also exercised them in Sea Affairs wherein consists the chief Strength and Security of this Kingdom Wherefore she always kept a good Correspondency with all such as were Enemies of the House of Austria she assisted France against the Designs of the Spaniards favoured the Protestant Princes in Germany upheld the Dutch against the Spaniards thereby the better to weaken so formidable a Neighbour looking upon the Netherlands as the Out-work of her Kingdom Besides this she finding continual employment for her Subjects abroad did not a little contribute towards the preserving the Health of the State for by this means a great deal of corrupt and inflamed Blood being taken away it prevented intestine Diseases in the State But King James took quite another course and perceiving that the Vnited Provinces were grown strongh enough not only to support themselves against Spain but also to dispute the Dominion of the Narrow Seas with England he left them to themselves and concluding a Peace with Spain establish'd a lasting Tranquility at home for his Inclinations were more for Books than Arms. And because Subjects in general are apt to follow the Inclinations of their Sovereigns the People laid aside all Warlike Exercises and fell into such Weaknesses and Vices as are commonly the product of Plenty and Peace And the King hoped when these Nations applyed themselves only to Trade and Commerce they would be diverted from having any thoughts of opposing his Authority He made it also his main endeavour to unite the Minds of the Scots and English by Naturalizing the English in Scotland and the Scots in England and by joining the great Families by Marriages But he was more especially carefull of establishing one Form of Religious Worship in both Kingdoms For tho' there was no great difference in the Articles of Faith yet the Ceremonies and Church Government were very different For Queen Elizabeth when she established the Protestant Religion retained many Ceremonies which were anciently used in the Primitive Church as also used by the Papists afterwards she maintained also the Authority of the Bishops yet under the Royal Power supposing that this Constitution was most suitable to a Monarchy considering that the Bishops had some dependence on the King and had their Votes in Parliament And it used to be the saying of King James No Bishop no King But this Constitution did not agree with those of the Reform'd Religion in Holland Switzerland and France partly because these Nations were used to a Democratical Liberty and therefore loved an Equality in the Church-Government as well as the State partly because they had suffered from some Kings and Bishops and therefore both were equally hated by them These would not allow of any Superiority among the Clergy but constituted the outward Church-Government by Presbyteries Classes and Synods neither would they admit any Ceremonies believing that the perfection of the Reformed Religion did consist in not having so much as anything tho'never so indifferent common with the Papists And according to this Form the Church of Scotland being establish'd the number of such as were of the same Opinion increased daily in England who were commonly called Presbyterians or Puritans And the Capriciousness of those who were of several Sentiments proved the more dangerous because these Nations being of a melancholy temper used to adhere stedfastly to their Opinions not to be removed from them King James being besides a great Enemy of the Puritans thought to have found out a way to suppress them in Scotland by inserting it among the Royal Prerogatives which was to be confirmed by the Parliament of Scotland That he had the Supream Power both in Spiritual and Temporal Affairs in the same manner in Scotland as in England By this means he hoped to model without any great difficulty the Church of Scotland according to that of England And tho' this Proposition was opposed by a great many in the Parliament of Scotland yet the King's party prevailed and a new Form of Church-Government was established in Scotland But the King had no sooner turned his back and was return'd into England but the common people made an Insurrection against the Bishops in Scotland who began to introduce there the Ceremonies of the Church of England § 25. Tho' King Charles I. was of a more warlike temper than his Father yet was he obliged tho' against his Will according to the Maxims of his Father to preserve Peace abroad to avoid the danger of being oblig'd to depend on the Capricious Humours of his Subjects And because he as well as his Father had a great dislike of the Power of the common people and of the Temper and Principles of the Puritans all his Thoughts were bent to find out ways how to secure himself from the danger of both And because the King could not impose any extraordinary Taxes without the consent of the Parliament Charles chose rather to controul his own Inclinations which were bent for War than to fawn upon the Parliament in hopes that its Heats which was for limiting the King's Power would by degrees diminish if it was not called together for a considerable time It is supposed that the Lord Treasurer Weston did confirm him in this Opinion who did expect to be call'd to an account by the Parliament The Parliament used anciently to provide a certain yearly Revenue for the King towards maintaining his Court and Fleet to secure the Commerce of the Kingdom which Revenue was not hereditary to the next Successour The first Parliament which was called by Charles I. had settled the Customs as part of his Revenue but when he afterwards having dissolved the same against the Opinion of the Male Contents his Revenues also began to be call'd in question it being their Opinion that nothing could so soon oblige the King to call a new Parliament as if what was necessary for his and the Courts Subsistence were withheld from him But the King however did not only receive the same Customs as his Predecessours had done but also augmented them with new Impositions to the yearly value of 800000 l. by which means the King who was firm in his Opinion was thought to have a Design to alter the ancient Constitution of the Government and to maintain himself without a Parliament which however was look'd upon as an impossibility by the generality of them For King James had left above 1200000 l. Debts which were since increased by Charles 400000 l. more which Money was expended in the Wars against France and Spain it was therefore not visible how he could extricate himself out of these Debts without the assistance of a Parliament since according to the fundamental Constitutions of the Realm he could not levy any Taxes upon the Subjects and to force them to pay any was beyond his Power having no Forces on foot but the Militia of the Kingdom And it was impossible to bring in such a Foreign Force as could be supposed to be able
also are in continual fear that as soon as they have bent their whole Force against Hungary the Persians may fall upon them on the other side or some of the Bassa's towards the East Revolt from them And a well Disciplin'd Army of Germans will scarce shrink before all the Turkish Forces and when Germany is resolv'd to stand the brunt the Turks will I believe quâ—ckly be weary of attacking it Italy is in no ways to be compared with Germany either for its strength or number of Men besides that it is divided into several States by which it is disabled to attack any Foreign State much less so Potent an Empire which being possess'd of some Passes leading into Italy might in time take an opportunity to renew its pretensions upon that Country The Switzers are very good Neighbours to Germany as having neither will nor power to attack it especially since they are destitute of good Horsemen Neither can Poland compare its strength with Germany for tho the Poles can bring a great number of Horse into the Field yet they are not to be compared with the German Horse much less their Foot to the German Infantry wherefore the Poles cannot undertake any considerable and if the Poles should enter into an Alliance with another Prince and make a diversion to the Germans by falling upon the back of them it would not be difficult for the Germans to be even with them since they are not well provided with Frontier Places or any strong Holds within the Country which are able to withstand an Enemy whereas in Germany they would meet with Places which would give them sufficient work And in such a case perhaps the Muscovites might easily be prevailed withal to fall vpon the back of them but it is not to be supposed that such a Commonwealth as this will easily attempt an offensive War against its Neighbours yet it is of great consequence to Germany that Poland may not be brought under subjection to the Turks or any other Power And these two Nations are able to do one another considerable Services if they would with their Joint-Forces attack the Turks Denmark has no pretensions upon Germany and the best Land-Forces of the Danes being Listed in Germany their Army may be Ruin'd only by the Emperours recalling the Germans out of that Service if they should attempt any thing against the Empire Neither do I believe that Germany but especially the Circles of the Higher and Lower Saxony will be so careless of their own Interest as to let Denmark become master of Hamborough and Lubeck England cannot do any harm to Germany except by disturbing the Trade of Hamburgh tho it seems to be the Interest of the English rather to enjoy the benefit of their Free Trade there On the other hand the Germans may do a service to the English against the Hollanders by Land whilst these are engag'd with them in a War at Sea Holland has neither power nor inclination to attack Germany For if the Germans should be recall'd out of the Service of the Dutch their Land-Forces would make but a very indifferent show Neither can they reap any benefit by making new Conquests but it seems rather to be for their purpose to keep fair with the Germans that in case of a War with their Neighbours they may make use of their assistance Spain cannot pretend to do any considerable mischief to Germany if the Head and Members are well united but if it should joyn with the Head against the Members it may prove mischievous especially by the assistance of their Money but in such a case there would questionless not be wanting some that would oppose its designs Swedeland alone is not so powerful as to be in any ways formidable to Germany neither is this Kingdom for making any more Conquests on that side since thereby it would lose more of its own strength than it can gain by them but on the other hand it is of great Consequence to Sweden that the state of Religion and of the Government remain in the same condition as it was setled in the Westphalian Peace neithat Germany be subjected or ruled by any absolute Power France has of late made itself so Powerful that this Kingdom alone may do more mischief to the Germans than any of the rest of their Neighbours France in consideration of its Form of Government has a considerable advantage over Germany for the King there has all the best Men and the Purses of his Subjects at command and employs them as he thinks fit But however such is the strength of Germany that if well united it need not much dread France for Germany is capable of raising as numerous if not more numerous Armies than France and may as easily recruit them Besides this the German Souldiers every thing duly consider'd will scarce turn their backs to the French There might also be a way found out for Germany to keep always a sufficient Army on foot against France at least it is not easily to be suppos'd that if France should attack Germany in good earnest all the rest of Europe would be lookers on but if Germany be divided within it self so that either one Party should join with France whilst some others stand Neuters till France has devour'd some of the Neighbouring States then nothing but fatal Consequences can attend it CHAP. IX Of DENMARK § 1. DENMARK is one of the most antient Kingdoms in Europe which was Established a great many years before the Birth of our Saviour but for want of good Histories it cannot be precisely determin'd at what time it had its beginning nor how long each of its antient Kings Reign'd or what were there great Deeds We will not therefore detain the Reader by inserting here there bare Names but only to touch upon such matters as are with some certainty transmitted to Posterity Among the most antient Kings Frotho III. is most famous who 't is said did Reign just before the Birth of Christ and was a most Potent Monarch who Rul'd over Denmark Sweden Norway England Ireland and other Neighbouring States The Borders of his Territories were on the East-side Russia and on the West-side the Rhine 'T is also related that he Conquer'd the Vandals which lived then in these Countries that now are call'd Pomerania and Mecklenburgh and that he was the first King that stiled himself King of the Vandals Gotrick 't is said did assist Wittekind the King of the Saxons against Charles the Great Erick is commonly reckon'd to have been the first Christian King of Denmark tho some pretend that his Brother Herald who Reign'd before him was the first Under this Kings Reign the Christian Religion was propagated in Denmark by the help of Ansgarius then Bishop of Bremen which afterwards King Gormo II. endeavouring to root out again was forc'd by the Emperour Henry sumamed the Bird Ketcher to grant the free
to have been opposed by any human Power Neither is it reasonable that because the Magistrates were careless both of their Duty and their own Salvation the rest also who had knowledge of the true Religion should lose the benefit of their Salvation against which no Civil Power ought to extend its Jurisdiction And as it is allowable for every body to defend himself with his own Strength and Weapons if Magistrates either can or will not protect him so if a Sovereign will not do his Office as to the preservation of my Soul I have as much more right to take care of it without him as the Soul is dearer to me than the Body and as by the exercise of the True Religion my Fellow Subjects are less endangered than by a violent defense of my own person for no body by becoming a Subject in a Civil Society does thereby renounce the priviledge of taking care for his Soul and Body Otherwise no doubt is to be made that if it had been the Will of God to introduce the Christian Religion by the Conversion of the Emperours and Kings these would with their Commands have assisted the Apostles in their Office thrown down the Temples of the Idols abolished the Pagan Idolatry and would according to the instruction of the Apostles have Constituted the outward Church Government and maintained it afterwards For it is evident enough that this has been the manner of proceeding as to this point in other Countries where the Christian Religion has been first introduced into the State by the authority of their Sovereigns § 11. Nevertheless because the first Christians were obliged when the Magistrates failed in their Duty to regulate and Constitute a Church Government among themselves this has occasioned the rise of several Errors which are of no small consequence For some have from thence endeavoured to make this inference that the people as they stand in opposition to Sovereignty has an original and inherent Right to Elect Church Ministers T is true a Minister ought not to be obtruded upon an Assembly against their will especially if they have a lawful exception against him because he would edifie but little in his Station nevertheless it is not from hence to be concluded that because some Assemblies have been obliged to provide themselves with Ministers when the Magistrates did neglect their Duty therefore the same Right is ever since Originally in the People For without this supposition an Assembly has as little right to call and Constitute a Church Minister as to dispose of Publick Offices and Employments in the State And if in some places the Common People or some others have such a Right it is enjoyed either by connivance or a concession from the Supreme Magistrate whom we suppose to be a Christian and Orthodox Some also have been endeavouring to draw from thence this Conclusion viz. That the outward Church Government is separate and distinct from the Supreme Civil Power and that it ought to be administred either by the whole Clergy or else to depend absolutely on one single person of the Clergy so that according to this supposition there must be in each Christian State two distinct Bodies independent of one another one of which must be called the Ecclesiastick Ecclesia the other the Politick State Civitas and each of them to be Sovereign in its Government But tho this has been made use of sometimes when Magistrates were quite negligent of their Duty this ought not to be drawn into Consequence when Magistrates are ready duely to execute their Office Neither does it follow that the same power which belonged to the Apostles at that time when the Church was first to be Established is now devolved to such Church Ministers as have not an immediate Vocation from God in the Established Church For the Office of the Apostles was particular and very different from the Church Ministry as it is exercised now adays in like manner as the outward Church Government is very different from the Ministry And as every lawful Church Minister is therefore not immediately an Apostle so the King is therefore not immediately a Priest And tho the Christian Religion ows its Original to God and is above human reason nevertheless the Supreme Magistrate may be capable of having the outward direction over it with the assistance of such persons as are best versed in such Affairs And from what has been said this Conclusion may be made viz. That the practice of the Primitive Church as to this Point of the outward Church Government is not to be made a perpetual and universal Rule of the Church Government in a State which is under the Jurisdiction of a Christian and Orthodox Magistrate For that practice was accommodated to the Circumstances of their Affairs then But where both the whole People and the Sovereign have received the Christian Religion the case is quite different and implies not any necessity that the State should thereby become a Body with two Heads § 12. After Constantine the Great had embraced the Christian Faith the Church began to get another Face the Sovereign being then fitly qualified to take upon him the outward Church Government Nevertheless the said outward Church Government could not be so immediately and regularly ordered as if from the first beginning the Sovereigns had received the Christian Religion For there were a great many remnants left of the former provisional Church Government which afterwards occasioned great abuses in the Western or Latin Church For it was scarce possible for these Emperours who passed then but for Novices in the Christian Religion to make use at first of their Power in Ecclesiastical Matters and to bridle the Authority of the Bishops and Clergy that were very backward to part with it They were rather obliged to keep fair with them and to make use of their assistance to Establish themselves in the Throne since most of their Subjects being then become Christians paid a profound Veneration to their Priests The first Christian Emperors also made use of several Ministers and Officers in their Courts who were as yet Pagans wherefore it seem'd not just that Matters concerning the outward Church Government should be determined by a Council whereof some Members were Heathens This was the reason why the Vocation of Bishops and other Ecclesiasticks was performed for the most part according to the Customs introduced before And not only such Controversies as arose concerning certain Articles of Faith but also of such as had a relation to the outward Order and Government of the Church and all other differences of moment among the Clergy of the higher Rank were brought before the Councils or the Assemblies of the Clergy where these did pretend alone to have the right to Preside and to give their Votes Tho it is certain that not only the right of calling them together belongs to the Sovereigns who also for a considerable time have exercised that power but also the
the mean while to have found out an expedient to appease Luther And Cardinal Cajetan did in the year 1519. act a very imprudent Part at Augsburgh when he dealt so very rudely with Luther and refused to accept of his Proposal viz. that he would be silent provided his Adversaries would do the same For by this refusal made to so resolute a Man whom he would have obliged to make a Recantation he forced him to do his utmost and to fall directly upon the Pope himself It would have been no difficult matter to have granted him that some corrupted Manners were crept into the Church to keep him from meddling with the Reformation of the Doctrines But on the contrary the Pope making continual instances at the Elector of Saxony's Court to have Luther delivered up to him Luther was thereby obliged to show the unreasonableness of the Pope and to demonstrate that his own Doctrine was built upon a very solid and good Foundation And the Pope rendred his Cause very suspicious that he when Luther appeal'd to a Council did by making a great many evasions protract to call one From hence it was evident that he did not trust much to the goodness of his Cause if it were to be debated before impartial Judges It was also an unlucky hit for the Pope when he fell out with Henry VIII who to spite the Pope did open the Door for the Protestant Religion to be settled in England Likewise did those of the House of Navarre propagate and protect the Protestant Religion in France out of a hatred as some say against the Pope who had shown the way to Ferdinand the Catholick into that Kingdom Besides this there were abundance of good Men of the Roman Catholick Religion who were glad to see that Luther did wash the scabby Heads of the Monks with so strong a Lye as he did So that every thing seemed to concur to promote the Decree of God Almighty § 27. But why the Doctrine of Luther was not spread farther and the Ecclesiastical Monarchy was not quite overturned several Reasons may be alledged First it is to be considered that in those States where Luther's Doctrine was received the Supreme Direction in Ecclesiastical Affairs became necessarily to be devolved on the Civil Magistrates For if any one of these States would have pretended to this Direction over the others of the same Communion these who would have thought themselves no less capable would never have acknowledged the same Which did not a little weaken their Union and Strength and was the main occasion that they could not act so unanimously and vigorously against the Pope as he against them It is also to be considered that this Reformation was not undertaken after mature deliberation and as it were on purpose to form or set up a new State but this great Revolution happened upon a sudden and unexpectedly so that the whole Work was carried on as occasion offer'd and by degrees And tho Luther was the first that gave the Alarm yet the rest did not think themselves obliged to follow precisely his Opinion but were also ambitious of having contributed something towards the Reformation This occasioned Disputes among themselves and because no body had an Authority among them to decide these Controversies each Party persisted obstinately in their Opinion from whence arose such a Schism that they became neglectful of the Common Enemy and fell upon one another This furnished the Popish Party with a very probable Argument who cry'd out aloud the Hereticks were faln into Confusion among themselves as not knowing what to believe and since they had left the Church of Rome they were brought into an endless Labyrinth There were also a great many of the Protestants who under pretext of the Gospel did lead an impious and scandalous life as if by the Liberty of the Gospel they had obtained a License to abandon themselves to all sorts of Vices This gave also occasion to the Papists to defame the Doctrine of Luther especially since he had with great severity reproved the licenciousness of the Clergy and had been generally applauded for it It also proved very mischievous to Luther's Doctrine that immediately after whole swarms of Fanaticks Anabaptists and the like appear'd in the World and that the Boors in Germany run as it were mad and made a most dangerous Insurrection When some Princes took this Point into Consideration the Doctrine of Luther began to become suspicious to them as if thereby the licenciousness of the Common People was Taught and Authorised which they looking upon as a greater Evil than what oppression they were likely to suffer from the Clergy did with all their Power oppose the Doctrine of Luther There are some who will have it that the University of Paris also had a share in this For Luther having persuaded himself that this University was dissatisfied at Leo X. because he had abolished the Pragmatick Sanction concerning the Elections of Bishops and that therefore the Members thereof would be glad of an opportunity to revenge themselves he submitted his Disputation with Eckius to their Judgment but these gave their Judgment against him and that in very hard words The Kings of Spain also did afterwards consider that it was for their purpose to take upon them the protection of the Roman Chair wherefore they opposed the Protestant Doctrine with all their might and so powerfully assisted the League in France that Henry IV. if he would maintain his Crown was obliged to leave the Protestant Religion Some also have observed that when Zwinglius and afterwards Calvin began all upon a sudden to introduce too great a Reformation not only as to the inferiour but also the Essential parts of the Church and thereby fell from one extreme to another this proved a main obstacle to the increase of the Protestant Religion For Luther had hitherto made very little alteration in outward Matters He had left in the Churches the Ornaments Clocks Organs Candles and such like he had retained the greatest part of the Mass but had added some Prayers in the Native Tongue so that he was looked upon by most as a Reformer of the Abuses only But when it seem'd that this Revolution was likely to become Universal Zwinglius appear'd in Switzerland as did Calvin afterwards in France these instead of following the footsteps of Luther began to Preach against the Presence of the Body of Christ in the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper abolish'd all sorts of Ceremonies and Ornaments destroyed all Reliques broke the Altars and Images abolish'd all order of the Hierarchy and despoiled Religion of all such things as did most affect the Eyes and exteriour Senses of the People This caused an aversion and animosity in the Common People against them and increased its Zeal for that Religion which it had received from its Ancestors The Riches of the Church did partly promote Luther's Doctrine a great many having thereby taken
an opportunity to possess themselves of of these ample Revenues nevertheless the same kept a great many Prelates under the obedience of the Roman Chair who if they had not been afraid of losing their Rich Benefices would not have been so backward to side with Luther's Party This was manifestly to be seen in France where both the Prelates and Common People had made no great account of the Popes Authority before the Reformation but when they saw that those of the Reformed Religion were for breaking into their Quarters they agreed better afterwards with the Court of Rome and the Commonalty was very Zealous against the Reformed Religion § 28. But besides this the Pope as soon as his adherents had recovered themselves from their first consternation and his Enemies were faln out among themselves has since settled his Affairs in such a manner that the Protestants in all likelyhood will not only not be able to hurt him for the future but he also by degrees gets ground of them For those things wherewith Luther did upbraid them and did the most mischief to them they have either quite abolish'd or at least they are transacted in a more decent manner Si non castè tamen cautè They have also made use of the same Weapons wherewith Luther did attack them For the Popes now a days do not insult with so much haughtiness over Princes but treat them with more Civility and Lenity It is true in the last Age Paul IV. behaved himself very impudently towards Spain and in our Age Paul V. did the same with Venice But by the mediation of wiser Heads these Differences were Composed before they could draw after them any further ill Consequences and the Popes ever since have been sufficiently convinced that these hot-headed proceedings are in no ways suitable to their present condition For Paul V. did quickly give fair words when the French Ambassadour made him believe that the Venetians had sent for some Ministers from Geneva to be instructed in the Principles of the Reformed Religion Neither have of late years sate such Debauchees in the Papal Chair as Alexander VI. or such Martial Popes as Julius II. was but of late they have endeavoured to carry on their Intreagues under hand whilst they in outward appearance pretend to be the Promoters and Mediatours of Peace That most scandalous Trade of Indulgences and that gross sort of Simony they have set aside whilst they make it their business to cajole the People out of their mony in a more handsome manner The Bishops are now of another Stamp and carry it on with much more gravity than before the times of Luther nay there are now among the Prelats eccellent and well qualified Men. The Ordinary Priests and Monks also have been much Reformed in their Manners and been obliged to lay aside their former brutish Ignorance Luther And his adherents did at first gain mightily upon the People by their most excellent and learned Sermons and by their Books which they publish'd thereby to excite the People to Piety Prayers godly Meditations and Exercises Both which the Papists have imitated since for among them now adays are to be found most excellent Preachers and very good Prayer-Books so that the Protestant Clergy has now not much to object against them as to their ability or outward behaviour They have also got a very good insight into all the Controverted Points and have a dosen or more Distinctions at hand against any Objection For example whereas nothing seems more ridiculous than that the Pope should grant his Indulgences for twenty or thirty thousands years to come they know how to give this a fine colour by these Distinctions of Intensive and Extensive Potentialiter and Actualiter which relish strangely with young Students and the ignorant suppose them to be terms full of Mysteries And because the Ignorance of the Clergy and the hatred conceived against Learning and learned Men had proved very prejudicial to the Popish Monarchy the Popish Clergy and especially the Jesuits have since altered their Course and having taken upon them the Education of Youth have pretended to the Monopoly of Learning among the Roman Catholicks so that since that time Learning has not only not been prejudicial but very profitable to them Lastly they now adays do not make use of Fire and Sword to propagate the Roman Catholick Religion but the chief Men among the Protestants are inticed to come over to their Party with fair Words great Promises and actual Recompenses If any one who is well qualified will go over to their Party he may be sure to make his Fortune since the Wealth of their Church furnishes them with sufficient Means to maintain such a Person tho his Merits were not extraordinary Whereas on the contrary if any one goes over from them to the Protestants Religion and either has not wherewithal to live or else is endowed with extraordinary qualifications he must expect nothing but want Last of all those of the House of Austria have greatly promoted the Popish Interest when they drove the Protestants out of the Hereditary Countries in Germany out of the Kingdom of Bohemia and the Countries belonging thereunto and lately have done the same to the Protestants in Hungary except to a very few or else have forced them to profess themselves Roman Catholicks § 29. From what has been said it may easily be understood in what manner this Ecclesiastical Sovereignty has extended her Power over the Western parts of Christendom But throughly to understand the whole Structure and Composure of this Engine and by what means it is sustained it will not be improper to consider the Pope in two different ways first as a Prince in Italy and secondly as the spiritual Monarch over the Western Church As to the first it is to be observed that the Pope may be reckoned a Potent Prince in Italy but is in no ways to be Compared with the other Princes in Europe The Countries under his Jurisdiction are the City of Rome with her Territories situated on both sides of the River Tyber the Dukedom of Benevento in the Kingdom of Naples the Dukedoms of Spoleto Vrbino and Ferrara the Marquisate of Ancona several places in Tuscany Romaniola or Flaminia where are situated Bologna and Ravenna In France the Country of Avignon belongs to him Parma is a Fief of the Church which Paul III. granted to his Son Lewis Farnese But since that time a Constitution has been made that it shall not be in the power of any Pope to Alienate any Fief or to grant any of the Countries belonging to the Church in Fief to any person whatsoever to prevent the ruin of the Ecclesiastick State and that in case the Revenues from abroad should fail the Pope nevertheless might not want means to maintain himself and his Court. The Kingdom of Naples is also a Fief of the Church in acknowledgment of which the King of Spain every
unwilling to ruin their Fortunes by going over to the Protestant side where they are not likely to meet with so plentiful a share These Temptations are not easily to be resisted wherefore they think it sufficient for the obtaining of Salvation if they believe in Jesus Christ and trust upon his Merits but for the rest think it of no great consequence if in some matters which are the inventions of Priests they by conforming themselves play the Hypocrite and believe as much concerning them as is suitable with their Opinions They suppose it to be of no great consequence that perhaps the Female Sex and the vulgar sort of People that are always fond of extravagancies do believe these things in good earnest There are also questionless not a few who not having sufficient Capacity to distinguish betwixt such Points in Religion as are commanded by God and betwixt such as are invented by the Clergy for private Ends and perhaps coming afterwards to the knowledge of some of these deceits they take all the rest for fabulous Inventions only covering their Atheistical Principles with an outward decent behaviour to save themselves the trouble of being questioned and disturbed Every Man of Sense may without difficulty imagine how easily a sensible Italian or Spaniard that never has read the Bible or any other Protestant Book may fall into this Errour if he once has had an opportunity to take notice of the Intrigues of the Clergy tho' it is certain that since the Reformation of Luther the Church of Rome has changed her Habit and her Garment appears far more decent than before But besides this there are a great many Persons of Quality as well as of a meaner Condition who make their advantage of the Romish Religion where they have an opportunity to provide for their Friends by putting them either into some Order or other of Knighthood or into that of Monks or other Ecclesiasticks by which means a great many Families are eased of a great Charge and sometimes are raised by it At least the superstitious Parents are well satisfied when they see their Children are become such Saints And those that cannot make their Fortunes otherwise run into a Monastery where they are sure to be provided for All these conveniences would be taken away if the Popish Monarchy should fall and the Church Revenues were applyed to the use of the State The Popish Doctrine also has got so firm footing in those Countries where it now rides triumphant that if any of their Princes should endeavour to root it out he would find it a very difficult Task since the Priests would be for raising Heaven and Earth against him and not stick to find out another James Clement or Ravilliac for their purpose Besides this most of those Princes are tied by a Political Interest to the Church of Rome and by introducing a Reformation cannot propose any advantage to themselves but rather cannot but fear very dangerous Divisions and Innovations § 38. Italy by its particular Interest is obliged to support the Popish Monarchy it being much to the advantage of this Country that the Pope resides among them especially since now a-days no other but Italians do attain to this Dignity so that there is scarce a great Family in Italy but some of their Friends have some dependence on the Roman Chair Because the Bishops and Prebendaries in Poland are always chosen out of the Nobility the Noblemen who have the chief sway of Affairs in that Kingdom are tied to the Popish Interest and the Bishops who are there also Senators of the Kingdom have a great influence in all the Transactions of any moment The Clergy is very Potent in Portugal and in case of any Innovation would be assisted by the Spaniards this was the reason why the Portugueses of late years have been fain to comply with the Pope notwithstanding that the Pope to curry favour with Spain did not many years ago treat them so ill in the matter of Collation of Bishopricks which else might have served them for a fair Pretence to withdraw themselves from the Obedience of the Roman Chair Some of the Estates of Germany are to this day adhering to the Popish Interest among the Imperial Cities that of Cullen is the Chiefest which City is over-run with Ecclesiasticks Besides this there are abundance of Counts and others of the Nobility that hitherto have not thought fit by turning Protestants to exclude themselves from Ecclesiastical Dignities and Benefices Among the Temporal Princes the Elector of Bavaria has stuck close to the Romish Religion because the House of Bavaria has always had a great Appetite to the Imperial Crown which hope it must lay aside if it should leave the Popish Religion What has induced some Protestant Princes to return to the Romish Communion is sufficiently known Neither is it much to be admired at that the present Bishops and Prelates stand firm to the Popish Interest in Germany since they find it more advantageous to be great Princes than poor Preachers Besides this they have been deterr'd from undertaking any Reformation by the Example of two Electors of Collen which they in the last Age did begin with a very unfortunate Success in their Dominions After Charles V. being influenced by the Spanish Counsels did let slip the Opportunity of setling the Protestant Religion throughout the Empire the Emperours have ever since that time for reasons of State not been able to disentangle themselves from the Popish Sovereignty if they had been never so willing For as the case now stands the Ecclesiastical Princes of the Empire are tied to the Emperour's Interest from whom they hope for Assistance against the Secular Princes in case of necessity But if the Emperour should abandon the Church of Rome the whole Clergy would be against him and he could not promise himself any certain Assistance from the Secular Princes especially since some of the most ancient Houses of those Princes that now have laid aside the hope of attaining the Imperial Crown by reason of difference in Religion would then pretend to have the same right to that Dignity with the House of Austria The Pope also upon such an occasion would not cease to stir up Heaven and Earth against him and the King of France would not let slip this Opportunity but would with all his might endevour to obtain the Imperial Dignity in which design he perhap◠might meet with encouragement from the Clergy The Spaniards pretend to be the greatest zealots of the Romish Religion because they stand in need of the Pope's Favour to assist them in the preservation of the Kingdom of Naples and the State of Milan and they commonly use to lay their Designs under the cover of preserving and maintaining the Roman Catholick Religion wherein however they have for the most part miscarried not to mention here that the Clergy is very Potent in Spain and that the common People thro' the false
Assistance who having taken some Ships loaden with Amunition belonging to the Regent and in vain endeavoured to relieve the besieged Castle the War was begun on both sides For the Archbishop having been forced to surrender the Castle and his Office Pope Leo thereupon excommunicated the Regent laying a Fine of 100000 Ducats upon the Swedes and enjoyning the execution thereof to King Christian Pursuant to this Decree the King of Denmark fell with a great Army into Sweden and was met by the Regent and his Forces in West-Gothland but the Regent having received a Wound there of which he died soon after at Strengness his Army first retreated and being deprived of a Leader afterwards dispersed King Christian then having divided his Army sent one part into West and East-Gothland which were soon subdued and marched with the rest to Strengness The Archbishop taking hold of this opportunity reassumed his Archi-Episcopal Dignity and being assisted by two other Bishops and seven of the Senators of the Kingdom did declare Christian King of Sweden in the name of the Estates at Vpsal The King having been Crowned by the Archbishop Trolle and received the City of Stockhâ—lm by surrender into his hands treated the Swedes at 〈◊〉 with abundance of humanity but soon after found out a Weapon wherewith to destroy his Adversaries and this was the business concerning the degradation of the Archbishop and the ruining of his Castle of Stecka For tho' the King by an Amnestie had pardoned all past Offences yet no satisfaction having been given to the Pope the Archbishop in his Name demanded a million pounds of Silver in reparation of the damages done to the Church at Vpsal and his Castle of Stecka And to make up the matter it was pretended that Gunpowder had been conveyed into the King's Palace to blow him up Steen Sture's Widow his Mother in Law fifteen others besides the Senare and Commonalty of Stockholm were accused as Actors and Abettors who were all condemned as Hereticks ninety four of them all People of Note being beheaded at Stockholm and their Servants hanged up with Boots and Spurs The deceased Regent's body having been digged up was exposed among the rest of the executed Persons and the Quarters set up and down the Country His Widow and Mother in Law were forced to purchase their Lives with the loss of their whole Estate and were nevertheless with a great many other Women of Quality committed to Prison In Finland Hemoning Gudde notwithstanding his former Services done to him was with ten more executed by the King's Command the Abbot of the Convent at Nydala was with eleven Monks drowned by his Orders and two Gentlemen's Sons one of nine the other of seven years beheaded at Joncoping and after he had in this manner murthered 600 of his Swedish Subjects he returned into Denmark § 9. But in the mean while that King Christian was busied in bringing the Swedes under the Danish yoke by all manner of inhumane Barbarities Gustavus Erichson whose Father had been beheaded by the Tyrant and his Mother thrown in Prison had sheltered himself among the Dalekâ—rls who being made sensible of the danger which threatened them and the whole Kingdom had made Gustave their Head whose example being followed by the Estates of Sweden they soon after declared him Regent of that Kingdom except the Archbishop and his Party that remained firm to the Danish Interest King Christian being violently exasperated at Gustave revenged himself upon his Mother and two Sisters whom he sent from Stokholm to Copenhagen where they perished in Prison he issued also out an Order that no quarter should be given to any Swedish Nobleman and committed great Barbarities wherever he came The Swedes on the other hand under the Conduct of their Regent Gustave repaid the Danes with the same Coin wherever they met them and with the Assistance of the Lubeckers besieged Stockholm which was as yet in King Christian's Possession when they received the joyful news out of Denmark that the Jutlanders had renounced their Allegiance to King Christian This so encouraged Gustave and his Party that they did not only drive King Christian's Forces out of most Provinces of the Kingdom retook Ocland and Borkholm but also recovered the Castle and City of Calmar and made Gustave King of Sweden who thereupon immediately summoned Stockholm to a surrender and the Garrison being without hopes of relief surrendred the City and Castle to the Lubeckers who restored the same to King Gustave In the mean while King Christian was retired with his Queen into the Netherlands and the Jutlanders having made Frederick I. King Christian's Uncle their King would fain have perswaded the Swedes to follow their example but these being not ambitious of continuing the Union with Denmark had refused their proffer and chosen Gustave their King But King Gustave finding the Treasury mightily exhausted by these long intestine Wars he not only taxed the Clergy to pay considerable Sums towards the payment of his Souldiers but also made bold with the superfluous Ornaments of the Churches against which Brask the Bishop of Lincoping having protested and made complaint thereof to Johannes Magnus the Pope's Legate Peter Bishop of Westeraas endeavoured to raise an Insurrection among the Dalekerls But whilest these Bishops were employed in maintaining their Privileges the Protestant Religion had begun to spread all over the Kingdom The same was by some Merchants and German Souldiers first introduced into Sweden and some Swedish Students that had studied at Wittenbergh had brought along with them into their Native Country both the Doctrine and Writings of Luther Among these one Olaus Petri was the chiefest who having been an Auditor of Luther at his return into Sweden was made a Canon and Protonotary to the Bishops of Strenguess this Man after the death of the Bishop having brought Lars Anderson the Archdeacon over to his Opinion began not only to defend Luther's Doctrine publickly in the Schools but also to publish the same from the Pulpit The Bishop being absent Dr. Nils Dean of that Chapter with all his might opposed this new Doctrine which being come to the King's Ears he advised with Lars Anderson who having instructed him in the chief Points of it and in what manner a great many German Princes had taken away the superfluous riches of the Clergy began to hearken to his Opinion resolving nevertheless to go on cautiously in this business and to see how some Princes in Germany should proceed in this Affair as also how the Bishops in Sweden would relish this Doctrine In the mean while Pope Hadrian IV. had sent his Legate into Sweden to endeavour the extirpation of this Heresie and the Clergy of Sweden grew every day more refractory refusing to pay the Taxes imposed upon them as being contrary to their Privileges On the other hand Olaus Petri being encouraged by the King was not silent but defended his Cause both by Dispute and Writing with such
Success that the King not only constituted him Minister in the great Church of Stockholm and put into other vacant Church-Benefices such Ministers as had studied at Wittenbergh but also constituted over the Dominicans and Black Fryars such Priors as he knew to be faithful to him and such of them as were Foreigners he banished the Kingdom and told unfeignedly to Bishop Brask that he could not deny Protection to the Lutherans as long as they were not convinced of any Crime or Errour But all this while one Soren Norby who still adhered to King Christian had Gothland in his Possession and did considerable damage to the Swedes in their Trade against him King Gustavus having sent Bernhard van Melan with some Forces to reduce the said Island and Norby finding himself too weak put himself and the Island under the Protection of Denmark which occasiaoned some differences between these two Northern Kings who had been very good Friends ever before About this time Olaus Petri was publickly married in the great Church at Stockholm and the King had not only demanded the Tenths of the Clergy towards the maintenance of his Forces but also Quartered some of his Horse in the Monasteries which so incensed Bishop Brask that he forbid in his whole Diocess so much as to name the Doctrine of Luther But the King having understood that Olaus Petri was busie in Translating the New Testament into the Swedish Tongue commanded the Archbishop to take care that the Roman Catholicks also should make a Translation which though it â—elished very ill with the Bishops yet were they fain to comply with the King's command who to mortifie them the more also ordered a Disputation to be held at Vpsal betwixt Dr. Pieter Galle and Olaus Petri concerning the chiefest Points in question betwixt the Roman Catholicks and Lutherans where Olaus Petri had much the better and his Translation was approved of before the others which had been patched up by so many Translators In the mean time the Danish Clergy had given a considerable Subsidy to their King to be employed against King Christian wherefore King Gustave taking hold of this opportunity demanded a considerable supply from the Swedish Clergy but these objecting that it was against their Privileges and Rights the King ordered the same to be examined in another Dispute betwixt Olaus Petri and Dr. Pieter Galle and because they were not able to prove their Title out of the Holy Scripture the King concluded them to be dependent on his pleasure and at the Dyet held at Westeraos not only demanded a supply from the Clergy but also proposed that the superfluous Bells should be taken out of the Churches and be employed towards the payment of the Debt due to the Lubeckers And because the Archbishop grew more troublesome every day the King first took him into Custody and afterwards sent him Ambassadour into Poland from whence he never returned into Sweden He also commanded another Disputation to be held concerning the chief Points in question betwixt the Lutherans and Roman Catholicks which however met with great opposition from Bishop Brask and the rest of the Roman Catholick Clergy who set up a Country Fellow against Gustave This Fellow pretended to be the Son of Steen Sture notwithstanding he was dead a twelve month before and having got a party among the Dalekerls and being upheld by Bishop Brask and the Bishop of Druntheim in Norway and encouraged in his undertaking by King Frederick of Denmark laid open claim to the Crown threatning all the Lutherans and especially the City of Stockholm with Fire and Sword which was the most forward in settling the Protestant Religion About the same time the Emperour had besieged Pope Clement VII in the Castle of St. Angelo wherefore King Gustave taking hold of this Juncture appointed a Dyet to be held at Westeraos where in his Declaration he professed that the Roman Catholick Clergy had made it their business to charge him with making Innovation in Religion for no other reason but that he would not let them domineer over the Laymen and had forced them to submit to the Civil Power and to give part of their superfluous Riches some of which they had got by fraud towards easing the Common People of those burthensome Taxes which he hitherto had been forced to impose upon them And that for the same Reason the Emperour himself had been forced lately to teach the Pope his duty The same thing was proposed by the King to the whole Dyet where he told them that the superfluous Revenues of the Clergy ought to be annexed to the Crown and especially such Lands as since the year 1454 had been given to the Clergy should be restored to the right Heirs promising withal that the Common People should be for the future eased of their Taxes in case they would give their consent to the reduction of the Revenues of the Clergy And the better to get the consent of the Temporal Lords and Senators he made a great Banquet where he gave the next place to himself to these Senators whereas the same had belonged formerly to the Bishops who now were forced to be contented with the next place after them the third place was given to the rest of the Nobility the fourth to the inferiour Clergy the fifth to the Citizens the sixth to the Boors which so exasperated the Clergy that they assembled in the Church of St. Egidius and secretly took a resolution among themselves not to obey the King in this Point not to surrender any of their Revenues or to recede from their antient Religion And Bishop Brask freely told the King that the Clergy of the Kingdom had such a strict dependency on the Pope that without his consent they could not do any thing whatsoever Which as it met with great approbation from all the rest of the Clergy and from some of the Temporal Estates so the King was so incensed thereat that he immediately rose from his Seat and told the Estates that he was ready to Abdicate the Kingdom if they would repay him his Charges and Monies which he had laid out for that use and to show them that he was in earnest retired for several days with some of his chief Officers into the Castle The Estates being much surprised at the King's resolution especially when they saw the Citizens of Stockholm to be stedfast to the King and that Dr. Peter Galle was worsted by Olaus Petri in a late Disputation thought it their best way to beg the King's pardon and to intreat him not to resign the Crown Upon their reiterated request the King having been at last prevailed upon to come out of the Castle demanded from several Bishops to surrender into his hands their Castles and to subscribe a Decree made at this Dyet concerning the regulating of the Clergy which they were fain to comply withal As soon as the Dyet was ended he took not only from the Monasteries such Lands as
first Church The Calumnies against the Primitive Christians The Politick Reasons of the Romans against it The first Church Government What persuasions arise thence Constantine could not quite alter the former State of the Church Of making Bishops Of Presiding in Councils Abuses in the Councilâ— Of the Episcopal Jurisdiction Concerning Marriages Concerning Excommunication The Origin of the Authority of the Popes Barbarity and Ignorance contributed to it The Causes of this ignorance S. Hierom's Dream The Pedantry introduced into the Schools The Greek and Roman Polititians prejudicial to Monarchy Why Rome was made the place of Residence of the Ecclesiastical Monarchy Metropolitans Patriarchs Of the Popes Power Further Increase of the Ecclesiastical Sovereignty What contributed to it The Popes Confirmation of Bishops Of the Monk Winifred Annals Riches of the Church The Policies of the Popes in the Croisade Multitude of Ecclesiasticks Fryars and Nuâ—â— Mendicants The Motives to embrace this manner of Life Prejudicial to the regular Clergy How the Church was freed from all Power over it How the Popes withdrew themselves from their subjction to the Emperours The Pope seeks for Protection in France The Pope withdraws himself from the Obedience of the Emperours and establishes an Ecclesiastical Sovereignty Pope Gregory excommunicates Hen IV. The Pope endeavours to subject the Emperour 1122. Disputes in England about the investiture of Bâ—shops 1107. The Pope prâ—tends to a Power over Princes even to depose them How they colour over this Power The Papal Authority opposed The Schisms much weakned their Power 1433. Hence an occasion taken to bridle the Popes Power by general Councils Concerning the Seat of the Popes being transferred to Avignon Luther gives a great blow to the Grandeur of the Pope The Vertues and Faults of Leo. Luther opposes Indulgences Afterwards the Popes Power The Circumstances of these times The Ignorance of Luther's Adversaries Erasmus favoured Luther The Princes of Germany dissatisfied with the Pope The ill Conduct of Leo and Cardinal Cajetan Why the Doctrine of Luther was not spread farther Divisions among the Protestants The Licenciousness of some Protestants The University of Paris Zwinglius and Calvin The Popish Sovereignty recovered The Bishops Priests and Monks more Regular and Learn'd than heretofore How they make Converts The House of Austria most Zealous for Popery The Temporal State of the Pope His Dominions His Forces How he stands with relation to Germany Spain and France Particular Constitution of the Popish Monarchy as Spiritual Why the Popish Sovereignty was to be exercised in the Form of a Monarchy Way it must be an elective Monarchy Why the Pope was to live in a State of Celibacy The Conclave What Qualifications are necessary for one that is to be chosen Pope College of the Cardinals The Popes enrich thâ—ir Kindred Cardinal Patroon Concerning the Celibacy of the Popish Clergy Their Number The Popish Doctrine suted to the Sâ—â—e As that of the Popâ—â—s Power The prohibition of the Laietya reading the Scripturea Traditions Venial and Mortal Sins Penance Merit of good Works Ceremonies Half Communion Marriage made a Sacrament Extreme Unction Purgatory Reliques Prayers to Saints The Universities have promoted the Popish Sovereignty Why the Jesuits have taken upon them the Education of the Youth Licensing of Books Excommunication and Inquisition Some Reasons why the People remain in the Communion of the Church of Rome What States are tied by a particular Interest to the Church of Rome Italy Poland Portugal Germany Spain France Formalities observed by the Nuncio ' s in France The main Pillar of the Popish Monarchy The Pope's Inâ—lination towards the Protestants No Peace is to be exspected betwixt the Roman Catholicks and Protestants Strength of the Protestants and Papists Divisions of the Protestants Other Inconveniencies The Hugonoâ—s of France to Protestants of Poland Of Germany The best way to preserve the Reformed Religion Whether the Lutherans and those of the Reformed Religion are likely to agree Socinians and Anabaptists Sweden the most antient Kingdom in Europe First Founders of the Gothick Nation Othin or Woden Frotho Battel fought near Brovalla Ingellus Bero. A. C. 829. The Christian Doctrine first taught in Sweden Amund Olaus A. C. 853. Ingo A. C. 890. Erick Erick Seghersell Stenchill the Mild. Olaus The Swedes and Gothes united in one Kingdom Amund Amund Slemme Haquin the Red. Stenchill Ingo the Pious Halstan A. C. 1086. Philip. Ingo A. C. 1138. Ragwold Knaphofde Swercher II. Erick the Holy A. C. 1154. 1160. Charles the Son of Swercher 1168. Cnut Erickson Swercher III. 1207. 1208. 1210. Erick Cnutson 1219. Erick Lespe Celibacy of Clergy introduced in Sweden 1250. Waldemar 1251. 1263. 1266. 1275. Magnus 1279. 1288. 1290. Birger II. 1292. 1298. 1303. 1305. 1308. 1317. 1319. Magnus Smocck 1357. 1361. 1363. Albert Duke of Mecklenburgh 1364. 1365. 1371. 1376. Margaret 12. Sept. 1388. The Battel of Talâ—oping 1394. 1395. Erick Duke of Pomerania Union made at Calmar betwixt Sweden Denmark and Norway 1396. 1410. 1412. Charles Cnutson 1436. 1437. Christopher Duke of Bavaria 1439. 1448. Charles Cnutson Christian I. 1458. 1464. Erick Axelson 1466. 1468. 1470. 1471. 1481. John II. 1497. 1503. 1504. 1511. Steen Sture the younger 1512. 1513. 1520. Gustavus I. 1523. Reformation begun in Sweden First Translation of the New Testament into Swedish 1527. Church Lands reduced in Sweden 1528. The Protestant Religion Established in Sweden 1533. 1542. 1544. The Kingdom of Sweden made Hereditary and the Popish Religion abolished 1556. 1559. Eriâ—k XIV 1561. The Titles of Earls and Barons introduced John III. 1568. 1571. War with the Moscovites 1577. New Liturgy introduced 1582. 1587. 1592. Sigismund 1594. 1598. 1599. 1600. Sigismund deposed 1604. Charles IX Warbetwixt the Swedes and Poles in Livonia 1611. Gustavus Adolphus 1613. Peace with the Muscovites 1617. 1617. 1620. 1626. The War carried on against the Poles in Prussia 1627. 1629. Truce with Poland German War 1626. 1623. 1630. Charles Gustave lands with his Forces in Germany 1631. Alliance made with France The City of Magdeburgh taken by the Imperialists 10 May. Battel near Leipzick 7. Sept. 1637. Battel near Lutzen Nov. 6. King Gustave Adolfe killed Christina 1633. 1634. Aug. 27. Battel of Nordlingen Truce prolonged with the Poles War betwixt the Swedes and Elector of Saxony 1637. 1638. Alliance with France 1641. May 10. 1642. Battel fought near Leipzick Oct. 23. War with Denmark 1644. 1645. Peace with Denmark 1643. July 16. Peace made at Munster and Osnabrug 1654. Jun. 6. Charles Gustave The War with Poland renewed 1656. War with Denmark 1658. Siege of Copenhagen Battel in Tuhnen 1666. Charles IX Peace made with the Poles May 3. May 23. Peace made with Denmark 1674. The Swedes routed by the Elector of Brandenburgh 1678. The nature and qualification of the Swedish Nation Condition of the Country and its Strength Neighbours of Sweden Muscovites Poles Germany Denmark France Holland England Spain and Portugal
they make Converts 423 The Popes temporal State his Dominions Forces how he stands with relation to Germany Spain and France 424 425 Popish Monarchy as spiritual its particular Constitution 426 Why it was to be exercised in the Form of a Monarchy 429 Why it must be elective 430 Why the Pope was to live in the State of Celibacy 431 Popish Doctrine suited to the State 436 Penance 439 Purgatory 441 Prayers to Saints 441 The main Pillar of the Popish Monarchy 451 The Popes Inclination towards the Protestants 452 No Peace to be expected betwixt the Roman Catholicks and Protestants 453 Strength of the Protestants and Papists 454 The Protestant Religion estabished in Sweden 495 R. ROme a Warlike City 13 It s military Institutions 15 Religion of the Romans 17 Roman Kings expelled and a new form of Government erected 19 Defects of the Roman Commonwealth 21 In Rome were two distinct Bodies 23 The Rom. Monarchy could not be of long continuance 25 Rome taken by Charles V. 49 The Romans conquer England 99 Richard I. King of England 111 His expedition into the Holy Land 111 Richard II. King of England 120 Richard III. King of England 131 Rebellion begins in England under Charles I. 157 Richlieu made chief Minist of State under Lew. III. 235 Rochelle taken from the French Huguenots 235 Rudolf Earl of Habsburgh the first Founder of the present House of Austria 292 The Reformation in Germany 297 The Roman spiritual Monarchy 368 The Romans and their politick Reason against the Primitive Christian Church 378 Rome why it was made the Place of Residence of the Ecclesiastical Monarchy 389 Reliques 441 Reformation begun in Sweden 491 S. SParta 7 Spain and its ancient State 28 Spain conquer'd by the West Goths 28 By the Saracens 30 Great Divisions in Spain 34 The Sicilian Vespers 188 39 First Beginning of the Spanish Inquisition 43 Spanish Armado destroyed 145 56 The Nature of the Spaniards 67 The Spanish West-Indies 69 It s several sorts of Inhabitants and Its Riches 71 72 Sardinia and Sicily 74 Spanish Netherlands 74 Strength and Weakness of Spain 75 Its condition in reference to its Neighbours 77 The Saxons come into Britany 100 The Saxon Heptarchy 101 The Scotch defeated by the English 119 The Scotch Covenant 154 The constitution of the Scotch Nation 165 Spain enters into the Holy League in France 226 The Slingers in France 239 The Switzers and the first original of their Commonweal 273 Their first Union 274 Their Genius 279 Their Strength and Weakness 279 League at Smalkald 298 Stephen Batori made King of Poland 342 He puts the Cosacks in good Discipline 342 Sigismund III. King of Poland 343 His Wars with the Muscovites 343 His oversight during the troubles in Muscovy 345 Siâ—â— Venial and Mortal 438 States that are tyed by a particular Interest to the Church of Rome 448 449 Sweden the most ancient Kingdom in Europe 461 The Christian Doctrine first taught in Sweden 464 Celibacy of Clergy introduced in Sweden 468 The Kingdom of Sweden made hereditary and the Popish Religion abolished 497 A new Swedish Liturgy introduced 504 Sigismund King of Poland and Sweden 506 Is deposed 510 The Nature and Qualification of the Swedish Nation 535 Their Condition Strength and Neighbours 536 537 T TRuce with Holland made by Philip III. K. of Spain 60 The Tripie Alliance 66 The Templers suppressed in France 189 Truce betwixt the Emperour Charles V. and Henry II. King of France 216 The Tartars make the first inrode into Poland 338 Theodore Ivanowitz Czar of Muscovy 362 Traditions 438 First Translation of the New Testament into Swedish 492 V. THE Union of Utrecht the Foundation of the Common-wealth of the seven United Provinces 265 They enter into a Confederacy with the English 267 Uladislaus IV. King of Poland obtains a signal Victory over the Muscovites 348 The causes of the War with the Cosacks under his Reign 348 The Universities have promoted the Popish Sovereignty 442 W. WArs betwixt France and Spain and their first rise 44 Wars betwixt Charles V. and France 47 Wars betwixt Holland and Portugal 93 William the Conqueror 104 He conquers England 184 105 Intestine Wars in France under King Francis II. 218 William Prince of Orange 256 Is murthered at Delft 267 William II. Prince of Orange 275 He makes the two de Wits Prisoners 276 They are murthered 280 William III. Prince of Orange 277 Wars betwixt the English Parliament and the Dutch 277 A second War betwixt the English and Dutch 278 Wars betwixt Charles duke of Burgundy and the Switzers 276 Wars betwixt France and the Switzers 277 The Westphalian Treaty 304 Winifred the Monk 393 Wars betwixt the Muscovites and Swedes 5â—2 War betwixt the Swedes and Poles in Livonia 511 Zwinglius and Calvin 421 An Introduction to the History of the Chief Kingdoms and States now in EUROPE CHAP. I. Of the Ancient Monarchies and more especially of the Roman out of whose Ruines arose several Kingdoms and States § 1. NO Man of Common Sense imagines that at the first Propagation of Mankind there were such Governments as are among us at this time But in those Times each Father without being Subject to any Superiour Power governed his Wife Children and Servants as a Sovereign Nay it seems very probable to me that even to the time of the Deluge there was no Magistracy or any Civil Constitution but that the Government was lodged only in each Father of his Family For it is scarce to be imagined that such abominable Disorders could have been introduced where the Power of Magistrates and Laws was exercised And it is observable that after once the Rules of Government were Constituted we do not find that Mankind in general did run into the same Enormities of which God Almighty was obliged to purge the World by an Universal Punishment though the Root of the Evil was remaining as well after as before the Deluge It seems also that for a considerable time after the Deluge this Paternal Government continued in the World § 2. But the reason why the Fathers of Families left this Separate way of living and joyned in a Mutual civil Society seems to be That among the Neighbouring Families sometimes Quarrels used to arise which being often decided by Force drew along with them very great Inconveniencies to prevent which it was thought necessary for the Preservation of Peace and Quietness among Neighbours to referr the Decision of such Matters to the Judgment of some of the wisest and most Considerable among them After the increase of Mankind it was also easily to be observed how difficult it would prove for a Single Family to defend it self against the Joint Conspiracy of a malicious Party to Oppose which the Neighbours living so near as to be able to assist one another in case of Necessity did enter into a Society Mutually to defend themselves against their Common Enemies That they might do this with the better Success the
the Spaniards because they have thereby a convenient Correspondence with the House of Austria As long as Burgundy and the Netherlands were united they might be compared to a Kingdom but now Burgundy is lost the seven united Provinces have separated themselves from the rest of the Netherlands and France has conquered a great part of the remainder And tho' in the Spanish Netherlands there are very fair and strong Cities left yet nevertheless it seems that the greatest benefit which Spain receives from them amounts to this That by them the French Arms are diverted from the other Spanish Territories that they commonly draw the Seat of War thither and serve to take off the edge of the French Fury In the East Indies the Philippine Islands belong to the Spaniards whose Capital City being Manilla was taken by them in the Year 1565 but these Islands are so inconsiderable that it has been often under debate whether it were not most convenient to abandon them Yet some Indian Commodities which from several places and especially from China are brought to Manilla are from thence transported to New-Spain and Mexico whereby there is kept a constant Communication betwixt the Spanish West and East Indies § 19. From what has been said it is evident that Spain is a potent Kingdom which has under its Jurisdiction rich and fair Countries abounding with all Necessaries not only sufficient for the use of its Inhabitants but also affording a great overplus for Exportation The Spaniards also do not want Wisdom in managing their State Affairs nor Valour to carry on a War Nevertheless this vast Kingdom has its Infirmities which have brought it so low that it is scarce able to stand upon its own Legs Among those is to be esteemed one the want of Inhabitants in Spain there being not a sufficient number both to keep in obedience such great Provinces and at the same time to make Head against a potent Enemy which want is not easily to be repaired out of those Countries which are under their subjection since it is the Interest of Spain rather to restrain the Courage of these Inhabitants for fear they should one time or another take Heart and shake off the Spanish Yoak And whenever they raise some Souldier in these Provinces they cannot trust them with the defence of their Native Country but are obliged to disperse them by sending them into other Parts under the Command only of Spaniards Spain therefore is scarce able to raise within it self a sufficient number of Souldiers for the Guard and Defence of its frontier places Wherefore whenever Spain happens to have War with other Nations it is obliged to make use of Foreign Souldiers and to raise those is not only very chargeable but also the King is not so well assured of their Faith as of that of his own Subjects The want of Inhabitants is also one reason why Spain cannot now-a-days keep a considerable Fleet at Sea which nevertheless is extreamly necessary to support the Monarchy of that Kingdom Another weakness is That the Spanish Provinces are mightily dis-joined they being divided by vast Seas and Countries These therefore cannot be maintained and governed without great difficulty for the Governours of the Provinces being remote from the sight of the Prince he cannot take so exact an account of their Actions and the oppressed Subjects want often opportunity to make their Complaints to the King besides that Men and Money are with great charge and danger sent out of Spain into these Provinces without hopes of ever returning into the Kingdom Their Strength cannot be kept together as being obliged to divide their Forces The more disjoined these Provinces are the more frontier Garrisons are to be maintained all which may be saved in a Kingdom whose parts are not so much dis-joined They are also liable to being attack'd in a great many places at once one Province not being able to assist another Besides this America being the Treasury of Spain is parted from it by the vast Ocean whereby their Silver Fleets are subject to the hazard of the Seas and Pyrates And if it happens that such a Fleet is lost the whole Government must needs suffer extreamly by the want of it the Inhabitants of Spain being so exhausted as not to be able to raise sufficient Summs to supply the Publick Necessities The Spaniards are also mighty deficient in regulating their West India Trade which is so ill managed that the greatest part of those Riches are conveyed to other Nations whereby they are empoured to chastise Spain with its own Money After the death of Philip II. it has also proved very prejudicial to Spain that by the carelessness of the succeeding Kings and during the long Minority of this present the Nobles have so increased their Power that they are now very backward in duely assisting the King and by impoverishing the King and Commonalty have got all the Riches to themselves It is also a common Disease in all Governments where the Popish Religion has got the upper hand That the Popish Clergy is very rich and potent and yet pretends by a Divine Right to be exempted from all publick burdens except that some of them in the utmost extremity vouchsafe to contribute some small portion for the defence of the whole but that not without consent of the Pope Yet the King of Spain has that Prerogative which he obtained from Pope Hadrian IV. that he has the disposal of all the chief Church Benefices in his Kingdom and he is also Head and Master of all the Ecclesiastical Orders of Knighthood in Spain And because the Kings of Spain have hitherto pretended to be the most zealous Protectours of the Papal Chair and Religion they have thereby so obliged the Zealots of the Roman Catholick Religion and especially the Jesuits that these have always been endeavouring to promote the Interest of Spain § 20. Lastly It is also worth our observation how Spain does behave it self in relation to its Neighbours and what Good or Evil it may again expect from them Spain therefore is opposite to the Coast of Barbary having also several Forts on that side viz. Pegnon de Velez Oran Arzilla and would be better if they had also Algiers and Tunis From hence Spain need not fear any thing now since it has quite freed it self from the very Remnants of the Moors But the Pyracies committted by those Corsaires is not so hurtfull to Spain as to other Nations who traffique with Spain Italy or Turky for the Spaniards seldom export their own Commodities into the other parts of Europe but these are exported by other Nations The Turks seem to be pretty near to the Islands of Sicily and Sardinia and to the Kingdom of Naples Yet are they not much feared by the Spaniards the Sea which lies betwixt them being an obstacle against making a Descent with a considerable Army in any of those Parts and if an Army should
God and having once more by his Ambassadours sollicited the Pope but in vain to decide the matter the King had the same adjudged in Parliament and divorced himself from her yet conversed with her in a very friendly manner ever after till her death except that he did not bed with her since the time when this scruple first arose Some Months after he was married to Anna Bullen by whom he had Elizabeth who was afterwards Queen Anno 1535 the King caused himself to be declared Supream Head of the Church of England abrogating thereby all the Pope's Authority in that kingdom and John Fisher Bishop of Rochester and Thomas Moor the Lord Chancellour refusing to acknowledge him as such it cost them their Heads Yet would Henry never receive the Doctrine of Luther or Zwinglius but continued in the Roman Communion because he was mightily exasperated against Luther For Henry had formerly got a Book to be published under his Name against Luther in favour of the Pope for which he acquired the Title of Defender of the Faith which Title the Kings of England retain to this day But Luther setting aside all the Respect due to a King writ an Answer to the same full of Heat and bitter Reflections Yet because he esteemed the Monks as a sort of people that were not only useless but also such as depending on the Pope might prove very pernicious to him at home he gave free leave to all Monks and Nuns to go out of the Convents and Nunneries and by degrees converted unto his own use the Revenues of all Nunneries and Convents Colleges and Chappels as also those of the Order of the Knights of St. John of Jerusalem nevertheless he employed some part of them in erecting six new Episcopal Sees and Cathedral Churches and to the advancing of Learning in the Universities A great part also he gave away or sold for a little Money to great Families intending thereby to oblige them for the future to maintain the alterations he had made It is reported that these Church Revenues which were so reduced did amount yearly to 186512 l. or as some others will have it to 500752 l. He also abolished the superstitious worship of Images and made some other alterations in Religious Worship so that in effect he laid the Foundation of the Reformation Nevertheless England was at that time in a miserable condition for a great many Roman Catholicks that would not acknowledge the King for the Supream Head of the English Church were executed And a great many more Protestants received the same punishment because they would not own the Corporal presence of the Body of Christ in the Sacrament tho' this effusion of blood was not so much caused by the King as by the Bishops who had first brought in use such rigorous Laws and now executed them with as much severity In the Year 1543 another War happened with the Scots who making an Inrode into England were beaten by a few English which did grieve King James V. to that degree that he died for trouble leaving behind him one only Daughter Mary whom Henry would have engaged to his Son Edward thereby by to unite these two Kingdoms and the business was like to have succeeded very well if the Archbishop of St. Andrews had not opposed it Henry also enter'd into a League with the Emperour against France wherein it was agreed to join their Armies of 80000 Foot and 22000 Horse near Paris to plunder that City and to ravage the whole Country as far as the Loire But neither of them acted according to the Agreement for Henry wasted his time in the Siege and taking of Boulogne which he afterwards by the Peace concluded in the Year 1546 promised to restore to France within the space of eight Years in consideration of the Summ of 800000 Crowns to be paid him for the same which was performed accordingly under Edward VI. Neither do I believe that Henry was in good earnest by ruining the French to give such great advantages to Charles V. After his Divorce with Catharine of Arragon he was very unfortunate in his Marriages for Anna Bullen was beheaded for Adultery and Incest tho' some are of opinion that it was more the Protestant Religion than the Crime which proved fatal to her It is certain that the Protestant Princes of Germany did so resent this matter that whereas they intended to have made Henry the Head of their League they afterwards would hold no correspondency with him After Anna Bullen he married Jane Seymour Mother to Edward VI. who died in Child-bed Then he married Anna of Cleves whom he also pretending I know not what bodily infirmity in her quickly dismiss'd The fifth was Catharine Howard who was beheaded for Adultery The sixth Catharine Parre Widow of the Lord Latimer who outlived him Henry died in the Year 1547. § 20. Edward VI. was nine Years of age when he came to the Crown during whose Minority his Uncle the Duke of Somerset had the Administration of Affairs His first design was to force the Scots to agree to a Match betwixt Edward and their young Queen Mary wherefore he fell into Scotland and overthrew them near Muskelborough in a great Battel Nevertheless he miss'd his aim for the Scots sent their Queen into France who was there married to the Dauphin afterwards King of France by the Name of Francis II. Under this King Edward the Reformed Religion was publickly established in England and the Mass quite abolished which occasioned great disturbances in the Kingdom which were nevertheless happily suppress'd In the Year 1550 there was a Peace concluded betwixt England France and Scotland when also Boulogne was restor'd to the French But King Edward falling sick the Duke of Northumberland who had before destroyed the Duke of Somerset persuaded King Edward under pretence of settling the Protestant Religion to exclude by his last Will and Testament his two Sisters Mary and Elizabeth for of the Queen of the Scots they made but little account at that time from the Succession of the Crown and to settle it upon Jane Grey Daughter of the Duke of Suffolk whom he had by Mary Daughter of Henry VII which afterwards proved fatal both to Jane and the Author For after the death of Edward the Duke of Northumberland caused Jane to be proclaimed Queen in the City of London but Mary eldest Sister of Edward did immediately lay claim to the Crown in her Letters to the Privy Council And Letters proving ineffectual they began to come to blows but most of the Nobility unto whom Mary promis'd not to make any alteration in Religion did side with her and a part of the Army and Fleet most of the Privy Counsellors and the City of London taking her part proclaimed her Queen Northumberland himself being now willing to go with the tide did proclaim Mary Queen in Cambridge notwithstanding which he
and turn'd to the great advantage of those Cities But this King perceiving that his own Subjects might as well make the same benefit of it he set up the Woollen Manufactury in his Kingdom which increased prodigiously afterwards when at the time of the Troubles in the Netherlands a great many of these Weavers did settle themselves in England The Riches of England also are as it seems not a little increased because it is not permitted there to any Body to carry any Gold or Silver of their own Coin out of the Land except it be perhaps to the value of ten pound Sterling for a Traveller But Scotland does not come near England neither in Fertility nor Riches having not any Commodities fit for Exportation except Salt-fish Salt Lead and Coals The Western and Orkney Islands also produce nothing but Fish Ireland abounds in Cattel and especially in Sheep tho' the Irish Wooll is not so fine as the English but for the rest it is a fertile and plentifull Country In America belong to the English Crown the Islands of Bermudos Virginia and New England and some of the Caribby Islands whither the English have sent their Colonies and have also begun to settle themselves on the Continent of Guiana The Product of these Countries is chiefly Tobacco Sugar Ginger Indigo and Cotton They have also a Colony in the Island of Jamaica from whence the English Buckaneers and Privateers do great mischief to the Spanish West Indies For it is a custom with the English That tho' they are at Peace with the Spaniards in Europe they do them nevertheless all the Mischief they can in the West Indies Tangier King Charles II. got as a Dowry with the Infanta of Portugal Lastly The English also are possess'd of some places in the Banda Islands and thereabouts in the East Indies which are of no small consequence to them § 35. The Constitution of the Government in England is chiefly remarkable for this that the King cannot act at pleasure but in some Matters is to take the Advice of the Parliament By this Name is to be understood the Assembly of the Estates of England which is divided into the Higher and the Lower House In the first sit the Bishops and the Lords in the latter the Deputies of the Cities and of the 52 Counties or Shires into which the whole Kingdom of England is divided The first origin of the Parliament as 't is related was this That the former Kings of England did grant great Privileges to the Lords by whose assistance they had conquer'd the Country and kept the common people in obedience But these in conjunction with the Bishops growing too head-strong proved very troublesome especially to King John and Henry III. wherefore to suppress their Insolence Edward I. took part with the Commons And whereas formerly out of each County or Shire two Knights and two Citizens only were call'd to represent their Grievances which having been debated by the King and the House of Lords they used to receive an answer and to be sent home again This King Edward call'd together the Commons and consulted with them concerning the publick Affairs tho' there are some who will have their origin to be much more ancient This House after it was once establish'd did extreamly weaken the Authority of the Lords and in process of time did not a little diminish the Regal Power for ever since that time the Rights of the People were maintained with a high hand the House of Commons imagining that the Sovereignty was lodg'd among them and if the Kings refused to gratify them in their Requests they used to grumble at their proceedings And because the Power of the Parliament is not so much establish'd by any ancient Laws as Precedents and Customs this is the reason why it is always very jealous of its Privileges and always ready to make out of one single Precedent a right belonging to it ever after This Parliament the King is obliged to call together as often as any extraordinary Taxes are to be levy'd for the Parliament did assign this King at first for his ordinary Revenue 1200000 l. per annum which has been considerably augmented since or any old Laws are to be abrogated or new ones to be made or any alteration to be made in Religion For concerning these matters the King cannot decree any thing without consent of the Parliament The Parliament also used to take into consideration the state of the Kingdom and to present their Opinion to the King yet is the same of no force till approved of by the King It often also calls into question the Ministers of State concerning the Administration of publick Affairs and inflicts Punishment upon them with the King's approbation And it is a common rule in England that whatever is committed against the Constitutions of the Realm is done by the Ministers and Officers for the King they say does never amiss but his ill Counsellours which is not altogether contrary to Truth But if the Parliament should pretend to transgress its bounds the King has power to dissolve it yet ought the King also to be cautious in this lest he should by an unseasonable Dissolution of the Parliament exasperate the People § 36. If we duely consider the Condition and Power of England we shall find it to be a powerfull and considerable Kingdom which is able to keep up the Balance betwixt the Christian Princes in Europe and which depending on its own Strength is powerfull enough to defend it self For because it is surrounded every where by the Sea none can make any attempt upon it unless he be so powerfull at Sea as to be able entirely to ruine the Naval Forces of England And if it should happen that the English Fleet were quite defeated yet would it prove a very hard task to transport thither such an Army as could be suppos'd to be superiour to so powerfull a Force as the English Nation is able to raise at home But England ought to take especial care that it fall not into civil Dissentions since it has often felt the effects of the same and the Seeds of them are remaining yet in that Nation which chiefly arises from the difference in Religion and the fierce Inclinations of this Nation which makes it very fond of Alterations Nevertheless a Wise and Courageous King may easily prevent this evil if he does not act against the general Inclination of the People maintains a good Correspondency with the Parliament and for the rest is very watchfull and as soon as any Commotions happen takes off immediately the Ringleaders Lastly England and Scotland being comprehended in one Island whose chiefest Strength lies in a good Fleet it is evident that this King need not make any great account of such States as either are remote from the Sea or else are not very powerfull in Shipping Wherefore as the King of England takes no great notice of Germany except as far as
given them for their Security But immediately in the Year next following the fifth War commenc'd at which time also a third Faction arose in France which was call'd that of the Politicians they pretended without having any regard to the Religious Differences to seek the publick Welfare to have the Queen remov'd from the Administration of the Government and the Italians and those of Guise to be banish'd the Kingdom of France The Heads of this Faction were those of the House of Montmorency who intended during these Troubles to play their own Game These were afterwards very instrumental in helping Henry IV. to the Crown During these Troubles Charles IX died leaving no legitimate Issue behind him § 21. After the Death of Charles IX the Crown fell to Henry III. who was at that time in Poland during whose absence his Mother Catharine govern'd the Kingdom which was in a very confus'd Estate He left Poland privately and taking his Way by Vienna and Venice arriv'd safely in France But after he had taken upon him the Administration of Affairs he deceiv'd every body in those Hopes which were conceiv'd of him before For he being addicted only to his Pleasures and Idleness was led away by his Favourites leaving the chief Administration of the Kingdom to his Mother The Huguenots Power encreas'd remarkably after the Duke of Alenson the Kings Brother sided with them and Conde and the Paltzgrave John Casimir led an Army out of Germany into France besides that the King of Navarre found means to make his escape out of Prison The fifth Peace was therefore concluded with the Huguenots whereby they obtain'd very advantageous Conditions About the same time a new Faction was set up which was compos'd of a great many small ones this was call'd The holy Vnion or League which reduc'd France to the most miserable Condition that could be The chief promoter of it was Henry Duke of Guise who perceiving that the great Authority which he had among the People made him to be hated by the King endeavour'd to make a Party of his own He made use especially of the Priests and common People of Paris among whom the Name of the Guises was in great Veneration He was encouraged to undertake this Design because the King was despis'd by all and the Women by their Intrigues rul'd at Court Besides this he pretended to be descended from the Race of Charles the Great which was excluded unjustly from the Crown by Hugh Capet The Pretence of this League was the Catholick Religion and there was a Draught made of this League which contain'd chiefly three things viz. The Defence of the Catholick Religion the Establishment of Henry III. in the Throne and the maintaining the Liberty of the Kingdom and the Assembly of the States Those who enter'd into this League promis'd to be obedient to such Head or General as should be chosen for the Defence of this League all which was confirm'd by Oath At the first setting up of this League the King conniv'd at it hoping thereby the sooner to subdue the Huguenots nay he himself subscrib'd the same at the Dyet at Blois declaring himself the Head of this League Then the sixth War was begun against the Huguenots but the King made Peace with them the same Year notwithstanding that they were in a very ill Condition neither was any thing done worth mentioning in this War The War being ended the King returning to his Pleasures confounded great Summs of Money and therefore laid new and heavy Impositions upon the People and his Favourites grew very Insolent which increas'd the Hatred against him and at the same time the Respect and Love of the People to those of Guise Besides this the Duke of Alenson the King's Brother declaring himself Lord of the Netherlands Philip King of Spain was provoked to revenge himself of the French and upheld the League In the Year 1579 the Seventh War was begun against the Huguenots wherein also they succeeded very ill Notwithstanding this the King made a Peace with them in the Year next following he being unwilling that they should be quite rooted out for fear that the League might prove too strong for himself The German Horse were also much fear'd and the Duke of Alenson was very forward to have the Peace concluded that he might be at leisure to employ his Forces in the Netherlands This Peace lasted five Years during which time the Hatred against the King increas'd daily because of the heavy Taxes which were devour'd by his Favourites He made himself also the more despis'd by playing too much the Hypocrite and by transforming himself almost into a Monk The French Glory was also much eclips'd when the Duke of Alenson behav'd himself so ill in the Netherlands and the French Fleet which was sent to the Assistance of Anthony the Bastard was totally ruin'd near Tercera But the League grew very strong after the Death of the Duke of Alenson the King 's younger Brother the King having no hopes of any Issue of his Body Then it was that the Duke of Guise propos'd to himself no less than the Crown tho' he for a colour set up the Cardinal of Bourbon thereby to exclude the King of Navarre And because it was suspected that the King favour'd the King of Navarre the Priests began to thunder in the Pulpits and to make horrid Exclamations that the Catholick Religion was lost the Duke of Guise enter'd into a Confederacy with Philip who was to furnish great Summs of Money under pretext of maintaining the Catholick Religion and to assist the Cardinal of Bourbon in obtaining the Crown but in effect this Intention was to uphold the Divisions in France thereby to disenable it to take part with the Netherlands Then the Leaguers began to break out into an open War and having taken a great many Towns oblig'd the King according to their Demands to forbid the Exercise of the Protestant Religion in France And so began the Eighth War against the Huguenots and if the King had been in earnest to ruin them they would have been in a very ill Condition For tho' the King of Navarre beat the Duke de Joyeuse near Coutras yet did he not prosecute his Victory And about the same time the Duke of Guise dispers'd the German and Swiss Forces which under the Command of Fabian de Dona were marching to the Assistance of the Huguenots This Army being destitute of a good Commander was miserably maul'd and the rest sent home in a very shamefull Condition This Victory acquir'd the Duke of Guise great Applause and Favour among the People and still lessen'd the Value of the King's Person so that the Priests now did not stick to exclaim against the King in their Sermons calling him a Tyrant The King therefore having resolv'd with himself to punish the Heads of the League in Paris they broke out into open Rebellion and having sent
Exercise of the Christian Religion throughout his Kingdom His Son Harald was attack'd by the Emperour Otto I. from whom the Sea betwixt Jutland and Holland has got the Name of Otten Sound because the Emperour there threw in his Lance to mark the utmost Limits of his Expedition His Son Suen Otto came to the Crown in the year 980. who being taken Prisoner by the Jutins was redeem'd by the Women who gave their Gold and Silver Ornaments for his Ransom In recompence of which he granted them this Privilege that whereas they used only to have a small Portion in Mony out of their Fathers Inheritance they for the future should have an equal share with the Males He also Conquer'd a part of England and died in the year 1012. His Son Canut or Cnut II. surnamed the Great was King of Denmaâ—k Norway and England having Conquer'd the latter of these three by force of Arms tho England did not remain long under the subjection of the Danes for after his death Harald and only Hardiknut Reign'd in England after whose death the Danes were again chased out of England Besides this Magnus Son of S. Olaus King of Norway made himself Master of Denmark which Kingdom however after his death Sueno II. obtain'd but he was forc'd to fight for it against Harald Hardrode then King of Norway He died in the year 1074. Him succeeded his Sons Harald VII who Reign'd but two years and Canute IV. This King did give great Power to the Bishops in Denmark and granted the Tenths of all the Revenues of the Country to the Clergy At which the Jutes being exasperated slew him at Oden Sea but the Clergy as an acknowledgement of his Favours bestowed upon them placed him in the number of Saints and his memory was afterwards celebrated with full Cups at their Feasts by those who call'd themselves the Knutgylden from him His Brother Olaus IV. succeeded him who died in the year 1095. and after him Reigned his Brother Erick II. who took Jutin at that time a great City in Pomerania He died in the Ille of Cyprus in his Pilgrimage to Jerusalem § 2. After his death the whole Kingdom was in great Confusion especially when three at once fought for the Crown viz. Sueno III Canute VI and Waldemar I. These after they had waged wars together for many years did at last agree to divide the Kingdom into three parts but Canute having been assassinated by Sueno and Sueno again having been slain in a Battel against Waldâ—mar he got the whole Kingdom into his possession He subdued the Rugians and Vandals who had hitherto proved very mischievous to Denmark he also destroyed the City of Julin 'T is related that he laid the first Foundation of the City of Dantzwick and under the Reign of this King Absalom Bishop of Roshild first began to build the City of Copenhagen Waldemar died in the year 1182. Him succeeded his Son Canute VI. who waged great Wars against the Vandals and at last forced their Princes to be his Vassals taking upon himself the Title of King of the Vandals or Slaves He took from Adolf Earl of Holstein among other places the City of Hamburgh which however twenty seven years after did shake off the Danish Yoke He having also conquered Esthonia and Livonia the Christian Faith was established in these Countries by his means He died in the Year 1202. After him reigned his Brother Waldemar II. who at the beginning was a very fortunate and potent Prince and had under his Subjection besides Denmark the Countries of Esthonia Livonia Curland Prussia Pomerania Rugen Meckâ—enburgh Holstein Stormar Ditmarsen and Wagern as also the Cities of Lubeck and Lauenburgh But he lost a great part of them again by the following occasion Henry Earl of Swerin having undertaken a journey to the Holy Land had committed during his absence his Lady and Country to the care of Waldemar but having been informed after his return that the King had lived in Adultery with his Lady he to revenge this Affront took him Prisoner by stratagem and after he had kept him three years in prison dismist him making him pay for his ransom the sum of 45000 marks of fine Silver The Countries of Mecklenburgh and Pomerania and the Cities of Lubeck and Duntzwick taking hold of this opportunity revolted from Waldemar Adolf Earl of Shauenburgh took from him Holstein and Stormar the Knights of the Cross took Esthonia and Livonia And endeavouring to recover these Countries he was vanquished in a Battel fought near Bornhove by the Earl of Shauenburgh Yet he recovered Reval and Esthonia and died in the year 1241. § 13. His Son Erick V. succeeded him in the Kingdom tho he had also given some parts of it to his other Sons viz. to Abel Sleswick to Canute Bleckingâ—n and to Christopher Laland and Falster These were each of them for being Sovereigns in these Countries but Erick pretending that they ought to be his Vassals there were great Commotions in Denmark till Erick was miserably murthered by his Brother Abel and Abel after he had reigned two years was slain by the Friselanders and Ditmarsians Whom succeeded his Brother Christopher I. Aganist this King the Archbishop of Lunden raised abundance of Troubles and the King having imprisoned him he was by the rest of the Bishops and Clergy excommunicated and with him the whole Kingdom And at last the King was by them poisoned as 't is thought with the Host After him reigned his Son Erick VI. who was at Variance with the Bishops and engaged in Wars against Sweden and Norway at last he was taken Prisoner in a Battel by Erick Duke of Holstein and was barbarously murthered by some of the great Men of the Kingdom He left the Crown to his Son Erick VII who immediately in the first year of his Reign had great contests with the King of Norway who had given protection to to the Murtherers of his Father He also had some other Differences with some of the neighbouring States and died in the year 1319. Him succeeded his Brother Christopher II who got his Son crowned in his Life time This King was banished the Kingdom by his Subjects who under pretence of being oppressed with Taxes elected in his stead Waldemar Duke of Sleswick their King But they grew also quickly weary of him and recalled Christopher who afterwards in a battel fought against this Waldemar lost his Son Erick Under the Reign of this King Schonen being sorely oppressed by the Holsteiners who were in Possession of it surrendred itself to Magnus King of Sweden And John Duke of Holstein perceiving that he could not maintain it by force sold all his Right and Title to it for 70000 Marks fine silver Under the Reign of this King Denmark was torn into so many pieces that very few places were left to the King He died in the year 1333.
among them as Foreigners § 4. But the Christian Religion is not only much clearer and also has other great Prerogatives above the Jewish which Consideration we will leave to the Divines But it is also freed from those Circumstances which were particular to the Jewish Religion and endowed with all Qualifications requisite for an universal Religion wherefore every one is obliged to receive and embrace it which deserves particularly to be remarked that hereby we may investigate and penetrate to the very bottom the propriety and genius of the Christian Religion For here is no particular place appointed by God Almighty for performing in publick the Divine Service nor can any place claim a Prerogative before another so that no Nation henceforward has any occasion to make exception about the remoteness of the Temple but in all places you may lift up holy Hands unto him no Temple in the World having any particular promise appertaining to it that God will sooner hear your Prayers in that than in another No Nation has according to the Christian Religion a precedency before another whereby one may claim a Prerogative above the other Here is no Jew no Greek no Bond nor Freeman but they are all one in Jesus Christ Here is no particular Family or Tribe appointed by God for the publick administration of Divine Service as it was among the Jews but none is excluded here provided he be endowed with the necessary Qualifications There is no Article in the Christian Religion which forbids us to cultivate with others either familiarity or to render to one another the Duties required from us by the Law of Nature It is purely and by it self considered quite separated from all worldly Ends and Interests yet is her Doctrine not in the least repugnant to or alters Civil Society or Laws as far as they are consonant to the Law of Nature but it rather tho' that is not her main intention confirms the same There is nothing to be found in the Christian Religion which is destructive to the Ends of Civil Society or which hinders us from living honestly quietly and securely under the protection of Civil Magistrates or from executing in every respect the highest Civil Power according to the Law of Nature true Reason and the Necessities of the State or from administring all Offices and performing such Duties without offending against the Rules of Christianity as are requisite for the maintaining a State established according to the Law of Nature The Christian Religion rather promotes all these things expresly commanding us strictly to observe every Commandement of the Law of Nature and especially those where no temporal punishment could be conveniently inflicted by the Civil Constitutions and to perform our Duty with all Faithfulness and Zeal as far as the same is consonant with Honesty and the Law of Nature Wherefore not any Philosophy or Religion whatsoever is in this point to be compared with the Christian Religion which may be evident enough to all who will make a true comparison betwixt this and all the rest And every body is therefore obliged as he hopes to answer for his Soul before God not only to receive the Christian Religion but also all Sovereigns and Magistrates ought for the above-mentioned reasons and out of a Duty belonging to their Office to introduce and maintain it It is objected that the Effects of the Christian Religion are not so visible nor that the Life and Conversation of a great many Christians is not different from that of the Heathens and Turks it is to be observed that this Fault is not to be imputed to the Christian Doctrine but to the Inclinations of such as profess the name of Christians but will not in earnest apply themselves to alter their evil Inclinations and to live according to the wholesome Precepts of this Religion § 5. As what we have hitherto said can scarce be denied by the more understanding sort so there arises now a Question viz. Whether according to the Doctrine of the Christian Religion it is absolutely requisite that the outward Direction or Government of the same be committed to another besides him who has the supreme Civil Power in a State or which is much the same Whether according to the Christian Doctrine it be necessary that the outward Government of it be lodged with the whole Body or one of the Clergy in particular independent of the Supreme Magistrate Or whether there ought to be but one Sovereign Administrator of the Christian Religion on whom all other Christian States ought to depend in this Point Or which some take for the same thing whether every State ought to be governed according to its own Constitutions and Interest Or whether all other States are obliged to be Slaves to one and to promote the Interest of that one with the Detriment and Ruin of their own By the outward Direction or Government of the Christian Religion we understand the Power of constituting certain Persons for the exercising of the publick Divine Service and the supreme Jurisdiction over their Persons the supreme Administration and Direction of such Possessions as are dedicated to Religious Services The Power of making Laws for the outward maintenance of Religion and the determining of such Differences as may arise among the Clergy under what pretext soever it may be and such like We make a great difference betwixt the outward Direction of Religious Affairs and betwixt the Ministry of the Church which consists in teaching preaching and administring of the Sacraments all which doubtless belong only unto the Clergy This Question also is to be understood of a Church already planted and established not of a Church that is to be planted and established For since the Christian Religion owed its Original to Divine Revelation no humane Power could pretend to have any Direction in the same before this Doctrine was throughly proposed and taught by such as had an immediate Authority for so doing from God Almighty For when our Saviour after his Resurrection did send his Disciples as Delegates and Apostles throughout the whole World to publish and introduce the Christian Religion they received their Commission for Preaching every where not from the supreme Civil Magistrates but from God himself wherefore Kings as well as the common People were obliged to acknowledge them as immediate Messengers of God and obediently to submit themselves to their Doctrine and it would be next to an absurdity if any one should pretend to a Direction in such Matters as he was not instructed in before From whence arises this Consequence that what has been said is to be understood of such Sovereigns or supreme Magistrates as themselves profess the true Christian Religion but not of those who are Infidels or erroneous in the chief Articles of the Christian Faith For to commit the Direction of Religion to the latter would be to make the Wolf a Shepherd § 6. This Question may be considered in
three-several ways First Whether this Necessity arises from the Nature of each Religion in general Or Secondly Whether it arises from the Genius of the Christian Religion in particular Or Thirdly Whether the same is imposed upon us by Divine Institution or the particular Command of God That it should proceed from the natural Constitution of Religion in general I am in no ways able to find out For Reason does not tell me that if I intend to serve God I must of necessity make a division in the State and thereby introduce two different Powers independent of one another The dismembring of the supreme Power or such a double-headed Sovereignty in a State administers continual Fuel which at last breaks out into Jealousies Divisions and intestine Commotions On the other hand it is in no ways contrary to Reason to serve God and at the same time leave the supreme Direction of the outward Matters belonging to Divine Service to such as have the supreme Power in the State if we suppose that those who have the supreme Power in their Hands will not impose any thing upon their Subjects which is false or erroneous It cannot be denied that as every one is bound by the Law of Nature to serve God also is it at the same time in his Power to perform the outward Ceremonies in such a manner as he believes they are most pleasing to God But after Civil Societies were instituted that same Power is thereby devolved to those who have the supreme Administration of Affairs in a Civil Society And the most antient Fathers who did not live under any regulated Government exercised this Power in their Families which used to be transferred to the Eldest Son as haereditas eximia or a hereditary Prerogative if the Brothers after the Father's death did resolve to live together in one Community But when afterwards Civil Societies were instituted the same Power was transferred to the Heads of these Societies and that out of a weighty Consideration For if every one had been left to his free Choice in this Point the various and different Ceremonies in the Divine Service must needs have introduced Confusions Divisions and intestine Commotions And tho' by the Jews the publick Ministry was hereditary to one particular Family yet the inspection and supreme Direction was among them reserved to those who had the supreme Civil Power in their Hands as the same is practised among most other Nations § 7. Neither can any Reason be given why the Christian Religion is particularly so qualified as to imply a necessity that the abovementioned Direction should be committed to any other than the supreme Magistrates tho' it contains something more than is taught us by the Light of Nature since we suppose that by vertue of this directive Power they ought not to impose any thing upon us contrary to the Word of God nor be a hinderance to the Priests in performing the Ministry according to the Ordinances of God in the Holy Scriptures Neither can I find out any Reason why the supreme Magistrates should want means duly to qualify themselves for this Administration or Direction At least they may let this Direction be exercised under their Authority by such as have acquired sufficient abilities for the same In like manner as Sovereigns exercise their Power by others in Civil Affairs so the Power of making Laws was never denied to appertain to Sovereigns tho' it is certain that a Doctor or Professor of the Law ought to be better instructed in them than is required from a King For both in these and other Matters Sovereigns ought to act with the Advice of such as have applied themselves throughly to such Affairs And as it is against the Interest of a Good and Wise King if this Power be not well exercised so it is both his Duty and Interest to see the administration of Religious Matters well performed For the more zealous and earnest he is in maintaining the Christian Religion the more obedient and better qualified his Subjects are likely to be and he may the better hope for the Blessing of God Almighty Neither can any thing be alledged why God Almighty should not as well afford his Assistance to a Christian and Orthodox Sovereign as to any other to perform this Government praise-worthily Lastly because the Christian Religion does not in any other way derogate from Civil Ordinances and Laws or from the Power of Civil Magistrates as far as they are founded upon the Law of Nature so it is not to be supposed that it disagrees from this in this one Point except a positive Command of God can be alledged for the proof of this Assertion Whether there be such a Command in the Holy Scriptures which expresly forbids Sovereigns to intermeddle with this Direction and allows the same to others in the highest degree of Sovereignty without any dependency at all those are obliged to prove who endeavour to maintain this Assertion In the mean while we will inquire into the first Occasion and by what degrees this Ecclesiastical Monarchy was established in the Western Churches § 8. The Apostles therefore having after the Ascension of our Saviour according to the Instructions received from his own Mouth begun to spread the Doctrine of the Christian Religion in far distant Countries met with great approbation in a short time both among the Jews and other Nations but more especially among the Common People which having hitherto lived in gross Ignorance and in a miserable Estate very joyfully received this Doctrine which enlightened and comforted them in the miseries of this Life The Apostles also themselves who were of mean Extraction and of no great Authority used to converse most among this sort of People as having the most easie access to them as their equals But Men of Quality and Learning did scare at first think it worth their while to apply themselves diligently to search into the bottom of this Religion and very few of them would profess it If we may inquire into the Reasons why it was the pleasure of the Wise God to choose this way of planting the Christian Religion it seems very probable that God was not pleased to introduce the Christian Religion by the Power and Authority of Civil Magistrates nor by the Assistance of Learned Men because it might not be deemed hereafter a State Trick or a Philosophical Speculation but that whenever a due comparison might be made betwixt the slender beginnings and prodigious encrease of this Religion the World might from thence conclude that the whole was something above humane Power And because the Learned had proved unsuccessful with all their subtilties in their Discoveries concerning Divine Matters and that Socrates and some others who were sensible of the vanity of the commonly received Superstitions and had condemned them as such had not been able to abolish those and in lieu thereof to introduce a better Religion God Almighty was willing to convince the
had been given to them since the year 1454. but also several other Church Lands and precious moveables all which he annexed to the Crown In the mean while the Bishops and their party were not idle but were contriving all manner of mischief against the King though with small success For the Dalekerls who had made an Insurrection were frightened by the King to comply with his commands and to send away their Leader the supposititious Sâ—ure and Sigismund King of Poland unto whom the dissatisfied party had proffered the Crown did not think fit to accept of it so that Bishop Brask despairing at last of the Roman Catholick Cause under pretence of a Journey retired to Dantzick The King having surmounted all these difficulties thought convenient not to defer any longer his Coronation which having been solemnized at Vpsal with the usual Solemnity he summoned the Rebellious Dalekerls to appear before him at Thuana threatning them with Fire and Sword if they did not appear at the appointed time The Rebels being throughly frightened by the King's severity appeared without Arms at the appointed place where he caused several of the Ringleaders to be Executed and dismissed the rest after having promised to be obedient for the future In Helsingland he appeased the tumultuous multitude with threats and fined their Leaders and having called together a Synod of the Clergy at Orebro where the King's Chancellour was President the chiefest Points of the Popish Doctrine were there abolished and in their stead the Protestant Religion introduced where it was also ordered that a Protestant Professor of Divinity should be Constituted in each Cathedral This wrought in a manner Miracles among the Inferiour Clergy and Monks who left their Monasteries were married and became Ministers in the Protestant Churches But the Bishops and their party entred into an Association with some of the dissatisfied Lords in West Gothland who accused the King of Heresie and other Crimes renouncing their Allegiance to him These were Headed by Thuro Johanson the Rix Marshal who raised an Insurrection among the Dalekerls and endeavoured also to stir up the West and East Gothes whom he persuaded to make Magnus Brynteson a Man in great Authority among them their King But the King having again appeased this tumult by granting his Pardon to them Magnus the Bishop of Skara and Thuro Johnson fled into Denmark but Magnus Bayteson Nils Olofson and Thuro Erickson having been Convicted of High Treason at the Dyet held at Strâ—ngness the two first were Executed and the third paid a considerable Fine The King then to settle the minds of his Subjects having renewed his Pardon caused the superfluous Bells to be taken out of the Steeples the same being granted to him by the Estates towards the payment of a Debt due to the Lubeckers Which proved a new Subject for an Insurrection for the Dalekerls not only seised upon some of these Bells but also pretended to hold an Assembly at Arboga to consult about the Deposing of King Gustave which obliged the King to call together the Estates at Vpsal whither he came in person with a good Army and meeting with great opposition from the mutinous People ordered his Soldiers to fire among them which so terrified them that upon their Knees they begged his Pardon promising to be more Obedient for the future Things being thus pretty well settled the King married Catharine the Daughter of Magnus Duke of Saxen Lauenburgh and having received intelligence that King Christian was landed in Norway with a considerable Force he sent some Troops under the Command of Lars Sigeson the Rix Marshal to the Frontiers of Norway who having been joined by some Danes forced King Christian to raise the Siege of Banus who at last surrendring himself to the Danes was by Frederick King of Denmark committed to Prison where he died after twenty seven years imprisonment But no sooner was this storm over but the Lubeckers raised another against Sweden For they having demanded from the King to grant them the whole Trade on his Northern Sea Coasts which he refused to consent to peremptorily demanded their Debt and having joyned with a great many Refugies of King Christian's party and made John Earl of Hoya who had married King Gustave's Sister their Head did propose to themselves no less than the Conquest of the Northern Kingdoms having inticed some Citizens of Stockholm under pretext of making that City a free Hanse Town to lay violent hands on the King And after the death of Frederick King of Denmark when that Kingdom was divided into several Factions persuaded the Senate of Copenhagen and Malmoe to enter into the Confederacy of the Hanse Towns Being thus strengthened by a considerable party within that Kingdom they had great success against the Danes till these having declared Christian III. their King and being assisted with Mony Ships and Forces by King Gustave beat the Lubeckers near Heâ—sinburgh and afterwards in a Sea-Fight defeated their whole Fleet and carried a great many of their Ships into Denmark Soon after King Gustave to strengthen himself the better at Home married Margaret the Daughter of Abraham Erickson Governor of West Gothland which Alliance stood afterwards his Son Duke John in great stead against King Erick King Gustave having also conceived a jealousie against the Emperour Charles V. whom he suspected to be for making Palls Grave Frederick Son in Law of the imprisoned King Christian King over the Northern Kingdoms took a resolution to strengthen himself with the Alliance of France To put this design in execution he sent his Secretary into France who having first made a Treaty of Commerce betwixt these two Crowns did also afterwards conclude a defensive Alliance betwixt them Gustave having thus settled his Affairs called a Dyet to be held at Westeraas where the Estates of the Kingdom declared the Succession Hereditary for the future Constituting Erick Gustaveson who was then but eleven years old his Father's Successor At the same Dyet the Popish Religion was quite abolished and the Lutheran Religion Established in Sweden the King and the Estates having obliged themselves by a Solemn Oath to maintain the same with all their power In the year 1551. King Gustave after the death of his Queen Margaret married Catharine the Daughter of Gustave Olufson and ruled the Kingdom of Sweden with great Tranquility except that the Russians had faln into Livonia and Finland with whom having made a Peace and being now grown very old he by his Testament gave to John his second Son the Dukedom of Finland to the third Son Magnus the Dukedom of East Gothland and to Charles the youngest of all the Dukedom of Sudermanland Nericke and Wermeland which Countries they were to hold in Fief from the Crown But his eldest Son Erick who was â—o succeed him in the Kingdom having been persuaded by his Tutor Dionysius Burraeus a Frenchman to make his Addresses to Elizabeth Queen of
could bring over his Brother Charles to his party whom he sollicited by his Delegates to introduce the Liturgy into his Territories who having made answer that it was according to their Father's Testament neither in his nor in the King's power to make any Innovation in Religion this proved the subject of a great misunderstanding betwixt them Next the King had his recourse to the Pope who also having disapproved his undertaking he demanded from the Clergy at Stockholm to give their approbation of the said Liturgy but these answered that thereby a door was opened for the Roman Catholick Religion to be re-established in Sweden and having made their Appeal to a General Synod of that Clergy in the Kingdom a Convocation of the Clergy of the Kingdom except those in the Duke's Territories was held by the King's Authority where the King's party prevailed so that the Liturgy was confirmed not only by the said Clergy but also by the Temporal Estates who declared all such Traitors as should for the future oppose the same The King having gained this point banished and imprisoned some of those that would not conform to the said Liturgy notwithstanding which a great many of the Clergy that were professed Enemies of the said Liturgy and upheld by Duke Charles did not only boldly discover the deceitful snares of the adverse party but also sent to the German Universities of Wittembergh Leipzick Helmstad Francfut and others where their Zeal for the Augsburg Confession was approved and the said Liturgy condemned as dangerous to the Protestant Religion Hitherto King Erick had suffered a very hard imprisonment during the space of nine years but he having in the mean while by several ways endeavoured his delivery and King John now fearing that perhaps these Intestine Divisions might furnish him with an opportunity to make his escape he sent his Secretary to give him his last Dose which he did accordingly having poisoned him in a Pease Soop The King being rid of this danger began now to act more barefaced than before for now the Invocation of Saints was publickly taught in the Pulpits those that contradicted it were imprisoned a new University of Papists was to be erected at Stockholm he sent his Ambassadour to reside at Rome and the Pope had his Nuncio at Stockholm and to compleat the matter a great many young Scholars were sent to the Jesuits abroad to be duely instructed in their Principles In the mean while the War betwixt the Swedes and Moscovites was carried on without any remarkable advantage on either side till it was agreed betwixt the two Kings of Poland and Sweden that each of them should act separately against the Moscovites and what either of them could gain by his Sword should remain in his possession Then it was that Stephen King of Poland having attacked the Moscovites vigorously on his side the Swedes also under the Command of Pontus de la Gordie took from the Moscovites the strong Forthress of Kekholm the Castle of Padis Wesenburgh Telsburgh Narva where 7000 Moscovites were killed Jawmagrod and other places of note which raised such a jealousie in the Poles that they not only made a separate Peach with the Moscovites but also demanded several of those places taken from the Moscovites by the Swedes for their share which put a great stop to the Swedish progresses and occasioned a Truce of two years which was afterwards prolonged for four years longer betwixt them and the Moscovites Whilst these things were transacting the misunderstanding betwixt the King and his Brother Charles could not be removed notwithstanding that the Duke had shown his inclination of having these Differences composed but the King having called together a Dyet at Wadstena sent a summons to the Duke to appear there in person The Duke on the other hand who did not altogether trust the King having assembled some Forces in his Territories did not appear at the said Dyet but lodged himself in some of the adjacent Villages were at last by the mediation of some of the Senators the Brothers were reconciled the Duke having begged the King's pardon and referred the Differences concerning the Liturgy to the decision of his Clergy who at an Assembly held at Strengness rejected the aforesaid Liturgy In the mean while died Stephen King of Poland and his Widow Arâ—â—a being Aunt of Prince Sigismund the Son of King John she prevailed with some of the great Men in Poland to make him their King which was done accordingly tho' not without great difficulty on the Swedish side who could not for a great while agree to the several Propositions made to them by the Poles and King Sigismund himself seemed soon after to repent of it As soon as Sigismund had left Sweden his Father King John began to renew his Care for establishing the new Liturgy in the Duke's Territories but the Clergy there trusting upon the Duke's Authority and Protection remaining stedfast in their Opinion the King at last being tired out by their constancy sent for his Brother Charles to Stockholm where a hearty reconciliation being made betwixt them Charles was so dear to him ever after that he did nothing without his Advice or Consent which Friendship continued betwixt the two Brothers till a little before the King's death when Charles having married Cloristina the Daughter of Adolph Duke of Holstein the former jealousy was renewed in some measure in the King which soon ceased by his death which happened a few Months after at Stockholm § 12. After King John's death had been kept secret for two days the same having been notified to Duke Charles he forthwith came to Stockholm and having sent a Messenger to King Sigismund in Poland he in the mean while took upon him the Administration of the Government with the Consent of the Senate which was confirmed to him by King Sigismund for that time Soon after he called together the Swedish and Gothick Clergy at Vpsat the Finns refusing to appear where the Augsburgh Confession was confirmed and the Liturgy as also Popish Ceremonies newly introduced quite abolished This Decree having been approved of by the rest of the Estates they also made another wherein was declared That no body should appeal out of Sweden to the King in Poland and that the King should subscribe these Decrees before his Coronation This proved the subject of great broils afterwards for the King having understood what had passed at Vpsal he declared that he being a hereditary Prince in Sweden would not oblige himself to any thing before his Coronation and as to the Decrees made at Vpsal he declared them void which the Estates looked upon as an ill Omen for the Protestant Religion in Sweden Their jealousie was also not a little augmented when they saw King Sigismund come into Sweden accompanied by the Pope's Nuncio by whose advice the King demanded a Church for the Roman Catholicks in each City that the new Archbishop should be deposed
and that he would be Crowned by the Pope's Nuncio which obliged the Estates to send their Deputies to Duke Charles to desire him to interpose his Authority with the King Charles therefore having in conjunction with the Estates in vain endeavoured to perswade the King to a compliance with the Estates entred into an Association with them for the defence of the Protestant Religion and mustered his Troops near Vpsal The King perceiving them to be in earnest thought it his best way not to let things run to extremity but having consented to most of their Propositions which he surrendred to them the same morning when he was to be crowned the Coronation was performed by the Bishop of Strengness But no sooner was he returned to Stockholm but he took a resolution quite contrary to his Promise with an intention to obtain by force what he could not get by fair means Wherefore having sent for some Forces out of Poland he hoped to terrifie the Estates into a compliance at the next Dyet but these being backed by Duke Charles and having raised the Delekerls remained stedfast in their Resolution The King seeing himself disappointed again in his Design resolved upon the advice of the Poles to leave the Kingdom and the Government in an unsettled Condition hoping thereby to oblige them to be more pliable for the future But as soon as the Senators understood that he was sailed towards Dantzick they in conjunction with Duke Charles took upon themselves the administration of the Government deposed the King's Governour of Stockholm he being a Papiâ—t and forbid the exercise of the Romish Religion And soon after a Peace having been concluded with the Muscovites a Dyet was held at Sudercoping where after the Estates had justified their proceeding in a Letter to the King the Augsburgh Confession was again confirmed the Popish Religion abolished and all Swedes that adhered to the same declared incapable of any Employments in the Kingdom and several other Decrees were made against the Papists and for the maintaining of the Privileges of the Subjects Then they constituted Duke Charles Regent of the Kingdom to govern the same with Advice of the Senate and the whole Transaction was published in the Latin Swedish and German Tongues This having occasioned a general flight among the Roman Catholicks out of Sweden King Sigismund was so dissatisfied thereat that he quickly sent some Commissioners out of Poland to disswade the Duke from these proceedings but also when this proved ineffectual by his Letter to the Estates he committed the whole management of Affairs to the Senate excluding the Duke from the Regency In the mean while some Senators either to curry favour with the King or upon some distaste taken against Duke Charles had shewn themselves great Favourers of the King and declined to appear at the Dyet which was appointed to be held under the Duke's Authority at Arboga Notwithstanding which the few Senators and the Estates there present did again confirm the Decrees lately made at Vpsal and Sudercoping declaring Duke Carles sole Regent of Sweden But Niclaco Flemming the King's General being in Arms and having lately killed a great number of the Boors the Duke also thought it not fit to fit still but having gathered what Troops he could possessed himself first of Gothland and not long after of the whole Kingdom of Sweden the King's Governours and those of the Senators that had not appeared at the last Dyet held at Arboga flying in great numbers to the King in Poland King Sigismund then perceiving that his presence was absolutely necessary in Sweden resolved to go thither in Person with 6000 Men which the Duke having been advertised of called together the Estates of the Gothick Kingdom at Wadstena and having made known to them the King's intention it was unanimously resolved to meet the King with an Army near Calmar But the West-Goths and Smalanders having taken up Arms for the King and the Finns equipped some Ships for this Service the former were beat back by the Boors headed by two Professors of Vpsal and whilest Duke Charles was sailed with his Fleet to reduce the latter which he did with good Success the King without any opposition arrived at Calmar Several Treaties were then set on foot to endeavour the settlement of the Kingdom and to reconcile Matters betwixt the King and Duke which proving ineffectual both Parties had recourse to Arms. The first encounter happened near Stegeburgh where the Duke's Forces being surrounded were quickly put to the rout but laying down their Arms obtained Pardon from the King but the Duke soon made amends for this Misfortune at Stangbroo where having surprised part of the King's Army he killed 2000 of them upon the spot with the loss of 40 Men on his side This Defeat occasioned an agreement betwixt the King and Duke upon certain Articles of which the Estates were to be Guarrantees and the King promised to come forthwith to Stockholm to settle the Affairs of the Kingdom whither he would needs go by Sea tho' it was in October but in lieu of sailing to Stockholm directed his Course from Calmar where he was droven in by contrary Winds to Danâ—zick The Duke being surprised at this unexpected departure called together the Estates of the Kingdom who having once more constituted him Regent of Sweden at their second meeting at Stockholm renounced their Obedience to King Sigismund offering at the same time the Crown to his Son Vladislaus in case he would come within a twelve Months time into Sweden and be educated in the Lutheran Religion but in case of failure he and his heirs to be excluded from the Crown Duke Charles thereupon marched against the Finns whom he quickly forced to Obedience and having made an Alliance with the Russians convened the Estates of the Kingdom in the next following year at Sincoping where some of the Lords that were here having before fled into Poland were condemned of High Treason and executed accordingly and not only King Sigismund declared incapable of the Crown but also his Son Vladislaus because he had not appeared within the limited time excluded from the Succession About the same time the Duke being certified that the Eastlanders and especially those of Reval were inclined to his side he marched thither with a great Army and being received very joyfully by the Inhabitants of Reval the Polish Governours left the rest of the places of Esthland voluntarily to the disposition of Charles The same fortune artended him at first in Livonia where he took several places of note without much opposition but was forced to raise the Siege of Riga upon the approach of the Poles who retook Kakenhausen and some other places thereabouts Charles having in the mean time got notice how the Poles had set up the false Demetrius and assisted him against the Muscovites under pretence of being afraid of the designs of the Poles against Sweden desired to resign But these having