gladius acutus and in Job flagellum linguae The other means used by Incendiaries is the publishing of Prophesies or making use of them to amuse the people and keep them in the expectation of a change New Religions were brought into Rome by certain Books of Prophesies which were publickly burned It was a capital Crime by the Roman Law in him * Livius L. 30. F. de Poenis Qui aliquid fecerit quo leves hominum mentes superstitione Numinis terrerentur and so was it also in them †Paul sent lib. 5. lit 21. 23. tit Cod. de malesic Mathem Leo descrip Africae Qui divinandi artem exercebant aut Vaticinii libros habebant And thus by the Canon Law and also by Mahomets Law Magiam Cabalisticas artes lege Mahometica vetitas esse The Magicians and Southsayers and those who profess the knowledge of things to come are more dangerous to a City saith St. Hierom then fire especially those who consult of the state of the Common-wealth or of the life and death of the Prince * L. 8. Cod. de Mathematicis vel Arioles atuspices vaticinatâ—tes consuluit cum eo qui responderit capite punitur Paul senten lib. 5 tit 21. Cuiac ad tit Cod. de Maleficis Qui de salute Principis summa Reipublicae Mathematicos consuluit he was punished by death And by that Law the crime was equal in both talia prohibita tam discere quà m docere in those who did seek to learn as well as the Masters of that Art †Caus 3. quaest 5. c. 9. Deut. 18. Lev. 20. 19. The Canon Law made all those infamous Qui ad sortilegos Divinos concurrunt infames sunt nec accusatores nec testes esse possunt The divine Law saith there shall not be found amongst you that useth Divination or is a Wizard they shall be put to death Seek not after Wizards to be defiled by them * Confess lib. 7. c. 6. Mathematicorum fallaces divinationes impia diliramenta saith St Austin Who so are desirous to search into these vain and impious Prophesies and to enquire of things to come the Devil is ready to answer their curiosity with strong delusions Lipâ—â—i monita Posit quae turbant animos ad novas aut magnas spes impellunt Nunquam curiositas cupiditas conjuncta cum avaritia superstitione cognoscendi res futuras Aelian var. hist lib. 3. c. 3. neque Gentilibus neque iis qui Christiani perhiberi voluerunt impunis vel innoxia fuit The raisers of a dangerous sedition in York-shire Heyward in Edw. 6. in the reign of Edward the sixth took their rise and encouragement from a dark and deceivable Prophesie and understood that to be the time to accomplish that Prophesie which did fortel the time should come when there should be no King and that the Nobility and Gentry should be destroyed and the Realm ruled by the Commons holding a Parliament in commotion Thuan. lib. 125. The Duke of Savoy not to condescend unto equal conditions of Peace with Henry the fourth of France was drawn by a Prophesie that at such a time there should be no King in France which had something of truth for the King of France was that year in Savoy and in the pursuit of his Conquest thereof And yet notwithstanding such is the desire of men to know things to come that these Astrologers and Southsayers gain more credit by foretelling one truth then they do discredit by ten falsities whereas others if they lye in one thing are scarce ever believed in any truth they relate Religion and reformation as was said before have ever been pretended by those who have had pernicious designs and factious and ambitious men have often taken hold of the dissentions concerning religion to work the people to a compliance with them These men convert Religion under false and specious pretences into faction or use religion like a stalking horse as did Jerobeam and Mahomet Qui nervum potentiae suae in novae Religionis formulâ ad affectus hominum inflexâ ponebant * Jerobeam usurped and Israel rebelled against the house of David Jeroboam changed the publick service of God and also the place from Jerusalem to Bethel and to Dan for if the people went up to Jerusalem to sacrifice he feared their hearts would turn to Rehoboam their King and the Kingdome return again to the house of David and he made Priests of the lowest of the People which were not of the sons of Levi 1 King 12. The changes in religion have often wrought great changes in the minds and manners of men whereupon the saying is grounded A new religion and a new Prince or government The Popes Nuncio hearing Francis the first of France use sharp speeches against the Pope and saying he would withdraw his Subjects obedience from the Sea of Rome in things of Ecclesiastical Discipline the Nuncio replied that his Majesty would be a loser thereby as much as the Pope for a new Religion if it took the People in the head would draw them on to the desire of changing their King or Government Unity in Religion being the chiefest pillar that upholdeth the joynt obedience of the Subjects to their Soveraign and to the Lawes of their Countrey â—or where they are not united in their Religion they are not united in their Obedience to their Soveraign neither in their affections to their fellow subjects but are ever apt to fall into seditions and of this there are many examples in this latter age Not to come nearer unto us I will rather choose to relate that of the Moors in Spain who notwithstanding all the endeavours of the Emperour Charles the fifth and his Successors could never be made good Subjects or Christians they only pretended a desire of liberty of Conscience which they thought they could never obtain unless they had a King and Lawes according to their will Fonseca of the expulsion of the Moores whereupon they entred into a most dangerous conspiracy and took up arms The Proverb was true never of a good Moore a good Christian Their King said of them that they would never be faithful to God who would never be faithful to their King Hist of Spain Curtius It was truly observed of such inconstant People Meliùs vatibus suis quam Regibus suis parent a new Apostle is more precious then King or Lawes How often Monita Pol. saith Lipsius of old and of late times to the great peril of Princes and Common-wealths Pravae aut novae religionis titulo populum concitatum fuisse unus aliquis concionator sanctimoniae famâ telo armatus eloquentiâ aliquâ ornatus quid non patrat Of such men the Prophets often gave warning who flatter the people and prophesie lies in Gods name For this cause of Religion men become wolves to each other in this fury they abandon all respects civil
inconstant in the use and observation of them Julius Caesar said of Cato his mortal enemy that he shewed himself both a good man and a good Citizen by opposing the changes of the State and Government Salust mutationes in Republica caedes hostilia portendunt especially if the changes and alterations are driven on by violent and pertinacious Spirits who if they obtain their desire in having any antient Laws and customes changed their Countrey shall find the smart as did the Roman State Valerius Max. lib. 9. cap. 1. when the Senate yielded thereunto quia non providerunt ad quod tenderet pertinax studium eorum quò se usque effusura esset victrix legum audacia Livius lib. 1. tentari patientiam tentatam contemni ut si jugum acceperint obnoxios premat As some men ask unreasonable things but to draw others to yield unto that which is reasonable so others by granting unto some men more then reason doth require do imbolden them to press more unjust and insolent demands The alterations in the State and Government procured by those who have the supream authority if they are not discreetly handled and effected by degrees in an orderly course and carried still on with the ease and contentment of the people they will in short time be disquieted and either turne back into the old way like sheep driven or violently run head-long into some new Salust Jus quod invaluit quod viget quod inharet animis hominum non semel sed pedetentim tollendum esse quoniam Populus non facile dediscit aut deutitur quod insnevit And therefore those Innovators who try experiments upon a State and upon the peoples disaffection to the present government and thereupon lay the cheif foundation of their designs without some other stronger assurance have often failed and have found themselves and others with them utterly ruined through the suddain and violent ebbing and flowing of the Peoples passions and affections The fear of this caused the Roman State when they had expulsed their King Tarquin not to rest upon the Peoples present violent hatred of the Regal Government and their oath freely taken never to admit Monarchy but for the future security of their usurped Government the Senate gave the People the spoil of all the Kings goods and of theirs who adhered unto him ne quis expers sceleris esset saith Livie that there might not be any who had not a hand in that foul fact and thus to set farther all hope of reconciliation with their King yet unto this the Senate added as the most effectual means to assure the Peoples affection their continual carefor provision of corn victuals and all necessaries at cheap rates together with freeing the Commons from heavy taxes and burthens and laying them upon men of most wealth and ability and upon Commodities superstuous and least necessary For the State being not come unto full growth and maturity might by many accidents have been destroyed Livius had it not been fostered and trained up por tranquillam moderationem Imperii et per multa blandimenta Plebi por id tempus ab Senatu data by a gratious Goverment and by entertaning the Commons at that time with courtesies and favours By which smooth dealing and indulgence of the Senate and Nobles the City was afterwards kept in liking of their new Government notwithstanding the strong opposition of the Tarquines and their party so as the meanest as well as the highest who were most ingaged and interessed continued altogether in the hatred of Monarchical Government and in the love of the new The alterations in the Church and the government thereof how pernicious they are we find especially being wrought by faction violence and tumults Vim Patriae afferri as Cicero saith These cause great distractions in the minds of men raise daily cross and counterspirits occasion the Religion professed and established to be traduced and do open an entrance to Atheism and to the weakning of all those facred bonds which preserve all Laws and obligations in humane society For then oaths are not regarded by those men nor the consciences of any other men in their pressing these Alterations in the Church neither the conscience of their Soveraign nor his solemn oath at his Coronation which oath is a supporter and an Epitome of out Magna Charta the confirmation of all our liberties By which oath the King is obliged to save and keep inviolable all the rights and liberties of his People and also those of the Church This oath they inforce the King to break in as much as concerneth the Church and the rights thereof and leave the People to the challenge of their rights and liberties by and from the vertue of this broken oath In both Kingdoms of England and Scotland he took an oath Episc Winton Tontur Ton. de conservandà in statu suo illo colendi Dei formulà quae publicè recepta utriusque gentis legibus stabilita esset Their consciences some of them would seem much to regard this in which respect they pretend that they cannot admit the Common-Prayer Book neither those Ceremonies in the Church which are by Law established and yet most of them although they cannot swallow a ceremony they can devour that which is holy and account it no snare Prov. 20.25 even as easily as they can digest their wilful breach and violation of the oaths of Supremacy and Allegiance in ordine ad spiritualia for the advancement of the holy cause and the Kingdome of Christ But Calvin giveth them a rule for their consciences concerning Church Government and concurreth with Melanchthon men in great esteem when their Presbytery was in the infancy viz. aliquando aliquod onus aliquam servitutem tolerandam esse si non sit iniquitatis sed pressurae lest by being over indulgent to our weak and erroneous consciences we give an offence to others violate the Peace of the Church and shew our contempt of Authority and of that which hath been established with prudence and piety We ought well to consider what things are of Divine right and precept and what are properly positive and Ecclesiastical constitutions what things are of Divine Right according to the matter and substance and are of humane institution according to their forms prescribed All are of weight although not equally What ought to be perpetual in the Church and what is changeable by positive Laws What is Moral what is Ceremonial lest the defects of our judgement cause us to abound in our own sense and lead us into an erroneous or perplexed conscience Some things are of Divine institution and right yet do not alwayes belong unto faith Bish of Winchest Epist to P. Moulin they belong to the agenda or practise of the Church to the credenda or points of faith they may not properly be referred Somewhat may be wanting that is of Divine right at least in
set upon offences then as punishments for the reformation of manners Such Magistrates administring Justice in such manner are obeyed non tanquam Rectores morum sed tanquam dominatores rerum August de Civit Dei lib. 2. c. 20. L. 1. Cod. de secund nup. Tit. Cod. de Caduc tol eosque non sinceritèr honorant sed nequitèr servilitèr timent The Roman Law herein giveth a good direction ne in iis quae ad correctionem morum spectant inducta sunt fisci rationem habere videamur Lex Julia de caducis ultimum locum dat fisco nam quod communiter omnibus prodest hoc privatae nostrae utilitati praeferendum esse Plinie in his Panegyrick saith unto Trajan the Emperour very elegantly Praecipua tua gloria est quod saepius vincitur fiscus cujus causa nunquam mala est nisi sub bono Principe sed nunquam Principibus defuerunt qui fronte gravi tristi supercilio militatibus fisci contumaciter adessent For this cause of religion and planting the Gospel the best Divines do not allow the Spaniards plea for shedding the blood of the Indians Inferre bella ac Populos sibi non molestos cupiditate conterrere ac subdere August de Civit Dei lib. 4. cop 6. quid aliud est quam grande latrocinium They should not so much have used the sword against the refractory Indians but rather the rod the spur and the bridle of good discipline and example to bring them to Christ for they had no dominion over them neither any offence formerly given by them dominion and propriety is not founded in and by religion but by a just natural or civil right acquired Dominia quae sunt juris gentium non tollit sides Christiana Infidelity doth not forfeit inheritance and propriety and thus the Schoolmen say Aquinas distinctio fidelium infidelium in se considerata non tollit dominium praelationem infidelium super sideles And this did the antient Christians acknowledge by their great loyalty towards their Soveraign Princes heathen Emperours and cruel persecutors But our men indued with their new lights have found that the ungodly have no right to the Creatures but are usurpers and have made a forfeiture of their propriety of which they the Saints may take the benefir and be the sole Judges The antient Christians were forbidden by the Imperial Law L. 6. Cod. de Paganis as also by the Laws of other Christian nations under a great penalty to meddle with the goods of Jews or Pagans living peaceably For the goods of the Jews although enemies to the Christian religion cannot for the cause of religion come by escheat unto Christian Princes under whom they live for delinquency they have often forfeited their goods and been expelled and sometimes all of them for the faults of a few and and thus have they been dealt withall Regia manu bono potius exemplo quà m concesso jure or rather out of reason of State which will not want specious pretences It cannot pass with a clear admittance amongst all the Doctors of the Roman Church that the Pope hath power over Infidel Princes to raise Armies against them although they do hinder the preaching and propagation of the Gospel universally authorized by these words Ite praedicate Evangelium omni creaturae seeing he hath not for ought can be made appear temporal authority annexed to his spiritual either directly or indirectly in ordine ad spiritualia to depose Christian Princes or to raise war against them for the advancement of Christs Kingdome but as for those who are not Christians the Apostle saith What have we to do with those who are without Botero It is truly said that peace a messenger whereof an Angel hath been chosen to be is scarce ever established by the Sword and the Gospel the blessed peace cannot be published by the sound of the Cannon neither the sacred Word be conveyed unto us by the impious hands of Soldiers neither tranquillity be brought to the persons and consciences of men by that which bringeth ruine unto Nations The Jewes were guilty of the greatest incredulity Rom. 11. ingratitude and crime and yet the Gentiles were admonished by Saint Paul not to shew any cruelty towards them or insult over them but to seek to provoke them to an holy jealousie and so to gain them unto Christ When Nathan reproved David he said hereby thou givest an occasion to the adversaries to blaspheme the name of God The primitive Christians rather chose to indure the most cruel persecutions then to disturb the peace of the Roman Empire and break the band of their Allegiance unto the heathen Emperours and this Saint Paul taught them who wrote his Epistle unto Christians living under Nero Rom. 13. and yet he telleth them that the Powers are of God and he that resisteth the Powers resisteth the ordinance of God and shall receive damnation D. Augnst de Civit it Dei lib. 22. cap. 2. Civitas Dei quamvis haberet tam magnorum agmina Populorum tamen adversus impios Persecutores suos pro temporali salute sua non pugnavit in iis non erat pro salute pugnare sed salutem pro servatore mundi contemnere Quamvis nimius copiosus noster Populus Cyprianus Grot. de jure belli lib. 1. c. 4. n. 7. non iamen adversus violentiam se ulciscitur sed patitur But when this is pressed against our new Patrons of Rebellion they contradict Saint Austin and the Fathers with a lye and say those antient Christians suffered through their want of power to make resistance whereby they do as much as in them lyeth deprive them of all the glory of Martyrdome and do injury unto their most blessed cause and the glory of God in his Saints sufferings And yet as nature doth draw us to yield to the unresistable power of a severe Conquerour vox est quodamodo naturae ut subjugari mallent hostibus victoribus Augustin quam bellicâ omnifariâ vastatione deleri so doth the law of nature give warrant for our resistance cum moderatione inculpatae tutelae as doth the law of God give us permission for our slight in time of persecution when we do not thereby desert our vocation nor betray nor prejudice a just cause CHAP. IV. Of the changes in Religion in England And by Luther And the toleration of divers Religions THe Professors of the Protestant Religion were at first and have been since taxed as seditious and despisers of Government and advancers of Popular licentiousness and that their Reformation in Religion proceeded from faction or turned into faction and tumults notwithstanding all their publick Confessions of their Faith and declarations of their Doctrine set forth in detestation thereof wherein they did fully profess their obedience unto the Civil Magistrate Ecclesiastical history But it hath been very antient and usual to lay that general
charge of raising Sedition when the malice hath been greater then the matter and no other special crime could be found So Saint Paul was accused for being a pestilent fellow and a raiser of sedition Tertullian saith Christians in his time were called hostes publici enemies of all Common-wealths and Suetonius doth most impiously say Judaeos impulsore Christo assiduò tumultuantes In vits Claudii l. 15. hist and so Tacitus saith that Nero Reos quaesitissimis poenis affecit quos per flagitia invisos vulgus Christianos appellabat unde quamquam adversus sontes novissima exempla meritos miseratio oriebatur tanquam non utilitate publica sedin saevitiam unius absumerentur thus happeneth to all a like measure who lye under the publick hatred It is true that the change of Religion in Germany and in other parts of Christendome was driven on in a tumultuary course and was not wrought in such a calm as it was in England where these changes went formerly in an orderly and quiet passage under the conduct of a Royal power and a prudent Council of State Religion changed as it were by degrees and insensibly all things seeming to remain in the same course and state as before and as one observed it was in those times so carried with us ut Catholicam religionem sine sensu Plebs exueret cultu in specie eodem manente The Parliaments in England in those times gave much countenance and authority to those alterations with the People The Kings and Queens would hardly have effected it Regiâ manu notwithstanding their power and the love they had of their People The Parliaments were wrought not onely to ratifie Riba Jinera del Schismad Ingla terra but to be petitioners for those changes in Religion A stranger writeth that when Queen Elizabeth came to the Crown religion was not altered with violence and bloud as in France Scotland and the Low-countryes but changed and established by Laws by Royal mandates and with Parliamentary concurrence which saith he hath been a subtil and powerfull invention armed with the authority of Prince and Kingdome for the sure rooting and settlement of sects and heresies These quiet alterations formerly were even marvellous in our eyes Lord Chanc. S. Albans of the union between England and Scotland and as it were a selicity peculiar unto our nation as was said of that change upon the death of Queen Elizabeth and the coming in of King James who acknowledging to the Lords of England their great loyalty in his coming to the Crown said that it was a success above the course of nature to have so great a change with so great a quiet In Germany France Scotland and other parts of Europe many of the Contrivers and Actors in the reformation of religion did neither sapere ad sobrietatem neither agere cum sobrietate especially when they were strongly opposed and perceived divers designs for their destruction for some of them had a mixture in their heads of the Anabaptistical leaven and were infected with that fury Insomuch as Bucer a man of great learning and moderation would often say unto them that in their great heat of zeal in rectifying the service of God and reforming the Church good order and discipline failing amongst them the tumultuous and seditious persons were not chastised neither any order and decency in the service of God observed and therefore their laudable endeavours would not long last neither happily succeed for the discreet and moderate men amongst them and those in greatest authority were oftentimes compelled to suffer many enormities and outragious actions lest by enforeing correction and discipline they should lose the assistance and affection of their own party Tacitus The Captains durst not take the boldness to punish as the fouldiers did to offend voluntary obedience maketh the command and power weak as is that power which cannot subsist by its own streng Before Luther was in his grave and when his reformation was but in the infancy some who seemed or were reputed his disciples brake out of their pretended integrity through an over zealous and irregular desire of reformation into abominable opinions and furies tending to the destruction of all Goverment in Church and Common-wealth And Luthers doctrine also meeting with divers of weak and turbulent Spirits over greedy of reformation and abounding with wild zeal or Spiritual pride all the precious liquor they received turned into gall and vinegar and from these did seeds soon spring up which raised a swarm of * These Anabaptists then started up and declared that they had speech with God who commanded them to destroy all the wicked and to taise a new world in which the godly onely should live and reign Sleidans Comment lib. 3. Fox Acts and Monuments Anabapâ—iâ—ts and other fanatick Sectaries which made themselves a new Gospel of Licentiousness and Rebellion and scorned Luther and his doctrine at last And although after they had done much mischief they were suppressed yet they scattered such seeds as the fruits thereof do now exceedingly afflict the Church and cause great disturbance which to plous men is the greatest persecution August de Civit Dei l. 18. c. 51. for this afflicteth their hearts and souls qui patiuntur hanc persecutionem non in corporibus sed in cordibus est persecutio intrinseca extrinseca Caus 7. quast 1. cap. 48. By this we may see what hath moved Princes and Common-wealths not to tolerate divers religions or any thing different from the religion established Platina Mahometanaem sectam latè sparsisse se dum religionis nostrae capita inter se diffident sic factum est ut ad Mahometanos partìm vi partim spome deficerent populi hinc amissam Ecclesiam Antiochenam Alexandrinam Hierosolymitanam August de Civ Dei lib. 18. cap. 51. Multi volentes esse Christiani propter eorum diffentiones haesitare coguntur multi Maledici in his inveniunt materiam blasphemandi Christianum nomen quia tales Christiani appellantur The Devil saith Saint Austin doth stir up Hereticks who under the Christian name do resist the Christian doctrine The Romans had ever a circumspect eye and carried a severe hand on those qui nova sacra peregrinos ritus introducebant and they ordained Valer. Max. ne qui Dii nisi Romani Dii neque ullo modo quà m patrio colerentur * By the Divine law he that sacrifi ceth to any god saving to the Lord onely shall be destroyed Exod. 22. The Prophet or dreamer shall be put to death who doth intice to the service of other gods Deut. 13 5. and the ichabitants and the city shall be destroyed that serve other gods Deut. 13.15 16. For as Livie saith the wisest and most skilful in all divine and humane lawes held nothing so forcible to overthrow Religion as when the Divine service is celebrated after some strange and forreign course and not
Regis qui regnaturus est super eos 1 Sam. 8. vers 9. 11. And Samuel told the people the manner of the Kingdome eloculus est Samuel jus Regni 1 Sam c. 10. vers 25. CHAP. XIX Of a Civil war and of the effects thereof I shall now draw towards a Conclusion and in my passage shew the fruits of our adversaries wit and labour which have been rebellion civil war and servitude with some examples of their forerunners in other countries which they have imitated being they were more apt to imitate and magnify any example of rebellion then to take warning by their calamities or to consider the ruine of their own Countrey and the great scandal they have given unto the Christian name To begin with that which was nearest to us the late memorable example in France where they of the Reformed religion for their desence and liberty of conscience as they set it forth in their Declarations and Protestations made an Association and took up arms And soon after those of the Roman religion made the like Association about the year 1576. which they called the holy League Thuanus Both these produced the most dangerous rebellion and civil war in all respects that ever fell upon that Kingdome or any other Christian Kingdome for the people generally fell into such a phrensy that they deserced their Allegeance charity religion and reason Into these Associations many were at the first drawn unadvisedly through diverse and different perturbations in their minds designs and interests some upon false apprehensions and reports of the King and others cunningly raised Others through discontent want of livelyhood hope of raising their fortune hatred one of another or of the present government or of those of the greatest power therein and many out of preposterous and wild zeal And when repentance found entrance they could not find any way out of this Egyptian darkness The Cathoilck league was carried on with much subtilty and power by the cheif of the faction men of great power in Court and with the seduced and violent people Unto this league by ill counsel the King Henry the Third gave connivance and out of a desire to suppress some popular fears and jealousies of him and to shew himselfe really a devout son of the Church he soon declared himselfe a party And finding this Catholick league overmaster him he fell to no better shift then the confirming and ratifying of it by his authority But soon after that he perceived the design of the cheifest amongst them tended to the weakning and subordination of his authority by many of their actions and cheifly by their endeavour to get the power of the Militia into their own hands and all under the colour of defending the Catholick religion and the extirpation of Heresy For prevention thereof and preservation of himself from contempt into which he did run by joyning himselfe to the league he sought to throw out the devil by Belzebub and all that he could do could not untwist those inextricable difficulties in which it pleased God to leave him although he was a Prince indued with prudence and fortitude and as was said of him he might have proved an excellent King if he had not fallen into such times But he laboured and strugled under the contempt and hatred of his people either of them being sufficient to draw destruction upon Princes and the affection of his subjects was fastned upon the Duke of Guise a great Lord in respect of his alliance and followers exceeding popular ambitious active and of excellent parts Under this new league and association new officers were chosen soldiers and mony raised and war with the Protestants waged The League was acknowledged to be the head the King became an accessary and not the principal A preposterous and deformed government erected into the body a new head ingraffed and the old laid aside not cut off but made of no vigour and so was a horâ—id monster raised Then did it soon appear that those armes taken up for religion by the actions and the accidents ensuing were turned against the King who too late caused the Duke of Guise and the Cardinal his brother to be slain the which act drew on the Tragedy to the height for the year after he himselfe was murdered Peradventure it will not seem impertinent considering the likeness of our condition now in England Thuan. l. 100. to relate the words of our wise Author who saith Foederatorum factio primò libellum emisisse constat quo sumptorum armorum rationem reddebant ad levandÄ scilicèt Tributis plebem quò his inescamentis fascinatam ad suas partes pertraherent novarum rerum cupidos boni publici praetextu ad rebellionem impellerent Cum haec non successisset alia via Plebem aggressos religionis causam in horum animis praevalidam affinxisse quamvis nemo religionis observantior fuit quam Rex Henricus Tertius calumniose multa in illum commentata crant quasi communicatis cum sectaria peste consiliis evertendae religioni incumberet His successor Henry the Fourth a prudent magnanimous and victorious Prince passed through a multitude of difficulties and obtained many victories before he could get the quiet possession of his Crown occasioned by the errours and dissentions amongst those of his own party as much as by the power and practises of his adversaries the leaguers and their adherents And although he did see the death and destruction of many of them yet was he driven to agree upon hard conditions and to grant a pardon to them to the great discontent of many who had served with much courage and fidelity for his friends did see many malitious rebels in as good or better condition then themselves The Kings excuse was that he could not help it for he was inforced to expel one plague by another And as it is related in the History when the King had effected peace then did appear the incomprehensible effects of a Civil war driven to the height Religion pretended on all sides at first cast out at last or used but as a stalking-horse the honest Families the Cities and the people generally corrupted in manners and brought to poverty the Nobility most of them accustomed to rapine and licentiousness apt still to retain that course of life Unto those who were oppressed with debts or guilty of great crimes peace the inestimable blessing of God was a torment Others were ready upon all opportunities to take arms again to maintain their prodigality and wholly indisposed to use any honest trade or civil course of life and some to be revenged of their enemies or to repair the losses they received in the former Civil wars And as by the occasion of the Roman civil war impositions and taxes intolerable were laid although then excusable yet many of them alterwards remained in time of peace and so it hapned in France after their war ended with the English and their Civil