witnesse of his conscience yet did take it and therefore Stephen by dissembling saued his life which the other by plaine expressing himselfe lost So that both these though they conspire one end yet in themselues are they very diuerse the one with a manly resolution and with the witnes of his blood profest himselfe and his resolution the other by swearing and for swearing to banne and disclaime that which in his purpose was the marke whereto hee shot himselfe and his euill pollicies the one ending all opposition in his owne voluntary death the other by subtilty continuing his euill life that life being the death of many the deare Children of God 13. Another highly in the Kings fauour and most worthy of high fauour was the Lord Cromwell a man so resolute in the worke he had begunne as neuer any did pursue a holy businesse with better Spirit who notwithstanding the greatnesse of his enemies who after the fashion of all Courts enuie such most vnto whom the Prince is most gratious and then most when the degrees of honour are deriued vpon any of meane beginning yet so could this man rule the prosperity of his fortunes as neither in generall opinion was he thought proudly to delight them nor yet not to vnderstand what those honours were which the Kings fauour had giuen him So aduised was he in the passage of his honourable life as that use which seeth the least aduantage could neuer finde iust occasion though occasions were sought to scandalize his reputation in the generall opinion of good men And howsoeuer God did suffer the euill of his enemies to preuaile ouer his life yet neuer to the death of his honourable remembrance to whose Godly care all the louers of Religion in Christendome are beholding especially the English Nation he being a principall instrument whereby the King was moued to reforme Religion 14. In this mans time the Religious then liuing had great hope of prosperity in their holy cause aswell in respect of his diligence to that end directed as also of the Kings inclinable nature which did seeme to consent with the honourable desires of the Lord Cromwell intertaining him in all fauourable regard giuing him names and places of high honour whereby his godly cares went the better forward hauing the strength of the Kings authority which he applyed to no other end but that God might receiue honour in restoring the truth of his seruice and that the king might not receiue dishonour in abādoning the protection of faith whereof God by the sentence of his enemie had made him defēdor And this good cause did this good man prosecute with the best strēgth of his indeauor not regarding his life more then God that gaue it nor the honours of his life more then the honors of his king from whose boūty his honors were deriued 15. Thus we see the diuersity in the king whereby he grew remisse in following this holy care which was because of the diuersitie of opinions in those men whom the king most trusted in the state he suffering himself to be driuen against the currant of his owne streames by the violence of other mens perswasions 16. And here is offered a large consideration of the Kings Nature who notwithstanding his great spirit and his many other honourable deseruings he had this infirmitie That he would be induced to doe those things which were much disagreeing in themselues and to goe forward and backward in one course and suffer himselfe to be moued whether the violence of other mens affections would carrie him sometime for sometimes against Religion and by this he gaue an open demonstration of the weakenesse of his nature For there is no alteration in a State that is not dangerous and then is the danger most when the greate ones great in authority and neere in the fauour of the Prince deuide themselues For difference if it be not compounded by the awfull Maiesty of the Prince it will growe to faction by consequence to open breach And though the Prince so gouerne that they dare not come to open difference yet will they worke by conspiracie and secret practise the confusion of each other For where faction is there can be no assurance men wil seek to assure themselues though it be by the fall of others And this euill is best preuented by the prouidence of the Prince who when hee seeth deformity in the body of the State and that of necessity there must bee alteration to make such choice of instruments as best loue the cure least otherwise in steade of physicke they administer poyson and so not cure but destroy the body diseased 17. And this was the Kings error who though his purpose to reforme was good yet the course he tooke was not good making ill choice of particulers to whose trust he commended that businesse some of them being Protestants some Papists so that the King may bee said to build with one hand and to cast downe with another to reforme Religion and to deforme it againe And therefore this aduice I dare giue the best Prince in the world Let those you loue best and trust most be one in themselues and one with their Soueraigne and worke not vpon the foundation Truth by contrarie meanes for hee that so buildeth buildeth Babel that is confusion and not the walles of Ierusalem Obseruations Diuine Pollitique Morall FIRST to intertaine and beginne a Religious worke is both an honourable and a holy attempt but to finish it is more because it is possible that vnworthy men may vndertake and retire But Pietie is not Pietie if not constant For no vertue is rewarded but perseuerance Secondly To faint in the prosecution of a Religious cause is of all cowherdice the most shamefull and recreant because in all such quarrells God is our Generall and doth arme his souldiers in compleate security Thirdly A Prince that hath many about his person cannot but must haue much difference in their quallities his pollitique parte is to obserue and iudge the difference and to distinguish them to such seruice in the State as may make them emulous to exceede and not enuious to extirpe the prosperities of one another Fourthly It hath beene thought good Pollicie that in a Senate or Counsell of State it were good to haue men of opposite Iudgement because it doth prouoke both factions from exact declaration of their best indeauours This in a state meerely pollitique may haue pretence but in a Religious State it hath none because it is impossible to goe to one God in one truth by contrarie steppes Fifthly It were dishonourable and dangerous for a Prince that hath his state free and in quiet to dissemble or to deuide himselfe to contrarieties because hee that doth not declare himselfe certaine to one doth remaine suspected of all and doth giue a generall hope to generall varieties Sixthly The errour and vice is greater in
would appeare most glorious Sixthly Againe the variable change of mans life whereby he is violently carried to many disagreeing ends sometime to the better sometime to the worse according to the seuerall power of occasions insomuch as in this respect a man is like a vessell at Sea driuen with many contrarie windes too and fro alwaies in the extremities of storme and wearie passage neither can any man ariue his peacefull port before death bring him to his graue his life being nothing but a breath of contrarie windes bearing him to indure the misery of many hard and variable fortunes And this euill is most sensible to those vnto whom Fortune hath bene most gratious who enioying the pleasures of life with full appetite and by the change of fortune forced to change that state wherin they thought themselues most happie For then is aduersity in full strength being in him whose former life hath bene most prosperous for the common induring of bitternes and misery dulleth the edge thereof and maketh it by much lesse sensible to him whome Custome hath made familiar with griefe neither are mens natures so inclineable to the good as to the bad alteration it being generall in all men to moue themselues to their owne destruction the motion to perfection not being our owne but the worke of Grace which onely hath the glorie of euery good worke Seuenthly It were needlesse to giue particular instance of this mutability of fortune euery particular man hauing instance in himselfe to witnesse it and for those of extraordinary glory and greatnesse we may remember that Romane Conquerour who passing the streets of Rome in the glorie of his Triumph had his braines beaten forth with a Tyle which by casualty fell vpon him or that of better memorie the Duke of Somerset the occasion of this discourse who from the highest degree of a Subiect fell into the ignominie of Treason and vntimely timely death And therefore the antient Romanes vnderstanding â—he miserie of variable fortune ordained that when any of their worthy Captaines should ride in triumph a slaue should ride with him in his triumphall Chariot holding fast with his slauish hand the lawrell Crowne vpon the Conquerours head who then did triumph both to moderate the vaine glory of the Conquerour and also to remember him to what condition he himselfe was subiect and therefore in respect of mutability of fortune is mans life most miserable no man being able to secure himselfe in any reasonable condition of life Eighthly But that which of all other is most burdensome is Discontent the disease of the soule and that which of all other infirmities is most dangerous and hard to cure especially in spirits of best apprehension and in them who haue aspired the reputation of high place For the spirits of great men are not moued to impatience without dangerous euents because their anger maketh them willing and their greatnes maketh them able to reuenge And therfore such men are neuer discoÌ„ntent but it prouoketh either their owne or other mens destruction neither is this euill tied to particular men onely but like a generall Plague it spreads it selfe ouer all degrees of men though not in like vehemencie For the best and the worst the basest and the most noble haue at some time their discontents whereby they are offended in themselues and wish to die and that which is more admirable those men renowned for holinesse of life haue had this loathing to liue and desired to die as Iob Elias and many other holy men which may well conclude the misery of a discontented minde and how insupportable it is in his extremity for as the soule exceedeth the body in the excellencie of their Natures So the grieuances of the soule are much more sensible to our faculties then those of our bodies because griefe is properly belonging to the soule and to the body onely by consequence or participation And if I were to define the greatest miserie on earth next to that of hell sin and damnation I should call it discontent in his extremitie because next the sorrow of sinne the liuing part of man his soule hath not any thing of like torment and affliction and as all other miseries are the seed from whence doth proceed this Monster Discontent So from discontent can be expected no better then destruction and death Ninthly The last misery of our life is Death the which at one stroake doth reuenge all the euill of mans life and this howsoeuer in it selfe it be not euill yet in mens generall vnderstanding it is thought the worst of all euills and the most fearefull of all other miseries And therefore the very name of death hath oftentimes stroake astonishment and terror in the hearts of tyrants and euill men knowing that death was an enemy against whom there was no resistaÌ„ce hauing preuailed against them of the first age though they liued many hundreds of yeares For if the honours and pleasures of this life were infinite and the enioyers of them eternall then were not the life of man so miserable a condition but hauing death to controule the most glorious among men and to depriue them of their prosperity and honours in this respect the best of mans life is no better then misery and griefe because he foreseeth the end of all his prosperity the remembrance of death sowring the greatest part of the pleasures of life euerie man hauing griefe to loose that wherein he so much delighteth Tenthly Yet Death though his power be geuerall ouer all flesh is not therefore a misery to all men but to many an end most happie and desired For though it be a curse for sin to be mortall die yet is Death most happie to them that die well God by the death of his Sonne hauing reconsiled himselfe to his seruant Man which by no other meanes could be made immortall But this condition of happinesse is not in the Nature of Man but in the fauour and grace of God And therfore is death that which good men hope and bad men feare the poore mans comfort and the rich mans terror and that which maketh the King and the Subiect the rich and the poore equall making of euery mans flesh but earth and putrifaction And therefore the life of man euen from the wombe to the Graue is nothing but misery and vexation of Sipirit no naturall man hauing the pleasures thereof but with such limitation as maketh pleasure it selfe burdensome Eleuenthly The holy and good men of the world not otherwise regarding life then as a time wherein to exercise their Christian offices and to such there is no miserie neither in life nor death happie are such to whom God shall giue Grace to dispise the vaine glorie of earth and that vse the creatures of God with christian moderation not
These banning Popeâ— like Shemei and Balam The Princes agree not in their ends The Emperors bad fortunes The indignities wherewith the Pope did vse the Emperor The Popes insulting pride The Emperors end vnfortunate The King very fortunate In respect of themselues the two Princes were equalls in respect of their fortunes they disagree The Emperours praise God the fouÌ„taine of goodnesse All men naturally euill Grace the gift of God God decreeth the good and deuiseth the meanes K. Edward K. Edward fit to finish the worke of Reformation God had the greatest part in this businesse The King beloued of God The King the best of all Christian Princes then liuing The Nation happie in K. Edward to defend the Faith The praise of King Edward The miserie of manie kingdomes Alexander of Macedon Alexander leauing his Empire to his friend diuided did sooner perish The kingdomes of France Edward the Third The title of England to the crowne of France FraÌ„ce much vexed with English warres France still in the hazard of English warres English examples Yorke and Lancaster The cause of the Eâ—glish ciuill warres was the interrupting of lawfull Succession Queene Elizabeth The danger that was feared by her want of Issue The danger of the State Gods preuention The euent did exceed expectation The subuersion of great houses The Sonnes of gouernors are best fitted for gouernement King Edward did exceed and succeed his Father Diuine Pollitique Morall The Kings praise His mercy to his enemies The particular of his deserts The King did inherit his kingdome and hâ—â— care for Religion together His first care He secondeth his Fathers attempt His first act of defence to the Faith King Edward was not tempted as was King Henry by euill counsell His holy zeale for reformation The King well fitted for this businesse The King not moued by any respect Wherein K. Edward principally defended the Faith Popery vtterly extirped by the King The consent of Parliament An vniforme order of common prayer appointed by the King Verity could not stand without vnitie Iosias of Iuda The ceremonies of Poperie like the rites of the Heathen Priests Anno 1547. The repeale of statutes concerning Religion Sixe Articles Gardiner Bonner The Kings renowne The King put out the fires of persecution The King did cure the wound his Father made The Kings furtherance The orders of the Church â—stablishâ—d by the King The King most mercifull and compassionate In mercie men resemble God His care for poore Hospitalls by him erected The workes of mercie the best witnesses of holy Faith The King deserued his Stile Diuine Pollitique Morall Contraries iudge one another Note There must be faction Prouidence The reason of this opposition of good and euill Goodnesse not confounded but confirmed by the opposition of euill The way is good if the end be happy Truth Euill men and euill practise against the King Scotland The Marriage with Q. Mary of Scotland The importance of that Marriage King Iames our Soueraigne The King euer victor RebellioÌ„ moued by perswasion and not by any proper motioÌ„ The Papists The practise of rebâ—lâ—ious Iesuits and Priests The Duke of Somerset Protector His deserts The reforming of Religion diuided the kingdome into a faction The Dukes care to compound these differences The Duke slandered The variance between the Lord Protector the Barrons Honour and desert beget dangerous enuie The Dukes error in pollicie Post est occasio Calua Note This ouersight was his death The cause of this discord The Dukes improuideÌ„ce His euill gouernement of the State Ambition This opinion is all malice no truth The true cause was a practise of enuie A double enemie The nature of great and enuious spirits Vertue most subiect to enuie The tryall of law onâ—ly a colour to satisfie reports The Dukes extremitie of hard fortune The greatest are most subiect to the fall of Fortune Diuine Pollitique Morall Life is a sicknesse The contempt of life Holy men neuer feared the Image of death Holy death setteth open the gates of life The ChildreÌ„ of Grace The sonnes of nature The iudgement of sense can iudge miserie of mans life The antient Romanes and GreciaÌ„s Against the rule of Religion A notable demonstratioÌ„ Man hath more to afflict him than all other Creatures Because of sinne The cause of the many grieuances of mans life Sickenesse Sickenesse ordained to subdue the pride of our nature A double respect First the number of sicknesses Secondly the generality All men being subiect at all times to all infirmities Rich men The poore the rich are both alike â—fflicted with sicknesse Pouertie of life Pouertie hatefull to men The false opinion of the world The honourable and the vile man do oâ—cupiâ— on the others place Want dâ—iecteth the spirits of well deseruing men The griefe of noble spirits Pouertie to a good man is like the foyle to the Diamond The desperate effects of pouertie Mutability and change The continuall trouble of mans life The graue the resting place 〈…〉 Custome is another nature Men by their naturall motions moue to euill but to goodnesse by the mouing of Grace That Roman Conquerour The Duke of Somerset A custome among the antient Romanes Variable fortune maketh men miserable Discontent Minde Discontent a dangerous disease The danger in discontenting great spirits All men haue at some times their discontents Holy men haue bene discontented Griefe is a greater torment then sickenesse The greatnesse of Discontent Death Death an enemie against whom there is no resistance Death doth controule the prosperities of our life Death is not a misery to all men Death maketh holy men immortall Good men hope for death and bad men feare it Death and the graue make all things equall No man hath pleasures but with limitation To good men there is no miserie How to vse the pleasures of this life Who are happie No man can know any part of Gods secrets vnles God reueals them God not contrarie but aboue reason The cause of false constructions In diuine matters Christians must belieue when they cannot iudge The vse that God can make of all our actions K. Edward The wonderfull effects of Gods prouidence The blood of the Martyrs was the seed of the Gospell The deaths of a few was the life of many God is mercifull in his iudgements The Kings death Great occasions of trouble in the kingdome The nobility commâ—ns disagree in the choice of their Prince King Edward euill counselled Northumberland Suffolke the cause of this great iniurie Reasons why the King did it not of his owne motion but by perswasion A doubtfull question resolued Good ends cannot be compassed by euill meanes God is the Father of truth What good men must do Diuine Pollitique Morall Iosias of Iuda and Edward of England Their age when they began their Reigne Both of these Kings conspiring one holy end Both their Kingdomes were corrupted with idolatrie Both of them yeeld their obedâ—ence to holy perswasion effect their purpose Both these
honourable that present themselues to causes of generall profit but such are both wise and honourable that can either frame their Prince for such intentions or doe apprehend and forward his good determinations Sixthly To preuent disgrace and euill euen in a morall life it is necessarie to destroy all cause not onely of euill doing but of euill suspition For common reputation is nothing but Opinion which is got and lost aswell with Ceremonies as with Truth CHAP. XIIII The trouble of the State at this time of King Edward how they were occasioned and how compounded FIRST it hath euer bene the nature of euill men then to shew themselues most when goodnes and good men are most eminent and glorious and the reason is in nature which maketh all contraries then most powerfull when they are in opposition for vice is iudged by vertue falshood by truth and euerie euill is best made manifest by the opposition of goodnesse So of the contrarie euerie good thing is made apparāt by the enuie of euill which like fire that wasteth his owne substance to trie the golden mettall so doth euill Ruine in selfe in enuie and euill practise not wasting the good but making it much more glorious to the view of the world Examples of this are in euery testimonie of time and in euerie condition and state in the world it being onely possible for him to alter this naturall discord to whom it is possible to destroy the worke of Nature Neither it is euer to bee hoped that all men shall conspire one end without opposition and strife till God purge this earth and alter the condition of his creatures Neither ought we for this to condemne the diuine prouidence as if God could not otherwise dispose Nature or that he will not preuent this euill but suffer the cause hee best loueth oftentimes to indure most For howsoeuer in the wisedome of God are many vnsearchable reasons of his will to vs vnknowne yet for the reason of this opposition of good euill humane reason and wisedome may suffice to iudge it because as I haue said gold is not the worse but the better for his firie tryall and a good cause is not confounded but confirmed by the opposition of euill And therefore doth God many times suffer euill to preuaile but neuer to the destruction of good and to whomsoeuer it shall please God to giue the inheritance of heauen it is reason he direct vs the way bee it by danger or by death For if God leade vs to Heauen by the gates of Hell the way is good because the end is happie for most happie are they who reach life be the passage neuer so dangerous and for euer blessed be Truth be the opposition of enuie and euill men neuer so malignant Secondly The stories of these times is sufficient witnesse to proue the enuious Nature of euill men For now that God had giuen our Nation a Salomon for Wisedome and a Iosias for his Deuotion and Zeale changing our miserie into mirth our teares into laughter whose holy care did free holy Martyrs from torture and cruell persecutions giuing to all his Subiects liberty in the true seruing of God which for many yeares they had wanted and with much blood had bene witnessed yet notwithstanding this good King and the goodnesse hee wrought were there many seditious and euill men who like the conspiracie of Corath combine themselues in Rebellion and wicked practise against the Lords annointed and their soueraigne some pretending Religion which they called their conscience others other grieuances in the state according as they could deuise them Neither wanted there occasions in Scotland to trouble the peace of those times the Scots denying to performe that whereunto by oath they were obliged for they had bound themselues by oath to King Henrie the Eighth to performe the marriage betweene King Edward his Sonne and the Ladie Mary of Scotland whereby the inheritance of both kingdomes had discended to one interested heyre without competitor the importance whereof how important it was to the English State may to any iudgement appeare the not performing begetting a discontent in both States and a Ielosie of both their proceedings and such as could not bee otherwise then with the sword determined God reseruing the marriage of those two warlike Nations to honour the memorie of King Iames our Soueraigne now in whose royall person these two disagreeing kingdomes are for euer vnited yet not withstanding all these hard occasions and the Kings minoritie whereby he was lesse able to trauell in those weighty affaires of State did God still support him and the prosperity of his kingdomes giuing him victorie ouer all that did contriue against him and power to chastice the reuolt and disobedience of such his Subiects as wickedly did bandie themselues against him their Soueraigne Neither is it otherwise to be thought but this body of the common people was not moued to Rebellion by any proper motion of it owne but rather led by the instigation of others For the vulgar is like a body sencelesse which cannot moue it selfe yet subiect to bee carried with euery breath of winde being altogether moued by perswasion and general opinion and then such as did distaste the gouernement of the State as those of the Popes faction being the parties onely discontent with reforming Religion stirres this rebellious bodie with the violence of perswasion wherein by reason of their common experience they are cunningly fitted wherewith in truth they conueigh the spirit of enmitie and ciuill strife into the states of all Christian Princes whereby that Religion hath got a name of pollicie but vtterly lost the renowne of pietie the greatest Professors thereof being found the greatest practisers in State that be And by these instigators were the troubles in the English Nation at that time and euer sithence occasioned to the glorie and strength of the cause which God hath protected and to their confusion that thus wickedly conspire Thirdly But these troubles as they were occasioned by the turbulent spirits of men desiring innouation and change so were they happily determined by the prouidence of the State the Lord Protector the Duke of Somerset approuing himselfe forward and fortunate in discharge of his high place to whose trust both the person of the King and the gouernment of his kingdome were commended And doubtlesse euen in this hath the Duke deserued speciall commendation and to be thought worthy the honour of his high place considering the danger of the time and the number of discontented persons in the state the reforming of Religion diuiding the strength of the kingdome into an enuious faction whereby the dispossessed the Papists vsed all meanes both of power and pollicie to reobtaine what by reformation of Religion they had lost and the Protestants endeauoring to secure and continue what by the fauour of
affecting them more then the Lord of them nor applying them to any other end then holines for which all things were created most happie are they who for the honour of their God and for the testimonie of his truth haue forsaken the pleasures of this transitory life and haue giuen themselues a sacrifice to God for so to die is to enioy immortality and perpetuall rest CHAP. XVI Of King Edwards Death and how hee left the State to the next Successor FIRST it were foolish and vaine for any man to desire to know the secrets of Gods will because no man can vnderstand more of Gods secret than he himselfe shall please to reueale and therefore is mans knowledge limited being able onely to iudgâ— by reason and consequence whereas Gods diuine workes exceed the iudgement of sence being not contrary but aboue the reach of reason And from this cause is it that men commonly offend in their false constructions iudging of Gods worke grosly according to humane vnderstanding and not considering his wisedome and power by whose prouidence all things are directed For in Gods matters Christians must beleeue when they cannot iudge and it is sufficient argument to conclude the goodnesse of any worke when wee know that God is the Author for those things which to a naturall man seeme strange to a reformed iudgement appeare much otherwise and there is nothing be it neuer so euill in mans iudgement but God can make it serue for the worke of his glory he being able to make the euills of men respect an end beyond their expectations and in that wherein we iudge our selues most miserable can he make vs most happie Secondly And for particular instance we may consider K. Edward whom God elected from among many thousands for the work of his glory hauing defended the Catholike Faith with a resolution most zealous constant yet notwithstanding in the growth of his prosperity did God take him from the world and depriue the Children of faith of their Patron and princely Defendor whereby in common iudgement God may seeme to be offended with his owne and to leaue his Saints vndefended to the stroake of persecution from which this holy King had defended them But thus to iudge of God were wicked and false because we see the Gospell by that interruption did spread it self with much more generall acceptation the blood of holy Martyrs being a holy seed whereby the Church spread into a large generation and who knoweth but God to manifest to all the world the faith and obedience of his holy Saints in the Church of England suffered this persecution for the glory of their memorie for a demonstration to all men what numbers of true Catholike Christians had flourished vnder the protection of King Edward their Patrone and princely Defendor The Saints hereby exchanging their mortall variable life for eternity perpetuall rest their deaths begetting the liues of many holy men like them whereby the number of Gods seruants was much augmented to the glory of God and prosperity of his Church And therefore let no man condemne the worke of Gods prouidence but yeeld his obedience to the good pleasure of God and let him know that God is mercifull euen in his iudgements and that hee can make that which doth seeme to threaten vs most to be the Ladder whereby we may ascend the highest of all preferments the fauour of God and the fellowship of his holy Saints Thirdly King Edward being dead the state grew verie stormie and full of greate businesse the cause being who should succeed the King in which controuersie the kingdome was deuided the greatest part of the Counsell and the Nobility proclaiming Lady Iane Daughter to the Duke of Suffolke whose Mother was Daughter to Mary King Henries Sister first married to the French King and after to Charles Brandon Duke of Suffolke But the greatest part of the Commons and some of the Nobility adhering to Lady Mary eldest Daughter to King Henrie the Eighth by his first wife Queene Katherine of Spaine and this occasion was the trouble and death of many honourable and worthy personages For whether King Edward of his owne election or wrought by the perswasion of others I know not had by his last Will and Testament interested the Ladie Iane to the inheritance of his kingdomes for this cause as was pretended that the State might still continue the profession of the Protestant Religion which could not be hoped in the gouernement of Queene Mary But howsoeuer the King did thus bequeath his kingdomes it is very likely hee was drawne thereto by perswasion of his nobles especially of the two Dukes Northumberland and Suffolke because hereby the inheritance was conueyghed to their issue to whom in right it did not belong neither is it likely the King of his owne motion would haue disinherited his owne Legitimate sisters to interest one further off And if Religion was the cause why was not choise rather made of Queene Elizabeâ—h then Lady Iane Shee being by much neerer in the degrees of blood and altogether as assured in the Protestant Religion And therefore certainely the King was moued by others to offer this iniurie to his neerest blood Fourthly And if the question be demanded whether in this case it was lawfull for the King to translate the inheritance of his kingdomes I answer that howsoeuer the pretence is faire and good yet was the practise euill because wrong was offered and those ends are neuer good the which are compassed by euill meanes and to translate inheritance where it ought not is to contradict Gods prouidence by whose wisedome all things are ordered And therfore no doubt this offence of those Dukes and their confederates conspiring with them this vnlawfull end was the cause that God did suffer the power of their enemies to preuaile to their destruction For God is the Father of Truth and the God of Iustice neither would he that men should attempt to alter the course of his prouidence or by any violent and euill meanes pursue an end be it neuer so Religious and holy For good men must vse onely good meanes to reach good ends And therefore this practise of these Dukes in the iudgement of Religion was not good notwithstanding in state practise it hath example and may seeme allowable Obseruations Diuine Pollitique Morall FIRST there is no pretence how faire soeuer can giue authority and strength to vnlawfull actions For God who is all-sufficient and who hath decreed all good things hath likewise deuised all good meanes to compasse them therefore euery good worke doth consist of lawfull matter and forme for no euill thing can bee well done neither can any good thing bee done euilly Secondly When God by death doth preuent the hopes that are had of a vertuous Prince it doth not argue against the worthinesse of the Prince
Discontent CHAP. XXI OF REBELLION FIRST It is not in my purpose to reckon vp the seuerall opinions of men in this argument neither to discourse at large herein but onely to report my owne Iudgement and that which I think is answerable in this question to Religion and holy reason For if this controuersie were disputed according to the Pollitique practise of time and not by the rules of Religion and reformed iudgement it would be then verie controuersall and require large circumstance because the Matchiuells of these times diuersly disagree in their seuerall iudgements but if men desire onely to satisfie conscience to such men the testimonie of God is sufficient which ought to square the practises of all degrees of Christian men and to determine all controuersies be they neuer so important But this tryall hath not alwaies authority in gouernement meerely pollitique for Religion and Pollicie are two diuers or rather in full opposition and that many times in the practise of State is commendable which in the iudgement of Religion is most damnable because they conspire not one but disagreeing ends neither can the quarrell of these two be euer reconciled but onely by these conditions that Piety may command Pollicie and that such Pollicie may bee onely in Christian States allowable as may be seruant to the worke of holinesse and iudged lawfull by the sentence of true Religion And if these respects had regard in Christian States then should not Christendome haue had that dishonourable imputation to bee reputed of the barbarous Nations vnfaithfull and full of dishonourable practise wherein the Popes haue especially abused the Christian Faith who vnder the outward face of holinesse haue contriued and effected Conspiracies and Treasons of most horrible report and such as neuer were the like by men or diuells inuented Secondly And these euill Ministers doe arrogate to themselues authority which they would deriue from God not onely to license Rebellion in a Christian State but also to command it vpon paine of damnation a power which neuer any Christian Prince durst challenge and a pollicie whereby they haue principally inriched themselues with wealth and dignities taken at the spoyle of Christian Princes and wherewith he doth yet vnderprop the falling state of his Empire And this how vnequall it is with Gods Word may appeare to any iudgement there being no example in the Storie of the Bible for his imitation where any Priest did euer challenge any such soueraigne authority Thirdly And in respect of State practise there was neuer any thing more dishonourable then for Princes and free States to enter voluntary into a seruitude so base slauish taking their honours from their owne heads to dignifie their mortall enemy and to feed his ambition which like Hell cannot be satisfied who hath euer fed vpon the bowels of their wealth and on the blood of Saints and doth glorifie himself in the spoile of Christian Princes and thus will doe vntill God shall please to destroy him with the breath of his displeasure Fourthly The example of K. Dauid may suffice to conclude against this doctrine who notwithstanding he had Gods promise to inherit the kingdome of Israel being by the Prophet anointed by which God did crown him King and knowing moreouer that God had forsaken his master Saul hauing taken his good Spirit from him whereby he was Anathemate and interdict by the sentence of God himselfe yet did not Dauid for all this conspire against his master Saul but onely sought to secure his life by withdrawing him from the kings presence who hee assuredly knew did seeke after his life And when opportunity was offered him so fit as that he at one stroake might both haue reuenged the iniuries of his greatest Enemy and vpon such an Enemy as stood betweene him and a Kingdome yet would he not destroy him being vrged thereto by the earnest perswasion of his follower but withstood both them and opportunity induring the trouble of his Conscience for presuming to cut off not his Masters head but the lap of his garment only Fiftly Another time Saul pursuing after Dauid to destroy him was found by Dauid and Abishai sleeping with his speare at his head as if occasion should haue led Dauid to an opportunity most fit and thus haue perswaded him See here is thy enemy sleeping and here is a weapon to destroy him which aduantage when Abishai would most gladly haue imbraced he was disswaded by Dauid with this answere Destroy him not for who can lay his hand vpon the Lords Anointed and be guiltlesse whereby hee concludeth it to be impossible for any man whosoeuer to conspire the death or dammage of his soueraigne with the testimonie of good conscience And this opinion of King Dauids is aduerse to the practise of the Romane State which hath often laid their hands of blood and death vpon the Lords annointed neither haue they euer done as Dauid did denie the offer of fit occasion to reuenge wherein they are answerable to their Italian prouerbe If thy enemie be vp to his knees in water reach him thy hand to helpe him But if hee stand vp to the Chinne set thy foot vpon him to destroy him Sixthly Now if King Dauids example and authority will not serue because he was but Man I will then produce his witnesse who was both God and Man the Lord Iesus who commanded the Iewes to giue obedience to Caesar in all those duties which respect Soueraignty though Caesar did not acknowledge the Iewish Religion but rather did persecute that profession Neither did he perswade rebellion against the Romane state though in his diuine wisedome he did foresee that the Kingdome of the Iewes which he so much loued should be vtterly wasted by the power of the Romanes whereby hee would teach vs that as by God onely Kings do Reigne so by him onely are they both supported and as he shall onely please are they displanted and deposed from their dignities Seuenthly It is euident then by the testimonie of them who are most holy and absolute that no earthly man by the authority of his place hath or can giue license to conspire against any Soueraigne power whatsoeuer and the reason is because there is no power but from God and the powers that be are ordained of God and therefore to resist that power is to withstand God and his ordinance and to condemne the forme of Gods gouernement And such are all they who goe about to translate authority where God hath not giuen it and to throw downe and depose them whom God hath established and such are all they who either plot or practise Rebellion Conspiracie or Treason or that can giue allowance thereto Traitors they be to God Traitors to their Prince Traitors to their Countrie and to themselues Traitors whom God will withstand as Traitors and iudge as
worke no creature is able certainely to determine what will be before it be all things in respect of humane indgement being iudged by their euents and not otherwise Secondly and therefore is calculating and the iudgement of Astrologie vncertaine and a very mockery hauing neither lawfulnesse nor Truth to giue it authority And though the Diuiner sometime hit the truth hee doth it not by any certaine direction but by hap and at peraduenture and so the blinde may hit the Butt and the reporter of many lies may fortune to tell a truth Thirdly and this false fore-iudging is of ordinary custome in the vse of all worldly affaires euery man almost aduenturing to Iudge before hand of euery accident and to determine how God shall determine of such and such occasions whereby they would tie God to a necessity and that needs hee must doe that which in their weake iudgement they imagine will bee done But God who is most absolute and able to doe whatsoeuer shall please himselfe deludeth the vaine imaginations of men and out of the greatest vnlikelihoods can hee frame that which is most desired and least hoped neither is hee as man to iudge by apparance or by the consequence of humane reason but out of death can he raise life out of miserie mercie and in the greatest expectation of warre blood and persecution can he giue peace safetie and preseruation Fourthly Wee haue happie instance of this in the fortunes of the Kings Maiestie that last was King Iames our Souereigne whom God most gratiously and beyond all expectation did protect making him fortunate to the honour of his owne name and for the happinesse of these Nations combining by him two euer disagreeing nations in the neerest bonds of Loue and Brotherhood And this did God make prosperous beyond our hopes and beyound the euill desires of them who loued vs not For if we remember the latter time of Queene Elizabeths reigne and the hard condition of those times we shall then finde how much the mercie of God hath exceeded our hopes and how much the generall opinion was deceiued in the construction of that euent men generally expecting the miserie of warre and ciuill strife when God did reach vs his mercie and the large demonstration of his loue Fifthly And in truth in respect of likely hood both Nations England and Scotland had reason to haue feared more and hoped lesse then happened it being not likely to succeed as it did and that a people inueterate in quarrell and warlike contention should in such peaceable manner shake hands and conspire mutually one thing which for many hundreds of yeares before did euer disagree which is more in a matter so important as was the vniting of both kingdomes in the gouernement of one absolute Souereigne Neither was it likely there wanted then the practise of forreigne States especially of such as enuied our prosperity and loued vs not which might trauell to hinder this happie coniunction whereby our strength became double so much as before and therefore our enemies would couet rather to suppresse than to inlarge vs least we hauing the kingdome of Scotland to assist vs which before was commonly either enemie or newter might proue vnresistable in the fortune of warre who before we had it were so often Conquerours Sixthly And this assuredly was a matter very considerable for them to preuent and such as the Pollitique wisedome of States men would carefully apprehend For in the disoretion of State affaires it is better and of lesse difficultie to preuent the augmentation of our enemies power then when it is augmented to scatter it And those things in the opportunity of their times are of easie reach which afterwards in a time vnfit proue vnaccessable not within our compas and this Iudgement could not want in them who most carefully search the secrets of all pollicie and trauell their wits to apprehend and contriue all aduantages yet notwithstanding all these occasions which in common iudgement might haue letted the Kings peaceable entrance into this Kingdome did God bring him vnder the protection of his fauour in security and peace and with generall acclamation binding the enuie of all opposition and making his enemies shew themselues his friendly entertainers the antiēt enemies of this kingdom to congratulate his Kingly inheritance And this did God with such admirable demonstration of his fauour as that his Maiestie and his Subiects of both kingdomes haue good cause to remember it for euer most thankefully whose life God did wonderfully preserue and whose fortunes hee did highly aduance leading him thorow many difficulties and dangers to a faire inheritance to inherit the obedience and faithfull seruice of a people faithfull fortunate and assured whom his predecessors the Kings of Scotland did euer most feare as their most able enemie whom his Maiesty euer found his most trusty and assured Subiects and this was done with such prosperity and forward successe that the report of the Q. death was scarce named in our neighbour kingdomes but this report of the kings peaceable entrance was farre off generally knowne the good newes of the kings entring outstripping the euill newes of the Queenes death to the comfort of all good men and to the admiration of all men Seuenthly neither was there need as it was thought that the King and his Subiects of Scotland should for this cause haue put themselues into the hazard of vncertaine warre whereby the Kings right might haue indured wrong and Truth haue stood at the discretion of warre which had bene very dangerous and that which our enemies most hoped but the happie issue was otherwise for neither was there any to lift vp his daring hand to resist his Maiestie neither had the King any vse for weapons but onely wore them for ornament and to giue names of honour to such men whom hee thought did or might deserue them Eighthly And thus did God giue vs life when we feared death peace when we feared warre a king when we had none a Prince a Patron and a most noble Defendor of the Catholike Faith vnder whose protection we enioyed peace plenty security And therfore happie were we in his gratious gouernment and happie was his Maiesty whom God found worthie to succeed in the royall seate and in the holy cares of that most famous Defendress of the Faith Queen Elizabeth CHAP. XXXIII Of the Kings defending the Catholike Faith in Scotland before he was King of England FIRST there is nothing of our owne wherein wee may iustly glory but in well-doing because when we doe any work of Grace the Spirit of God moueth in vs and prouoketh vs to holy exercise And therein onely we may worthily esteeme of our selues because we are accepted of God and vsed as his holy-instruments And in this had the Kings Maiestie much to glory