An Answeare to the Supplication Against him who seeming to giue the King counsel to become a Catholike indeuoureth to stirre vp his good Subiectes vnto rebellion Faithfully translated out of French by E. A. LONDON Printed by Iohn Wolfe and are to be solde at his shop right ouer against the great South doore of Paules 1591. An Ansvvere to the Supplication exhibited vnto the King IHaue read the aduice giuen vnto the K. vnder the name of a Supplication that he woulde vouchsafe to become a Catholike wherein I haue found nothing concerning a Supplication but the bare title The rest is euen the same that the Authour doth promise Sir It is a second warre that lighteth on your armes by those who imitating the first christians haue acknowledged you to be their King Whereto he should haue added that such a second was of more dangerous consequence then the first bicause in the first they that tooke part were only the fooles doltes ideots and wicked persons The commons by the furious inducement of a heape of Friars and monkes that fight rather for their wallet then for their faith and the great ones to make way to their ambition But in this they that terme themselues the kings faithfull and good seruants doe furnish instructions and remembrances wherewith vnder the pretence of a request to wythdrawe the vertuous from their vowed obedience and fidelitie Examine this discourse by péece meale and you shall finde many braue points and examine it in general and you shal finde as many stabs wyth a dagger to ouerthrowe the King and so consequently the state The Author termeth himselfe a Catholike the kings good subiect zealous for the common wealth all this to pleasure him I am content to beléeue But had he béene a frée catholike he should haue addressed his request to God not to the King Or if a good subiect desirous of publike peace he should haue opened his reasons vnto him particularly and not haue spread them amongest the people whereas contrariwise this request neuer came to his handes for whome it is saide to be made but runneth amongest those that néede no praying of whom one sort are rebels another ready to rebellion the thirde such as are of a timorous conscience The first seeing the king is not yet become a Catholike do delight in these remonstrances as a parcell iustificatory of their rebellion the second notwithstanding whatsoeuer their semblant are nothing sory for them and the last doeth hang in suspence as men neuer brought vp in the auncientie of the church so that whether it be by art or by hap this Supplication hath course among vs and the fruit thereof tendeth not to edefie the king but to make some of his folowers male-contents and so aduenture to cause them to change their copies He may will you say saue him selfe by becomming a Catholike But I tel you it is not a matter to be cast in a mould But he had promised his Nobilitie that he would take some paines therein within sixe moneths who may be greeued to see those moneths turned into sixe yeares Good God is not this a méere slaunder made he that promise simply No truely What then That he would summon eyther a generall or nationall counsell wythin sixe moneths or sooner if possibly he coulde to the ende to followe and obserue whatsoeuer should therein be decréede Haue his ennemies since affoorded him one quarter of an houres respite to tende thereto While they were busie would you haue wished him to haue tended to discourses and in the meane time to haue vndone and lost himselfe as Hierusalem was lost while the Iewes busie about the exercise of the ceremonies of their sabbaoth not willing or daring to defend themselues fell vppon the edges of the Româ—â—nes swordes Hath he not a readie example of this fault before his face For if after the death of the two brethren the late king had resolutely taken armes and so giuen the rebels no leasure to bethinke themselues the affaires of our France had béene in better state by the one halfe But O hard hap we loytered about the goodly Orations at the closing vp of the states at Bloys wyth magnifical preparation and while we set our whole delight vpon this theatre we perceiued not that 7. dayes before the citie of Paris through the inducements and practises of the Sorbonists had abandoned the kings obedience Howbeit you the good and faithfull seruant of the king you would thinke I should mocke in terming you so haue quietly shipped in these two wordes That the Nobilitie would grieue to see their sixe moneths turned into sixe yeares as if through friuolous delayes the king longed after such lingering After the same maner as you séeke to make him beléeue that in his desired conference he seeketh to be perswaded by fiue or six who within these three daies departed from our church most of them shamefully These be your owne wordes a matter that he neuer imagined as hauing referred the conclusion of this cause to such a counsell as is aforesayde But certainely sith ye would néedes haue this warre to light vpon our kings neck it had bin your part to haue fought with good weapons and not with déedes which you haue slaunderously inuented But who be those noble men that haue giuen you commission to vse this spéech to the king Are they the same that were at the camp at S. Clauds the 14. of August 1589. in whose hands the K. promised within sixe months to assemble a good frée and lawfull counsell to the end to follow whatsoeuer should therein be concluded They are bound to the king by worde signed sealed and exemplified in the Parliament and are not simply gentlemen onely but euen the Princes of the bloud dukes péeres officers of the crowne and many other notable personages Al who haue promised him all seruice and obedience vpon his othe and promise that within the time by him prescribed he would make this assembly A promise which in itselfe implyed a quiet condition of possibilitie for no man euer meant to bind himselfe to a thing vnpossible neyther is there any so senselesse as not to sée that the lingering which now appeares in the execution of this promise is not by him sought or desired but springeth out of these troubles But why should we suppose that these doe complayne considering we yet sée them continue in the same deuotion that not they only haue imbraced the kings iust querrell but also many other dukes marqueses earles barons and lords who in respect of their absence hauing not signed haue notwithstanding hasted to come vnto him with great trains and concourse of people to hasard their bodies liues and goods in his seruice Al these doe know that the sixe moneths are expired yet do not thereupon impute any thing to the king neither are so farre deuoide of consideration as to wish him to enter into our Church by anie other way then was capitulated
your selfe do seeme to be somewhat spotted there with sith of set purpose you omitted this principall peece which would greatly haue enriched your worke How then Will I disswade the king from becomming a Catholike because I teach his subiects to obey him God forbid The tipe of all my desires tend to sée him vnited in the same religion with vs but to tel you true I could wish that neither you nor I had vndertaken the vnweauing of this webbe It is very daungerous to become an arbitrator in the causes and opinions of a mighty king especially in an argument of so great consequence as this withall considering the diuersity of humours amongst vs at this day Stand you vpon this that the king ought to become a catholike In hast post hast as you do vnles he follow your counsell sundry tickelish soules will strait imagine that it procéedeth of want of deuotion and mindeth to féede his faythfull subiects with delaies in respect of his promise at his comming to the crowne and so shall you perhaps be the cause of a new commotion against him But let me vpholde the contrary and I shall prouide some conceit for diuers slippery mindes that by his consent I am vnder hand taught by those of his religion to play this part which will be a newe preparation to mistrust a matter no lesse dangerous then the other and wythall it will be thought that in heart I professe an other religion then the same that outwardly I exercise Neyther you nor I are Lisippus or Apelles that we should represent Alexander in imagery or picture I meane we are not sufficient to discourse vpon this high point that aimeth both at religion and the state neuerthelesse sith you abusing the liberty of the tyme wherein euery one thinketh it lawfull to doe what he list séeming to bring a medcine for the state do bring poyson I beléeue the better sort will not mislike that I also do take leaue to bring in a counterpoyson I will tell you then that I am of opinion that the K. become a catholike and that as soone as it may please God to giue him grace for it is a blessing that procéedeth from God not from vs but that he should so become vpon the mould that you prescribe him I do not thinke that any good seruant to God or the king can so thinke good I pray thée Reader haue patience to the end and be not dated at this first step Our religion is the holiest c. I will beginne wyth this word Holie which is the first point of your reason for as for the rest which concerneth the reputation profit and necessity thereof al your subtilties are vaine in the sight of God which notwithstanding I will discourse vpon in their places as I thinke méete Our king must become a catholike because our religion is the best I tell you againe he must but not a state Catholike such a one as you would frame him that is to say a Prince that shall abandon his religion that shall hencefoorth goe to masse that vpon the solemne festiualles shall communicate wyth vs in the holy sacrament so to content his people wyth faire shews but in heart shall scorne all our ceremonies for so shall you forme vs a king without religion who before in the profession of his own reposed his whole confidence in God For why shoulde not I imagine that you woulde make hym such a one euen you who tearme his zeale and deuotion in this behalfe when he offereth to submit himselfe to the ordinances and decrées of a good counsell which hymselfe wil procure sometimes ceremoniall sometimes courtizanicall In the religion that he professeth he doth with his whole heart confes one God and abhorreth by gestures only to acknowledge him Vpon a request exhibited by his princes and great lords that he would vouchsafe to become a Catholike hée besought them not to wish in him a rash alteration of his religion but rather that wyth rype deliberation he might be by our men instructed not in grosse as you wish but particularly and by péece-meale A matter that he desired not vppon courtezany or ceremony but for that he coulde not so easely as you iest wyth his conscience for if néede be vpon his conuersion he will do open penance for his error This manner of dealing do you mislike and would haue him at vnawares and blinfolde take our part and this do you terme a miracle But for my part my spirite is ouer dull to disgest this great metamorphosis of the conscience Yet knowe I that God wrought a greater miracle in the conuersion of S. Paul but in our church there neuer was but one S. Paul whom God had especially chosen to be his trumpet to all the nations of the Gentiles Thus may we sée how euery man misconstrueth the Scriptures and for the most parte applyeth them to couer his owne impietie To this purpose I remember that in the time of S. Cyprian sundry ecclesiasticall persons admitted to lodge wyth them some of their kindred to guyde and as they sayde to ouersée their housesholde affayres But this great and holy parson misliking this vse as knowing the inconuenience that in processe of tyme might growe thereof they for their defences alleadged the example of the Virgins Mary and S. Iohn who dwelt together after the death and passion of our sauior Iesus Christ Oh wretches cryed this holy man dare you gather any consequence of the particular blessing of these two excellent soules therewyth for to couer your impudicities There is no example to be taken of those examples Bring in the mystery of the conuersion of Saint Paule to strengthen your aduice and al Macheuellian princes shall hereafter become S. Paules But the people say you are troubled with a sicknes of mind they feare least the king continuing in this state wherein he now is should suppresse the Catholike religion and therefore there is no other remedy for that disease but that he become a Catholike First who is the people that you speake of Haue you searched into the hearts of all the kings good and loyall subiects You will grant mée as I suppose that all these Princes and great Lordes that haue subscribed the aforementioned declaratiō that he made are none of them as also that they are not those who since wythout subscribing haue come to yéelde hym their due seruice neyther such as accompanyed them Procéede throughout the rest of the people which are many and howe knowe you that they are troubled with this disease of the mynd that you should so boldly assure our king thereof If you should be disaduowed what would you say And séeke you any greater disaduow them thrée answers written against you The quiddities of your Supplication might peraduenture bréede this mischiefe in some weake mindes but not in any such as haue any more certayne information of the affaires both of God and the worlde and wythall thinke that for
amongst them and to the same end also was the lord of Luxembourg chosen to go to the Pope to giue him to vnderstand of al that was passed which he acknowledged to be iust holy and most lawfull I doe not here tell you of those house-doues and dormice who in their houses doe watch on which side the storme may light to the ende to apply themselues to the other for these men I account as cyphres so that if you haue no other then those you might much better for your honours sake haue suppressed your request Well on to you do I now denounce warre euen as you haue done to the king for I am of the number of those Catholikes whome you speake of in the beginning of your petition who imitating the ancient christians do continue in his obedience If you be as you say so catholike so good a subiect vnto the king such a louer of publike peace for I must yet returne to our first point sith you will reade a lesson to our maister of that which you thinke to appertayne to his duetie ought you not also to haue done the like to the people of that that belonged to them It is a matter that you forgot not for lacke of notice for it is one of the first dishes where with you haue serued our king when you tolde him that his good subiects did imitate the ancient Christians yet stayed you so sodainely that your word dyed so soone as it was borne and such a word as being wel disgested in good mens consciences would procure a generall peace throughout the realme Let vs therefore beginne here by our selues let vs reade to our selues a lecture of our dueties to our king so being growen wise in our owne dueties we may the better indeuor by supplications aduice or other faire spéeches to teach him that which we thinke méete for him to do First I am of opinion that euery good citizen shoulde wish there were but one religion in ouery well ordered common wealth and euery good Christian that there were no exercise of any other theuthecathol apost religion That is the same wherein we haue béene of all antiquity brought vp in France the same wherein we were baptised the same wherin we should liue and die as being the spring and assurance of our saluation vnder the banner of our sauior Iesus Christ God hath giuen vs a king of an other religion then ours yet a vertuous valeant noble wise and iust prince such a one as accompanyeth all his actions with the feare of God Where the Wise man sayth that the feare of the Lorde is the beginning of wisedome I suppose he meant that the feare of God is the ground of all religion Neuerthelesse if he were other if a Nabuchodâ—nozer who was the greatest scourge vnto the house of God yeâ— were it our partes to doe for him the same that the Prophet Baruch exhorted the children of Israell to do for the said Nabuchodonozer that is to loue honour and obey him and to remember him in our prayers and whie Because God hath giuen him vs and will haue vs to haue such a one whether to be reuenged of vs for our sinnes or to proue the stedfastnesse of our faith or vpon any other reason which he will not any should know but himselfe When our Lord said Giue vnto Caesar that belongeth vnto Caesar c. Peter in one of his Epistles c. Paule to the Romans and to Titus commaunded the christians to pray to God for the earthly powers and to obey them they knewe that all the kings monarches and princes of those dayes were heathen as were all the other the emperours from Augustus to Constantine the great yea Constance the sonne of Constantine albeit a christian was infected with the heresie of Arriux and Iulian his successor from christianitie returned vnto his Idolatrie all which notwithstanding we stil obeyed them For the proposition of our Christianitie imported that wée ought rather to obey the vice-emperour then the inferiour iudge the emperour then the vice-emperour and God then the emperour because vpon the one depended onely the losse of goodes and life things perishable and transitorie on the other eternall damnation of our soules to be briefe that the good christian should make a buckler of his life against such assaults as might be deliuered him by the emperour when he contrarieth the honour of God but that in all other things we owe him our obedience This was the trophée erected by our fathers Reade S. Cyprian S. Hierom S. Augustine and especially Tertullian the ancientest of them all where he writeth to Scapula the gouernour of Affrike We said he do in all and through all obey the emperour we acknowledge him to be our soueraigne Lorde we willingly pay him tributes aides and subsidies One onely thing we desire to obtaine of him that is that he will permit vs to line in peace of conscience The like saith he in his Apologie and aboue all things in this generall obedience he will not that the christian stray one tittle from the common course of his religion but that rather he should abide all kind of forments and this is it that he doth at large discourse vpon in his treatie of the crowne of a souldier And to the ende you should not thinke that they liued so because force so commaunded you shal find that T. of Aquine one of our chiefe schoole diuines discoursing vpon this article is of opinion that of whatsoeuer religion the prince be yet the subiect ought to obey him also that there is one only cause that may dispense with the othe of sidelitie vz. when from christianity the prince declineth to paganisme wherein likewise he is gainesaide by antiquity for it is certaine that the christians neuer doubted to obey Iulian the Apostata Yea that great Saint Martin the holy buckler of our Fraunce was vnder his pay fiue whole yeares while he was a Catechist that is during the time of his probation wherein such as were disposed to make profession of our religion were strictest in their actions This is in my opinion the lesson you shoulde haue taught the French nation and which now I do deliuer in manner of a supply to the second line of your Supplication for being so carefull for the saluation of the kings soule you should not haue neglected the rest of France A lesson as catholike and holy as the heresie is detestable that hath course among the Leaguers vz. to vpholde that because our kings religion is contrary to ours we lawfully may not onely deny him our obedience but also leauy warre against him For were their opinion true wée must condemne the whole doctrine of the primitiue Church we must condemne S. Peter and S. Paule yea we must condemne the great patron and foundation of our religion Iesus Christ yet it is such an heresie as slideth into the harts of those that are taken to be the honestest men for
euery one that is of your mind there be an hundred of a contrary opinion And to tell you the trueth you flatter your selfe and do measure others by the mete wand of your opinions yet God grant I do say truth and that it be your opinion and not rather a slie subtilty to wythdrawe the good and loyall Catholikes from their vowed obedience to the king Moreouer you go about to daunt the king wyth an imaginary feare of the people whereas he in his soule is sufficiently terrefied wyth the feare of God He feareth and in good reason least if hée should mocke his Maister as you wish him to do his Master would afterward mocke him he who otherwhiles hath receyued such fauour and graces of God that all the harmes of others haue turned to his profite You may make of your conscience a cameleon that turneth into as many colours as it seeth obiectes But the kings conscience is not made after any such fashion he thinketh that man to haue no soule that can so easily play wyth his soule that he is vtterly voide of religion that can frame his religion according to the diuersity of raignes to be briefe that he is the same Ecebolius mentioned in the Ecclesiasticall history But you haue none say you but the nobilitie to take your parte your enemy hath the Communaltie and yee knowe that one Iulius Caesar with the assistance of the Communaltie defeated Pompey and all the Nobilitie of Rome Oh stay man you iudge boldely of our estate and do not consider that the policie of our France heretofore called Gall doth farre differ from that of the Romanes For euermore euen in the dayes of your Caesar and that by his owne testimony the force of this nation depended vppon the Nobilitie A custome which by succession of time and age is conuerted into nature so that at this day the Duke of Mayenne wyth all his rebellious townes and popular power doth but warde our blows and is driuen to the end to raigne in France to become the Spaniards slaue yet do I make no accompt of this worldly pollicy Our king buildeth not his hope vpon eyther the Nobility or the communalty but vpon God only he is his buckler his fortresse and his vpholder yea he is all in all vnto him and hée beléeueth that wythout him all the forces of the worlde are but winde But let vs graunt all the fashions possible to the argument that we entreate of for to say trueth it is the highest point and must not be weakely handled As the Diuell the father of dissention hath within these thirty yeares party-coloured vs with religions vnder these two words Catholike and Huguenot so are we our selues also as well in the one as in the other parti-alized For some take part for the states sake others for religion onely I will therefore stand vppon the tearmes of Catholike which we will here forme vs and will say that we haue two kindes of Catholikes the one catholikes of estate the other catholikes in religion The first are worldly catholikes and so consequently the diuels Catholikes The second are the true catholikes in our church and so consequently the children of God If we consider the first sort you are not in my iudgement of sufficient practise in the estate to shape vs a Catholike prince by your patterne If the second then albeit you haue learning yet haue you not catholike religion enough in your head to make a prince catholike by religion Now let vs speake of the estate catholike as of him who peraduenture as at this day beareth greatest sway throughout all christendome I meane of him that hath no consideration of the saluation of his soule in the sight of God but of the aduancement of himselfe or his state wherein I beséech those that shal spend some houre in the reading of this my discourse to thinke that I do not in any wise alow of such catholike policies but doe vtterly condemne abhorre and detest them as abhominable in the sight of God Howbeit in as much as now we are to giue the people to vnderstand that there was neuer counsaile more pernitious then that which the Supplication importeth also that it is a marchandise fetcht out of the leaguers backe shop who vnder a false shew of séeking to husband the peace of the realme doe practise a new disunion between the king and his good subiects I beséech you giue me leaue to strike vpon this tenour which hath recourse vnto the state and afterward I will touch the base that hath relation to the catholike church when I come to speake of the catholike in religion I vpholde that if the king become a catholike wythout that which you terme ceremony or courtezany and I call most holy wel ordered deuotion he looseth his reputation among all men and wythall aduentureth the losse both of himselfe and his realme There is nothing of like importance to the mighty as honor That is it that may most perswade them Our king hath from his infancy bin brought vp in the doctrine that he yet followeth he hath as a man should say euen sucked in with his nurses milke his religion together wyth the expresse commandement that his mother the Q. of Nauarre at her decease gaue and lefte vnto him as it were a testamentarie legacie namely that he should perseuere therein vnto the death He hath since defended it against all worldly indeuors with the price of his bloud and life and hath had good successe He that being simply king of Nauarre with a handfull of men hath vpon this opinion braued his ennemy that was armed with the pretence of the holy sea of Rome with the authority of the late king and of the king of Spaine shall now being king of France and assisted wyth so many princes dukes péeres marquesses earles and barons stoope for a weake stripe with a réede to him that doth but warde his blowes This was not the opinion of Pope Sixtus last deceased as may witnes some honorable personages whom he charged to tell the king that as well in respect of his conscience toward God as of his reputation among men it stoode him vpon to take great héede of altering his religion vnlesse with such order as he had taken with his Nobilitie I do expresly alleadge vnto you the authoritie of this great person as well in respect of his degrée of dignity oner vs as for the wisedome that his age and long experience had purchased We other men are but ceremonies Banish the ceremonies of our vows in matters of greatest cōscience as religion and ye shall ere ye be aware banish a great part of all religions There is nothing that a great king ought so much to feare as to incurre an opinion of lightnesse and inconstancie The which to eschue he must vse all possible means in any alteration that he purposeth in matters of cōsequence If when there ariseth any question or argument about the giuing of
for their tyranny in time to come Thence they lead the king to Paris where they do cause him to take assurance of fidelitie of the prouost of Merchants and Sheriffes of the towne to himselfe Al these preparatiues thus made they bring him to Orleance where they decrée vpon commaundementes throughout all France for the assembly of the estates as knowing very well that the deputies do neuer yéelde but where force and authority commandeth them albeit men be perswaded that the same is the vpholding of the peoples libertie Withall they dispatch many missiues in the kings name to the king of Nauarre the Prince of Conde the Constable and the Admirall to come to him to Orleance pretending these commaundements vpon his desire that they should be assistant to this assembly Euery wise man iudged that there was some notable tragedis to be played at the costes of these poore lords for the perpetuall establishment of the house of Guise The Constable hauing some inkling made but slowe haste The king of Nauarre and the lord prince after many reiterated commandements arriued at the towne of Poytiers where they had the first aduertisement of the kings discontentmēt against them but withall at the same instant they were so inuested by the Marshall of Lermes with two companies of men of armes that they could not possibly returne backe againe At their comming to Orleance the lord prince was committed to safe custody and certaine Iudges were expressely sent for from Paris to frame his inditement As for the king of Nauarre they searched so narrowly into his actions that there was no great difference betweene Garde and Regarde The prince perceiuing that it was a match set in hand by the Lorraines for his destruction vnder the borrowed name of the king beganne to linger matters craued distribution of counsell alleadged that he being a prince of the bloud was not to bée iudged by Commissioners but by the whole body of a Court of Parliament But they spurred him so neare that the defences which he propounded were taken for an affected contumacie In the meane time the deputies came in apace which was so prouided to the end that after the indictment had bin fully framed this poore prince who had erred in nothing but in neglecting to withstand their tyranny might haue bin condemned to death not only by a Parliament that should haue béene brought for the nonce but also by the thrée estates of France This once obtained I wote not what should haue become of the king of Nauarre whome at that time all men so forsooke that such as in heart were his humble and affectionat seruants durst not so much as by a winke of the eie be acknowne thereof Was there euer enterprise guided with more worldly wisedome then this Let vs therefore sée the ende Euen when they were ready to smite and that to that effect they were about to remoue the king out of that towne to Chenonceau to the ende he being absent the said L. prince might haue no recourse to his mercy The king booted and spurred and ready to take horse beganne to finde himselfe ill at ease and to be shorte died within lesse then 4. daies Then euen in the twinkling of an eie all the purposes of these two brethren were turned to nothing The bondmen to the court gaue them ouer and drewe to the K. of Nauarre Him did the estates pronounce the kings lieutenant generall ouer all France during the minority of king Charles the 9. Also the L. prince plainetife in a declaration of innocencie by a decrée of Parliament in scarlet robes obtaineth his ful demaunde All that the two brethren had as yet compassed were state blowes but this was a maisters blowe I speake of that maister who laugheth those to scorne that with mans wisedome make a scorne of him For had they not euen with holberds fetcht the king of Nauarre euery man iudgeth that considering his nature he would hardly haue come vnto the court or if he had come it would haue bin with such delaies that in the meane time the others might very easly haue continued their authority about the Q. mother a forren princesse who without the assistance of the princes of the blood had had no great power to withstand them Now will you aske me what correspondence this example hath with the state catholike whome I detest Very great for I aduow and aduowing am not deceiued that neyther of these two brethren troubled his head with any other religion then such as they thought might serue to the aduancement and progresse of the greatnesse of their famely For they were the first that counseled king Henry the second to become protector of the Dutch Nation that is of the Germans religion against Charles the fift and forced the parlement to verefie this braue title This that I say is no fable hatched with my quil for there is none that liued in those daies but knew it neyther concealed they it but accompted it as a matter that they thought might turn to their honor If these our Maisters had bin so zealous to the Romish church as since they would haue made vs beléeue would they haue iustified this iourney into Germany which was the first ruine of our Fraunce Woulde they not rather haue gainesaide it by humble Supplications declaring vnto the king that such a protection was formally as they thought repugnant to the honour of God and his Church But they maintained the contrary as weening so both to purchase their masters fauour and withal to benefit themselues about him as indéede they did For the Duke of Guise the father neuer purchased so much honour as in the Towne of Metz when hee withstoode the fiege against the Emperour Charles the fift This is the reason that I haue noted this example against all Macheuels schollers I will not beléeue you to be anie who care not what the kings religion be so he may content his people I will yet stay vpon the same example for how long soeuer I make this discourse yet wil it be but too briefe to roote out this wretched opinion It is a principle of estate that you neuer suffer a Prince your neighbour to growe too mighty but if your selfe be not strong enough to withstande him you must enter league with other princes and common-wealths weaker then your selfe A principle very familiar with the princes of Italy which they haue bin ready enough to put in practise all and euery time that we haue passed the Mounts for the recouery of the state of Naples or Millaine In those dayes did we sée the Emperor Charles the fift grow mighty by the ouerthrow of all the protestant princes whom he had discomfited in a pitcht fielde and had taken prisoners the D. of Saxony and the Lantgraue of Hesse Hereupon had they recourse to our K. and put themselues into his protection He tooke their quarrell in hand to the ende to stoppe the course of the Emperours purposes
is very difficult yea euen vnpossible but in succession of time there will bee mixed among the ceremonies I wot not what of man and so consequently euill customes I speake not therefore of abuses one of the quarrels of our new commers but I speake of the impiety that harboured in our Church so soone as the name of League was brought in I will not tel you that abandoning the gospell she would needes preuaile by armes which I may well say by the way is an heresy Our Lorde Iesus Christ after whose patterne we are to frame all our actions his Apostles and Disciples and after them the martyres did neuer establish our Church by this meanes They planted our religion by preching and exhortations and with their blood sealed the christian faith in the magistrats hands out of the fountaine whereof sprang a sea of true Christians which ouerflowed the whole earth Afterward when wée taking our selues to be more wise would néeds extend our religion by armes in our voyages ouer the sea we thereby reaped no other fruit but that the East in the end was made the toombe both of vs and our religion This article doe I purposely passe ouer as being a fault which at this day is accounted no fault Let vs come to that which within these two yeares only hath passed before our faces Shal I not call this impiety that a college of Sorbonne abusing the name of the holy-ghost shall aduise the simple people to arme themselues against their king shall I not call it impiety that neuer expecting the popes decrée whereto these our Maisters referred themselues the nexte day after such aduise they proclaymed warres all ouer shall I not call it impiety that wretchedlie murdered their king and hauing no other ministers of their slaughter but monkes shall I not call it impiety that they haue canonized the wretched Iacobin shall I not call it impiety pardon me O good God though I presume to smite euen at the head that in the great consistory of Rome Pope Sirtus compared that wretches entry into the kings cabine to the comming of the Angell Gabriel when he announced to the virgine the future mystery of the natiuitie of our Lord Iesus Christ I wil not affirme that he so did but sure I am that such his Oration was printed in Paris flyeth all ouer France importing more erroneous propositions then this Our king is wise and hath seene all these thinges for whie should not he haue séene them sith the Leaguers haue ambitiously sought to make them their trophée After al this hath he not reason to desire to be instructed in our religion before he come into our Church I thinke him the honester man for desiring it and if he shall doe otherwise I woulde say hée hath no soule Where I set downe that he ought to be instructed yet is not that enough for withall we are to addresse our prayers and supplications to God not to the king When I desire to obtaine some gift of the king I deliuer him my petition but in this case it dependeth vpon Gods grace not vppon his Him therefore we must beséech to touch our kings heart Among so many thousand persons as be in Fraunce we néede not past a dozen good deuout soules to obtaine our desires S. Aug. in his youth was greately infected with heresie S. Cyprian before he became a Christian doated greately in the loue of a discréete christian lady yea he so doated that to the end to seduce her he learned tha Arte Magicke S. Monique S. Augustins mother neuer intreated her sonne to giue ouer his heresie for it had bin lost labour because the same is a leprosie of the soule which is not healed by mans hand But she directed her prayers to God as did also the other lady for S. Cyprian Their prayers were heard with such aduantage that afterwardes these two persons grewe to be two of the greatest doctors of our Church Let vs vse the like and I doubt not but the K. wil be on our side considering how wel he is borne He commendeth himselfe to the prayers of our church as taking the prayers as I suppose of all good men of either religion to be of great force with God as already he hath in part felt the effects For the same day that he obtained the two great victories in two seuerall partes of France the one at Yurie the other in Auuergne there was a generall procession in Toures wherein all the inhabitants were present euen the litle children who in their virgin-like deuotion cried God saue the king round about the towne And while we were yet in our prayers the king grewe to handie strokes and his miraculous victory wherein he was chieflie assisted by the catholike nobility continued so long as the procession lasted Our prayers were the prayers of Moses when the children of Israel fought and his victory was the victorie of Aaron Thinke you he marked not this chace Peraduenture in heart he is the same that we desire The most catholike king that euer we had in France and not onely a founder of an infinit number of Churches and Hospitals but also a wonderfull reformer of the abuses in those dayes in our religion was S. Lewis Thinke not then that after so many reuolutions of yeares God hath reserued the crowne of France to this great and noble race of Burbon the last sprig of this holy stocke but onely to the ende to renew the same piety wherewith that great king was possessed It is therefore requisite that toward this worke we not only addresse our prayers to heauen but also that withal we bring repentance Why shal we be so vnwise as to imagine that God is not displeased with our Church for so many the impieties by me afore rehearsed whereof the priestes and monkes haue béene the chiefe Ministers And who knoweth whether in reuenge of the same he hath sent vs a king of a contrary religion to ours Were it not a iust iustice of God and such a one as a certaine French spirite durst promise to himselfe in this Lattin Epigramme Henricus monachi manu periuit Qui consortia cellulasue fratrum Totus ex animo suo petebat Et quem vel monachum putes fuisse O caedem miseram impiam nefandam Regno nunc lacero potitur alter Henricus monachis acerbus olim Rex purus sceleris boniue custos Infandae necis acer vltor idem Quid mors haec tibi parturit requiris Excors Gallia pacis omnis expers Te nisi immeritam Deus iuuabit Poenas perfidiae lues cruentae Occîdit monachus pium monarcham Occîdet monachos pius monarcha Who euer made this hold epigram spake not as one that knew that the K. was willing to entertaine all monasteries religious houses in their ancient fréedomes and liberties as he hath plainely shewed in all the places where he hath passed but as he that feared least a greater King then
our deuotions the offences of the Ministers of our Church haue attayned their last period let vs therefore earnestly and in equall ballance purge them Let vs wrap our heads in sackeloth our bodies in haire and our heartes in contrition and with teares crie vnto God that he will vouchsafe to forget all the offences that I doe abhorre to remember let that great K. and prophet Dauid be our guide whome God vouchsafed to giue vs for an example of one of the greatest sinners among all the kings of Israell as also for one of the greatest penitents one who vpon his repentaunce obtained all his petitions at Gods handes When we shall take the same course God who is our true father will embrace our prayers and make our king such a one as we desire It is therefore in thy sight that I doe nowe humble my selfe it is thou O Lord who with all my heart I call vpon to be our helpe I knowe the transgressions that against thy Maiesty we haue committed euen from the highest to the lowest both generally and particularly there is none of vs that can exempt himselfe If thou list to poize our cause in the balance of thy iustice who dare appeare in thy sight Thou I say who by thy especiall titles hast reserued vengeance to thy selfe but O Lord I know also that thou art the GOD of mercy We present our selues before thy face not to be iustified but in our shirts bringing a pardon which it may please thée of thy holy grace to allow of Thy word is true Thou hast said If in Sodome and Gomorrha there were but ten good men the rest of the wicked shoulde for their sakes haue no harme Alas are there not an infinit number of thy faithfull seruants that neuer consented to all these impieties who notwithstanding at this day doe beare the penaunce of other mens wickednesse driuen out of their houses depriued of the view of their wiues whome thou hast comanded vs to cleaue vnto banished from the presence of their parents and children and whatsoeuer they loue best Euen they that haue béene the authours of these calamities doe they not suffer if not penance yet at the least most grieuous punishment for their offences These deaths these pouerties these extraordinary sicknesses this famine this generall ruine of Paris this second desolation of Ierusalem let them be O Lorde God let them be accounted as penance in thy sight Albeit there be some among vs most wickedly hardened in their fellonies yet be there also many in the Towne who in their soules do wéepe howle and lament for all that is past Grant O good God that they may be those ten whom thou desiredst to finde in Sodome and hauing nowe with thy roddes chastized vs in our bodies and goodes suffer not our soules to be lost We all are thy lawfull and naturall children through the regeneration of the holy Sacrament of Baptisme and we do beléeue that through thy passion we be inheritours of thy Paradise Thou O Lord who of a heauy and greate lumpe diddest in the beginning of the world bring all things into good order doest exercise the same liberality ouer thy Church After this miserable Chaos that haue disordered all the affaires of thy religion reunite vs all vnder the banner of thy Church suffer not the diuell the father of diuision to separate the head from the members vouchsafe to illuminate our king with the beames of thy holy spirit so to reduce him into thy catholike apostolike and Romish Church to the end that to the honour and exaltation of thy holy name euery man may acknowledge thée to be the Father of concorde and peace O most eternall goodnesse this we do most humbly beséech thée as taking this to be thy wil whereto we wil referre al our Prayers and Supplications FINIS