Heauen and Earth Religion and Policy OR The maine difference betweene Religion and Policy Written by C. L. Printed by H.B. for Ieffrey Chorlton and are to be sold at his shop at the great North dore of Paules Church 1608. The Contents of the Chapters 1 Of Religion Pag. 1. 2 Of Policie 8. Of their diuers workings 3 In respect of the Cath. Church 16. 4 Of the Clergie 32. 5 Of State 48 6 Of the Soueraigne of State 56 7 Of State Gouernours 66 8 Of Subordinate Gouernors 75 9 Of Honour Military Of Honour Courtly 86 10 Of prosperous Fortune 100. TO THE MOST REVEREND FATHER in God RICHARD by divine prouidence Archbishop of Canterbury Primate and Metropolitane of all England Chancellor of the vniuersity of Oxford and one of his Maiesties most honorable priuie Counsell May it please your Grace I Humbly present you this Tract of Religion and Policy wherin I acknowledge the disproportion betweene the matter and the manner I giue it Yet because it is a seruice of duety it may therefore please your Grace to accept it The reason of my vndertaking it is the duety of Christian conscience which bindeth every man to some profitable performance And because God hath not yet beene pleased to giue me particular place of seruice wherein I might imploy his talent with more aduantage I therefore endeauour my selfe in such trauell wherein God may receiue his part of honour his seruants their parts of profit and my selfe the discharge of Christian duetie all which respects are the lawes restrictions of euery lawfull worke The reason of dedication is the reuerence your Grace doth merit from all them who professe learning In which number though I be the meanest in respect both of Nature and Fortune yet beeing bound with others I like them both declare and direct my selfe to your Grace in my labours of best performance Againe the fitnes of your place with this argument doth challenge the dedication because the execution of your high calling is a continuall exercise of Religion and Religious Policy the weapons and prouident armour whereby both Church and State are secured from vngodly practise the which as your Grace best knoweth hath bin that murthering gun-shot bent against the truth of Religion and the peace of Christian States For these respects I haue both writ and giuen this trauell to your Grace humbly acknowledging my duety and the meanenesse of my deseruing Your Graces In all duty and humble seruice Christopher Leuer To the Reader IT is the common custome to intreate fauour from courteous Readers the custome is not good and therfore I vse it not for if the matter merit or the men bee courteous the sute of fauour will bee easily granted if otherwise it is but a needelesse shame to beg a commendation where it is not And therefore I willingly leaue to euery man the liberty of his iudgement and expose this Tract to general censure Faults escaped are corrected in the last Page Heauen and Earth Religion and Policy OR The maine difference betweene Religion and Policie OF The vndiuided Nature of Religion CHAP. I. THE best Policie is Religion and the best Religion is not politique but simple pure without duplicitie For as the vniting of many persons in one Diuinitie is the highest vnderstanding of Gods Nature so in the seruice of God Religion vnitie is the best demonstration of the truth thereof There is but one way to heauen be-because but one Christ in heauen by whom and by whom onely there is happie passage This holy trauaile is called Religion in whose practise the choice of Gods creatures exercise their gifts of grace the induments of Gods sacred spirit 2 Religion then is the holy exercise of Gods sacred worship whose precise forme is appointed by God in the witnesse of holy Scripture It is an exercise for the pleasure and for continuall practise It is holy because God is the obiect the forme is precise for the singularitie and it is iudged by the Scripture because they are the best and the onely witnesses of the will of God 3 As God is so is Religion one and but one For as pluralitie of Gods so pluralitie of Religions is Idolatrie For God being aboue all in euerie sense of dignitie will haue his seruice speciall and peculiar to himselfe by himselfe appointed and distinguished from all other orders of seruice 4 The diuers names of Religions are but names and not Religions as the diuers names of Gods were not Gods but Idols And this is worthie of note that these fabulous gods of the heathen were all of them in their kinde seruants to the most supreme God the Lord Iehouah The Planets in their Spheres the Elements in their Nature and all heauenly and earthly powers were seruants to the will of God moouing at his pleasure who by their motion influence did faithfully execute their offices wherunto they were assigned 5 For there is a sense of Religion in the Nature of all creatures who though they want instructions wil by their naturall instinct apprehend the generall vnderstanding of a God and according to their discretions frame such seruice and ceremonies as may please that supposed Deitie And from hence doth arise the number of fabulous superstitions and strange Religions from the blind and vnlearned deuotion of men meerely naturall who being taught by the wisdome of Nature there was a God would by a consequence of Reason conclude there must be a Religion a seruing of that God which they not vnderstanding nor able to comprehend without diuiue teaching erred in their blind constructions and so beleeued and taught that for religion which was most irreligious and vngodly 6 Of all the creatures of God only man hath failed in the knowledge of this high mysterie who though his soule be of a substance most diuine and his vnderstanding more apprehensiue then many the rest of Gods creatures yet he and not they hath failed in this weightie performance and they and not he haue obserued the law of Nature which to them is the law of God and the exercise of their Religion The heauens cast their influence vpon earth for the generation of all creatures the Elements performe their assigned offices who though they haue disagreeing Natures the hot and cold the moist and drie interchangeably fighting yet in this seruice of their God they conspire and friendly conioyne and giue both their natures and substances to continue in the world a succession of liuing creatures In like maner the rest of Gods creatures euerie thing in his order and Nature performing the will of God who made them 7 The learning of Nature then can teach vs the necessitie and the vndiuided Nature of Religion For the naturall creatures denie all diuersitie in the order of holy Religion For in all the Creatures of God saue man their Nature is their Religion against which they are not moued but by violence 8 Againe vniformitie in the order of Religion is
politick Religion is an enemy most aduerse both to Religion religious Policy And this is a grounded and a most familiar iudgement to distinguish these different Natures by their denominations For religious Policy is most lawfull most conuenient but politick Religion is most vnlawfull and inconuenient 13 The necessary vse of Religion in the Catholique Church is not disputable being a truth of generall grant for as our naturall bodies cannot liue or moue without our soules so the sacred bodie of the Church cannot be the liuing Spouse of Christ if shee be not inspired and moued by Religion the soule of the Catholique Church wherby and wherein euery member of that mysticall bodie doeth moue to his perfection 14 The lawfull vse of Christian Policie in the Catholike Church is preuention for whatsoeuer is required of a christian to do is prescribed in the rules of holy Scripture but the rules of preuenting euill is rather left to the aduised iudgement of Christian Policy there being no other rules for that but honesty and lawfull warrant because of the much variety of mens practises which require variable and many diuers preuentions And therefore hath the wisedome of God left this care without rule to the wisdome of men with this restriction only that the purpose and meanes of euery worke be conformed to the iudgment of Religion against which there is no excuse or exception 15 Religion and Religious Policy then are not onely of conueniency but of necessity in the Catholique Church Religion doth direct how we our selues shold do wel Religious Policy doth likewise teach vs how to preuent the euill deeds of our owne and Gods enemies And these are the two needfull hands not onely of the Church but of euery particular holy man in the Church whereby good workes are wrought and euil works preuented and whatsoeuer conspires not with these conspires against God against the Catholique Church and against the lawfull vse of Christian Policy There is also a policy in the Church and not of the Church and this is enemy to the former the which two like children of diuers fathers liue in one house with implacable displeasure and this is made knowne by his effects for by his working meanes it is not easily discouered by reason of dissimulation and false pretence which in this politique regarde is most regarded 16 This hath precedent in those churches of Christian name whose integritie is either lost or defaced and whose discipline is made a mixture of holy and prophane posititions where the pretences and purpose vtterly disagree men shawdâ—ing their vngodly ends with most faire and holy intendments And this is the error of those politique Christian Churches that whereas there is but one obiect of all diuine Seruice which is God they haue many obiects and many ends for their directions making vile purposes to share with God in the exercise of his Seruice 17 And from this one ground is the cause of euery inconuenience in Christian Churches when the glory of God is not principally but respectiuely considered wherof proceedeth that canons ordinances and the decrees of Ecclesiasticall States looke with double eies vpon two seuerall obiects greatnes and goodnesse the first of choice the other for conueniencie or necessary circumstance whereby they would conioyne these in participation which are most different both in their natures and in the order of Nature For as the distance betweene Heauen and Earth so and much more is the difference betweene God and this world Truth and Error Religion and Policy 18 Therefore in the Catholique Church Religion is of soueraigne necessity Religious Policy is likewise necessary and of much conuenience But politique Religion is not onely vnusefull in the Church of God but of necessitie to bee excluded from all holy exercise In respect of the Clergie CHAP. IIII. THe word of God diuine Scripture is subiect both to false construction and misapplicatioÌ„ The church of God is not free from the enemies both of truth and peace the officers in the holy orders of the Church are not free from their staines and inputations whereby they debase the dignitie of their reuerend places and expose their estimation to common reproch therefore as in all so in them also and in their profession there are these two diuers and disagreeing natures of Religion and Policy 2 Euery man is bound by his Christian place to the duetie of Region but Clergie men are more strictlie bound being men of speciall choice select and dedicate to God and his seruice onely and therfore is their obligation double and their condition restrained from that libertie which either is lawfull or not so faultie in others as in them 3 For as the holy offering so these holy offerers ought to be vnspotted vnblamed and vnbleamisht euen the fairest and the best of all Gods creatures to whom he hath assigned offices of highest estimation making them mediators to his onely mediator and cotinuall waiters in his presence by whom he doth conferre his gifts of grace and the hope of heauen 4 Such ought all to be and such are many in this holy order whose liues conforme the condition of their calling who not regarding earthly considerations fixe their eyes onely on God attending all occasions to demonstrate their dutie and diligence in their high and chargable calling For howsoeuer in the base estemation of most base people that reuerend place is disgracefully reputed because prophane men iudge a holy cause enuiously and not deseruingly yet in true vnderstanding it is much otherwise they being inferioures to no degree or dignitie on earth saue the supreme authoritie of the Prince which representeth the maiestie of God and by much exceeding al in the worth of their laboures and in the purpose of their holy busines 5 Men of holy order thus affected are the very mappes of Religion and Religious Policy from whose liues may bee learned what Religion is whose examples may serue for the rules of holinesse and for demonstarions to point out the direct passage to euerlasting happines 6 For there is this difference betweene diuine and humane offices all humane seruice is tied to attend conueniencie and the opportunitie of times but diuine seruice hath imployment at all times and vpon all occasions and therefore is a strict holinesse of life required in Church-men because their liues must perswade and teach Religion that what they deliuer at once in their preaching they may alwaies example it in their liuing whereby their diuine office is held in continuall practise benefiting the Catholique Church at all times and vpon all occasiones 7 And this is that Religious dutie required in men of Religious place to which strictnes euery man in holy orders is bound of necessitie and more then others For as in the affaires of earthly state such as are neerest the person of their prince in fauour and place and attend those state offices of higest consideration doe take that charge and those honours with solemne oth
but if the politique State be iustifiable in her proceedings it argueth the iustnes and truth of the State of Religion because where the State is not tempted to euill which is much more subiect to such temptation it is of great likely-hood that the Church is vntainted and in the State of truth and holy discipline 12 And in this respect hath God beene fauourable to this Nation beyond comparison hauing giuen it such Soueraignes of State and State gouernors as no Christian Nation can out-glory it descending still a succession of both sorts of Gouernors principals and secondaries whereby both States of Religion and Religious Policy flourish in this kingdome in their lawfull and Religious exercise Of Subordinate Gouernours in the common affaires of State CHAP. VIII SVbordinate Gouernours in the State are Iudges Iustices and their inferiour officers who by reason the executions of their offices depend vpon certaine Satutes State directions are therefore bound to a strictnes of iustice from which they rightfully cannot wander and therefore in the iust discharge of their offices they haue nothing at their owne election but are tied by necessity to iudge and determine as the law shal lead them Therefore in them there is little vse of Policy because the seruice of their place is execution and not inuention to doe as they are directed and not to direct how to doe For the wisedome of Policy is direction but the life of iustice is execution 2 For as euery action of our bodies receiue directions from the soule how to moue how to speake how to worke according to such direction is euery action formed so the subbordinate Magistrate doth nothing of himselfe but as his superiours direct him they giuing him rules and proportions to command and restraine him 3 For the King is the head of euery body Politique his Counsellors of State are those diuine faculties in the head reason vnderstanding iudgement c. By whose directions the whole body is ordered and disposed the instrumentall parts such as the eies the hands the feete c. resemble subordinate officers who administer and execute as the head directs them The truncke or bulke of the body is the vulgar who communicate the profits of the whole body yet in respect of gouernment they are meerely passiue hauing diuine and humane lawes and their officers to order them in euery circumstance of their life 4 Thus ought euery body Politique to bee disposed euery difference of degree obseruing iust proportion as God as Nature and as Order hath disposed them Therefore in subordinate officers of State there is a dutie of conformity which commands them as they command inferiours whereby the libertie of euill affected men is restrained from much iniurious violence which authoritie would giue to bloodie or ambitious Natures 5 For in men not rightly affected there is no Heauen no Hell no wound of conscience so powerfull to correct and withhold from iniury as penalty and seuere law because they are but doubtfully but this certainly beleeued and therefore is it a speciall prouidence of State to limit all subordinate authoritie and to leaue nothing to libertie and common discretion wherein would bee disorder and confusion but to giue authoritie with limits and restrictions commanding both the matter and the manner of euery lawfull proceeding in a Common-wealth 6 In inferiour magistracie then there is not that needfull vse of much policy as in Soueraigne and State authority a faithfull diligence being principally required in their seruice to do onely that which they are directed And this was seriously regarded in the Romane Gouernment where inferiour officers might doe nothing not onely not against but not without superiour authority where such neglect was punished with death euen in them who had deserued nobly 7 Religion and Conscience then is principally and solely required in such magistracie the which dutie in them discharged where in all controuersies of titles or executions of iustice the true end and purpose of euery law is barely considered no partiall regard had to friend or friendly fauours whereby the sentence and iudgement of lawes may destroy their iustice and sincerity 8 And from whence do arise infinite of inconueniencies the greatest enemies of peace and iustice the calamitie of a Christian State and the distroyers of many wealthy States all which euils would be auoyded if law-controuersies were decided without friuolous protractions and and with a conscionable vnderstanding of the law the reuerend sages of the law deliuering the true sense of euery Statute and the true worth of euery title with single eye and without partiall affection whereby the swarmes of contentious wranglers might want argument of strife and imploy their paines in more conscionable seruices and whereby the Common-wealth should not want the profitable imployment of honest and painefull men in their callings who often times lose their whole estate by attending the law defence of some litle parte thereof Therefore in these officers and in this authoritie there is most needefull vse of conscience and that no Policy but onely Religion may giue them and their place direction 9 This is the common duty but not the common practise of subordinate officers who notwithstanding their little vse of Policy yet many times vse Policy and bad Policy more then conscience and Religion whereby the reuerend and worthy place it selfe is held in iealousie and the common reputation disgraced by the base vsage of some particulars 10 But it were a bad argument to conclude against a generall profession by particular instance or condemne the abused because of the abusers for among all degrees of men and in euery place and profession there are euer some guilty of dishonest and vngodly practise If Christ chuse twelue there is on diuell and therefore in our elections among twenty there may be twelue diuels And vndoubtedly it is no wrong to report that in all estates degrees and professions of men the worse part is by much the greater for as the way to Heauen so the way to honesty and vpright dealing is hard and the passage narrow and fewe there be that enter that path but most happie are they whosoeuer they bee who refuse to be vnfaithfull despising the vanities of this life because their hope and confidence doth repose in the trust of Gods prouidence 11 Whosoeuer then hath place in these subordinate affaires of State whether it be in the course of law or in the course of common iustice if he decline from the rules of equity and honest proceeding his practise is but Policy and the vse he maketh of Law is most vnlawfull for howsoeuer it is but reasonable that the profits of euery mans place that hath imployment in the State should support him and gaine him such proportion of maintenance as the countenance of his place requireth yet he that applieth the seruice of his place to his owne profitable vses onely is most vniustifiable in the iudgement of conscience because he faileth
in their seuerall kindes are men affected the good 〈◊〉 good in their intention though they faile in many particulars of their life the bad euer bad both in act and purpose And to one of those two doeth euery man conforme his life either to vertue or vice either to Religion or Policie for this distinction is in all estates of men and in euery quality and profession of people from the Monarch to the meanest of all men euery man in his estate and degree pressing to one of these two ends the which he aspireth with strong purpose and with all forceable indeauour 6 And because that prosperous fortune doth seeme to be the vtmost end of euery badde mans practise therefore is in of moment to consider the diuers natures of Religion and Policy in men of prosperous Fortune for it is not of necessarie consequence that because euill mâ—n affect onely the prosperitie of this life therefore prosperous Fortune is altogether to be despised or neglected and to be altogether out of the cares of good men for good men may care for that which euill men care for but they may not like euill men care onely for that but that God may be the main purpose of all their cares and that all other things bee onely so farreforth cared for as may administer to a mans Christian necessity 7 If I should discend to particulars and examine the seuerall degrees of men their estates their offices or whatsoeuer aduancement of their fortunes If I should search the secrets of Arts of Trades and mechaâ—icall labours whereby base and small beginnings in things swell to 〈◊〉 monsâ—â—â—â—â— largenes 〈◊〉 I should inquire â—â—terallable meanes of aduancement and â—inde my selfe to declare the lawfulnes and vnlawfulnes of euery particular I should not only weary my self with â—uch busines but offend the well disposed with the knowledge of much misery Therefore I will sparingly deliuer my iudgement in this large theame being rather content to offend my selfe with silence then others with vnprofitable knowledge 8 Prosperous fortune if by honest and allowable meanes obtained and with regardful moderation spent and vsed is a blessing from the hands of God which hath some little resemblance to eternall happines though in comparison of their worth there is no proportion But if temporall blessings bee either vniustly gotte or vngodly spent they then nothing benefit their owners but are seruants of their shame and earnest causers of euerlasting torment 9 With this vnderstanding may men of all degrees iudge themselues and examine the particular of their owne Fortunes For the seuerity of conscience giueth no dispensation or libertie to any one but with one and the same eye beholdeth all men and euery action of euery man without all personall respect The Prince whom men dare not iudge is iudged by conscience and the meanest and most deiected whom men despise is regarded of conscience there being but one law of conscience for all sorts of men 10 And by this iudgement are men taught to know themselues and to haue true vnderstanding of their estates whereby they may know their present condition and thereafter either hope or feare the euent of future times This iudgement also can best determine the difference of Religion and Policie in prosperous fortunes their lawfulnes or not and whether Religion or Policie hath had preheminence in the getting or in the dispending of our fortunes 11 For it is needefully required in the fortunes of euery good man that he both purchase lawfully and spend honestly for men may not challenge interest in any part of Gods blessings without some maner of desert neither when he hath theÌ„ may he vse them at his pleasure but so dispose them as the great Master of all hath commanded because men of great fortune are but Gods officers to whose trust hee hath pleased to commit the imployment of some part of his benefits 12 Therefore both in the winning and wearing of temporall blessings there is a dutie of conscience which bindeth all degrees of men with impartiall and like seueritie The Prince may not ariue his soueraignetie either by power or Policy if he haue not iust cause and rightfull claime Great men ought not purchase honourable name with dishonest action but rather winne the garland of honor by their noble deseruing The rich ought not to pursue the possession of wealth with such vehemence and strong appetite imbracing the exercise of euery sinne that may aduantage but rather to possesse wealth with feare because that God will require at their hands a iust discharge of their stewardship and so in euery other degree of fortune there is a lawfull proceeding to be regarded whereby may bee knowne whether men aspire their prosperous fortunes by good or euill meanes by Religion or by Policie 13 The like care is required in the disposing of temporal blessings that such to whom God shall please to giue them may so imploy them as that Gods husbaÌ„dry be not idle but in profitable imploiment that seeing God hath made them Stewards ouerseeres in the world which is Gods house and hath giuen them place and authoritie ouer the rest of their fellow seruants it is most reasonable that they spend Gods gift to Gods glory and like men faithful prouident supply to all such Christian necessities as may any way distresse their fellow seruants lest otherwise the Master of the family God call them to a rekoning and so both depriue discharge them 14 And let all men remember how great how rich or how noble soeuer they be that it is better to be good then to be great and that holy men how poore soeuer haue a higher place in Gods fauour then the most mighty on earth if they be not holy for these are but stewards and seruants but the other are children and inheritors of the kingdome of God for whose sakes the world is made rich with temporall blessings 15 Let them remember also that if God giue them the blessings of his hands honour riches prosperity c. he hath also giuen them duties and lawfull imployment for their gifts of which they must bee carefull and onely carefull auoyding both improfitable and dishonest expence 16 But before all let them most carefully remember that God is a father of many children and that his sonnes and daughters here in his earthly house passe their time thorow many difficulties and many hard extremities and that God hath made the noble and the rich his officers and houshold seruants to distribute his temporall blessings in conuenient proportion to all but especially to the children of Faith and therefore how detestable to God would their negligence bee who seeing the children of God indure the extremities of hard Fortune somtimes the very cause of God Religion disgracefully reputed are notwithstanding content to be lookers on and rather to loade the burthen of their miseries then any way to supporte or ease them whereby the true owners are depriued the benefit of their owne and whereby the Treasurers of Gods wealth purchase to themselues a greeuous damnation debasing and impouerishing the sons and daughters of God to rase and inrich their owne bastards that is their wicked and base affections Therefore in all the degrees of prosperous fortune there is a dutie of conscience with bindeth all men to God in strict obligation the which bond whosoeuer shall forfet doth dangerously hazard the destruction of his soule and doth declare against himselfe that he is not Religious but meerely Politique The Conclusion THVS I haue according to my vnderstanding deliuered the true natures of Religion and Policy how they may how they neuer can conspire in any one particular which is onely then when they meete in the line of Truth and both of them intend one purpose in their passage For lawfull and vnlawfull practises are like Heauen and Earth betweene which there is an immense space and a most full opposition of Nature For neither can the Heauens and the Earth ioyne their substance before the generall destruction of the world neither can Religion and vnlawfull Policy conspire friendly in any one act but where there is a destruction of truth and a persecution of orderly proceeding But like the enmity of fire and water these enemies Religion and Policy quarrell wheresoeuer they meete and triumph in the spoyle of one another This knowledge I haue thought good to publish to euery mans vnderstanding because of the generall abuse of lawfull Policy growne common in the traffick of most base imployments men of all sort and of euery disposition of Nature saue the best making vnlawfull Policies the steppes of their reputation whereby they ascend the dignitie of high place and prosperous Fortune and whereby they vse those temporall blessings of God to most vngodly purpose euen to the dishonour of God who gaue them and to the disgrace of Religion Gods cause and the Religious Gods children to whom all the gifts both of Grace and Nature doe most properly belong I haue forborne to giue particular disgrace to any man or to any profession of men because I would not offend but rather admonish and remember all men what that duety is which is almost forgot to be a duty for to make particular application is not my office but the office of conscience which hath a greater authority and doth perswade and preuaile in euery mans affections that hath the least-indument of grace To whom I onely direct my selfe in this charitable office and for whose good my Christian name shall euer make me a seruant which hath made mee enemy to godlesse and wicked people and to their vnlawfull and damned Policies FINIS Errata Pag. 11. lin 18. r. they p. 22. l. 20. r. enemy p. 23. l. 15. r. many p. 27. l. 12. r. are p. 40. l. 23. r. danger p. 79. l. 23. r. hence p. 93. l. 18. r. Rhodes