Selected quad for the lemma: religion_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
religion_n	church_n	government_n	kingdom_n	3,695	5	5.8013	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A16303	Tvvo letters or embassies The one sent by the states of Bohemia, to the Elector of Saxony: the other from the Popes Holines to the Emperour, concerning the troubles of Germany.	Bohemia (Země). Sněm.; Paul V, Pope, 1552-1621. aut; Barlow, William, of Amsterdam.; Johann Georg I, Elector of Saxony, 1585-1656.; Ferdinand II, Holy Roman Emperor, 1578-1637.	1620 (1620)	STC 3215; ESTC S102769	21,755	45

Nations and Liberty of all royall Prouinces So they had a Day of audience and the Duke for all his minde was intangled with an intricate businesse and farre reaching Proiects yet heard them the sooner the sooner to bee ridde of them and so the Secretary thus began FREDERICKE by the grace of God King of Bohemia Duke of Bauaria Palatine of the Rhine and so as followeth in his Maiesties iust Titles with the three States of the Common-wealth of Prague and Protectors of the Incorporated Prouinces sendeth greeting to the High and Mighty Prince IOHN GEORGIVS Duke of Saxony Iuliers and Cleues Elector of the Sacred Empire c. Most Mightie Illustrious Prince WEe cannot Coniecture except it please you to enlarge your selfe wherin any aspect of ours hath bene maleuolent toward you or occasion raised it selfe to such an height that you thinke it meete either with a rough hand to keepe it vnder or forcible arme to bring it to humiliation As for the particulars of the Kingdome all our suffrages in this so well contriued Election I hope you expect not more at our hands now then you haue receiued diuers times by priuate Letters or daily read out of iustifiable Treatises As for the secret of preseruation which comes from instinct of nature and glorious manumition of distracted subiects I hope you make no question of the lawfulnes necessitie of our well begun Courses As for the grieuances of the Commons and convulsions of the Prouinces wherin no man liued secure while the tyrannie of our Gouernours lasted The opening of our graues the disquieting of buried soules the displacing of setled offices the teares of Widowes the cryes of Orphanes the wringing hands of Matrons the rauishing of Virgins the outrages in euery Citie and in a worde the complaints of rich and poore haue long before this Ecchoed in your Eares drawne commiseration from your Hart. As for the secrets of Gouernment what can be more implyed out of all prescription then the glory of God 2. The honor of a Kingdome 3. The good of the People 4. And the renowne of the Prince In all which it is well knowne our Princes haue fayled As 1. dishonouring God by a manifest approbation of thinges contrary to his worde 2. Disgracing the Kingdome by violating her Lawes abrogating her Priuiledges threatning her Peace subiecting her to strangers and tying her as it were to the whipping-Poasts of crueltie and injustice 3. Abusing the People by affrighting them with the rages of exorbitant actions and suffring no man in the securitie benefit of his owne possessions 4. As defaming themselues by the scandalous Imperiousnesse of wicked Counsellors and weaknes of Iudgement to be ouer-awed in all their actions by the passionate wilfulnes of such as were enemies to God and men As for the cause of Religion Remember I pray you what the Statist Steephen King of Poland was wont to say That he was a King of men but not of Consciences A Commaunder of bodies but not of soules And what vnheard-of mischiefs haue the Iesuites bred the Inquisition procured the Pope contriued the Emperors continued and all long of that terrible Vow the Iesuites caused him to make rather to loose the Dignitie of his Tytle the benefit of his Diademe and the comfort of his Life then a Protestant should enioy the liberty of his Conscience or a Church publiquly opened for the exercise of true Religion As for the Emperor himselfe if your Loue were neuer so great or your passion transported beyond limitation what gouernment did euer admit of the Vsurpation of strangers and how dangerously haue the hartes of all Kingdomes beene eaten vpon by the hungry teeth of mercinary Souldiers Were not the Gothes and Vandales brought in as auxiliary to the Emperors of the East and when they learn'd their Discipline and had possession of their Armes they learn'd also to turne their Pikes into the brests of the weaker side and so was Europe subiected Thus againe was Brittany diuers times Conquered Spayne ouer-runne by the Mores and the rest brought vnto all vnrest by this course For what can we expect lesse then desolation and dissolution of Gouernment Religion If either the Emperors had continued in their former outragiousnes or Ferdinand who doth now attempt to fill your free Cities with Garisond Spanyards or allow of the vsurpation of such as would deride our miseries and tryumph to see vs feed vpon one an others bowels with a rauening desire of confusion As for reputing vs Rebels or the diminution of the Emperors Tytles and glory of the Austrian Famely we haue only from being slaues made our selues subjects of a Lawfull Prince wherein the proofes are extant from all times and authoritie and neither that nor any thing heere spoken need illustration from the Lawes of our Country or the credit of Authors who haue diuers times seene a King of Hungary a King of Bohemia and an Emperor of Germany in seuerall distinct Persons Nor doe we see why Austrias few yeares of possession should debarre all other Famelies from the Empire it selfe especially damme vp our encloasures that we shall not giue libertie to our owne immunities and Priuiledges And therfore is there neither such cause of repining in you nor cruelty in him For alas what must be the end of these dissentions but the pulling of Germaines peace prosperity in peeces and the filling our fields with the slaughtered Carkasses of Innocents whose Fatherlesse Children will crye for vengeance till the heauens powre it downe vpon the heads of the delinquents As for any thing else which either you haue or can obiect it hath bene long since answered and although Princes neede not giue an account of their actions yet haue wee published our iustifications and written both to your selfe the Emperour and Bauaria So that if the warre continue God knowes we are meere defendants and our King is his substitute for Religion and the Common-wealth and would bee loath to see you bring fuell to the flames of this disturbance or make the tyranny and ambition of another a pitt to praecipitate your selfe in without recouery Therefore Most Illustrious Prince seeing these thinges are so and autentically approued by all sufficiency why should your disallowance either manifest a willingnes to infringe the amity and Confederation with the Bohemian State or show a tumor of some priuate passion against an immaculate Prince and louing Neighbour or the Vnion of other Princes who haue combined themselues to withstand a publicke Enemy So that if neither the generall cause of the Empires peace the blessed worke of the Propagation of the Gospell the priuate respect of our grieuances the auncient combination of the Prouinces the extraordinary worth of our King nor any other motiue bee the threed to leade you out of the Laberinth of this disquiet yea manifest seduction to eternal confusion Remember your owne Ancestors and the glorious actions whereby they haue shined like faire mouing Planets in

with vs as when the Empire it selfe came as it were from our donation and the Diadems of Princes were the Vtensels of our Houshold as when Charles the Great dissipated the cloude of Vengeance with the Gothes and Lombards thickned against the shining sunne of our Prelacie as when the Prouinces and Kingdomes of Europe were affraid of our Curse and Excommunication of our Church as when Religion was locked vp in our Conclaue and not opened without Peters Keyes as when a Sonne for our sakes would chastice the rebellion of a Father and one Nation scourge another at the intercession of a Legat The examples are so plentifull that euen Heretickes haue gotten them in their mouthes to spit in our faces It fareth not with vs as when true deuotion tyed the Consciences of men to the obseruation of our pleasure and no vpstart Familist durst broach a strange Doctrine to our preiudice When Faith was predominant in our hearts and honest simplicity liued out our liues and actions beleeuing onely what the Church did teach and practising nothing but with modesty and obedience then were the Halcion dayes of our glory and how euer Heretickes haue characterd them with ignorance and superstition yet questionles as in Martiall discipline Soldiers must not bee acquainted with euery secret but simply yeeld obedience to their Commanders so in the matters of the Church men were neuer at so much peace of Conscience as when they knew not how to trouble their soules beyond their vnderstandings In a word it fareth not with vs as when the Vnity of Church and Common-wealths resembled a sheaue of Arrowes strongly bound together which was that way indissolluble but diuided a sunder they were easily snapped in peeces one by one then were the Kingdomes of Europe of one vnanimity and if any vpstart Heretickes brake out or furious Scismatickes approached to the holy Altar with violence they were quickly enforced backe and taught a lesson of obedience either by generall Councels whereat many times 400. Bishops were gathered together or the power of an Army which came at our becke from all the quarters of Christendome But now and in your owne particular Most deare Sonne 1. The times are altered 2. Religion is confounded 3. And the Prouinces are deuided 1 First concerning the times you see that Princes are so iealious one of anothers Greatnes that neither law of Marriage or Conscience can detaine them within the limites of humanity especially Charity as reioycing in the good one of another but they will confederate euen with those they hate to cast blocks and hinderances in the way of one another if there be but a suspition that he runneth on too fast to Greatnes This began for our moderne times in the time of Charles the Fift with whome England and many other Prouinces ioyned against the French but no sooner was the King taken Prisoner at Pauy but they fell backe againe to a commiseration of his affliction and began to assist him in a new recouery This hath continued against your House of Austria and my Sonne of Spaine For euer since Burgundy and yee haue beene Vnited whereby Charles left the Empire to his younger Brother you see the world hath cryed out that Spaine would bee the Monarch of the West and the Iesuites by his assistance vsurpe the dignity of the Church and by a new superintendency ouertop the Authority of the Papacy This hath made seuerall Kinges oppose themselues against Spaine and now seueral Prouinces fall from your obedience as if the Angels prophesie against Ismael were verified That his hand should be against euery man euery mans hand against him Yea this will end against the Low-Countries themselues who fill the Seas with formidable Nauies and haue such strong Citties Ramparts and Armies that already they begin to be feared and already fall vnder the hand of watching and ouerlooking Beleeue it then that in this point alone of suspition of your Greatnes not naming other collaterall causes of hate Cruelty oppression defending our Supremacy enriching your selfe and such like there will euer remaine a tricke of pollicy if not to trip vp your heeles for running at all yet to pull you backe as it were by the sleeue from making too much hast so that I see no remedy but that you must be contented to yeeld to the time and rather to keepe somthing then loose all For howeuer the greatnes of your Spirit may commaund obedience and the goodnes of the cause plead possession yet necessity is a predominant mischiefe and they are fooles that will perish in an obstinacy repugnant to Fortune Remember that Hanniball had possession of Italy 17. yeares and might haue tryumphed in Rome if he had taken his time but when Scipio diuerted the Warre Carthage was besieged and Carthage knew not how to bee relieued till Hanniball was recalled so the great Captaine was disapointed in his Proiects and compelled to yeeld to the Roman glory I speake not by way of Prophesie but precept that in all extremities the law of preseruation comes from instinct of Nature and to preuent a greater mischiefe men must and may endure some inconuenience and so much for the time 2 Concerning Religion which yet is not the Emperours plea nor the Empires cause you see the alteration many good Mothers bring forth bad Daughters Truth begets hatred Familiarity contempt Charity idlenes and Knowledge presumption with such like For euer since the common people haue beene licenced to reade the Scriptures and make their owne interpretations they haue startled from the obedience of the Church and cryed out vpon liberty as though their Consciences like vntam'd Heyfers were let loose and they tyed vnto no rules and Lawes but of their owne deuising this hath made so many mechanicke men presumptuous and silenced women audacious that a poore ignorant Cobler dare compare with a Father of the Church and a tatling woman instead of being instructed by her Husband take vpon her to rule both husband and family This hath set on worke certaine strange spirits to rayle vpon order and conformity euen in the Churches of Heretickes themselues that they haue denyed them to be Churches but the vnswept roomes of Antechrist because of some enormities and imperfections in men and Gouernment which are were and shall be in this militant Church till the comming of Christ to Iudgement This hath deuided the Countries of Europe and taught hipocrites and foolish Libertines a glorious lesson of defending the Gospell of CHRIST and his Saincts whereby they haue vaine-gloriously taken vp Armes against the Church and their Prnces so that if successe haue not smoothly looked vpon them but Iustice submitted them to the punishment of Impiety they haue confounded Treason and Martyrdome together and taught their blasphemous tongues to cry out Sanguis Martirium semen Ecclesiae as though euery rebell and raging pesant punished for transgression must bee therefore Charactered a Saint of God so that this Gangren is spreading ouer

Hungarias examples whose vnconstancy hath yet as it were dilacerated her Kingdome and shewed the Turke a way to prey vpon her prosperity as you shall read of Prometheus on Mount Caucasus on whose entrals a Vulture continually gnaweth so that he is euer dying and euer liuing Thirdly emboldened by Bethelem Gabor Prince of Transiluania with whome you see the Turke hath contracted a Truce and couenant of Peace that he might the better make Warre against any disturbers of his friends and confederates For when at first the Bohemians cast themselues into his embraces he would not close his armes but gaue them leaue to returne to faster holdings and in amanner nominated the Palatinate for their Prince Fourthly pretending some grieuances from your selfe and Mathias not onely that you tooke a wrong course with their obedience playing the vnskilfull Surgeon with them to feare cut and Cauterize their wounds which might haue bene fairely healed with lenatiue Cataplasmes but also that you ouer-stretched your owne stringes to a higher tune then the instrument would beare and so presuming to command all you came at last to enioy nothing according to our Italian prouerb Chitutto a braccia nessuno strenge Last of all proiecting the youth brauery and alliance of this man especially that the King of great Brittaine a nominated Prince in all Prophesie and conference for the enemie to Papistrie would neuer stand still and looke vpon those rude hands which should pull downe the frame of so goodly a building they came at last to this maine point of reiection of you which must needes be their fault and electing him which cannot chuse but be his fortune so that in a word considering what I haue said Beleeue it they that dared once to conceit the starting aside frō your authority were not so barren of vnderstanding but to consider what might happen either war or peace and so haue prepared both to shut you out of their walks of their loue and submission to keepe you off as far as they can by a steely arme and forcible detention wherat you cannot be dismayed for this maine reason that they which wil confesse themselues aduersaries to God care not to professe themselues enemies to men Now in this point alone all our hopes are disappointed For first they haue traced our supremacy after Luthers owne steps and placed the stout Hereticks that though with Hercules in his Cradle they did not strangle the Serpents yet with Hercules in the Tragedie that killed his owne children they haue like refractary delinquents set vpon their father their mother Me their father the supreame Bishop and the Church their mother the blessed spouse of Christ. 2. Secondly they haue denied our indulgences and scorned our Pardons not caring for their sicke soules but willing to dye in desperation as a frantick man in a Feauer that striketh his Phisician and casteth the Potion on the ground 3. Thirdly they haue pulled downe our Images and abrogated that constitution of the Church as if they meant to be Anathemataes and enemies to Religion by taking away all the meanes of deuotion 4. Fourthly they haue banished the Iesuites It may be they are suspected amongst our owne Priests and haue imputation rather of pollicie then piety but what is that to the cure of soules and the estate of Lay men I pray God I may not say by them as Demosthenes tale is betweene the Sheepe and the Wolues who were offended at the Sheepes entertaining great dogges amongst them whereby they liued secured from their ruine but when they had betrayed them to their dimission then did these cruell Wolues more cruell by the aduantage of exasperation returne to their former prey and violence Last of all they haue bewitched the foster spirited men with manswetude and good vsage whereby the Priests themselues are growne to commend their gouernment the Catholickes in generall to shew their obedience so that they which in former times repined to pay our Officers the tribute of the Church disburse both money and Armes to the sustentation of our enemies and whereas we had euer much adoe to worke vpon their soules these Bohemians though of a contrary Religion haue brought both soules and bodies to their beck and authority Thus Deare sonne for any thing I see the matter is remedilesse and to complaine against God men fortune treasons and such like will rather discouer a distemperature of passion then magnanimity of spirit nay though there were hope of reformation Therefore be aduised by me though patience in some things be a poore vertue and onely fit to draw on heauier burthens yet in other businesse and most occasions it reduceth the minde to consideration and setleth the iudgement for the preuention of greater mischiefe It bringeth the sences to order and keeps both soule and body in temperature as for imputation of cowardise and basenesse when high and glorious designes propose themselues to prosecution remember the story of Fabius and Minutius against Hanniball The Senate indeede gaue eare to the aspersions of his retraction and delay as if either he durst not fight or knew not how to proceede and so deuided the Generalship betweene them but that diuided the successe of the businesse for Minutius fayling in the heat of his forwardnesse was glad to retire vnder the shadow of Fabius his moderation For as sometimes the doltishnesse of an aduersary doth animate weake troupes to giue the onset so at all times the wisedome and discipline of an enemie doth keepe in awe euen equall forces for aduenturing too farre and being too forward This is your case and my feare your case For what can you now get by this warre considering the mightinesse of your foe and the diuision of your people but in the preuailing an eternall hate against your house and family and in the failing such contumely and disgrace that how euer you are sure of me and my Bishops yet the name of Emperour shall be but a titular dignity and the obumbration of your glory bring forward at last obliuion of your greatnesse nay peraduenture the losse of that Character of Emperor it selfe For it fareth with the fortune of vnfortunate Princes as with ruinous walls when a man perceiues their decay and weaknesse euery one runnes aside for mistrust of falling vpon them or else they are compared to a mans tumbling downe a paire of staires who if hee once loose his first footing commonly neuer stayes himselfe till hee come to the bottome Againe say your aduersary be subiect to a defeat as his friends encrease his forces will be renued and then hee returnes with greater violence as in those dayes the Souldiers were wont to doe with their machinations who pulled backe their rammes and engines of purpose to run forward with the greater fury and more impetuosity But if you which God forbid should be subiect to the inconstancy of Fortune or if you will as many good men haue beene to the chastisement of diuine prouidence