contrary to his oath of subiection to Iesus Christ or that he hath wilfully cast himselfe into Apostaticall defection And certes to any man that weighs the matter with due consideration it wil be found apparantly false that Kings of France haue bene receiued of their subiects at any time with condition to serue IESVS CHRIST They were actually Kings before they came forth to the solemnitie of their sacring before they vsed any stipulation or promise to their subiects For in hereditary kingdoms nothing more certaine nothing more vncontrouleable the Kings death instantly maketh liuery and seisin of the Royaltie to his next successour Nor is it materiall to replie that a King succeeding by right of inheritance takes an oath in the person of his predecessor For euery oath is personall proper to the person by whom it is taken and to God no liuing creature can sweare that his owne sonne or his heire shall proue an honest man Well may the father and with great solemnitie promise that he will exhort his heire apparant with all his power and the best of his endeauours to feare God and to practise piety If the fathers oath be agreeable to the dueties of godlinesse the sonne is bound thereby whether he take an oath or take none On the other side if the fathers oath come from the puddles of impietie the sonne is bound thereby to goe the contrary way If the fathers oath concerne things of indifferent nature and such as by the variety or change of times become either pernicious or impossible then it is free for the Kings next successor and heire prudently to fit and proportion his Lawes vnto the times present and to the best benefit of the Common-wealth When I call these things to mind with some attention I am out of all doubt his Lordship is very much to seeke in the right sense and nature of his Kings oath taken at his Coronation to defend the Church and to perseuere in the Catholike faith For what is more vnlike and lesse credible then this conceit that after Clouis had reigned 15. yeeres in the state of Paganisme and then receiued holy Baptisme he should become Christian vpon this condition That in case hee should afterward reuolt from the Faith it should then bee in the power of the Church to turne him out of his Kingdome But had any such conditionall stipulation beene made by Clouis in very good earnest and trewth yet would hee neuer haue intended that his deposing should bee the acte of the Romane Bishop but rather of those whether Peeres or people or whole body of the State by whom he had bene aduanced to the Kingdome Let vs heare the trewth and this is the trewth It is farre from the customary vse in France for their Kings to take any such oath or to vse any such stipulation with their subiects If any King or Prince wheresoeuer doth vse an oath or solemne promise in these expresse termes Let me lose my Kingdome or my life be that day my last both for life and reigne when I shall first reuolt from the Christian Religion By these words he calleth vpon God for vengeance hee vseth imprecation against his owne head but hee makes not his Crowne to stoupe by this meanes to any power in the Pope or in the Church or in the people And touching inscriptions vpon coynes of which point his Lordship speaketh by the way verely the nature of the money or coine the stamping and minting whereof is one of the marks of the Prince his dignity and Soueraignty is not changed by bearing the letters of Christs Name on the reuerse or on the front Such characters of Christs Name are aduertisements and instructions to the people that in shewing and yeelding obedience vnto the King they are obedient vnto Christ those Princes likewise who are so wel aduised to haue the most sacred Names inscribed and printed in their coines doe take and acknowledge Iesus Christ for supreme King of Kings The said holy characters are no representation or profession that any Kings Crowne dependeth vpon the Church or can be taken away by the Pope The L. Cardinal indeed so beareth vs in hand But he inuerts the words of Iesus Christ and wrings them out of the right ioynt For Christ without all ambiguitie and circumlocution by the image and inscription of the money doeth directly and expressely prooue Caesar to bee free from subiection and entirely Soueraigne Now if such a supreme and Soueraigne Prince at any time shall bandie and combine against God and thereby shall become a rebellious and perfidious Prince doubtlesse for such disloyaltie he shall deserue that God would take from him all hope of life eternall and yet hereby neither Pope nor people hath reason to bee puft vp in their power to depriue him of his temporall Kingdome The L. Page 76. Cardinall saith besides The champions of the Popes power to depose Kings doe expound that commandement of S. Paul whereby euery soule is made subiect vnto the superiour powers to bee a prouisionall precept or caution accommodated to the times and to stand in force onely vntll the Church were growen in strength vnto such a scantling that it might be in the power of the faithfull without shaking the pillars of Christian state to stand in the breach and cautelously to prouide that none but Christian Princes might be receiued according to the Law in Deut Thou shalt make thee a King from among thy brethren The reason whereupon they ground is this Because Paul saith It is a shame for Christians to be iudged vnder vniust Infidels in mattrs or businesse which they had one against another For which inconuenience Iustinian after prouided by Law when hee ordeined that no Infidel nor Heretike might be admitted to the administration of iustice in the Common-wealth In which words of the Cardinall the word Receiued is to bee obserued especially and aboue the rest For by chopping in that word hee doeth nimbly and with a tricke of Legier-demain transforme or change the very state of the question For the question or issue of the cause is not about receiuing establishing or choosing a Prince as in those Nations where the Kingdome goes by election but about doing homage to the Prince when God hath setled him in the Kingdome and hath cast it vpon a Prince by hereditary succession For that which is writtten Thou shalt make thee a King doeth no way concerne and touch the people of France in these dayes because the making of their King hath not of long time been tyed to their election The passage therefore in Deuter. makes nothing to the purpose no more then doth Iustinians law For it is our free and voluntary confession that a Christian Prince is to haue speciall care of the Lawes and to prouide that no vnbeleeuer be made Lord Chiefe-Iustice of the Land that no Infidel be put in trust with administration of Iustice to the people But here the issue doeth not
that of the Workes of GOD for workes of Nature haue their roote from within vs and bring with them a radicall kinde of vertue that neuer suffers them to rest till they haue produced their fruite to perfect forme and perfection Workes of deliberation and Art haue their foundation from without vs and giue vs occasion to worke vpon them as our phantasies thinke fittest for the present time Hence proceeds it that the workes of Nature haue so few errors in them those of Art so many They of Nature so constant they of Arte so variable they of Nature so permanent they of Art so soone perish they of Nature so well accepted and approued of all they of Art accepted or reiected as it pleaseth the seuerall apprehensions of men to conceiue of them Now albeit the workes of men be of Errors so full of nature so different subiect to so many Jnterpretations published at so diuers times Yet hath it bene euer esteemed a matter commendable to collect them together and incorporate them into one Body that we may behold at once what diuers Off-springs haue proceeded from one braine and how various Conceptions the wit of man is able to afford the world To instance in a few of them beginning a little higher then the writings of ordinarie Men. The seruants of Hezekiah are commended in Scripture for collecting together the Sentences of Solomon Iesus the sonne of Sirach is praised for searching out the Copies of his Grandfathers workes But principally Ezra is had in great honour for setting in order the whole Bookes of the Old Testament and deuiding them into Chapters and Verses which before were caried along in a scroule by a continuall Series without any distinction at all S. Iohn is reported to haue searched out the Copies of the three former Euangelists and to haue added his owne for the fourth in that order as now they are extant And the Primitiue Church was curious to gather together the Epistles of the Holy Apostles which they being not able by reason of persecution perfectly to performe in euery place gaue occasion to after-times to call the authority of so many of them into question But to descend How are we bound to those who haue laboured in setting out the Counsells and Works of the Fathers together Jnsomuch that we thinke our selues as much bound to Eusebius and Hierom and of later times to Peter Crab and Erasmus and diuers others who haue laboured in that kinde as wee doe almost to the Authors themselues Traian commended Plutark for gathering the Apothegmes of wise men together Constantinus the sonne of Leo collected out of all Histories both in the East and West one Corpus Historicum which they counted an inestimable Treasure Iustinian by the helpe of Tribonianus did the like in the Lawes Gratian compiled the Decrees out of the Epistles of Popes Councells and Fathers Damascen collected into one body of Diuinitie the Sentences of the Greeke Fathers And Peter Lumbard 400. yeeres after him by his example did the like in the Latine Fathers And how doe wee labour to recouer Bookes that are lost The Bookes of Origen that amounted to sixe thousand as Epiphanius witnesseth were much laboured for by Eusebius and others The Bookes of Cicero de Repub. were much sought for by Cardinall Poole and great summes of money haue bene spent to recouer the lost Decades of Liuie Wherefore since it hath beene heretofore the practise of all aages to collect the workes of Men of worth and preserue them from perishing to labour much in recouering those that haue bene lost to giue to euery childe the owne Father to euery Booke the trew Author for there neuer had bene halfe so many birds to haue flowen about the world with false feathers if euery Author had set out his owne workes together in his owne time J hope then it shall not be now a matter of reproofe in a Seruant to trauaile in the setting foorth of the Works of his Master and for giuing you that together which before yee could hardly get asunder and for preseruing that in a Masse from perishing that might easily be lost in a Mite But while I am collecting workes one way I heare others scattering wordes as fast an other way affirming it had beene better his Maiestie had neuer written any Bookes at all and being written better they had perished with the present like Proclamations then haue remayned to Posterity For say these Men Little it befitts the Maiesty of a King to turne Clerke and to make a warre with the penne that were fitter to be fought with the Pike to spend the powers of his so exquisite an vnderstanding vpon paper which had they beene spent on powder could not but haue preuayled ere this for the Conquest of a Kingdome For a King say they to enter a Controuersie with a Scholler is as if he should fight a Combate with a Kerne he doth no more descend from his Honour in the one then he bringes vpon himselfe Disgrace by the other And since that Booke-writing is growen into a Trade It is as dishonorable for a King to write bookes as it is for him to be a Practitioner in a Profession Jf a King will needs write Let him write like a King euery Lyne a Law euery Word a Precept euery Letter a Mandate Jn good trewth I haue had my eares so oft dung through with these Obiections and the like as I know not whether I conceiued amisse of my selfe or no thinking I had more ability to answere these Calumnyes then I had patience to heare them And therefore hauing so fit opportunity J shall not let to deliuer my opinion Whether it may sorte with the Maiestie of a King to be a writer of Bookes or no. First I could neuer reade that there was any Law against it and where we haue no Law the best is to follow good Examples And many Diuines are of opinion that examples that are not contrary to any Precept doe binde vs in practise at least so farre that though they doe not inforce vs to the doing yet they warrant the deede when it is done And if Examples will serue the turne wee haue Examples enough First to beginne with the King of Kings God himselfe who as he doth all things for our good So doeth he many things for our Jmitation Jt pleased his Diuine wisedome to bee the first in this Rancke that we read of that did euer write Hee wrote and the writing was the writing saith Moses of God the maner was after the maner of engrauing the matter was in Stone cut into two Tables and the Tables were the worke of God written on both sides Diuines hold that the Heart is the principall Seate of the Soule which Soule of ours is the immediate worke of God as these Tables were the immediate worke of his owne fingers The Stone the expresse represent of the hardnesse of our heart the engrauing the worke of God so deepely impressed
your faith is fruitlesse 2 Be watchfull then and sleepe no longer in negligence and carelesse securitie but strengthen againe that which is dying in you to wit reuiue your zeale and feruencie which is waxed cold and almost quenched for surely I haue not found your works so holy and pure as they are able to abide a triall before the face of God 3 Remember then what thou hast once receiued heard that thou maist obserue the same and repent but if thou watch not as I haue said I will come as a thiefe for the day of triall shall come when ye looke least for it if ye be not alwayes and at all times prepared 4 Yet haue yee some few heads and notable persons in Sardis who haue not defiled their garments to wit corrupted their workes as the rest haue done and therefore they shall goe with me being made white to wit being made innocent by my merit for they are worthy thereof 5 And the Victour shall be clothed with a white garment of innocencie by imputation neither shall I wipe his name out of the Booke of life but shall auow him to be one of mine before my Father and his Angels 6 He that hath an eare let him heare what the Spirit sayth to the Churches 7 But to the Angelor Pastour of the Church of Philadelphia write thou This sayth hee who is onely holy and trew Philadelphia and who hath the key of Dauid who openeth and no man shutteth who shuts and no man openeth as sayes Esay Chap. 22. for as Dauid was both King and Prophet and was the figure of me so I as the veritie and end of that figure am onely he who hath the keyes of absolute condemning or absoluting spiritually and eternally 8 I know thy workes and loe I haue set an open doore before thee to wit I haue made the way of grace patent vnto thee which doore no man can shut because I haue reserued the secret power of election and reprobation onely to my selfe and this fauour will I shew you because yee retaine some good and vertuous things amongst you and hast kept my Word and hast not beene ashamed of my Name nor denyed the same 9 Loe therefore I will make subiect vnto thee these who are the Synagogue of Satan to wit those who call themselues Iewes and are not but lye I shall make them I say come and adore before your feete and they shall be compelled to know that I haue loued thee 10 And this shall I do vnto thee because thou hast faithfully retained the tidings of my troubles and sufferings and therefore shal I deliuer thee also to trie the indwellers of the Earth 11 Loe I come shortly therefore retaine surely to the end that good which is in thee lest another doe receiue thy Crowne and reward 12 For I will make the Victor a pillar in the Temple of my God to wit a speciall and stedfast instrument in the Church out of the which he shall neuer againe be cast foorth for hee who once is elected is neuer cast off and I shall write on him the Name of God to wit he shal beare the Marke and Seale of an Elect and the name of the Citie of my God which is new Ierusalem to wit the holy and blessed number of Saints and Angels which commeth downe from heauen from my God to wit is shortly and certeinly to come downe by the generall compeiring at the latter day And I shall also write on him mine owne Name for I shall apply my generall redemption of mankinde to him in speciall and so I shall write my new Name vpon him to wit of Redeemer and Sauiour which name I haue lately acquired through my passion death and rising againe 13 Hee that hath an eare let him heare what the Spirit sayth vnto the Churches 14 And to the Angel or Pastour of the Church of Laodicea Laodicea write thou Thus sayth the Amen to wit he that is wholly and perfect holy and true in all his promises that saithfull Witnesse who is the beginning of the workemanship of God as well because hee is that Word which did create all and so is their beginning for that they all receiued their beginning and being from him as because the vniting of the Manhood with the Godhead in his person is the most excellent and so the beginning that is the chiefe or first in preeminence of all the workes of God 15 I know thy workes sayth hee to wit that thou art neither hote nor colde would to God thou wert either hote or cold to wit either feruent and pure in the trueth or altogether cold and ignorant that is seeing and confessing thine ignorance and slacknesse that thou mightest be instructed in the same Iudgement against Laodicea 16 But thou art lukewarme and neither hote nor cold and so inexcusable and therefore as lukewarme liquor prouokes vomit so will I spew thee out of my mouth 17 For thou sayest and thinkest thy selfe to be wealthy and greatly enriched and lacke nothing but thou knowest not thy selfe to be spiritually in miserie and wretchednesse poore blinde and naked of the grace and fauour of God 18 I would wish thee to buy of me gold purged by the fire that thou mayst thereby be made truely rich I meane I would wish thee to conquer by true repentance and earnest prayer the Word and trueth of God which because it can receiue no filth or spot and is able to abide the triall Dauid properly in his Psalmes compares to golde purged by the fire which will make thee rich in all spirituall graces I would also wish thee to clothe thy selfe with a white garment to wit with innocencie and righteousnes that the shame of thy nakednesse and vncleannesse appeare not and to anoint thine eyes with an eye-salue that thou mayst cleerly see from whence thou hast fallen 19 But despaire thou not for these my sharpe words for those whom I loue I reprooue and fatherly chasten Take vp therefore againe zealously the right way to saluation and repent thee earnestly of thy former iniquities 20 Loe I stand at the doore and knocke for I offer my selfe vnto you by my Ambassadours and my word in their mouth whosoeuer heareth my voice and openeth the doore to wit whosoeuer heareth my voice and yeeldeth thereunto due obedience to him will I come in to wit my holy Spirit shall enter into him and I will sup and be familiar with him as he shall doe with me and reuerence me with loue 21 And I will make the Victour to sit with me in my Throne to wit he shal be partaker of my Glory euen as I sit with my Father in his Throne and am in my manhood in which I ouercame exalted to sit in glory at his right hand equall in power eternitie and glory with him 22 Hee that hath an eare let him heare what the Spirit sayth to the Churches CHAP. IIII. ARGVMENT The rauishing of the
and their deliuerance promised Their blessed estate in the meane time in the fift The day of Iudgement and the terriblenesse thereof in the sixt AFter this I looked to see when the Lambe opened the first Seale and loe I heard one of the foure beasts for they were appointed to assist me in the time of these Visions as the most excellent creatures of God and his voice was like a thunder making me awake with terrour to take heede to these great and terrible Prophesies which God was to declare vnto me and hee said Come and see 2 Then I looked and did see a white horse and he that sate on him had a bow in his hand Zach. 1.8 Zach. 6.2 3. and a Crowne giuen vnto him and hee came foorth a Victour to winne and ouercome This man comming on the white horse was the comming and incarnation of our Bright and Innocent Sauiour armed with a bow for euer since his comming till now and a space hereafter the dart and arrow of God to wit the holy Spirit by the preaching of the Gospel doeth subdue and bring the world vnder his subiection and taketh vengeance of his enemies His crowne is giuen to him by his Father in token of his victory ouer the second death and as King of the Catholike Church to crowne the faithfull Conuersion of the Gentiles and so he commeth foorth a Victour ouer Satan and to ouercome by once conuerting a great part of the world to the trew knowledge of God This mysterie is already begunne but is not yet accomplished 3 And when he opened the second Seale 4 Loe there came forth a red horse and there was power giuen to him that sate on him to take away peace from the earth that euery one might slay one another and there was giuen him for that purpose a great sword for with the spreading of the Euangel and rooting of the trueth in the hearts of the nations Persecution of the body by the Ciuill sword in the second Seale Continuation of trew pastors after the Martyres shall a bloody persecution of Tyrants by the ciuil sword be ioyned which is meant by the rider on the red horse but notwithstanding the Euangel shall spread and flourish for such is the power of God resisting the pride of man that vnder the Crosse the puritie of the trueth most flourisheth in the Church 5 And when he opened the third Seale the third Beast said vnto me Come and see and loe I did see a blacke horse and hee that sate vpon him had balances in his hand 6 And I heard a voice from among the foure Beasts saying A measure of Wheat for one peny and three measures of Barley for one peny but wine and oyle harme thou not for after that this first mysterie shall be accomplished not onely dearth and famine shall ensue the contempt of the trueth but God shall permit Satan to tempt and vexe his Church with a cloud of diuers and dangerous heresies which may be meant by the rider on the blacke horse for the blackenesse and darkenesse of them Heresies ment in the third Seale shall obscure the light of the Gospel but yet God to assure vs that hee will neuer forget his owne speakes from his Throne comforting vs thereby that although as the balances and measure signifies good men shall bescant who are the fine wheat and barley of his haruest Luke 3. yet some shall there be that shall not bow their knee to Baal no not in straighter times that shall come after and alwayes giues vs assurance that the word and trueth of God which is an eternall Oyle and comfortable Vine shall neuer be destroyed nor any wayes corrupted in spight of all the malice of Satan in his instruments 7 And when hee opened the fourth Seale the fourth Beast said vnto me Come and see 8 Then I beheld and loe I did see a pale horse and the name of him that sate vpon him was Death This is the greatest and heauiest plague for after that the persecutions and heresies shall take an ende and that infirmitie and coldnesse haue cropen into the Church The Popedom is meant by the pale horse in the fourth Seale of heresie and ciuil tyranny then shall God redouble his former plagues by permitting Satan to erect a tyrannie composed of both these former plagues for it shall be full of heresie like the one and full of ciuill and temporall tyrannie like the other and therefore because it brings with it al maner of death both of body and soule the rider is iustly called Death as the fountaine of all the sorts of the same and the palenesse of the horse is correspondent in all points to the qualitie of the rider for as the rider is called Death so the colour of palenesse represents the same and as the riders qualities are composed of heresies and tyrannie so the colour of pale is composed chiefly of blacke and red And hell followed after him to the vtter damnation of him and his followers And power was giuen him ouer the fourth part of the earth to wit the rest who are not ouercome by the other three riders for all they who were not marked by the white horse nor killed in body by the red nor killed in soule by the blacke are killed both in body and soule by this last And as he hath power of destroying thus giuen him ouer the fourth part of the earth so by foure plagues specially doeth he execute the same to wit by Sword Hunger Death and the Beasts of the earth These plagues allude to the plagues mentioned in the Canticle of Moses for this tyrannie shall begin with persecution Scarcitie of trew Pastors and worshipping The cruelty of the Popes tyranny this persecution shall cause a hunger and great scarcitie of the true worship of God this hunger shall breed a second and eternall death and this tyranny shall then end with a crueller and bloodier persecution of the bodies then euer was before which shall be so barbarous that it is compared in this Vision to the execution vsed by wilde beasts vpon offenders and shall spare no degree sexe nor aage no more then beasts doe 9 But when he opened the fift Seale I did see vnder the Altar the soules of them that were slaine for the word of God and for his Testimonie which they maintained 10 And they cryed with a lowd voice saying How long wilt thou delay O Lord since thou art holy and trew to reuenge iudge our blood vpon them that dwel on the earth for this last persecution did enter so fiercely into the world and did make so great a number of Martyrs that their soules lying vnder the Altar to wit in the safegard of IESVS CHRIST who is the only Altar Hose 14.3 whereupon and by whom it is onely lawfull to vs Hebr. 13.15 to offer the sacrifice of our hearts and lips to wit our humble prayers to God
doctrine and therefore are called here a Crowne of twelue starres vpon her head How soone I say that she thus arayed did bring forth CHRIST in the flesh who is that man-child who rules the Gentiles with an Iron rod as Dauid saith in his Psalmes That great red and ancient Dragon for in our first forefather he vttered his malice to wit the diuell who is ruler of infinite numbers of men which is signified by his seuen heads and seuen diadems or Crownes vpon them and who hath innumerable meanes and instruments to be executors of his malicious will which is signified by the tenne hornes alluding to Daniel and who is so mighty in deceipt that he doeth not onely allure the infidels to follow him but euen a part of the Pastours and the visible Church to their destruction which is signified by his drawing after him with his taile as followers of his intisements the third part of the Starres of heauen and casting them to the earth This dragon hauing waited to destroy her birth and for earnestnesse gaping for it before it was borne and not able to preuaile but by the contrary seeing CHRITS rising from the dead and then his ascending into heauen which is signified by the Childs pulling vp to GOD and his Throne and seeing the Church to flourish though vnder persecution which is signified by her flying to a place in the wildernesse which God had prepared for her where thereafter she must lurke for the space of the dayes ye heard reckoned to wit the Church shal be vnknowne and as it were vnregarded and no man shall know how it shal be sustained for GOD shall nourish it the space of the Antichrists kingdome which is the number of dayes ye heard counted before The Dragon I say hauing found this that both CHRIST and his Church did escape his hands and not onely that but that himselfe also by the vertue of CHRISTS renewing of vs was no moreable to accuse the Saints of God as he did in time of the old Law since now we are made righteous which is signified by the battell in heauen where GOD to declare that none is like vnto him made CHRIST here called Michael whose name imports Who is like GOD with his Angels to fight and ouercome the diuel and his angels and to cast them on the earth Satan I say finding himselfe thus debarred from further accusing of the Saints hauing found that he should neuer haue place to doe that in any time thereafter as on the one part it reioyced all the Angels and Saints in heauen for their bretherens cause on the earth as is witnessed by the song that the voyce did sing in Heauen praising God therefore and extolling the deed of Michael and his Angels who fought so earnestly for the Saints on earth as if they had bene mortall they would not haue spared their liues in that cause for their sakes whom CHRIST had redeemed with his blood and of whose clection he had borne witnesse to his Father so on the other part it enraged the Dragon so that he became the crueller tempter of men vpon the earth aswell for that his place of accusing in heauen was taken away by the mysterie of the redemption which is signified by this fight as for that he knew within short space he was by CHRISTS second comming to be cast downe from the earth into hell there to be chained in eternall captiuitie and misery euen as by the first comming he was cast from the heauen which is signified by the last part of the Song so as he pursueth the Church with heresie and ciuil powers which both are signified by the floods of waters which he spewed out of his mouth after that the Eagle wings were giuen the woman to flie to that place appointed for her in the wildernes where she must remaine the number of dayes ye haue heard to wit after that God had giuen his Church a sufficient swiftnesse to eschew the rage of Satan and to lurke the space of Antichrists raigne which lasteth three times or three yeeres and a halfe that is a time prefixed by GOD and vnknowne to men as ye haue sundry times heard already But seeing that all this vanisheth as if the earth had swallowed and dried vp that flood suddenly 17 The Dragon therefore or the diuel became more wrathfull and enraged then before against the woman or the Church and went about by some other way to make warre against the rest of the womans seed who kept the Commandements of GOD and had the testimonies of CHRIST to GOD the Father that they were chosen and called for these are onely the true posteritie of the Church to wit the successours in grace faith and trewth 18 And I stood vpon the Sea shore I meane it seemed to me that I stood vpon the Sea shore because I did wait to see come out of it which represented all peoples and nations such powers as Satan would imploy to fight against the Church for the declaring whereof this Vision was shewen vnto me and whereof these two last great wonders were but the introduction that by these things past as the roote I might the better vnderstand the branches which are to bud forth thereof as followeth CHAP. XIII ARGVMENT The Popes arising His description His rising caused by the ruine of the fourth Monarchie the Romane Empire The rising of the false and Papisticall Church her description her conformitie with her Monarch the Pope The great reuerence borne to the Pope by many nations and not onely to him but to his Legates A generall defection so great as there shall not be an other visible Church but the Popedome Of the first Pope who did take to himselfe all their blasphemous and arrogant styles ANd then I saw a beast rising out of the Sea to wit from among the number of Nations and peoples I saw a Monarchie chosen and erected vp by this Dragon the deuil and it had seuen heads and tenne hornes and tenne diadems vpon the tenne hornes the signification of these heads and hornes was declared vnto me by an Angel as ye shall heare in the place conuenient hereafter Chap. 17. and vpon these heads was the name of blasphemie for they by the persecution of the Saints and adoring false gods shall both by word and deed blaspheme the name of the Eternall 2 This beast or Monarchie Daniel 7. is the fourth King or Monarchie wherof Daniel prophesied to wit euen that Monarchie which presently reignes and hath the power of the other three reuiued in it for it is farre greater then they And therefore as that Monarchie of the Leopard gat that name because of the swiftnes of the conquest and that of the Lion because of the mightines and cruelty therof and that of the Beare because of the strength and long standing thereof so this is called like the Leopard to wit in shape whereof commeth her agilitie headed like a Lion because his strength is
enemie shall be abolished from holy Ierusalem for euer 15 And whosoeuers name is not found written in the booke of Life is casten into the Lake of fire for not onely the publike euill doers but euen whosoeuer is not predestinate for saluation shall at that time be casten into hell for there is no midway but whosoeuer gathereth not with Christ he scattereth as I shew before CHAP. XXI ARGVMENT A large and glorious description of the Church Triumphant in Heauen and of all the members of that holy and Eternall Ierusalem NOw the Spirit of God hauing by this last vision made a summe and recapitulation of all the former as yee haue heard he by this following and last vision declareth and gloriously describeth the reward of all them who constantly perseuere vnto the end in the trew seruice of God notwithstanding all the assaults of Sathan which ye haue heard dilated the reward was then to be eternall inheritours of holy Ierusalem as yee shall presently heare 1 For I saw a new heauen and a new earth it is ouer this new heauen and new earth that the faithfull should reigne kings and priests for euer as yee heard before And the first heauen and the first earth went away neither was the sea any more for all shall be burnt with fire at the consummation which fire shall renew them and take away their corruption and mutablitie releeuing them from the seruitude of death to the liberty of the glory of the sonnes of God who notwithstanding shall not dwel there but in heauen 2 And euen I Iohn saw the holy new City Ierusalem comming downe from heauen made ready of God like a bride that is decked for her bridegroome For this holy Church triumphant shal come downe in all shining glorie to meete Christ her husband when hee shall haue iudged the world as ye haue heard before to bee incorporated and ioyned with him for euer 3 And I heard a mighty voyce from heauen saying for confirmation of this happy coniunction Loe the Tabernacle of God and his dwelling place is with men and hee will now dwell with them for euer and they shall be his people and he shall be a God with them and their God 4 And God shall wipe all teares from their eyes for they shall feele no more any sorow as ye haue often heard before and death shall be no more neither shal any sorow crying or dolour euer be in that Church triumphant for the first are gone away and all these things then shall haue an end 5 And then hee that sate vpon the Throne to wit God the Father said Loe I make new or renew all things and he said vnto me Write and leaue in record what thou hast seene for surely these words are faithfull and trew and shall come certainely to passe 6 And he also said vnto me It is done for when these things shall come to passe then is the full accomplishment of all things I am A and Ω to wit the beginning and the ending of all things For as I made the Creation so shall I cause the Consummation And I shall giue to him that thirsteth of the fountaine of water of life freely or for nothing to wit he will grant saluation to all them who cal vpon him for it and that for nothing for it cōmeth of his free mercie and not of any merit in vs How foolish then are they to be accompted who contemning that saluation which they may obtaine for the crauing buie with their siluer a counterfeit saluation from Babylon as ye heard before 7 And he that ouercommeth Satan and his owne flesh shall possesse all to wit he shall be a full inheritour of Gods kingdome and I shall be a God to him and he shall be a sonne to me 8 But for all them who are fearefull and vnbeleeuing not hauing a sure confidence and trust in my promises and for execrable men and murtherers and fornicators and sorcerers and idolaters and all lyers for all these sorts of men I say there is place appointed in that lake which burneth with fire and brimstone which is the second death 9 Then there came vnto me one of these seuen Angels which had the seuen phials ful of the seuen last plagues and he sayd vnto me Come and I will shew vnto thee the Bride which is the Wife of the Lambe for this Angel was directed to shewe mee the glorie of this holy Hierusalem the Church triumphant not to satisfie my curiosity therewith but that I might leaue in record to all posterities to come not as a hearer onely but as an Oculatus testis what glorious and eternall reward did abide all the faithfull 10 And so he tooke me vp in the Spirit to a high and great Mountaine for it became well that so glorious a sight should be shewen vpon so eminent a place and there hee did shew mee a great Citie to wit that holy Ierusalem comming downe from heauen and from God as ye heard before 11 And it had the glory of God in it and the light or brightnesse of it was like vnto the glittering of a most pretious stone yea euen like the greene Iasper in flourishing eternitie and like the cleare Cristall in shining brightnesse 12 And this Citie had a great and high wall to hold out all them who had not the marke of the Lambe as ye shall heare after and to protect the Citizens from all blastes of troubles for all teares will then bee wipte from their eyes as ye heard before And this Citie had also twelue gates and in them twelue Angels and their names were written vpon them which were the names of the twelue Tribes of the sonnes of Israel 13 And there were three gates towards the East three towards the West three towards the South and three towards the North to signifie that out of all parts and places of the world and whatsoeuer thy vocation be if thou call to God with an vpright heart thou shalt find that the entrance into the Citie is equally distributed about the same 14 And the wall of the Citie had twelue foundations whereupon were written the twelue names of the Apostles of the Lambe These twelue Angels of the twelue gates and twelue foundations of the wall are the foure and twentie Elders of whom ye heard in the beginning of this my Epistle the twelue Angels of the twelue gates are the twelue Patriarkes who were the first teachers of the way and so the guides to this holy Ierusalem for by the Law which they represent we must first beginne to know the trewth and to know our selues and the twelue foundations are we the twelue Apostles for vpon our doctrine is that wall founded which hedgeth in the Saints in an eternall securitie and debarreth all others 15 And the Angel who spake with me had a golden reed in his hand to measure therewith the Citie and the gates and the walles of the same thereby to signifie the
that followed thereupon The signification of the Arke of the Couenant As to the Arke it selfe we know it was built by Moyses at the cōmand of God in the wildernes of Sinai This Arke was made of Shittim wood which admits no corruption It was of most comely shape and forme two cubits and a halfe in length a cubit and a halfe in height and a cubit and a halfe in breadth ouerlaid within and without with pure beaten gold and was not only a figure of Iesus Christ our perfect Sauiour in whom all the promises of God are yea and Amen 2. Corinth 1.20 and in whom as a sure Arke all abundance of Gods blessings are placed that out of his fulnesse we may all receiue grace vpon grace Iohn 1.16 seeing he is made vnto vs of God wisedome righteousnesse sanctification and redemption 1. Corinth 1.30 but also a sure pledge of Gods continuall presence in Christ with his people to blesse them with all maner of blessings And to signifie this purpose more particularly within the Arke was placed the Tables of the Couenant and Law written by God for which cause also it was called the Arke of the Couenant Rom. 10.4 to teach them in Christ promised the perfection of the whole Law to be found for all that beleeue in him Aboue the Arke was a couer or lid called The Mercie Seate and aboue the lid the figures of two Cherubins couering with their wings the Mercie Seat betwixt the which two the liuing God did louingly speake to the instruction and comfort of his people to assure them that all Gods mercifull dealings with man either in communicating his knowledge to them or in sending his Angels ministring Spirits for their comfort Heb. 1.14 Ioh. 1.4 11. hath the ground and foundation in CHRIST IESVS eternally This Arke then being a sure Sacrament of Gods fauour towards them and a Couenant of IESVS CHRIST wherein corporally Gods mercifull promises did insue followes the third part the forme of doing vsed therein by these persons Generally the action was to bring vp the Arke of the Couenant of the Lord from the house of Obed Edom with ioy and to be placed in the Tabernacle built for it by the King in Mount Sion The forme of doing vsed by euery person is The Priests offer Bullocks and Rammes because that God blessed the worke The King clad in a linnen garment dances and playes before the Arke Chenaniah the chiefe of the singers with his fellowes praises God with Psalmes and all the estates in Israel bring the Arke of the Couenant with showting sound of Cornet Trumpet cymbals violes and harpes and place it in the citie of Dauid Briefly then Dauid vpon his victories doeth transport to his house the same to testifie hereby his care to receiue Gods fauour towards him and his people Not thinking it enough to haue once or twise proofe thereof but also to procure a continuance by the presence of his holy Arke esteeming this the worthiest trophee or triumph he could make or erect for his notable victories A triumph indeed farre surpassing the Egyptian Piramides the Grecian trophees or yet the Romane triumphall chariots As to the harmonie and musicall instruments that accompanied this holy Arke I trust no man is ignorant of the custome that was among the Iewes in praising God with all kind of instruments as Dauids Psalmes innumerable times beare witnesse But in case some would demand wherefore the Church of God should more extraordinarily reioyce at one time then at another seeing we are assured that all Gods actions towards vs are for our weale either spiritually or corporally suppose wee cannot at euery time comprehend it I answere that although I must confesse that sentence to bee most orthodoxe yet must I also confesse that whensoeuer it shall please God to manifest by outward signes to the world as at one time more then another the great loue to his Church by some notable worke for their deliuerance We are then of duty bound in the highest degree to praise God as well for confirming of the weake ones amongst vs as for stopping of the mouthes and dashing of the proud wicked without vs to make the glory of his Name as farre as in vs lieth to resound The manifold examples of the Saints of God through the whole Scriptures prooue this more then euidently besides the examples of the prayers of sundry of the godly who for the glory of his Name more then for their particular weale haue prayed him to giue publike testimonie of his loue towards them So did Moses Ioshua Dauid Elias Elizeus and innumerable others of the Prophets and seruants of God As to the dancing of Dauid dancing playing and such like actions we know are of themselues indifferent and good or euil according to their vse and the intention of the vser and therefore being vsed at this time with a comely zeale for the setting foorth of Gods glory are not onely to be borne with and excused but euen most highly to be praysed and commended although that Michal dispraysed the same Moreouer it is to be marked that Dauid in this doing did nothing without the special motion of the spirit of God as an extraordinarie worke which so fully possessed his soule at this present that forgetfull as it were of the actions of his bodie hee gaue his whole person ouer to be gouerned as it pleased him alwayes seeking in all the honour and glorie of his God without respect to himselfe Christ is the ground of all true Religion And thus farre for the third part Whereof wee haue to note first in the Arke The ground of all true and ancient religion and the body of the whole seruice of God that brings saluation is to bee situate in Iesus Christ onely as is plainely set downe Act. 4.12 Ioh. 14.6 1. Cor. 2.11 1. Ioh. 1.7 Next that they which will be saued by this Arke must beare this Arke in their heart by faith in their mouth by open confession Rom. 1. and in their actions confirming their whole doing in their calling to his will Matth. 7.21 22 23. Thirdly that they who are sincerely ioyned with Christ reioyce in the bearing of Christ and count it their highest ioy to be occupied continually in his bearing THE FOVRTH PART AS to the person of Michal Michals hypocrisie shee was Sauls daughter and Dauids wife a woman appearandly euill brought vp by amost wicked father which the Spirit of God will signifie by calling her Sauls daughter as she was in hypocrisie his daughter in deed as well as by nature yet shee was ioyned with the body of the Church visible which is signified by the stile giuen her when she was called Dauids wife And so she was outwardly a person ioyned by mariage in societie with the Church yet in effect a lurking hypocrite within the bowels of the same Such kinde of folkes hypocrites I meane are a malum necessarium inseparably and continually
of God for the weale of them that doe well and as the minister of God Rom. 13. to take vengeance vpon them that doe euill as S. Paul saith And finally 1. Sam. 8. As a good Pastour to goe out and in before his people as is said in the first of Samuel Ierem. 29. That through the Princes prosperitie the peoples peace may be procured as Ieremie saith And therefore in the Coronation of our owne Kings as well as of euery Christian Monarche they giue their Oath first to maintaine the Religion presently professed within their countrie according to their lawes whereby it is established and to punish all those that should presse to alter or disturbe the profession thereof And next to maintaine all the lowable and good Lawes made by their predecessours to see them put in execution and the breakers and violaters thereof to be punished according to the tenour of the same And lastly to maintaine the whole countrey and euery state therein in all their ancient Priuiledges and Liberties as well against all forreine enemies as among themselues And shortly to procure the weale and flourishing of his people not onely in maintaining and putting to execution the olde lowable lawes of the countrey and by establishing of new as necessitie and euill maners will require but by all other meanes possible to fore-see and preuent all dangers that are likely to fall vpon them and to maintaine concord wealth and ciuilitie among them as a louing Father and careful watchman caring for them more then for himselfe knowing himselfe to be ordained for them and they not for him and therefore countable to that great God who placed him as his lieutenant ouer them vpon the perill of his soule to procure the weale of both soules and bodies as farre as in him lieth of all them that are committed to his charge And this oath in the Coronation is the clearest ciuill and fundamentall Law whereby the Kings office is properly defined By the Law of Nature the King becomes a naturall Father to all his Lieges at his Coronation And as the Father of his fatherly duty is bound to care for the nourishing education and vertuous gouernment of his children euen so is the king bound to care for all his subiects As all the toile and paine that the father can take for his children will be thought light and well bestowed by him so that the effect thereof redound to their profite and weale so ought the Prince to doe towards his people As the kindly father ought to foresee all inconuenients and dangers that may arise towards his children and though with the hazard of his owne person presse to preuent the same so ought the King towards his people As the fathers wrath and correction vpon any of his children that offendeth ought to be by a fatherly chastisement seasoned with pitie as long as there is any hope of amendment in them so ought the King towards any of his Lieges that offend in that measure And shortly as the Fathers chiefe ioy ought to be in procuring his childrens welfare reioycing at their weale sorrowing and pitying at their euill to hazard for their safetie trauell for their rest wake for their sleepe and in a word to thinke that his earthly felicitie and life standeth and liueth more in them nor in himselfe so ought a good Prince thinke of his people As to the other branch of this mutuall and reciprock band is the duety and alleageance that the Lieges owe to their King the ground whereof I take out of the words of Samuel dited by Gods Spirit when God had giuen him commandement to heare the peoples voice in choosing and annointing them a King And because that place of Scripture being well vnderstood is so pertinent for our purpose I haue insert herein the very words of the Text. 9 NOw therefore hearken to their voice howbeit yet testifie vnto them and shew them the maner of the King that shall raigne ouer them 10 So Samuel tolde all the wordes of the Lord vnto the people that asked a King of him 11 And he said This shall be the maner of the King that shall raigne ouer you he will take your sonnes and appoint them to his Charets and to be his horsemen and some shall runne before his Charet 12 Also hee will make them his captaines ouer thousands and captaines ouer fifties and to eare his ground and to reape his haruest and to make instruments of warre and the things that serue for his charets 13 Hee will also take your daughters and make them Apothicaries and Cookes and Bakers 14 And hee will take your fields and your vineyards and your best Oliue trees and giue them to his seruants 15 And he will take the tenth of your seed and of your Vineyards and giue it to his Eunuches and to his seruants 16 And he will take your men seruants and your maid seruants and the chiefe of your yong men and your asses and put them to his worke 17 He will take the tenth of your sheepe and ye shall be his seruants 18 And ye shall cry out at that day because of your King whom ye haue chosen you and the Lord God will not beare you at that day 19 But the people would not heare the voice of Samuel but did say Nay but there shal be a King ouer vs. 20 And we also will be like all other Nations and our King shall iudge vs and goe out before vs and fight our battels That these words and discourses of Samuel were dited by Gods Spirit it needs no further probation but that it is a place of Scripture since the whole Scripture is dited by that inspiration as Paul saith which ground no good Christian will or dare denie Whereupon it must necessarily follow that these speeches proceeded not from any ambition in Samuel as one loath to quite the reines that he so long had ruled and therefore desirous by making odious the gouernment of a King to disswade the people from their farther importunate crauing of one For as the text proueth it plainly he then conueened them to giue them a resolute grant of their demand as God by his owne mouth commanded him saying Hearken to the voice of the people And to presse to disswade them frō that which he then came to grant vnto them were a thing very impertinent in a wise man much more in the Prophet of the most high God And likewise it well appeared in all the course of his life after that his so long refusing of their sute before came not of any ambition in him which he well proued in praying as it were importuning God for the weale of Saul Yea after God had declared his reprobation vnto him yet he desisted not while God himselfe was wrath at his praying and discharged his fathers suit in that errand And that these words of Samuel were not vttered as a prophecie of Saul their first Kings defection
Thus ye see how shamefully he abuseth CHRISTS words who in three sundry places as I haue said interpreteth the second comming of Elias to be meant by Iohn the Baptist He likewise cauils most dishonestly vpon that word Venturus For CHRIST vseth that word but in the repeating their opinion but interpreting it that he was already come in the person of Iohn Baptist. Matt. 17.11 As if hee had said The prophecie is indeed trew that Elias shall come but I say vnto you that Elias iam venit meaning of Iohn Baptist and so he first repeats the words of the prophecie in the future time as the Prophet spake them and next sheweth them to be now accomplished in the person of Iohn in the present time Malach. 4.5 Matth. 27. Neither can these words of Malachie Dies magnus borribilis falsifie CHRISTS Commentarie vpon him For if that day whereupon the Sauiour of the world suffered when the 1 This obscuring of the Sunne was so extraordinary and fearefull that Dionysius onely led by the light of Nature and humane learning cried out at the sight thereof Aut Deus patitur aut vices patientis dolet Mala. 4.6 Sunne was totally obscured from the sixt houre to the ninth the Vaile of the Temple rent asunder from the top to the bottome and the earth did quake the stones were clouen the graues did open themselues and the dead arose◠If that day I say was not a great and horrible day I know not what to call a horrible day Which day no doubt had destroyed the whole nation of the Iewes without exception by a iust Anatheme if the said Iohn the fore-runner had not first conuerted many by the doctrine of Repentance and by Baptisme But why should I presume any more to interprete Malachie since it is sufficient that CHRIST himselfe hath interpreted him so And since Ipse dixit nay ter dixit per quem facta sunt omnia what mortall man dare interprete him otherwise nay directly contrary Now for that place of Ecclesiasticus Ecclus. 48.8 as the son of Sirach onely borroweth it from Malachie as appeareth by these words of his Mala. 4.6 of conuerting the sonnes hearts to their fathers which are Malachies own words so doth CHRISTS Cōmentary serue as well to interprete the one as the other it being no shame for that mortal Iesus to be commented interpreted by the immortall and trew IESVS though to the shame confusion of the Iesuits heresies herein But Enoch must be ioyned to Elias in this errand onely to beare vp the couples as I thinke For no place of Scripture speaketh of his returning againe onely it is said in Ecclesiasticus the 44. that Enoch pleased GOD and was translated to Paradise vt daret Gentibus sapientiam or poenitentiam Ecclus. 44.16 since they will haue it so And what is this to say marry that Enoch shall returne againe to this world and fight against the Antichrist A prettie large Comment indeed but no right Commentary vpon that Text. When Bellarmine was talking of Elias he insisted That Elias must come to conuert the Iewes principally restituere tribus Iacob But when he speaketh here of Enoch he must dare Gentibus paenitentiam and not a word of Iewes Belike they shall come for sundry errands and not both for one Or like Paul and Peter the one shall be Apostle for the Iewes and the other for the Gentiles What need such wilde racked Commentaries for such three wordes Will not the sense stand well and clearely enough that Enoch pleased GOD and was translated to Paradise that by the example of his reward the Nations might repent and imitate his Holy footsteps For what could more mightily perswade the Nations to repent then by letting them see that holy Man carried quicke vp to Heauen for reward of his vprightnesse whereas all the rest of the people died and went to corruption And where Scripture faileth the Cardinall must helpe himselfe with the Fathers to prooue both that Enoch and Elias are yet aliue and that they shall hereafter die but with the like felicitie as in his alledging of Scriptures to vse his owne words of mee in his 2 Pag. 27. pamphlet For which purpose he citeth fiue Fathers Irenaeus Tertullian Epiphanius Hierome and Augustine Vpon this they all agree in deed that Enoch and Elias are still aliue both which no Christian I hope will denie For Abraham Isaac and Iacob are all still aliue Mart. 22 32. as CHRIST telleth vs for God is Deus viuentium non mortuorum Much more then are Enoch and Elias aliue who neuer tasted of death after the maner of other men But as to the next point that they should die hereafter Lib. 5. his first two witnesses Irenaeus and Tertullian say the direct contrary For Irenaeus saith that they shall remaine in Paradise till the consummation conspicantes incorruptionem Now to remaine there till the consummation and to see incorruption is directly contrary to their returning to the world againe and suffering of death Lib cont Iudeos cap. 2. Tertullian likewise agreeing hereunto saith most clearely That Enoch hath neuer tasted of death vt aeternitatis candidatus now he is ill priuiledged with eternitie if he must die againe As for his places cited out of the other three Fathers they all confirme that first point That they are stil aliue but that they must die again they make no mention But he speaking of the Ancient Fathers let mee take this occasion to forewarne you concerning them That though they mistake and vnderstand not rightly many mysteries in the Apocalyps it is no wonder For the booke thereof 2. Thess 2. was still sealed in their dayes And though the mysterie of iniquitie was already working yet was not the man of Sinne yet reuealed And it is a certaine rule in all darke prophecies That they are neuer clearely vnderstood till they be accomplished And thus hauing answered his two places in the Old Testament by his third in the New Testament conteining Christs owne words which being luce clariora I need speake no more of them I am now to speake of the fourth place of Scripture which is in the xj of the Apocalyps For the two Witnesses forsooth there mentioned Reuelat. 11. must be Enoch and Elias But how this can stand with any point of Diuinitie or likelihood of reason that these two glorified Bodies shall come downe out of heauen or Paradise make it what you will preach and fight against the Antichrist bee slaine by him after many thousand yeeres exempted from the naturall course of death rise againe the third day in imitation of CHRIST and then hauing wrought many wonders to goe vp againe to Heauen making an ordinary Poste betwixt Heauen and Earth how this I say can agree either with Diuinitie or good Reason I confesse it passeth my capacitie And especially that they must be clad in Sackcloth whose bodies I hope
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
a certaine and definite Essence which may be applied in some kinde vnto God That God cannot rightly in euery sence be said to be infinite seeing that infinitenesse which is opposite to certaine definitenesse cannot indeed be attributed vnto God ¶ 4. Estne Deus in aliquo loco Est sed non 1 Pag. 3. l. 22 23. physico Verùm in spatio abstractissimè sumpto quod Deus suo diuino modo adimplet Is God in a place He is but not in a naturall place But in spatio abstractissimè sumpto which God after his Diuine maner doeth fill ¶ 5. Estne Deus corporeus 1 Pag. 3. l. 34. Propriè loquendo minimè corporeus est 2 Pag. 15. l. 6. Sed tamen nihil absurdi erit si Deo impropriè loquendo corpus ascribamus 3 Pag. 4. l. 3. nempè quatenus vocabulum Corporis impropriè latissimè pro verâ substantiâ 4 Pag. 15. l. 14. non prorsus absurdè sumitur 5 Pag. 15. l. 10. 3. iuxta latam significationem quae figurata impropria seu mauis catachrestica est Hath God a body If we will speake properly he hath none Yet is it no absurditie speaking improperly to ascribe a body vnto God that is to say as the word Body is taken improperly and generally and yet not very absurdly for a trew substance in a large signification which is figuratiue and improper or if you will abusiue ¶ 6. Estne Deus compositus è materiâ formâ 1 Pag. 5. l. 3. Nullo modo propriè loquendo Est tamen in sensu quodam improprio vel si mauis per 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quandam per quam vocabulum Corporis item quasi materiae formae seu quasi compositionis ex genere differentiâ aliquando eidem attribui posse non immeritò alicui videatur Is God compounded of matter and forme By no meanes speaking properly Although it bee trew in a certaine improper sence or if you please by a certaine Catachresis by the which the word Body and as it were materia forma or as it were a Composition ex genere differentia may sometimes seeme to some and not without cause to be fitly attributed to God ¶ 7. Estne Deus immutabilis vt essentiâ sic voluntate Non est 1 Pag. 15. l. 15. vt essentiâ sic voluntate Id est non est aequaliter Is God vnchangeable in his Will as he is in his Essence He is not vnchangeable in his will as he is in his Essence That is not alike vnchangeable in the one as he is in the other ¶ 8. Estne Deus subiectus accidentibus 1 Pag 7. l. 8. Non vllis veris. 2 Pag. 7. l. 9. Tametsi per liberam voluntatem quaedam accidentia latissimè sic dicta tum ad se tum in se recipit Deus Is God subiect to accidents Not to any trew accidents Although God doeth by his Free will take to himselfe and into himselfe certaine accidents so called in the largest sense ¶ 9. An Deus per discursum conijcit de futuris Interdum 1 Pag. 7. l. 24. aliquatenus 2 Pag. 8. l. 9. discursum quendam instituit quasi de incertis conijcit 3 Pag. 7. l. 22. sed impropriè metaphoricè citraque omnem imperfectionem 4 4 Pag. 8. l. 2. Conijcit autem non coniecturâ qualis hominum esse solet sed planè diuinâ Doeth God coniecture of things to come by discourse Sometimes in some sort he frameth to himselfe a certaine discourse and doeth as it were coniecture of things vncertaine but improperly and metaphorically and without all imperfection And he doeth coniecture not in such sort as men doe but after a meerely diuine maner ¶ 10. Affectus amoris odij c. Deone propriè attribuuntur Propriè sed 1 Pag. 8. l. 16. vt pro veritate potiùs quà m pro vsitatâ nobisque notâ proprietate accipiendum sit 2 Pag. 9. l. 1. Nulli affectus cum humanâ infirmitate coniuncti propriè Deo attribuuntur verè tamen suo modo propriè hoc est pro suae non pro naturae nostrae proprietate The affections of loue hatred c. be they properly attributed vnto God or not Yes but so as ye take it rather for a veritie then for that property which is vulgarly vnderstood and knowne vnto vs. No affections accompanied with humane infirmitie are properly attributed vnto God yet trewly and in his owne kinde properly that is to say as they are proper to his nature and not to ours ¶ 11. Pater habetne peculiarem quandam seu quasi restrictam essentiam 1 Pag. 21. l. 13. Vox essentiae perinde vt Entis amplissimam significationem habet sic nihil omninò vetat vtramque non minùs ad personas diuinas quà m ad ipsam Deitatis naturam in sano sensu referri Hath the Father a certaine peculiar or as it were limited Essence The word Essence as well as Ens hath a very large signification and we may apply both of them safely in a good sence as well to the Diuine persons as to the nature of the Deitie it selfe ¶ 12. Suntne Patrum argumenta friuola pro aeternâ Christi generatione Siquidem 1 Pag. 14. l. 3. vnica vox quaedam ab initio inseratur argumenta à Patribus hactenùs aptata aut fallacia aut friuola sunt Be those arguments which the Fathers haue vsed to proue the Eternall generation of Christ friuolous or no If this one word quaedam some were added to the beginning of that position it were then trew that the arguments which the Fathers haue at any time applied to prooue the Eternall generation of Christ are either deceitfull or friuolous ¶ 13 Estne in Deo visio praesentium praeteritorum magis certa quà m futurorum praeuisio 1 Pag. 18. l. 19 20. Nota modestiam meam in verbo videntur opinionem duntaxat probabilem hîc afferri non autem dogmaticam assertionem Futura 2 Pag. 18. l. 29. contingentia comparatiuè loquendo etiam coram Deo dici possunt minus certa quà m praeterita praesentia Whether doeth God see things past and present more certainely then things to come Note here my modestie in this word videntur for in this place I deliuer onely a probable opinion and not a dogmaticall assertion Things future contingent speaking comparatiuely may be said to bee lesse certaine euen vnto God then things past and present By this may the Reader manifestly discerne that there is nothing which a man speaking in this fashion shall not be able to maintaine and by this meanes easily prooue quidlibet ex quolibet And certainely his manner of excuses and euasions are framed iust after the mould of the ancient Heretiques and namely of Arrius and Paulus Samosatenus when they saw themselues
Church as of secular Lords and to make ordinances for the confiscation of all priuate persons goods By this Canon the Kingdome of Naples hath need to looke well vnto it selfe For one duell it may fall into the Exchecquer of the Romane Church because that Kingdome payeth a Reliefe to the Church as a Royaltie or Seignorie that holdeth in fee of the said Church And in France there is not one Lordship not one Mannor not one farme which the Pope by this meanes cannot shift ouer to a new Lord. His Lordship therefore had carried himselfe and the cause much better if in stead of seeking such idle shifts he had by a more large assertion maintained the Popes power to dispose of priuate mens possessions with no lesse right and authoritie then of Kingdomes For what colour of reason can bee giuen for making the Pope Lord of the whole and not of the parts for making him Lord of the forrest in grosse and not of the trees in parcell for making him Lord of the whole house and not of the parlour or the dining chamber His Lordship alleadgeth yet an other reason but of no better weight Betweene the power of priuate owners ouer their goods and the power of Kings ouer their estates there is no little difference For the goods of priuate persons are ordained for their owners and Princes for the benefit of their Common-wealths Heare me now answere If this Cardinal-reason hath any force to inferre that a King may lawfully be depriued of his Kingdome for heresie but a priuate person cannot for the same crime be turned out of his mansion house then it shall follow by the same reason that a Father for the same cause may bee depriued of all power ouer his children but a priuate owner cannot be depriued of his goods in the like case because goods are ordeined for the benefit and comfort of their owners but fathers are ordeined for the good and benefit of their children But most certain it is that Kings representing the image of God in earth and Gods place haue a better and closer seate in their chaires of Estate then any priuate persons haue in the saddle of their inheritances and patrimonies which are dayly seene for sleight causes to flit and to fall into the hands of new Lords Whereas a Prince being the Head cannot bee loosed in the proper ioynt nor dismounted like a cannon when the carriage thereof is vnlockt without a sore shaking and a most grieuous dislocation of all the members yea without subuerting the whole bodie of the State whereby priuate persons without number are inwrapped together in the same ruine euen as the lower shrubs and other brush-wood are crushed in pieces altogether by the fall of a great oake But suppose his Lordships reason were somewhat ponderous and solide withall yet a King which would not bee forgotten is endowed not onely with the Kingdome but also with the ancient Desmenes and Crowne-lands for which none can be so simple to say The King was ordeined and created King which neuerthelesse he loseth when hee loseth his Crowne Admit againe this reason were of some pith to make mighty Kings more easily deposeable then priuate persons from their patrimonies yet all this makes nothing for the deriuing and fetching of deposition from the Popes Consistorie What hee neuer conferred by what right or power can he claime to take away But see heere no doubt a sharpe and subtile difference put by the L. Cardinall betweene a Kingdome and the goods of priuate persons Goods as his Lordship saith are without life they can be constrained by no force by no example by no inducement of their owners to lose eternall life Subiects by their Princes may Now I am of the contrary beliefe That an hereticall owner or master of a family hath greater power and meanes withall to seduce his owne seruants and children then a Prince hath to peruert his owne subiects and yet for the contagion of Heresie and for corrupt religion children are not remoued from their parents nor seruants are taken away from their masters Histories abound with examples of most flourishing Churches vnder a Prince of contrary religion And if things without life or soule are with lesse danger left in an heretikes hands why then shall not an hereticall King with more facilitie and lesse danger keepe his Crowne his Royall charge his lands his customes his imposts c For will any man except he bee out of his wits affirme these things to haue any life or soule Or why shall it bee counted folly to leaue a sword in the hand of a mad Bedlam Is not a sword also without life and soule For my part I should rather be of this minde that possession of things without reason is more dangerous and pernicious in the hands of an euill master then the possession of things endued with life and reason For things without life lacke both reason and iudgement how to exempt and free themselues from being instruments in euill and wicked actions from being emploied to vngodly and abominable vses I will not deny that an hereticall Prince is a plague a pernicious and mortall sickenesse to the soules of his subiects But a breach made by one mischiefe must not bee filled vp with a greater inconuenience An errour must not be shocked and shouldered with disloialtie nor heresie with periurie nor impietie with sedition and armed rebellion against GOD and the King GOD who vseth to try and to schoole his Church will neuer forsake his Church nor hath need to protect his Church by any proditorious and prodigious practises of perfidious Christians For he makes his Church to be like the burning bush In the middest of the fire and flames of persecutions hee will prouide that she shall not be consumed because hee standeth in the midst of his Church And suppose there may be some iust cause for the French to play the rebels against their King yet will it not follow that such rebellious motions are to be raised by the bellowes of the Romane Bishop to whose Pastorall charge and office it is nothing proper to intermeddle in the ciuill affaires of forraine Kingdomes Here is the summe and substance of the L. Cardinals whole discourse touching his pretence of the second inconuenience Which discourse hee hath closed with a remarkeable confession to wit that neither by the authoritie of holy Scripture nor by the the testimonie and verdict of the Primitiue Church there hath bene any full decision of this question In regard whereof he falleth into admiration that Lay-people haue gone so farre in audaciousnesse as to labour that a doubtfull doctrine might for euer passe currant and be taken for a new article of faith What a shame what a reproach is this how full of scandall for so his Lordship is pleased to cry out This breakes into the seueralls and inclosures of the Church this lets in whole herds of heresies to grase in her greene and sweet pastures
with a false light which yee doe if ye mistake or mis-vnderstand my Speach and so alter the sence thereof But secondly I pray you beware to soile it with a foule breath and vncleane hands I meane that yee peruert not my words by any corrupt affections turning them to an ill meaning like one who when hee heares the tolling of a Bell fancies to himselfe that it speakes those words which are most in his minde And lastly which is worst of all beware to let it fall or breake for glasse is brittle which ye doe if ye lightly esteeme it and by contemning it conforme not your selues to my perswasions To conclude then As all these three dayes of Iubile haue fallen in the midst of this season of penitence wherein you haue presented your thanks to me and I the like againe to you So doe I wish and hope that the end of this Parliament will bee such as wee may all haue cause both I your Head and yee the Body to ioyne in Eucharisticke Thanks and Praises vnto God for our so good and happie an end A SPEACH IN THE STARRE-CHAMBER THE XX. OF JVNE ANNO 1616. GIVE THY IVDGEMENTS TO THE KING O GOD AND THY RIGHTEOVSNES TO THE KINGS SONNE These be the first words of one of the Psalmes of the Kingly Prophet Dauid whereof the literall sense runnes vpon him and his sonne Salomon and the mysticall sense vpon GOD and CHRIST his eternall Sonne but they are both so wouen together as some parts are and can onely bee properly applied vnto GOD and CHRIST and other parts vnto Dauid and Salomon as this Verse Giue thy Iudgements to the King O God and thy Righteousnesse to the Kings Sonne cannot be properly spoken of any but of Dauid and his sonne because it is said Giue thy Iudgements c. Now God cannot giue to himselfe In another part of the same Psalme where it is said that Righteousnes shall flourish and abundance of Peace as long as the Moone endureth it signifieth eternitie and cannot be properly applied but to GOD and CHRIST But both senses aswell literall as mysticall serue to Kings for imitation and especially to Christian Kings for Kings sit in the Throne of GOD and they themselues are called Gods And therefore all good Kings in their gouernment must imitate GOD and his Christ in being iust and righteous Dauid and Salomon in being godly and wise To be wise is vnderstood able to discerne able to iudge others To be godly is that the fountaine be pure whence the streames proceed for what auailes it though all his workes be godly if they proceed not from godlinesse To bee righteous is to a mans selfe To bee iust is towards others But Iustice in a King auailes not vnlesse it be with a cleane heart for except he bee Righteous aswell as Iust he is no good King and whatsoeuer iustice he doeth except he doeth it for Iustice sake and out of the purenesse of his owne heart neither from priuate ends vaine-glory or any other by-respects of his owne all such Iustice is vnrighteousnesse and no trew Iustice From this imitation of GOD and CHRIST in whose Throne wee sit the gouernment of all Common-wealths and especially Monarchies hath bene from the beginning setled and established Kings are properly Iudges and Iudgement properly belongs to them from GOD for Kings sit in the Throne of GOD and thence all Iudgement is deriued In all well setled Monarchies where Law is established formerly and orderly there Iudgement is deferred from the King to his subordinate Magistrates not that the King takes it from himselfe but giues it vnto them So it comes not to them Priuatiuè but cumulatiuè as the Shoolemen speake The ground is ancient euer sithence that Counsell which Iethro gaue to Moses for after that Moses had gouerned a long time in his owne person the burthen grew so great hauing none to helpe him as his father in law comming to visite him found him so cumbred with ministring of Iustice that neither the people were satisfied nor he well able to performe it Therefore by his aduice Iudges were deputed for easier questions and the greater and more profound were left to Moses And according to this establishment all Kings that haue had a formall gouernement especially Christian Kings in all aages haue gouerned their people though after a diuers maner This Deputation is after one manner in France after another here and euen my owne Kingdomes differ in this point of gouernment for Scotland differs both from France and England herein but all agree in this I speake of such Kingdomes or States where the formalitie of Law hath place that the King that sits in Gods Throne onely deputes subalterne Iudges and he deputes not one but a number for no one subalterne Iudges mouth makes Law and their office is to interprete Law and administer Iustice But as to the number of them the forme of gouernement the maner of interpretation the distinction of Benches the diuersitie of Courts these varie according to the varietie of gouernment and institution of diuers Kings So this ground I lay that the seate of Iudgement is properly Gods and Kings are Gods Vicegerents and by Kings Iudges are deputed vnder them to beare the burden of gouernement according to the first example of Moses by the aduice of Iethro and sithence practised by Dauid and Salomon the wisest Kings that euer were which is in this Psalme so interlaced that as the first verse cannot be applied properly but to Dauid and Salomon in the words Giue thy Iudgements to the King c. So the other place in the same Psalme Righteousnesse shall flourish and abundance of peace shall remaine as long as the Moone endureth properly signifieth the eternitie of CHRIST This I speake to shew what a neere coniunction there is betweene God and the King vpward and the King and his Iudges downewards for the same coniunction that is betweene God and the King vpward the same coniunction is betweene the King and his Iudges downewards As Kings borrow their power from God so Iudges from Kings And as Kings are to accompt to God so Iudges vnto God and Kings and both Kings and Iudges by imitation haue two qualities from God and his Christ and two qualities from Dauid and his Salomon Iudgement and Righteousnesse from God and Christ Godlinesse and Wisedome from Dauid and Salomon And as no King can discharge his accompt to God vnlesse he make conscience not to alter but to declare and establish the will of God So Iudges cannot discharge their accompts to Kings vnlesse they take the like care not to take vpon them to make Law but ioyned together after a deliberate consultation to declare what the Law is For as Kings are subiect vnto Gods Law so they to mans Law It is the Kings Office to protect and settle the trew interpretation of the Law of God within his Dominions And it is the Iudges Office to interprete the