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religion_n false_a true_a worship_n 4,780 5 7.8086 4 false
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ID Title Author Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) STC Words Pages
A00008 Considerations vpon the treaty of marriage between England and Spain Wood, William, fl. 1623, attributed name. 1623 (1623) STC 10003; ESTC S113665 7,216 14

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body and true religion is unsociable to sort it selfe with false worship and will soone forsake his dwelling place If Spayn can procure a tolleration of religion vvhich must needs be follovved vvith ruine of the State he may then assure himselfe of sides that vvill alvvayes be able either directly or indirectly to divert the state from hindering his designes as vvell in the lovv Cuntryes as vvheresoever else and although he should not prevayle at the first by practis or procure a tolleration of religion vvhich neverthelesse the increacing number of Papists will of it selfe in processe of time effect yet when he hath once a faction on foote and that many of the subjects are perverted in religion he will notwithstanding be in good hope that the state may be stayed hindered frō opposing it self against his designes by the working of his factiō the ielousy that will be cōceaved of the Papists within the Relme and whether his hopes will fayll him or no yet if he should upon such ground make any attempt against those of the united Provinses that could not but fale out to the great troble annoyance and danger of the state especially if he send his forses by sea for then must England upon any such occation either rig out there Navy to sea to se that he keep his course which will allwayes be a matter of great burthen and charge or otherwayes abide the danger of his landing upon their owne cousts if he have intelligence with the Papists wherefore it will be allwayes safer in such cases to be somewhat iealous then too secure Now the Alliance with Spayn vvill not onely scarr and discourage in generall the vvholl side of those of the religion abroad to the great vveakning of the state of England but also breed a particuler ielousy in those of the united Provinses vvhen they shall se that Popery increaseth or that Spayn hath a faction or party in the Relme vvhereof one of these tvvo mischeives must consequently follovv either that they will make their peace vvith Spayn or keep continually many shipes of vvar in the narrovv seas if they be able to hould out especially upon the comming of any supplyes by sea to the Artch Duke during the Truce vvhich as they are a people iealous and suspitious enough by nature may at one time or other by occationes happening grovv to some dangerous inconvenience for betvveen tvvo so neare neighbours both potent at sea if there be not straight amity kept things cannot long stand vvithout breaking forth into tearmes of open hostility And for the state of those Provinses though strong by sea Alliance and cituation yet are not the foundations of it so far sure that England can vvith safety leaue them to themselves for the late sects and questions about matters of religion threaten their disunion and Spayn that lies continually in wayt for their liberty hath his pencioners and dayly practicers amongst them Some doe noyse much the antient amity with the house of Burgundy but that house is changed and hath not kept strok in the conditions of the Alliance so ought the cause to be altered too It was to weak for France but now it is too strong and England had then plots against France which now it hath not The greatest use of Leagues and Alliances is to prevent present mischeives or to further some necessary enterprice otherwise reason of state and common experience teacheth to sway even with the vveaker for the brideling of the ambition and greatnes of the stronger They make an idle distinction vvho to avoyd the obiections made against Spayn pretend that mariages are but personall amongst Preinces and not reall for if there be no reallity vvhere is then the good of England if there be any who is so weak as to thinke that Spayn will easily quit his interest in it To alledge the exampell of Erance that houldeth correspondency still vvith his other Allies and continues to assist them against Sapyn notvvithstanding his match vvith Spayn is to as litle purpose in the judgment of those vvho doe also knovv hovv much Spayn prevayleth in weakning their sinewes and frustrating the effect of such assistance The sum is that Spayn hopes by reason of this match so to charme England as it shall give way to him in his courses and England contrariwise promiseth it selfe the hony of the bee without danger of being stung whether of both may come short of their recconing is at the least disputable For Spayn on the one side will spare no travell or charge will use all the meanes and practises he can and take the benefit of all occasions and advantages that shall be offered to bring his purposes to passe as it may be supposed that England for his part will stand upon his watch to prevent a mischeife that shall threaten the state Spayn may by a vigilant care and good foresight be disapoynted so may England by the contrary be overtaken for death will weare away these watchmen that are now and others may succeed that will not be so watchfull nay watchfulnes it selfe over-watched will in time grow drowsy and overwearied carefulnes will grow carelesse The very best cautions and caveats must needes relent and wax ould in time In all strife and contentions as well of the body as the mind if one side get ground the other looseth it Time will bring forth many accidents which may fall out as to the good so to the hurt of England who that may with good reason be feared will not be watchfull nor have his spirits alwayes intent enough to prevent the practises of Spayn after so straite Alliance that cannot now so much as foresee them or resolue to keep out Spayn Whereupon the question ariseth whether it be a sound course for England not constrayned by any urgent necessity to put the cause of religion and their owne well doing and safety to so great an adversary in a matter that stands upon so many contingents For it is no new experience that the things which we think almost impossible and therefore fear them least doe neverthelesse often come to passe because neglected and so not hindered by opposition they creep unawares upon us as through the mists of security Well saith the Italian therefore Quell che non volete che sia non fate cosa per che avuenga To conclude Spayn who of late was thought to decline weak in the head and wounded in reputation by those of the united Provinces yet having never been more weakly ballanced then at this present begins now to resume his spirits and without timely and strong opposition will take so deep roote and spread his branches so far as to overshadow all his neighbours and deadly dangerouse it will be for any one to sleepe in such a shade Finis
both professe one religion and their estate and condition seemes to unite them together in a necessity of putting out their hands one to another for mutuall preservation Doe they carry themselves now unkindly or somewhat unrespectiuly It doth not so urgently prove that they may become enemies hereafter as there upon to ground a necessity of making an Alliance with a known enemy which were no other but to run into a present mischeif for fear of a future inconvenience They take an Allarum at Englands ioyning with Spayn to their hurt which though it be not so ment by England yet it is the scope that Spayn aymes at and that may make them perhaps somewhat to neglect England but remoue the cause and the effect will cease let them be assured of their freindship and they will prove respectfull freinds if they prosper and grow great who knoweth whether it be not of God by such weake meanes to pull downe the loftines of Spayn and then to withstand them were to run against a rock the very first occasion of their liberty was driving them to dispaire which made them to take hart and resolution to resist the violence that was offered wherein being incoraged with good successe and feeling their owne strength they haue in time made such further progresse as is this day to be seene better it were for England to make use of a necessary evill and run a course with them whereby they may haue their part in their well speeding then to ioyne with Spayn a religion and state enimy who Allieth him selfe to England but for his ovvne ends and must needes draw after them the overthrow of the cause of religion and ruine the state and will never proue but a secrett Enimy and doubtfull frend And it must not in this place be forgotten that if true professors be justly reproved for going to law before heathen Iudges much lesse may they side themselves with any of those that are without to the hinderance and hurt one of an other 6. If England and Fraunce should match together it doth not therefore consequently follow that the French should become burthensome to the State by reason of their nearnesse The lawes of England allow no offices or preferments of aliens The french will haue more hope in their owne Cuntry where there is without comparison more to be given then in England the English seeke not to make any fortune in Scotland But if the French should be importunate they are also impatient let them finde Visage de Boyes and your couldnes should weare out their earnestnes 7. That the French with the Scottish faction may gather strength by the Alliance of France is but a particular consideration against which may be opposed the greatnes the Spanish faction will grovv unto by a match vvith Spayn to the danger of the state this doth greatly lay open the value of such advantages as England doth promise it selfe by matching with Spain vvhich how dearely they vvould notvvithstanding be bought will more perfectly appeare if knowledg be also taken of the inconveniences and mischeifes that vvould follovv for the better conceiving vvhere of his ends are to be considered and seriously examined for it is not likely that Spain a Religion and State Catholique vvho hath both religion and state quarrels against England vvill yeald to giue his Daughter in Mariage to England nay rather doth offer great sums of mony for composing there of but that he looks for a great returne Timeo Danaos et dona ferentes The price of this Alliance therefore vvill be the breaking of the match vvith France to the vveakning of both England ane Fraunce vvhereby he may have the greater footing in eyther and the deviding England from his alices especially from the States of the united Porovinces the making vvay for an other match for his second sonne vvhom he hath a plot to settle in the lovv Cuntries and from thence to promote him if he can to the Crovvne Imperiall vvith an other daughter of France vvhich vvould giue so great an Allarum to the vvhole state of those of the religion if the pretended match vvith England come not betvveen altering in time the state of Religion vvhereof if he had no hope neither vvould he harken to the match for none must thinke he vvould treat such an Alliance vvithout the privacy and consent of his divines or that they vvill giue their consents to that but upon great probability that it shall tend to the furtherance of their catholique faith The supposed Catholique religion is knovvne to be in Spain one of the fundamentall Lavves of their estate and no doubt Spain is a very right Romish Catholique the further therefore that he spreadeth his religion the greater satisfaction it is to his conscience and the more doth he underprop and increase his greatnes namely because those of that religion that are most deuout but especially the greatest part of the Clergy throughout Christendom haue their eyes fixed on him as upon the greatest stay and piller of their catholique faith vvho therefore if he should match vvith an heritique for so they terme us English but vvith a setled purpose by such meanes to root out heresy vvould both vvrong his ovvne conscience and loose his reputation amongst all those of his beleefe to the over great vveakning of his estate vvhich error none of sound judgment that knovves Spayn vvill easily beleve that he vvill commit That a change or tolleration should happen in England by meanes of the intended match is more to be feared then any can vvarrant to be impossible vvherin it vvere vvell vvorth the laboure to find out vvhat hope Spayn doth ground upon and vvhat possibility there is that the same may be disapoynted in the mean time very likely it is in generall that there vvill be no meanes unattempted or left on his side to bring his purpose to passe And then it must in this place be remembred first that vvhatsoever is not of fayth is sin and that sin hath no promise of blessing nor is this a vvork of fayth And next that England hath but too much experience of Popery vvith in these fevv yeares for vvant of due execution of the Lavves vvhich hath bread exceeding great bouldnes in the papists asvvell at home as abroad If the mariage goe forvvard they vvill take the more hart and greater encouragement no small number of subiects want teaching and so are the more easily shaken many waver and many are newfangled the more prepared for a chaunge therefore will accordingly be wrought upon The ould serpent will seduce many Eves and pistols will have free passage every where The worst is yet that there will be party children for the mother will give herselfe noe rest till she have nusled some of them in her owne religiō which would make the way very playn easy for a chaunge because the head once corrupted the infection will in short time spread it selfe over the whole