clearely set downe in many places of the Scriptures and so openly confessed by all the good Princes according to their oath in their Coronation as not needing to be long therein I shall as shortly as I can runne through it Kings are called Gods by the propheticall King Dauid I sal 82.6 because they sit vpon GOD his Throne in the earth and haue the count of their administration to giue vnto him Psal 101. Psal 101. 2. King 18. 2. Chron. 29. 2. King 22. and 23.2 chro 34. 35. Psal 72. 1. King 3. Their office is To minister Iustice and Iudgement to the people as the same Dauid saith To aduance the good and punish the euill as he likewise saith To establish good Lawes to his people and procure obedience to the same as diuers good Kings of Iudah did To procure the peace of the people as the same Dauid saith To decide all controuersies that can arise among them as Salomon did To be the Minister
contrary qualities to the intemperate inclination of that part being wisely prepared and discreetly ministred may be both necessary and helpfull for strengthning and assisting Nature in the expulsion of her enemies for this is the trew definition of all profitable Phisicke But first these Cures ought not to be vsed but where there is need of them the contrary whereof is daily practised in this generall vse of Tobacco by all sorts and complexions of people And next I denie the Minor of this argument as I haue already said in regard that this Tobacco is not simply of a dry and hote qualitie but rather hath a certain venemous facultie ioyned with the heat therof which makes it haue an Antipathy against nature as by the hateful smel therof doth well appeare For the nose being the proper Organ and conuoy of the sense of smelling to the braines which are the only fountaine of that sense doth euer serue vs for an infallible witnesse whether that odour which we smell be healthfull or hurtfull to the braine except when it fals out that the senseit selfe is corrupted and abused through some infirmitie and distemper in the braine And that the suffumigation thereof cannot haue a drying quality it needs no further probation then that it is a smoke all smoke and vapour being of it selfe humide as drawing neere to the nature of the aire and easie to be resolued againe into water whereof there needs no other proofe but the Meteors which being bred of nothing else but of the vapors and exhalations sucked vp by the Sun out of the earth the sea and waters yet are the same smoakie vapors turned and transformed into raines snowes deawes hoare frosts and such like waterie Meteors as by the contrary the rainie cloudes are often transformed and euaporated in blustering windes The second Argument grounded on a shew of reason is That this filthy smoake aswell through the heat and strength thereof as by a naturall force and quality is able and fit to purge both the head and stomack of rhewmes and distillations as experience teacheth by the spitting auoiding fleame immediatly after the taking of it But the fallacie of this Argument may easily appeare by my late preceding description of the Meteors For euen as the smoakie vapours sucked vp by the Sunne and stayed in the lowest and cold Region of the aire are there contracted into clouds and turned into raine and such other watery Meteors So this stinking smoake being sucked vp by the nose imprisoned in the cold and moyst braines is by their cold and wet facultie turned and cast forth againe in waterie distillations and so are you made free and purged of nothing but that wherewith you wilfully burdened your selues and therefore are you no wiser in taking Tobacco for purging you of distillations then if for preuenting the Cholicke you would take all kind of windie meats and drinkes and for preuenting of the Stone you would take all kinde of meates and drinkes that would breed grauell in the kidneys and then when you were forced to auoide much winde out of your stomacke and much grauell in your Vrine that you should attribute the thanke therof to such nourishments as bred those within you that behooued either to be expelled by the force of Nature or you to haue burst at the broad side as the Prouerbe is As for the other two reasons founded vpon experience the first of which is That the whole people would not haue taken so generall a good liking thereof if they had not by experience found it very soueraigne and good for them For answere thereunto how easily the mindes of any people wherewith God hath replenished this world may be drawen to the foolish affectation of any noueltie I leaue it to the discreet iudgement of any man that is reasonable Doe we not daily see that a man can no sooner bring ouer from beyond the seas any new forme of apparell but that he cannot be thought a man of spirit that would not presently imitate the same And so from hand to hand it spreads till it be practised by all not for any commodity that is in it but only because it is come to be the fashion For such is the force of that naturall selfe-loue in euery one of vs and such is the corruption of enuy bred in the brest of euery one as we cannot be content vnlesse wee imitate euery thing that our fellowes doe and so prooue our selues capable of euery thing whereof they are capable like Apes counterfeiting the maners of others to our owne destruction For let one or two of the greatest Masters of Mathematicks in any of the two famous Vniuersities but constantly affirme any cleare day that they seesome strange apparition in the skies they wil I warrant you be seconded by the greatest part of the students in that profession So loth will they be to be thought inferior to their fellowes either in depth of knowledge or sharpnes of sight And therfore the generall good liking and imbracing of this foolish custome doth but only proceed from that affectation of noueltie and popular errour whereof I haue already spoken The other argument drawn from a mistaken experience is but the more particular probation of this generall because it is alledged to be found trew by proofe that by the taking of Tobacco diuers and very many doe finde themselues cured of diuers diseases as on the other part no man euer receiued harme thereby In this argument there is first a great mistaking and next a monstrous absurditie For is it not a very great mistaking to take non causam pro causa as they say in the Logickes because peraduenture when a sicke man hath had his disease at the height hee hath at that instant taken Tobacco and afterward his disease taking the naturall course of declining and consequently the Patient of recouering his health O then the Tobacco forsooth was the worker of that miracle Beside that it is a thing wel known to all Physicians that the apprehension and conceit of the patient hath by wakening and vniting the vitall spirits and so strengthening nature a great power and vertue to cure diuers diseases For an euident proofe of mistaking in the like case I pray you what foolish boy what silly wench what olde doting wife or ignorant countrey clowne is not a Physician for the toothach for the cholicke and diuers such common diseases Yea will not euery man you meet withall teach you a sundry curefor the same sweare by that meane either himselfe or some of his neerest kinsemen and friends was cured And yet I hope no man is so foolish as to beleeue them And all these toyes do only proceed fro the mistaking Non causam pro causa as I haue already said and so if a man chance to recouer one of any disease after hee hath taken Tobacco that must haue the thanks of all But by the contrary if a man smoke himselfe
our Myne vnto the Wal and about Candlemas we had wrought the Wall halfe through And whilest they were in working I stood as Sentinell to descrie any man that came neere whereof I gaue them warning and so they ceased vntill I gaue notice againe to proceed All we seuen lay in the House and had shot and powder being resolued to die in that place before we should yeeld or be taken As they were working vpon the wall they heard a rushing in a cellar of remoouing of coales whereupon we feared wee had bene discouered and they sent mee to goe to the cellar who finding that the coales were a selling and that the cellar was to be let viewing the commoditie thereof for our purpose Percy went and hired the same for yeerely rent Wee had before this prouided and brought into the House twentie barrels of powder which we remooued into the cellar and couered the same with billets and faggots which were prouided for that purpose About Easter the Parliament being prorogued till October next wee dispersed our selues and I retired into the Low countreys by aduice and direction of the rest aswell to acquaint Owen with the particulars of the plot as also lest by my longer stay I might haue growne suspicious and so haue come in question In the meane time Percy hauing the key of the cellar layd in more powder and wood into it I returned about the beginning of September next and then receiuing the key againe of Percy wee brought in more powder and billets to couer the same againe and so I went for a time into the countrey till the 30. of October It was further resolued amongst vs that the same day that this acte should haue bene performed some other of our confederates should haue surprised the person of the Lady ELIZABETH the Kings eldest daughter who was kept in Warwickshire at the Lord Haringtons house and presently haue proclaimed her Queene hauing a proiect of a Proclamation ready for that purpose wherein wee made no mention of altering of Religion nor would haue auowed the deed to be ours vntill we should haue had power ynough to make our partie good and then wee would haue auowed both Concerning duke CHARLES the Kings second sonne we had sundry consultations how to seize on his person But because wee found no meanes how to compasse it the duke being kept neere London where we had not forces ynough wee resolued to serue our turne with the Lady ELIZABETH THE NAMES OF OTHER PRINCIPALL PERSONS THAT WERE MADE PRIVIE AFTERwards to this horrible conspiracie Euerard Digby knight Ambrose Rookwood Francis Tresham John Grant Robert Keyes Commiss Notingham Worcester Suffolke Deuonshire Northampton Salisbury Marre Dunbar Popham Edw. Cooke William Waad ANd in regard that before this discourse could be ready to goe to the Presse Thomas Winter being apprehended and brought to the Tower made a confession in substance agreeing with this former of Fawkes onely larger in some circumstances I haue thought good to insert the same likewise in this place for the further clearing of the matter and greater benefit of the Reader THOMAS WINTERS CONFESSION TAKEN THE XXIII OF NOVEMBER 1605. IN THE PRESENCE OF the Counsellors whose names are vnder-written My most Honourable Lords NOt out of hope to obtaine pardon for speaking of my temporall part I may say The fault is greater then can bee forgiuen nor affecting hereby the title of a good Subiect for I must redeeme my countrey from as great a danger as I haue hazarded the bringing of her into before I can purchase any such opinion Onely at your Honours command I will briefly set downe mine owne accusation and how farre I haue proceeded in this businesse which I shall the faithfullier doe since I see such courses are not pleasing to Almightie God and that all or the most materiall parts haue bene already confessed I remained with my brother in the countrey from Alhallontyde vntill the beginning of Lent in the yeere of our Lord 1603. the first yeere of the Kings reigne about which time master Catesby sent thither intreating me to come to London where hee and other my friends would be glad to see me I desired him to excuse me for I found my selfe not very well disposed and which had happened neuer to mee before returned the messenger without my company Shortly I receiued another letter in any wise to come At the second summons I presently came vp and found him with master Iohn Wright at Lambeth where he brake with me how necessary it was not to forsake our countrey for he knew I had then a resolution to goe ouer but to deliuer her from the seruitude in which shee remained or at least to assist her with our vttermost endeuours I answered That I had often hazarded my life vpon farre lighter termes and now would not refuse any good occasion wherein I might doe seruice to the Catholicke cause but for my selfe I knew no meane probable to succeed He said that he had bethought him of a way at one instant to deliuer vs from all our bonds and without any forraine helpe to replant againe the Catholicke Religion and with all told mee in a word It was to blow vp the Parliament house with Gunpowder for said he in that place haue they done vs all the mischiefe and perchance God hath desseigned that place for their punishment I wondered at the strangenesse of the conceipt and told him that trew it was this strake at the root and would breed a confusion fit to beget new alterations But if it should not take effect as most of this nature miscaried the scandall would be so great which Catholicke Religion might hereby sustaine as not onely our enemies but our friends also would with good reason condemne vs. He told me The nature of the disease required so sharpe a remedie and asked me if I would giue my consent I told him yes in this or what els soeuer if he resolued vpon it I would venture my life But I proposed many difficulties As want of an house and of one to cary the Myne noyse in the working and such like His answere was Let vs giue an attempt and where it faileth passe no further But first quoth hee Because wee will leaue no peaceable and quiet way vntryed you shall goe ouer and informe the Constable of the state of the Catholickes here in England intreating him to sollicite his Maiestie at his comming hither that the penall Lawes may be recalled and wee admitted into the rancke of his other Subiects withall you may bring ouer some confident Gentleman such as you shall vnderstand best able for this businesse and named vnto mee master Fawkes Shortly after I passed the Sea and found the Constable at Bergen neere Dunkirke where by helpe of master Owen I deliuered my message Whose answere was that hee had strict command from his Master to doe all good Offices for the Catholickes and for his owne part hee thought himselfe
night or early the next morning About fiue of the clocke being Tuesday came the yonger Wright to my Chamber and tolde me that a Nobleman called the L. Mountegle saying Arise and come along to Essex house for I am going to call vp my L. of Northumberland saying withall The matter is discouered Goe backe M. Wright quoth I and learne what you can about Essex gate Shortly hee returned and said Surely all is lost for Lepton is got on horsebacke at Essex doore and as he parted he asked if their Lordships would haue any more with him and being answered No is rode fast vp Fleetstreete as hee can ride Goe you then quoth I to M. Percy for sure it is for him they seeke and bid him be gone I will stay and see the vttermost Then I went to the Court gates and found them straitly guarded so as no body could enter From thence I went downe towards the Parliament house and in the middle of Kings-street found the Guard standing that would not let me passe And as I returned I heard one say There is a Treason discouered in which the King and the Lords should haue beene blowen vp So then I was fully satisfied that all was knowen and went to the Stable where my gelding stood and rode into the countrey Master Catesby had appointed our meeting at Dunchurch but I could not ouertake them vntill I came to my brothers which was Wednesday night On Thursday wee tooke the Armour at my Lord Windsores and went that night to one Stephen Littletons house where the next day being Friday as I was early abroad to discouer my man came to me and said that an heauie mischance had seuered all the company for that M. Catesby M. Rookwood and M. Grant were burned with Gunpowder vpon which sight the rest dispersed Master Littleton wished me to flie and so would hee I told him I would first see the body of my friend and bury him whatsoeuer befell me When I came I found M. Catesby reasonable well Master Percy both the Wrights M. Rookwood and Master Grant I asked them what they resolued to doe they answered We meane here to die I said againe I would take such part as they did About eleuen of the clocke came the company to beset the house and as I walked into the court I was shot into the shoulder which lost me the vse of mine arme the next shot was the elder Wright stricken dead after him the yonger M. Wright and fourthly Ambrose Rookwood shot Then said M. Catesby to me standing before the doore they were to enter Stand by me Tom and we will die together Sir quoth I I haue lost the vse of my right arme and I feare that will cause me to be taken So as wee stood close together M. Catesby M. Percy and my selfe they two were shot as farre as I could guesse with one Bullet and then the company entred vpon me hurt me in the Belly with a Pike and gaue me other wounds vntill one came behinde and caught holde of both mine armes And so I remaine yours c. Commiss Notingham Suffolke Worcester Deuonshire Northampton Salisburie Marr Dunbar Popham Ed. Coke W. Waad The names of those that were first in the Treason and laboured in the Mine Esquires Robert Catesby Robert Winter Gentlemen Thomas Percy Thomas Winter John Wright Christopher Wright Guido Fawkes And Bates Catesbyes man Those that were made acquainted with it though not personally labouring in the Mine nor in the Cellar Euerard Digby Knight Esquires Ambrose Rookewood Francis Tresham John Grant Gent. Robert Keyes BVt here let vs leaue Fawkes in a lodging fit for such a guest and taking time to aduise vpon his conscience and turne our selues to that part of the Historie which concernes the fortune of the rest of his partakers in that abominable Treason The newes was no sooner spred abroad that morning which was vpon a Tuesday the 5. of Nouember and the first day designed for that Session of Parliament The newes I say of this so strange and vnlooked for accident was no sooner diuulged but some of those Conspiratours namely Winter and the two brothers of Wrights thought it high time for them to hasten out of the towne for Catesby was gone the night before and Percy at foure of the clocke in the morning the same day of the Discouerie and all of them held their course with more haste then good speed to Warwick Shire toward Couentry where the next day morning being Wednesday and about the same houre that Fawks was taken in Westminster one Graunt a gentleman hauing associated vnto him some others of his opinion all violent Papists and strong Recusants came to a Stable of one Benocke a rider of great Horses The taking of the horses out of the stable at Warwicke by Granut and others and hauing violently broken vp the same caried along with them all the great Horses that were therein to the number of seuen or eight belonging to diuers Noblemen and Gentlemen of that Countrey who had put them into the Riders hands to be made fit for ther seruice And so both that company of them which fledde out of London as also Graunt and his complices met all together at Dunchurch at Sir Euerard Digby his lodging the Tuesday at night after the discouerie of this treacherous Attempt The which Digby had likewise for his part appointed a match of hunting to haue beene hunted the next day The hunting match appointed by Sir Euerard Digby which was Wednesday though his mind was Nimrod-like vpon a farre other maner of hunting more bent vpon the blood of reasonable men then bruite beasts This company and hellish societie thus conuened finding their purpose discouered Their going into armes after the Plot discouered and their treacherie preuented did resolue to runne a desperate course and since they could not preuaile by so priuate a Blow to practise by a publike rebellion either to attaine to their Intents or at least to saue themselues in the throng of others And therefore gathering all the company they could vnto them and pretending the quarrell of Religion hauing intercepted such prouision of Armour Horses and Powder as the time could permit thought by running vp and downe the Countrey both to augment peece and peece their number dreaming to themselues that they had the vertue of a Snow-ball which being little at the first and tumbling downe from a great hill groweth to a great quantitie by encreasing it selfe with the Snow that it meeteth by the way and also that they beginning first this braue shewe in one part of the Countrey should by their Sympathy and example stirre vp and encourage the rest of their Religion in other parts of England to rise as they had done there But when they had gathered their force to the greatest Their number neuer aboue fourescore they came not to the number of fourescore and yet were they troubled all the houres of the
my owne deed And therefore that ye may the better vnderstand the nature of the cause I will begin at the first ground thereof The neuer enough wondered at and abhorred POVVDER-TREASON though the repetition thereof grieueth I know the gentle hearted Iesuite Parsons this Treason I say being not onely intended a gainst mee and my Posteritie but euen against the whole house of Parliament plotted onely by Papists and they onely led thereto by a preposterous zeale for the aduancement of their Religion some of them continuing so obstinate that euen at their death they would not acknowledge their fault but in their last words immediatly before the expiring of their breath refused to condemne themselues and craue pardon for their deed except the Romish Church should first condemne it And soone after it being discouered that a great number of my Popish Subiects of all rankes and sexes both men and women as well within as without the Countrey had a confused notion and an obscure knowledge that some great thing was to bee done in that Parliament for the weale of the Church although for secrecies cause they were not acquainted with the particulars certaine formes of prayer hauing likewise beene set downe and vsed for the good successe of that great errand adding heereunto that diuers times and from diuers Priestes the Archtraitours themselues receiued the Sacrament for confirmation of their heart and obseruation of secrecie Some of the principall Iesuites likewise being found guiltie of the foreknowledge of the Treason it selfe of which number some fled from their triall others were apprehended as holy Garnet himselfe and Owldcorne were and iustly executed vpon their owne plaine confession of their guilt If this Treason now clad with these circumstances did not minister a iust occasion to that Parliament house whome they thought to haue destroyed courageously and zealously at their next sitting downe to vse all meanes of triall whether any more of that minde were yet left in the Countrey I leaue it to you to iudge whom God hath appointed his highest Depute Iudges vpon earth And amongst other things for this purpose This Oath of Allegiance so vniustly impugned was then deuised and enacted And in case any sharper Lawes were then made against the Papists that were not obedient to the former Lawes of the Countrey if ye will consider the Time Place and Persons it will be thought no wonder seeing that occasion did so iustly exasperate them to make seuerer Lawes then otherwise they would haue done The Time I say being the very next sitting downe of the Parliament after the discouerie of that abominable Treason the Place being the same where they should all haue bene blowne vp and so bringing it freshly to their memorie againe the Persons being the very Parliament men whom they thought to haue destroyed And yet so farre hath both my heart and gouernment bene from any bitternes as almost neuer one of those sharpe additions to the former Lawes haue euer yet bene put in execution And that ye may yet know further for the more conuincing these Libellers of wilfull malice who impudently affirme That this Oath of Allegiance was deuised for deceiuing and intrapping of Papists in points of Conscience The trewth is that the Lower house of Parliament at the first framing of this Oath made it to containe That the Pope had no power to excommunicate me which I caused them to reforme onely making it to conclude That no excommunication of the Popes can warrant my Subiects to practise against my Person or State denying the deposition of Kings to be in the Popes lawfull power as indeed I take any such temporall violence to be farre without the limits of such a Spirituall censure as Excommunication is So carefull was I that nothing should be contained in this Oath except the profession of natural Allegiance and ciuil and temporall obedience with a promise to resist to all contrary vnciuill violence This Oath now grounded vpon so great and iust an occasion set forth in so reasonable termes and ordained onely for making of a trew distinction betweene Papists of quiet disposition and in all other things good subiects and such other Papists as in their hearts maintained the like violent bloody Maximes that the Powder-Traitours did This Oath I say being published and put in practise bred such euill blood in the Popes head and his Cleargie as Breue after Breue commeth forth vt vndam vnda sequitur prohibiting all Catholikes from taking the same as a thing cleane contrary to the Catholike faith and that the taking thereof cannot stand with the saluation of their soules There commeth likewise a letter of Cardinall Bellarmines to Blackwell to the same purpose but discoursing more at length vpon the said Oath Whereupon after I had entred in consideration of their vniust impugning that so iust and lawfull an Oath and fearing that by their vntrew calumnies and Sophistrie the hearts of a number of the most simple and ignorant of my people should bee misse-led vnder that faire and deceitfull cloake of Conscience I thought good to set foorth an Apologie for the said Oath wherein I prooued that as this Oath contained nothing but matter of ciuill and temporall Obedience due by Subiects to their Soueraigne Prince so this quarrelling therewith was nothing but a late vsurpation of Popes against the warrant of all Scriptures ancient Councels and Fathers vpon the Temporall power of Kings wherewith onely my Apologie doeth meddle But the publishing of this Booke of mine hath brought such two Answerers or rather Railers vpon mee as all the world may wonder at For my Booke being first written in English an English Oath being the subiect thereof and the vse of it properly belonging to my Subiects of England and immediatly thereafter being translated into Latine vpon a desire that some had of further publishing it abroad it commeth home to mee now answered in both the Languages And I thinke if it had bene set foorth in all the tongues that were at the confusion of Babel it would haue bene returned answered in them all againe Thus may a man see how busie a Bishop the Diuell is and how hee omitteth no diligence for venting of his poysoned wares But herein their malice doeth clearely appeare that they pay mee so quickly with a double answere and yet haue neuer answered their owne Arch-priest who hath written a booke for the maintenance of the same Oath and of the temporall authoritie of Kings alledging a cloud of their owne Scholemen against them As for the English Answerer my vnnaturall and fugitiue Subiect I will neither defile my pen nor your sacred eyes or eares with the describing of him who ashames nay abhorres not to raile nay to rage and spew foorth blasphemies against the late Queene of famous memory A Subiect to raile against his naturall Soueraigne by birth A man to raile against a Lady by sexe A holy man in outward profession to insult vpon the dead nay to
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
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
the Order of Matrimonie and Relgion is wounded By this deuice not onely the Kings vices but likewise his naturall diseases and infirmities are fetcht into the circle of Religion and the L. Cardinall hath not done himselfe right in restraining the Popes power to depose Kings vnto the cases of Heresie Apostasie and persecution of the Church In the next place followeth Leo III. who by setting the Imperial Crowne vpon the head of Charles absolued all the Subiects in the West of their obedience to the Greeke Emperours if the L. of Perron might bee credited in this Example But indeed it is crowded among the rest by a slie tricke and cleane contrary to the naked trewth of all histories For it shall neuer be iustified by good historie that so much as one single person or man I say not one Countrey or one people was then wrought or wonne by the Pope to change his copy and Lord or from a subiect of the Greeke Emperours to turne subiect vnto Charlemaine Let me see but one Towne that Charlemaine recouered from the Greeke Emperours by his right and title to his Empire in the West No the Greeke Emperours had taken their farewell of the West Empire long before And therefore to nicke this vpon the tallie of Pope Leo his Acts that he tooke away the West from the Greeke Emperour it is euen as if one should say that in this aage the Pope takes the Dukedome of Milan from the French Kings or the citie of Rome from the Emperours of Germanie because their Predecessours in former aages had beene right Lords and gouernours of them both It is one of the Popes ordinary and solemne practises to take away much after the maner of his giuing For as he giueth what he hath not in his right and power to giue or bestoweth vpon others what is already their owne euen so he taketh away from Kings and Emperors the possessions which they haue not in present hold and possession After this maner he takes the West from the Greeke Emperors when they hold nothing in the West and lay no claime to any citie or towne of the West Empire And what shall wee call this way of depriuation but spoiling a naked man of his garments and killing a man already dead Trew it is the Imperiall Crowne was then set on Charlemaines head by Leo the Pope did Leo therefore giue him the Empire No more then a Bishop that crownes a King at his Royall and solemne consecration doeth giue him the Kingdome For shall the Pope himselfe take the Popedome from the Bishop of Ostia as of his gift because the crowning of the Pope is an Office of long time peculiar to the Ostian Bishop It was the custome of Emperours to be crowned Kings of Italy by the hands of the Archbishop of Milan did he therefore giue the Kingdome of Italy to the said Emperours And to returne vnto Charlemaine If the Pope had conueyed the Empire to him by free and gracious donation the Pope doubtlesse in the solemnitie of his coronation would neuer haue perfourmed vnto his ownecreature an Emperour of his owne making the dueties of adoration Perfectit landibus a Pontifice more Principum antiquorum adoratus est Auentinus Annalium Boiorum lib. 4. Posthaec ab eodem Pontifice vt caeteri veterum Prineipum mere maiorum aioratus est Magnus Sigeb ad an 801. Marianus Scotus lib. 3. Annalium Plat. in vita Leon. 3. Auent Annal. Boio lib. 4. Imperium transferre iure suo in Germanos Carolúmque tacito Senatus consulto plebiscitoque decernunt as Ado that liued in the same aage hath left it on record After the solemne prayses ended saith Ado the chiefe Bishop honoured him with adoration according to the custome of ancient Princes The same is like wise put downe by Auentine in the 4. booke of his Annals of Bauaria The like by the President Fauchet in his Antiquities and by Monsieur Petau Counsellour in the Court of Parliament at Paris in his Preface before the Chronicles of Eusebius Hierome and Sigebert It was therefore the people of Rome that called this Charles the Great vnto the Imperiall dignitie and cast on him the title of Emperour So testifieth Sigebert vpon the yeere 801. All the Romanes with one generall voice and consent ring out acclamations of Imperiall praises to the Emperour they crowne him by the bands of Leo the Pope they giue him the style of Caesar and Augustus Marianus Scotus hath as much in effect Charles was then called Augustus by the Romanes And so Platina After the solemne seruice Leo declareth and proclaimeth Charles Emperour according to the publike Decree and generall request of the people of Rome Auentine and Sigonius in his 4. booke of the Kingdome of Italie witnesse the same Neuerthelsse to gratifie the L. Cardinall Suppose Pope Leo dispossessed the Greeke Emperours of the West Empire What was the cause what infamous acte had they done what prophane and irreligious crime had they committed Nicephorus and Irene who reigned in the Greeke Empire in Charlemaines time were not reputed by the Pope or taken for Heretikes How then The L. Cardinall helpeth at a pinch and putteth vs in minde that Constantine and Leo predecessours to the said Emperours had beene poysoned with Heresie and stained with persecution Here then behold an Orthodoxe Prince deposed For what cause for Heresie forsooth not in himselfe but in some of his Predecessors long before An admirable case For I am of a contrary minde that he was worthy of double honour in restoring and setting vp the trewth againe which vnder his predecessors had endured oppression and suffered persecution Doubtlesse Pope Siluester was greatly ouerseene and played not well the Pope when hee winked at Constantine the Great and cast him not downe from his Imperiall Throne for the strange infide litie and Paganisme of Diocletian of Maximian and Maxentius whom Constantine succeeded in the Empire From this example the L. of Perron passeth to Fulke Archbishop of Reims Examp. 9. pag. 21. by whom Charles the Simple was threatned with Excommunication and refusing to continue any longer in the fidelity and allegiance of a subiect To what purpose is this example For who can be ignorant that all aages haue brought forth turbulent and stirring spirits men altogether forgetfull of respect and obseruance towards their Kings especially when the world finds them shallow and simple-witted like vnto this Prince But in this example where is there so much as one word of the Pope or the deposing of Kings Here the L. Cardinall chops in the example of Philip I. King of France but mangled and strangely disguised as hereafter shall be shewed At last he leadeth vs to Gregory VII surnamed Hildebrand Exam. 11. An. 1076. the scourge of Emperours the firebrand of warre the scorne of his aage This Pope after he had in the spirit of pride and in the very height of all audaciousnesse thundred the sentence of
First by my descent lineally out of the loynes of Henry the seuenth is reunited and confirmed in mee the Vnion of the two Princely Roses of the two Houses of LANCASTER and YORKE whereof that King of happy memorie was the first Vniter as he was also the first ground-layer of the other Peace The lamentable and miserable euents by the Ciuill and bloody dissention betwixt these two Houses was so great and so late as it need not be renewed vnto your memories which as it was first setled and vnited in him so is it now reunited and confirmed in me being iustly and lineally descended not onely of that happie coniunction but of both the Branches thereof many times before But the Vnion of these two princely Houses is nothing comparable to the Vnion of two ancient and famous Kingdomes which is the other inward Peace annexed to my Person And here I must craue your patiences for a little space to giue me leaue to discourse more particularly of the benefits that doe arise of that Vnion which is made in my blood being a matter that most properly belongeth to me to speake of as the head wherein that great Body is vnited And first if we were to looke no higher then to naturall and Physicall reasons we may easily be perswaded of the great benefits that by that Vnion do redound to the whole Island for if twentie thousand men be a strong Armie is not the double thereof fourtie thousand a double the stronger Armie If a Baron enricheth himselfe with double as many lands as hee had before is he not double the greater Nature teacheth vs that Mountaines are made of Motes and that at the first Kingdomes being diuided and euery particular Towne or little Countie as Tyrants or Vsurpers could obtaine the possession a Segniorie apart many of these little Kingdomes are now in processe of time by the ordinance of God ioyned into great Monarchies whereby they are become powerfull within themselues to defend themselues from all outward inuasions and their head and gouernour thereby enabled to redeeme them from forreine assaults and punish priuate transgressions within Do we not yet remember that this Kingdome was diuided into seuen little Kingdomes besides Wales And is it not now the stronger by their vnion And hath not the vnion of Wales to England added a greater strength thereto Which though it was a great Principalitie was nothing comparable in greatnesse and power to the ancient and famous Kingdome of Scotland But what should we sticke vpon any naturall appearance when it is manifest that God by his Almightie prouidence hath preordained it so to be Hath not God first vnited these two Kingdomes both in Language Religion and similitude of maners Yea hath hee not made vs all in one Island compassed with one Sea and of it selfe by nature so indiuisible as almost those that were borderers themselues on the late Borders cannot distinguish nor know or discerne their owne limits These two Countries being separated neither by Sea nor great Riuer Mountaine nor other strength of nature but onely by little small brookes or demolished little walles so as rather they were diuided in apprehension then in effect And now in the end and fulnesse of time vnited the right and title of both in my Person alike lineally descended of both the Crownes whereby it is now become like a little World within it selfe being intrenched and fortified round about with a naturall and yet admirable strong pond or ditch whereby all the former feares of this Nation are now quite cut off The other part of the Island being euer before now not onely the place of landing to all strangers that was to make inuasion here but likewise moued by the enemies of this State by vntimely incursions to make inforced diuersion from their Conquests for defending themselues at home and keeping sure their backe-doore as then it was called which was the greatest hinderance and let that euer my Predecessors of this Nation gat in disturbing them from their many famous and glorious conquests abroad What God hath conioyned then let no man separate I am the Husband and all the whole Isle is my lawfull Wife I am the Head and it is my Body I am the Shepherd and it is my flocke I hope therefore no man will be so vnreasonable as to thinke that I that am a Christian King vnder the Gospel should be a Polygamist and husband to two wiues that I being the Head should haue a diuided and monstrous Body or that being the Shepheard to so faire a Flocke whose fold hath no wall to hedge it but the foure Seas should haue my Flocke parted in two But as I am assured that no honest Subiect of whatsoeuer degree within my whole dominions is lesse glad of this ioyfull Vnion then I am So may the friuolous obiection of any that would bee hinderers of this worke which God hath in my Person already established bee easily answered which can be none except such as are either blinded with Ignorance or els transported with Malice being vnable to liue in a well gouerned Commonwealth and onely delighting to fish in troubled waters For if they would stand vpon their reputation and priuiledges of any of the Kingdomes I pray you was not both the Kingdomes Monarchies from the beginning and consequently could euer the Body bee counted without the Head which was euer vnseparably ioyned thereunto So that as Honour and Priuiledges of any of the Kingdomes could not be diuided from their Soueraigne So are they now confounded ioyned in my Person who am equall and alike kindly Head to you both When this Kingdome of England was diuided into so many little Kingdoms as I told you before one of them behooued to eate vp another till they were all vnited in one And yet can Wiltshire or Deuonshire which were of the West Saxons although their Kingdome was of longest durance and did by Conquest ouercome diuers of the rest of the little Kingdomes make claime to Prioritie of Place or Honour before Sussex Essex or other Shires which were conquered by them And haue we not the like experience in the Kingdome of France being composed of diuers Dutchies and one after another conquered by the sword For euen as little brookes lose their names by their running and fall into great Riuers and the very name and memorie of the great Riuers swallowed vp in the Ocean so by the coniunction of diuers little Kingdomes in one are all these priuate differences and questions swallowed vp And since the successe was happie of the Saxons Kingdomes being conquered by the speare of Bellona Mars How much greater reason haue wee to expect a happie issue of this greater Vnion which is only fastened and bound vp by the wedding Ring of Astrea Loue and Peace And as God hath made Scotland the one halfe of this Isle to enioy my Birth and the first and most vnperfect halfe of my life and you heere to
Progenitors and all my Subiects must be alike deare vnto me which either hee will neuer grant and so all will fall to the ground or else it will turne to the benefite of the whole Island and so the Scottish Priuiledges cannot hold longer then my League with France lasteth And for another Argument to prooue that this league is only betweene the Kings and not betweene the people They which haue Pensions or are priuie Intelligence giuers in France without my leaue are in no better case by the Law of Scotland then if they were Pensioners to Spaine As for the Scottish Guard in France the beginning thereof was when an Earle of Boghan was sent in aide of the French with tenne thousand men and there being made Constable and hauing obtained a victorie was murthered with the most of the Scottish Armie In recompense whereof and for a future securitie to the Scottish Nation the Scottish Guard was ordeined to haue the priuiledge and prerogatiue before all other Guards in guarding the Kings person And as for the last point of this subdiuision concerning the gaine that England may make by this Vnion I thinke no wise nor honest man will aske any such question For who is so ignorant that doeth not know the gaine will bee great Doe you not gaine by the Vnion of Wales And is not Scotland greater then Wales Shall not your Dominions bee encreased of Landes Seas and persons added to your greatnesse And are not your Landes and Seas adioyning For who can set downe the limits of the Borders but as a Mathematicall line or Idaea Then will that backe doore bee shut and those portes of Ianus be for euer closed you shall haue them that were your enemies to molest you a sure backe to defend you their bodies shall bee your aides and they must bee partners in all your quarrels Two snow-balls put together make one the greater Two houses ioyned make one the larger two Castle walles made in one makes one as thicke and strong as both And doe you not see in the Low countreys how auaileable the English and the Scottish are being ioyned together This is a point so plaine as no man that hath wit or honestie but must acknowledge it feelingly And where it is obiected that the Scottishmen are not tyed to the seruice of the King in the warres aboue forty dayes It is an ignorant mistaking For the trewth is That in respect the Kings of Scotland did not so abound in Treasure and money to take vp an Armie vnder pay as the Kings of England did Therefore was the Scottish Army wont to be raysed onely by Proclamation vpon the penaltie of their breach of alleageance So as they were all forced to come to the Warre like Snailes who carry their house about with them Euery Nobleman and Gentleman bringing with him their Tents money prouision for their house victuals of all sorts and all other necessaries the King supplying them of nothing Necessitie thereupon enforcing a warning to be giuen by the Proclamation of the space of their attendance without which they could not make their prouision accordingly especially as long as they were within the bounds of Scotland where it was not lawfull for them to helpe themselues by the spoile or wasting of the Countrey But neither is there any Law Prescribing precisely such a certaine number of dayes nor yet is it without the limits of the Kings power to keepe them together as many more dayes as hee list to renew his Proclamations from time to time some reasonable number of dayes before the expiring of the former they being euer bound to serue and waite vpon him though it were an hundreth yeere if need were Now to conclude I am glad of this occasion that I might Liberare animam meam You are now to recede when you meete againe remember I pray you the trewth and sincerity of my meaning which in seeking Vnion is onely to aduance the greatnesse of your Empire seated here in England And yet with such caution I wish it as may stand with the weale of both States What is now desired hath oft before bene sought when it could not bee obteined To refuse it now then were double iniquitie Strengthen your owne felicitie London must bee the Seate of your King and Scotland ioyned to this kingdome by a Golden conquest but cymented with loue as I said before which within will make you strong against all Ciuill and intestine Rebellion as without wee will bee compassed and guarded with our walles of brasse Iudge mee charitably since in this I seeke your equall good that so both of you might bee made fearefull to your Enemies powerfull in your selues and auaileable to your friendes Studie therefore hereafter to make a good Conclusion auoyd all delayes cut off all vaine questions that your King may haue his lawfull desire and be not disgraced in his iust endes And for your securitie in such reasonable points of restrictions whereunto I am to agree yee need neuer doubt of my inclination For I will not say any thing which I will not promise nor promise any thing which I will notsweare What I sweare I will signe and what I signe I shall with GODS grace euer performe A SPEACH TO THE LORDS AND COMMONS OF THE PARLIAMENT AT WHITE-HALL ON WEDNESDAY THE XXI OF MARCH ANNO 1609. WE being now in the middest of this season appointed for penitence and prayer it hath so fallen out that these two last dayes haue bene spent in a farre other sort of exercise I meane in Eucharisticke Sacrifice and gratulation of thankes presented vnto mee by both the parts of this body of Parliament and therefore to make vp the number of three which is the number of Trinitie and perfection I haue thought good to make this the third Day to be spent in this exercise As ye made mee a faire Present indeed in presenting your thankes and louing dueties vnto mee So haue I now called you here to recompence you againe with a great and a rare Present which is a faire and a Christall Mirror Not such a Mirror wherein you may see your owne faces or shadowes but such a Mirror or Christall as through the transparantnesse thereof you may see the heart of your King The Philosophers wish That euery mans breast were a Christall where-through his heart might be seene is vulgarly knowne and I touched it in one of my former Speaches vnto you But though that were impossible in the generall yet will I now performe this for my part That as it is a trew Axiome in Diuinitie That Cor Regis is in manu Domini So wil I now set Cor Regis in oculis populi I know that I can say nothing at this time whereof some of you that are here haue not at one time or other heard me say the like already Yet as corporall food nourisheth and mainteineth the body so doeth Reminiscentia nourish and mainteine memory I Will reduce to three
acquainted with their state If I had not more then cause you may be sure I would be loth to trouble you But what he hath affirmed in this vpon the honour of a Gentleman whom you neuer had cause to distrust for his honestie that doe I now confirme and auow to be trew in the word and honour of a King And therein you are bound to beleeue me Duetie I may iustly claime of you as my Subiects and one of the branches of duetie which Subiects owe to their Soueraigne is Supply but in what quantitie and at what time that must come of your loues I am not now therefore to dispute of a Kings power but to tell you what I may iustly craue and expect with your good wills I was euer against all extremes and in this case I will likewise wish you to auoyd them on both sides For if you faile in the one I might haue great cause to blame you as Parliament men being called by me for my Errands And if you fall into the other extreme by supply of my necessities without respectiue care to auoyd oppression or partialitie in the Leuie both I and the Countrey will haue cause to blame you When I thinke vpon the composition of this body of Parliament I doe well consider that the Vpper house is composed of the Seculer Nobilitie who are hereditary Lords of Parliament and of Bishops that are liue Renter Barons of the same And therefore what is giuen by the Vpper house is giuen onely from the trew body of that House and out of their owne purposes that doe giue it whereas the Lower house is but the representatiue body of the Commons and so what you giue you giue it aswell for others as for your selues and therefore you haue the more reason to eschew both the extreames On the one part ye may the more easily be liberall since it comes not all from your selues and yet vpon the other part if yee giue more then is fit for good and louing Subiects to yeeld vpon such necessary occasions yee abuse the King and hurt the people And such a gift I will neuer accept For in such a case you might deceiue a King in giuing your flattering consent to that which you know might moue the people generally to grudge and murmure at it and so should the King find himselfe deceiued in his Caloule and the people likewise grieued in their hearts the loue and possession of which I protest I did and euer will accompt the greatest earthly securitie next the fauour of GOD to any wise or iust King For though it was vainely saide by one of your House That yee had need to beware that by giuing mee too much your throats were not in danger of cutting at your comming home yet may ye assure your selues that I will euer bee lothe to presse you to doe that which may wrong the people and make you iustly to beare the blame thereof But that yee may the better bee acquainted with my inclination I will appeale to a number of my Priuie Councell here present if that before the calling of this Parliament and when I found that the necessitie of my estate required so great a supply they found me more desirous to obtaine that which I was forced to seeke then carefull that the people might yeeld me a supply in so great a measure as my necessities required without their too great losse And you all that are Parliament men and here present of both Houses can beare me witnesse if euer I burthened or imployed any of you for any particular Subsidies or summes by name further then my laying open the particular necessities of my state or yet if euer I spake to any Priuie Councellour or any of my learned Councell to labour voyces for me to this end I euer detested the hunting for Emendicata Suffragia A King that will rule and gouerne iustly must haue regard to Conscience Honour and Iudgement in all his great Actions as your selfe M. Speaker remembred the other day And therefore ye may assure your selues That I euer limitall my great Actions within that compasse But as vpon the one side I doe not desire you should yeeld to that extreame in giuing me more then as I said formerly vpon such necessary occasions are fit for good and louing Subiects to yeeld For that were to giue me a purse with a knife So on the other side I hope you will not make vaine pretences of wants out of causelesse apprehensions or idle excuses neither cloake your owne humours when your selues are vnwilling by alledging the pouertie of the people For although I will be no lesse iust as a King to such persons then any other For my Iustice with Gods grace shal be alike open to all yet ye must thinke I haue no reason to thanke them or gratifie them with any suits or matters of grace when their errand shall come in my way And yet no man can say that euer I quarrelled any man for refusing mee a Subsidie if hee did it in a moderate fashion and with good reasons For him that denies a good Law I will not spare to quarrell But for graunting or denying money it is but an effect of loue And therefore for the point of my necessities I onely desire that I be not refused in that which of duety I ought to haue For I know if it were propounded in the generall amongst you whether the Kings wants ought to be relieued or not there is not one of you that would make question of it And though in a sort this may seeme to be my particular yet it can not bee diuided from the generall good of the Common wealth For the King that is Parens Patriae telles you of his wants Nay Patria ipsa by him speakes vnto you For if the King want the State wants and therefore the strengthening of the King is the preseruation and the standing of the State And woe be to him that diuides the weale of the King from the weale of the Kingdome And as that King is miserable how rich soeuer he bee that raines ouer a poore people for the hearts and riches of the people are the Kings greatest treasure So is that Kingdome not able to subsist how rich and potent soeuer the people be if their King wants meanes to mainaine his State for the meanes of your King are the sinewes of the kingdome both in warre and peace for in peace I must minister iustice vnto you and in warre I must defend you by Armes but neither of these can I do without sufficient means which must come from your Aide and Supply I confesse it is farre against my nature to be burthensome to my people for it cannot but grieue me to craue of others that was borne to be begged of It is trew I craue more then euer King of England did but I haue farre greater and iuster cause and reason to craue then euer King of England had And though
Pharises Hoc agite as the most principall yet I will say Et illud non omittite which that you may the better doe I haue allowed you a day more in your Circuits then my Predecessours haue done And this you shall finde that euen as a King let him be neuer so godly wise righteous and iust yet if the subalterne Magistrates doe not their parts vnder him the Kingdome must needes suffer So let the Iudges bee neuer so carefull and industrious if the Iustices of Peace vnder them put not to their helping hands in vaine is all your labour For they are the Kings eyes and eares in the countrey It was an ancient custome that all the Iudges both immediatly before their going to their Circuits and immediatly vpon their returne repaired to the Lord Chancellour of England both to receiue what directions it should please the King by his mouth to giue vnto them as also to giue him an accompt of their labours who was to acquaint the King therewith And this good ancient custome hath likewise beene too much slacked of late And therefore first of all I am to exhort and command you that you be carefull to giue a good accompt to me and my Chancellour of the dueties performed by all Iustices of Peace in your Circuits Which gouernment by Iustices is so laudable and so highly esteemed by mee that I haue made Scotland to bee gouerned by Iustices and Constables as England is And let not Gentlemen be ashamed of this Place for it is a place of high Honour and great reputation to be made a Minister of the Kings Iustice in seruice of the Common-wealth Of these there are two sorts as there is of all Companies especially where there is a great number that is good and bad Iustices For the good you are to enforme me of them that I may know them thanke them and reward them as occasion serues For I hold a good Iustice of Peace in his Countrey to doe mee as good seruice as hee that waites vpon mee in my Priuie Chamber and as ready will I be to reward him For I accompt him as capable of any Honour Office or preferment about my Person or for any place of Councell or State as well as any Courteour that is neere about mee or any that haue deserued well of me in forreine employments Yea I esteeme the seruice done me by a good Iustice of Peace three hundred miles yea sixe hundred miles out of my sight as well as the seruice done me in my presence For as God hath giuen me large limits so must I be carefull that my prouidence may reach to the farthest parts of them And as Law cannot be honoured except Honour be giuen to Iudges so without due respect to Iustices of Peace what regard will be had of the seruice Therefore let none be ashamed of this Office or be discouraged in being a Iustice of Peace if he serue worthily in it The Chancellour vnder me makes Iustices and puts them out but neither I nor he can tell what they are Therefore wee must bee informed by you Iudges who can onely tell who doe well and who doe ill without which how can the good be cherished and maintained and the rest put out The good Iustices are carefull to attend the seruice of the King and countrey for thanks onely of the King and loue to their countrey and for no other respect The bad are either idle Slowbellies that abide alwayes at home giuen to a life of ease and delight liker Ladies then men and thinke it is enough to contemplate Iustice when as Virtus in actione consistit contemplatiue Iustice is no iustice and contemplatiue Iustices are fit to be put out Another sort of Iustices are busie-bodies and will haue all men dance after their pipe and follow their greatnesse or else will not be content A sort of men Qui seprimos omnium esse putant nec sunt tamen these proud spirits must know that the countrey is ordained to obey and follow GOD and the King and not them Another sort are they that goe seldome to the Kings seruice but when it is to helpe some of their kindred or alliance So as when they come it is to helpe their friends or hurt their enemies making Iustice to serue for a shadow to Faction and tumultuating the countrey Another sort are Gentlemen of great worth in their owne conceit and cannot be content with the present forme of Gouernement but must haue a kind of libertie in the people and must be gracious Lords and Redeemers of their libertie and in euery cause that concernes Prerogatiue giue a snatch against a Monarchie through their Puritanicall itching after Popularitie Some of them haue shewed themselues too bold of late in the lower house of Parliament And when all is done if there were not a King they would be lesse cared for then other men And now hauing spoken of the qualities of the Iustices of Peace I am next to speake of their number As I euer held the midway in all things to be the way of Vertue in eschewing both extremities So doe I in this for vpon the one part a multitude of Iustices of Peace in the countrey more then is necessary breeds but confusion for although it be an old Prouerbe that Many handes make light worke yet too many make slight worke and too great a number of Iustices of Peace will make the businesse of the countrey to be the more neglected euery one trusting to another so as nothing shall bee well done besides the breeding of great corruption for where there is a great number it can hardly bee but some will bee corrupted And vpon the other part too few Iustices of Peace will not be able to vndergoe the burthen of the seruice And therefore I would neither haue too few nor too many but as many in euery countrey as may according to the proportion of that countrey bee necessary for the performing of the seruice there and no more As to the Charge you are to giue to the Iustices I can but repeat what formerly I haue told you yet in so good a businesse Lectio lecta placet decies repetita placebit And as I began with fulfilling the Prouerbe A Ioue principium so will I begin this Charge you are to giue to the Iustices with Church-matters for GOD will blesse euery good businesse the better that he and his Church haue the precedence That which I am now to speake is anent Recusants and Papists You neuer returned from any Circuit but by your accompt made vnto me I both conceiued great comfort and great griefe Comfort when I heard a number of Recusants in some Circuits to be diminished Griefe to my heart and soule when I heard a number of Recusants to be in other Circuits increased I protest vnto you nothing in the earth can grieue mee so much as mens falling away from Religion in my dayes And nothing so much ioyes mee as when
pleaseth him for punishment of wicked kings who made the very vermine and filthy dust of the earth to bridle the insolencie of proud Pharaoh my onely purpose and intention in this treatise is to perswade as farre as lieth in me by these sure and infallible grounds all such good Christian readers as beare not onely the naked name of a Christian but kith the fruites thereof in their daily forme of life to keepe their hearts and hands free from such monstrous and vnnaturall rebellions whensoeuer the wickednesse of a Prince shall procure the same at Gods hands that when it shall please God to cast such scourges of princes and instruments of his fury in the fire ye may stand vp with cleane handes and vnspotted consciences hauing prooued your selues in all your actions trew Christians toward God and dutifull subiects towards your King hauing remitted the iudgement and punishment of all his wrongs to him whom to onely of right it appertaineth But crauing at God and hoping that God shall continue his blessing with vs in not sending such fearefull desolation I heartily wish our kings behauiour so to be and continue among vs as our God in earth and louing Father endued with such properties as I described a King in the first part of this Treatise And that ye my deare countreymen and charitable readers may presse by all meanes to procure the prosperitie and welfare of your King that as hee must on the one part thinke all his earthly felicitie and happinesse grounded vpon your weale caring more for himselfe for your sake then for his owne thinking himselfe onely ordained for your weale such holy and happy emulation may arise betwixt him and you as his care for your quietnes and your care for his honour and preseruation may in all your actions daily striue together that the Land may thinke themselues blessed with such a King and the king may thinke himselfe most happy in ruling ouer so louing and obedient subiects FINIS A COVNTERBLASTE TO TOBACCO TO THE READER AS euery humane body deare Countrey men how wholesome soeuer is notwithstanding subiect or at least naturally inclined to some sorts of diseases or infirmities so is there no Common-wealth or Body-politicke how well gouerned or peaceable soeuer it be that lackes the owne popular errors and naturally inclined corruptions and therefore is it no wonder although this our Countrey and Common-wealth though peaceable though wealthy though long flourishing in both be amongst the rest subiect to the owne naturall infirmities We are of all Nations the people most louing and most reuerently obedient to our Prince yet are we as time hath often borne witnesse too easie to be seduced to make Rebellion vpon very slight grounds Our fortunate and oft proued valour in warres abroad our heartie and reuerent obedience to our Princes at home hath bred vs a long and a thrice happie peace Our peace hath bread wealth And peace and wealth hath brought forth a generall sluggishnesse which makes vs wallow in all sorts of idle delights and soft delicacies the first seeds of the subuersion of all great Monarchies Our Cleargie are become negligent and lazie Our Nobilitie and Gentrie prodigall and sold to their priuate delights Our Lawyers couetous Our Common people prodigall and curious and generally all sorts of people more carefull for their priuate ends then for their mother the Common-wealth For remedie whereof it is the Kings part as the proper Phisician of his Politicke-bodie to purge it of all those diseases by Medicines meete for the same as by a certaine milde and yet iust forme of gouernment to maintaine the Publicke quietnesse and preuent all occasions of Commotion by the example of his owne Person and Court to make vs all ashamed of our sluggish delicacie and to stirre vs vp to the practise againe of all honest exercises and Martiall shadowes of Warre As likewise by his and his Courts moderatenesse in Apparell to make vs ashamed of our prodigalitie By his quicke admonitions and carefull ouerseeing of the Cleargie to waken them vp againe to be more diligent in their Offices By the sharpe triall and seuere punishment of the partiall couetous and bribing Lawyers to reforme their corruptions And generally by the example of his owne Person and by the due execution of good Lawes to reforme and abolish piece and piece these olde and euill grounded abuses For this will not be Opus vnius diei but as euery one of these diseases must from the King receiue the owne cure proper for it so are there some sorts of abuses in Common-wealths that though they bee of so base and contemptible a condition as they are too low for the Law to looke on and to meane for a King to interpone his authoritie or bend his eye vpon yet are they corruptions aswell as the greatest of them So is an Ant an Animal aswell as an Elephant so is a Wrenne Auis aswell as a Swanne and so is a small dint of the Tooth-ake a disease aswell as the fearefull Plague is But for these base sorts of corruption in Common-wealths not onely the King or any inferiour Magistrate but Quilibet è populo may serue to be a Phisician by discouering and impugning the error and by perswading reformation thereof And surely in my opinion there cannot bee a more base and yet hurtfull corruption in a Countrey then is the vile vse or rather abuse of taking Tobacco in this Kingdome which hath mooued mee shortly to discouer the abuses thereof in this following little Pamphlet Jf any thinke it a light Argument so is it but a toy that is bestowed vpon it And since the Subiect is but of Smoke J thinke the fume of an idle braine may serue for a sufficient batterie against so fumous and feeble an enemie Jf my grounds bee found trew it is all J looke for but if they cary the force of perswasion with them it is all J can wish and more then I can expect My onely care is that you my deare Countrey-men may rightly conceiue euen by this smallest trifle of the sinceritie of my meaning in greater matters neuer to spare any paine that may tend to the procuring of your weale and prosperitie A COVNTERBLASTE TO TOBACCO THat the manifold abuses of this vile custome of Tobacco taking may the better be espied it is fit that first you enter into consideration both of the first originall thereof and likewise of the reasons of the first entry thereof into this Countrey For certainely as such customes that haue their first institution either from a godly necessary or honourable ground and are first brought in by the meanes of some worthy vertuous and great Personage are euer and most iustly holden in great and reuerent estimation and account by all wise vertuous and temperate spirits So should it by the contrary iustly bring a great disgrace into that sort of customes which hauing their originall from base corruption and barbaritie doe in like sort
make their first entry into a Countrey by an inconsiderate and childish affectation of Noueltie as is the trew case of the first inuention of Tobacco taking and of the first entry thereof among vs. For Tobacco being a common herbe which though vnder diuers names growes almost euery where was first found out by some of the barbarous Indians to be a Preseruatiue or Antidote against the Pocks a filthy disease wherunto these barbarous people are as all men know very much subiect what through the vncleanely and adust constitution of their bodies and what through the intemperate heate of their Climate so that as from them was first brought into Christendome that most detestable disease so from them likewise was brought this vse of Tobacco as a stinking and vnsauourie Antidote for so corrupted and execrable a maladie the stinking suffumigation whereof they yet vse against that disease making so one canker or venime to eate out another And now good Countrey-men let vs I pray you consider what honour or policy can mooue vs to imitate the barbarous and beastly maners of the wilde godlesse and slauish Indians especially in so vile and stinking a custome Shall we that disdaine to imitate the maners of our neighbour France hauing the stile of the first Christian Kingdome and that cannot endure the spirit of the Spaniards their King being now comparable in largenesse of Dominions to the great Emperour of Turkie Shall wee I say that haue bene so long ciuill and wealthy in Peace famous and inuincible in Warre fortunate in both we that haue bene euer able to aide any of our neighbours but neuer deafed any of their eares with any of our supplications for assistance shall wee I say without blushing abase our selues so farre as to imitate these beastly Indians slaues to the Spaniards refuse to the world and as yet aliens from the holy Couenant of God Why doe we not as well imitate them in walking naked as they doe in preferring glasses feathers and such toyes to gold and precious stones as they doe yea why doe we not denie God and adore the diuel as they doe Now to the corrupted basenesse of the first vse of this Tobacco doeth very well agree the foolish and groundlesse first entry thereof into this Kingdome It is not so long since the first entry of this abuse amongst vs here as this present aage cannot yet very well remember both the first Authour and the forme of the first introduction of it amongst vs. It was neither brought in by King great Conquerour nor learned doctour of Phisicke With the report of a great discouery for a Conquest some two or three Sauage men were brought in together with this Sauage custome But the pitie is the poore wilde barbarous men died but that vile barbarous custome is yet aliue yea in fresh vigor so as it seemes a miracle to me how a custome springing from so vile a ground and brought in by a father so generally hated should be welcomed vpon so slender a warrant For if they that first put it in practise here had remembred for what respect it was vsed by them from whence it came I am sure they would haue bene loath to haue taken so farre the imputation of that disease vpon them as they did by vsing the cure thereof For Sanis non est opus medico and counterpoisons are neuer vsed but where poison is thought to precede But since it is trew that diuers customes slightly grounded and with no better warrant entred in a Common-wealth may yet in the vse of them thereafter prooue both necessary and profitable it is therefore next to bee examined if there be not a full Sympathie and true Proportion betweene the base ground and foolish entrie and the loathsome and hurtfull vse of this stinking Antidote I am now therefore heartily to pray you to consider first vpon what false and erroneous grounds you haue first built the generall good liking thereof and next what sinnes towards God and foolish vanities before the world you commit in the detestable vse of it As for these deceitfull grounds that haue specially moued you to take a good and great conceit thereof I shall content my selfe to examine here onely foure of the principals of them two founded vpon the Theoricke of a deceiueable apparance of reason and two of them vpon the mistaken practicke of generall experience First it is thought by you a sure Aphorisme in the Physickes That the braines of all men beeing naturally cold and wet all drie and hote things should be good for them of which nature this stinking suffumigation is and therefore of good vse to them Of this argument both the proposition and assumption are false and so the conclusion cannot but be voyd of it selfe For as to the Proposition That because the braines are colde and moist therefore things that are hote and dry are best for them it is an inept consequence For man beeing compounded of the foure Complexions whose fathers are the foure Elements although there be a mixture of them all in all the parts of his body yet must the diuers parts of our Microcosme or little world within our selues be diuersly more inclined some to one some to another complexion according to the diuersitie of their vses that of these discords a perfect harmonie may be made vp for the maintenance of the whole body The application then of a thing of a contrary nature to any of these parts is to interrupt them of their due function and by consequence hurtfull to the health of the whole bodie As if a man because the Liuer is hote as the fountaine of blood and as it were an ouen to the stomacke would therefore apply and weare close vpon his Liuer and stomacke a cake of lead he might within a very short time I hope bee susteined very good cheape at an Ordinarie beside the clearing of his conscience from that deadly sinne of gluttonie And as if because the Heart is full of vitall spirits and in perpetuall motion a man would therefore lay a heauie pound stone on his breast for staying and holding downe that wanton palpitation I doubt not but his breast would be more bruised with the weight therof then the heart would be comforted with such a disagreeable and contrarious cure And euen so is it with the braines For if a man because the braines are cold and humide would therefore vse inwardly by smells or outwardly by application things of hot and dry qualitie all the gaine that he could make thereof would onely be to put himselfe in a great forwardnes for running mad by ouerwatching himselfe the coldnesse and moistnesse of our braine being the onely ordinary meanes that procure our sleepe and rest Indeed I doe not deny but when it falls out that any of these or any part of our bodie growes to be distempered and to tend to an extremitie beyond the compasse of Natures temperate mixture that in that case cures of