everie Man doeth fill his own Spheare and everie Man's estate is a Kingdome to him-selfe Perseus that mightie King having beside him infinite Treasures and refusing to bestow some of them to Gentius a Neighbour-prince and others who offered to combate the Romanes in Italie he suffered them to over-throw him-selfe in his owne Countrey Darius cōmitted the lyke Errour with Alexander and Stephanus King of Bosna the lyke with Mabomet the second as I haue remembered before wee may prayse GOD that wee haue not such avaricious Kings What is it that good and naturall Subjects will not doe for the safetie of the Sacred Persons of their Kings Let bee of their Kingdomes vvhere-in wee haue our Portion and common Interesse with them We may reade in the Histories of France what domage that Countrey did sustaine for the liberation of their King Iohn taken by Edward the Blacke Prince of England at the Battell of Poiteou and of King Francis the first taken at the Battell of Pavie and in our owne Histories what our Predecessours did for the redemption of King David Bruce led Captiue in England and there detained eleven yeares Liberatus sayeth the Historie undecimo ex qu◠captus est anno numeratis quingentis millibus Mercarum Sterlingarum in presenti moneta Hee was redeemed vpon payment of fiue hundreth thousand Marks Sterling in argent contant A thing most admirable the scarcitie of Moneyes in those dayes considered If a Physition should cōmand vs in time of a dangerous Sicknesse to take a little Blood for preservation of the whole Bodie wee should bee glad to obey him why not by the like reason when our King who cureth and careth for the Bodie of the Common-wealth doeth command vs to bestow some of our Goods for safetie of our whole Estate ought wee not to obey if wee were versed in the French Annals to know what innumerable spoile of Goods was there before the Spanyards could bee pyked out of the Nests which they did build vpon their Coasts and with-in their Bowels wee would bee content to spende to our Shirt as it is saide before they should plant their Tents amongst vs. I haue alreadie told you how they are of Melancholious and fixed Mindes not easilie raysed or remooved where once they are set downe where-of wee see the present experience into the Palatinate To take and then to giue backe againe is not the way of their Designe to vniversall Empyre over their Neighbours If anie would object that the Palatinate is detayned for Reparation of the Wrongs and Injuries done in Bohemia hee hath little skill in the Effaires of the VVorld for why these might haue bene long since composed or redressed but it is done to facilitate their Conquest in Germanie to enclose the Nether-Landes from Succourse of their Friendes there and to open a Gate into England by length of Tyme vvhen they shall finde the Occasion fitting So that if the Kings of Great Britane and France together with their Confederates of Germanie the netber-Netber-Lands doe not joyne their Forces to banish them tymouslie from the Palatinate as the Romanes did the Carthagenians from Sicilia vvhich I did note in the beginning here-of doubtlesse they vvill bee vpon their owne Neckes at the length There vvas a great Intervale of Tyme betwixt the first and second Warres of the Romanes against the Carthagenians and yet the last did come to passe and there-with the vtter over-throw of the Carthagenian State And here I must recount a thing vvhich I haue often called to mynde since His Majesties comming from Spayne and that the Treatie of his Marriage did there expyre how I my selfe the yeare of their Pacification vvith Holland beeing in the Towne of Brussels in familiar discourse touching our late Soveraigne his cōming to the Crowne of England vvith a Scottish Gentle-man of a fine Wit Experience In-sight in the Spanish Designes and vvho had beene long tyme a Coronell and Counsellor of Warre amongst them Coronell Semple hee sayd to me That al-be-it King Iames vvas an aged wise Prince vvho had providently practized his peaceable Entrie to England that yet he vvas much beholden to that Tyme so fortunate as it vvas for him vvhen Spayne being so broken vvith longsome VVarres had al-most begged their Peace frō Holland And how-so-ever sayd he your King may be free of vs during his lyfe yet if ye shall surviue him ye shall see no more Peace betwixt England and Spayne adding vvith-all this Speach Laus non solum hominum est sed etiam temporum Where-vnto I did answere that by these it seemed that the Spanyard intended to conquer England Then he rehearsed to me the manie notable Injuries done to them by the English Nation by their prowde and fascuous ejection of King Philip before the death of Marie by their fostering of their Rebels in Flanders by their protection of Don Antonio King of Portugall and ayding of him vvith Sea Armies but namelie by their ordinarie Sea Rapines and insolent Navigation vvithout the controlling and coercing vvhere-of Spayne could not be in so good Case as vvas hoped for to be in progresse of Tyme And in the ende hee did subjoyne thus farre If your Catholicke Noble-men of Scotland with whom my selfe sayd he did negotiate from Spayne had bene wyse and constant your Countrey might haue bene long before now in a twentie-folde more happie Condition vnder the Dominion of Spayne than ever it can be vnder the Crowne of England the Yoake of whose Servitude and Tyrannie shall questionlesse become intollerable to you so soone as that King shall be gone who doeth so well know you for why by reason of their Vicinitie and nearnesse vnto you they shall be ever preassing to draw great Rents from you into England which cannot fayle to impoverish your Countrey where-as by the contrarie the Spanyard should not only spend it amongst your selues but should also yearlie send in great summes of Money to you according as he doeth here in Flanders in his other Provinces This Storie did I after my returning to London relate to His Majestie who is nowe with GOD and who having heard it did answere me That Semple was an olde Traytor and dangerous companie for his Subjects which went beyond the Seas Thus the Spanyardes know not when the Fish will swimme but they doe keepe their Tydes diligentlie and haue their Nets hung in all Mens Waters so that if anie of vs would thinke that the present Quarrell against Spayne is more sibbe to the King our Soveraigne than to vs by reason of the Palatinate it were absurd ignorance also For first granting it vvere so yet there can bee no Separation betwixt the Head and the Members whome GOD and Nature haue knit together there is none can loose Next agayne it is well knowne that our late King of blessed memorie could haue gotten to marrie his onlie Daughter greater and the greatest of Christian Princes if it
extende it selfe to the glorie of GOD the encrease of their owne Dominions and their immortall Fame This Globe of the World lyeth abroad by 360 degrees in Longitude and as manie in Latitude The English haue made Navigation to within 77 toward the North and the Portugals and Castilians to within 56 toward the South so there doe rest 228 to discover and what a fairer Field or richer Spoyles can bee wished for Christian Ambition or Avarice than this Yet what shall I say of this Emulation of neare and Neighbour-Princes It seemeth to bee fatall in effect and what is fatall is necessarie for fatall wee call Quasi fatum sive dictum a DEO A thing pronounced by GOD to bee For if wee shall take a view of His whole Works wee shall see nothing but a temperament and contrapoysing of naturall Extremities in such equalitie of Ballance that none bee able to excrease to the over-throw of the other The Heavens are placed into that Equilibrie that everie side is jumpe with the other and may not over-shoot it The contrarie motions of the Heavens doe not confound nor impede one an-other The coldnesse of Saturne and the heate of Mars doe not eate vp one another because Iupiter commeth betweene as the Axiltree of their Contrapoyse by the serenitie of his temperature So is it in the Elements the Fyre and Water are kept from desperate conflicts by the Ballance kept by the Ayre attempered to both So it is amongst Beastes where-of those that bee of fierce and savage kindes least vsefull vnto Man as Lyons GOD hath made them more barren Those agayne of the weaker sort which be more necessary and serviceable for Man He hath made more broodie and foecund to the end the Stronger should not be able to destroy that which is more infirme but the multitude of weake ones should bee sufficient to contrapoyse the paucitie of the mightier There is no Beast which is not afrayd of the Lyon trembleth at his presence yet some-thing hath he to contrapoyse his awfulnesse for he may not abide himself the crying of the Cocke but is astonied there-by So the Bellicose Elephant whom all the terrors of Battell cannot make afrayde he may not endure the cry of a Swyne but presentlie fleeth as is said in Eccles Intuere opera omnia Altissimi videbis semper unum contra aliud Doe contemplate all the workes of the most High you shall find aye one against another Even amongst the intellectuall Creatures the good Angels agaynst the bad GOD this way showing the Height and Deepnesse of His vnsearchable Wisedome by lodging and ruling of so manie contrarie things peaceablie within this one House of the Vniverse Shall wee not thinke then but the LORD who hath so moderated and brydled everie extreame contrarietie who hath placed Mountaines and steepe Shores to keepe in the raging Sea that shee rise not over her Marches and ordinarie Bankes but hee hath like-wise in the governament of the World by severall great Kingdomes and Monarchies appointed and allowed the same Contrapoyse that no Prince become so mightie as to devour his Neighbour that no Pryde or Insolencie doe excrease without Limitation certaynlie I thinke it hath a Warrand in Nature and Reason telleth vs That as it is lawfull to with-stand Force by Force it is also lawfull to provide if we can that no Case come that may constrayne vs to doe so or that may put vs to the employing of Force or Violence So that it seemeth lawfull to Princes or States to impede so farre as they can suspected Neighbour Grandour lest it become at length to master them Hieronimus King of Syracuse beeing demaunded as Polibius wryteth why in the meane-tyme of his beeing Confederate and Friende of Rome hee did ayde and supplie the Carthagenians against them Hee aunswered That it was to the ende hee might brooke the friendship still of the Romanes whome if hee shoulde suffer to over-throw the Carthagenians then of his Friends they should become his Masters Or will a wyse King within his owne Dominion permit a particular States-Man to carrie away the whole sway of Governament by too much of Authoritie no but he will contrapoyse him with a Colledge of a contrarie Disposition to keepe him in order Hence is it that the LORD GOD in all Ages hath suffered one Nation to combate with an-other one King to beate an-other and one man to holde in the Hornes of an-other that nothing should shoot out aboue that just proportion which doeth corresponde to the communion of Nature yea if wee should come to consider and weigh the particular Fabricke of everie one man's Bodie if the like equilibrie of Contra-Ballance did not attemper our contrarie Humours of Complexion certainlie our Constitution were not able to subsist but either the Choller shall burne vp the Flegme or the Flegme extinguish the Choller if the interjection of these median Humours of Sanguinean and Melancholicke did not impede that Conflict And hence are all the Leagues of Mutuall Defences amongst weaker States contracted against the more mightie Having thus shortlie shewed how the Ambition of Castile and Portugall was vertuous and laudable vnto the death of Charles the fift I come now to Philip his Sonne and Successour who did spot the Glorie of his noble Predecessours by turning his Thoughts to the Conquest of Christian People Hee it was who did complot and conduct all the Tragedies which thence-foorth haue beene acted in Christendome This King finding him-selfe debouted of his designe to the Crowne of England by the death of Marie Queene thereof who was his Wyfe returning into Spaine his first Practise was for excluding the Light of the Gospell which then began to breake foorth over all to strengthen against Christians that fearfull Inquisition which his Antecessours had erected against the Infidels Iewes and Moores where-of this farre may bee affirmed that if Satan him-selfe had beene King of Spaine hee could not haue brought from the bottomlesse Pit a more horrible Plague more cruell more Barbarous and beyonde all Humanitie the wicked Invention where-of no Words can suffice to expresse in sort that it doeth rather resemble Hell it selfe than that wee can finde anie Example ever heard of the like vpon the face of this Earth where innocent Men yea Good and holie Men after being straitlie incarcerate diverse Yeares spoiled of their Lands and Goods afflicted with Famine rent with Tortures and in ende falselie and vnjustlie condemned to the number of 800 in one Yeare vnder that King were brought to publicke Spectacles to bee burnt with Buckels and Bullets in their Mouthes to stop all Apologeticall speaches and againe and againe casten in the Fyre and taken out of the Fyre It is hard that anie Christian should thinke of it without Trembling and Teares the farther Discourse where-of were but vnpleasant heere al-be-it most necessarie for Demonstration of that hatefull Tyrannie and who so is curious to
and Tennants and preasseth them by Lawes that hee may know their Holdinges yea and some-times by Manages and Threats force them to quite their lawfull Ritches although they were their neare Kins-men Alwayes what wise Vassall or Tennant will not stryue to over-come his Lord with reverent and humble Carriage and there-by to moue him to accept the tenth part perhaps of that which he did demand for Entrie and shall it not bee borne with in a great King that which is ordinarilie done by his Subjects Bis duo dena pet as his duo sena feres What if a young Prince haue gotten too large Information touching these or if his Inforâ—ators be mistaken in their judgement there-anent shall there not bee Patience granted and time to digest and condescend And shall not our Behaviours be in the meane-whyle correspondent to that Loyaltie Loue and Obedience that Subjectes ought vnto their naturall Prince and that should procure His Compassion Kyndnesse towards all the Members of this Kingdome With GOD'S Blessing let vs be doing so and let vs expect nothing but Christian and Vpright Dealing from a King in vvhome there is so great Appearance of Good and Iust Meaning and let vs haue still in our Mouthes that Word which now prayse to GOD for it our Noble-men begin liberallie to professe That let him bee holden accursed who will not contribute to his verie Shirt for the safetie of His Majestie and of the Countrey Alwayes for the Point of Revocation who doubteth but three thinges may justlie fall vnder the Consideration of young Princes First whether this kynd of Gracious and Divinâ— Bountie exercised by their Predecessours giving Extraordinarie Thinges for Ordinarie Services or for Private Affection haue bene too Exorbitant Secondlie what may bee the Merit or Worth so such as haue pocked them Lastlie what is the Exigence of the Tyme and howe these things may be wanting vnto Princes But otherwyse we finde in all Christian Histories that crowne-Crowne-Lands haue bene alienated given away by Kings for one of three Causes vvhich to this Day haue remayned vnquarrelled by their Successours One is for Reward of those who haue exposed their Lyues to manifest Danger for the Safetie of Their Persons As for Example The Landes given by His Majestie our late Soveraigne for Services done agaynst the Traytors of Gourie or for Practises of Discoverie and Prevention of the Powder Treason at London another for Valiant and Personall Services done for Preservation of the Countrey agaynst Invasion of Forraigne Enemies or of the State from Intestine as we reade of our braue King Malcolme the second who seeing the Magnanimitie of the Scottish Gentrie agaynst the fierce and enraged Danes by fiue or sixe Bloodie and Desperate Battels in diverse partes of the Countrey where he him selfe did assist in Person therfore in a Publicke ParliameÌ„t he did divide almost the whole Crown-Lands in Baronies dispone them to the Gentry In publico ordinum conventâ— says my Text cunctas â—pes agrosque regios pene omnes meritoruÌ„ habita rations distribuit regno in partes quas Baronias vocaÌ„t divisio In regard wherof those Barons as by Compaction did at that same time annex to the Crown the Wardes and Reliefes of their Lands which together with the other Casualities and Dues belonging to the Crowne was esteemed and accepted as a sufficient Mayntaynance then of the Royall Dignitie If either of those two should bee revocable Kings Countreyes and Common-wealths should not bee compted so Sacred as they ought to bee Thirdlie Princes haue mortified their Crowne Patrimonie to Pietie and Devotion as King David the first of Scotland for Plantation of fifteene Abbayes foure Bishoprickes riâ—chly Rented Such are recalled in this latter Age because of the Nefaâ—tious Damnable Abuses wherewith the Possessours of them were commonlie polluted And O how greatlie it were to bee wished That neyther King David nor other Christian Kinges had beene so prodigall of their Crowne Patrimonies in Favours of Church-Men for the World knoweth it nowe that by so doing they did â—urne Religious Priests into Temporall Princes and did put into their Hand that Sword vvherewith to this Day they not only doe cut the Throats of Kinges and their Authoritie but haue spoyled the Puritie and Pietie of the Church of GOD and in Place there-of haue introduced this Pollution Pryde Avarice Superstition which shall never haue an ende so long as they remayne so ritch as they are Devotio peperit divitias filia devoravit matrem Devotion sayth Gerson bred Ritches and the Daughter devoured the Mother Next it were to be wished that when those Lands of the Church anciently belonging to the Crowne vvere agayne dissolved from the Church and annexed to the Crowne by our late Soveraigne of blessed Memorie that they had bene suffered to remayne therewith for the avoyding of so great Discontentment and Confusion as is lyke to grow thereof if they should nowe bee taken in to the Crowne vvithout Restitution to so manie Gentle-Men and others as haue employed the best parte of their Meanes for buying of those things from the Newlie-Erected-Lords without anie Warrandize at all for their Money Which albeit it doe greatlie perplexe the Mynds of manie good Subjects yet we are vndoubtedlie to hope for Reparation some way of these since we liue vnder a Christian Prince who is alreadie honoured of the World for the Equitie of his Myndâ— and who hath alreadie declared his Iust Intentions there-anent There is beside another Cause that maketh our Noble-Men and Gentrie to thinke themselues the sibber to the Church-rents and this is it Because their Predecessours did also enjoye them in effect albeit not Titularlie as well then as they doe now Their Sonnes were presented by the Kings to the Benefices of the Church Themselues did often tymes feede at their Tables and gather vp the Super-plus of the Rent The Sonnes of Meane Gentle-Men vvent to the Monasticke Lyfe everie where If they had manie Daughters they did sende some of them to the Religious Convents of Women vvhich was a singular Disburden and Reliefe both of Greater and Smaller Houses speaking civillie in Civill Respects And this is yet the chiefest Cause vvhy the Ritches of the Papall Church are so tollerable by Princes and People of that Profession so that whyles numbers of Men and Women of all sortes were nowrished anciently by the Church Revenewes in Scotland it would bee thought strange to bestow them vpon so few Church-Men as now be vvho I confesse are worthie of Augmentation But that they should bee made so Ritch or Great wee see what a pestilent Gangrenâ— that hath beene alreadie And it is sure enough that the same Causes will ever produce the same Effects The Worlde is aye lyke to it selfe and Men are still Men Et omnia vertuntur in Circulum There is not of Humane Things a more Extravagant and Rare Contemplation than to consider how Princes States and People
of Christendome haue beene so Blinde-folded or Hood-winked that they could not perceiue the Fearfull Encrease of the Church Rents and Ritches with the Pernicious Evils bred and brought in with them vnto the time that things were past remedie almost and that the Church had nearlie devoured the State in everie part We reade in the Histories that before the Separation of the Church of Rome made by LUTHER tryall being taken and Explorations by Kings and States who began to bee jealous of the Church Ritches it was found that through all the Christian Countreyes of Europe the hundreth part of the People did possesse the tenth part of the Revenewes of all at least aboue the Fisque of Testaments of Lands and Mooueables largelie legaced to them Wee finde againe in the French Wryters that the Yeare 1513 the like Search beeing curiouslie made in France it was proved that the whole Rents and Emoluments of that Countrey being set to twelue parts the Ecclesiasticall Persons did possesse seaven there-of there being found by this Disquisition with-in the Provinces of France 12 Archbishoprickes 104 Bishopricks â—40 Abbayes 27400 Curiesâ— and danger to haue beene hudge manie moe Curies if Pope Iohn the twentie two had not abolished the Decreet of Pope Nicolaus who permitted that all Mendicant Religious should enjoy the Fruits of Lands left to them by Laicke Persons the propertie of the Land being sayde to belong to the Popes them-selues An impudent Subtiltie to cover the Violation of the Mendicant his oath of Povertie seeing as the Law sayeth The Proprietie is vnprofitable to one where the Vsu-fruit is perpetuall to another So that Kings and States perceiving that if this kind of Claudestine Purchase of the Church and the daylie growing of her Ritches were not interrupted their People Territories would by tyme be stollen away They begaÌ„ everie-where almost to intercept it King Edward the first of England prohibited by a Law that anie Church-Man should conquish Lands or succeed to Legacies King Henrie the eight tooke from the Church King Charles the fift of Spayne made the lyke Prohibition to the former in the Low-Countreyes agaynst Church-Conquishes and Legacies And at this day the Venetians besides the Exterminion of the Iesuites haue done the same and so haue Florence and other Princes of Italiâ— done the lyke Otherwise it had come to passe with-in few Yeares that whole Italie had bene as one Closter But wee are not to bee jealous of this point here our Church is plagued with the contrarie Extreame Comming now according to the Order proposed in the beginning of this Treatise to speake of our Conceived Feares for the Reformation intended of Tythes first it is a Question of Theologie and I am no Doctor there next it belongeth but per accidens to this Purpose lastlie it is a Subject vnplausable to treat of in this Tyme by anie who would speake vprightlie But as Sainct Iohn sayeth The Trueth shall make thee Free I shall neede no other Apologie but to follow the Veritie in that I meane to write where-of I shall make no long Discourse which were both impertinent and vnnecessarie in a thing so current well vnderstood alreadie and so largelie learnedlie written of by manie both Scottish English but restraining my selfe to two or three Circumstances where-of some haue not beene remarked by anie that I haue yet read vpon this Argument The Originall Mention of Tythes in the Scripture by the Practise of AbrahaÌ„ in Genesisâ— The devoting of theÌ„ by GOD'S own Mouth to Moses in Leviticus the End Vse of theÌ„ in Deuternomie And the ExecratioÌ„ Cursing of things once devoted made sacred by GOD Himselfe in Numbers in Ioshua are Texts so cleare indisputable that at least for the tyme of the Law no Man doth questioÌ„ All that we goe about who be Opponents to Evangelicall Decimation is to enforce that Tenthes were ceremoniall in the Mosaicke ending with Consummatum est and haue no warrand in the Gospell where CHRIST in two places only doth speak of Tythes of the Mint and Annise These ought yee to haue done and not omit the other And againe in Luke comparing betwixt the Publicane and Pharisee who vaunted of the just Payment of his Tenthes CHRIST did blame onlie his Ostentation not his Payment of the Tenthes To both which Places wee make this Answere That at that time the Ceremoniall Law was in full strength and aye vntill Consummatuâ—â—est And for that respect CHRIST did suffer the Payment of Teâ—â—es And wee say Seeing CHRIST hath changed both the Priesthood and the Law and supplied their Rowmes and hath given no Order for the Church Revenewes of Tenthes therfore he hath abolished the same Againe CHRIST about the sending foorth of His Apostles and speaking of their Mayntaynance Matth. 10. Provide neither Silver nor Golde in your Purses for the Worke-man is worthie of his Meat Here he maketh no MeÌ„tion at all of Tenthes as the Place did require in Case the Tenthes had bene due to the Church Thus wee cast it over to the Apostles and there wee doe also pretend the same Argument That where Sainct Paul 1. Cor. 9. doth pleade at large for Mayntaynance he keepeth him-selfe vpon Generall Termes without anie Mention of Tenthes who feedeth a Flocke doeth not eate of the Milke thereof If we haue sowne Spirituall things to you is it a great thing if we reape your carnall thinges Thou shalt not muzzell the mouth of the Oxe that treadeth out the Corne. And so we say albeit CHRIST and His Apostles haue allowed Livinges for Preachers yea let theÌ„ bee never so ample yet they haue not tyed vs to a nuÌ„ber wherevnto the Answeres are made that Sainct Paul in the same Chapter hath included the Tenthes by the Generall in these wordes Hee that ministreth about holie thinges must liue of the Temple and the Wayters on the Altar on the thinges thereof That by the things of the Temple and the Altar are signified the Tenthes albeit hee did not expresse it in regarde they vvere then in the Hands of the Pharisees and could not be challenged nor gotten by Law by Private and Poore Men as the Apostles were but contrarie should haue increased the Malice of the Iewes agaynst them in Case they had beene sought Farther we studie to proue that Tythes were Ceremoniall First by reasoÌ„ of an Absolute Only Place whervnto they were broght to Hierusalem Secondly because of the Number whereby speciallie we contend to exclude the Moralitie of Tenths astrict them to a Ceremonie seeing Naturall ReasoÌ„ would as wel alow the Eleventh as the Tenth Portion or the Twelft rather because the Levites were one of the xij Tribes And lastly for their Employment at HierusaleÌ„ as we haue it Deut. 14. If the way be long that thou art not able to carrie thy Tenthes where the Lord hath chosen to set His Name then thou shalt turne
Kings did lose in Battels yea and frequent Battels ten or twentie or thirtie thousand Men when Scotland was not so populous What should wee then doubt nor wee bee able now to make great numbers and that is alwyse easilie tryed by Rolles of Weapon-showes if they bee diligentlie noted and so what doe wee lacke of Warre but Armour Discipline and Mayntaynance And certainlie it is strange that in this great appearance of Warres the two or three yeares by-gone no order hath bene given to bring able men vnder Discipline Wee heare and haue read that even in Spaine when the Countrey-Youthes of vulgar kinde are in-rolled for the Milice and brought to Cities for Discipline they doe looke as most vile and abject Slaues if one haue Sockes hee wanteth Shooes and manie doe want both if another haue Breaches hee wanteth the Doublet pitifull Bodies and our of countenance but when they bee exercised during two Moneths and once put into Apparell then they are seene of most haughtie Carriage and to walke as Captaines in the Streets Why then are wee not to expect the lyke of our People if lyke paines were taken and if in everie Shyre 〈◊〉 Men expert in the Souldierie were set a-worke to in-roll and bring vnder Captâ—ines and Discipline those who were most fitting for the Warres no doubt but our basest Clownes should grow both to civill conversation and cowrage There hath never beene yet anie great State carelesse of the Militarie Seminaries not in times of most solemne and sworne Peace As for Allyance Leagues or Confederacio in Warres they are indeede not onelie necessarie but as I haue saide before even naturall to bee for the safetie of smaller States or Princes from the tyrannie and violence of the mightier But with-all they haue beene often-times subject to one of two great Inconveniences either to Pryde for Preferment or Prioritie of place during Warres where-thorow what dangers did ensue in that famous Confederacie for the Battell of Lepanto because of emulation betwixt Don Iohn de Austria and Vinieri the Admirall of Venice the Storie doeth beare it at length and al-be-it it pleased GOD in His mercie to favour the present action yet the rememberance of that Contestation did debrash all farther prosecution of that glorious and holie Enterpryse and vtterlie dissolue that Christian Vnion Neyther is it a new thing al-though I bring this late Example for it The Romanes in their beginnings being confederate with the Latines in a League offensiue and defensiue the Latines did challange Paritie of Governement Si societas aequaâ—io juris est sayeth Livius cur non omnia aequantur cur non alter ab Latinis Consul datur vbi pars vivium ibi imperij pars Tum consul Rom audi Iupiter baec scelera perigrinos Consules c. If societie bee an equalitie of things Why are not all things made equall to vs and why should not one of the two Consuls bee a Latine Where-vnto the Romanes did answere by attesting Iupiter that it was an impious demande to haue a stranger Consullover them Or againe Leagues are subject to fraudfull desertion of some of the Sociation in time of greatest Danger Wherof the World is full of daylie experience I will remember that of Lodowicke Duke of Milan who vpon malice against the Aragones of Naples did procure King Charles the eight of France pretending some Title to Naples to bring a great Armie into Italie joyned with him a Confederacie of divers of his Friends in Italie But seeing the said King to passe thorow so fortunatelie and to behaue him-selfe as a Conquerour in manie of their Townes and to enter peaceablie in Naples without that anie Teeth were showed against him as the King returned from Naples home-ward the same Duke did negotiâ—te a League of the greatest PoteÌ„tates against him who did constrayne him to fight a Battell at Forum Novum vnder the Apennine where hee did hardlie escape with his lyfe although hee over-threwe them I haue tolde you alreadie how Philip the second of Spayne did desert Don Sebastian of Portugall and betray him by a League but of all Examples for this Purpose that is most remarkable of the Confederacie drawne by Charles of Burgundie with the whole Princes of France agaynst Lewis the eleventh where-vnto they were so bended and willing that they did call it Bellum pro Rep. A Warre vnder-gone for the Common-wealth Which Confederacie that subtill King did dissolue as Clowds dispersed with the Wind before they could grow to Raine where-vpon sayeth the Wryter of the Historie De Comines That hee holdeth one partie stronger for him-selfe who doeth command absolutelie over 10000 than are ten Confederates against him al-be-it everie of them doeth command over 6000. To come to our Purpose There are as manie Christian Princes and States true Enemies to the Spanyard as are able to devoure him in two or three Yeares if it were possible to contract amongst them a Confederacie or League of Salt that is to say which might endure without Corruption of Fraude or Emulation And therefore heere must I say that all the Actions belonging to a King are of light importance compared to this to maturelie deliberate both of his owne Forces and of the trustinesse of Confederates before hee doe enterpryze VVare Alwyse when wee take but a single view of our Associates against Spayne wee should thinke it strange why they may not stand vnited beeing al-readie conjoyned by Viâ—initie of Neighbour-hood by Consanguinitie Affinitie communion of one Cause against a Common Enemie communion of one Fayth connected I say everie one of them by diverse of these Bandes our Soveraigne the King of Great Britane the French King his Brother-in-law the King of Denmarke his Vncle the Princes of Germanie all knit to the Prince Palatine eyther in Blood in Religion or participation of one Feare of the House of Austria the Duke of Savoy who lyeth nearest to the Thunders and Threats of Spayne having a great part of his Territories circumscribed by them the Venetians who beholde his Garrisons daylie vpon their Frontiers gaping for some good oportunitie of Assault Holland and her Estates who haue beene so long protected and as it were fostered in the Bosome of the Crowne of England now who would not conjecture that this Tygers VVhelpe might bee surelie impailed amidst those mightie Hunters and that it were easie for them to bring him to his latter sweate I scorne heere to call in question what invincible Armies they might assemble by Sea and Land sufficient to robbe him of all that hee hath for it is thought that if after the taking in of Portugall England France Holland and other Confederates had then put into it amongst them all but 30000 Men with sufficient Shipping and Munition they had beene bastant to recover it and King Philip had beene forced to forbeare from the farther troubling of France or Holland And yet to treat this Point of so
two The greatest part of the Reformed Churches of France doe holde it after the Mynd of the learned Calvine vvho hath left behinde him the same Opinion to the World in his Treatise vpon Iob vpon the 18 of Nuâ—s Vers. 20 Sed eas à Laiâ—is occupari quo passus fuisset Papa si jure divino ut inâ—â—lse garriunt sacra fuisseut Cleri hereditas Which Opinion is thought to haue begun from the old Valdenses who did inhabite there about vvho seeing the great Abuse of Tythes vnder the Church of Rome did hold that Tythes vveremeere Almesâ— and no vvay belonging to the Church This also vvas the Mynd of Iohn Huâ— And that great Divine Perkins on Gal. 3. and 25. The Allowance of Tythes sayth he standeth not in Force in this and other Common-wealths by the Iudiciall Law of GOD to the Iewes but by Positiue Lawes of Countreys These Men thinke it no fault to giue Tythes to the Church but hold it not necessarie from anie Warrand of the Gospellâ— they doe allow of a sufficient Church Mayntaynance but not the same Quetum And when it is objected to them Why should these Beggarlie Iewish Rudiments and that perishing Priesthood of the Law haue so ritch a Patrimonie and the Glorious Revelation of the Gospell a poore and necessitous Ministrie They doe answere Because their Ritches and Formes are diverse and perhaps contrarie that consisting in Show and this in Substance that being altogether Earthlie and this altogether Spirituall and being in this Point too much possessed by Puritane Humours they doe not admit that Splendor and Decorement of Churches nor that externall Pompe and Majestie of Publicke Worship which in my Mynde is not discommendable in the Popes Church Where-vnto they are in all things opposed as well in the best Points of Government and Indifferent Ceremonies as in the Maine Grounds of Fayth And farther it is not to bee doubted of but that so Profound a Divyne as Calâ—â—ne vnderstanding so well as hee did the Arts of the Papall Pryde hee thought it a good Way for destroying of Superstition and Tyrannie in the Church to deny her anie Right of Tythes other than by Donation and Charitie of Christian Princes so long as she should remaine free from Heresie and wicked Abuses and otherwise might bee taken from her Now I come to the Circumstance of the Quotum to consider if there might haue beene anie matter of Sanctitie Ceremonie or Type in the number of 10 why GOD choosed the Tenth Portion to bee sacred vnto Himselfe rather than the ninth eleventh or twelft and whether Abraham did light vpon that number by anie instinct of Nature common to other People And first I will tell you that there was never hitherto anie Nation heard of so Barbarous in whose Hearts Nature did not ingraue this Law to adore the DEITIE by externall Ceremonies of Worship consisting in statelie Temples costlie Altars and Images daylie Oblations of sumptuous Sacrifices and Mayntaynance of multitudes of Sacrificators that it is admirable to beholde how Geâ—tiles in externall Zeale haue gone beyond even true Worshippers so farre that manie of them did allot and dedicate to Religious Service much more than Tythes Wee reade in Dionys. Halicarn that Romulus the first Foundâ—â—r of Rome divided the whole Territories there of in three parts one for the Priests and Publicke Worship another for the Domaine of the Common-wealth the third for the People there being of People for that time 3000 and 18000 Iugera of Land where-of were reserved 6000 for the Sacrifices and Sacrificators And that this Division of Romulus according to Diadorus was an Imitation of the Aegyptians who in like manner did originallie make a Tripartion of the Revenewes of the Land where-of the first was for the Priests and Sacrifices the second for the King and Publicke Charges of the State the third for the Calasyres who were Souldiours and Men of Armes And from the most esteemed Histories of Antiquitie wee haue numbers of Testimonies that the Gentiles knew by the Light of Nature that Tythes were Sacred vnto GOD namelie of their Spoyles and Victories and therefore did offer and sacrifice them vnder the Name of Victimae quasi vi ictae Herpocration Dydymus and Pausamas doe witnesse that the Greeks gaue the Tenth of their Spoyles in VVarre vnto their Gods Cyrus the Lesse gaue the Tenth of his Money taken from Captiues to Apollo and Diana at Ephesus Agis gaue his at Delphos Agesilaus in two yeares aboue 100 Talents of Tythes to the same place Plinie relateth that the Sabeans might not sell their Frankincense vnder the paine of Death vntill the Priests had their Tythes The Aethiopians divided with a Staffe the Bundels of Caunell and Casia and first gaue GOD His part Plutarch is Author that Hercules did sacrifice everie Tenth Bullocke that hee tooke from Geiron by force The Tenthes of the Spoyles of the Platean VVarres were dedicate to the Gods Socrates hath in his Ecclesiasticall Kalendars that Alcibiades gaue commandement for Tenthes to the Gods from all those that sailed from Pontuu When the Veii were taken Prisoners and the Romanes made Peace with the Vâ—lfians Camillus made the Romanes to pay to Apollo the Tythes of their Spoyles and it was allowed of the Senate Plutarch writeth of Lucullus that hee became incomparablie Rich because hee observed the paying of Tonthes to Hercules Xenophon witnesseth that others payed in the Countreyes about their Tythes to Apollo Festus sayeth Decima quaeque veteres Diis suis offerebant Which so vniversall a Practise doth show some Evidence to haue proceeded from the True Light of Nature before the Written Law and from the dayes of Noa to haue beene deâ—yved to all Nations otherwise how was it possible that such a Religious Due so a-nearing vnto the Trueth of GOD'S VVorship could haue beene so generallie followed of the Gentiles It beeing so wee are not to doubt but that Abraham with this Dâ—ke Light of Nature common to the Gentiles where throgh hee did see as with the Left Eye his Religious Duetie concerning Tythes hee had also the Divyne Light which as a Right Eye did demonstrate vnto him the Secret of that Mysterie wherefore the LORD GOD did choose His owne Portion vnder the Number of 10 as most Holie and most Perfect in it selfe And heere I will borrow for more clearing of the Nature of Tenthes a little of your Patience for a pleasant Intercourse to set downe as I haue found it in the Remote and Mysticke Theologie the Reason of the Number 10 and of the Holie Respect and Perfection that is into it and which hath beene naturallie ingraven into the Hearts of Men even amidst the greatest Darknesse of Gentilisme We reade in the Scripture that God in the Creation of the World did imploy an instrumentall Wisdome Omnia fecisti Domine in numero pondero mensura which is called The created Wisdome of GOD Where-of it is saide
State hath practised such things I answere to you That it is never done but vpon Necessitie and in that Case hath beene done by the Strongest and most Politicke The Romanes ten yeares before their first Warres against Carthage vvere begun to haue Silver Coine called Denarius and the parts thereof Quinarius and Sestertius the Deniere beeing worth ten Asses and the Asse beeing a Pound of Brasse in Coine at 12 Ounces the Pownd But the Citie being exhausted and endebted by that Warre vnable to defray the Charges they raised the worth of the Brazen Money by diminishing the Weight ordayning the Asse to bee onelie two Ounces where-by the Exchecquer of the State did gayne fiue partes of sixe and so vvas soone made free from Debt Here was indeed an Exorbitant Heighting the Necessitie was great the Common-wealth in danger the Practise vpon Brasse Ye will say to me that Heighting of our Money will more prejudge than profit the King for Mayntaynance of Warres For Example If everie twentie Marks of Money were by Authoritie called in to the Coyning-house and put foorth vnder the same Weight and Fynnesse for twentie one Markes by this Meanes His Majestie should presentlie get the 21 parte of all the Coyne in Scotland but there-after in yearlie Payment made of His Rentes Impostes and Casualities pertayning to His Treasurie and Taxation of everie 21 Marks hee should want one that now is made according to the present Pryce and it cannot bee denyed But for Helpe of that and Safetie of the Subjects from Inconvenientes and Wronges of that kynd our Money may be heighted vpoÌ„ that Reasonable Condition as we find it to haue bene done vnder King Iames the third to wit That all Bands Contracts Obligations Infeftments for Annuall Rents Few-Mails Sums of Money Tackes of Lands or of Impostes for Money made of before that Heighting shold be payed of the same Pryce and Eynnesse which was current when the Sureties were made and that the Newlie-Heighted-Pryce should onelie stryke vpon Future Trafficke and Commerce vvhich seemeth to haue bene a verie reasonable Middle for Multiplication of Money and Raysing of Victuall vnto Discret and Competent Pryces for the Common Good of the greatest part of People I confesse that such thinges are to bee done seldome and then fore-sightfâ—llie Philip Le Bell of France did once base his Coyne so farre by Mixtion of Copper and Brasse that the Italian Poët Dante 's did call him Falsificatore di moneta vvhich hee did excuse from the Necessitie of the Tyme and did there-after repent it much because it was followed with great Harme Mutinie of his Subjects Alwyse I trust none will deny that it is more profitablie done to height Money than to base iâ— and it is well knowne what notable Losse did ensue to this Countrey by the last crying downe of our Coyne But seeing that Land which is Bonum immobile is subject to daylie change of Prices to holde that Golde beeing in the Account of Bona mobilia is not in the same Condition as a thing more Sacred in it selfe it is a Scorne vnlesse wee would draw our Argumentes from the great Vertues and Excellencies which no doubt are latent thereâ—nto albeit mystious and vnknowne to vs and whereof we make no Vse of that Aurum potabile so soveraigne for removing of Diseases and Corroboration of Man's Health whereof the Aleamistes make Moses to bee the first Inventer by reducing of the Golden Calfe into Powder potable And that the Specificke Spirit of the Golde doeth as they say transforme other Mettalls into Golde and is sufficient to mayntayne Perpetuitie of Youthhead Affirming their Elixer to bee that same wherevnto Sainct Iohn Apocal. 21 did compare the Holie Citie It was of pure Golde lyke Glasse saying that the Spirit of GOD doeth not vse to comparison but thinges which are indeede In rerum natura and citing for this their chiefe Patron Paracels in the 9 of his Metaph. Nostra tinctura rubea est in se astra auri continens translucida instar Crystalli fragilis ut vitrum And in diverse Places of his Minerall Treatises giving the Cause in most admirable Termes why GOD shall conceale from the World that Secret vnto the comming of Elias Artista within the seaventh thousand yeares which is presumed by the remote Theologie to bee the Finall Iubilie of the World and the Triumph both of Naturall and Metaphysicall Operations And albeit that Suidas doth alleadge that this Science of the Multiplication of the Golde did rest amongst the Aegyptians even to the Reigne of Dioclesian who as Augurellus wryteth did much feare them by reason of their Chymicall Skill Not the lesse I say wee know how these Disquisitions haue hitherto but exhausted the Braines and Treasures of manie great Princes who haue gone about them so that wee are not to make Estimation of Golde for such subtill Theorems but even as of other temporarie things Next I know yee will pretend that there is no Penuritie of Money in Scotland but that that is kept vp in the Hands of Ritch Merchands and that yee will finde in some Burgh more Silver and Golde with two or three than is in the whole Towne beside and the whole Shyreffdome about but that they refuse to vent it and if that Case were cured wee should haue great Plentie of Coyne so for the more cleare Discussion of this Businesse I will heere suppose my selfe having Commission to dispute this Question with the Merchand who doeth thus Commissioner I come to show you Merchand that His Majestie and Counsell are highlie commoved against you because in this time of so great Scarcitie of Silver and of so maine a Necessitie to haue it current through the Countrie yee doe locke it vp in your Coffers not onelie to the Common Prejudice and Perill of the whoâ—e State but also to your owne hurt in particular for your Father was accustomed to say That a laying Henne was better than a lying Crowne Merchand I doe praise GOD for that I haue alreadie gained sufficientlie by the Merchand Trade the VVorld is evill both at Home and Abroad and my Money is sure in mine owne Possession Commissionar Doe yee not consider the great Wrongs in the meane time by the Detention there-of Merchand What are those VVrongs for why I doe retaine no Man's Goods but mine owne Commissionar First yee are vnthankfull to GOD and to your Countrey who having acquired so great Aboundance doe deny the Profitable and Necessarie vse of your things without your owne Hurt to your Prince and Common-wealth who both are in Paine for want of Money farther yee doe vvhat yee can to over-throw the Citie where-in yee dwell and vvhere-of yee are a Member incorporate In the which Citie a great number and of the ablest Men haue no other Meanes of their Lyfe but by Maritine Trade whilst yee and such as yee haue weakned and deboshed the Shipping of that Towne so farre