Selected quad for the lemma: land_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
land_n	church_n	good_a	king_n	1,394	5	3.5072	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A72087	A declaration set forth by the Protestants in France shewing the lamentable distresse and calamities that they of Bearn in France are fallen into, by meanes of the oppression and wrong done vnto them, in regard of their profession of the reformed religion. With all the troubles which happened vnto them since the beginning of the edicts sent out against them by the French king vntill this time. Together with the rest of their proceedings, vntill this present moneth of Iuly. 1621.	Eglises réformées de France.; Bern (Switzerland : Canton) aut	1621 (1621)	STC 11303.5; STC 11303; ESTC S118170	17,708	31

the assurances of their subiection obedience and most humble fidelitie who after audience had he commanded them to returne to Bearn againe thererin to procure the execution of his will and pleasure and to cause the Edict for the seazing vpon the Ecclesiasticall lands made in fauour of the Bishop of Rome and that of the supply made in fauour of our Churches to be verified After them about the beginning of October he sent a second commission into Bearn by Mounsieur de la Chesnay to solicite the Iudges and to make them capable of the impressions which the King counsell intended to giue them he threatned them with the comming of the King assuring them if they refuse the same he had resolued to turne his forces against them The Parliament knew not what to resolue on the one side being abashed by his menaces and a feare to draw vpon the Country a totall and an ineuitable ruyne knowing that the wrath of a King is death On the other side considering the Kings Edict finding it to be contrary to so many other Edicts Proclamations and Declarations made aswell by his Maiestie now raigning as by the Kings his predecessors contrary to the graunt of the aforesaid tearmes of seauen monthes made to our Churches contrarie to the peace and assurance of the state and which is worst of all The ruine of the sayd Churches as bereauing them of the land that were alotted vnto them for the maintenance of their Ministers and making them tributants to the Popes officers What should they doe should they breake and annihilate so many Edicts to iustifie and allow one Should they be constrained to disobay the King to yeild obedience vnto him He that in all things ought to procure the good of the state and to be a tutor to the people shall he doe a thing that is contrarie to the good of the state and disturbe the peoples peace He that make profession of the true religion shall he be cause of the losse of his religion He that was borne in the Church fed nourished in her bosome shall he be constrained Oh hard and heauie condition for sauing of his owne body to pierce his mother the Churches Brest At last hauing long waighed this case in the ballance of vncertainty he determined to vse an indifferent course betweene two extreamities therevpon ordained seeing it had pleased his Maiestie by the intercession of those of the assembly generall holden in Loudum to grant his subiects of Bearn making profession of the reformed religiō the space of seuen moneths to present their most humble supplications and declarations seeing also that not long before his Maiestie had vouchsafed to write to the Parliament that his intent was that the Churches of Bearn should haue the aduantage of the said time which as thē was not expired he ordained I say that humble suplicatiō shold be made vnto the King to beseech him to hear giue audience vnto the said Churches within a month whom he commanded by decree to go thither within the time that yet rested vnexpired to prostrate themselues at his feete to present their humble supplications and requests vnto his Maiestie and in default thereof the Parliament would binde it selfe to verifie the Edict without moderation or reseruation according to his Maiesties commandement To beare this decree to the King and to informe him of the equitie thereof two Counsellors of the sayd Court of Parliamēt were deputed But all they could doe they could not obtaine the effect of this so iust a demand And who would euer haue thought that the King would haue refused to heare the most humble supplications of his faithfull Subiects desiting to prostrate themselues at his feet in all humility seeing also that he had so solemnly promised by his answers giuen to the motions made by those of the assembly at Loundun Is not the King as able to will as puissant to holde his worde to accomplish his promises Shall we complain surely not of the Kings bountie so iust and curteous a Prince but of the malice of this world and the euill dispositions of the spirits of the Court dispitefull against vs and resolute to seeke our distruction The King hauing heard the Tenor of this Deeree roughly sent the Deputies away and thereupon determined and fully resolued to goe into Bearne whereupon the Parliament being aduertised of his designe to appease the Kings wrath and to diuert the effect of his seuere threatnings determined to verifie his Edict without moderation or restraint whatsoeuer What should it haue done should it haue resisted a King that came with a wrathfull spirit accompanied with a puisant fearfull Army to abate cast downe breake in pieces all those that should resist and withstand The Edict being iustified the Kings Attourney generall had charge to beare the verification of the same to the King as a testimony of our obedience and submission who found the King all ready on his iourney to Bearn shewing himself before him as he was on the way he presented the verificatiō of the Edict vnto him which was according to his pleasure But he being resolutely determined to make the Bernois feele the effect and rigor of his wrath staide not therefore but went forward Most puissant Prince will not your grace be pleased in some measure to moderate your wrath will you not at this present shew your selfe as gracious and gentle vnto your Subiects as you are terrible and redoubted of your enemies shall that Country that hath had the glory to haue borne nourished in her bosome and finally giuen France that great Herculee the terror of the world Henry the great your Father sooner feele the arrowes of your indignation then the effects of your fauour and being presence The nearer that the King approached to Bearne the Court of Parliament attended and expected nothing but threatnings against this poore Countrey it was already ordained to the pillage and those of the religion to the slaughter as an offering to be made to appease the Kings wrath The papisticall Edict of the Towne of Morla'as presented some dangerous accidents against vs who to defend themselues from the crosse marked their houses with a crosse It was against the Pastors particularly that their malice extended and specially against those who being imployed shewed some rigor in maintaining the Churches cause all their names were knowne at the Court they were noted and marked by their faces on all sides they were counselled to flie into Rockes and holes in mountaines and Caues In the meane time the King entred into the Countrey accompanied with terror and feare The Soldiers tooke pilled ransacked and hardly vsed their Hostes with immeasurable insolency their hands were imployed about nothing but extortion and violence Their mouthes neuer opened but to blaspheme and curse God and to threaten iniurious bloody perseeutions against those of the Religion whom they called rebels traytors bougers olde sorcerers and an accursed race speaking

men of good quallity heard him saying you deceiue your selfe Sir The Hugonites haue the quarterne ague They haue bin sicke a great time you shall see other thinges within these few dayes for the King is resolued to take all their places from them either by force or willingly take and boldly take our Fortresses from vs pull downe the walles of our Townes beat downe our defences but yet you cannot bereaue vs of that heauenly retract and most impugnable fortresse of the power of God which appeareth and sheweth it selfe in the conseruation and defence of his Church All these most insupportable things haue bin followed and had their course with many preiudiciall alterations aswell in the Church as in the common Wealth which might sufficiently exagerate the losse of the Ecclesiastical possessions of the Churches lands possessed and inioyed by them for the space of 51. yeares by good and auaileable Titles as Edicts letters Patents and Decrees of Kings and now what a pittifull thing it is that two Bishops that liue idlely in delights pleasures of the world should swallow vp and encroach vpon all the possessions of the Church and that our Ministers who incessantly labour in the Ministrie of the word of God to teach the people to feare God and to obey the King should be constrained to seeke for their maintenance else where what griefe of hart is it that those that neuer are in rest but when they labour and striue against vs should draw receiue a recompence and reward from vs that they that make warre against vs should be payd by vs That wolues should cloth themselues with the wooll and nourish their bodies with the milke of the flocke a pittious and lamentable condition we shall see two Bishops abounding in riches eleuated in Honours Dignities and filled with delights march in Royall māner but what say I that we shall see them yea and that we shall bee constrained to contribute the Tenths of our reuenewes to entertaine these flashes of lightning and this worldly pompe and magnificence a hard seruitude we shall be compelled to giue our bracelets our eare-rings to be molten to make an Image and shall haue no meanes to contribute any thing towards the building and preparing of the Tabernacle and to imploy our goods for on ornament and beautifying of Babilon while Ierusalem remaineth desolate and her gates burnt down by fire can wee indure to see Idolatry get the vpper hand and seaze vpon our Churches while for the pure seruice of God and for the Preaching of his word we haue no other couerture then the Skies nor receptacle but the mountaines In our Churches where long time so many good and sacred Psalmes haue bin sung we shall heare a strange and barbarous sound and a company of babling Priests exclaime against vs and make our miseries the subiect of their pleasures The state ought to serue for a support and protection of the Church and those that are aduanced to be Officers in the State ought to vse their authority of the conseruation maintenance thereof our ill willers iealous of the peace and quietnesse of the same and impatient to see it flourish and prosper know that well and therefore haue effected so much that the Offices and authorities of those of the Religion are taken away from them and giuen vnto Papists to the end that the Church holding no more by any branch may by the least shake be borne downe to the ground The gouernment of Nauarreux hauing bin 51. yeares in the hands of Monsieur de Sales a Gentleman on whom the eyes of enuy or hatted neuer so sharpely piercing could neuer note nor perceiue the least shadow what soeuer of infidelity towards his Prince who perceiuing himselfe to be very olde and without Children certain yeares past obtained the reuersion of his gouernment for Monsieur de Laur his Cousen who in all his actions sheweth the foot-steps and degrees of a rare singular piety and in his body beareth the markes of his courage hauing in the Kings presence at the siege of Amiens receiued a shot with a Musket in his right shoulder which hath bereft him of the free vse of his Arme. Monsieur de Sales sent him to Bourdeaux with Monsieur de la Force to assure his Maiesty of the continuation of his sidelity who being at the Court he found that the enemies of the Religion had dispersed some report abroad that tended to the preiudice of the sincerity of his affections which had pierced euen vnto the cares and almost into the thought of his Maiesty but comming into the Kings presence he dispersed those shadowes and made the King plainely to see and perceiue that his actions were able to indure the tryall Whereupon the King sheweth him the honour to assure him that he was perswaded of his innocencie exhorting him to persist in seruing him faithfully and withall commaunded him to assure Monsieur de Sales of his fauour and good will The King approaching to the Frontiers of this Country Monsieur de Laur presented himselfe once againe vnto him to reiterate the protestations of his most humble and most faithfull seruice not only in his owne but also in the name of Monsieur de Sales most humbly beseeching his Maiestie to beare with his great age that would not permit him to present his body laden with yeares at his graces feet The King receiuing those words of obedience and fidelity from Monsieur de Laur commaunded him to continue and goe forward in imploying his time for the benefit of his seruice Wherewith hee returned well contented in minde but vpon the report that was spread abroad of the Kings intent to see Nauarreuz he went againe to speake with him at Pau where Monsieur de Luines told him and the King confirmed it with his owne mouth that he had no other intent nor meaning but to see Nauarreuz and that hee should assure Monsieur de Sales that nothing should be altered nor changed in the state of that place Monsieur de Laur assuring himselfe vpon that promise which he thought to be inuiolable contented himselfe and sought to settle and assure Monsieur de Sales minde and conceite to the contrary being moued thereunto by diuers aduices giuen him from all places that his gouernment would be taken from him The King comming to Nauarreux at his entry into the Towne Monsieur de Sales presented the keyes thereof and speaking vnto him said Sir it is now aboue fifty yeares that I haue had the honour to be gouernor of this place God hath giuen me the grace alwaies to haue kept it well not only in the raigne of the King your Father deceased but also in yours and I am assured that if in your Court there be any of the King your Fathers old seruants they will witnesse that his Maiestie was well contented with my seruice and assured himselfe of my fidelity I neuer had a better desire to serue then I

within 4. dayes after the verification of this Edict against so many other reasons and so many other Edicts that ought to assure this place vnto vs you would take it away from vs Alas we haue said it and are againe constrained to reiterate the same pardon vs noble Prince it is not against your royall Maiesty that our clamours and complaints are made but against the rage and malice of our enemies which haue done you that wrong not to permit your promises to be inuiolable Hauing taken Nauarreux from vs they began to turne the State vpside downe and therein to make alterations preiudiciall to the Religion Garrisons were put into all the Townes to oppresse the liberty of the Countrey besides the 4. Companies that are in Nauarreux in Orthes they put 6. Companies of the regiment of Picardie in Sanueterre 4. Companies of the regiment of Champaigne as many in Oloron of the same regiment and a company of light Horsemen in Nay Who can sufficiently declare the great excesses and disorders which those people vndertake in a Countrey where they are as it were animated by the hope of pillage Who can without horror tell and speake of the horrible blasphemies that they belch forth against God and the iests and scornfull brauadoes which they vomit out of their mouths against those of the Religion what a seruitude it is to liue like slaues at home in our owne houses and as strangers in the Towne to see our streets full of Corcelets Pikes and Muskatiers our meanes and our liues in the power of the enemies of our Religion ready if God did not restraine their impetuositie by his prouidence assaile vs and to put their tyrannous intents in execution All the Countrey concerning Martiall gouernment is diuided into 6. parts which are called Parsans euery Parsan alwaies had a Captaine that commanded ouer the Souldiers vnder the Kings Lieutenant most ancient Officers and as it were ordained at the first beginning of the State all those 6. Captaines were of the Religion but what fell out Enuy could not endure that that remnant of authoritie should continue in the hands of those of the religion but rather to weaken them all together and onely to let them goe and scape away with their liues the sayd 6. Captaines were discharged without any crime or offence imposed vpon them and in their places there was a new Officer made in the Countrie that is a Prouost Marshall with certaine Archers to attend him and that Office giuen to a Papist What an alteration of affaires is this To suppresse the auncient Officers and to make new onely to aduance the Papists and to raise them to a formall greatnes and to imbace those of the religion and reduce them to a pittifull and lamentable condition And further Monsieur de Bernac the chiefe Baron of Bearn whose auncesters haue made themselues famous in respect of their sincere affection and loyalty to the Kings seruice and the conseruation of the Countries liberty had a grant in possession from father to sonne of the chiefe Precedence in the State But enuy could not endure that a most affectioned family to the religion should be in possession of that dignity and therefore sought to dispossesse him thereof to inuest the Bishops with the same and the better to bring their desiring to effect a bruit was spread abroad in the Court that it was not good for Monsieur de Bernac to stay in Pau and that if he presented him selfe he should serue for an offering to redeeme and recompence the disobedience of Bearn aduice was giuen him from all places by men of greatest quality in the Court that he was appointed to be an example and an abashment to the rebells he chusing rather to loose his estate then his head in Court resolued to keepe himselfe secretly in one of his houses and in his absence the Bishops were instabled without any contradiction in the Precedence of the States and by that meanes they had places in the Counsell or Parliament next to the Presidents and free voyces therein to Iudge of all affaires specially of those of the religion although one of the Bishops had a Cousin that sate in the same Parliament and that by the law of the Country the Vncle and the Cousin cannot be Iudges in one cause and company But when there is any thing to be done that may disaduantage those of the religion there is no law which they will not violate nor custome which they care not to breake But this is not all Bearn is vnited vnto France and by this Vnion the whole estare thereof is turned vpside downeward We haue two kinds of lawes the one is the lawe of the Soueueraigne which may be altered changed or disanulled as occasions fall out the other is the Lawes of the Soueraignetie whereby the Prince is aduanced to the Soueraigne estate and are as it were the Articles and causes of the contract made betwene the Soueraigne and the Countrie Those are inuiolable and cannot be changed vnlesse the state be changed as being the props whereupon it holy stayeth and dependeth The principallest of those lawes being that which bindeth the Soueraigne to maintaine the state in the Title of Soueraignetie and to defend the same from allienaton and transportation else where Now by incorporating Bearn with France the Title of Soueraignetie is taken from it and carried else where seeing that the King endoweth the Crowne of France therewith and by consequent ouerthroweth the estate by the which intrusion an infinite number of mischiefes are introduced By the same meanes Nauarre is ioyned to Bearn making the Chancerie of Nauarre and the Counsell of Pau one Parliament by that coniunction to introduce a great number of Papists into the body thereof and so much the more to weaken those of the religion Monsieur de Lescun the Kings Councellor would neuer consent vnto the verification of the Kings Edict touching the Spiritull liuings but still in the Countrie in the Court and in the generall assembly did maintaine Gods cause and the Churches right with an inuincible and impenecable vigure and constancie he was hated in the Court and diligently sought for and being not found he was summoned to appeare within twice 24. houres and failing therein he was prohibited from executing his charges Most braue and generous wrastler receiue I pray thee this prohibition for an honorable reputation and a glorious marke of thy incomparable zeale for the conseruation of the Church and in the meane time expect most greene Garlands of Laurell and immortall Crowne from him whose cause thou hast defended with so great constancy And you poore and desolate Churches which in times past were like to the land of Goshen onely light while all the Countrey about it was obscure and darke and which at this present perceiue and behold darknesse to get the vpperhand and to preuaile against you to extinguish our light you that haue seene the purity of Gods seruice