sending her a Whooring receiues her home with shame Ignorance Ignotum per Ignotius I cannot spell your Reasons Customer Why hearke a little further and stop not thine eares nor wrangle with thy selfe by taking This for That least Quos perire Deus vult Hos ipse Deus occaecat The KING Coynes a Penny which none may doe but Hee for feare of High-Treason whose weight by the Standart eyther is or else should be thirty two Graines of Wheate in the midst of the eare A Penny according to the Standart at the Conquest the weight whereof now makes three pence This weight the King warrants by his Crowne Seale of his Armes Letters of his Name stamp of his Face and by the worth of himselfe values it to others and being so made currant Haec est MONETA MEA Hoc est CORPVS MEVM he cals it by the Name and sayes it is his Money not as Mons à mouendo quia minime mouet but Moneta quasi monens ne quid fraudis in Materia Signo vel Pondere fiat and by his Exchange In Permutationibus rerum presto est Communis Mensura ex hominum Institutis non vt Naturae nata Haec autem Moneta est Rebus Mensurā aestimationem inferens Estque Medius quodamodo 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 id est cuncta metitur ac Rerum inaequalium precia ea mensura ad aequlitatem reuocantur Et quia ex Lege est non Natura proinde Numi prorepsit appellatio à Nomo id est Lege Estque tanquam Rerum omnium Fide-Iussor Ante cuius inuentionem Rerum ipsarum fiebat permutatio Res indigentia metiebantur Coelij Rhodigini fol. 896. lib. 23. maintaines it for a Penny all his Kingdome through What warrant now hath Vsury without altering the propriety by consent of contract and honest marriage to prostitute this Penny to false clipping or strange Coyning For when Kinges thus Coyne Money as they value it vnto others by the worth of themselues they receiue it so againe by the reason and rule of their owne Exchange But Bankers vse Money if it come to their hands as Bauds abuse Virgins till they get a great belly by a monstrous kinde of Incest and vnlawfull Coynage and to couer shamelesse Vsury call their Interest their Exchange like those that call their Bastards their naturall Children If a Bushell be not measure or a yard be more or lesse then the size of the Standard the Clearke of the Market soone takes you by the eares and then you knowe what followes take greater heede of Money and runne away from Vsury as you would from Iesuits the Patrons now of Popery for feare of Soules and Bodies Igno. Though Vsury proue Popery yet how came it first from Rome Customer With the Masse and Idolatry for as the Masse of Creatures makes Idols so Vsury makes of Money and the Masse with Vsury goe paralell together as the Eucharist with Exchange so the Eucharist to the Masse and Exchange to Vsury make a flat Antithesis and Diametricall opposition the one against the other Ignorance Is Vsury then a greater Sinne then to clip wash and counterfeit or to coyne false Money Customer By farre like the Masse if wittingly and willingly it be obstinately vsed yea by so many Degrees as I know not how farre for that eclipseth MAIESTY and so blindfoldes but her Face that she cannot well be seene This with her owne Finger so puts out her eyes as makes her vnable both to see and to be seene That offends onely against the Persons of Kings This against their Power Wils Wisdomes Soueraignty and Subsistance of their Essence States That against a KINGS PREHEMINENCE for his Person and Place whose roome may bee supplyd though a Iesuit had destroyd him This against PREROGATIVE blowes vp Kinges and Kingdomes both for Matter Persons Place Order and End which cannot be supplyde the rest you may aduise on for I dare goe no further Now had not I then reason let common sence be Iudge in the Epilogue or Conclusion of my second APOLOGY to reply confidently thus That EXCHANGE in Marchandize and MARCHANDIZING Exchange is that Labyrinth of Errors and priuate practise whereby though KINGS weare Crowns and seeme powerfully to raigne yet particulars Bankers priuate Societies of Marchants and couetous Persons whose Ends are Priuate-gaine are able to suspend their Counsels and Comptroll their Pollicies offering Bounty to their SOVERAIGNES KINGS and QVEENES the very Fountaines of Goodnesse but to shelter their shame and lending for Inrerest to EMPERORS and KINGES that onely can Coyne and should haue to spend largely and giue vnto others making Soueraignes thus but Subiects Vassals to be Kings That such was the strength of that staine and stay of Piety that contempt of Iustice that seede of Dissention that World of warre that Art of Witch-craft VSVRY And that such is and will bee the Power thereof still at all occasions till Kinges and Counsels take their owne charge in hand and next to RELIGION that sanctifies all releeue maintain the Nurce of IVSTICE that rectifies all to wit our FREE-BORNE-TRAFFIQVE I meant in ENGLAND and ENGLISH-TRAFFIQVE But In Magnis voluisse sat est sint caetera DIVVM Ignorance Then farewell priuate profit and Interest for Mony with Couetise and Pride equiuocating Popery yea farewell Fraud and all I will become a Catholike for they may bee Christians and honest Men to learne to know the Eucharist and liue by Exchange Discretion And so will I doe too for glorious out of question must those kingdoms be whose Kings thus by Coynage hold Amity together their Nobles most honourable and their Subiects most happy But suppose all this effected in their Standarts by Iustice how should Catholiques be agreed in points of Religion seeing the Masse is so predominant both at Rome and in Purgatory and the Pope is so admir'd by Iesuites and others Custoemr Religion and Iustice are so twisted still togither by the Twine of one Truth their Catholike Beame and Standart that take away but Vsury by restoring our Exchange and the Masse cannot subsist and remoouing the Masse the Pope must needes be packing and Purgatory vanish Now Religion must haue Byshops though Popes may bee gone and Iustice will haue Kinges though Cardinals be none so that in Ordine and Spiritualia or consequence chuse whether Catholikes may be Christians and honest Men too though Iesuites prooue neyther Ignorance But how come the Masse and Vsury by Popery so vnited Customer What the Masse is to Religion the same is Vsury to Iustice and they both goe together whereby it comes to passe that Catholiques and Christians are bewitched so by Iesuites Ignorance Wherein lyes the Witch-craft Customer In the Names of the one and Idolatry of the other for as Iesuites would seeme Iesus so Vsury would vse Money not as Iesus a Sauiour for indeed they are nothing lesse nor as Money is Moneta quasi monens ne quid
I say an open Detection of that Contempt of Law Disdaine of Equity Scorne of Soueraignty and Dishonor of Kings And a liuely Description of that Monster of Creete VSVRY deuouring by daily monthly and yearely Tributes the Bodies of Men and Soules of Christians his Hatching and Brood his Muces and Hauntes his practise and shifts his shape and his Name by the Title of Marchandizing Exchange The Labyrinth of whose inextricable Errors none may safely enter and whose Person none can encounter and quell but fatall THESEVS assisted by the thred of addresse and counsell of ARYADNE A discourse proiected to giue light vnto others but happily reserued by the prouidence of GOD to honour our AEGEVS to preserue our THESEVS and blisse our daies withall How the Customer became first engaged and prouoked to Apologise for Trafficke as well as for Customers For Traffique by this meanes as wel as for Customers being formerly bound then thus prouoked and drawne on by degrees I became at last confident and bold to contend the raising whereof like Honny in Hiues encreaseth Customes But not that Traffique forsooth which he childishly describ'd bartring Pointes for Pinnes or Gossiping with Women Nor that Traffique which to Fodder vs with Folly or to fat vs vp with Pride brings Toyes and TOBACCO little Bels and Bables Hawkes-Hoods and Hobby Horses together with Silks and Veluets Cambricks and Lawnes for our better Commodities of Wooll Wooll-felles and Cloath Tinne Lead and Leather destined for Bullion But that Traffique which euery way subsisting of Goodnesse and Truth both in Number Weight and Measure by turning all our Load-stones into fine Siluer and pure Gold makes Kings and Kingdomes happy Which when I came to view and withall to consider how like a Coach disordered she hung at one side seeing AEGEVS with his ISIS and our THESEVS his Sonne the hope of our happinesse with all the Royall Issue sitting close therein together my heart began to fall and my haire to rise For Traffique beeing the Chariot that beares our GLORIOVS LIGHTS I found her Harnesse worne and her Wheeles displa'st The strong Spokes of CVSTOMES supplyd with weake Subsidies of Tonnage and Pondage and those likewise lin'd with ITALIAN Impositions And perceiuing a far off a certain kind of Horse-men The Motiue and occasion of the CAVTION like the foure Sons of AYMON or the Mynotaure of CREETE then proudly setting forward from the Wildernesse of Sinne and FORREST OF SHIFTS to bound ouer our Deserts and vndertake her at aduenture out of order as shee was and draw vs all in Tryumph I could not but cry out And seeing as I did my standing made me see and my seeing moou'd my Conscience not to hold my peace both the loosenesse of their raines their bits within their teeth the dangers of their course ouer Hils and Dales Bawkes and many By-waies and all without a Coach-man or Guide that I could spy they out-running al and controleable by none for hindring of their course I could not I say out of Duty Feare and Zeale to our Soueraignes speciall safety and all our happy beings but giue CAVTION afore hand of the fiercenesse of their Courage and desperate Carrier that they that then stood nigh them might be warn'd at least to looke but to their heeles For there being but two maine Subsidies The Method and Style of the CAVTION which Loue was desirous that Loyaltie should offer by way of humble presents to honour our Soueraigne with at his first comming hither besides his Customes which as tyde vnto this Crowne were his owne before namely the Subsidie of Tonnage and Pondage and that of Lands and Goods The first vsually mistermed by the generall Name of Customes are those speciall tokens of affectionate Loue which Marchants freely giue and humbly present to MAIESTY and none other for maintenance of the Nauy and safe passage at Seas The other likewise tokens and franke offerings of Loyalty from Subiects to their Soueraigne for maintenance of Royalty and Defence of the Kingdome Both these twins of one birth borne vnder one Law nam'd at one Font knowing no Motiue but Loue no Mould but Loyalty no Obiect but Royalty no vse but Equity no Ends but the safety of the King and Common-Wealth without difference at all saue onely this That the first by Parliament is for tearme of life giuen him once for all The second by Parliaments are vsually renewed Notwithstanding this one being of both and one kinde of beginning yet in their seuerall Collections to the wonder of God and Angels they are made so to differ that the first seemes meerely seruile and subiect to bondage The second Free-borne This point alone but seriously weyghed would rectifie all Disorder in Custome-seruice and quit Customers from disgrace and blame The first exposde to all kind of Extreamities and thereby put to Shifts The other maintainde by Mercy Loyalty and Loue. In the one the least part or shred of each mans Lands and Goods is held sufficient In the Marchandize of the other all in some things more then all is not held enough Lastly the first a disturbance to the Marchant and Customers Disgrace The second a daily credit and countenance to all her Receiuers Now great hath beene the care indeede and inuentions sundry that haue beene vndertaken for the aduancing receiuing and true answering euen of these very Subsidies of Tonnage and Pondage as well as of Customes but the Collections of either being euery way disordered and the wordes themselues mistaken the one for the other Moule-hils become Mountaines and Complaints beget Complaints to the Customers daily cumber disgrace and onely blame Who beeing bound hands and feet by Ielousie and Suspition without accusing any for that was the Deuils part euen from the beginning plead onely for themselues but the Law of God and Nature Quod imputari non debet ei per quē non stat si non facit quod per ipsum est faciendum whose reason goes withall That Culpa careat oportet qui scit prohibere nequit Yet are so far withal from iustifying themselues excusing of others that they willingly confesse Faults there are euer were and euer will be many Perfection knowes no Residence but Heauen disclaimes priuate directions in publique affaires distrust their owne discretion and therefore cries alowde as they may dare or can but ADSIT REGVLA HORACE ,For Haud Natura potest Iusto secernere Iniquum c. It is not in Discretions hand nor power to stay Or hold the tickle Scales of Iustiec still vpright Nor is that Reason good that mak'st all one by day To crop a Neighbours Garden-Leekes and rob a Church by night ARVLE must guide the whole to keepe the parts from swaruing And punish faults in euery one according to deseruing And not to thinke that euery slip Like deadly Sinne deserues a whip Besides their Helpers are their Hinderers For their Searchers being no Saints as they cannot liue
by the Ayre so they know not how to fish but in pudled Waters Their Comptrollers know no Rules but Actum agere And their violent Superuisors crying Halfers were good Fishers like confident Empirickes with repercussiue Medicines so tormented poore Traffique that driuing her at last from the Lyme-kill to the Colâ—-pit it grew to be a question to Farme out her Subsidies of Tonnage and Pondage together with her Customes A strange kinde of Playster for Sores of this Nature as if Loyalty and Loue were thinges transferrent from that Royall Preheminence that giues it Life and being and the Homage of Subiects and honour of Kings were vendible for Money or fit for Farmers Though other Kingdomes doe the like as some obiect and say England liues by Lawes Examples may illustrate but conclude no necessity of generall imitation For Gouernments are diuers some better and some worse and England with the best may rather giue then take example Et praestat legibus obedire quod amodo Iniquis quà m viro bono quantumuis optimo since one mans will may be all mens woe Besides if Reformation speede best in looking backward al men may know that it was not thus with Customers from the beginning to be subiect to blame for their owne sinnes and others till creeping Caterpillers blowne in by Easterne-winds and whispering Informers bred vp in muddy waters were cherisht and maintain'd whom Wisedome in all ages still shund or destroyd And I shew'd a plaine example not yet by all forgotten that there was a time when a Creature of this crew to curry fauour with a worthy Lorde TREASVROVR The Lorde Treasurer Paulet in whose daies if a Customer comming vp to the Tearme had not dynde or supt with him before his departure he had been sure of Purseuant to fetch him vp againe And a Marchants Bond or Bill allowd in his Accompt as any ready Money came fraighted with complaints against the Towne and Port of SANDVVICH for transportation and dealings there laying his complaints cheefely vppon Packes of Cloath and Beere wherein as he conceiued the Prince was much abused The Tale being told and heard out to the end the Relator was demaunded whence and what he was who answered A Cittizen of London but no Marchant at all What makes thee quoth his L. to see so farre of and so skild in Marchants causes The Princes seruice quoth the Fellow and the meanes that I haue to know the doings there His L. seeing his confidence vpon these two grounds descends to particulars and first desires to know of him how and whereof the Sandwich Beere was made The Riuer of Delf running through Sandwich Who readely could describe the running streame that serues the Townes vse and maintaines the Hauen there When they Brew not quoth his L. whether runnes that Water Into the Sea quoth the Fellow And what make they then of it Nothing And Brew they or Brew they not they want no Water No my Lord quoth He for the streame euer running keepes the Riuer full So that quoth his L. the same Water whose course is continuall beeing Brewde yeelds something and not brewde nothing Nothing quoth He. Why then in good faith quoth his Honor be thou rul'd by me and let them boyle it on the Fire and with a few Hops and some Malt make something of the water bee it neuer so small for the least something that may be is and will be still better then nothing at all Nowe for the Packes quoth his L. know'st thou whose they are They belong quoth He to Marchants that send them downe thither but their Names I cannot tell Are they simply their owne that send them to vent and dispose Yes my Lord quoth He before they be transported Then though they bee shipped if they crosse not the Seas the PRINCE hath no interest in them nor profit by them None at all quoth the Fellow for from Port to Port both Land and Seas are free Well then quoth his L. I perceiue a good meaning hath brought thee hither but let me aduise thee in these Marchants affaires to let thinges alone till eyther thou become a Sandwich-Brewer ot a Portsman at least to know what it is to be a good Townes-man at home where euer thou dwell or till thou bee a Marchant thy selfe that experience may tell thee what it is to seeke Marts and Markets abroad and then I doubt not but as others do thou wilt be glad of a good peny-worth of that which being thine to dispose of is already thine owne The entertainement giuen by a Lorde Treasurer to an Informer against a Customer of Sandwich And so being dismist he was wild first into the Seller but from thence out of doores Such was the regard in those daies that was had of Whisperers though now it be holden for best seruice to the State to talke most of Errors and diue deepest into Customes but many speake of ROBIN-HOOD that neuer drew his BOW And although the Farming of some fewe particulars that were let out already might seeme but a mischeefe of lesser harme yet harme more or lesse towards Soueraignes and Subiects make no Man happy and therefore to be shund but to Farme out all was a publique inconuenience so great in my conceit as might worthily deserue the wisest preuention which made me giue warning according to my place For if Trafficke be truely cald the Nurce of Iustice wherein Soueraignes and Subiectes stand interest alike so naturall is the Vnion of Religion with Iustice that the Farming out of Subsidies effects of Trafficke together with the Customes or guilding them ouer with the Golden Name of Customes may fitlie be resembled to the impropriating of religious offerings by the Name of Tithes The one due to none but to heauenly Deity The other also onely to Soueraigne Princes The one a wrong to GOD a stop to Religion and a beggering of the Church The other a dishonouring of Kings a rub to Trifficke and a meanes to impouerish Kingdomes and disturbe Common-Weales Howsoeuer some few priuate particular preuenting Persons perhaps may raise themselues by chance may thriue thereby But to make all this more plaine If the Subsidies aforesaid vpon Lands and Goods were vrg'd to be collected as Cardinall Woolsey once thought to prooue vpon the Cleargy or exposed out to Farmers by Hundreds Lathes or Shires or generallie vndertaken as Tonnage and Pondage is who should collect it Read Hall and Stow in Hen. 8. 1526. Or who were able to abide it Yet for comparing these two together and fore-warning mischiefes at hand and to come by the farming out of either like the simple Satyre that seeing the Sky-stolne fire from the Wheeles of this Chariot admiring it in loue and but kissing it in kindnesse found it burnt his lippes CASTOR misinformed and POLLAX being offended I was gratiously chidden and shent for my labour such is the lot of Customers in this lower kind of Traffick worldly Commerce
beeing taken and abusd for sterne PREHEMINENCE with e. and i. only for Persons and Place hath bred in the World such dangerous contempts and Capitall Errors against MAIESTY and SOVERAIGNTY in the height of all Sublimity as no Power but the greatest nor Wisedome but the grauest may or can reforme Besides this I say those other two like Witchcraft or Iugling at the best namely the MASSE and VSVRY the one debauching GOODNES the other equiuocating TRVTH in the EVCHARIST and EXCHANGE haue enchanted so our Traffique as well Downeward and Vpward in the Art of Piety and Rules of Religion as Outward and Inward in the Art of Equity and Rules of Iustice that as Mercy and Truth are thereby kept asunder and cannot come together so Righteousnesse and Peace can no way kisse each other which makes vs all vnhappy For whereas all things by Nature affect to bee happie and encline to Perfection by the Rules of Order and degrees of Goodnesse whereof nothing on Earth is capable but Man in regard of his Reason and none but Christians by a Doctrine of Humility Patience and Charitie in the Art of Piety aliàs Holinesse aliâs Godlinesse aliâs Felicity laid vp in IESVS CHRIST by meanes of the Mysteries that belong to Religion Baptisme and the Eucharist through Faith Repentance in a Kingdome of Obedience Mercy Loue and Grace obtaine it in Heauen The MASSE seeing Catholikes enquire the way thither tels them of a Place without the Boundes of Nature neuer seene found nor heard of on Earth nor in Heauen but fancide out by Dreames VTOPIA aliâs PVRGATORY And of a Doctrine how to merit Heauen if they list of themselues for themselues and others their Friends at the least by Hysteron Proteron and Rules of Disorder changing Patience to Presumption Humility into Pride Loue to Rebellion turning Creatures into Gods Gods into Idols and CHRIST into ANTI-CHRIST and Metamorphosing Grace turne Grace into Merits and Truth into Lyes by an Art of Impiety Ecclesiasticall Popery eclipsing MAIESTY in GOD. aliâs Idolatry aliâs Heresie aliâs Popery in a Kingdome of Presumption Merits and Free-will And whereas GOODNES TRVTH and WISEDOME subsisting together by Name of DEITY made Man the first Modell of Perfection like it selfe for the vse and Good of All. And GRACE making BOVNTY to subsist in Humanity by the GREATNES of it selfe fixt MAIESTY and SOVERAINGTY in the Persons of some Men by the name of KINGS for all Subiectes Weale by an Art of Equity aliâs Probity aliâs Honesty aliâs Honour aliâs Order aliâs worldly Happinesse and a Mystery of Iustice in all Meum and Tuum cald Royall Exchange Vsury seeing Subiects seeke Happinesse on Earth by the helpe of Golde and Siluer and seeking to behold the MAIESTIE of KINGES still liuely represented as it were in a Mirroer by the stamps of their Coynes tels thē of a way from Beggars-Alley to Rich-mans Row beyond Meum and Tuum or the Rules of right and reason by the sound and sight of Coyne without Exchange for any thing or altering the Propriety making Money seeme a God that 's but a Creature to Kings as Kings are to God by Couetise and Pride and adoring but the stamps that SOVERAIGNES put in Coyne as the Heathen did their Idols REMPHAM and RHYMMON by an Art of Extortion aliâs Iudaisme thereby deriuing Maiesty from beyond the Bounds of Royalty and erecting such a Soueraignty aboue Empires and Monarchies that Cardinals stand for Kinges or Anti-Kinges at least by Flattery Pride Presumption Secular Popery eclising MAIESTY in KINGS Couetise and Money in a Kingdome of Rebellion aliâs High-Treason aliâs Popery whereby the World as in an extasie amaz'd and bewitcht seemes still to stand and wonder howe Pride and Presumption the one Motiue to Sinne the other fall of Angels should make Couetousnes the roote of all Euill The Customer finding that Popery alone eclipsing MAIESTY both in GOD and KINGS becomes the only let to heauenly and earthly happinesse by means of the Masse the bane of Religion Eclesiastically and by means of Vsury the bane by Iustice secularly Leauing the Masse to Diuines and entending directly to search and fift out Vsury is heere interrupted by Ignarance and her Fellowes and the loue of Money to bee flat Idolatry that 's to say Popery though GOD himselfe haue spoken it Ignorance VTOPIA aliâs PVRGATORY Impiety aliâs Heresie Extortion aliâs Iudaisme Iniquity aliâs Rebelion Couetise Deceipt And the loue of Money to be flat Idolatry The one from the Masse the other from Vsury and all to end in Popery Popery in Rebellion and Rebellion with High-Treason What spelling call you this And how hang these words together Since the Question is of Happinesse which Catholiques by Deuotion and the World seekes for by Money For grant that Impiety should lurke within the Masse because it is a Mystery and pretendeth most Deuotion yet howe becomes Iniquity a consequence of Popery though the Masse should seeme Idolatry and Vsury sauour Rebellion Can you Paralell the Masse with Vsury and the Eucharist with Exchange And yet proue a flat Antithesis betweene the one and the other opposing the Masse to the Eucharist and Vsury to Exchange The Masse pretending Piety as well as the Eucharist and Exchange presupposing the daily vse of Money no lesse then Vsury Heere must needes bee Witch-craft some Sorcery some Iugling a Paradox at least or a Mystery as you faine Thus Ignorance still tels Catholiques that my spelling is but idle and my labour all in vaine therefore to helpe them out of this maze I must turne the Leafe againe for herein lyes the Mystery indeede that puts vs all to paine The Customer forced to returne to his former grounds to satisfie Ignorance about the Mystery of Iniquity It is granted at all handes and Nature makes it good that Religion and Iustice haue euer gone together their Vnion beeing so naturall that where both of them are not there can be neither Now for Truth in Religion Diuines haue laid it open that the way from wretchednesse to Godlinesse is by Reformation and finding Reformation to speede best in looking backeward haue happily made vs happy by reducing the Eucharist to her first Institution and branded the Masse with Idolatrous Impiety Heathen Superstition which being made so intricate by opinions and disputes may bee plainely discerned by sense and reason thus Looke but what the Glasse of a Christall Mirroer is beeing specially fitted by Art as well as Nature to demonstrate and expresse the liuely face and feature of all that can but see and haue eyes to looke into it though the thing represented by transubstantiating nor consubstanting with it bee neither of the Glasse not any waies within it the same is the Eucharist to all intents and vses by GOD MAN so fitted and by CHRIST himselfe ordained that as well his Deity in Diuinity as Manhood in Humanity are therein represented by blessed Bread
fraudis in Materia Signo vel Pondere fiat but as Mons à mouendo quod minime mouet Ignorance But how doth the Idolatry of the Masse bring Vsury to be Popery Customer By the Pictures in Coyne for Vt mundo Natura Cursum Soli lumen sic gratiam Auro Men looking on the Beauty of Bullion and powerfulnesse of Money by too too much admiring the pourtraitures of KINGES expressed in their Coyne fall in loue with their Pictures as the Heathen with their Idols Ignorance It seemes then by this meanes that the Masse may proue a higher sinne then Heresie and Vsury more then Treason what sinne may that be Cust Nay there forsooth I leaue you for I dare not once think therof much lesse determine Ignorance What helps to excuse it for the sinnes that are past Customer Onely meere simplicity frailty and weaknesse Ignorance And what may expiat the guilt thereof in eyther Customer Harty repentance for all that is past and a serious entention to forbeare it hereafter Ignorance Then farewell sinfull Masse and Vsury both together since wilfulnesse obdurates so fearefully in either O damnable Iesuites that bewitch still the World by such kinde of Popery But what 's all this to Customers Customer The CVSTOMER by his Method seeing MAIESTY no where fixed but in GOD and Christian KINGS Personally and Himselfe a sworne Seruant and Customer to a Christian KING whose MA seemes ecclipsed and defectiue in his Customes showes heer the Reason why and manner how He Ex Officio became forc'st first of all others to search out the Grounds of so Great Iniustice Radicitùs as it were and Originally Namely Finding that Impietie by direct opposition did vndermine Godlinesse in all Christian Religion stil by meanes of the Masse and Iniquitie by Vsury to attempt the like on Equity in all Kingly Iustice by misvsing their Moneyes Mystically and obseruing withall howe Iustice and Religion by holding hands together did illustrate each other He came at last to discerne howe POPERY by the Masse disguising Christianity bewitching Catholiks found the way to hoodwink Kings and enthral Kingdoms ecclesiastically and with VSVRY as with Gunpowder to blow thē vp at last with their Customers Customes Whereupon the Customer leauing Impiety with the Masse for Diuines to lay open following still his Method in the Mistery of Iniquity or Secular kind of Popery He betooke Himselfe directly to the POPES owne Person whose main Subsistence being SIN and Rome by Iubilees c. the Mart and Staple thereof to poison the world by Bankers and Bawdes drawing home his Annates Peter-pence and Reuennewes depends most on VSVRY For hauing no naturall Mines of Gold and Siluer nor Mints to make Mony nor Wares worth the battering HE settles there and makes Port-sale from thence of all kinde of SIN articificially for Bullion and rebelliously vsurping the EMP powerfull Mints makes HIS Kingly Stamps strike His Counterfet Coyn as by his Face thereon and Armes is intuitiuely euident and Catholickly cleare And instead of lawfull Tributes as Caesar sometimes had settes Taxes Imposts and Impositions by Discretion to keepe KINGS and Kingdoms vnder still distracting their STANDARDS debauching their EXCHANGE The same with GOD and KINGES for Customers are Catholiques and Christian Men too and faine would bee happy but as Popery by Idolatry presuming vppon Deity eclipseth MAIESTY in KINGES so Customers by Vsury are put by their Customes Ignorace Why from whence came their Customes Custo From their Staples Ignorance Where then are their Staples Cuctomer They were sometimes at home though now exilde beyond Seas and would faine returne if Vsury were put downe for our Temples and our Staples were wont to stand together Ignorance How Temples with Staples Customer Religion and Iustice haue euer helde together and as the one had her Altars for Vnity and Truth still kept in her Temples so the other had her Mints vnited to her Staples and those Mintes Coyn'd the Money wherewith Traffique at our Ports did acknowledge her homage before shee crost the Seas which is that we call Customes Ignorance But what haue KINGS to doe with Staples in the question of Money Customer In regard of their Bullion since none but they may Coyne and their Bullion is no where to bee found but at their Staples by vertue of their Load-stones that are there laid vp together so that No Staples no Load stones No Loadstones no Bullion No Bullion no Mints No Mints no Money No Money no Customes No Customes no Honour No Honour no Homage No Homage no Iustice and no Iustice no Religion and all for lacke of Staples Ignorance Why say KINGES should Coyne no Money for want of their Bullion and say they haue no Staples yet if Subiects may but Coyn so it be at their Mints what harme can come of it Customer If Subiects may bee Coyners that 's as Vsury aliâs Popery would haue it then what becomes of Exchange and then where is Bounty Where 's Greatnesse that makes KINGS weare the Crowne Nay when the Spirits of their Pulses haue no blood of their owne where subsistes their Essence if their Substance bee gone Ignorance Indeede this seemes something Customer If any thing be something graunt this or graunt nothing therfore let Common Sense be Iudge if I had not sometimes Reason in seeking after Staples thereby to finde Bullion when comparing things by contraries to illustrate each other I crid out against Couetise and Priuate-gaine thus Great Greater and Greatest of all must their Accompts be both to GOD and KINGES that prepostorously peruerting their proper Materials turne their best helpes for Bullion to their priuate aduantage to the intollerable disturbance both of Court and Countrey and almost vnrecouerable wrong to the King and his Crowne Ignorance This is much to their Mints indeed but what are Staples to Iustice Customer What are Temples to Religion Ignorance Temples sure are Sanctuaries for the maintenance of Religion for I read it thus written O worship the Lord in the Glory of his Sanctuary and Beauty of his Holinesse which I take to be Temples and Churches in regard of Deuotion Customer Euen so say of Staples O Honour the King in the Greatnesse of his Bounty or Iustice of his Courtes Subalterne and Soueraigne which in this case of ours I call the COMMON-PLEAS together with his Staples in regard of Meum and Tuum by the one and Bullion by the other For as the Graue Court of STAR-CHAMBER by set daies of hearing and presence of the King shewes MAIESTY and SOVERAGNTY betweene Greatnesse and Decorum Vitia perimendo seruatis hominibus besides his owne Counsell and PRIVY-COVNSELL-TABLE And as the KING on his BENCH in the midst of his Iudges by publique proceedings betweene Him and his Subiects doing Iustice to All breakes Bread to the meanest according to Birth-right and out of loue and affection as well may beseeme Him standes gratious to some more then all the rest protects notwithstanding
Honor and Subiects Wealth may bee better regarded and deserue not only thankes and good wordes but make all men confesse Marchants at lest to owe as much to these my weake endeauours if Trafficke may be valued I say not as one Staple one Mint one Port one Towne or one City of LONDON but many Staples many Mints many Ports many Townes and many Citties like LONDON and all their Wealth is worth Some few priuate particular and preuenting persons excepted of whom I looke for no thankes nor seeke any fauour Heere then to conclude and close vp this Accompt the sum of all is this Since all Men by Nature desire to be happy and Customers with the rest whose silence pleads for them by signs with their Pens though themselues dare not speake For Assai domanda eneor che mai non grida chi ben seruendo tace there are but two wayes that lead to Felicity Religion and Iustice and Trafficke encludes either the zeale whereof onely hath preuented all my studies almost consum'd my selfe and yet is the Motiue of all my best endeuors For my Countries sake therfore in regard of publike good Summa Totalis and for no side respects in beating out the way that leads vnto Happinesse as I haue not bin ydle haue not held my peace so now for my Soueraignes sake KING IAMES and his Posterity as by Oath I am bound in regard of his Bullion for that is his right and no Mans but his by the Rules of Fixed Goodnesse In regard of his Mints for that is his Honor no Mans but his by the Rules of Iustice In regard of his Exchange for that is his Glory and no Mans but his by the Rules of Equity And lastly for his Customes in regard of his Homage for that is his profit and no Mans but his by the Rules of Meum and Tuum as in Tithes so in Tributes that Honestum and Vtile may go orderly togither Honestum Vtile my Conscience cannot rest but wish the returne of our HOME-BORNE-FREE-BORNE-TRAFFIQVE at home againe in peace And why should I dispaire since as Religion hath her Temples so Iustice hath her Courts distributiuelie whereby Truth with the time appeares to preuaile And for Traffick at Staples by Nature still admirable and by Art made amiable by Degrees and Proportions of Good Better Best in Number Weight and Measure what can be lesse spoken then a Customer hath said The Customers zeale to the Honour and Happinesse of Kings and Counsaile-Tables by Trafficke Namelie that her Doctrine is heauenlie and no waies fit for Emperickes but KINGS and COVNCELL-TABLES Her Seat and Residence the SOVERAIGNES owne bosome Her voice well tunde the Harmony of Christian Kingdomes To whom Courts and Countries owe Fealtie and Homage the Meanest Subiects still feeling her Care and the Greatest PRINCES still subiect to her Prouidence And whom both NOBLE and Ignoble admire and loue as Norice and Proteâ—â—rice of all their earthlie Happinesse Prosperities PEACE and Ioy. Ab Ioue principium Reges Consules ergo Iouis omnia plena GOD hath begun his part by means of the Eucharict let Kings and Counsels follow by restoring their Exchange that Vsury with the Masse may be packt away for Rome where Popery missing MAIESTY for want of Goodnesse and SOVERAIGNTY finding no place nor meanes to subsist for want of Truth the POPE with his Cardinals and Iesuites each with other may hide them in Vtopia The Customers Resolution or Purgatory chuse whether whilst Catholikes and Christians and Customers altogether resolue in their hearts to doe their best endeuours To finde and hold fast Innocency and take heede to that is right for that at the last and nothing else brings Summa Summarum and all to perfect Happinesse SVMMA SVMMARVM in one word to PEACE His Confession Now GOD from whom all Holy thoughts and best endeuours grow Make me possesse that perfect PEACE the World cannot bestow And that which of my selfe I can by Merits no way gaine Grant that thy GRACE by Faith and Workes may helpe me to obtaine His Prayer and Thankesgiuing Psal 4. O GOD. that art my righteousnesse Lord heare me when I call Thou hast set me at liberty when I was bond and thrall Haue mercy Lord therefore on me and grant me my request For vnto thee vncessantly to cry I will not rest O Mortall Men how long will ye the Glory nf God despise Why wander ye in vanity and follow after lies Know ye that good and godly Men the Lord doth take and chuse And when to him I make my plaint he doth not me refuse Sinne not but stand in awe therefore examine well your heart And in your Chambers quietly see you your selues conuert The Greater Sort craue worldly goods and Riches do imbrace But Lord grant me thy countenance thy fauour and thy Grace For thou thereby shalt make my heart more ioyfull and more glad Then they that of their SILKES and WINE so great increase haue had In PEACE therefore lye downe will I taking my rest and sleepe His QVIETVS-EST For thou alone wilt me O Lord alwaies in safety keepe ANd heere to shut vp all by way of Remembrance His short Memorandum of the whole Accompt in Perpetuam Rei memoriam for our SOVERAIGNES speciall Honor his Loyall Subiects good and Kingdomes prosperitie Since nothing can preuail but Goodnesse from GOD and Bounty from KINGS to make All in All Happy Let TRAFFIQVE be releeued Of GOODNES long depreeued And TRVTH be still beleeued That SVBIECTS may be blist For TRAFFIQVE out of thrall Makes KINGS be seene of all What ere to POPES befall And SOVERAIGNES to subsist In the meane time for Customers discharge of all Imputation past and to come against Ignorance and her Fellowes in that which hath bin said by the Law of Nature and Nations both Imputari non debet Ei per Quem non stat si non facit quod per ipsum est faciendum The reason being currant withal Quia culpa caret Qui fit prohibere nequit For In Magnis voluisse sat est sint caetera Diuum And Magna Magnus perficit DEVS THO MILLES
The request was performed but when as looking still for Arguments fitting the question he found nothing at all but a needlesse endeuour to approoue and maintaine by the Catholike Creede What That IESVS CHRIST was the true Sonne of God very God and very Man that redeemed the World and That there was also a Communion of Saints The Booke was return'd with a slender smile but no applaud at all or shew of satisfaction Right Honorable such was the successe of a like late learned Writer who Printing a Treatise of publique Commerce such was his Title in fauour of a priuate society or Conclaue of Marchants with very much ado and a heape of silly words farre vnfitting the Grauity of his Theame set all his wit to worke and endeuour'd all he could to perswade his Reader What That Traffique forsooth rightly ordered was the Honour of Kings and Prosperity of Kingdomes and withall that Trades and Occupations Arts and Mysteries were at al hands to bee cherrished and Marchants likewise fauour'd in euery Common-Wealth which none but Fooles or mad men to my vnderstanding did euer yet deny But it 's strange to obserue what strong apprehensions are able to worke in weake mens braines For as a plaine simple Man in reading his Beleefe was sometimes perswaded that if Pontius Pylate had not beene a Saint the Apostles would neuer haue suffered his Name to stand in the Creede so this Catholike Writer reading in a * This Treatise was written by one of Embden 1564. about the beginning of the Diuisions of the House of Burgundy and Colloquy of Bruges to shew the Emperor and P P. of Germany the great aduantage the King of Spaine then had ouer all Christendome by the Load-stones of England still transported thither earnestly apprehending the fitnesse of the time and happy occasion then offered to drawe them from Antwarp to Embden for the good of the Empire All which Maister Wheeler Secretary to the Marchant Aduenturers in his Treatise of Commerce seemes to make his owne Sic vos non vobis and leauing the Matter admires onely the Men and fals downe before the Persons that for their priuate profit transport them still ouer and would perswade the World to commit the like Idolatry Treatise by a Stranger long since written a full discourse at large of the Golden blissings of ENGLAND turning Creekes into Portes ioyning Ports vnto Townes raising Towns into Citties and enriching whole Countries with Artificers and Trades Marriners and Shipping wheresoeuer they became in the strength of his conceit seeing Pride bewitcht with Couetise and puft vp with flattery would beare the world in hand that the life of all our Trafficke and Welfare of GREAT BRITTAINE stood wholely or cheefely by the standing and supporting of his priuate Society Applauding their Greatnesse and Happinesse besides by their mannaging of Traffick within themselues commending their disposing mincing abridging restraining swearing confining the store and Staples thereof not shewing Cui Bono within the wals of Places out of sight beyond Seas coloured with the Title of their speciall Mart-Townes And aboue all extolling their excellent wits and absolute cunning in moulding Lawes by meere Discretion to hold all men vnder and themselues still aboue For sending or sayling but crosse the narrow Seas without hazzard of Gods or danger of Persons more then vsuall or ordinary And for wearing Chaines of Gold about their Neckes Cappes with Greene Feathers Hats with white Feathers Purple Veluet Buskins Guilt Rapiers Daggers Bridles and Spurres at Triumphs beyond Seas and publike meetings there But cheefely for feeding maintaining and setting to worke thousands of Strangers there when God knowes the wants and hears the cryes of Myriades for idlenesse at home would faine perswade others beeing bound to admire thē himselfe that their PONTIVS or Gouernor was for skil the PILAT for Grauity the POPE and for wisdome the Oracle of all orderly Commerce Their priuate Decrees aboue Common Lawes at home or Treatises abroad Their particular Synodes aboue Generall Counsels and their Conclaue or Company a Communion of Saints pronouncing al that withstand distast or dislike their Doctrine or contemne their Discipline for ENTERLOPERS that 's to say Heretickes Schismatickes and excommunicated Persons not worthy to breath so much as common Ayre or liue in any well ordered Common-Wealth Concluding at last thus strongly withall That these Men thus put in speciall trust with the transporting of the Credit of our Kingdome the very Creame of our Land and cheefest of our Load-stones whereby wee should draw Bullion CLOATH must needes be reputed more loyall to their Soueraignes more seruiceable to the State more welcome to our Neighbours and therefore more to be honored then any other men bee they neuer so Free-borne with a Name aboue all Names of MARCHANT-ADVENTVRERS With this and such like stuffe the Booke being confusedlie fraught Cuius contrarium verissimum est might wel haue been suffered to haue dyde in the Birth had it not beene mingled with aspersions of vntruthes and Obloquies withall against the poore Customers of the Out-Ports of this Realme Customers A kind of Creatures capable as well of Religion as Reason Free-men by birth and of best education Men euery way happy saue in their Names and Calling and in nothing more wretched then in the place of their Functions The Out-Ports of this Realme O thrice happy LONDON Men I say that by the curious eye of the Lawe chosen of the best and most sufficient that Wisedome can finde or choyce affoord would faine retaine the reputation if not of Saints yet of Christians at least and plaine honest men But as Men once suspected are said to be halfe hang'd so fares it with Customers for with them aboue all men it is not enough to be an honest man Leauing therefore mine Antagonist to beleeue still in the Christian Catholique and Apostolique Creede whose Articles assuredly are holy all and true though PONTIVS PILATS name stand for no Saint I sent the rest to the Story of ISIS whose Image of Gold it was that Men so admired in all Places where it came and not the beauty of the Beast that bare it and ploughing with a Heyser * Anno 1564. At or about the time of the Colloquy of Bruges A Marchant Aduenturer to enforme the State at home of the grounds of such Disorders in the matter of Traffick as then the world was disquieted withal out of Conscience and Duty bewray'd the practises and aduantages of that Company by Vsury which they still call Exchange A Coppy of whose Discourse lying by me I ioyn'd to my Reply without adding or altering saue onely the Praeface or Introduction and Epilogue or Conclusion to help out the Method and giuing it a Title which it had not before that had sometimes beene their owne I answered his Treatise with a Counter-Treatise of Exchange in Marchandize and Marchandizing Exchange wherein was laid open by plaine Demonstration the Canker of Traffick and all mutuall Commerce
Licenses or other gracious fauor is afterwards transferd sold or put ouer from the first recieuer to a second and third hand for Money Simones Magi. Acts Cap. 8. verse 20. or vse them not themselues it is but Witchcraft Sorcery that all such entend as by Leases or Purchace for priuate gaine thinke SOVERAIGNES PREROGATIVES eyther vendible for Money or subiect to Exchange Such Impost Maisters Religion hath accurst their Money and themselues therefore without harty repentance must perish both together These Imposts or Impositions tearme them how you list as they are but Romish Peter-pence Italian Inuentions where their Princes Preheminence and for'st kinde of Dignities haue little other Subsistence being but eyther borrowed or obtruded vpon vs I past them slightly ouer and so sent them home againe for England beeing no waies obnoxious to Italy nor Vassall to Rome hath or else may haue beeing rightly vsed enough of her owne For our Vowels and our Consonants agree so well together that spelling all by Vnion and ending all in Peace they perfect all our Alphabet without the helpe of others though the placing of some CAPITALS in the world else-where abroad by their lewd and ill examples be a cause of some vnrest Whose Pride profane Presumption and Couetise besides by Equiuocating sounds makes words be so misconstrued that MAIESTY seemes ecclip'st and like to be out fa'st For R. P. that with honest auncient Romans was reade for Respublica is now Respriuata And P. P. for Principes or Pater Patriae now either by themselues or pla'st before A. in the stead and Rome of M. makes P AP A sometimes Pater stand and striue for MAIESTY before GOD and KINGS And C. crept vp to K. makes Cardinals challenge Kings without Crownes to be knowne by or Kingdomes of their owne so that as P AP A now spels ANTICHRIST so Cardinals ANTI-KINGS Whereby S. P. Q. R. sometimes the Armes and Honor of Rome for Senatus Populus Que Romanus may now as well bee read Stultus Populus Querit Romam to the great disgrace of Catholiques both in Church and Common-wealth But those two great words of Power PREHEMINENCE and PREROGATIVE beginning both with P. did most of all perplex me For seeing Iustice and Mercy in the height of al sublimitie attending heauenly MAIESTY so reuerently together and the same in earthly Attributes contesting each with other I knew not how to spell them For though they both contained the very selfe-same Letters that mine Alphabet did teach yet the first importing Iustice I durst not looke vpon for the sternnesse of her face and setled Seuerity and the second full of Mercy I could not but admire for her milde aspect and infinite Serenity In the first I could discerne but two of our Vowels e. and i. for Persons and Place but the second had them all a. e. i. o. and u. I meane u. and v. Sirs v. my Lords w. and all The one of greatest Power yet bounded in her Greatnesse KING and PRINCE Counsell and Common-wealth The other a very Hieroglifique aboue my reach and reason yet hearing still withal how at all hands daily PREHEMINENCE for PREROGATIVE and PREROGATIVE for PREHEMINENCE were strangely speld together I appeald vnto the Wisest in highest Authority to compound the distractions that the World was subiect to by the mis-vnderstanding of wordes of such importance as both for Matter Persons Place Order and End The important necessity of obseruing precisely the distinct vse and Ends of Preheminence and Prerogatiue in all words and Actions so neerly concern'd all our Liuings all our Liues all our Liberties all our Honours and all the Peace of our Land vnited so together And let all men in Gods Name that haue eyes to see will to learne or wit to vnderstand spell and distinguish the value of the Consonants and compasse of the Vowels these two wordes containe for they shew the difference and distinction betweene Soueraignty and Subiection and the height of Dignity both of Deity and Humanity the very right of GOD and KINGS Heere I say is worke indeed for Wisedome to consider and Power to reconcile both these two Attributes and wordes of like import For by their Example as the Masse would seeme the Eucharist and Vsury is cald Exchange so our Customes stand for Subsidies Subsidies for Impositions and Imposts nowe equiuocate both our Customes and Subsidies This is the fruit of Trauailers by wandring still to Rome England and Customers il beholden to such as trauailing for Experience thinke the Impositions of Italy a fit president for Pollicy or Gouernment when they come home That hunting for experience ride early and late To make the Imposts of Italy as soone as they come home A President of Gouernment as fit to guide our State Whereby as Maiesty stands eclip'st so Customers in disgrace are in nothing yet more wretchedlike then in their Names and Place for beeing borne happy bred happy and loosing themselues in seeking happinesse for others themselues cannot be happy But if Delicta sequnter Personas and greatest offences deserue greatest punishments that mine owne Faith to GOD-ward and obedience to my SOVERAIGNE declaring my Religion and ciuill conuersation may warrant mine Accompt both before GOD and KINGS Hauing thus far speld read by the help of Grace and Goodnesse I proceeded to my Creede and then my Ten-Commaundements By the Customers Beleefe note the true Religion taught and defended in Great-Brittaine whereby being taught to Cypher I came at last by telling 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. to set downe my Receipts and to cleere vp all my Reckonings without suspending any or enstaulement of a Penny For being to cast Accompts for my selfe and for others Customers are Accomptants euen for the sinnes of others I found that twelue Articles two Mysteries and ten great Commaundes The summe of true Religion consisting of twelue Articles two Sacraments Ten Commaundements containes all Christian Duties both to God and Kings made the summe of mine Alphabet iust foure and twenty Letters namely a. e. i. o. u. and b c. d. f. g. h. k. l. m. n. p. q. r. s t. w. x. y. z. And the number of all numbers The compasse and number of the Alphabet consisting of 24. Letters comprehend and teach all Religion and Iustice where perfection is confin'd both of Heauen Earth Ten. Three being Gods own number and perfection of Deity as GOD the Father GOD the Sonne and GOD the Holy-Ghost and seuen of Humanity in our first and free Election Creation Redemption Vocation Iustification Sanctification and Glorification by the meanes of CHRIST IESVS that is both GOD and MAN By this likewise I speld our owne Ten Courtes of Iustice By the ten Soueraigne Courts of fundamentall Iustice are pointed at and meant the Ten Commandements The Customers Grace His Prayers the perfection whereof distributiuely makes vs al so happy and for which as Grace made
giues life to all the Body at the Standart of Wisedome The Rule of Wisedome and Order by Number Waight and Measure in Quantity Quality and Vse directing proportions of Good Better and Best to Number Weigh and Measure the true worth and vse of Goodnesse for Quantitie Quality and in all vendible thinges as well by Money as in Money it selfe by the Name of Exchange The first whilst Goodnesse and Truth made all thinges alike Honestum knew not the Titles of Kinges and Kingdomes but magnified Honestie in the Actions of Men. The second is that Meanes or right hand of Iustice Honour which Crowning KINGS laid the first Foundation of PREHEMINENCE and Dignity and fixt Honour and Reuerence in the persons of Men to shew the Distinction betweene SOVERAIGNES and SVBIECTS Maiestie The third by the Forme shewes vs MAIESTIES owne Face betweene Greatnesse and Decorum and the absolute authority of Soueraignes ouer Subiectes by transcendent PREROGATIVE of Mercy Loue and Grace that of Mortall Men makes GODS on Earth Then putting all together to shew the sense and meaning I speld and read out thus ¶ By Goodnesse I meant that beautifull aspect and beneficiall influence of Soueraigne Beatitude Soueraignty which the Grecians vnderstand by the Calocagathia sanctifying and assuring the Materiall Formall and Finall Endes of all Happy Beings efficientlie for Bono suo constant omnia By Commodities I meant all Goodnesse-fixt what where howsoeuer but cheefely or Catexochen and Instar omnium the Elementall perfections of Finenesse and Purenesse in Golde and Siluer Weight by the Name of Bullion laid out by Nature at the Standart of Truth to Weigh the proportions of Good Better and Best for extention of Goodnesse and ease of Commerce for as Omne Bonum est sui diffusiuum so quantò communius eò semper melius By Money I meant those figured proportions of Number ioynd with Weight Weight and Number laid out by Art at the Standart of Iustice for Meum and Tuum to measure Goodnesse by in vendible thinges through the naturall perfection and worth of it selfe Vt quod vspiam nascitur Boni id apud omnes affluat which none but Kings may Coyne and Monarkes make currant by their absolute powerfulnesse and powerfull Preheminence because Omne quod efficit Tale id ipsum semper magis Tale est esse oportet And by Exchange I meant that Rule of Order in Wisedome Pollicy and Gouernment of State which visibly demonstrates by Weight Weight Number Measure Number and Measure those honorable aspects of MAIESTY and SOVERAIGNTY that GOD from Heauen imparts to KINGS on Earth within their owne Dominions by their owne stamps in Money materially for the furtherance of Traffique in vendible thinges Traffique That as Goodnesse diuinelie sublimate in all commodious thinges becomes fixt by consent in Gold and Siluer Bullion by the Name of Bullion And Bullion onely Coynd receiuing life in it selfe by Soueraigne Authority becomes currant withall through all the members of vendible Commerce to shew the Preheminence that Soueraignes haue of Iustice aboue their Subiectes by the meanes of Money Money So Exchange ordering Proportions by Measures more or lesse Exchange to shew the vse of Goodnesse as well in all thinges by Coyne as in Coyne it selfe sets forth the PREROGATIVE of their absolute Powers Prudence Prouidence Mildenesse and Wisedome The vse of Bullion being cheefely Money Bullion to set forth SOVERAIGNTY and shew MAIESTY by as it were face to face The vse of Money to make Meum and Tuum vendible Money Traffique Honestum Vtile Order Artes. Trades Calling Ars Artiū Moneta or vera Ars regnandi Moneta autem dicta quasi monens ne quid fraudis in Materia signe vel pondere fiat for the quicke dispatch and ease of Traffiicke And the Ends and Vse of Traffique the Soueraignes Honour Subiects Wealth and Kingdomes Peace still moouing and disposing all Mens endeuors by willing courses and perpetuall motions in their seuerall Arts Trades and Callings to serue and worke for ONE and that ONE made able to maintaine the Synthesis and freedome of Traffique in seruing all Mens turnes by his Art of Coyning Money and Mystery of Exchange Thus I set downe as breefely as I could how Traffique is the hand that layes out all Men their worke prouides all men their foode and payes all Men their Fees and therefore ought at all hands to be seriously suppoorted that so supports vs all and her willing Disturbers and witting Peruerters held enemies to Order that 's to say to GOD and Nature But as out of Confusion Perfection first was drawne when GOODNES TRVTH and WISEDOME by the Name of DEITY consulting together made MAN the first Modell of Perfection like it selfe for the vse of All in All and GRACE begetting BOVNTY by GREATNES and DECORVM fixt MAIESTY and SOVERAINGTY in the Persons of some Men by the Name of KINGES for all Subiectes Weale that Nature teaching all Men howe to seeke Happinesse and ayme at Perfection by the Rules of Order and Degrees of Goodnesse so the mingling or mistaking of things by speech or writing which GOD hath distinguisht Nature deuided is the ground whereon Ignorance by Discord and Disorder drawes all to confusion as before I breefely toucht when I came to spell Customes Subsidies Impostes and Impositions where I shew'd in their Collections that Customes cald Subsidies and Subsidies Impositions and all put together seeming nothing else but Customes haue brought Traffick to disorder Customers to disgrace and their Customes I may say Almost to confusion But Almost was neuer hang'd Yet as a Customer sans Customes since my Credit 's out of date let Experience nowe tell Wisedome if she come not all to late or if Quos DEVS perire vult hos Ipse non occaecat What 's become of Customes And I will out of other words so prosecute Disorder and the grounds of all debate that common sense shall see how Customers haue reason to bemoane themselues and others before GOD and his LIEVTENANTS and Traffiques poore estate Namely or Instar omnium those highest Attributes of Soueraigne Sublimity by Greatnesse and Decorum PREHEMINENCE and PREROGATIVE but cheefely and Cat'exochen those sacred Mysteries of heauenly and earthly Happinesse by Godlinesse and Truth the EVCHARIST and EXCHANGE The first two mistaken and confounded together are both become abusd the other two profaned by the MASSE and VSVRY For besides that milde and gratious word PREROGATIVE Attribute of comfort in whom al our fiue Vowels a. e. i. o. u. that giue life to our Traffique as well Downeward as Vpward by Goodnesse and Truth in our first and free Election Creation Redemption Vocation Iustifying Sanctifying and Glorifying at last appeare to bee vnited and meete all together and by whom all our Mutes and Liquides are made to speake and sound the daily preseruation of our Liuings Liberties Liues Honour and Vnion of our Land
and Wine to all capable of Saluation by Wit Will and Reason and Grace to beleeue withal that his patient reall sufferings actuall word of Promise are the only all-sufficient means to purge our Imperfections and perfect all our Happinesse and to frame their liues accordingly vse still their best endeuours though his Person then at Supper held his Place there with others and residing now in Heauen be from thence to fetch vs thither I say specially fitted and such as can discerne with their own eies and see for though all Glasse be needfull for some vse or other yet all haue not power nor are fitted to that End and with blinde Men or Hood-winkt euen Myrrors are but idle And Grace I said withall to beleeue beyond our sight for though our wits by Art and Nature may be capable of Happinesse and our wils haue reason to bee forward to desire it yet as Grace resides in Heauen and from thence begets Beleefe so Faith alone aboue with Grace seeing Charity below to worke out our Saluation takes vs by the hand to lift vs vp thither Whereby Faith and Charity the one Fountaine of all Graces and Mother of Obedience the other Bond of all Perfection maintaine as it were a free continuall Trafficke betweene the Throne of GOD in Heauen and his Church vpon Earth by Doctrine and Prayer for the daily vse of Goodnesse His heauenly inspirings Downewards and our holy desires Vpwards being as Angels or Marchants betweene Him and vs. Yet if this may not serue to make thine eies to see Hold vse my dim Spectacles come sit thee downe by me The Customer heere endeuors his best by the happinesse of the Eucharist to illustrate Exchange the better to expresse at last the Mysticall Misery of Vsury And read thy selfe or hearke at least chuse whether How Christ and his Church by this meanes become wedded still together First heare then see then like then loue and then liue be fiue good points in wiuing If thou wilt liue a happy life but still remember thriuing But for a true and liuely patterne see two most happy Louers The orderly wooing Princelie proceeding ioyfull enterview and first meeting together of FRIDERICK the fift Count-Palatine of Rhyne c. and the Lady ELIZABETH Princesse of Great-Britain Sole-Daughter to KING IAMES fore-shewed their likings to be honorable their loues to be sanctified their mariage to be blessed and them selues to be most happy by the Grace of GOD and general applaude of all For Vox POPVLI vox DEI est that but lately came together who wooing by their Pictures as it were in a Myrroer each harkning after other came at last both to see and by seeing both to like and by liking both to loue that though Art and Nature both deseru'd to bee commended that had wrought and wooed so well yet Grace was most admired when comming both together they saw they met they kist To whom now All wish all Happinesse and I among the rest for the good of Religion and Iustice both that as our Eucharist hath blinded the Masse and prou'd it but a lie so Exchange may hood-winke Popery and thrust out her eye I meane Vsury Ignorance What Catholiques and all doe they reioyce with others and Customers to Customer Yea Catholiques I meane for good Catholikes are good Christians where euer they goe Impudence And are Customers then Christians Customer Yea and Kentish-men too Discretion Then may they be honest and so become happy Customer It may be we hope well but let that matter goe Now this alone thus fitted for Common sense and reason to shew the vse of the Eucharist represented by a Glasse euen as in a Glasse or Myrroer without Impiety or Iniquity illustrates our Exchange But in the Masse and Vsury by meere Deceptio visus or some Legierte-de-maine it is vrged otherwise which prooues both the Antithesis The opposition or Antithesis betweene the Masse and Vsury to the Eucharist and Exchange heere prooued and the Iugling of the Medium For euen as if the Myrroer had life both to quicken and power withall to change all within it or about it by turning Signes into Substances and Shadowes into Bodies Bread and Wine in the Masse is adored for a GOD and in Vsury the very Stamps which Soueraignes doe but put vpon their 〈◊〉 and their Coynes are worshipped for Idols This being the State of Traffique for heauenly Happinesse at this day in GREAT-BRITAINE in regard of true Religion by meanes of the Eucharist restored and maintained by our Learned graue Diuines and defended by our Soueraigne I leaue to our Lyturgie The Lyturgie of the Churches of England Scotland and Ireland and as a Customer and Lay Christian Man out of Iustice Commutatiue I am confident for Exchange and dare speake boldly thus ¶ Exchange in buying and selling of vendible thinges for I meane not mutuall bartring of wares fro ware though the propriety by either be altered and gone nor lending out of Charity though it loose by the loane I confesse most willinglie still presupposeth Money as Money Golde and Siluer by the Name of Bullion and that Money must be Coynd Now though Coyning and Creating bee wordes of like import as meerely Synonimas and meane but one Power fitting none but GOD KINGS yet heerein they varry GODS Power in Creating being absolutely absolute is onely al-sufficient and subsisteth of it selfe immediatly and that of KINGES beeing likewise absolute within their owne Dominions is but so by GODS Commission mediatly GODS Power is likewise infinite all manner of waies both in Heauen and in Earth and his Will the onely Motiue of all his owne Endeuours the Power and Wils of KINGS are bounded with their Kingdomes Ex Legum Prescriptis ne euadant in Tyrannos or become like other Men. GOD without a Patterne Creates all Thinges of Nothing by the Goodnesse of Himselfe and Man aboue all for his owne vse and glory and his other Creatures Good Kinges by Gods Example by their owne fixed Honour finding trust in their seruants and putting credit in their Subiectes adde Honour vnto Honesty Nobility vnto Honour and creat it in others by the Greatnesse of themselues And by their Pictures stampt in Bullion value Goodnes in all things by the Truth of their proportions of Good Better and Best both in Number Weight and Measure expressed in their Coynes by the Name of Money to their own special Honor first and then their Subiects Wealth for both must go together though they may not be confounded Honestum first then Vtile nor Vtile first nor Honestum alone Honestum Vtile or Vtile without Honestum In a Word GOD created all things by the Goodnesse of himselfe that his MAIESTY might be seene his SOVERAIGNTY subsist in the Order of his working all the Worlde ouer though himselfe reside in Heauen and the Beauty of his Holynesse in his sanctified Temples But Kinges must haue matter to fixe
their Goodnesse in which is that we call Bullion that the Essence of their Greatnesse aboue other Men that 's to say their Bounties that 's to say their Honour I meane that their Maiesties by their Faces and their Armes may be seene and their Soueraignties subsist in the Goodnesse of their Coyne as in a Myrroer all their Kingdomes through though their persons bee seen to sit vpright in their Throns or reside in their Seats of sanctified Iustice betweene Greatnesse and Decorum namely in their Courts of Equity Subalterne and Soueraigne for Meum and Tuum Distributiuely and Mints of Equalities and Staples of free Commerce Commutatiuely Whereby it now appeares how by all mens consent Gold and Siluer the Seats of fixed Goodnesse by the Name of Bullion become Ab Effectis as it were King and Queene of the world because these alone make Kinges in their Thrones powerfull to protect both their Subiects and their Friendes both by Sea and by Land Trafficke Lapis Philosophicus and dispose of Trafficke by their owne Elixars and Mines or Load-stones of price within their owne Dominions as God by Goodnesse their onely Iudge and Patterne both in Number Weight and Measure first made the World and still doth guide the same Each King in this respect being a liuely Idea euen of Deity it selfe so much excelling in Preheminency of Power for his Person and Place and Prerogatiue of Wisedome for Bounty and Grace by how much they endeuour to expresse in themselues and shew foorth to others the Characters of MAIESTY and Titles of their SOVERAIGNTY in the truth of their Coyne I meane by their Exchange And how Exchange alone becomes that Cordiall preseruatiue which easing all Greefes in sores Exchange Vniuersalis medicina suppling all sores in diseases and curing all diseases in particular Members holds the whole Bodies of Kingdomes in health the sacred Rules whereof as no profane Couetise could euer comprehend nor confident Empericke attaine to practise so none of priuate difcretion or partiall affection may presume to alter or any way controle as beeing a Doctrine peculiar vnto none but the Grauest and Wisest in highest Authority and Soueraignes themselues Bullion therefore Catexochen that 's to say all kinde of Golde and Siluer not Coyn'd or made currant for euen Coynes that are not currant may be taken for Bullion by generall consent as the Sunne in the highest Globe of Glory and Money beeing the Beames Exchange becomes the light that makes the world to see And as Bullion beeing the Pylot Money is the Sterne and Exchange the Compasse that guides all courses right nay as Bullion being the Chylus Money is the Blood Exchange becomes the Spirit that quickens all the Body In a word Bullion being the Body and very Blood of KINGS Money is the Medium betweene Subiects and their Kings and Exchange the very Cyment that glewes them both together O that my Tongue or Pen were able to expresse Or had the guift to make Men vnderstand Those great and graund effects of Sacred Happinesse Exchange alone would worke by Kings and Counsels hand Religious Iustice would then so blesse our Land That Men on Earth might see by this Idea made What Heauen it selfe doth boad by this our Kingly Trade Seeing then that Bullion or Gold Siluer Coynd is the Bodie and Blood of Kings not as Men but as Gods truely represented to the comfort of their Subiects through all their Dominions by the stampes of their Money though their Persons keepe their Thrones And Exchange that Spirit of Traffique and Mysticall Cyment that glewes so fast together the communion and coniuction of Soueraignes and Subiects by Reciproke Loue Grace as Religion and Iustice both teach vs to beleeue Let 's all cry out of Rome wherein first was hatcht the Doctrine that enchants and transubstantiates our Eucharisticke Sacraments of the Body and Blood of CHRIST represented euery where within his Church Militant as liuely as in a Glasse till his comming againe though his Person be in Heauen by blessed Bread and Wine into Idolatrous Masses and our Christian Exchange into Iewish Vsury I speake therefore with confidence to all that seeke for Happinesse and loue their owne Saluation not bewitcht as it were or void of sence and reason be wary still of Italy as Aeneas with his Misselto when he traueld towards Hell and let all come home from Rome for feare of the cursse that by Iustice hangs vpon her For if He alone whose absolute Power could work so wel that all he made became still like himselfe exceeding Good to his own eternall Glory and Mans immortall blisse GOD I say the Father GOD I meane the Son and GOD the third time the Spirit though once for all The Trinity in Vnity and Vnity in Trinity whom onely to know is euerlasting Life and ioy but to heare and make mention of his Name be that spring or Fountaine of Goodnesse Truth and Wisedome from whence all streames besides both in Heauen and Earth deriue not onlie Essence but Happinesse in being and whence to swarue is to turne againe to nothing Quia vidit Deus quod omnia quae fecerat erant valde bona What greater bane then Sinne Sinne. Pride What greater sinne then Pride What greater Pride then the height of all Presumption in one sinfull Man that vsurping on the Powers both of Heauen and Earth Darkenesse Freewill Profanenesse to drowne Light in Darkenesse both in Goodnesse and Truth of his owne meere Freewil giues Lawes vnto Iustice and profanes all Religion the Rules of Truth and Goodnes both in God and Kings If heauenly Goodnesse and Truth in all Perfections both of Nature and Art be those beautifull aspects and beneficiall influences of heauenly beatitudes which the Grecians do describe by their Calocogathia to make al things happy Chaos Euill Quia Bono suo diffusiue verè constant omnia What Euill so infectious What infection so poysonous and what Poyson so accursed as that Chaos of Doctrine that by Pride and Presumption Presumption Merits Equiuocation profaning Goodnesse turnes Grace into Merits and Equiuocating Truth turnes Truth into Lyes in all the Contractes both of GOD and Men If Gold and Siluer of all the sollide Bodies which Nature presents at the Standart of Truth Truth be fittest and surest by generall consent to fixe Goodnesse in for easier extention in vendible Commerce by the Name of Bullion Quia omne Bonum Bullion being sui diffusiuum quantò communius eò melius infunditur semper secundum meritum materiae Fraude Wrong Priuate-Gaine Couetise Deceipt What fraud like publique wrong What wrong like priuate gaine And what gain more deceiptfull then couetously to hoard or sophisticate the purenesse and finenesse which Nature weighes in Bullion for the generall vse of Goodnesse by Traffique among Men If Money or Coyne bee those figured proportions of Goodnesse more or lesse for Number and Waight Money by
Maiesty layde out at the Standart of Iustice to value Goodnesse by Iustice Vt quòd vspiam nasciter boni id apud omnes affluat and by Soueraignty made currant in all vendible Commerce Quia omne quod efficit Tale id ipsum magis Tale esse semper oportet Dis order Error Iniustice What Danger like Disorder What Disorder like to Errors And what Error like Iniustice when Subiectes become Coyners the onely Trade of Kings Lastly if the Mysticall practise of Goodnesse Truth and Wisedome that is meant by Exchange be that Ars Artium and vera Ars regnandi which visibly demonstrates those heauenlie Aspectes themselues of MAIESTY and SOVERAIGNTY that Deity imparts vnto Mortall Men on Earth by the Name of KINGS in the stamping of their Coyne Or if the Standarts themselues with all their proportions of Weights Numbers Standarts Proportions and Measures for generall Equity bee the Soueraignes charge onely as the Coynage of Money is their only Hoc-age and belongs to none but Maiesty and Exchange their Compasse to guide all courses right what greater Error then Priuat-mischiefe What greater Mischiefe then publike Inconueniences And what so inconuenient as that which peruerting both the Waightes Numbers and Measures in all our Proportions and Worth of all our Standarts debauching Equity in Actions and profaining Piety in the Consciences of Men by a Mysticall Iniquitie threates ruine and confusion to Empires Kinges and Kingdomes Iniquity Vsury VSVRY Against which Art of witch-craft Would God my Pen or Tongue could write or tell Or had the guift to make Men vnderstand Those strong and strange effects of mischiefes hatcht in Hell That Couetise by Vsury begets in euery Land Then Kinges and Counsels both would lift vp eyes and hand To see on Earth by this Idea made What Hell doth win and Heauen doth loose by this accursed Trade So that great out of question are the Mysteries of Popery by Impiety and Iniquity through Pride Presumption Couetise and Money the summe whereof is this One Man of sinfull Flesh obtruding vpon Deity and dispising Humanity without remorse of Conscience accursed of the Spirit supported by Cardinals Preached by Iesuites admired still by Flatterers tels Catholiques of a Purgatory but sends them straight to Hell resides at Rome Is not this the selfesame ANTI-CHRIST so long ago foretold that Childe of perdition and professed Aduersary to Religion and Iustice exalted aboue all that is or can be God or fit to be adored so seated in the Church on Earth that he boastes himselfe for GOD and brauing God and Kinges makes Emperours but his Footmen and Kings his very vassals in despight of God and Man Thus as Piety and Equity the two generall Fountaines of heauenly earthly Happines flowing euery way together from Religion and Iustice haue the Eucharist and Exchange by mutuall Loue and Grace to maintaine their currents for the Catholique good of Christians How Impiety Iniquity meete in one body of Popery Ecclesiastically and Secularly so Impiety and Iniquity the bane of all Felicity begot and hatcht together in our Body of Popery and Doctrine of Idolatry by Merits and Free-will haue the Masse and Vsury to bewitch the world from Rome If then the Masse opposed to our EVCHARIST and contrary to our CREED which enioynes vs to beleeue as we look to be happy that IESVS CHRIST himselfe heere suffering for vs and for our Saluation ascended vp to Heauen and there sitting by his Father is thence to come againe to fet vs vp thither must needes bee Heresie by common Sence and Reason in all that doe beleeue it and a Sinne of higher Nature to such as in their Consciences being priuy to the contrary yet standing still obdurat refuse their owne Saluation and despise the Spirit of Grace shall not Vsury then I say be accounted high Treason And then what is Popery wherein both together meete But stand some-thing neerer and reade further yet If that MAN alone whose Natiue Bounty proceeding from Grace and gratious disposition setting foorth his Greatnesse aboue all other Men makes himselfe most honoured and reueren'st as a GOD with all Mens consent by the Name of KING If that KING I meane whose Essence being Bullion of the sefe-same Gold and Siluer which none can Coyne but he and shewes him to be KING giues many a thousand pound for his owne speciall Honor and benefit of all Now if that selfe-same Person being thus thy MAN-KING GOD to whom thy selfe among others by Nature and consent hauing vow'd thy Subiection as to thy lawfull SOVERAIGNE hast sworne Fealty and Allegiance or shouldst do at the least to comfort thee withall and make thee still mindefull of his Greatnesse and Grace should giue thee but an Angell a Shilling or a Penny for all comes to One How in GREAT-BRITTAINE to keepe out Popes and Popery by Number Waight and Measure at One Srandart of Truth as wel in RELIGLON Cathedrally as IVSTICE Distributiueâ—y ALL comes to ONE and ONE with ALL togither admire MAIESTY no where fixt personally but in ¶ One GOD eternall and only All-sufficient both in Heauen and Earth by the rules of Religion ¶ One KING successiue most powerfully subsistent both in Church CoÌ„mon welth by the rules of Iustice ¶ ONE orderly Liturgie for Vnity and Truth in Piety and Deuotion in all Chappels Churches and Temples Cathedrally ¶ One reasonable Lawe for Obedience and Conscience in Equitie and Right in all Courts of Iustice Subalterne and Soueraigne Distributiuely ¶ ONE common Prayer to the Maiesty of ONE God Creator to auoide Idolatry and furtherance of our Trafficke vpward and downward for the daylye vse of Goodnesse called PATER-NOSTER ¶ ONE Currant kind of Mony to auoid Disloialty and shew the fixed Maiesty of one King Coyner for furtherance of our Traffick outward inward by Meum Tuum shew the vse of Bullion cald a Penny ¶ Twelue constant Articles of One Standing Goodnesse to auoide Impietie make one Catholick Creed ¶ Twelue coined pence of one standing alloy to auoid Iniquity make one currant shilling ¶ Ten perfect commandements concerning God and Man containde in one Decalogue ¶ Ten currant shillinges betweene Soueraigne and Subiects comprisd in one Angell ¶ Two Sacramentes of Grace shew the Truth and Goodnesse of one Head Sauiour our Soueraigne per amount Christ Iesus ¶ Two Angels of Bountie shew the Greatnes and woorth of one Iacobus our Soueraigne per aual and annointed King Iames. ¶ In and through whose Goodnesse by Prayer and Thankes-giuing ONE ALL tog ther adoring Maiesty in Deity giue glory to one God the Father one God the Sonne and one God the Holy Spirite of al Wisedom Power and Grace with Alleluya in the Heauens Peace on Earth and Good-will amongest Men. ¶ In and through whose Greatnesse by Bountie and Exchange All and One togither admiring Mâ—iestie in Royalty Honour one Kingdome of the Father one Principality of the son and the prouidenc
Coyne Money As the same Exchange I say by altering the propriety though not the Nature of eyther Kings or Bullion of Meum into Tuum Reciprokely becomes the very Cyment that glewes so together the communion and coniunction of Soueraignes with their Subiects and Subiects each with other Euen so the Identity of Standarts betweene Kinges and their Kingdomes by Reciproke Commerce is the meanes of mutuall Happinesse as well in Matter Order and End as Persons and Place by protecting all their Liuings all their Liberties all their Liues all their Honour and the Peace of all their Land The neglect whereof or Ignorance chuse whether hath made Popes to keepe down Emperors Cardinals challenge Kings and Subiects to be Coyners But howsoeuer heeretofore thinges haue beene neglected vnknown or mistaken which the Ages to come must reforme as they may MAIESTY at all hands must first or last be seene and SOVERAIGNTY must subsist by one meanes or other or neuer let Subiects euer looke to be happy Wherein therefore be thou Popish or precise so thou bee not obstinate and vnwilling to arise or become so desperate that thou wilt close thine eyes lend me but thine eare awhile and serious attention for the better vnderstanding of the State of all in question since I speake to Discretion and write to sense and reason ¶ Whatsoeuer _____ Is or hath any Being is manifest by Light Being and Light are Thinges inseparat Light begotten by Being Being appearing to Be such as it Is by Light for as Light hath subsistance onely from Being so Being is made manifest so or so to be by Light Being Loues to Liue and eternally to Be Light Loues to shew and euer to be Seene so both become manifest Being still in Light and euer Light in Being From which Reciproke Loue proceedes the Spirit of Vnion mouing still from Being and collecting still by Light and thus they Loue and Liue eternally together ESSE LVX SPIRITVS VNVM this VNVM or ONE is ALL in ALL namely that blessed State of Goodnesse wherein by Creation wee Loue Liue Moue Enioy See and still Behold all our happy Beings in Pondere Numerò Mensura by the Names of GOD CREATOR IEHOVA or DEITY Among Things created the first that was made and called Good was Light that Light might shew and distinguish Goodnesse by degrees as Good Better and Best for in all Thinges Created Goodnesse is comparatiue in and diffusiue of it selfe Motion is in Goodnesse as Collection is in Light by the Spirit of Vnion for as Being cannot Be without Light so Light without Goodnes can haue no Being at All. Light the forme of Goodnesse and Being the forme of Light such is their Vnion or Vnity Identitie or Idem Now Truth and Goodnes haue likewise one Essence or Being together by the Spirit of Vnion so that GOD being Goodnesse must likewise be Truth Truth then being in Deity Creating as Goodnesse in Humanity Created can Truth in GOD be Deceipt or Fraud in KINGES For KINGES are GODS Can Vnity in GOD make Deity still subsist and Diuision in Kinges maintaine Regality Or can Vnity and Truth be any way deuided in GOD or his Lieutenants How then shall their MAIESTIE be discerned without Light Intuitiuely And how shall their SOVERAIGNTY be able to subsist Materially If Kings be Per aeual what God is Per amont their Vnity must be Vnion and their Identity must be Idem for Deus omnibus Idem And as the Essence of GOD is his owne diffusiue Goodnesse and omnipotency in GOD essentiall with his Greatnesse by the power of Creating so the Essence of Kinges is their Goodnesse fixt in Bullion for their Bullion shewes their Bounty their Bounty shewes their Greatnesse by the absolute Power of Coyning for euen Bullion still vncoynd is naught of it selfe but a weight of Massy Mowld and senselesse Being nor is Money to be valued but onely for the vse which is that we tearme Exchange But if the brightnesse of this Sunne seeme to dazell all thy sight or thine eyes see not cleere to discerne this Mysterie let Art releeue Nature by the helpe of Grace and though comparisons may seeme fearefull betweene Heauenly and Earthlie Beings yet Examples may illustrate I hope without offence where Piety and Probity contend for nothing else but with all prostrate reuerence to see sacred Maiesty betweene Greatnesse and Decorum and to serue and set forth Soueraignty in her own subsistance Therefore look but in my Myrroer and see what I haue seene and with my dim Spectacles read as I haue done If all our Good and Happinesse can grow from none other then GOD and his LIEVTENANTS what Goodnes is to God let Bounty be to Kings but all depend on God in respect of his Goodnesse so let all depend on his Kings in regard of their Bounty to shew their Greatnesse Now Goodnesse in God is euery way his owne as his naturall Essence and Kings by his infusion so Bounty still in Kings by Grace Consent and Goodnesse still fixt in themselues descends vnto Subiects This leads vs straight to Bullion for though God by his Goodnes made All Things of nothing and so preserues them still yet K ngs must haue Matter to fixe their Goodnesse in This points at Greatnesse and leades vs to Soueraignty shewing Creatures to be Creatures and Subiects to be Subiects to auoyde Confusion for as GOD aboue Creates so Kinges belowe Coyne so then heere comes in Money for as GOD shewes his MAIESTY in all things created Infusiuely so Kings in their Money Intuitiuely and as Soueraignty in God subsists of it selfe in the Beauty of his worke by meanes of his Goodnesse so Soueraignty in Kinges subsists of it selfe in the Greatnesse of their Bounty by meanes of their Money But as God still creates and his Goodnesse still releeuing so Kinges must still Coyne and their Bounties still bee giuing Are not they then strange Subiects that repine at Kings Bounty and Soueraignes still bestowing Help Kings but to their Bullion and they cannot be more too Bountifull then God may bee to Good Happy then those Kingdoms where Kings are known by Bounty and their Bounty findes their Bullion for as God by his Goodnesse makes Catholiques happy Christians by Communion of himselfe in blessed Bread and Wine Mystically So Kinges releeue their Subiects and communicate their Essence in purg'd Golde and Siluer weigh'd out in their Coyne God woorking by the Eucharist and Kinges by their Exchange Ignorance And why not so by Vsury since their worke is stil by Money wherein lyes the Witch-craft that makes the difference Customer In the very Name and tearme and by taking t 'one for t'other For Exchange euen in Money making Meum to be Tuum and Tuum to be Meum still alters the Propriety for one respect or other immediatly but Vsury Quasi mons à mouendo by the vsing of Money would faine seeme Exchange though she alter no propriety putting Money to her shiftes and
from priuate oppression or wronging themselues the Liuings Liberties Honour and Weddinges of Pupils and Orphanes in a Nurcery besides for his Wardes and Liueries whereby KINGES are nourishing Fathers and QVEENES nourishing Mothers as well as Gods and Iudges So the KING in his Court of Publick-COMMON-PLEADINGS desciding disputes betweene Subiect and Subiect about Meum and Tuum both in Tythes and in Tributes to shew MARIESTY to Strangers as it were Face to Face in the Honour of his Mints and glorious Exchange maintaines notwithstanding at his Staples a franke and free Commerce for ready Gold and Siluer by the name of Bullion So that as to see GOD in regard of Religion in the Glory of his Sanctuaries is to seeke him in his Temples and in the Beauty of his Holinesse to heare him in his Churches Cathedrally so to see the King in regard of his Iustice in his Greatnesse and Honour is to see him in his Courtes Distributiuely and in the Bounty of his Bullion by meanes of his Exchange to seeke him in his Staples Commutatiuely Ignorance This indeed is somthing and cannot be to much in regard of Kingly Bounty except GOD may be to good Which Piety dares not thinke nor profanenesse speake But what 's this to our Religion Since our Temples stand vpright and our Churches moue deuotion how come Customers thus able to hunt after Popery and see so farre as ROME Customer Their standing makes them see and their seeing moues their Consciences not to hold their peace Ignoranee What makes them diue so deepe and delue into the groundes of Diuinity and Humanity to finde out the Mysteries of Impiety and Iniquity in the Bowels of Popery Cust They seeke for Truth and Goodnesse in Customes and Subsidies and seruing GOD and KINGS would gladly be happy Ignorance As the Motyue and Occasion of Writing the MISTERY of INIQVITY grew first from the KINGS owne commaundement by Sir Alexander Hay vpon his reading of the Preface to my former ACROAMATA so the Declaration of the same fals out by this Accompt of a Customer of his owne to concerne among OTHERS His Maiesties Owne Selfe For when the Iewes of IERVSALEM their Country being subdued and they paying Tribute vnto CAESAR came to liue among the Romans as Freedenizons of ROME Gentilisme and Iudaisme ioyning hands each with other Impietie and Iniquity committing Incest together begat those two Monsters of the World the Idolatrous MASSE and profane VSVRY Which by Bankers Bawds afterward corrupting true Religion and Iustice both together with the daily loue of Money to keepe downe Christianitie so out-faced the Eucharist and scorned Exchange that as Italy grew full of Bastard Interests ROME it selfe became the very Box of PANDORA and Staple of Sinne for Bullion to the Catholicke Disorder and Discord of all Churches of Christendom and Christian Common-wealthes The mischeefes whereof by the pride of POPES and Popery though the Emperors and Publicans did at first deuide betweene them for both stood and fell together with the ruine of the Empire the Inconueniences at last haue extended so farre as to threaten KINGS annointed within their owne Kingdomes and haue cost some Kinges their liues by Iesuites and others Haue not Customers then reason in the Out-Portes at least to looke out and cry alowd Ab Ioue Principium Reges and to tell such to their faces Quisque sitit REGIS satiari sanguine NOSTRI Cum PAPA praeceps Author actor eat Nam Cui Religio Stuprum ira superbia caedes Error Mollities Fulmina turpe Lucrum Corpora qui vendit CHRISTI Solumque Polūque Caelestes Genios Sydera Iura DEOS Fama refert Scriptura docet Peccata loquuntur Huic Huic vita breuis paena perennis erit Dictum puta SCIOPPI But what haue CVSTOMES and the Subsidies of Tonnage and Pondage to dislike of in Popery Customer If MAIESTY must bee seene and SOVERAIGNTY subsist as in GOD so in KINGES what Adoration and Tythes are to God the same are Customes and Subsidies to Kings his immediat Lieutenants and beyond the boundes that his Wisedome hath laide out for the practise of his Truth our Discretion may hunt but shall finde nought but Error what exceedes is but Popery by Proiects to distract both Churche and disturbe Common-Wealth for as Omne minimum is Inimica Naturae so Omne Nimium vertitur in vitium Enough still makes a Feast but abuses marre all by means of POPES and Popery as who reades but our MYSTERY of INIQVITY may plainely discerne and easily see heere now to be declared 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ignorance What hath Italy to doe with the MYSTERY of INIQVITY and what doubt you so from thence Customer Least the sowrenesse of their Grapes I meane her Imposts and Vsury should set mens teeth an edge by her neerenesse vnto Rome and make them drunke at last wthout the help of Messelto I mean the Grace of GOD. Ignorance But let the Masse and Tythes alone howe hath Rome infected the Customes due to Kings and offended Customers Customer By her practise and Example For euen Rome her selfe that from the bare commaund of seauen barren Hils became Mistresse and Empresse at the last of all the World in her greatest height of Happines stood most of all assured and constantly setled by her easie rates of Customes and mildnesse of Customers by the Name of Publicans Till Extreamity began to teach all Men to Shift whereby Shiftes incurd Suspition and Suspition argu'd Ignorance Ignorance brought forth Errors Errors turn'd to Mischeefes and Mischeefes to Inconueniences the high way to Discord Disorder and Confusion Whereby as Traffique grewe confounded both in Church and Common-Wealth offences by consequence increast more and more which like to pudled Waters and corrupted Ayre bred and ingendred nothing but creeping Informens noysome Caterpillers and rauenous Harpies to vexe and torment the Emperors themselues and Empire withall so that When Vtile had gotten the start of Honestum Couetise and Pride fell at oddes each with other And Profit turning Priuate made Honour seeme nothing Where Honestum first then Vtile should haue gone both together O ROME therefore ROME And must it be the lot of a Customer at last Ecclesiasticall Popery by the Masse sufficiently laid open by Diuines but Secular Popery by Vsury neuer directly declared till now to lay open thy shame and discouer thine Iniquity before Emperors and Kings Thy Pride and Presumption in Coyning of their Monies thy sale of Sinne for Bullion thy Iewish Extortion and Baudry with Bankers to drawe home thy Reuennewes thy Rebellion thy Popery In a word thy Vsury the bane of their Exchange No maruell at all seeing thy Couetise and Ambition in the greatnesse of thy glory made so slight accompt of Customers and of their best Endeuours Witnesse the very Grauest-Wisest Senators that euer were begotten bred or brought vp in thee for thee or by thee For what Man euen at this day that heares or reades thereof admires not the
beene spoken by Marcus Aurelius so feelingly deplored wisely set down fatall both to Publicans together with the Emperours and the Empire of Rome and other Kings and Kingdomes with their Customers and Customes For the Truth indeed is this As M. Aurelius shewes plainely how the Conquest of Asia laid the foundation of the Romain Empires fatall ruine by transporting Iewish Vsury with other Sins and Vices from IERVSALEM to ROME so read in the Mystery of Iniquity what England gained and Edward the third got in belaying the Conquest of France at so high a rate as the losse of all his Staples for passage onely thorow Flanders thither namely by transplanting the Staple of Kent first from Sandwich to Bruges for fifteene yeares and after from Canterbury to Calis wherby as first the Golden fleeces of England became the Trophees of Burgundy and so continues so after as our Mynes were transported our Mints and Customes followed for shaddowes by Nature must mooue with their Bodies and England forst by Statutes to draw ouer her Monies still from Callis hauing lost both her Mints and Mines at home But with the losse of Callis how our Staples and our Trafficke in the Netherlands neither fixt nor well vsed but wandring vp and downe maintained tumultuous waâ—es there for fifty yeares and more and by warming their blood still strau'd our owne at home Experience best can tell that after IVDEA by Conquest subdued was made a Prouince to the Empire and IERVSALEM it selfe became subiect to ROME amongst many other enormities which those Warres did beget Customes turn'd to Subsidies and Subsidies into Taxes Imposts and Impositions out of Ielousie suspition Couetise and Pride Customes by Searchers and Informers were made curses of Diuine Iustice to keepe the Iewes vnder who in respect of themselues cald all the Worlde Gentiles and hauing lost their former freedome in hatred of their Tributes seeing Searchers now and Customers liue still together held Customers for Ethnickes and Searchers greatest Sinners by the name of Publicans for that encluded eyther as well those of themselues as sent thither from Rome namely Saint Mathew and Zacheus And as their Adiuncts then cald Socij Predes and Mancipes like Comptrollers Surueyers and Searchers now pretending all Tributes which Tully cald Aurum Iudaicum but entending most themselues beeing accomptable for nothing were at all hands called Publicans Cathexochen so now and at this day be the Sinners who shall will or can the Customers name and person beares all the blame as the Customes couer all because Customers are not trusted nor the Customes rightly known And as after Tully all dissolued into Farmes Publicans being Farmers and Adiuncts with others euen Publicans became Farmers and Publicans to which by the Grace of GOD I neuer meane to do Ignorance Are Customes then Duties of so great import as you set them forth I pray you for my learning describe them vnto me and shew me what they bee since Impostes Impositions and Subsidies to are all stiled Customes Customer Customes of themselues and properly taken are but small and easie payments of ready current Money by Marchants Subiects or Strangers for such Stapled Commodities as for Art as well as Nature beeing orderly bought and sold and for Number Weight and Measure sufficiently censured with the Kings and Staple Seales and speciall Certificats to Customers at their Ports come warranted thither for our Soueraignes onely Homage as Lorde of all the Fee before they crosse the Seas and our Countries credit Whereby you may perceiue howe all our happinesse for Matter Persons Place Order and End concurre in this one word Customes and how our Customes including our Soueraignes Honor and Subiects Wealth that Honestum and Vtile may still goe together do presuppose Money Now Money points at Mints Mints worke by Bullion and Bullion argues Mines Artificiall or Naturall But Mines by Nature as England neuer had her Mines Artificiall haue euer beene her Staples where her Load-stones were preserued whose vertues still attractiue by the benefit of Trafficke affoord more Gold and Siluer then the Mines of the World so that thus still in England the case hath euer stood Without Staples no Elixars nor Loadstones at all No Loadstones no Bullion No Bullion no Mints No Mints no Money and no Money no Customes Which being but compared to Quitrents or Tythes are conuertible or reciproke and conclude in this wise As no Quitrents know no Mannors and no Tythes no Churches so no Customes no Staples and no Staples no Customes and so by consequence no orderly Traffique or no Traffique at all Now if Trafficke either faile or be any waies disturb'd how shall MAIESTY be seene or auoyde at the least to bee dangerously eclipsed And how shall SOVERAIGNT subsist And if both of these two faile for they stand and fall together How shall Subiects euer looke or hope to be happy Ignorance I see and perceiue that Customes growes from Staples by Traffique as Honey doth from Bees in Hiues But how doth Trafficke depend and subsist by Staples so needfully Customer As Religion doth by Temples and Iustice by her Courts Distributiuely for euen Iustice Commutatiue is the same wee call Traffique I know there are sundry that weene themselues wise who by meere speculation pretending loue to Traffique cry out against our Staples for feare of our shipping And some that hold Temples to be needlesse for Religion thinking if al Creekes were Head-Ports without Limb or Member it were happy for Trafficke as if the cherishing of Oakes were the way to hinder Timber and spoyle all our Trees and the raysing of our Hiues againe were to spill all our Hony and smother all our Bees Or as if our stateliest Byshopprickes might well be discharged by poor Schollars and Clarks and our skilfulst Roads and Hauens were fit for no shipping but Boates and small Barkes But send such to Antycira to purge their franticke folly Customers by reason and Religion both reioyce in their harts to see GOD in his Temples the Beauty of his Holinesse Cathedrallie and in regard of their Customes wish to see the KING in the Seates of his Honour Commutatiuely by crying still for Staples That as GOD by his Goodnesse and Truth doth direct vs whose Mercy endures for euer And his loue with his fauour seemes still to protect vs for his Mercy endures for euer So our Traffique by Staples in temper againe since his Mercy endures for euer Our Ports with their Customes might chant it amaine that his Mercy endures for euer Ignorance It seemes you liue in hope still to find out your Customes and so to be happy Customer In working thus alone Quo fato quidem nescio sed non fine Numine as my hope and comfort is since Goodnesse cals me forward I haue cause to bee weary and am almost tyred yet I cannot dispaire in regard of Religion whose Temples vpright still make her to flourish And seruing at the Altar if I may but liue thereby
I shall hold out the better For when all Churches were infected with the Arrian Heresie none stood for Truth but ATHANASIVS all alone the World against Him and He against the World with the Emperours displeasure and hazzard of his life whose Doctrine notwithstanding is a part of our Lyturgie and now taught for our Creede such is the power of constancy and Truth And there was a time likewise when the whole Christian World was all set on fire kindled by disputes and distracted by opinions about the Head of the Church Militant Apostolikely Catholike and some points of Religion wherin Truth found few fauorers and vnfained friends indeed but the zealous endeuors of an humble minded Fryer LVTHER and who could then haue thought or any waies beleeued that against such mighty enemies and strong oppositions so weak a Man means shold euer haue preuailed but Magna semper veritas preualuit preualebit to GODS eternall Glory our Neighbors daily comfort our Kingdoms Happines aboue al parts of the World eyther publike or priuate And doth not the like euen now I say now by the Truce in the Netherlands offer it selfe in Iustice to helpe vs againe to our owne Home-borne Free-borne Traffique that cryes but for passage and desires to be releeued from the Pride of Anwarpe the Ingratitude of Bruges from the Taxes of Flanders Impostes of Italie and Embargoes of Spaine What though those Workes and nine bookes of SIBYLS whereof three were dearely bought The Sybils wrote 9. Bookes of Ciuil Gouernment so highly valued as none durst buy them Of which Tarquinius Priscus at last bought three and gaue as much for theÌ„ as the nine altogether were formerly esteemed at 1. The Customers APOLOGY 2. His REPLY or second Apology 3. His CAVTION againâ—s extreamity by Farmers 4. His true vse of PORT BANDES 5 His ALPHABET and PRIMER for orderly Commerce 6. His Acroamata for Bullion at Staples 7. His Answere prepared about Bands of Employments 8. His Mystery of Iniquity 9. His Customers Accompt declaring the saide Mystery and carefully preserued by Tarquine the elder bee all burnt vp and gone by Stillico that Traytor Ne tantum Patrijs saeuiret Proditor Armis Sancta Sybillinae fata cremauit Opis We haue the BIBLE and NEVV-TESTAMENT that alone and of themselues are able and sufficient to shew the way to happinesse to all that are not obstinate and despise their owne saluation Besides nine workes yet extant of a Customers best endeuours as fit for our purpose perhaps as those were Yea what though that Heathens AGROAMATA of Kingly Doctrine so grauely discust and attentiuely heard were so richly rewarded with Talents of Gold and ours not regarded Non est mortale quod opto Nay what though euen TVLLY-DE-REPVBLICA which learned men so wish for and Cardinall POOLE so sought for euen with the losse of all his Crownes be held for forlorne and no where to bee found Our ALPHABET is extant as fit for Great-Britain as that for the Romans and of all to bee seene in the Amalthaean Vatican of our late TARQVINIVS PRISCVS Sir Thomas Bodlies Library at Oxford whose Care and Loue to lerning in the Kingdome of the Muses deserues a golden Crowne And this is more my comfort The light all they saw by were but Glimses of the beams of our most glorious SONNE Their best Enthusiasmes were but motions to Honesty from the ful free Infusions of the SPIRIT of adoption that sanctifies all our wits blesseth our endeuours and illustrates my Theame And their clearest waters but borrowed from the streames of that euer-flowing FOVNTAINE that runs so frankely and serues our turnes so well Besides the true Christian Catholick Religion takes my part whereof they could not tell For this our Traffick being nothing else but a frank and free-barring of one good thing for another or a buying and selling of Vendible Wares for ready Gold and Siluer betweene Subiects and Allies at Places conuenient according to the Rules of reciproke Commerce generally intending al Honor vnto Kings and all Wealth to Common-weales doth plainly lay open vnto such as list obserue them all those fiue Vowelles in twice fiue substantiall words that makes vs all to speak both for 1. Matters u. u. KING and PRINCE v. PRIVY-COVNCELL w. COMMON-WEALE 2 Persons 3. Place 4. Order 5. End and sound the protection of all our 1. Liuings 2. Liberties 3. Liues 4. Honors and 5. Peace of our Land For the first being put for a. The second sounds e. The third stands for i. And the fourth for o. But the fift points out u. u. SIRS and v. my Lords w. and All. But that which ioyes me most and reuiues my Spirits withal is this This points to a ParlemeÌ„t which Customers wish and hope for yet in very good time for the KINGS fixed Honor and States prosperity howsoeuer Guilt Feare or Ignorance seeme to doubt or diswade it When CASTOR came alone to the top of our Mast POLLVX did but follow I had cause to doubt the weather but now CASTOR and POLLVX the Gods of our Seas that are able and powerfull to warrant our Trafficke comming both againe togither doe boade vs all good lucke for the Winde turnd North shewes the stormes almost gone and skilful PALINVRVS comming now to Port or Helme obserues himselfe our Compasse bidde Marchants standes by and giues both hope and comfort of attaining at last to our long desired Port that 's now within a kenning for the forelands apear And our Barke is strong enough to beare out all our Leakes therefore be of good cheare Saint George heeretofore now GOD and CHRIST to borrow Our Loadstones proue as good as euer they wer and our Compasse is true therfore bear aloofe but a while for feare of the Goodwines by the cape of good hope to the Island of Exchange the Hauen of all safety and Port of Peace and Râ—st where Bounty now commaunds For Reliquis tantùm sinus est statio malefida carinis But admit all this were nothing which by way of Accompt hath beene hitherto set downe or a Paradox at least Mine APOLOGY but Humor my REPLY a Conceipt mine ALPHABET a Dreame and my MYSTERY but a lest because a Customer only speaks yet if this be but beleeued that Truth tels Sense and Reason and Goodnesse doth suggest namely that looke what the Soule is to the actions of the body in ordering Members so as to Nature seemes fit for the good of the whol Man the same is Trafficke in disposing Mysteries and Trades to the benefit and behoofe of the whole Common-weal thogh our ISIS be gone and no Image of hir face yet Aegeus our DAY STAR being risen in hir place and his hopefull THESEVS like the DAWNING of all Grace apearing in our eyes so reuiues my dull SPIRITES that I cannot dispair but liue stil in hope that the time may yet come when this hearty zeale of mine to my Soueraignes