where there have been some Princes of the House of Austria have thought their Conscience and Religion allowed them to stir up People to defend the Liberty of their Countrey and march at the Head of an Army against their own Brothers As soon as the Emperour found the Designs of the Archduke he convened the States of Bohemia raised Troops writ to the Elector and Princes of the Empire to demand Aid of them There was in Bohemia at that time two powerful Parties of a contrary Religion the Catholicks and the Gospellers Under the name of Gospellers were comprehended the ancient Hussites those of the Confession of Ausburg and the Reformed The States of Bohemia were composed of Persons of both one and the other Party They presented to the Emperour divers Articles for the Regulation of Policy and Justice The Gospellers in particular required That the Clergy should not meddle in Civil Affairs That they should not determine Disputes concerning Marriage That they should not acquire Estates in Land without the consent of the States of the Kingdom That all Persons should be admitted to places of Judicature without distinction of Religion Rodolphus consented to what the States demanded The Concerns of Religion were remitted to the next Assembly which was appointed the end of September following And the States in conclusion swore to employ their Lives and Fortunes in the Emperour's Service Matthias was already at the Gates of Prague with his Army A Treaty of Peace between the two Brothers After some Negotiations the two Brothers agreed to name Deputies on both sides to confer together in a Neighbouring Village The Peace was concluded on certain Conditions I will relate the principal ones That the Emperor should quit the Kingdom of Hungary the States of the Country should chuse no other King than Archduke Matthias that Rodolphus should give him and his Heirs Male the Archdutchy of Austria without reserving to himself any Right That he should succeed to the Kingdom of Bohemia in case the Emperor died without Issue Male That the States of Bohemia should ratifie this Article That the Archduke should promise to maintain their Privileges if the Kingdom came to him That Matthias and his Heirs should have the Administration of Moravia with the Title of Marquess That in the Assemblies of the Countries yielded up by Rodolphus the Archduke should take care to have a certain Annual Contribution paid to the Emperor When the Treaty had been ratified on both sides Matthias goes to take Possession of the Arch-dutchy of Austria The Catholicks swear Fidelity to him but the Protestants refuse to do it and take Arms. By the Perswasion of Leopold of Austria Bishop of Strasburg of Mellini Cardinal and Nuncio of the Pope and Forgatsi Bishop of Vienna and Cardinal the new Soveraign published an Edict to forbid all his Subjects of Austria the exercise of the Protestant Religion Matthias is Elected and Crowned King of Hungary From Vienna Matthias passes into Hungary Before they proceeded to Crown the new King the Lords of the Country presented divers Articles to him which they required him to swear to observe viz. That the Protestants should have free exercise of their Religion in all Cities not excepting that in which the King resided That a Palatin should be erected who should in Conjunction with the Senators have the Administration of Affairs in case the King did not reside in Hungary That the Jesuits should not be tolerated and the Licentious Lives of the Clergy be reformed On these Conditions Matthias was proclaimed King and Crowned at Presburgh in the year 1608. The Discontent of the Protestants in Austria abated The Protestants in Austria sent a Deputation to those in Hungary intreating them to interceed with Matthias in favour of their Brethren and desiring their Assistance by virtue of a League Offensive and Defensive still in being between the States of Hungary and Austria in case Matthias persisted to refuse them the free exercise of their Religion He replyed to the Instances the Protestant Lords of Hungary made to him That he would leave all things in the same State they were put in by the Regulation of the Emperor Maximilian his Father The Consideration said he I am obliged to have for the Pope and the Catholick King will not allow me to grant the Protestants the exercise of their Religion in the Towns of Austria Let them lay down their Arms and I will grant it them abroad In the mean time those of both Religions shall be indifferently promoted to places of Judicature The Hungarian Lords thought this reasonable and advised the Protestants to accept the Terms rather than make War It is hard to come to a Resolution on a sudden After some Movements the matter was determined in the year 1609. At the Intreaty of thaâ—… States of Moravia and by the care of the Archduke Maximilian Brother of the Emperor and King of Hungary Matthias consented That the Lords and Protestant Gentlemen of Austria should have the free exercise of their Religion in their Castles Villages and their private Houses for their Family only when they should be in Town That they should have Publick exercise of it in three Cities specified in the Treaty where the Churches should be equally divided between the Catholicks and Protestants That all places should be indifferently given to capable Persons of both Communions The Protestants upon this submitted and took an Oath of Fidelity to the new King Differences about Religion in Bohemia The Emperor had longer and more difficult Contests with the Gospellers in Bohemia The Assembly of the States appointed at the end of September 1608. was put off till January following The Roman Catholicks did all they could to exasperate Rodolphus against the Gospellers and perswaded him that they enjoyed the exercise of their Religion only by a simple Toleration The Oath of Subjects is relative to that of a Prince said the Gospellers with Indignation to Rodolphus hearken to the ill Advice given him by certain Persons If the Emperor will not keep the Oath he has made to us we think our selves discharged from that we have taken to him Rodolphus remitted the hearing of their Complaints to the chief Officers of Bohemia who were all Catholicks These interessed Judges contemning what the Gospellers alledged in their Defence they protested in a full Assembly against all the proceedings of the States and demanded time to give notice to the rest of their Brethren in the Kingdom of what passed and to inform his Imperial Majesty The Gospellers instantly sent a Deputation to the King of Hungary and the Electors and Princes of the Empire intreating them to intercede with Rodolphus The Emperor resolved the States should continue to sit and regulate all Matters of Religion The Term of their Sessions being expired the Emperour dismist them and forbid the Gospellers to meet in the Court of the New Prague or debate of their Affairs there In vain did they Petition his Majesty
to represent to you further Madam that they put you to needless Expences to gain certain Persons of our Religion We know who those mercenary Souls are They deceive your Majesty who tell you that they can he Serviceable to you I can tell you a far less Chargeable way to have all the Reformed at your Devotion That is to give Orders that all Promises made to us be performed our Griâ—…vances be redressed some ambiguous Expressions in the Edicts be more favourably Interpreted and some things be granted us which may secure the Peace of our Churches and do no great Injury to the Roman Catholicks The ardent and sincere Zeal which I have for your Majesty makes me speak against my self Pursue the Method which I take the liberty to propose you may take away when you please our Offices and Pensions Our Churches living peaceably under his Majesty's Protection will never concern themselves in my favour or for any of the Lords of the Kingdom This Advice was generous and worthy of a truly Christian Gentleman It might have had some good Effect upon such as had no other design but to preserve Peace in the Kingdom by doing Justice and perhaps some small gratification to the Reformed But they were resolved to Ruine them and to effect a design long since contrived and pursued For almost an Age together the Court could not take more convenient Measures than the corrupting of those who had any Credit or Authority in the Reformed Church The ambition and avarice of the Lords and a great number of Hugonot Gentlemen has done more mischief to the Religion than the haâ—…red of the Pope and his Clergy or the Zeal of the blind and superstitious Kings and Queens of France If the Dukes and Peers the Mareschals of France the Lords and Gentlemen of Note had had as much Religion and Probity as du Plessis Mornai I question whether the Son of him whose History I write would ever have ventured to attempt the overthrow of the Reformed Churches of his Kingdom The Posterity of a corrupted Gentry who had no great Concern for their Religion does at this day bewail the fatal Consequences of the Baseness of their Ancestors The Regent received at Tours The K. and Q. his Mother go to Poitiers Letters from the Duke of Maienne He informed her that the Prince de Conde was retired to Chateauroux and that he defired at the present no Reparation of the Injury Mercure Francois 1614. which he had complained had been done him at Poitiers It was wisely done to seem to neglect an Offence for which the Court would never have granted him the Satisfaction which he expected The Bishop was too much favoured by the Queen He went boldly to Tours with Two hundred of the Inhabitants to pray their Majesty 's to come to Poitiers That day when Chataigner made appear that he understood the Office of a Captain better than that of a Bishop was in his Opinion the day of the preservation of Poitiers Their Majesties went thither They were Received with all imaginable Expressions of Joy They Elected a Mayor Mazurier had Orders to remain there as Intendant Rochfort Lieutenant General for the King in that Province a-little after resigned his Office The Count de la Rochefoucaut of the Party of the Guises succeeded him They had a mind to have Poitou in their Power that they might go and Receive the Infanta of Spain when the time should come Memoires de Duc de Rohan The Duke de Rohan being admonished by Velleroi that the Queen was surprized that he did not appear at Court since she was so near to St. Jean d' Angeli came to pay his Respect to their Majesty's They received him kindly and the Regent taking all oportunities to get him near her self made him promise to be present at the meeting of the States of Bretagne which was to be held at Nantes their Majestys being present and to go afterwards to the States General which were already appointed to Meet Mary de Medicis The Q. goes to hold a meeting of the States of Bretagne at Nantes Vie de M. du Plessis Mornai Liv. III. pleas'd that every thing went according to her mind took the Road of Anger 's to go to Nantes Her Majesty had a mind to give a Proof of her Confidence in du Plessis Mornai as she passed through Saumur He went to meet the King being followed by an Hundred Gentlemen As soon as the Young Lewis had enter'd the Castle du Plessis Offer'd to make the Garrison march out But his Majesty would not permit him It is not against our Kings said the Governor that we have strong Places in our Possession they have been willing to grant them us that we may be secured against the hatred of our sworn Enemies If at any time his Majesty does the Honour to be present there Mercure Francoise 1614. we desire no other Security but his Presence The Duke de Vendome seeing their Majesties came in good Earnest towards him submitted himself They gave him New Letters of Re-establishment Memoires de Bassompierre which were Registred in the Parliament of Rennes But he had the Mortification of see that in the meeting of the States of the Province of which he was Governor they made Invectives against him and took Resolutions injurious to his Person and utterly contrary to his Interest So bad a Beginning was no good Omen for the rest of the Life of Coesar de Vendome He could never after recover his Reputation or Respect Henry IV. his Father had Married him to the Heiress of the House of Mercoeur and one of the greatest Fortunes of a Subject in Europe He wasted the great Estate which she brought him The death of the Prince de Conti. Maâ—…y de Mâ—…dicis Returned triumphantly to Paris She found there a Court deprived of a Prince of the Blood The loss was not very great Francis de Bourbon Prince de Conti who died the 13th of August made no great Figure in the World His Widow was soon Comforted after the loss of a weak Husband She was desperately in Love with Bassompierre There had passed between them that which they call Marriage before God Entragues the famous Marchioness de Vernueil's Sister and Daughter to Mary Touchet Charles IX his Mistress had commenced a Suit against Bassompierre upon the account of a Promise of Marriage which he had made her This happy Spark had Two Wives at the same time The First out of a Family more Renowned for the fine Ladies which were Married into the Family or were of it than for any of its Military Exploits the Second being the Daughter of the Duke of Guise and the Widow of a Prince of the Blood might have done Bassompierre great Honour But by an odd Accident Bassompierre would never own the one for his Lawful Wife the other never dared to make her Marraige Publick New Contests between the Princes of
take to a contrary Interest possibly underhand countenanced the discontented Party and the Papists in England formed that Horrible Attempt which has since been call'd the Gunpowder Plot. Since that time James ever dreaded the Spaniards And they were so Skillful to improve this weakness of his and Avarice of his Ministers that far from opposing the Enterprizes of the House of Austria you will find he will patiently suffer her to dispossess the Elector Palatine who married a Daughter of England Henry IV. prepares for War In this posture were the Affairs of Europe when Henry Troops and bring them to to raise Troops and bring them to the Frontiers of Champagne John William Duke of Cleves Bergh and Juliers dying without Children lest a contended Succession His four Sisters or their Children had each different Pretenstions some Imperial Constitutions contrary to each other embroil'd the Affair more Some of these determined the Fees of the Contested Countries to be the right of the Heirs Male and others supposed Daughters capable of the Succession Among all the Princes who were pretenders the Right of John Sigismund Elector of Brandenburgh and that of Philip Lewis Palatin of Newburgh were the most plausible The first had married the Daughter of the Eldest Sister of the last Duke and the other was Husband of the second Sister who maintained that the Succession was devolved on her to the prejudice of the Children of her Eldest Sister Deceased before Duke John William These two Princes each took possession of a part of those Estates they pretended did entirely belong to them But it was to be feared a third stronger than both of them would make himself Master of the best places while they made War to drive each other out Therefore the Landgrave of Hess their common Friend made them consent to a Provisional Treaty In this they promised to terminate their Differences Amicably and by Arbitration and to joyn their Forces against any who should Attempt to usurp the Countries of Cleves and Juliers Till this should be decided it was agreed they should govern Individually and in common and without prejudice to the right of the Emperor or the other Princes pretenders The States of the Country Assembled at Dusseldorp took this Affair into their Cognizance at the Intreaty of the King of France who already declared for the two Princes They were both Protestants and the Vnited Provinces supported them as far as they were able This gave Umbrage to the Arch-Dukes of the low Countries whose Estates bordered on one side on those of Juliers A certain Prince of their House in Germany would have been glad to have made his Advantage in this Litigious Title The pretence of Religion is never wanting upon occasion and here it would have been very seasonable The Governour of Juliers then is won over and Leopold of Austria Bishop of Strasbourg and Passaw passes secretly into the place He brought with him a Commission from the Emperour who pretended to be the Natural and Soveraign Judge of a Difference arising about the Fiefs of the Empire and in the mean time he gave to his Cousin Leopold the Administration of the contested places This Sequestration seem'd to tend to an Usurpation By the Addition of the Dutchies of Cleves and Juliers to its other Hereditary Countries the House of Austria was in a condition to oppress the German Liberties with more ease The Neighbourhood of the low Countries gave the King of Spain an opportunity to send his best Troops to the Assistance of his Kinsmen This Enterprize ought to have alarmed equally all the Princes of Germany but the Jealousie caused by difference of Religion made the Duke of Bavaria the Electours of Mentz Triers and some others fear the Protestant Party would be too strong if the disputed Countries should fall to a Prince of that Religion See then the Catholicks assemble at Wirtsbourg and form there a League of which the Duke of Bavaria was Chief and send a Deputation to Rome and Madrid to demand Aid of Pope Paul the V. and Philip King of Spain On the other hand the Protestants come in great numbers to Hall in Swabia The Electour and Princes of Saxony do not appear there Those of the branch of Weymar and Koburg had their particular Pretensions to the Dutchies of Cleves and Juliers and hoped the House of Austria would espouse their right sooner than that of other Princes more jealous of her growing Greatness The Elector of Saxony contented himself to send to Hall in conjunction with the King of Denmark to exhort all the Pretenders to put their Interests into the Emperours hand The Resolutions taken in that Assembly were kept private The Prince of Anhalt whom those of Brandenburgh and Newburg had desired to go on a Negotiation to the Court of France returned to Hall accompanied with Boissise Ambassadour from the King This Minister declared publickly his Master would Assist them with all his Strength and would march himself at the Head of a powerful Army to oppose the Designs of the House of Austria The Vnited Provinces too promised to joyn their Troops with those of Henry The Neighbourhood of the Contested Countries made it unsafe for them to suffer them to fall into the hands of a Kinsman or Friend of Spain The mortal Displeasure the King of France had to see the Arch-Dukes of the low Countries and the King of Spain receive the Prince of Conde with open Arms who had secretly withdrawn himself to Brussels with the Princess his Wife and promise him all sort of Assistance against the Injustice done him by Henry This Accident I say hapning at the same time with the Affair of Cleves and Julieâ—…s urged him more to a War than the Noble desire to assist his Allies Being Resolved to revenge the many Affronts he had received from Philip the II. and his Son and to have the Princess of Conde back what ever it cost him Henry again sent Troops towards the Alps. Lesdiguieres who from a mean Birth and Fortune had raised himself by degrees during the Wars in Dauphiny and Provence and had obtained the staff of Mareschal of France This Man was sent to conduct to the Duke of Savoy the Troops designed against Italy and to Attack the Milanese in Conjunction with him Vast Preparations were made These at first were covered with the ordinary pretence of the Publick Safety the preserving the Râ—…pose of Europe and the maintaining the Kings Allies in their rightful Possession but a Vile and Criminal Passion made them to encrease and march with the greatest Expedition Henry it was said had reason to fear that his ancient Enemies abusing the easiness and resentment of the first Prince of the Blood should excite an Ambition in him and put it into his Head to contest the Validity of the Marriage of the King with Mary de Medicis after a Divorce founded on very frivolous Reasons and the I egitimacy of his Children by this second Wife
King is Master of the Body and the Goods of his Subjects The Courtiers who instil'd this Doctrine into Sovereigns this Judicious Divine without Ceremony calls Dogs and Court-Parasites To prevent the ill effects of the bad Politicks of the Cardinal Director of the Education of King Lewis the XIV they printed the same things during the Minority of that Prince Neither the Bookseller nor the Author did dare to set their Name to it This Book was writ by a Churchman Eminent for his Learning and Probity Mr. Jolli Chantre de Nôtre-Dame de Paris Maximes veritables impnrtantes pour l'institution du Roi. He since enjoyed one of the first Dignities of the Church of Paris but what was spoken freely to Henry the II. and what was published covertly about 50 years since the French would have now lost the Memory of if it were as easie to forget as it is to be silent to avoid Danger all Books of this kind are now burnt by the hands of the Hangman Can those unworthy Magistrates who order this believe that the flames by consuming of Paper will erase out of the Hearts of good Frenchmen those Sentitiments that right Reason hath deeply inscrib'd in them The Oath which James the 1. King of England requirâ—…d of his Pâ—…pish Subjects caus'd a Dispute concerning the Independance of Sovereignty in Temporal Matters The Parlement of Paris on the 26th day of November the same year made a Decree for the Suppression of the Treatises which Cardinal Bellarmin a Jesuit had published concerning the power of the Pope in Temporal Matters since this new Book was a Consequence of the Dispute of the Author with James the first King of Great Britain upon the occasion of the Oath which that Prince required of the Roman Catholicks of England I will in a few words Relate the beginning and Progress of the Controversie After the Horrible Gunpowder Plot King James thought for his own Safety it was necessary to require the English Papists to take a particular Oath of Allegiance to him The Form of this was so ordered that it might not offend the Conscience of those who without renouncing their Religion would pay that duty to their Sovereign they rightfully ow'd him In this they acknowledg'd the Pope had no right to Depose Kings or dispose of their Kingdoms or any Foreign Prince to Invade them or Absolve their Subjects of their Oath of Allegiance or Command them to take Arms against their Sovereign they promis'd farther to be faithful to the King and serve him notwithstanding all that the Pope should attempt against him or his Successors and to discover all Conspiracies which should come to their Knowledge They Abjured and Detested as Impious and Heretical the Doctrine of those who teach it is lawful to Depose and Assassinate Princes Excommunicated by the Pope and lastly they protested they believed that neither the Pope nor any other power could dispense with the keeping of their Oath and Renounced all Dispensations which the Pope might think fit to give The thing appear'd reasonable to the English Papists the Nobility Gentry Priests and all others swore in this Form George Blackwell nominated Arch-Priest of England by the Pope not content with taking the Oath himself wrote in Defence of it against all its Opposers Paul V. forbids the English of his Communion to take the Oath The Court of Rome made a quite different Judgment in the matter Thinking Men were not surpriz'd at it a Proposition which she makes one of the Fundamental Articles of her Religion was here Rejected as Impious and Heretical Whatever be said on this Subject those who approve the Oath reason inconsequently if they own the Pope for the Vicar of Jesus Christ Paul V. scared at these proceedings of the English Catholicks without his Knowledge and Consent sent a Brief immediately to forbid them to take an Oath Inconsistent as he said with the Catholick Faith and the Salvation of their Souls These Expressions are as moving and strong as if he designed to disswade these poor People from subscribing the most Impious Tenets against the Divinity of Jesus Christ This thundering Brief discompos'd them so much they thought they could not do better then regard it as Subreptitious or Spurious His Holiness not being well inform'd of the proceedings in England King James his Apology for his Oath without setting his Name to it They were not suffered long to remain in this voluntary Mistake Paul soon dispatch'd another Brief to confirm the first Cardinal Bellarmin was the greatest and most eminent Champion of the Pontifical Power since the Death of Cardinal Baronius which happened not long before Bellarmin I say wrote a well studied Letter to Blackwell to reduce him into the right way A more passionate Remonstrance could scarce have been made to one who had renounc'd the Gospel and embrac'd the Alchoran This made James loose all Patience he wrote himself to defend his Oath against the two Briefs of the Pope and the Letter of Bellarmin and now he did not set his Name to the Work Had not a King better forbore Writing at all and left this care to another This good Prince own'd himself publickly that it became a King more to Judge than Dispute A little Jesuit made a Cardinal by blotting of Paper was not an Adversary worthy of a great Monarch Borghese behav'd himself like a King and James acted the part of a Doctor one Commanded and the other Disputed Except a Prince then write as Julius Caesar or Marcus Aurelius he is in the wrong to become an Author Julian was pleas'd to take his Pen to defend his Philosophick Gravity and Religion and with all his Learning made himself Contemptible and Ridiculous The King of England declares himself Author of the Apology to the Princes and States of Christendom Bellarmin did not fail to reply to the King but under a borrowed Name A Learned Prelate of England undertook to refute the Cardinal he shewed that before Gregory the VII no Ecclesiastical Writer had attempted to maintain the Authority of the Pope over the Temporalities of Sovereigns The King of England caused another Edition of his Apology to be printed and declared himself the Author of it Shall I say he thought in this to do himself Honour by becoming a Champion for the common cause of all Sovereigns or had a mind to display a Learning not very common in Persons of his Rank The Work appeared with a very pompous Preface at the Head of it This was a Manifesto addressed to all the Kings Princes and other Republicks of Christendom to give an account of his Oath and his Conduct with regard to his Roman Catholick Subjects Rouse your selves it is high time said the King to them The Common Interest of all Sovereigns is concerned a Formidable and Obstinate Enemy is undermining the Foundations of your Power unless you act in Concert to put a stop to the Progress he makes every Day
in Appearance When the Mareschal had Reproached the Duke that in the late Kings time he had drawn the Canon out of the Arsenal to destroy the Town and Church of Sedan Let us forget what is past says he I will become your Friend and Servant If you aâ—â— attacked in Sully upon account of Religion I will as readily bring down the Canon of Sedan to defend you as you drew out that of the Arsenal to destroy me at Sedan Let us agree for the benefit of our Religion Conscience and our Common Interest require it We cannot subsist without an Union The Party we follow cannot procure us great Advantages but it is capable of supporting a moderate Fortune That which is commonly called Greatness of Soul is most commonly Vanity and Ostentation The Mareschal would appear generous by feigning to Sacrifice a private Injury to the publick Good And perhaps he was sincere in what he did The Sense of Religion and Probity sometimes awakes in Noble Minds but Passion in its turn rising again stifles every thing that opposes it Bouillon sought an Advantage from the Reformed he gave Proofs of it in this Meeting He discovered Vigour in some weighty Affairs in others blinded by his Hatred and Ambition he could not see that by serving the Court he scattered the Seeds of fatal Division amongst his Brethren The Protestants renew their Oath of Vnion To prevent the ill effects of Differences amongst them the Protestants thought fit to renew the Oath of Union they had formerly taken on divers Occasions This Oath was first used amongst them when they had a Prince of the Blood and the late King at their Head Mercure Francois 1611. After he had changed his Religion he did not shew his Dislike of his Protestant Subjects renewing their Union at Mante under his Eyes and swearing publickly before the Catholicks of his Party that they would die in defence of their Confession of Faith A Just Prince should never complain of an Oath made under his Obedience In it they protested they would ever continue Loyal to the King But Henry being now in peaceable Possession of France he was much offended at an Act which the King of Navarr had approved off The Renewing this at Chatelleraut put him into an ill Humour He resented it highly that Lesdiguieres had Signed what himself had done under preceding Kings Sully gave him good Reasons for this proceeding The Reformed would not be afraid of any thing that could happen Sir said he to him if the Crown could make you Immortal But the Memory of St. Bartholomew will strike a Terror into them We are not ignorant the Catholicks press you only to give a Toleration for a Time See then what Reasons the Protestants have to take care for Futurity When the Reformed had so many just Grounds to distrust the Regent and her Council could it seem strange they should renew their Union at Saumur but the cry was against them They were ever Reproached with this Oath in the Reign whose History I am now writing To make a thing which was Innocent and Necessary in the Opinion of Henry Criminal was not this plainly to declare to the poor People their Ruine was absolutely resolved on The Affairs of the Duke of Sully proposeâ—… in the Meeling at Saumur Boissise and Bullion Counsellors of State and Commissioners sent by the King to the Assembly at Saumur having brought with them hopes of the Favour of the Court there was a serious design to draw up the Complaints and Requests of the Reformed Party Whilst this was managing by Persons appointed for that purpose there arose a Debate about the Duke of Sully's Concerns He feared the Consequences of the Threats made him to appoint Commissioners to enquire into his past Actions and proceed against him if he persisted to refuse to lay down his place of Great Master of the Artillery and his Government of Poitou To bring him to do this with the better Grace the Court offered him the choice of two sorts of Recompences a Dignity as that of Mareschal of France or a considerable Sum of Money The Duke desired to keep his Places and Government and convey both to the Marquess of Rony his Son He could find no way besides to baffle the Potent Enemies he had at Court but by engaging all the Hugonot Party to support him and declare loudly their cause was concerned in his Preservation He took Measures to succeed in this Project and the Mareschal was no less busie in Traversing it reckoning the Government of Poitou his own by Virtue of the Regents Promise when Sully should be deprived of it The Duke of Sully's Remonstrance to the Meeting Sully made a Remonstrance to the Meeting Under Colour of desiring their Advice he dextrously insinuated that his Religion was the only cause of Disgrace and the Association Oath which he had just now taken would expose him still farther to the Displeasure of the Court This was at least true in part Mercure Francois 1611. the Deputies were convinced it was so and the most Disinterested amongst them declared for Sully The Consideration all Men had for the Duke of Rohan a Lord already very Eminent for his great Courage his rare Probity A Discourse between the Mareschal of Bouillon and the Duke of Rohan concerning the Duke of Sully's Affair his Discernment and capacity still encreased the Friends of Sully whose Daughter he had Married This was an Invincible Obstacle to Bouillon's designs and embarassed him exceedingly He thought to surmount this by perswading Rohan to abandon his Father-in-Law pretending his Cause was desperate However Vpright and Careful a Man be who has the Administration of the Finances and Artillery says the Mareschal to the Duke of Rohan in a Visit he made him when he was ill It is hard for him to avoid committing some fault which deserves to be punished if it be enquired rigorously into A Superintendent of the Finances and a Great Master of the Artillery are not only answerable for what they do themselves but for the Management of their Commissioners and Inferior Officers If the Court should appoint Commissioners to enquire into the Duke of Sully's Administration do you think they would not find some plausible Pretence to take away his Places The Assembly and the Reformed will have no colour of Complaint nay though wrong be done to the Duke of Sully The Matter will be Determined in the usual Forms of Law For you My Lord you make such a Profession of exact Probity You are so great a Lover of good Order in a Word you have so Loyal a French Heart you will not be able to stir when the Matter shall be determined Judicially The Duke of Rohan took this Complement very ill What replyed he with some Disturbance after the Great Services the Duke of Sully has done to the late King shall he become a Prey to those who were always doing Mischief to the State His
Crown to be Entailed on his Heirs Male in short for setling Luther's Reformation in his Country and Abridging the too great Power of the Clergy Eric the Eldest Son of Gustavus Succeeded him but wanted the Virtues of his Father He introduced into Sweden the Dignities of Count and Baron which before were unknown there It was thought this was done to divide the Nobility among themselves The too great Union of this Powerful Body was able to create Trouble to a Family newly raised to the Throne The Dignities bestowed on some gave a Jealousie to the rest Those who had most Ambition made their Court to the King to obtain the same Distinction And the New Nobility were obliged to support the Authority of the King and adhere here to his Family to preserve their Privileges Eric made himself Odious by his Cruelties and Despicable by his Debauches and Extravagancies His ill Treatment of John Duke of Finland and Charles Duke of Sudermannia obliged them to rise and put themselves at the Head of the Malecoutents These two Princes Attacked Eric in Stockholm it self He first delivered up his Favourite whom all the Kingdom Exclaimed against They inflicted an Infamous punishment on him John and Charles would have something more than all this They agreed to take the Sovereign Power from Eric who abused it unjustly and that the Duke of Finland should be declared King and the Duke of Sudermannia should share with him in the Government without having any outward Marks of Royalty John thought himself now discharged from the Oath he had taken when Eric delivered him out of a close Prison where he had kept him three or four years The Duke had given Assurance by a Writing under his Hand that he would continue faithful to the King and not aspire to the Crown neither before nor after the Death of the King his Elder Brother and that he would acknowledge those Children for lawful Heirs of the Kingdom which Eric had by a Mistress of Mean Birth whom he afterwards Marryed Solemnly But John was not very anxious about the Religious observing his Promises When he was Master of his Eldest Brother not contented with shutting him up in a Castle he soon poisoned him John and Charles continued to attack Stockholm The Senate of the City delivered it up to them and poor Eric reduced to Extremity was left to the Discretion of his two Brothers The States of Sweden declared him fallen from the Crown and John Duke of Finland was set up in his place John King of Sweden endeavours to alter the Religion Established by his Father The New King of Sweden was not truer to the Duke of Sudermannia than he had been to his Predecessor Charles had no share in the Administration of the Kingdom Men promise any thing when they are to ascend a Throne but when they are once Established in it they find other Principles of Religion and Honour John had Married Catherine Jagellon Daughter to the King of Poland Whether the Princess had inspired her Husband with an Aversion to the Protestant Religion or the Reading the Books and Conversation of able Men of the Papal Communion had raised doubts in him or he hoped to be King of Poland after the Death of Sigismund Augustus his Brother-in-Law who had no Children as soon as John had made a Peace with Denmark by the Treaty of Stetin in Pomerania he applied himself seriously to change the Religion which his Father had setled in Sweden It is not a place here to relate all the Artifices he made use of to prepare the Minds of his People for the Alterations he designed I shall only observe that the King who wanted not Wit or Judgment was convinced there were a great many things to be altered in the Worship and Doctrine of the Church of Rome He can neither be reckoned among the good Catholicks nor the true Protestants Ever uncertain and wavering sometimes he relished the Project of Accommodation which Cassander had given to the Emperor Maximilian II. at other times he was inclined to the Greek Church The Answers of Jeremiah Patriarch of Constantinople to the Divines of Wirtembergh pleased him so much that he once thought to unite with that Communion Possevin a Learned Jesuit whom Pope Gregory the XIII had sent into Sweden thought he had persuaded King John to Reunite himself in earnest to the Church of Rome He confessed himself to that Jesuit the Popes private Nuncio he received the Communion in the Form used in that Church Possevin imposed as a Pennance on him for the Murther of his Brother Eric whom he had poysoned to fast every Wednesday throughout the year It is said John observed this Practice regularly all the rest of his Life Nevertheless he frequented the publick Service of the Church of Sweden There was a New Liturgy used which himself had introduced and the Pope refused to approve of The Mixture of these two Religions was one of the ways by which this Prince pretended insensibly to bring the People to forsake the Worship and Belief of the Protestants of the Ausburgh Confession Several Romish Churchmen came into Sweden The Irresolution of King John and his Indulgence drew them thither Several of his own Subjects too favour'd his dissembled Designs By their manner of Discourse the more unthinking People took these Preachers for free Protestants But others observed in spight of their Disguises all they spoke tended to insinuate into the Minds of the People the Doctrines of Popery The Archbishop of Vpsal suffered himself to be won by them Some Prelates and divers ignorant or ambitious Churchmen follow'd his Example There were some Bishops ordained according to the Roman Pontifical The Bishop of Linkoping several of his Brethren and a great number of Churchmen couragiously defended the Reformation setled by Gustavus Ericson The Clergy of the Dutchy of Sudermannia shewed a firmness of Mind which much confounded King John Charles his Brother declared highly for the Ausburgh Confession He opposed this Alteration with all his Might Neither the King nor I can make any Innovation in the Religion established by Law he replied to those sent to dispose him to comply All things are well regulated by the last Will and Testament of the late King our Father We must fix there For my part I am resolved never to depart from it The States of Sweden shew'd great Vigour on several Occasions They represented to the King that mighty Jealousies were risen in Sweden and Foreign Countries that his Majesty would overthrow that Constitution which his Father had wisely established and that to put an end to all those Rumours it concerned him to declare publickly that the Reformation received in that Kingdom was conformable to the Sense of the Primitive Church Farther the States commanded several Popish Books brought into that Country to be suppress'd they press'd the King to place able Men of unblemish'd Reputation in the Publick Schools to instruct the Youth In the last
place they desired that Sigismund the King 's eldest Son should be bred in the Protestant Religion because that young Prince began to give some Umbrage Queen Catherine Jagellon his Mother had so strongly tinctured him with the Principles of the Church of Rome that the Senators of the Kingdom having one day threatned him that he should lose the Right of Succession to the Crown if he did not soon renounce the Religion he had imbibed and embrace the Ausburgh Confession I prefer replied he boldly the Kingdom of Heaven to all the Crowns in the World No other Answer could be got from him On some Occasions the States of Sweden had more Complaisance for the King All seem'd dispos'd to receive the new Liturgy and the Accommodations he had invented Charles of Sudermannia the Clergy of his Provinces and some great Lords were the only People who defended the Reformation but the Interest of the Duke and the effectual Remonstrances of the rest brought back several whose Hopes and Fears had abated their Warmth and Zeal The King himself had lost much of that Ardor the Jesuit Possevin had inspired into him Whether he could not accommodate himself to the haughty Humour of Sixtus V. Successor to Gregory XIII or his Doubts were not sufficiently cleared or the great Power of his Brother kept him in awe John humbled the Catholicks who thought themselves now Masters of all things He drove out the Jesuits and demolished their College Gennila Bielke whom the King married after the Death of Catherine Jagellon cooled the Fervour her Husband had before shewed for the Roman Religion Kings often think they do that of their own Heads which a dextrous and insinuating Woman inspires into them John King of Sweden thought he had solid Reasons to doubt of the Truth of the Protestant Religion But his principal Motive though he scarce knew it himself was his great Complaisance for Catherine Jagellon The Queen Gennila might have brought him back to his first Religion in the same manner as the other had seduced him from it Sigismond Prince of Sweden is chosen King of Poland After the Death of Stephen Battori King of Poland Ann Jagellon his Widow and Aunt of Sigismond Prince of Sweden managed the Polish Nobility so well that the greatest part declared for him The contrary Faction chose the Arch-Duke Maximilian Brother to the Emperor Rodolphus But Sigismond's Friends carried it He was received in Poland beat the Arch-Duke and Maximilian being taken Prisoner redeemed his Liberty by renouncing all his Pretensions to the Crown of Poland The Swedes made their Conditions before the Prince left that Kingdom as the Poles made theirs before they received him The Principal thing which the Senate of Sweden stipulated with Sigismond was the preserving the Priviledges and Religion of their Country They added this Clause in the Treaty that if the King of Poland becoming King of Sweden after the Death of his Father should contravene any of the Articles agreed on that then the Swedes should be discharged from the Oath of Allegiance they had taken It is very probable that Sigismond before his departure from Sweden urged the King his Father to pursue his Design of causing his new Liturgy to be received together with the ancient Ceremonies which he had establish'd a little after his coming to the Crown When Princes have begun a Work that makes a great Figure they are loth to quit it and soon resume it when they see the least Prospect of Success Sigismond hoped his late Advancement would make it easie for him to accomplish the Work which his Father had drawn a rough Draught of And the King of Sweden strengthned by the new Alliance of Poland flatter'd himself that Charles of Sudermannia would not dare to oppose him He was deceived in his Conjectures The Churchmen of the Dutchy agreeing perfectly well with the Prince refused to receive his Liturgy This disturbed the King so much who was now at greater variance with his Brother than ever that he thought of recalling Sigismond in earnest The new King himself was tempted to return into his Country He would willingly have done it if the Poles had not briskly opposed it A Foreign Prince is easily dazled with the glittering Title of King of Poland But he soon takes distaste at the false Lustre of a Crown which only appears fair at a distance Those who have left their Hereditary Countries to go into Poland have repented This is the way to hazard the loss of an Effective Sovereignty for a Title which has more Pomp than Reality Sigismond knew by Experience the Truth of this Maxim The King his Father finding so great opposition from the Swedes who were more upon their Guard since the Election of Sigismond had nothing else to have Recourse to but to reconcile himself speedily to the Duke of Sudermannia and admit him to a Share in the Administration of Affairs The Apprehensions of John were something lessened by Charles's losing his Wife She left no Issue behind her and John pretended his Brother promised him never to think of a second Marriage If it were so the Duke in his turn broke his Word He soon after married Christina Daughter of Adolphus Duke of Holstein It is reported Sigismond courted this Lady before he went into Poland But a Sister of King John diverted the Prince her Nephew from the Match He after married Constance of Austria Daughter of Charles and Sister of Ferdinand Arch-Duke of Gratz in Stiria Christina enraged at this Contempt conceived so great a Hatred against Sigismond that after she was married to Charles of Sudermmannia she incessantly urged him to force the Crown of Sweden from Sigismond King John was not well satisfied with this second Marriage of Charles But his ill Humour did not last long He died soon after at Stockholm The Duke of Sudermannia was active as soon as he heard this News He set at liberty the Senators and Clergymen Sigismond King of Poland succeeds in the Kingdom of Sweden whom the late King had confined for opposing his Designs Sigismond very much distrusted his Uncle To prevent his enterprizing any thing to his Prejudice the new King writes that he was making all Preparations to come speedily into his Hereditary Countries In the mean time the Duke of Sudermannia takes the Administration as next of Kin to the King Puffendorf Introduction à Histoire Tom. IV. p. 11. Rhap 1. 2. John left another Son by his second Wife but he was yet a Minor The Senators without prejudice to their Oath taken to Sigismond promised to obey Charles in every thing he should order with their Consent for the Glory of God the Preservation of the Protestant Religion and the maintaining the just Rights and Priviledges of the Nation The Duke promised of his Part not to transact any thing of weight without the Advice and Consent of the Senate A Council is thereupon assembled at Vpsal to regulate Matters of
Religion They abolished the Liturgy and Ceremonies introduced by the late King and reassumed those of the Protestants of the Ausburgh Confession They elected an Archbishop who was well affected and deprived those of the Clergy who had devoted themselves to serve the late King in his Innovations The Swedes and the Goths only assisted aâ—… this Assembly The other Provinces weâ—â— afraid of displeasing King Sigismond iâ—… they engaged without his Consent Thâ—… Decrees of the Council were confirmed by the Duke of Sudermannia by the Senate the Clergy the Nobility the Ministers of State and the Burgo-Masterâ—… who were present Those who were noâ—… there subscribed after Sigismond and his Uncle Charles observed each other The Nephew's Distrust was encreased by Charles his demanding that before he left Sweden his Majesty would give him a Promise under his Hand that he would confirm the Liberties and Priviledges of the States of the Kingdom and suffer them to enjoy the same Freedom of Religion they had done under the Reign of Gustavus Ericson and in the beginning of the late King 's The Duke of Sudermannia farther represented to the King that the ill Condition of his Country would not admit him to carry much People away with him These Instructions and Demands increased Sigismond's Jealousie He thought his Uncle plainly discovered he had vast Designs Sigismond was resolved not to heed the Duke's Remonstrances And now Charles had greater Hopes than ever to embarass the new King when he saw the Poles gave Sigismond leave to go into his Hereditary Country under Condition to keep his ancient Oath not to abandon Poland as Henry III. King of France had done â—…nd that his Majesty should return when he â—…ad setled his Affairs in Sweden and have â—…is usual Residence amongst them The Swedes were disatisfied the new King had plainly declared the Decrees â—…ade at Vpsal in his Absence and without â—…is Consent to be null However they reâ—…eived him with great Marks of Joy â—…nd Affection Duke Charles withdrew â—â—fter he had made his Compliments to his Majesty He thought it proper to leave â—…im alone with the Council of his Kingâ—…om The Pope's Nuncio who was with â—…igismond much disquieted the Swedes â—…t was visible the new King hearkened to â—…he Councils of the Court of Rome He â—…roke the Regulations made at Vpsal and commanded another Archbishop to be chosen He who was raised to that Digâ—…ity was in his Opinion an Enemy to the late King Afterwards he demanded a Church in every great Town for the Roman Catholicks The States of the Kingdom and the Clergy vigorously opposed his Enterprize being assured of the Protection of the Duke of Sudermannia The time of the Coronation approaching the Senators demanded in the Name of the States of Sweden that the King should first promise under his Hand-writing not to hinder the Exercise of the Protestant Religion Sigismond replied only in general Terms that he would give his Subjects satisfaction after his Coronation All these Difficulties retarded the Ceremony The Quarrel between King Sigismond and Charles Duke of Sudermannia Men cover Liberty and Independence only for themselves Very far from procuring it for others they strive by all ways possible to enslave the rest of the World The Polish Nobility so Jealous of their Privileges and Liberty but accustomed to keep other People in Slavery incessantly cried to their King Sigismond that an Hereditary State is Governed otherwise than an Elective Kingdom That in Poland he was subject to the Laws but in Sweden he was above them These Maxims easily insinuate themselves into the Mind of a Prince Sigismond displeased to see himself dependant on the Senat of Poland was better satisfied with being Absolute in Sweden He Rejected the Petitions presented to him The Duke of Sudermannia stood Neuter in the beginning of the Dispute He advised the King to have regard to the just Requests of his Subjects but he was not very uneasie to find a Difference arise between them by his Denials and Delays The States secure of Charles Assistance abated nothing of their Pretensions The stubbornness of the King strangely incensed them and the Sermons of some zealous Preachers of the Protestant Religion warmed the most cold â—…nd indifferent They talked of offering â—…he Crown to the Duke and giving it to Prince John in case he would not accept â—…t Being persuaded it was not yet time â—…o hear a Proposition of this kind he conâ—…ented himself with going to wait upon â—…he King at Vpsal and strongly backing â—…he Pretensions of the States The Neâ—…hew and the Uncle so heated each other â—…hey were upon the point of Fighting They were parted and as soon reconcil'd â—…o prevent any Confusion and Disorder in â—…he Kingdom These Accidents conâ—…irm'd the States the more in the Resoâ—…ution they took to make the King Exâ—…lain himself before they would proceed â—…o his Coronation The Popes Nuncio and such of the Poâ—…ish Nation as then attended at Sigismond's Court now perceived clearly that in Pruâ—…ence he ought not to stand it out any â—…onger but must yield to the present Exgency of Affairs They told him withal That he was not bound to keep a Promise exâ—…orted from him by Violence Now Sigismond promises 'em any thing they 'd have He reserved only that he might have the â—…ree Exercise of the Popish Religion for himself within the private Walls of the Castle where he should make his Residence But he from that very time took a Resolution of destroying his Uncle The Plot of Murdering him at a Play having miscarried they undertook to drive at him with all the Vigour and open Violence that was possible Immediate Orders were given to the Polish Army to march toward Stockholm This made the States of that Kingdom begin to think of their own Security They Summoned the Inhabitants of the Highlands to come down to their Assistance In the mean time during all this bustle the King took no care of the Government nor of securing the quiet of the Kingdom When any Proposal was made to him by the States he likewise would make a demand of some other thing at their Hands The Polanders were still at him to return home and to come to no Conclusion with the Swedes They flattered themselves that the wider the Breaches and Divisions grew in Swedeland the easier it would be to reduce it So that Sigismond in fine following their Advice took thipping for Dantzick He left Orders how he would have the Kingdom Governed in his Absence but neither the Duke of Sudermannia nor the States would submit to any of them as judging the Persons imploy'd therein to be averse to the Treaty concluded at Vpsal before the King's Coronation The States of Swedeland commits the Government of the Kingdom during the King's Absence to the Duke of Sudermannia Soon after his Departure the States of Swedeland pray'd Charles of Sudermannia to take upon him the Government The Duke desired to be excused yet
The primitive Christians did they pretend the Empire to be in the Church She ought to obey God and Sovereigns but Emperors and Kings have none but God above them Thus they thought in the primitive Ages All the World would think still the same if Sovereigns would be instructed in their true Interests and those of the Religion they profess By giving great Riches and Principalities to the Clergy they have given them wherewith they may degrade their Benefactors Matthias having wisht the Empress his Spouse was Crown'd the Ceremony was perform'd two days after Leonard Donato Doge of Venice died almost at the same time Antony Memmi chosen Doge of Venice after the Death of Leonard Donato Antony Memmi was Elected in his place the 24th of July and Crown'd the next Morning The Dogate of Donato was famous for the Contest of the Republick with Pope Paul V. who interdicted all the Country of the Seigniory of Venice The Doge and Senate seem'd at first willing to defend courageously the lawful Authority of Sovereigns but when they were come to treat of this with the Pope the Venetians Degenerated from the Vigour and Stedfastness of their Ancestors upon the like occasions They yielded cowardly to almost all the Articles which the Court of Rome required from them except the Reestablishment of the Jesuits who had been gone after the Fulmination of the Interdiction The Society had done much more Mischief in France than at Venice In the mean time being extreamly content to see themselves deliver'd from the good Fathers these Wise Senators Resisted a longer time than France the Solicitations of the Court of Rome for the Reestablishment of their Society During this quarrel with the Pope the Seigniory had forbid the Subjects of the Republick under pain of perpetual Banishment to have any Commerce with the Jesuits or send their Children to studie in their Colleges The same Act was this year renew'd Mercure Francois 1612. upon the account of a Woman of Bresse who was gone to Castilione to live there under the direction of the good Fathers They had Establish't there I can't tell what College of Women and a great many Maids had put themselves into it The Brissan Lady sold the Estate she had in the States of the Republick to Augment this New Foundation but the Senate endeavour'd to stop the Money that arose from the Alienation and caused the Venetian Dames to be recall'd that might have put themselves under the conduct of the Society into the College of Castiglione The Mareschal d'Bouillon's Embassy to England The Mareschal Bouillon was gone extraordinary Ambassador into England and this was to impart to King James the double Marriage and so dissipate all Suspicions and Jealousies which this double Alliance might create in his Majesty Bouillon had a particular design in this Voyage Siri Memoire recondite Tom. II. p. 684 685 686. He was minded to Negotiate a Marriage of the young Elector Palatine Nephew of the Mareschal's Lady who was of the House of Orange with the Princess of England Mary of Medicis whom the Court of Rome always made use of for it's own ends had recommended to her Ambassador that he should complain to the King of great Britain for that he had enter'd into a League with the Protestant Princes of Germany against the Roman Religion and to desire his Britannick Majesty to moderate the Rigor of the Laws against the English who were of the Popish Communion The Mareschal had besides express Order to cause King James to Disapprove of the Demeanour of the Reform'd of France in their last Assembly at Saumur but especially to bid him beware of the Duke of Rohan who was the most Zealous of the Protestant Lords Bouillon had already done to Rohan such ill Offices with the Queen of France as he himself was enough dispos'd not to be more favourable to the Duke in the English Court. King James was easily made to believe that France thought of nothing but the General good of Christianity by making this double Allyance with Spain and that the Regent would not less preserve the Amity of Princes and the States Protestants Bouillon endeavour'd at last to make his Majesty understand that the Pope would not use violent means against the Protestants and that he intended only to Convert them by Preachments and the good Examples of the Clergy The Mareschal laid hold on this occasion to insinuate into the King the Regent's Complaints for that he had enter'd into the Protestant League of Germany and the entreaty that Mary of Medicis made him in favour of the English Papists I don't know whether this good Prince was enclin'd to believe what the Ambassador had told him concerning the good Intentions of the Pope Whatever the Matter was James answer'd that the Protestants lookt only to the Reciprocal Defence of the States of the Confederate Princes and that Religion was not concern'd in it As to the English who were of the Roman Communion his Majesty protested he willingly would let them be at Rest as soon as they could give certain Assurances of their Fidelity and Obedience Bouillon sent this into France and then Villeroy imparted it to the Nuncio as a great Secret The Regent press'd Vbaldini to make his Master acquainted of it Subjoyning that she would write of it to Breves her Ambassador to the end his Holiness might find some Expedient to content the King of Great Britain Memoires de la Regence de Mary de Medicis When they came to speak touching the Matters of the Reformed Churches in France James was not altogether so Tractable The Duke de Rohan held a great Correspondence with Henry the King 's Eldest Son This was a very hopeful Prince he shew'd a Zeal little common to Persons of his Age for the good of the Protestant Religion Never did the Roman People so much love Germanicus as the English lov'd this Prince of Wales and the Father perhaps was not much less jealous of the Applauses they gave his Son than Tiberius was of old jealous of the Reputation of him whom Augustus made him adopt Rohan had gain'd over a Gentleman of the Ambassador's Retinue This secret Friend of the Duke was to instruct his Britannique Majesty with the truth of all which pass't in France Insomuch as the King was well prepared whenever he was spoke to concerning the Assembly at Saumur If the Queen your Mistress reply'd he to Bouillon will break Acts agreed to the Protestants of her Realm I don't pretend that the Alliance I have made and confirm'd with France ought to hinder me from succouring and protecting them When my Neighbours are Attack't in a Quarrel that respects me Natural Law requires that I should prevent the Mischief which may arise from thence Believe me Monsieur Mareschal said the King you must be Reconciled to the Duke of Rohan I will let him know 't is my desire that you live friendly together Would to God King James
punished him severely he would have made him left out what was of ill tendency in the Book Since the death of Henry IV. many French Authors have published several satyrical Libels against the Holy See and the Person of the Pope They have endeavoured to Ruine his Authority at that time when he employed it for the Interest of the King and for the Prosperity of France The Bishop of Folìgni charged the Ambassador to inform the Regent that the Pope complained of the violent Proceedings of the Parlement and to desire her Majesty to get the Decree revok'd The Discourse between the Pope and the F. Ambassador about the Parlements Decree The Marquiss de Trenel having an Audience of the Pope sometime after he represented to his Holiness how impossible it was to obtain what he desired of the Queen who in the present juncture of Affairs could not fall out with the Parlement of Paris Her Majesty said the Ambassador to the Pope will always retain a remembrance of those kindnesses which you have done her but she will be concerned to understand that your Holiness gives protection to a Book the Author of which is so far from incouraging Subjects to Obey their Sovereigns as be is obliged by his Profession to do that he laies down Maxims to stir them up to Rebellion and make an attempt on the Lives of their Princes France still bewails the Bloody death of Henry IV. Her Parlements will never fail to oppose those Authors whose pernicious Doctrine Struck the Knife in the Breast of so good a King The Magistrates will never cease to employ their utmost Care for the preservation of the Person of his Son without being defective in that Respect that they owe to your Holiness and the Apostolick See Accordingly the Parlement of Paris hath taken all possible Care that their Decree might not violate the Lawful Authority of the Successors of St. Peter These Remonstrances did not at all affect a proud and angry Pope If the King of France replied he will not revoke the Decree of Parlement as to those Points which concern the Rights of the Holy See I will follow the light and dictates of my Conscience You must not imagine that the fear of a Rupture will be any restraint upon me in this matter In case Her Majesty refuses to give me the satisfaction that I desire I 'le endeavour to do my self justice and follow the examples of my Predecessors Must I maintain â—…a Nuncio at Paris to be there the Spectator of the outrages that are done me and the Indignity with which they there trample under their Feet the Authority of the Holy See Is it so hard a matter to stop the proceedings of the Parlement I know the Chancellor well enough Maxims of Politicks are more pleasing to him than truths of Religion The Ambassador was not at all dismaied He desired the Pope to reflect upon the reasons which the Parlement had to Condemn Suarez his Book I have heard say added he like a Gentleman that Divinity is a holy Science It is therefore inconsistent with an Opinion which allows the murder of Kings The Parlemenâ—… is indispensably obliged to take care of the preservation of good Divinity in the Kingdom of the Authority and Person of the King They have a Book brought before them which maintains that in some cases a particular Person may attempt with a safe Conscience the Life of his Prince Caâ—… any one desire that the Magistrate should be Silent when Two Kings have been successively murdered by Fanaticks who have imbibeâ—… this damnable Divinity Paul replied that the matter in dispute was not about the killing of declared Tyrants I have forbid my self said he the teaching such Doctrines and I do not know but that I have complied too much in that matter Many approved Authors in the Church are of the Opinion But I complain of the Condemnation of certain passages recited in thâ—â— Decree which speak only of the Prerogativeâ—â— of the Holy See And what were these They were those where Suarez affirms that the Pope may depose Princes when they become Tyrants That which Paul Vâ—â— acknowledges deserves to be remarkâ—… He pretends to be very favourable to Kings in forbidding any to teach that iâ—… was lawful to kill them with a safe Conscience in any Case what ever But with a moderation altogether worthy of the Successor of St. Peter he reserves to himself the Right of Deposing them when ever he should judge that their Government is degenerated into Tyranny Trenel replied very aptly that Princes were not so much obliged to him and that it was his Holiness's own Interest that such a Doctrine should be banished all Christian Communions For says he the Protestants hold that the Popes are Hereticks Tyrants and Antichrist and if the Opinion which allows the attempting the Lives of Tyrants be once Established among Christians It is not impossible but a Fanatick Hugonot may take a fancy to do a brave Action and kill the Pope Paul V. was enraged instead of being pacified He said again with a threatning and angry Air that nothing should hinder him from defending the Rights of the Holy See if the King would not revoke the Decree of Parlement I wish your Holiness replied the Ambassador in a submissive manner would have the goodness to offer some Expedient that you would write to your Nuntio and would send Orders â—…o the Cardinals which are in France to consult with him about some means of accommodation the Queen will agree to any thing that she can do with Honour As for Revoking of the Decree it is not a thing possible to be done at present Trenel's design was only to hold him in play that so the hot and haughty Old Gentleman might have time to grow cool and reflect upon the Consequences of his Threatnings After some farther discourse he took a resolution to write to the Nuncio and to send to the Cardinals de Joieuse du Perron and de la Rochefoucault to enjoin them to confer with the Nuncio about the Satisfaction which his Holiness should Demand in the present posture of affairs in France In reciting these particulars Two things seem equally Surprising to me The arrogance of the pretended Vicar of Jesus Christ who will not endure that Crowned Heads should make use of their Authority to support their Sovereign and Independant Power or to preserve their Lives from Assasins They must humbly desire of the Pope the Condemnation of a Jesnit who allows attempts upon their Lives They must be content with his publishing throughout their Dominions that the Pope hath a Right to examine their Conduct and to Depose them when he thinks they Tyrancically abuse their Power The other thing which does not less amazâ—… me is the mean and low-spirited Superstition of the Princes of the popish Communion What good Reason did he alledge to oblige them blindly to submit to the arrogance and pride of the Bishop of Rome which grosily
abuses a Religion the principles of which reduce him to the simple Quality of a preacher of the Gospel and an Overseer of a particular Church The Methods used by the Court of F. to content the Pope The Regent of France and her Ministers were pleased with the Marquiss of Trenel for having engaged the Pope to take the way of Negociation for his obtaining Satisfaction concerning the Decree of the Parlement of which he so bitterly complain'd Siri Memo recondite Tom. III. p. 269. 270. c. 'T was not that the Court of France were afraid of the Menaces of the good Man His Quarrel with the Republick of Venice had taught the World that though his anger might make him take a violent Resolution yet he soon repented of it and became more mild when when he was steadily Opposed No one could imagine that a Man of his Age and Experience would have ever been so Imprudent as to break with France This Step would have done the Pope and the Roman Religion more mischief than it would those whom he threatned with his Thunders and Anathemas This would have been matter of Triumph to the Protestants They would have certainly have yet more insulted over the arrogance of Paul V. on whom they had already bestowed many sharp and ingenious Raileries He would thus have expos'd himself to the Indignation of all Wise and Judicious Catholicks who would have highly blamed him for an Effort so contrary to good Sense and the true Interests of those of their Communion The Court of France resolved therefore not to meddle with the Decree of Parlement They had good reason to disgrace Suarez his Book And at this Juncture 't was not convenient to put the Chief Magistrates of the Kingdom out of humour They applied themselves only to find means to content the Pope and to quit themselves of this Affair with Honour When Vbaldini the Nuncio presented the Brief which the Pope had written with his own hand to the Queen she answered him very handsomely Her Majesty intimated that she should be very glad that the Nuntio should agree with the French Cardinals upon an Expedient which might please his Holiness The Jesuits bestir themselves at Rome for to have the Decree of tae Parlement burnt there The Jesuits at Rome were more inraged against the Decree of the Pralement than the Pope and his Ministers If we will believe their Founder that Society is to do every thing for the great Glory of God But did not he secretly Inspire this Principle into his Disciples that the Honour of their Society ought to be dearer to them than the Glory of God and the welfare of his Church This hath been the Temper of the Jesuits ever since they have been taken notice of in the World They don't care what Scandals and Divisions they cause in the Church of Rome so that that they can preserve and increase the pretended honour of their Society This they have plainly enough discovered in the business which I am speaking of If Paul V. had been carried away with the first motions of his Anger he might have lost France as Clement VII did England The Jesuits were not concerned to prevent the Pope from exposing himself to the same Inconvenience They used their utmost endeavours that the Holy Office might avenge the honour of Suarez by Condemning the Decree of the Parlement of Paris as Heretical and ordering it to be burnt by the hand of the Common Hangman in the Field of Flore To stop this impetuous Zeal the Marquiss of Trenel was forced to admonish them that they run the risque of being a Second time driven out of France The Court injoined also the chief Jesuits at Paris to write to Rome and to declare to their inraged Brethren that if the Pope took any violent Resolution her Majesty would impute it to the Suggestions of that Society and that she knew how to punish them sufficiently The Declaration of the K. in his Council upon the Decree of Parlement One of the first things the young King did who was become of Age the end of the Month September was to give the Pope Satisfaction His Majesty having had the Decree of Parlement read to him in full Council Ordered an Act to be drawn up in which after having expressed his Zeal for the Honour of the Apostolick See and the desire he had of satisfying the Pope Lewis XIII declar'd that his Intention in Executing of the Decree Siri Memo. Recondite Tom. III. p. 303. is not to do any prejudice to the Pope's lawful Authority nor to the priviledges of the See which his Predecessors had always acknowledged When the Declaration was read to the Nuncio Vbaldini he thought fit to object against that part which supposed that the Temporal Power of Kings is Supreme and Independent This was in the Opinion of the Italian Minister very unreasonably to reject the pretensions of the Court of Rome who would have that Crowned Heads should at least be subject to the Authority of the Pope in some particular Cases but they did not much concern themselves about the long reasonings of the Nuncio The Pope is not content with the Ks. Declaration His Master was no better pleas'd than he with the Declaration of the King Paul V. said plainly that that would not remedy the Disgrace which they had thrown upon the propositions of Suarez with relation to the Authority which Jesus Christ had given to St. Peter and his Successors Siri Memo. Recondite Tom. III. p. 298 299. c. This Author said the Pope like a Divine well vers'd in the Holy Scriptures and the Ecclesiastical Antiquity had good reason to maintain that I have Power to Excommunicate Heretick Princes and even to Depose them when they continue obstinate in their ill Opinions and endeavour to eompel their Subjects to embrace them If Jesus Christ had not given this Power to St. Peter and and his Successors they would have wanted a Power requisite for the preservation of his Church God forbid that I should be guilty of a base prevarication by ceasing to defend the Right of the Chair of St. Peter to which God hath advanced me Thus the Popes are pleas'd to form a Plan suitable to their Ambition according to which Jesus Christ in their Opinion ought to Govern the Church Who told them that the Saviour of the World would not have Established a good Order in his Religion if he had not followed the fine System they give us Should God have called them to his Councils The Ancient Popes who Deposed neither Constantius nor Valens nor Julian the Apostate were then either downright Fools or base Prevaricators Is it credible that they did not know the Power which Jesus Christ had given them for the welfare of his Church And if they did know it why did they not imploy it against those Emperors who endeavoured to re establish Idolatry or to force their Subjects to
was extremly troubled when he understood that their Majesty's were at Orleans and that the Troops were on their March Uncertain which way to take he sometimes made a shew of going to the Duke de Rohan at St. Jean d' Angeli But what Assistance could he expect from the Huguenots They were never disposed to stir in the favour of a wavering Prince that was imprudent in all his Steps I don't see says du Plessis Mornai of what advantage the Prince's Journey to St. Jean d' Angeli will be to him If he goes there with a few Men he will be despised if with a great many it will be troublesome to Mr. de Rohan to Entertain them can one imagine that the People of St. Jean d' Angeli will Expose themselves to the danger of having all the King's Forces upon their backs by giving Reception to a Prince who has no Inclination for a Religion which his Ancestors have Defended and is not capable of doing any great Service to our Churches Conde was very sensible he would never have Reputation enough to draw after him the Huguenot Party as long as du Plessis Mornai persisted to perswade the Reformed from having any hand in their Commotions The Prince wrote therefore to du Plessis to ask Advice of him But his real Design was to make the Reformed afraid of their Majesties March This Journey said he in his Letter was not undertaken but for one of these Three Reasons Is there not a Design to take away from those of your Religion that which the late King hath granted them Some think that they are going to receive the Infanta and to accomplish the King's Marriage For my own part I believe they come to Ruine me here Pray tell me added Conde what is in your Opinion best for me to do in this Juncture Du Plessis easily perceived that under a pretence of asking Advice he solicited him to appear for him He answered the Prince that the King's Journey did not at all allarm the Reformed Churches We are perswaded said he that the Queen is very sensible she would put the whole Kingdom into a Flame if she should suffer those of our Religion to be injured I confess some People have given it out that the Queen is going to Receive the Infanta But should a Prince take his Measures from common Rumour Are there any Vessels ready in the Ports of Spain Are there any Gallys fitted out at Barcelona The Infanta can't come any other way than by Sea The Spaniards are too Proud Don't think they 'l ever send their King's Eldest Daughter to us Incognito She will never come away before the Court of Madrid is sure that she will be received as Queen before ever she sets Foot in France I doubt not but her Majesty is either coming into Bretagne against Mr. de Vendome who has not consented to the Treaty of St. Menehoud or at lest to Poitiers Her presence seems absolutely necessary there For this reason your Highness can't do better than make an handsome Retreat from Poitiers It concerns your Hignesse's Reputation not to stay till you are forced to it The Duke of Maienne was at that time at Chateleraut He went there with the Consent of the Court and urged Conde forthwith to Submit to her Majesty The Prince had no other Course to take From this last foolish Design he got nothing but the shame of being forced to hide himself in Chateauroux in Berri He did not dare to Return to his New Government of Amboise Those which Commanded for him in that Place of Security which he had so earnestly desired had so little Respect for him that they Presented the Keys to the New Queen when she came there a little while after Her Majesty seemed to despise the vain Efforts of the Prince in letting him have a Place which she could recover at pleasure without any Resistance The Remonstrances of du Plessis Mornai to the Queen Regent The Regent used her endeavours to take away the Suspicions which the Prince of Conde and his Emissaries had â—…nspired the Reformed Churches with concerning their Majesty's Journey As â—…oon as the Court was arrived at Orleans Mary de Medicis dispatch'd a Gentleman â—…o Saumur with Credential Letters Vie de M. du Plessis Mornai Liv. III. He was to assure du Plessis that the King's Army should not Advance into those â—…rovinces which lie on the other side of â—…he River Loire Lettres memoires du Meme 1614. That the Queen had no â—â—oughts of Concluding the double Marriage with Spain before the Meeting of the States of the Kingdom and that they only designed to Reduce the Duke of Vendome who every day raised new difficulties against the Treaty of St. Menehoud although the Marquiss de Coeuvres had already made two Journeys into Bretagne to persuade him to comply The Court moved from Orleans to Tours Her Majesty invited du Plessis to come thither They gave it out the King and Queen his Mother would not pass by Saumur in their Journy to Bretagne They don't care said some to be at the discretion of the most Zealous Hugonot in France These Discourses troubled du Plessis He resolved to complain of them to the Queen Madam said this Genâ—…leman whose Virtue exceeded even that of Cato and Aristides I don't give any credit to what I hear But if it should be proposed in your Majesties Council that the King's Person would not be safe at Saumur I should look upon it as the greatest Injury that could be done me The Government of Saumur was committed to me as a Reward of the Treaty which I had managed between the late King and hiâ—… Predecessor That Negotiation which 〈◊〉 brought to a happy Conclusion made way for the late King to sit upon the Throne oâ—… his Ancestors God forbid that that Placâ—… which he entrusted me with should ever bâ—… suspected by the King his Son This generosity pleased the Queen She lookeâ—… upon it as a handsome Invitation to go to Saumur Du Plessis had several private Audiences of Mary de Medicis during her stay at Tours Her Majesty discoursed very freely to him concerning the present Condition of the Affairs of the Kingdom He on his Side undertook frequently to inculcate upon the Regent the necessity of avoiding a Civil War Nothing said he does more weaken the Authority of a Prince I have heard it several times said to the late King That he never was really King till the end of the Civil Wars Whatsoever they may say to your Majesty against those of our Religion believe Madam that you have no such faithful Subjects as those who obey from a Principle of Conscience We have at least this Advantage above our Adversarys that we acknowledge no power under God Superiour to his Majesty The fundamental Maxims of our Religion will not allow us to hold any Commerce with Foreigners who would Encroach upon the Kingdom or the King's Authority Suffer me
finds it in the worst When an Author is oblig'd to censure a Man Polybius L. XII Polybius judiciously remarks he must not have regard to what may please the Enemies of him whom he speaks of The Rules of Truth and Decency must be inviolably kept Those who are led by their Passions or Malice are imprudent and rash in their Relations and Judgments Polybius had good Reason to blame a Greek Historian who had not Equity enough to own what was good in Agathocles the Tyrant of Syracuse If this Man says he whose first Employment was to serve a Poâ—…ter knew how to make himself King of Sicily and could embarâ—…ss the Potent Republick of Carthage and die in the peaceful Possession of what he had acquired it cannot be denied but Agathocles had rare Qualities without these could he have done any of these extraordinary Things Historians ought then to do him Justice in delivering with the same Sincerity what was Good or Ill in him This is the Rule which I propose to my self in respect of Cardinal Richlieu and some others Though I think of that first Minister quite otherwise than his Flatterers for indeed I cannot regard without Horror a Prelate who sacrifices the Liberty of France and the Repose of all Europe to his Ambitions yet without falling into the violent Invectives of St. Germain and the Faction of Mary de Medicis I will describe with pleasure what is Good and Valuable in that Great Politician There is a Thing in which I would imitate Titus Livy and Tacitus and that is Brevity The first employs but Ten Books in relating what pass'd remarkable in the Roman Commonwealth for several Ages and the other has brought into one small Volume the Reigns of Tiberius Caligula Claudius and Nero. But I believe it is impossible to be so short The Reason presents it self to every Man's view The Roman Religion did not occasion any Disputes it did not cause Schisms and different Sects Their Divinity had no Connexion with Political Matters It is not so with Christianity There are great Disputes in this It has always been divided into different Communions Princes interest themselves and take a part in the Quarrels of Divines Since the Popes have setled their Monarchy in the Western World the Court of Rome concerns her self in every thing So that Matters of Religion Controversies of Divinity the Interests and Pretensions of Popes Bishops and the Clergy the Cabals of Monks and divers other Matters which only regard the Church considerably swell an History The good Fathers the Jesuits have been at the bottom of every thing since the Rise of the Society The Relation of their endless Intrigues Enterprizes and Quarrels is Work enough to employ an Historian Add to this that in the Days of the Romans Things were in another Posture than they are at present There were not so many Treaties with neighbouring Nations so many Intrigues in the Senate among the People and in the Court of the Emperors The Romans made War to extend their Territories they had a small number of Allies whom they protected against the Powers that threatned them All Intrigues terminate in gaining the People by Donatives or promising to procure them a Dividend of Lands or to obtain for them a greater Share in the Government The time of the greatest Intrigues in the Roman Commonwealth doubtless was that of the two Triumvirates We have not a very exact History of this but it is plain all was transacted between som few Persons who had the Address to procure the Command of Armies in the remote Provinces Others fell in with the prevailing Party led by Ambition or Avarice That which Tacitus calls the Great Secret of Government in the time of the Emperors was to be Masters of the Legions He who had Interest or Money enough to procure them to revolt was soon proclaimed Emperor After this he had nothing more to do but to beat out the old Possessor or a Competitor The Victor became lawful Sovereign and the Vanquish'd was declared an Usurper In an Absolute and Tyrannical Government all things are ruled at the Pleasure of the Prince The Favourite and the Mistress have their Share in the Authority When these are once established the Dagger Poison False Informations and Violence are the Means they make use of to rid themselves of their Enemies and preserve their Power Thus every thing was managed under the Successors of Augustus The History of such a State as I represent the Commonwealth and Empire of Rome cannot be very large But the Affairs of all Christian Princes have so great a Relation to each other they make so many Leagues and Alliances together some for their own Greatness others to defend themselves from their ambitious Neighbours that it is impossible to write the History of Germany France Spain or England without speaking at the same time of what passes in the rest of Europe If two Petty Princes have any Différence one implores the Protection of the House of Austria and the other throws himself into the Arms of France If the two Crowns commence a War some of these declare for Spain others for France in hopes of profiting by the Conjuncture The Powers who have the smallest Interest are at last obliged to side with one Party or at least to arm to keep the Balance even and prevent the Conqueror from advancing his Power too much by the Ruins of the Vanquish'd The Intrigues of each Court the Interests and Motions of Great Men in a State where Arbitrary and absolute Power is not well setled cannot be so succinctly related Those Illustrious Historians who shall write the present Reign in France will be obliged if I guess aright to enlarge more in proportion on the Affairs of the Minority of Lewis XIV than on what has happen'd since the Peace of the Pyrenees The Designs and Advances of the Prince of Condé the Cardinal Mazarin and some Court Ladies in the Parlements and Provinces will fill a greater Space than the Events since the Death of Philip IV. King of Spain Since Lewis XIV has obtained what Richlieu and Mazarin had proposed and opened the way to every thing is disposed of by one or two Ministers a Mistress or a certain Lady What Character this Great Woman ought to have Time perhaps will inform us The Princes of the Blood Great Lords and Parlements all keep the Respect and Silence All Wars Alliances and great Affairs are resolv'd on with the Ministers Mistress or the Lady None can be preferred or obtain any Employ or Honour but through one of these Channels There are no knotty difficult Treaties abroad Every thing is done by the Power of Money or Threats It is the King's Pleasure it should be so This is the Answer with which his Majesty's Ministers often pay those of Foreign Sovereigns as well as their Master's Subjects Things were not so under the Reign of his Father Mary de Medicis impatiently endured the excessive
to allow them a place of Meeting for the taking Measures to represent to him the Justice of their Pretensions and read the Answer which the King of Hungary and the Electors and Princes of the Empire had sent them Incensed at the unjust refusal of Rodolphus the Gospellers take each other by the hand and mutually swear to lose their Lives in defence of their Liberties and Religion take Arms in the Court of the new Prague broke open the Gates enter and consult what was fit to be done in their Condition They were not more than three Hundred Budovitz their chief lays open to the Assembly the Importance of their Undertaking the danger they are threatned with and the ill Designs of their Enemies Then making an Ardent Prayer to God sings the Hymn of the Holy Ghost in the vulgar Tongue This animates the Assembly with new Zeal and Devotion they continue to sing and shed Tears in abundance A great number of Gospellers come presently into them and all set themselves to sing and weep together Notice is given a great Body of Masqueteers were coming to charge them Instead of being daunted they take Courage come down into the Area seize all the Avenues and prepare for a Vigorous Defence There was about twelve Hundred Horse and three Hundred Harquebusiers The People of their Religion in Prague came on all sides to the Assistance of their Brethren so that there was soon about ten Thousand Men differently Armed There was a Rainbow seen in the South and the Sun appeared encircled with this new Phaenomenon The vulgar naturally addicted to Superstition interpret any thing which seems extraordinary according as their Imagination is more or less heated And now they conceive great hopes thinking God has given this as a visible sign of the particular Assistance they had begg'd of him with great Ardour The chief Persons were desired to return into the Hall of the Assembly and consider what Methods were to be used The People promised in the mean time to guard the Avenues with all possible care Rodolphus informed of what had passed sent the first Burgrave of Prague and the chief Officers of his Court to appease the Tumult His Imperial Majesty says the Burgrave in the Hall cannot imagine for what reason you have taken Arms. He has always loved you as his good Subjects The Emperors Conscience bears him witness he has faithfully kept his Word in every thing he promised to the States of the Kingdom and hopes you will not be less steddy in your Fidelity to him He is disposed to summon a new Meeting to determine all Disputes which may arise on the Head of Religion contrary to the Intention of his Majesty Budovitz replied in the name of the rest that the Gospellers humbly thanked the Emperor for his good Will towards them and intreated him to believe they never design'd an Insurrection against him We only complain says he of certain Persons who under colour of preserving the Catholick Religion give his Majesty Advice which tends to the Subversion of the Government We hope to make this appear in the next Assembly which he shall convene Farther we most humbly intreat his Majesty the Publication of this Meeting may be made within three Days This is the only way to prevent those Accidents we have reason to be afraid off The Suspicion which the Gospellers had of the Catholick Party was the cause of more Commotions Rodolphus appeased these without much Difficulty by publishing a Proclamation In this he own'd those of the Bohemian Confession and the Protestants for his good and faithful Subjects declared that in their Meetings held without his consent they had no other end than the good of the Kingdom and his Majesties Service required all the Deputies to meet in the Castle of Prague the 25th of May 1609. and to bring no Soldiers with them promised on his side to send away all those in his Service that so he might leave the States an entire Liberty to settle all matters of Religion The Gospellers had a solemn Thanksgiving upon the publishing this Proclamation but their Enemies every day finding new Pretences to hinder the Conclusion of the matter the Gospellers began to raise Soldiers and brought them into Prague All preparations were made for a Civil War The Pacification of the Trrubles in Bohemia when at the Intercession of the Elector of Saxony Rodolphus published a Declaration That all his Subjects communicating under one or both kinds should have free exercise of their Religion and their Service in Bohemian or High-dutch forbidding the Archbishop of Prague to disturb the Ministers of the other Party in their Worship That Catholicks and others should equally enjoy the same Privileges That the Gospellers might build Churches and found Colleges This Edict was declared perpetual and irrevocable and those who broke it were to be punished as Disturbers of the publick Peace By Virtue of this Grant the Protestants had the liberty to exercise their Religion in Prague and the 15th of July 1609. their Ministers preached publickly in a Church of the Hussites shut up for a long time before None doubted the Jesuits inspired into the Archbishop of Prague and the other Officers of the Empire the violent Counsels which caused all the preceding Troubles The Catholicks and Gospellers were alike enraged at them Both parties reunited to present jointly an Address to the Emperor In this they represent that the Jesuits being very poor when they came into Bohemia had gained considerable Wealth and did not contribute at all to the Charges of the State for this Reason they did humbly beseech his Majesty to take care the good Fathers should not be exempted more than other Churchmen and for the future they should not receive any thing by Will or Donation without the express consent of his Majesty A Diet at Prâ—…gue in 1610. The Emperor soon repented of the Treaty with Matthias his Brother and demanded the Restitution of Austria and Moravia The Electors and Princes of that Empire summon'dâ—…to meet at Prague in 1610. came thither to endeavour a Reconciliation between the two Brothers Besides this they were to Treat of the Election of a King of the Romans and determine the Difference about the Succession of Cleves and Juliers The Elector of Cologne Ferdinand of Austria Archduke of Gratz and Henry Julius Duke of Brunswick went to Vienna to confer with the King of Hungary After a long Negotiation the two Brothers made a new Treaty Matthias remained in possession of what had been given him and the weak Rodolphus had only some seeming Submissions and a sort of annual Tribute of a certain number of Tuns of Wine and a small sum of Money The Emperor gives the Elector of Saxony the Countries of Cleves and Juliers The Diet did not take any Resolution about the Election of a King of the Romans The Posture of Affairs did not seem very favourable to the House Austria As for the Succession
Princess sent to let the Regent know that La d'Escouman had great things to Reveal Some Persons were ordered to go to the Hôtel of Queen Margaret They conceal themselves in an adjoyning Closet while the Princess makes la d'Escouman repeat with a loud Voice what she had said Margaret testified the Woman did not vary but repeated Word for Word before to her what they had now heard She is Condemned Upon the Report made to the Regent her Majesty ordered her Letter Patents to be dispatched for the Parlement of Paris to take cognizance of this New Affair La d'Escouman being examined by the first President de Harlay accuses two Persons one of which had been Valet de Chambre to the Marquess d' Entragues These Men are Seized Examined thrown into a Dungeon confronted with d'Escouman who affirms peremptorily all was true she had charged them with Farther she declares the Marchioness of Vernueil had sent Ravaillac to her with a Letter for one Madamoiselle du Tillet and that in her Presence du Tillet had spoke to Ravaillac to Assassinate the late King But the Evidence so ill maintain'd her Charge was so deficient in describing the Person of the Murtherer and said so many things directly false that no Credit was given to her Depositions The two Prisoners were acquitted and la d'Escouman condemned to close Imprisonment for the rest of her Life Reflections on 〈◊〉 Sentence The care taken to confine this Wretched Woman and the keeping her Examination so private gave occasion for divers Suspicions and many Reflections It was pretty commonly believed Persons of Eminent Quality had a share in this Mystery of Iniquity and it was not judg'd convenient to disclose it Some pretended this was only done to spare the Reputation of certain Persons of the first Rank who had made this use of la d'Escouman to ruine their Enemies So ill and revengeful a Woman as la Vernueil said they may well enough be guilty of a great Crime But is it to be believed the Queen who mortally hates the Marchioness would spare her Could she ever find a fairer opportunity to revenge the frequent Disquiets which the ill Nature and Raillery of a Rival had given her The Duke of Epernon 's Interest added some Judicious Men could never stifle this Matter He has powerful Enemies at Court The Prince of Conde and the Count of Soissons declare openly against him The Mareschal de Bouillon and the Marquess of Ancre strictly tied together seek to remove and ruine him If any one reflect on the Conduct of the Duke of Epernon his Humour and Inclinations he will not appear capable of so black an Attempt And if he had Malice enough to conceive it is he so void of Common Sense to trust this in the Hands of a Fool as Ravaillac was In short if he suborned the Assassin would he have taken pains to keep him from being killed on the spot as James Clement was The Duke of Epernon said some who were the most prejudiced against him could not be called to an Account without bringing in the Queen whom he served in it Doubtless said others to them it would be much safer and easier to have poison'd the King than to depend upon a Blow of that Importance on such a Fellow as Ravaillac was There was a greater Division in the Court of Prague than that of Paris and the Princes of the House of Austria in Germany lived in a more visible Misunderstanding than the Princes of the Blood in France The Emperor Rodolphus had three Brothers Matthias Albert and Maximilian The first had forced from his Elder Brother the Kingdom of Hungary and the greatest part of what the House of Austria calls her Hereditary Countries Albert lived contented with the Provinces of the Low Countries which the Infanta Isabell brought to him in Marriage and Maximilian having long agoe relinquished his Pretensions to the Kingdom of Poland which he disputed with Sigismund King of Sweden led a quiet Life with Matthias King of Hungary These four Brothers had two Cousin Germans Children of Charles Brother to the Emperor Maximilian II. The small Country of Gratz in Stiria did not satisfie the Ambition of Ferdinand the Eldest of this second Branch of that House and Leopold the younger Brother desired something more than the Bishopricks of Strasburg and Passau Rodolphus and his Brothers had no Children this gave their Cousins mighty Hopes but as yet they were a great way off The King of Hungary this year Married Ann Archdutchess of Austria and might leave Heirs Ferdinand Wisely concealed his vast Ambition he seemed contented with managing the Pope and keeping a strict Correspondence with Spain and seem'd willing to wait patiently for a more favourable Opportunity to obtain the Succession of his Cousins All Men looked on the Emperor as a dead Man The Courts of Rome and Madrid were not very well satisfied that Matthias kept fair with the Protestants which he did to prevent being opposed by them when there should be a Debate about chusing a Successor to his Brother Perhaps too his Inclination led him to follow the steps of Maximilian II. a very Wife and Moderate Prince He had had a good Opinion of the Protestant Religion and it is thought would have embraced it if he had not met with Obstacles from Ferdinand the I. and the Court of Rome The Emperor his Father pressed by the Pope threatned Maximilian to Disinherit him but if the Son had shewn greater Resolution the Father would have found it no easie Matter to have made such an Exclusion valid I very much doubt if he would have dared to attempt it Ferdinand Archduke of Gratz was very far from this Moderation of Maximilian He was violent against the Protestants to a prodigious degree The Jesuits and Ignorant Monks who had too great Influence on the Councils of this Prince and his Descendants kept him in this extravagant Bigotry flattering him with the Assistance of the Pope and King of Spain to obtain the Empire even whilst those of the Elder Branch were yet alive The Archduke Leopold had no less Ambition but was still more impatient The Ambitious Designs of Leopold of Austria Bishop of Strasburg and Passaw on the Kingdom of Bohemia vext to see himself reduced to live on his Benefices and to find his mighty Designs on the Countries of Cleves and Juliers prove Abortive he resolved to take his Advantage of the Weakness of Rodolphus and to make himself King of Bohemia to the prejudice of Matthias to whom that Crown was promised after the Emperors Decease Leopold had raised a small Army with the consent of Rodolphus under colour of keeping Juliers against the Confederate Princes The Town being taken by the Brave Maurice of Orange the Arch-duke kept his Troops in his Bishoprick of Passau with an intention to employ them in some greater and more prositable Work Romeo their General as Active and Stirring as Leopold
Assistance of the Pope and Governor of Milan did not desist for all this The Count of Soissons sent him privately word to be very reserved to Berrault a Creature of Villeroy who aimed to surprize and daunt the Duke Siri Memorie recondite Tom. II. pag. 463 464. The Pope's Nuncio in France declared his Master knew nothing of the Designs of Charles Emanuel but this Italian Minister maintained them as well as he could and strove to prove the Justice of them to the Queen All this gave Umbrage This was the reason she earnestly recommended to the Cardinal of Joieuse to Discourse with the Pope upon this Subject and to Represent the Reasons which France had to oppose the Enterprize which the Duke of Savoy seemed to design The Duke of Savoy is forced to Disarm The World could not comprehend the Intrigues of this Prince perhaps he himself did not very well know what he would have Charles Emanuel undertakes to make a War on the Protestants and his chief Prospect is to raise the Hugonots of France in case he were left alone to act against Geneva At the same time he proposes to the King of England a double Marriage of the Prince of Wales with the Princess of Savoy and of the Prince of Piemont with a Daughter of England It was very difficult at first to make King James hear the Envoy from Savoy and yet the Duke pushed the Matter so far that the Court of Rome was alarmed at it Paul V. took Measures to break the Treaty which the King of England and the Duke of Savoy had no great mind to conclude A Capucin had Orders to go to Turin with an Instruction from Cardinal Borghese to divert Charles Emanuel from thinking on an Alliance with England All that could ever be guessed of so capricious a Movement was that the Duke thought to create a Jealousie in France and bring her by this means to finish the Treaty or the Marriage of the Eldest Daughter of that Kingdom with the Prince of Piemont He hoped too the Pope would break the Treaty of the Double Marriage between France and Spain and Assist the Prince of Piemont to Marry the Eldest Daughter of either of those two Crowns rather than suffer the Duke to bring a Protestant Princess to Turin The poor Duke spoil'd all his Affairs by aiming too much to be crafty His Intrigue with England did not succeed better than any of the rest The Regent determined too on the double Marriage between France and Spain thought no more on the Prince of Piemont except for Madam Christina second Daughter to the late King For his designs on Geneva and the Country of Vaux these he must quit too Mary de Medicis had acted her part so well with the Pope and King of Spain that they joyned with her to compel the Duke of Savoy to lay down his Arms. La Varenne was sent from the Court of France to Turin to conclude this Matter Charles Emanuel still flattered with some Hopes the Regent would be his Friend had a mind to do this with a good Grace He thought at least to make this Advantage that Mary de Medicis should take in good part the Deference which he feigned to have for her Majesty A Civil Meeting of the Protestants of France The Queen was the more Solicitous to put a stop to the Commotions in Savoy because the Court feared the Protestants met at Saumur might take Umbrage at it When the Reformed of France saw there was a necessity for them to defend themselves against those who attacked them with open force they began to form set Meetings in different Provinces of the Kingdom to agree on Measures for their Safety and the free Exercise of their Religion One or more Provinces joined together first held their Provincial Assembly Out of these they deputed a certain number of Gentlemen of those they called Elders or Ministers to form the General Assembly who were to take Resolutions for the common Good of the whole Body Reason and Natural Equity allow of these sort of Confederacies The Primitive Christians united and had their Meetings for the Regulation of their Discipline and preserving the Purity of the Gospel After their Example the Reformed had their Synods to draw up their Confession of Faith and form the Government of their Churches These being born in a Christian State where Subjects have Privileges and Liberties had not only their Religion to take care of but were under an Indispensable Obligation to defend their Right as far as the Rules of Natural Equity and Christianity admit against their King and a Faction of their Countrymen who strove to oppress them The Sovereign Power ought to hinder as far as may be all Associations and Meetings which may cause Disorder and Confusion in a State but this must be by a due Execution of the Fundamental Laws and maintaining those Rights and Privileges which Subjects cannot without Injustice be deprived of It is reasonable to alledge Men ought not to form a State within a State None would think of this if they were left peaceably to enjoy their Birthright But for Princes to pretend to prevent Disorders which would never happen if they were disposed to do Justice and to use these plausible Maxims to oppress with more ease those whom they have Sworn to protect is a Tyranny which it is lawful to oppose This is ever most dangerous when it is covered with the fair Colours of the publick Good The King of Navarre liked these Principles very well and thought them solid and conducing to the Welfare and Repose of Civil Society whilst he was struggling to defend himself against the power of the League but when he once saw himself Master of a fair Kingdom he soon abandon'd those Sentiments which Interest more than Reason had led him to embrace Princes never consult this Oracle they are only entertained with Discourses of Reason when they are not in a condition capable of understanding it In the following part of their Lives they are flattered and Transported with Passion for their own Greatness Whatever makes them absolute and Independent ever seems most Just and Reasonable to them After the Verification of the Edict of Nants Henry did not without great difficulty grant the Protestants leave to hold a General Meeting He was afraid the Lords that resorted to it or had their Creatures there should attempt any thing to his prejudice Are not the Synods said the King sufficient to determine Matters of Discipline and Religion As for Civil Affairs and the keeping the Edict of Pacification the two Deputies General which I allow the Protestants to have in my Court can represent to me the Griefs and Complaints of the Provinces I will take care to do them Justice This manner of Reasoning had been good if Henry had had the Knowledge and Integrity not to be Surprized by the Popes Nuncio and other crafty Men who were ever near him to Extort
him who has given this Advice and us and make him to see his Fault Gentlemen the Judgment of Solomon is before you Let us shew that we are the true Mother The Bowels of Jesus Christ are torn in a more cruel Manner because some among us will not see it These Men are not concerned to teach us what Obedience is due to the King we know one another well enough Whatever happens let us make our Nomination as the Queen Commands Our Churches will pardon us for not following their Instructions when they see into what danger the ill Advice of some Men has thrown us The Schism is ready to be formed This is enough for our Justification This Discourse full of Religion and Wisdom calmed their exasperated Minds They resolved to hear the Queens Letter read and obey her Majesty The Conclusion of the Meeting at Saumur Bullion goes the next day in the Morning to the Meeting presents the Regents Letter and demands the Kings Orders to be executed They shall be so replied Du Plessis Mornay since we have the Misfortune not to have our Remonstrances heard but we hope their Majesties will have regard to our Submission and those Just Requests we have made Do not take it ill Sir said he turning to the Commissioners if I frankly tell you those who have sowed Division amongst us have not done his Majesty good Service It was our Vnion which setled the late King upon the Throne of his Ancestors he knew so well the profit of it that it was renewed and sworn to in his Presence and in the midst of his Court at Mante Heaven grant a peaceable Minority to the King and a happy Regence to the Queen The more the Reformed are united amongst themselves the more they will be in a condition to serve their Prince usefully Three or four of the Court Faction would have stood up at the Instigation of the Commissary and have made a noise but the Prudence of the President and the Remonstrances of the rest stopt them The fifth of September the Assembly named the six Persons out of whom the Court might chuse two for Deputies General of the Reformed Churches of France After this the Answer made to the Paper of Complaints and Requests was read What the Court granted was so inconsiderable that the Persons who declared on that side were filled with Confusion and Rage We 'll sooner burst cry'd one than stop here The time of considering was over The Assembly was broke by the same Writ that permitted them to sit Let us break up says Du Plessis Let every Man leave his Animosities here It would be an Addition to our Misfortune to carry these along with us into our Countries Every one has fail'd every one has done well Let us endeavour to obtain by a Respectful Silence and a Christian Patience what we could not gain by our Petitions and Remonstrances This was the end of one of the most Famous Protestant Meetings after three Months Sitting It was composed of the most Eminent Men for their Birth Ability and Experience in Business They would have been more Successful in their Labours for the benefit of their Churches if they had not furnished the Court with means to make an Advantage of Divisions by the Ambition and Covetousness of some particular Members This Assembly had given the Regent some Disquiet and alarmed divers Towns who imagined the Reformed would now be more potent than ever When it was found they were broke up without gaining any advantage their Enemies insulted them on all sides and divers Libels against them were published In one of these the Anonymous Author divides the Meeters into three Classes the Malicious the Zealous and the Judicious Under the Name of Malicious were designed the Duke of Rohan and the rest who were of Opinion they should shew their Resolution to obtain a favourable Answer These Men said they only seek to Embroil the Nation and kindle a Civil War As for the Zealous they painted these as People whose love to their Religion made them Suspicious and Diffident Their ignorant Zeal said they their Prepossession that all endeavours are used to distress them made these comply with the former In the last place the Judicious were the Mareschal of Bouillon and those of his Party Their Obedience and Moderation was praised A Civil War was in their Opinion the worst of Evils They would suffer any thing rather than put the Nation into a Flame A Book of Du Plessis Mornay against the Papacy A New Book of Du Plessis Mornay enraged the Roman Catholicks strangely The Title of it was The Mystery of Iniquity or The History of the Papacy The Design of the Author was to shew against the Cardinals Baronius and Bellarmine by what degrees the Monarchy of the Pope was formed and the several Oppositions which Honest Men made to the Establishing a Power so contrary to the Spirit of the Gospel There was nothing very extraordinary in this the Roman Catholicks were accustomed to this Controversy It had been handled in an Infinity of Books the Cut in the Front of this Book gave greater Offence to them than all the rest Paul the V. was represented in it with the Flattering and Impious Inscriptions made for him on the other side of the Mountains Some Persons applied to him what the Holy Ghost says of Jesus Christ himself gave him the Title of the most Invincible Monarch of the Christian Common-wealth the most Ardent Defender of the Papal Omnipotence in short Vice God This was a word newly invented to his Honour Since Men who make a Profession of the Gospel have pushed Flattery to such an Extravagance can we admire that Pagans should place their Princes in the number of the Gods whom they adored Du Plessis made him ridiculous by a pleasant and lucky Remark By adding the value of the Numeral Letters of the Latin words which signifie Paul V. Vice God he found the number 666. which makes the Mysterious number of the Beast spoke of in St. John's Revelation The Reformed applauded this Discovery and their People being now perswaded that Paul V. was truly the Son of Perdition whom the Lord Jesus would destroy by the Breath of his Mouth and the Glory of his Coming they flattered themselves they should soon see the Fall of Babylon Du Plessis himself was so well pleased at the Success Vie du M. du Plessis L. III. that his Friends writing to him that his New Book was a great prejudice to his Fortune and that Villeroy and some other Ministers were cold to him whereas before they intended to have given him some considerable Employ He comforted himself without much difficulty on this Cross and shew'd he contemned the Threats which his Enemies exasperated against him made him on all sides The more enlightn'd Persons in the Church of Rome did only laugh at the Fancy of the Author This Sportive Wit seemed very seasonable to them to put to Confusion a
Priest who being come to be Bishop of Rome was pleased to see himself flatter'd in such an Impious manner But the Monks and Bigots made a great Noise The Popes Nuncio was in a terrible Heat and Paul himself sent Briefs to complain of the Outrage done him The Regent was not less alarmed than the rest She could not endure to hear it said the Pope was Antichrist Besides the Reasons common to all of her Religion to oppose a Dogm which make them pass for Worshippers of the Beast Mary de Medicis had a particular one The Validity of her Marriage with Henry was grounded on the Authority of the Pope who declared his former with Margaret of France null and the Regent imagined all who looked on the Pope as Antichrist could not look upon her as the lawful Wife of Henry the IV. This made her desire to see de Mornay's Book blasted at least in appearance Du Plessis Mornays Book is censured by the faculty of Paris It is carried to the Sorbonne the first of August 1611. The Dean and Doctors of the Faculty of Paris having said a Solemn Mass of the Holy Ghost met to appoint Doctors to examine the Work They make the Report the 19th of the same Month and Condemn the Book as filled with an Infinity of Blasphemies Mercure Francois 1611. and Execrable Impieties against the Catholick Faith and Religion and against the Apostolick See These big Words only serve to dazle the Simple They would have the World believe the Catholick Faith and Religion are inseparable from the Pontifical Authority Every Doctor every Magistrate every Courtier may believe what he pleases But Policy do's not allow People to be drawn out of their Ignorance and Superstition The Censure of the Faculty was made according to the Report of the Doctors who were deputed to censure it The Book was detested and condemned as Heretical stuff'd with Furious Zeal exceeding Seditious contrary to the Divine Natural and Canon Law in short whatever those good Gentlemen pleased Reflections on their Censure Could they have declared themselves with more Vehemence against the Impious Dogms of Paul of Samosata Arius or Photinus To ask these Wise Masters â—…f the Sorbonne what reason they had â—…o thunder thus on an Author who deâ—…ies the Monarchy of the Pope to be of Diâ—…ine Institution would be an useless loss â—…f Time The Doctors set up for little â—…opes They thunder but do not instruct â—…o they think the Papacy founded on Naâ—…ural Right The greatest part of Manâ—…ind hitherto have not discovered this â—…trange Blindness indeed For the Diâ—…ine Law they shew us one or two Pasâ—â—ages in the Gospel The Roman Cathoâ—â—cks Disagree about the true sense of these â—…laces the Gravest Christian Writers did â—…ot see the Primacy of the Pope in them â—…efore there were any Protestants in the â—…orld If by the Canon Law the Moâ—…ern Decretals are to be understood we â—…ill submit to Condemnation But if the â—…ue Canon Law of France be as we are â—…ften told the ancient Code of Canons â—…ade or received in the first General â—…ouncils the Judicious and Disinterested â—…octors of Paris will find nothing less â—…an the Primacy and Monarchy of the â—…ope there It was the Name of Antichrist which â—â—d most disturb the Roman Catholicks The Pope do's not care to be the Beast â—…nd those of his Communion will not be â—…is Worshippers But in short if it be â—…ue and it is not commonly denyed in â—…rance that the Dominion usurped by the â—…opes is contrary to the Spirit of Jesus â—…hrist and the Institution of the Apostles it cannot be denyed that the Pope is Antechrist in this Sense and that his Monarchy is Antechristian If it be true as it seems to be that to rise and oppose what is called God or what Men adore be to put a Mans self above those to whom the Lord of all things has said Ye are Gods and the Sons of the most High and to assume Honours which are due to him alone is it not evident then that the Pope is or at least resembles very much the Son of Perdition and the Man of Sin foretold by St. Paul As for the Prophecies of St. John the Protestants are not the first who have applied them to the Pope There is no need of seeking ways round about to find Characters very much resembling those we see in him The Comparison between the Pagans and Christians in these latter times seems so just that it is difficult to determine which of the Interpreters are in the Right who Explain the Prophecies of the Revelations of one and the other Rome One Ferrier thought to distinguish himself in the beginning of this Age by maintaining a publick Thesis at Nismes where he was Professor of Divinity that the Pope is Antichrist The Parlement of Toulouse proceeded against him but he declined their Jurisdiction and removed the Affair to the Chamber of the Edict at Castres Some little time after the Protestants made a New Article of Faith in their National Synod of Gap in Dauphine in which they declared that they believed and would maintain That the Bishop of Rome is properly Antichrist and the Son Perdition foretold in the Word of God This New Article was to be the XXXI of the Confession of Faith of the Reformed Churches in France Henry IV. took it ill than in his Reign they should devise a thing they had never once thought of when the Disputes were hottest in the times of his Predecessors Whether it were that he feared for his own part the Consequences with regard to his second Marriage or that he was displeased the Reformed should Reproach him with leaving the true Religion to become a Worshipper of the Beast Henry commanded absolutely this New Article should be left out The more Wise and Moderate of the Protestants disavowed what was done at Gap or at least thought the Synod wanted Prudence and Moderation The Question of Antichrist was again brought upon the Board at the Synods of Rochell and St. Maixant But Henry the IV. constantly opposed the making of an Article of Faith which did not seem very necessary to Salvation Viguier having published a Book with the Title of the Theater of Antichrist the Jesuit Gontier a famous Converter of these Times preached against it in a Violent and Seditious manner The King forbid the publishing of the Book and imposed Silence on this Outragious Controvertist Du Plessis Mornay's Book coming out immediately after these Disputes which were not yet entirely stifled it is not to be wonder'd that it made such a mighty Uproar If it be owned this Gentleman who was very able and judicious in all other things failed in his usual Consideration and Conduct here the censure of the Sorbonne is no less extravagant and ridiculous Troubles of Aix la Chrpelle Mary de Medicis began to take that Method which has since been so constantly followed in the Reign of her Son and
577 578. This Alliance would have brought him the Dutchies of Bar and Lorrain But the Imprudent Queen managed by the Pensioners of Spain had contracted so strict an Engagement with the Court of Madrid that nothing could divert her from the double Marriage which the Pope and Great Duke of Tuscany carried on with all their Power The Ambassador of Spain observing strictly all the steps of the Dutchess of Lorrain talked in big Language That the King of France could not have two Wives that his Match with the Infanta was concluded and that Philip would not suffer himself to be mocked without punishing the Authors If Mary de Medicis had contemned the Threats of the Spaniards what harm would have ensued All true Frenchmen and especially the Protestants exclaimed against this double Match England and the Vnited Provinces traversed it with great Application Aersens Ambassador from the States General underhand excited the Hugenot Party to oppose a Treary which must be prejudicial to all the Protestants in Europe The Discourses of the Spanish Ambassador were only vain Romances His weak Master who was over-strained to support his House in Germany was he in a condition to awe France who was in a good Union at that time with its Neighbours But the Regent neither understood her own nor her Sons true Interest The Count of Soissons discontented contracts new Ties with the Prince of Conde Her Ministers jealous that the Count of Soissons their Enemy would unite himself with the Marquess of Ancre took care to push on their Mistress to remove a Prince who aimed to drive them from Court The first occasion of Discontent which the Regent gave him was the refusal of a thing she had made him hope for some Months before The Dutchy of Alenson was engaged to the Duke of Wirtembergh Soissons who had received Money from the Duke of Savoy for the Goods and Estate which the Countess his Wife had in Piemont had a mind to employ it in acquiring that Dutchy by reimbursing with his Money what the Crown owed to the Duke of Wirtembergh In order to this it was necessary first to obtain the King's consent Mem. de la Regence de Marie de Medicis Mary de Medicis prepossessed by her Ministers refused this to the Count of Soissons Would you says she roughly to him obtain a Dutchy which is designed as Honour appropriated to a Son of France I see you have no small Designs The Regent foresaw the Count moved at this Repulse would discover his Resentment and for this Reason she hastily recalled the Prince of Conde and the Duke of Epernon to Court to oppose him The Project of the Queen and the Ministers did not succeed in every point The Marquess of Coeuvres a Confident of Soissons seeing the poor Count thus jarring with the Regent and Ministers and secretly incensed against Conchini though he always kept in appearance fair with him though he could have recourse to nothing now to support him at Court but to unite himself entirely with the Prince of Conde his Nephew and oppose all those who combined against him by the Power of that Interest which their Birth gives to all Princes of the Blood in France especially in the time of Minority Coeuvres then set himself to treat with Beaumont Son of the first Resident de Harlay a Confident of the Prince of Conde who was then expected at Court to settle a good understanding between the Uncle and Nephew They agreed the two Princes should see one another in the Beaumont House which was not far from Fontainebleau This Interview gave the Queen a Jealousie though it was pretended only to be a Divertisement and a Huntingmatch The Count of Soissons thought to remove the Umbrage Mary de Medicis took at this by bringing the Marquess of Ancre over to the Meeting They go together to Beaumont After a great deal of Diversion in the Day-time the two Princes entertained each other with Discourse till it was late in the Night They bind themselves strictly and mutually promise not to receive any Favour or Satisfaction from the Queen but by common consent and engage that if one be obliged to leave the Court for ill Treatment the other shall quit it at the same time and not return but by agreement This Union was made perpetual and lasted till the Death of Count Soissons The faculty of Paris Censures the three Panegyricks of Ignatius Loyola The Sorbonne was divided as well as the Court Duval declared for the Jesuits Filesac Theologue of the Church of Paris and divers other Eminent Doctors were strangely averse to the Society The good Fathers are very desirous to appear perfectly prudent but they are deficient in this point when they set themselves to Discourse of their Saint Ignatius and the Advantages of their Society Paul the V. their good Friend having Canonised this Man truly extraordinary in more than one manner and allowed them to celebrate his Feast the Jesuits did what the Monks do on like occasions What shall I say they strove to surpass each other They gave a thousand fine Spectacles of Devotion in their Churches The Men of Wit who are Spectators of these Ceremonies cannot forbear Laughing at the Foppery of them But those who have a real Sense of Religion when they Reflect seriously on the Apotheoses introduced into Christianity and the Prophane Pageantry in Churches where the Worâ—…hip ought to be Pure and Spiritual True Christians I say can they forbear deploâ—…ing the strange Corruption of the most Holy and most August of all Religions The most prophane part of all these Soâ—…emnities are the Panegyricks spoke of â—…he New Saints Here he is set above all others above the Prophets and Apostles â—…nd often in parallel with Jesus Christ â—…imself The Jesuits did not fail to take â—…uch Preachers as were most disposed to â—…alue Ignatius Loyola And as the Spaniâ—…rds are more Extravagant in their Superâ—â—ition and Impiety than others several â—…ermons were made and printed in that Country with which the Enemies of the â—…ood Fathers in France diverted the Pubâ—â—ck at the Expence of the Society A Limosin Jesuit thought he had done 〈◊〉 considerable piece of Service in Translaâ—â—ng three Spanish Sermons preached at evil Valentia and Barcelona on the â—…east of the New Blessed Ignatius of â—…oyola The one of the Preachers was â—…n Augustin the other two were Dominiâ—…ns The good Limosin imagined that â—…he Frenchmen seeing his Patron praised by Religious Men of a different Order â—…ey would easily believe the Institutor â—…f their Society was the greatest Saint 〈◊〉 Paradise But whilst he thought to â—…ork Miracles he drew a new Storm â—…n his Brethren who had work enough â—…efore to support themselves at Paris and elsewhere Some Learned Men and Eminent for their true Piety as it was said brought to Filesac Theologue of Paris and Curate of St. John in Greve the French Translation and four Propositions extracted out of
their Masters This occasioned a great difference in Religion between the Churchmen and the Magistrates The one and the other formed a different Idea of what they call'd the Reformation or the Reformed Doctrine The Ministers meant by these Words the Opinions in Divinity explained by their great Authors and inserted into the Confessions of Faith which the first Reformers had drawn up These Servants of God meant well But they did not consider that by aiming in their Formularies of Faith and Catechisms to compile a compleat and regular Body of Divinity they inserted their own Speculations as certain and essential Truths The Magistrates and wise Laity of Holland urged that the Reformation being only a purer Worship and more free from vain Superstitions than the Church of Rome with a greater Latitude of Opinions in things not plainly revealed in the Holy Writings it could not be said the Reformation stood on what some Persons thought the most crabbed and difficult Questions of School Divinity The Ministers always warm for their Opinions and Prejudiced often cried the Magistrates wanted Zeal for the true Doctrine And these in their turn complained that the other were stubborn and inflexible and would force all the World to be of their Mind When the Churchmen fir'd with Zeal brought befor the Magistrates those who opposed the Hypothesis of Calvin and Beza about Predestination and Grace as Men who subverted the Foundations of the Reformation the more wise and discerning asked these new Inquisitors if it were impossible to be a true Reformed Christian without embracing the Opinions of St. Austin and his Disciples From the first Reformation in Holland the contrary Sentiments had always prevailed in the City of Tergow The States of Holland too had not solemnly approved the Confession of Faith received in the Belgick Churches Is not this a Proof that those wife Magistrates thought there were Articles put in this Formulary which were not absolutely necessary which ought to be expressed in a more soft manner and less offensive to those of a different Persuasion from the first Reformers This appears very probable since we read in History that the States of Holland in other respects very averse to the Convocation of a General Synod of the Seven United Provinces consented in the Year 1597. to the holding such an Assembly where the Confession of the Faith should be exactly revised and amended in a Spirit of Charity and Peace For my own part when I consider the Disputes which have caused such a fatal Division in Holland I am in pain to comprehend how Men of Sense can be perswaded that the Opinions of St. Austin concerning Predestination and Grace are essential to a Reformation of Christianity How many Holy Men were there in the Times of the greatest Purity of the Church of Rome whose Thoughts were differenâ—… from the Fathers Cannot we renounce the monstrous and ridiculous Dogm oâ—… Transubstantiation the Religious Worship of Saints and Images the Fable oâ—… Purgatory Indulgences the false Traditions of the Church of Rome the Tyranny of the Pope without believing absolute Predestination and irresistiblâ—… Grace Did all those honest Men who convinced of the Absurdity and Falsity oâ—… the Things which I mentioned embraceâ—… the Reformation think of the Hypothesâ—… of the Bishop of Hippo Were they anxious to know if it were true or false 〈◊〉 These abstract and difficult Questions only employed some Doctors who were projecting to make a compleat System of Divinity Among these who took this pains there were some who preferred the moderate Sense of the ancient Greek Fathers Calvin himself was not perswaded thaâ—… his Thoughts of Grace and Predestination were essential to Religion He took the pains to translate the Common Places oâ—… Melancthon into French whose Thoughts of these Matters were quite different from his own In his preface he gives all imaginable Praises to Melancthon Could he in Conscience have done this if he had been perswaded the Opinions of his Author undermined the Foundations of the Reformation Able Divines of the Reformed Churches have publickly maintained that â—…e Opinons of Universal Grace of the â—…ower of resisting its Operation and â—…onditional Predestination are of the numâ—…er of those Articles which every one may â—…elieve without renouncing the Principles â—…f his Religion Several learned Hollanders had highly â—…efended this Doctrine before Arminius â—…ad preach'd it at Amsterdam and taught 〈◊〉 at Leyden before Gomar rose up against â—…im These Books are still extant It is â—…ue certain warm Ministers made a stir 〈◊〉 blast those Works and ruin their Auâ—…ors But the States of Holland always â—…op'd this impetuous Zeal The Professors â—â—d an entire Liberty to teach according to â—…e Sense of Melancthon And when Arâ—…inius was called into that University â—…one were ignorant of his Opinions He â—…ad declared them in the Church of Amâ—…erdam which gave an advantageous â—…estimony of them Gomar himself and â—…vers more of the same Mind with him â—…tring into a Conference with Arminius â—…ade no Scruple to say their Differences â—â—d not concern the Grounds of Reformaâ—â—on It is true Gomar did not long live 〈◊〉 a good Understanding with Arminius his â—…ew Collegue either because his Reputaâ—â—on gave him Umbrage or the Enemies â—…f Arminius kindled his Choler by some â—…sinuation and then he vigorously oppoâ—…d a Man whom he look'd on as Orthoâ—…x but a little before The two Professors had soon their Disciples and Party The Division was so great in the University of Leyden that the Affair was brought before the Synod held at Rotterdam Gomar's Party was the strongest there The Assembly ordered that all the Pastors should subscribe the Confession of Faith and the Catechism Arminius and his Party refused to obey There are some things to be amended in both of them said they They ought to be considered in a National Synod We hope to see one meet in a little time The manner in which Questions should be treated and determined in this Synod caused new Difficulties One side required certain Conditions others rejected all In the meantime the ordinary Synods press'd Arminius and his Party to declare publickly what Exceptions they had against the Confession oâ—… Faith and the Catechism in order to have the Matter duly determined Arminius perswaded his greatest Enemieâ—… would be Judges in such an Assembly declined the Jurisdiction of a Synod as much as possibly he could Vtenbogard a Minister of great Reputation in the Hague his Friend and of the same Opinion with himself did him considerable Service with several of the chief Persons of the Government Never did Synod in its first Steps and perhaps thro' the whole Course of it more follow the Council of Trent than the Synod of Dort except that there were more able Divines at Dort than at Trent This is not in any manner surprizing almost all Councils are alike The same Interests give occasion to them and the same Passions reign in them Arminius presented a Petition to the States of
and Strength of France These Princes who were Apprehensive of the too great Power of the House of Austria were enter'd into a League with the Deceased King The good Correspondency that he took care to maintain in this sort of a Confederacy which he Headed did keep Spain in awe and within due bounds This put Henry in a capacity of undertaking any thing whenever he should think it most expedient But so soon as these Allies of France perceived that the Queen Regent was entring into a strict Alliance with the House of Austria they presently grew Jealous and betook themselves to other Measures The Venetians did not so openly declare themselves The Duke of Savoy extream angry that no regard was now had of the Treaties that had been made between King Henry and him sought all manner of ways to raise Commotions in France he had thoughts of siding with Spain if he might be secured of any thing to content his Ambition France taking no care to preserve the old good Correspondency that was between the Protestant Princes of Germany and elsewhere they fell off one from another The House of Austria that has always a watchful Eye to its own Interest was wise enough to make the best of these Divisions James King of England might have in this case supplied the Place of Henry the 4th and compel'd the Queen Regent to keep to the Model of Government that was left with her by the late King her Husband The concern of the Protestant Religion as well as the Wellfare of England did require that James should have at that time thought on 't better But alas the good Prince never lov'd sincerely either one or th' other Such a State of Affairs as this did well for the Court of Rome The Popes have been ever Spaniards by Inclination The Kings of Spain are wont to bring the Popes over to their Interest by affecting a great Zeal to ruine Heresie The aim of these is to raise their Worldly State and of the former to serve those that will best contribute to restore their Spiritual Monarchy It appears that the Court of France at this time was pleased with this old policy of Spain whereby to gain the Popes favour But was it not a little too late to think of this way The Court of Rome never keeps a Neutrality with France but when reduced to it by some emergent Necessity The French have Principles that are opposite to the Pope's Pretensions and to the greediness of his Courtiers The Factions which had formerly put France into such a Confusion under the Regency of Catharine of Medicis were now seen to revive under this Government of Mary For the maintaining of her own Authority Mary took care to bring down the Princes of the Blood Royal as that other Queen her Cousin had done before She thought fit to make use of the House of Guise which enter'd into a new Knot with that of the Duke d'Epernon Instead of joyning with the real Friends and Well-wishers of the Crown she gave her self over to be led by the Popes and King of Spain's Counsels who could not grow great but at the cost of young Lewis The Princes of the blood understood this great Evil. They were in the Right but in renouncing their Forefathers Religion they had lost all their Credit They likewise wanted Strength to oppose the Queen Regent's Designs They of the Reformed Religion in France being well inclin'd sought to prevent the Mischief this double Alliance with Spain would bring on the Head of the Protetestants But alas how could they help themselves There were now no Princes of the Blood to Head them any more The Grandees of that Communion divided more than ever since the Assembly at Saumur were now ready to undoe one another I come now to particulars of the History of the year 1612. We shall in it begin to see these three different Parties following their Intrigues and the different condition they are in The Queen Regent and her Confidents shall make use of the Kings Authority to cover their wicked Designs The Princes of the Blood shall exclaim against the ill Management of the Government but either no ear shall be given to what they 'll say or their Mouths shall be stopt by false Promises or slight Gratifications The Hugenot Party fully convinced that â—…ll effectual ways are taken to ruine them totally shall make loud Complaints and shall bestir themselves without being able to mend their Matters in the least thereby Their mutual Divisions will hinder them from having sufficient Strength to cause their just Remonstrances to be heard Negotiations touching a double Marriage betwixt France and Spâ—…in Cosme Grand Duke of Toscany now enter'd into a Closer Alliance with the House of Austria by a Marriage with Magdalen Arch-Dutchess of Grats does set on foot the Negotiation that was begun by his Father Ferdinand concerning a double Marriage to be concluded betwixt the two Crowns of France and of Spain The better to succeed for to obtain the Deceased Kings consent he proposed a third Match between Don Carlos King Philip the 3d's second Son and the Princess Christina second Daughter of France The King of Spain did offer to give with the Infant the Sovereignty of the Low Countries after the Arch-Dutchess Isabella's Death But Henry gave no ear to this New Proposal no more than to the former being convinced that it was only a Snare for to get him to Abandon the Protection of the Vnited Provinces As soon as the News of his Death was brought to Madrid Siri Memorie râ—â—â—ndite pag. 3â—…0 3â—â— c. the Duke of Florence's Embassador at that Court did again sâ—…t on foot the Business of the double Marriage He knew well enough how agreeable it would be to his Master to gratifie Mary of Medicis who had an extream desire this Affair might Succeed The Duke of Lerma and the other Spanish Ministers of State readily agreed to the renewing of this Negotiation but they finding that France was not now so much to be feared as heretofore they made some other lower Proposals These Gentlemen would hear no more of that third Marriage of Don Carlos with the Princess Christina pretending that their King was unwilling to Alienate and cut off for ever the Sovereignty of the Low Countries from the Monarchy of Spain and they did even give out that Philip was not out of Hopes of reducing the Vnited Provinces as soon as the Truce was expired or broke And on pretence that the Daughters of France do not carry along with them into another Family any Right of Succession to the Crown the Council of Spain scrupled moreover to give the Eldest Infanta of Spain to the New King of France so that they would offer only the Second Daughter Mary of Medicis would have been contented with this it self so that Philip would also accept of the Second Daughter of France By this means a way was left to satisfie the Duke
His Discourse ended in earnest Prayers to her Majesty for this speedy prevention of the Mischief which this forward undertaking of the Parlement was making said he against Religion Mary de Medicis gave the Nuncio good words But it was not sufficient to have Circumvented a Woman not so clear-sighted Superstitious to the utmost degree and absolutely depending upon the Pope for the Ministers of State and the principal Men in Parlement were to be brought over The Queen was not in a capacity to do any thing without them upon this occasion The Nuncio sent first his Auditor to the Ministers of State 's Houses There he made a great noise Is it then come to this pass saith this Italian that the Kings Advocates General believe they have right to propose in Parlements Questions which respect the administration of Sacraments Doth this Assembly pretend to be the Sovereign Judges of them If the Edict which it hath set forth did only oblige the Jesuits to follow the Doctrine received in ev'ry Church or at least what the Prelats of the Gallican Church profess to believe the Matter might have been born withal but when a Parlement shall constrain them to conform to what is not taught but in so small a Corporation as Sorbonne the Pope must needs condemn so unsufferarable a procedure Then the Auditor insisted from the Nuncio that the Kings Privy Council might make void the Edict of Parlement or at least Suspend the Execution of it The Nuncio's Railing against the Advocate General Servin Then the Master on his part bawl'd and ask'd if the Sorbonne pretended to make a Schism in the Church by the Adoption of a Doctrine which was contrary to any received in all other Universities If this continue saith he the Pope will be obliged to call a National Council in France in order to have the Sorbonne Doctrine Condemned there as Rash False and Erroneous In the mean time his Holiness shall proceed by way of Ecclesiastical Censure against those Doctors who shall subscribe the Articles which the Parlement proposes to the Jesuits As for Servin added this Italian Minister all the World knows how he is a downright Hugonot and a Pentioner to the King of England His Office ought to be taken from him or he for the future be prohibited to speak any thing that concerns Religion the Pope the Court of Rome and the Immunities of the Church This Man infects the young Lawyers with his evil Sentiments he strives to serve the Hugonot Party by breaking the good intelligence betwixt the Court of France and the Holy Chair and by sowing Jealousie and Distrust betwixt the Pope and the most Christian King The Nuncio maintain'd further that the Clergy of France ought to Excommunicate the Advocate General If Humane respect he added stop the Bishops from doing this the Pope himself shall proceed against a Man who meddles with making of New Articles of Faith and Condemns for Heresie Doctrines conformable to the Truth which the Catholick Church teacheth Paul the 5th could he have dared to undertake the Excommunication of the principal Magistrates of France for having stood up for the Interests of the King and State Would to God this bold Pope had undertaken it One might have seen then how the Gallican Church would have defended this great Article of its Liberties viz. That a Magistrate cannot be Excommunicated for any thing that regards the exercise of his Office I question whether Paul the 5th could have got rid of this Affair as well as of his Interdiction fulminated against the Republick of Venice The Nuncio complain'd chiefly of the Article touching the Seal of Confession as it refers to ill Attempts upon the Persons of Kings and the State he spoke of this as if 't was nothing less than Impiety and Sacrilege This Doctrine said he is against the Security of the Persons of Princes This is Surprizing for the Parlement intended to do the King good Service in Establishing that the Confessor is obliged to Reveal what he knows of ill Attempts upon the Person of the Prince and State Observe here how the Popes Minister argued Should this be received he continued Those who conceive such black Designs will never come to Confession a Priest will be no longer able to disswade his Penitent from the execution of his wicked Enterprize When such sorts of Practices are made known by way of Confession it s permitted to give the Prince or Magistrate notice of them in general Terms without Naming or describing the Persons but to use such a way of dissuasion Discourageth Men from Confession of the Crime they intend and deprives their Confessors of the means to do this good Service for the Publick What Vbaldini said against the Article touching the Popes Superiority over the Council was more Malitious and more capable to affright the Queen Regent The same Arguments said he aloud which the Sorbonne use to establish this Doctrine prove likewise that the States General of the Kingdom are above the King The Hugonots or at least the troublesom Catholicks will be able to appeal to a future Council from the Sentence of Divorce which Clement VIII hath pronounced betwixt the Deceased King and Queen Margaret The Birth of the King is not certain according to these Principles and that Man is in the Right who provides against the Queen's Regency This is that which Servin aims at He 's a declared Enemy to the Queen and her Council This great bustle rais'd through the Nuncio's means was the reason why Mary de Medicis and her Ministers resolved to appease the Italian But the Grandees and Ministers of State could not well agree amongst themselves about the Expedients which ought to be taken The Grandees were for the Queen 's Suspending the Execution of the Parlement's Edict for the calling of this Affair to her Counsel and that the Advocate General should receive a sound Reprimand and be advised never to engage the Queen again to such Difficulties The Ministers of State were not of the Grandees mind They were afraid least this high dealing should provoke the Parlement Prudence required they should handle this Matter much more discreetly in a time of the King's Minority than at any other time T' was found at last more convenient to hinder the Sorbonne with soft words from explaining themselves upon the four Articles and to engage the Parlement it self to Limit the Edict and not to receive any more New Petitions against the Jesuits The Nuncio's tampering with the Members of Parliament to get this Sentence Mitigated Conchini was ordered to speak to the Presidents of Parlement from the Queen and inform them that her Majesty wisht their Edict were Limited The Chancellor Sileri and Villeroy were further employ'd for the obtaining the same from the Magistrates This Resolution did not at all please the Nuncio He sees himself sent back to the Parlement to Limit an Edict by a Negotiation with them which might not be to
him The Death of Boris while these things were doing arriv'd and chang'd the face of Affairs Tho' the Muscovite Army had sworn fealty to his Son division got into it in a little time after All follow'd the Example of some Lords who declared aloud for the pretended Demetrius The Son and Widow of Boris were Apprehended and Stifled At length the New Czar is receiv'd and Crown'd at Mosco the last day of July French Mercury 1600. in 1605. The Palatine Sandomir's Daughter whom Demetrius afterwards Marryed by a Proxy at Cracovia was conducted in great Pomp the following year to Mosco Her Father and her nearest Relations were present at the Ceremony of her Marriage and Coronation Demetrius and many Polish Lords are Massacred at Mosco The New Princess did not long enjoy her good Fortune Susky a Moscovite to whom Demetrius had pardon'd his Life against the Advice of many Persons who Counsell'd him to let the Sentence of Death be executed which had pass't against a Man of a restless and ambitious Spirit and of whose Fidelity no one could be assured Susky I say and a great number of Muscovite Nobles had now laid a Plot against Demetrius They render'd him odious to the Clergy and People by spreading abroad a Rumour that he design'd to alter Religion to bring Muscovy into subjection under the Pope and cause Jesuits and Roman Priests to come in And because the People thought Heaven would not have so much declared in favour of the New Czar if he had been an Impostor t' was endeavour'd to make it be believ'd that he had not goâ—… so great advantage against Boris and hiâ—… Son but by the help of Magick This Discourse made so great an Impression as the People could hardly suffer that Demetrius should have two or three Companies of Foreigners to guard his Palace and Person The natural Aversion which the Muscovites have for the Poles made the People yet more apt to receive what they took care to insinuate into them to wit that the Treasure of the Czars was to be Transported into Poland and that the State should be govern'd for the future by a Polish Princess and other Confidents of the same Nation Susky and the principal Heads of this Conspiracy having taken their Measures by the favour of the Malecontents to make an Insurrection of the People in Mosco the 27th of May 1606. came to the Palace at the Head of a great number of armed Men broke it open with violence slew the pretended Demetrius betray'd by his best Friends and did a thousand Indignities to his dead Body The People afterwards put all the Polanders to the Sword 't is reported that there died of 'em more than seventeen Hundred The Palatine of Sendomir was only saved his Daughter his Son and some Lords who were ev'ry one of them put into private Houses Susky is made Czar of Muscovy and after lays down his Dignity Susky caus'd himself to be chosen and Crown'd in the room of Demetrius whether he was the right or Counterfeit one for at last many pretended that he spoke truth But the Circumstance of the Monk who conducted him into Poland and that of his being put into Service in two different Houses this I say makes the History to be very much suspected It seems to me that a Child of this Importance shou'd have been first carried to the King of Poland What had he there to fear from him Whatever this Affair was yet to confirm further the People in their Opinion that this was a Cheat Susky was willing they shou'd dig up the dead Body of him whom Boris had caus'd to be Slain The Bones were carried to Mosco and the Patriarch order'd that he should be Reverenced as a Martyr Susky not doubting but that the Poles would wage a War against him enter'd into a Negotiation with Charles of Sudermania the New King of Sweden who sent him Succors under the Conduct of de la Gardie The Divisions of Sigismond with the Palatines of his Realm did not permit him to attack the Muscovites so soon In the year 1609. he resolved to take the City of Smolensko which the Muscovites had taken from the Poles The Siege or Blockade of this place lasted two years and more than two Hundred Thousand Inhabitants died before it was surrender'd He sought several times to cause the Siege to be raised Susky troubled at the ill success of his Arms retired into a Monastery after having laid down the Scepter and Crown Muscovy was then divided into three Parties A New Demetrius was put up Ladislaus Prince of Poland proclaimed Czar of Muscovy and a great many declared for him others to remedy the ill condition Muscovy was in would have Ladislaus King Sigismond's Eldest Son and a hopeful Prince set upon the Throne At last a third Party would have a great Lord of the Country these being united to Ladislau's Party he was chosen Czar in his absence in the year 1610. and the most considerable of the Clergy and Nobility took an Oath of Fidelity to him The false Demetrius strove to make himself Master of Mosco but the Poles having twice beaten him he was obliged to Retreat beyond the River Volga This put the Poles into a condition of undertaking ev'ry thing They made themselves Masters of the Castles of Mosco and made it known to King Sigismond who daily Besieg'd Smolensko that his Son was Proclaimed Czar The Inhabitants offer'd to yield themselves to Ladislaus Elected Sovereign of Moscovy But Sigismond was willing to get the place for Poland The Inhabitants resolved not to separate themselves from the interest of Moscovy held still the Siege out till the Month of June 1611. So that Sigismond had got but a City almost quite Dispeopled and reduc'd to Ashes The King of Poland who did not think so much of Establishing his Son in the Throne of Moscovy as to make advantage of the Country's Divisions and bring it into Subjection deferr'd too long to carry Ladislaus into Mosco He had put off this Affair to the year 1612. but the continual Contentions he had with the Palatines did not suffer him to execute his Project The Poles are driven out of Muscovy and Michael Federovits is chosen Czar So long a delay gave time to the Relations of the Deceased Czar Boris to get together a strong Party Michel Federovits put himself at the Head of 'em and march't towards Mosco The Polish General came out of the City gather'd Troops together and gave Battle to the Moscovites revolted from Ladislaus The Polandâ—…rs were Defeated and their General Retreated towards Smolensko with the broken Remnant of his Army After this t' was easie to drive the Poles out of the Castle of Mosco The Moscovites thus deliver'd from a Foreign Power chose a New Czar in the year 1612. This was Michel Federovits the nearest Kinsman of the Deceased Czar Boris A New Party united in favour of Charles Philip Brother to
found it without doing any thing against your Conscience or the welfare of Religion These studied Discourses made no great impressions on the Queen She coldly answered the Nuncio that all her Council except the Marschal de Bovillon were good Catholicks and that they were the best Judges what made for the Interest of the Kingdom and of Religion Besides added her Majesty I do nothing upon this occasion but what certain Princes of Italy have done as well as I and that before the Pope's Eyes The Dutches of Tuscany with all her Devotion did she refuse to allow of any Discourse concerning the Marriage of her Daughter with the late Prince of Wales The Emperor Matthias goes to Ratisbonne to the Diet. Of all the Protestants the United Princes in Germany were those which flattered themselves with deriving great Advantages from the Alliance of the Elector Palatine with the Crown of England They hoped that King James would Support their League of which Frederick his Son-in Law was the Chief Since the Dispute that arose concerning the Succession of Cleves and Juliers the Animosite which the Catholicks and Protestants bore towards one another in Germany was inflamed The Two Parties got all the Strength they could and made Attempts upon each other The weakness of Rodolphus contributed much to this unhappiness Matthias his Brother and Successor tryed to Cure it in the begining of his Reign But he had neither Power nor Wisdom necessary to reconcile so different Interests or to Command equal Respect from Princes that were sowr'd one against the other with mutual Discontents Possibly the Emperor had no very ill intentions with respect to the Protestants at least he seemed to imitate the moderation of Maximilian his Father But not having so much Sense and Resolution he was ensnared with the Contrivances of the Court of Rome the Catholick Party The Progress the Turks made a little while ago in Hungary seemed to threaten Matthias with a War near Home This obliged him to keep even with both Sides because he equally needed their assistance against a formidable Enemy The Protestants endeavoured to make their use of this opportunity to better their Condition and to secure the repose of their Churches The Catholicks and Protestants complain of each other Matthias had promised at his Coronatiion to call a Diet to consult about means to secure the Peace and Tranquility of the Empire and to remedy those Disorders of which several parts of it had complained a long time It was appointed to meet at Ratisbonne The Emperor and the Three Ecclesiastical Electors came thither But the other Electors only sent their Deputies Lewis Landgrave of Hesse declared at large the Reasons the Emperor had to convene the Diet. Mercure Francois 1613. Five were with relation to the particular Government of the Empire and the Sixth related to the Attempts of the Turks upon Hungary His Imperial Majesty thinking it necessary vigorously to oppose them desired that they would grant him certain Contributions for that purpose but before they would enter upon the Consideration of what the Emperor proposed the United Protestant Princes who were then called Correspondans presented several Grieveances of which they had before complain'd under the preceding Reign without obtaining any Redress 'T would be to no purpose to give an account of them here The Emperor in vain endeavoured to Elude the Demands of the Correspondans and to defer till another time the Examination of that Affair they stood to it that his Imperial Majesty ought first to Redress their Greivances The Catholick Princes being convinc'd of the Justice of the pretensions of their Adversaries were of Opinion without having any regard to the Complaints of the United Protestants that they should immediately proceed to deliberate upon the Articles proposed by the Emperor The Consideration of some particular Persons less in Number said they ought to be preferred before the necessity of the publick Welfare which was very pressing Being sure to have the plurality of Voices on their Side these Gentlemen had a mind that what ever they Ordered should be lookt upon as a Resolution of the Diet There could be nothing more contrary to the Repose and Tranquility of the Empire in the present posture of Affairs At this Rate they would presently have Ruined all the Protestants in Germany The Catholicks did likewise maliciously insinuate to the Empire that the Protestants had ill Designs under-hand and that there was Reason to fear they would at last Contest the Lawful Authority of his Majesty Within a little while after they presented a long account of the Complaints which the Catholicks had to make against the Protestants They accused them of diverse Infractions of the Treaty of Pacification that was made some time past at Passau and of diverse Attempts contrary to the Constitutions of the Empire The Catholicks Demanded Justice in their turn of his Imperial Majesty These Gentlemen have been a long time us'd to cry out of Injustice and Persecution against those very Men which they Tormented and Opprest Not to suffer them to Tyranize is to Persecute them So that the Pope grants Jubilees and Indulgences with a liberal Hand to obtain the Deliverance of those of his Religion as if they were unjustly Opprest althô at the same time they live in perfect Tranquility This we see done every day The bad Success of the Diet at Ratisbonne Not being able to Reconcile Spirits which were more and more sowr'd against one another the Emperor endeavoured to avoid the Examination of the Complaints which were made of either Side He proposed to defer it to another time Nevertheless he demanded Assistance for the Security of Hungary where Bethlem Gabor the New Prince of Transilvania Supported by the Turks had made himself dreadful The Protestants answered that they did not doubt but the Emperor was well affected to them and that they were ready to Contribute both Men and Money for the Defence of his Majesties Hereditary Countrys But that they could not forbear to desire his Imperial Majesty in the first Place to restablish the Peace and Tranquility of the Empire and take Care of redressing the Greivances which they had presented to him The Arch-Duke Maximilian the Emperor's Brother a Prince of a sweet and moderate Temper was then at Ratisbonne Matthias desired him to Treat with the Protestants hoping he was able to bring them over but althô they profest a great Respect for the Arch-Duke yet he could obtain nothing of them With a design to make the Emperor more favourable the Catholicks shewed themselves Liberal and well Inclined They promised to furnish him for Two years with their Antient Contributions to carry on a War against the Turks the Protestants oppos'd this Deliberation being resolv'd not to suffer that the Resolutions taken by the Catholicks should be lookt upon as the Decrees of the whole Diet of the Empire Thus the Diet of Ratisbonne broke up instead of remedying the disorders of
little thing and the one pretended to disannul what the other had done Prince Wolfgang of Newbourg marries the D. of Bavaria's Daughter and changes his Religion The Spaniards wisely made their Advantage of so fair an occasion to weaken the Protestant League and to bring over the House of Newburg to their Faction They proposed to Prince Volfgan a Match with Magdalen Sister of Maximilian Duke of Bavaria and of Ferdinand Elector of Cologne They promised him the Protection of the House of Austria a Pension from the King of Spain and the Support of the Catholick League if he would quit his Religion and enter into the Communion of the Church of Rome a very sensible Temptation to an Ambitious young Prince and who was big with Revenge for the horrible Affront which had been offered him Newburg falls before the force of it But Wolfgang whether 't were to keep fair with his Father who was a zealot for the Confession of Ausbourg or whether he had some other Reasons would not renounce his Religion before his Marriage He only consented to Marry the Princess Magdalen and the Duke of Newbourg gave his Consent not seeing the Snare which was laid for his Son who was blinded with Passion The Marriage was Celebrated at Munich the 10th of November this Year And that he might keep within bounds as to outward appearance the Prince was not Married by the Mass he only received the Nuptial Benediction by the hands of the Bishop of Aichstat at Evening Service in the great Church of Munich But at length Wolfgang declared himself in the Month of May the next Year He made publick profession of the Popish Religion at Dusseldorp The Duke his Father was extremely troubled at it The Proclamation which he publisht immediately after is an infallible proof of it It imported that every Munday throughout the Year publick Prayers should be made for the Conservation of the Protestant Religion in the Dutchy of Newbourg The Artifices and Fetches of the Duke of Savoy The Peace mude between the D of Savoy Mantua has much ado to continuefirm stable oblige us frequently to return to him The Treaty of Peace between Charles Emanuel and the Cardinal Ferdinand Duke of Mantua had been concluded with so much precipitation that they spoke there only of Resigning the Places in Monferrat without making any mention of the Mutual pretentions of each Party of the reparation of the Damages done in Monferrat which Ferdinand demanded nor of an Amnesty for the Subjects of the House of Mantua who had declared for that of Savoy which Charles Emanuel was willing to obtain These Affairs not being settled Disputes must presently revive Neither were the Princes of Italy very well satisfied with a Peace that was so infirm and subject to a Rupture They imagined and that with probability enough that the Marquiss d'Inojosa had made it because he could tell how to refuse Obedience to the positive Orders of the King his Master They were still afraid there was a Collusion between him and the Duke of Savoy and that they both of them had an under-hand Design At the very same time that Charles Emanuel Restored the Towns in Monferrat he re-enforced his Troops and the Governor of Milan remained in Arms diligently observing all these steps of which the most penetrating head could not understand the Secret The Venetians took care to continue to the Cardinal Duke the assistance which they had given him since the beginning of the Quarrel and to be themselves upon their Guard The Quarrel which arose between their Republick and Ferdinand of Austria Arch-Duke of Gratz who had a great Interest at the Court of Madrid obliged them to distrust the King of Spain 'T was upon the account of the Vscoques Pyrats and Robbers upon the Coasts of Dalmatia whom the Arch-Duke openly protected although the Venetians and the Turks did equally complain of their Robberys We shall say something in the Course of this History concerning this Quarrel which occasion'd the Vscoques to be known in the World The Governor of Milan presseth the Duke of Savoy to lay down his Arms. That which most perplext the speculative Italians about the Affair of Monferrat was that the Governor of Milan who was thought to be in the Interest of Charles Emanuel nevertheless powerfully prest him to lay down his Arms as soon as possible And at the same time that he was contending with him he would constrain Ferdinand to do all that the Savoyard could wish These steps Contrary in appearance are not difficult to be reconciled Spain endeavoured to make its advantage of the Quarrel His Catholick Majesty pretended to be the absolute Arbiter and to direct the Dukes of Savoy and Mantua as should be most for his Interest The Governor of Milan who had no mind to be at the charge of having an Army on Foot to oppose the Duke of Savoy in case his Attempts should make it necessary was continually pressing him to Disband his Troops And because it was of Importance to the King his Master to have at his Disposal the Heiress of Monferrat he boldly demanded her of the Cardinal Duke and thus the Intrigue comes out Now let us see how these Two Parties will get clear of the Demands of the Catholick King Inojosa had sent to Turin the Commander of the Castle of Milan possitively to tell the Duke that he must comply immediately with what was required of him Charles Emanuel bore very impatiently this Imperious way which the Spaniards took with him and with the other Princes of Italy althô he had been used to it for many Years But not being able openly to resist the will of King Philip he found out according tâ—… his usual way divers pretences to shrinâ—… back Never was a Mind more fruitfuâ—… of such Inventions than that of thiâ—… Prince He answered to this Message that he was ready to dismiss his Troops when the Marquiss of Inojosa should perform the private Articles to which the Cardidal Duke of Mantua had agreed at the time of the Treaty made with him Mr. the Governor hath himself given me positive assurances said Charles Emanuel that the Cardinal Duke did consent to deliver up into my hands the Princess Mary my Grand-daughter and to grant a general Amnesty to â—…he Subjects of Monferrat which declared for me Is it not fit that I should continue â—…n Arms till this be performed All the World was mightily surpriz'd when this Answer of the Duke of Savoy was known The Cardinal Ferdinand denied that he had â—…ver promis'd any such thing He pretendâ—…d likewise that Inojosa had told him to the â—…ontrary People could not tell what to â—â—ink of this Riddle Some said that â—â—e Governor of Milan having received â—…resents from Charles Emanuel and Ferdiâ—â—nd had impos'd upon them both in telâ—â—ng the Duke of Savoy that which I have â—â—lated before and in promising the clear â—â—ntrary to the Cardinal Duke that
might be most proper to compose the Disturbance which their Dispute had occasioned in several of the Vnited Provinces The Remonstrants declar'd that their way of Toleration seem'd the safest and most convenient so that every one should have the Liberty to Teach and Preach his Opinion concerning the Five Articles in Dispute The Contra-Remonstrants propos'd a Convocation of the National Synode which should Examine and Determine which of the Two Opinions was most agreeable to the Word of God and to the Doctrine commonly received in the Reformed Churches When the States of Holland were consulting about this matter in their Assembly they found themselves divided into Two Parties the one approv'd the Advice given by the Remonstrants and the other was for a National Synod The First carried it Without declaring for one or the other the States of Holland publish'd an Edict in which it enjoined both the Remonstrants and Contra-Remonstrants Charitably to bear with one another not to disturb the Peace of the Churches not to say which had got the better of the other to speak with a great deal of Wariness and Consideration concerning the controverted Points in their Sermons to take more care to inculcate upon the People the duties of the Christian Life and the necessity of preserving Peace in the Church and in the Common-wealth then to explain to their Auditory abstracted and difficult Points in Divinity and whereas the Contra-Remonstrants complain'd that their Adversaries entertain'd Opinions contrary to the Doctrine of the Reformed Churches not only concerning Grace and Predestination but also about original Sin the Satisfaction of Jesus Christ and other important Articles of Religion The States of Holland forbid them to Preach in their publick Lectures and their Sermons any thing contrary to what the Reformed Churches had always Professed to be concerning Original Sin the Satisfaction of Jesus Christ and other Articles specified in the Edict of the States This is sufficient to refute the Calumny of certain zealous Contra-Remonstrants who had the Impudence publickly to accuse the States of Holland of a design to introduce into their Province the Impieties of Paulus Samosatenus which Servetus and Socinus had reviv'd in the last Ageâ—… They which compos'd this Illustious Assembly always detested the Enemys oâ—… the Divinity of Jesus Christ If severaâ—… Deputies to the States of Holland did noâ—… think themselves oblig'd to declare againsâ—… Vorstius his being call'd to the University of Leiden the Reason was because Vorstius publickly disavow'd the Opinions oâ—… Socinus The States desired him to Prinâ—â— the Declaration that he had made both in Latin and in Dutch and to send it to the King of England They Commanded him also particularly to answer all thâ—… Accusations which he had been charged with in Print and to stay at Tergow tilâ—… they were better inform'd of his reaâ—… Opinions Grotius so renown'd for his Works was then Fiscal Advocate of Holland he had a great share in what the States did with relation to these disputes This Learned Man did so abhor Socinianism Epistola Grotii 13. ad Walaeum 1611. that he declar'd that the Followers of Socinus did not deserve the Name of Christians and that he saw but little difference between a Socinian and a Mahometan Grotius afterwards did not seem to have quite so bad an Opinion of the Disciples of Socinus but yet he never espoused their Sentiments This might be clearly prov'd by abundance of Passages in his Letters and in his Works Whatsoever â—â—ey might say to stain his Reputation he â—…ill always have the Glory of having â—…etter refuted the deceitful subtilties of â—â—cinus against the Satisfaction of Jesus â—…hrist than any who have writ before â—â—m New Contests in Holland about choosing their Pastors The Wiser and more moderate Diâ—â—nes easily submitted to the Edict â—…ublish'd in 1611. Those of the Walloon Churches signaliz'd themselves upon this â—…ccasion they promis'd in their Synods 〈◊〉 1612 and 1613. to Respect as Breâ—â—ren those which maintain'd the Five â—…rticles in Dispute But the far greater â—…art of the Dutch Ministers were not so â—…ractable They had almost all took â—â—e Side or other in this Quarrel they â—…hich were for the Contra-Remonstrants â—â—claim'd against the Edict they acâ—â—s'd the States of Holland of a base Conâ—…escention to Men whose Doctrine tendâ—â— to re-establish Popery Grotius Oratione habità in Senatu Amstelodamensi Epist 18. ad Uytenbogardum 1613. or at least to â—â—troduce Socinianism into the Reformed â—…hurches In the Year 1612. there aâ—â—se a business which occasion'd a new â—…ontest the Remonstrants complained â—â—at their Adversaries were more numeâ—â—us in their Synods and certain Assemâ—â—ies which are called Classes in the Vniâ—â—d Provinces and which the Reformed 〈◊〉 France call Colloques they complain'd â—â—at it often happen'd that they refused 〈◊〉 admit to the Ministry those which â—…eclar'd for the Doctrine of the Five Articles upon this and some other considerations Barnevelt proposed in the Assembly of the States of Holland the Revival of a Law made in the Year 1591. concerning the manner of choosing the Pastors of the Church It seems that at the beginning of the Reformation in Holland Grotius Apologeticus eorum qui Hollandia praefuerunt Cap. VII William Prince of Orange and the States of Holland had a design to make a Law that the Election of the Ministers should belong to the Magistrates of the Places but the Clergy had Wit enough to baffle this Project A National Synod Convened at the Hague in 1586. Ordered that the Pastors should be chosen by the Consistory that they would do the Magistrates the Honour of giving them notice of the Election and of asking them whether they found any fault with the Manners or the Doctrine of the Person chosen The Decree of the Synod overturn'd the Right of Patronage Established in Holland a long time before the Reformation which the States and Gentlemen of that Country endeavour'd to retain as well as many other Reformed Provinces Far from approving this Order the States of Holland published an Edict the same Year by which they declar'd that their Intention was to reserve to themselves and to the Gentlemen the Right of Patronage upon Condition that they who are Named by the Patrons should not be received into the Ministry but after an exact Information of their good Manners and of their sound Doctrine Neither did the States of Zealand observe this Canon of the National Synod at the Hague In the Year 1591. They Convene'd a particular Synod of their own Province 'T was there Decreed that the Consistory should desire the Magistrates of the respective Places to Name certain Persons from amongst themselves who should proceed Jointly with the Consistory in the Election of their Ministers In Holland there almost every day arose some dispute when there was a Vacant Church to be provided for the Consistory maintain'd that this priviledge belonged solely to them The Magistrates and the Gentlemen endeavour'd to
maintain their Right of Patronage But to remedy the disorders which frequent disputes about this Point occasioned they endeavoured in the Year 1591. in the Assembly of the States of this Province to make a New Regulation concerning the manner of choosing Pastors According to this Project the Magistrates and the Consistory were to Name each Four Persons of their own Body to Elect Jointly The Act of Election was to be carried afterwards to the Body of the Magistrates who should have power to Accept or Reject the chosen Minister And in this last Case they were to proceed to a new Election This Law was agreeable enough to the Civil Law Establish'd by the new Constitutions of the Emperor Justinian touching the Election of Ecclesiastical Ministers And because it was convenient to Reserve some Priviledges to particular Persons who had the Patronage of Churches it was added in the same Law that if there were a Pastor to be chosen to a Church of which a particular Person was the Patron then this Person was to depute Four others to Elect in Conjunction with the Four Named by the Consistory So that a Gentleman had the same priviledge with respect to the Church of which he was Patron as the Magistrates had reserved with respect to the Churches of Towns and Cities A Regulation so well Contrived for the Satisfaction of all the World met with so much opposition in the Assembly of the States of Holland in the Year 1591. from several considerable Cities that it was not possible to pass it into a Law In the Year 1612. the Pensionary Barnevelt propos'd a second time to the States of the Province as more necessary than ever by reason of the Quarrels that arose about the Five Articles Besides that the Synod and Classes did not dare to make use of the pretended Heresie 〈◊〉 Remonstrants to Interdict those which haâ—… been chosen after this manner by thâ—… Consent of the Consistory's and Magistrates and Patrons this Project had a considerable Advantage in the present Posture of the Churches of Holland It allow'd the Magistrates to choose none but wise and moderate Pastors and such as should be acceptable to all the World and well inclined to Peace When Barnevelt spoke in the Assembly of the States of the Province of the Revival of the Law propos'd in 1591. Their Opinions were then decided Some thought it fit that they should publish it others thought that it was more convenient first to have the consent of the Synode These latter were apparently afraid that this Law should more provoke the Ministers of the Contra-Remonstrant Party who grumbled very much that the States pretended singly to decide matters belonging to Religion and the Government of the Church Barnevelt in this Affair in which he was so heartily engaged so managed those that were concern'd that he brought them all over to his own Opinion The States of Holland at last resolv'd that the Laws which had been Projected concerning Ecclesiastical affairs in the Year 1591 should be from that time observ'd but they found great difficulty in the Execution of them There arose immediately great Disputes both by word of Mouth and by Writing concerning this Deliberation of the States The Contra-Remonstrants said that the States had gone beyond the Bounds of their Lawful Authority and that it was not fit for them to put their hand to the Censor in Regulating the Doctrines of Faith and the Government of the Church The Remonstrants side with the States By this means they had opportunity to curry favour with the Government and likewise found their account in the Enacting of this Law The Armenians maintain'd and not without Reason that the States of Holland being Sovereigns in their Province had power to Establish any thing that was not contrary to the Law of God and to regulate the Government of the Church to make Laws for the Security of it's Peace according to the Example of Christian Emperors and Princes which have done so before them without any Contradiction from the primitive Church So that for the future we shall find there were disputes in the Vnited Provinces not only about the Five Articles of the Remonstrants but also about the Right of Patronage and the Lawful Power of Sovereigns in matters of Faith and Discipline of the Church This was the occasion of an excellent Treatise which Grotius published to the World This Learned Man does in that Book defend at large that which he had before advanc'd in an Apology for the States oâ—… Holland Grotius De Imperio summarum potestatum circa Sacra touching the Authority of thâ—… Sovereign Power in Ecclesiastical Affairs But before we speak of this Apology publish'd by Grotius It is fit to say something concerning this Quarrel which intreas'd every day in the Vnited Provinces The divisions increased in the United Provinces Before this time there had been Synod â—…gainst Synod that of Vtrecht in 1612. â—…eclare that the Five Articles of the Reâ—…onstrants were Tolerable That of the â—…rovince of Guelderland maintains that â—â—l the Doctrine contain'd in the Confesâ—â—on of Faith and in the Catechism of â—â—e Belgick Churches was agreeable to â—â—e Word of God Preface des Actes du Sinode de Dordrecht The Synod Solemnâ—â—â— Engage themselves to maintain and deâ—â—nd it In Some Cities they Suspend and â—…epose the Remonstrant Ministers as Hereâ—â—ks in others they drive out the Contra-â—â—monstrant as Violent and Seditious â—â—e People being devoted to their Old â—â—nisters would not acknowledge those â—â—t were put in their Room So that there â—â—s a Schism in one and the same Church Brand Hist de la Reformation Liv. XX. XXI â—â—e part of the People assembled with 〈◊〉 Depos'd Minister in spite of the Maâ—â—rates Another part stuck to the new â—â—e One Geselius gave a great deal of â—â—ble to the magistrates of Rotterdam â—â—ey Depose him he sets up Conventiâ—â— they Banish him and he refuses to â—â—ey them The Magistrates publish'd Manifesto giving an account of their â—â—duct to the People Geselius answers 〈◊〉 his own Justification In one Word â—â—e were not greater Divisions in the Church in the time of Arianism Circular Letters flew about to Exhort to forsake the Communion of those who embrac'd the Five disputed Articles The Contra-Remonstrants call'd themselves the unjustly persecuted Church They had a private Meeting in a Barn at Rotterdam The Magistrates ordered it to be shut up the Contra Remonstrants open'd it again Could they have had more Zeal and more Heat about the Fundamentals of the Christian Religion During these Confusions Gomar quitted the Chair of Divinity-Professor at Leyden and retir'd to Middleburg in Zealand Polyander a great Stickler for the same Opinion was put in his Place The Remonstrants comforted themselves under this disappointment with Episcopius being call'd to the same University He had obtained a great Reputation in the Party by his strong Defence of the Five Articles at the Conference in the Hague in 1611.
There seem d to be a good understanding at first between the Two Professors But it did not last long Whether 't was that Polyander was Jealous of the Reputation of Episcopius a Man of uncommon Learning of a clean subtle and penetrating Head whither he was urg'd by an honest Zeal and Love of the Truth to prevent the Mischiefs which the Free Opinions of Episcopius's concerning Important Points 〈◊〉 Grace and Predestination might do in the University of Leyden There arose an open War between the Two Professors Polyander had a very strong Party The liberty with which his Adversary discours'd concerning the Nature and Attributes of God the Trinity and the Incarnation did the Remonstrants a very great Injury since they were headed by Episcopius and Vytenbogard The Conference of Delft between the Remonstrants and the Contra-Remonstrants The latter kept himself more within Bounds and stuck closer to the Belief of the Ancient Church Count William Lewis of Nassau Governor of Frizeland being at that time in the Hague and contriving means to Calm these Contests about Religion which were like to be of ill Consequence to the Church and Common Wealth brought Vytenbogard and Festus Hommius a Professor of Leyden and one of the moderatest of the Contra-Remonstrants to a Conference The Count first of all asking them if they could think of an Expedient and to restore peace to the Churches of the Vnited Provinces Hommius answered that 't would not be hard to re-unite the differing Parties if till such time as there should be a general Synod the Remonstrants would declare positively that setting aside their Five Articles they sincerely received the Confession of the Faith of the Belgick Churches As for me saith Uytenbogard I have no other-private Sentiments of my own I am ready to Declare it when you please And I don't doubt but the Wiser part of the Remonstrants will do the same This Declaration occasioned another Conference in the City of Delft in the beginning of the Year 1613. between certain Select Persons on each Side The States of Holland thought it convenient that there should be but Three Divines of a Side when they came to Discourse concerning means of healing their Divisions The Remonstrants propos'd the way of Toleration and desired that their Adversaries should declare whether the Doctrine of the Five Articles were Tolerable or not The Contra-Remonstrants were for a Convocation of a National Synod which should definitively pronounce concerning the Five disputed Articles As for a Toleration added they you demand it in too general Terms Tell us plainly if the Five Articles are the only Points in which you differ from the Confession of Faith commonly receiv'd among us Explain your Thoughts concerning the Satisfaction of Jesus Christ of Original Sin and certain other Important Points We have taken out of the Books of Arminius Vorstius and some other Remonstrants several Tenets that are contrary to the Coufession of Faith in other Essential Points as well as those of the Five Articles Let us see you Reject these Tenets which are evidently Bad. The Remonstrants answered that Councils had often done more harm than good that a Convocation of a National Synod did not look like a good Expedient to end the Quarrel and that the Province of Holland did not think themselves obliged to submit themselves to the Judgment of the other Provinces in matters of Religion Grotius Apologeticus eorum qui Hollandiae praefuerunt Cap. IV. As for the Declaration which you require of us concerning the other Artiticles of the Confession of Faith said the Remonstrants We will deliberate of that Proposal with our Brethren 'T is likely we may grant your desires provided you will Sign that the Doctrine of the Five Articles is not contrary to the Fundamentals of Christianity And thus the Conference of Delft was attended with no better Success than the preceding ones They broke up without coming to any Resolution Vytenbogard one of the Deputies for the Remonstrants and Festus Hommius for the other Side went immediately for the Hague to inform the States of the Province of what had past at Delft In good truth these Divines and Professors are a strange sort of Men. Instead of bringing things to a happy Conclusion they are good for nothing but to perplex them more when they are left to their Prejudices and Passions What hindred them from giving Peace to their Churches and Country which their Disputes expos'd to remediless Peril only a ponctilio of Honour The Remonstrants did not care to humour their Adversaries so far as to explain themselves upon certain Articles and I know not what Tenets of Arminius and Vorstius As for the Contra-Remonstrants they were afraid of giving ground of Triumph to the others by letting them obtain a Connivance in favour of the Five Articles For what reason should they both refuse to make an advance which appear'd so reasonable With a little Charity and Condescention they might have prevented all those Miseries which ensued For my part I cannot approve of the obstinacy of the Remonstrants on this occasion If they spoke sincerely why did not they stop the Mouths of their Adversaries by a clear and distinct Explication of their Faith It cannot be denied but that the Writings of Vorstius and some others of that Party give just ground of Suspicion both to their Adversaries and to wise and disinterested Persons In the mean time Vytenbogard had the skill and Reputation to insinuate a good Opinion into the States of Holland of the Conduct of the Remonstrants in the Conference of Delft He excus'd their backwardness by representing to them that the Contra-Remonstrants had a mind to have the same Power as the Inquisitors of Spain It is Lawful said he to prosecute Men when one has sufficient Proof to Convict them But to oblige those whom they think fit to suspect to accuse themselves is a Tyrranical Maxim of the Tribunal of the Inquisition If we Teach any Heretick Doctrines our Adversaries have the Liberty to Convict us But if they have no Proofs against us why should they spread abroad suspitions of Persons whose Doctrines are Irreproveable This come-off was specious but had nothing in it at the Bottom We ought not to think much to give a reason of our Faith when Charity and the Edification of our Neighbour and the Conservation of Peace demand it Certainly there was something in the Conduct of the Remonstrants which wanted Fairness and Sincerity Vytenbogard and those of his Party James K. of England is loss prejudised against the Arminians Preface des Actes du Synode de Dordrecht Uytenbogard Hist Ecclesiastique Part. IV. 16113. Brand Hist de la Reformation did not take so much Pains to obtain the Favour of the States of Holland but that they did endeavour also to Efface the ill Impressions which his Brittish Majesty had received of their Doctrines and their Persons It was of high Concernment to the Remonstrants to withdraw from
prince of Conde solicites the Reformed he advis'd him to send some of his Domesticks to the Heads of the Huguenot Party to exhort them to take Arms. Conde and Bovillon had each their particular Designs in this Step. The first hop'd to make a more advantageous Treaty with the Regent if the Reformed Declared in his Favour The other thought to make himself doubly necessary to reclaim the Prince and the Discontented Lords and to Travers the Designs of the Duke de Rohan amongst the Reformed Des Marais Lieutenant of the Princes Guards was of the Religion he seemed a fit Man to Negotiate with the Duke of Rohan they sent him therefore to St. Jean d'Angeli with Orders to pass first through Saumur and to sound his old Friend du Plessis Mornai They did not doubt if Rohan and du Plessis would listen to the proposals of the Prince but that the Credit and Reputation of these Two Men would draw after them all the Protestant Party in France Mary de Medicis did likewise manage the chief Men amongst the Reformed The wise answer of du Plessis Mornai to the Regent and the prince of Conde Hist du Connetable de Lesdiguieres Liv. VIII Chap. 6. Memoires de Duc de Rohan she sent immediately to the Mareschal de Lesdiguieres to Treat at the same time with those of the Religion and the Prince of Conde and the discontented Lords to hinder the one from being drawn over and to persuade the other to an accommodation The Duke of Rohan was likewise solicited by her Majesty he answered that his Design was always to adhere to the Reformed and that the readiest and surest way to reduce the Party of the Prince of Conde was to give Satisfaction to the reformed Churches who are able to weigh down the Scales to that Side which they should be of As for du Plessis Mornai the President Jeannin and the Queen her self writ obliging Letters to him They knew that this Gentleman who was very honest and zealous for the welfare of his Religion and his Country might be gained by shewing themselves willing to maintain the Edicts which were granted by the late King to his Reformed Subjects They gave therefore du Plessis the highest hopes in the World in this respect Jeannin assured him that the Regent had not Concluded the double Marriage with Spain with a design to Effect the Ruine of the Protestants in Conjunction with the House of Austria The Marriage which is at present Negociated with England said this cunning and dissembling Minister is a convincing Proof of the Contrary This business is in such forwardness that in my Opinion nothing can hinder it In the mean time they had no desire to Conclude it This was but a Trick to amuse the Protestants whom the double Marriage Alarm'd through all Europe Du Plessis gave the Ministers and the Regent all possible assurance of his Fidelity and Devotedness to the Service of their Majesties He took this occasion to represent to the Court how important it was for the Peace of the Kingdom exactly to observe the Edicts which had been granted to the Reformed who were better Subjects than the Catholicks when they were left to the free Exercise of their Religion The Answer which du Plessis gave the Prince of Conde is yet more worthy of his great Wisdom We have seen several Princes saith he Vie de Mr. du Plessis Liv. III. 1614. use the specious Pretences of the publick Good only to carry on their own particular Interest I would believe the Designs of his Highness are upright and sincere but that is not sufficient we must use lawful means to obtain a good End all the World knows that there are Disorders in the State they are greater than Men imagine But prudence will not admit that Mr. le Prince should apply Remedies worse than the Disease The well meaning Towns of the Kingdom are so afraid of a Civil War that they will never Declare for Mr. le Prince He has a mind to Correct some Abuses which 't is for the Interest of the Towns to suffer those which tell him that the Reformed will Rise don't know us or at least they have a mind to impose upon his Highness They offer him People which are not at their disposal 'T is true we Complain of some Grievances but we will remain peaceable as long as the Edicts are observed The Allies of the Crown will not approve of this Enterprise of Mr. le Prince France is the only Counterpoise which can oppose the greatness of the Spanish Monarchy If a Civil War should arise in the Kingdom who can resist the ambitious Designs of the House of Austria The Agent of the Prince de Conde had better encouragement at St Jean d' Angeli than at Saumur He invited the Duke of Rohan to take Arms in Favour of his Highness The Duke of Rohan seemes to listen to the proposals of the prince of Conde Memoires du Duc de Rohan Vie de Mr. du Plessis Liv. III. 1614. promising that his Highness would not come to an Agreement with the Court without his Consent The Duke did not seem very backward to join the Party But the distrust which he had of the Mareschal de Bovillon whose artifices and ill-will to him he was aware of made him more reserved Before he would Engage himself he sent one of his Confidents to the Prince to discover the real Designs of his Highness and the discontented Lords When du Plessis Mornai understood that the Duke of Rohan was inclined to join with the Prince Mr. de Rohan said he does not think to appease the Troubles by Interesting himself The Queen will be more inclined to satisfie the Prince and the Mareschal de Bovillon jealous of Mr. de Rohan will take care to conclude a Peace as soon as possible No body could have better foretold what would come to pass The Envoy of the Duke was kindly received by the Prince the Party gave out that Rohan offered a Thousand Horse and Eight thousand Foot The Treaty with the Court that was already far advanced was immediately concluded and the Prince obtained that which otherwise would never have been granted As for the Mareschal de Lesdiguiâ—…res he only exhorted Conde to the Peace and offer'd him his good Offices for that purpose Caesar Duke of Vendome Hist. du Connetable de Lesdiguieres Liv. VIII Chap. 6. The escape of the D. of de Vendome he retires into Bretagne that was seiz'd at the Louvre and kept Prisoner in his Chamber made his escape Eight days after he took the Road to Bretagne but when he came to Ancenis he found that the Regent had given such good Orders on that Side that the Duke de Montbason who was sent to Command in his Place and the Comte de Vertus in Conjunction with the Parliament de Rennes took care to have the Gates of the best Cities in the Province shut against him
the Kingdom without hope of Foreign Succour were not furnished with any necessaries to maintain a War The Intrigue of the Marschal de Ancre to dissuade the Regent from going to War with the P. de Conde Mary de Medicis would have followed this Advice the most advantageous to her Reputation and her Authority if the Mareschal d' Ancre and the Chancellor de Silleri had not dissuaded her Not content to alledge their Reasons in the Council that it was the best way to grant the Prince of Conde and those of his Party Siri Memo. recondite Tom. III. p. 241. almost all their Pretensions they Intrigued in the Parlement they excited the People of Paris earnestly to demand the conclusion of the Peace They engage likewise the Deputies General of the reformed Churches to say That if the Regent gave the Command of the Army to the avowed Enemies of their Religion they should think they had very good reason to take care of their own preservation by uniting with the Prince of Conde The Mareschal de Lesdiguieres represented that the War would be lookt upon as a revival of the Ancient Quarrels between the Guises and the Bourbons In this diversity of Opinions the Queen thought that to save her self from the Reproaches which might be hereafter thrown upon her 't was necessary to assemble an extraordinary Council and to Summon thither the Presidents of the Parliament and the chief Magistrates of Paris All these Gentlemen of the Robe being prepossess'd by the Chancellor favoured a Peace The Cardinal de Joieuse seeing that their Advice would not carry it went out of the Assembly Guise Epernon Villeroy and some others who had spoke for the War were afraid to oppose the Torrent therefore they approv'd the continuation of the Treaty begun at Soissons Viguier was dispatch'd by the Regent to the Prince of Conde who was retired to St. Menehoud This new Agent had Orders to persuade his Highness to agree that the Duke de Maienne and the Mareschal de Bovillon should conclude the Treaty with the King's Commissioners who remained at Soissons notwithstanding the Retreat of the Prince with some other Lords Conde having answerd by Viguier that things would sooner come to an Issue if the Duke de Ventadour and his Collegues would advance as far as Rhetel to Treat with himself her Majesty sent an express Commission to her Deputies to make an end of the Negociation The Regent sent likewise a particular Letter to the Prince She there promis'd a Suspension of the double Marriage till the Majority of the King her Son The reasons of the Pope's Nuncio about the resolution taken to make a Peace with the P. of Conde The Pope's Nuncio was troubled at the Resolutions which Mary de Medicis had taken to come to an agreement with the Prince of Conde upon Terms so disadvantageous to her Royal Authority he was afraid that this Treaty would make the First Prince of the Blood too powerful and put him into a capacity of pushing his attempts much farther Conde said this Minister of the Pope hath a design to break the double Marriage How must he Effect it 'T is necessary then that he Support the Hugonot Party that he favour the continual Vsurpations of the Parliaments upon the Jurisdiction of the Church that he make Creatures in the Sorbonne by fomenting the Richeriste Party who endeavour to Ruine the Authority of the Holy See in France and if the Pope hath not Power to dispense with Canons as he thinks fit how can the Divorce of the late King from Marguerite his first Wise stand good This Prince of Conde hath but one Step more to make to Ascend the Throne The Italian Politicians Siri Memo. recondite Tom. III. p. 241. oftentimes carry their Reasonings beyond all Bounds The Author which relates these Speculations of the Nuncio adds that the fear of this Minister would have been very well grounded in any other Country besides France The Genius of the Nation is so changeable they take different measures every day The examination of a politick reflection of a Venetian Author concerning the Treaty with the Prince of Conde so contrary one to the other that one can moke no certain Conjectures about the several Commotions there The Reflection is not amiss and indeed we must agree with him But this Author should have added that Conde was a Man of so faint a Temper so little capable of any Resolution that he would never have done the Regent much mischief thô she had granted him Conditions yet more advantageous A Noble Venetian speaking of the same Affair in the History of his own Republick says that France did Recompense those Actions Nani Historia Veneta Lib. I. 1614. which elsewhere they Punish by the hands of the Hangman I approve no more than he that which hath often happenned in France in these Leagues which the Princes and great Lords have often made under the Honourable pretence of the publick good they more design'd their own Interest than those of the People But why does this Senator affirm so boldly that the Prince of Conde and the Lords of his Party ought to have their heads cut off for this Enterprize This is done in other Places I grant it in those Countrys where the Government is Tyrannical One would be surprized to hear a Republican speak at this rate if we did not know that the Government of Venice is rather an absolute Domination of a small number of Noblemen than a free Administration of publick Affairs by a well-compos'd Senate This Decemvirate which is always standing is as good an Invention to maintain Tyranny as ever was It keeps both the People and Nobility equally in awe They study and pursue the Maxims of Matchiavel in Venice as much as in any part of Italy The undertaking of the Prince of Conde was neither Honest nor Prudent enough But in what was it so Criminal This Man must be well seasoned in the Tyrannical principles of his Matchiavel to maintain that a first Prince of the Blood and the Lords of the first Rank in a Kingdom who Demand the Re-establishment of good Laws the general Assembly of the States of the Kingdom the Suspension of a marriage concluded during the Minority of the King against the true Interest of his Crown to maintain I say that these who only make use of that Priviledge which their Birth and Dignity gives them and which desire some Security for their Persons against a Regent and suspected Ministers deserve to die upon a Scaffold The Prince of Conde is not to be blamed for Combining with some other Lords to Demand those things of which he speaks in his Manifesto But he did not take the Right way to do any good His Designs did not appear Sincere nor Disinterested The Parlement and the Magistrates of Paris were very Wise in advising a Peace A Civil War might have been fatal to France and in making a Peace