Licenses or other gracious fauor is afterwards transferd sold or put ouer from the first recieuer to a second and third hand for Money Simones Magi. Acts Cap. 8. verse 20. or vse them not themselues it is but Witchcraft Sorcery that all such entend as by Leases or Purchace for priuate gaine thinke SOVERAIGNES PREROGATIVES eyther vendible for Money or subiect to Exchange Such Impost Maisters Religion hath accurst their Money and themselues therefore without harty repentance must perish both together These Imposts or Impositions tearme them how you list as they are but Romish Peter-pence Italian Inuentions where their Princes Preheminence and for'st kinde of Dignities haue little other Subsistence being but eyther borrowed or obtruded vpon vs I past them slightly ouer and so sent them home againe for England beeing no waies obnoxious to Italy nor Vassall to Rome hath or else may haue beeing rightly vsed enough of her owne For our Vowels and our Consonants agree so well together that spelling all by Vnion and ending all in Peace they perfect all our Alphabet without the helpe of others though the placing of some CAPITALS in the world else-where abroad by their lewd and ill examples be a cause of some vnrest Whose Pride profane Presumption and Couetise besides by Equiuocating sounds makes words be so misconstrued that MAIESTY seemes ecclip'st and like to be out fa'st For R. P. that with honest auncient Romans was reade for Respublica is now Respriuata And P. P. for Principes or Pater Patriae now either by themselues or pla'st before A. in the stead and Rome of M. makes P AP A sometimes Pater stand and striue for MAIESTY before GOD and KINGS And C. crept vp to K. makes Cardinals challenge Kings without Crownes to be knowne by or Kingdomes of their owne so that as P AP A now spels ANTICHRIST so Cardinals ANTI-KINGS Whereby S. P. Q. R. sometimes the Armes and Honor of Rome for Senatus Populus Que Romanus may now as well bee read Stultus Populus Querit Romam to the great disgrace of Catholiques both in Church and Common-wealth But those two great words of Power PREHEMINENCE and PREROGATIVE beginning both with P. did most of all perplex me For seeing Iustice and Mercy in the height of al sublimitie attending heauenly MAIESTY so reuerently together and the same in earthly Attributes contesting each with other I knew not how to spell them For though they both contained the very selfe-same Letters that mine Alphabet did teach yet the first importing Iustice I durst not looke vpon for the sternnesse of her face and setled Seuerity and the second full of Mercy I could not but admire for her milde aspect and infinite Serenity In the first I could discerne but two of our Vowels e. and i. for Persons and Place but the second had them all a. e. i. o. and u. I meane u. and v. Sirs v. my Lords w. and all The one of greatest Power yet bounded in her Greatnesse KING and PRINCE Counsell and Common-wealth The other a very Hieroglifique aboue my reach and reason yet hearing still withal how at all hands daily PREHEMINENCE for PREROGATIVE and PREROGATIVE for PREHEMINENCE were strangely speld together I appeald vnto the Wisest in highest Authority to compound the distractions that the World was subiect to by the mis-vnderstanding of wordes of such importance as both for Matter Persons Place Order and End The important necessity of obseruing precisely the distinct vse and Ends of Preheminence and Prerogatiue in all words and Actions so neerly concern'd all our Liuings all our Liues all our Liberties all our Honours and all the Peace of our Land vnited so together And let all men in Gods Name that haue eyes to see will to learne or wit to vnderstand spell and distinguish the value of the Consonants and compasse of the Vowels these two wordes containe for they shew the difference and distinction betweene Soueraignty and Subiection and the height of Dignity both of Deity and Humanity the very right of GOD and KINGS Heere I say is worke indeed for Wisedome to consider and Power to reconcile both these two Attributes and wordes of like import For by their Example as the Masse would seeme the Eucharist and Vsury is cald Exchange so our Customes stand for Subsidies Subsidies for Impositions and Imposts nowe equiuocate both our Customes and Subsidies This is the fruit of Trauailers by wandring still to Rome England and Customers il beholden to such as trauailing for Experience thinke the Impositions of Italy a fit president for Pollicy or Gouernment when they come home That hunting for experience ride early and late To make the Imposts of Italy as soone as they come home A President of Gouernment as fit to guide our State Whereby as Maiesty stands eclip'st so Customers in disgrace are in nothing yet more wretchedlike then in their Names and Place for beeing borne happy bred happy and loosing themselues in seeking happinesse for others themselues cannot be happy But if Delicta sequnter Personas and greatest offences deserue greatest punishments that mine owne Faith to GOD-ward and obedience to my SOVERAIGNE declaring my Religion and ciuill conuersation may warrant mine Accompt both before GOD and KINGS Hauing thus far speld read by the help of Grace and Goodnesse I proceeded to my Creede and then my Ten-Commaundements By the Customers Beleefe note the true Religion taught and defended in Great-Brittaine whereby being taught to Cypher I came at last by telling 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. to set downe my Receipts and to cleere vp all my Reckonings without suspending any or enstaulement of a Penny For being to cast Accompts for my selfe and for others Customers are Accomptants euen for the sinnes of others I found that twelue Articles two Mysteries and ten great Commaundes The summe of true Religion consisting of twelue Articles two Sacraments Ten Commaundements containes all Christian Duties both to God and Kings made the summe of mine Alphabet iust foure and twenty Letters namely a. e. i. o. u. and b c. d. f. g. h. k. l. m. n. p. q. r. s t. w. x. y. z. And the number of all numbers The compasse and number of the Alphabet consisting of 24. Letters comprehend and teach all Religion and Iustice where perfection is confin'd both of Heauen Earth Ten. Three being Gods own number and perfection of Deity as GOD the Father GOD the Sonne and GOD the Holy-Ghost and seuen of Humanity in our first and free Election Creation Redemption Vocation Iustification Sanctification and Glorification by the meanes of CHRIST IESVS that is both GOD and MAN By this likewise I speld our owne Ten Courtes of Iustice By the ten Soueraigne Courts of fundamentall Iustice are pointed at and meant the Ten Commandements The Customers Grace His Prayers the perfection whereof distributiuely makes vs al so happy and for which as Grace made
backward for euen out of Confusion Perfection may bee drawne as Truth by the Causes of Truth comes once to be knowne so by this I perceiued Foelix qui poterit Rerum cognoscere Causas Now GOODNES TRVTH and WISEDOME make but one Essence and being euer linkt together I found that GOD himselfe was both All and eyther and therefore All-sufficient and onely All in All which first made me bolde and thus to read out AB IOVE PRINCIPIVM For all things in the World God alone excepted affecting to be happy besides the inclination they haue in themselues for vse or knowledge drawe helpes from others to externall perfection and whatsoeuer they seeme to acquire the same they tearme alwaies positiuely their Good but that wherein perfections selfe doth rest their Summum Bonum or Soueraign blisse For of things that are called but simply Good and sought but for themselues some are as Instruments to direct and help vs to the End of our desires of which sort are Riches others also we wish for in regard of themselues as Health Wisedome Honour yet not being the marke that wee gladly would hit our Desires still proceede Thus we are first borne to labour we labour to eate we eate still to liue and we liue to do good by some calling or other in the Church or Common-Wealth Wherein all we doe or can doe euen our best endeuours are but as seed sowen with a reference and respect to some further future Haruest so that still we proceede till wee come to a pawse whereat we needs must rest There are likewise some thinges desired but only for themselues because the Desirers imperfection can affect them no further as Cattle doe their foode But that which Man seekes for with referencc alwaies to a further End that he still desires with a Meanes and Measure euery way conuenient and fitted to that End and to the Good he affects onely as Good within it selfe his desire is infinite so that vnlesse that Good be likewise infinite in it selfe he erres in his choise and mistakes his End as they that seeking Happinesse place their Summum Bonum in popular applaud worldly Wealth or Pleasure Omnis Forma Boni infunditur secundum meritum Materiae But nothing can indeed be infinitely desird saue that Good which in it self is euery way infinite for the better any Good is the more to be desird that alone most desird wherein there is abiding an infinity of Goodnes Bonum quo Communius eò semper melius so that where any thing desird hath an infinity of Beeing or is infinite in it selfe that of all Things that can Be is of all Beings to bee most of all desired But nothing Is or can Be infinitely Good saue GOD. He therefore Mans highest happinesse Summum Bonum and perfect Blisse DEVS Tantum Infinite Bonus ergo summum Bonum Now Desire tends to Vnion with the Good which is desired for bare possession makes no Man happy but the vse and fruition of Goodnes being once obtain'd For Quò mihi Fortuna si non conceditur vti Then Happinesse thus speld and the wordes put together I was taught to pronounce to be that State of Life wherein wee so enioy Goodnesse in the height of all perfection that though we be but Men yet we liue as it were the very life of GOD himselfe Et Homo Homini Deus Perfection then of Happinesse residing still in Heauen the Throne of our GOD and the Earth but his Foot-stoole his infinite Goodnesse drawing our Desires must helpe vs vp thither by a kinde of Free-Traffique betweene his fixed Seat in Heauen and wandring Church on Earth his heauenly Inspirings downeward and our holy Desires vpward being as Angels or Marchants betweene GOD and vs. That as his Doctrine doth teach Him for our Supreame Truth and our Prayers confesse Him for our Soueraigne Good so our Faith in him aboue belaying our Happinesse our Charity below must work out our Saluation by a Medium so conuenient both for Deity and Humanity as fits both GOD and MAN which can be no other then IESVS CHRIST himselfe Faith I say that workes still by Loue apprehending the Mercies of GOD the Father for the Merits of GOD the Son by the working of GOD the Spirit the Fountaine of all Grace and Mother of Obedience For great is the Mysterse that belongs vnto the Art of all our heauenly Happinesse Godlinesse or Piety by Goodnesse and Truth in the Doctrine of Religion the summe whereof is this GOD manifested in the Flesh iustified in the Spirit seene of Men and Angels beleeued in the World and receiued vp to Glory resides in Heauen For liuely Types whereof and speciall remembrances CHRIST IESVS Himselfe our Medium GOD and MAN before his departure and Asscention vp to Heauen to prepare our Happinesse besides his Word and Promise did leaue vnto his Church his sanctified Elements of Water Bread and Wine to comfort both our Bodies and confirme our Soules and Minds as in Mirrors to behold Him and as by Pledges to assure vs of his comming again to draw vs vp thither Namely Baptisme and the Eucharist at his owne last Supper Religion therefore as the Rule of Christian Piety by the Doctrine of Truth must lay the first foundation and safest Direction to our Summum Bonum and heauenly Happinesse ¶ Thus farre poore Cuctomers being taught to spell and read praising God with all their harts do cleerely pronounce and steadfastly beleeue which shewes them to be Christians If that which likewise followes approue them to be honest why should they not be happy as well as other Men ¶ Happinesse in perfection by that which hath beene speld being that estate of life wherein wee so enioy the fulnesse of all Blisse as though we be but Men yet we liue as it were the very life of God himself to liue the life GOD is to liue as in his presence and see his glorious face in the Maiesty of his Truth and Soueraignety of his Goodnesse No perfect Happinesse but by the sight of MAIESTY personally fixt To see therefore sacred MAIESTY euery way still fixt and SOVERAIGNTY subsist is the only state of life that perfects all happines both in Heauen and Earth In the seeking whereof for my selfe and for others as Piety directed my Desire vp to Heauen Primum querite Reg num Dei Deinde Meum Tuum by the Rules of true Religion so from Piety to Equity by the Rules of Meum and Tuum to see how MAIESTY stood fixt and how SOVERAIGNTY might subsist as well on Earth as in Heauen Magnifica MAIESTATIS descriptio Iustice to encourage me held vp my Booke and bad me be bold saying honest Man speake out whereupon I thus set forward Post Chaos vt primum data sunt tria Corpora Mundo Inque nouas species omne recessit opus Pondere terra suo subsedit aequora traxit Ad-Coelum leuitas in
by the Ayre so they know not how to fish but in pudled Waters Their Comptrollers know no Rules but Actum agere And their violent Superuisors crying Halfers were good Fishers like confident Empirickes with repercussiue Medicines so tormented poore Traffique that driuing her at last from the Lyme-kill to the Colâ—-pit it grew to be a question to Farme out her Subsidies of Tonnage and Pondage together with her Customes A strange kinde of Playster for Sores of this Nature as if Loyalty and Loue were thinges transferrent from that Royall Preheminence that giues it Life and being and the Homage of Subiects and honour of Kings were vendible for Money or fit for Farmers Though other Kingdomes doe the like as some obiect and say England liues by Lawes Examples may illustrate but conclude no necessity of generall imitation For Gouernments are diuers some better and some worse and England with the best may rather giue then take example Et praestat legibus obedire quod amodo Iniquis quà m viro bono quantumuis optimo since one mans will may be all mens woe Besides if Reformation speede best in looking backward al men may know that it was not thus with Customers from the beginning to be subiect to blame for their owne sinnes and others till creeping Caterpillers blowne in by Easterne-winds and whispering Informers bred vp in muddy waters were cherisht and maintain'd whom Wisedome in all ages still shund or destroyd And I shew'd a plaine example not yet by all forgotten that there was a time when a Creature of this crew to curry fauour with a worthy Lorde TREASVROVR The Lorde Treasurer Paulet in whose daies if a Customer comming vp to the Tearme had not dynde or supt with him before his departure he had been sure of Purseuant to fetch him vp againe And a Marchants Bond or Bill allowd in his Accompt as any ready Money came fraighted with complaints against the Towne and Port of SANDVVICH for transportation and dealings there laying his complaints cheefely vppon Packes of Cloath and Beere wherein as he conceiued the Prince was much abused The Tale being told and heard out to the end the Relator was demaunded whence and what he was who answered A Cittizen of London but no Marchant at all What makes thee quoth his L. to see so farre of and so skild in Marchants causes The Princes seruice quoth the Fellow and the meanes that I haue to know the doings there His L. seeing his confidence vpon these two grounds descends to particulars and first desires to know of him how and whereof the Sandwich Beere was made The Riuer of Delf running through Sandwich Who readely could describe the running streame that serues the Townes vse and maintaines the Hauen there When they Brew not quoth his L. whether runnes that Water Into the Sea quoth the Fellow And what make they then of it Nothing And Brew they or Brew they not they want no Water No my Lord quoth He for the streame euer running keepes the Riuer full So that quoth his L. the same Water whose course is continuall beeing Brewde yeelds something and not brewde nothing Nothing quoth He. Why then in good faith quoth his Honor be thou rul'd by me and let them boyle it on the Fire and with a few Hops and some Malt make something of the water bee it neuer so small for the least something that may be is and will be still better then nothing at all Nowe for the Packes quoth his L. know'st thou whose they are They belong quoth He to Marchants that send them downe thither but their Names I cannot tell Are they simply their owne that send them to vent and dispose Yes my Lord quoth He before they be transported Then though they bee shipped if they crosse not the Seas the PRINCE hath no interest in them nor profit by them None at all quoth the Fellow for from Port to Port both Land and Seas are free Well then quoth his L. I perceiue a good meaning hath brought thee hither but let me aduise thee in these Marchants affaires to let thinges alone till eyther thou become a Sandwich-Brewer ot a Portsman at least to know what it is to be a good Townes-man at home where euer thou dwell or till thou bee a Marchant thy selfe that experience may tell thee what it is to seeke Marts and Markets abroad and then I doubt not but as others do thou wilt be glad of a good peny-worth of that which being thine to dispose of is already thine owne The entertainement giuen by a Lorde Treasurer to an Informer against a Customer of Sandwich And so being dismist he was wild first into the Seller but from thence out of doores Such was the regard in those daies that was had of Whisperers though now it be holden for best seruice to the State to talke most of Errors and diue deepest into Customes but many speake of ROBIN-HOOD that neuer drew his BOW And although the Farming of some fewe particulars that were let out already might seeme but a mischeefe of lesser harme yet harme more or lesse towards Soueraignes and Subiects make no Man happy and therefore to be shund but to Farme out all was a publique inconuenience so great in my conceit as might worthily deserue the wisest preuention which made me giue warning according to my place For if Trafficke be truely cald the Nurce of Iustice wherein Soueraignes and Subiectes stand interest alike so naturall is the Vnion of Religion with Iustice that the Farming out of Subsidies effects of Trafficke together with the Customes or guilding them ouer with the Golden Name of Customes may fitlie be resembled to the impropriating of religious offerings by the Name of Tithes The one due to none but to heauenly Deity The other also onely to Soueraigne Princes The one a wrong to GOD a stop to Religion and a beggering of the Church The other a dishonouring of Kings a rub to Trifficke and a meanes to impouerish Kingdomes and disturbe Common-Weales Howsoeuer some few priuate particular preuenting Persons perhaps may raise themselues by chance may thriue thereby But to make all this more plaine If the Subsidies aforesaid vpon Lands and Goods were vrg'd to be collected as Cardinall Woolsey once thought to prooue vpon the Cleargy or exposed out to Farmers by Hundreds Lathes or Shires or generallie vndertaken as Tonnage and Pondage is who should collect it Read Hall and Stow in Hen. 8. 1526. Or who were able to abide it Yet for comparing these two together and fore-warning mischiefes at hand and to come by the farming out of either like the simple Satyre that seeing the Sky-stolne fire from the Wheeles of this Chariot admiring it in loue and but kissing it in kindnesse found it burnt his lippes CASTOR misinformed and POLLAX being offended I was gratiously chidden and shent for my labour such is the lot of Customers in this lower kind of Traffick worldly Commerce
loca summa tulit Sol quoquc cum stellis nulla grauitate retentus Et vos Lunares exiluistis equi Sed neque Terra diu Coelo neque caetera Phaebo Sydera cedebant par erat omnis Honor. Saepe aliquis Solio quod tu SATVRNE tenebas Ausus de media plebe sedere Deus Et latus Occano quisquam Deus aduena iunxit Thetis extremo saepe recepta loco est Donec Honor placidoque decens Reuerentia vultu Corpora legitimis imposuere thoris Hinc sacra MAIESTAS quae Mundum temperat omnē Quaque die partu est edita Magna fuit Nec mora consedit medio sublimis Olympo Aurea purpureo conspicienda sinu Consedere simul Pudor et Metus omne videres Numen ad HANC vultus composuisse suos ¶ As GOODNES TRVTH and WISEDOME subsisting all together in the gloriousnesse of Deity made Man the first Modell of Perfection like it selfe for the vse and good of All by the Rules of Religion so Grace begetting Bounty in the Nature of Humanity by Greatnesse and Decorum fixt MAIESTY and SOVERAIGNTY in the persons of some Men for al mens Weale by the rules of Iustice. Now in following Iustice rules I light vpon Equity Equity spake to Probity Probity speld out Honesty Honesty brought forth Honour and Honour fixt shewd me the glorious Word of Reuerence and absolute power betweene Greatnesse and Decorum sacred MAIESTY no where seene fixed but in GOD and KINGS For as among all the Attributes and glorious Titles of Celestiall Orders recorded by Religion as Angels Arch-Angels Vertues Principalities Dominions Thrones Seraphins and Cherubins I could not spy out MAIESTY but infusiuely saue only in GOD alone so reading all the Titles Orders and Degrees of Goodnesse that Iustice hath set downe in Gentlemen Squires Knights Baronets Barons Vice-Countes Earles Marquesses Dukes Arch dukes Princes Vayvods nor Doges nor Seruo Seruorum Dei I could not see MAIESTY personally fixt saue onely in Gods LIEVTENANTS by the Name of KINGS No not in EMPERORS but as they were inuested with the powerfulnesse of KINGS which made me glad to see and thus to proceede ¶ As all things in Nature still tend to some End and that as perfection of the thing for which it workes is attain'd vnto onely by apt and fit meanes so that which moderates and formes out fitnesse is tearmed Natures Law by which as by Rules the World and all therein are distinguisht and stinted which limitation also both perfects preserues all the things themselues Measure therefore that workes by proportions is the meanes to Perfection And since nothing doth perish but through too much or too little of that the due proportion whereof doth giue Perfection Measure is also the preseruation of all things for to proportions Excesse and Defects are opposite Omne minimum Inimica Naturae and Omne Nimium vertitur in vitium Iustice then the Rule and in regard of Truth the End presupposed in Equity for all honest Actions to guide themselues by as Religion in Piety for holy Contemplations is prescribed first by Lawes and preserued by Measures which beeing the charge of earthly Soueraignes sets forth and limits their Preheminence and Prerogatiue qualities transcendent aboue their humaine substance For in regard of Iustice it is said they are Gods though their persons dye like Men. Now Iustice being Commutatiue as well as Distributatiue the Commutatiue part includes our lower Traffique to supply all necessities in the vse of those Good thinges that helpe to make vs happy either by bartring Good things for Good things by the Name of Commodities or by some Medium and meanes certaine and indifferent to preuent aduantage The End then of Iustice in regard of Truth in Actions being Equity in Contracts and Equality of worth in Wares and the onely vse Exchange the Medium is by consent of Nations cald Money And as Truth and Goodnesse in all kinde of Measures being Standarts and Beames for generall Iustice like Vrim and Thummim are onely Soueraignes charge to giue thereby both weight and content with length and breadth to all proportions so the Coyning of Money and valuation of it by their Powers and Wisedomes are essentiall Notes of their absolute Authority so that putting all together seeing GOD to begin and that KINGES were to follow I read and spake out Ab Ioue Principium REGES Iouis omnia plena ¶ For if All things that are be so by GOD directed to seuerall Ends by sundry meanes and distinct operations neither violent nor casuall as falling out by chance his Goodnesse being the Fountaine of all Happinesse and Piety the top of all Morall Vertues Let KINGES themselues both thinke and thanke GOD and doe homage to Religion by which all their Instruments become so iustly fitted For if they that are Agents for Rule and Ciuill Gouernment or sit in high places for the furtherance of Iustice thinke Pollicy a Trade fit for nothing but gaine Formalities of Equity doe but smother Right and Common-Weale pretended is turn'd to Common-Woe making violence their Load stone Extreamity their Compasse and Fortune the guide of all their best endeuours But as Nullum violentum can be Perpetuum so Careat successibus opto Quisquis ab euentu facta notanda putat And so I concluded Non temerè ferimur DEVS nec Nos Fortuna gubernat sed vita vitae Dux es ipsa via Thus Religion and Iustice being found the true Supporters and Fundamentall stayes of all States and Kingdomes I came at last to finde out our Commerce for Iuctice beeing Commutatiue as well as Distributiue the Commutatiue part encludeth Traffique which subsisting of Goodnes and consisting of Truth both in Matter Persons Place Order and End I speld and read thus ¶ Traffique is eyther a mutuall Free-bartring of Meum for Tuum or direct buying and selling of vendible Wares by Marchants and Friends according to the Rules of Reciproke Commerce generally entending the SOVERAIGNES Honor and SVBIECTS Wealth Which deuiding it selfe into Outward and Inward of things bred at home or fet from abroad three things there are that by the Spirit of Goodnesse giues it three Degrees of Life and thrice happy Beings BONVM COMMODITIES MONEY EXCHANGE The first Cata-pautos as the Masse or Matter in the Bodie of Commerce vpheld the Worlde by Weight The rule of Truth and Goodnesse by Weight in Quantity bartring Good thinges for Good thinges cald Wares or Commodities at the Standart of Truth till Fraud came in The second Cat'autos as the Blood or the Soule to quicken all the Body a Weight of Soueraigne Worth The Rule of Iustice and Equity by Weight and Number in Quantity and Quality to maintaine Equity in Actions and Equalitie in Wares and distinguish Meum and Meum as well by Number as Weight at the Standart of Iustice made Good things first vendible by the Name of Money The third Cat'holou proton like the Spirit in the Soule
their Goodnesse in which is that we call Bullion that the Essence of their Greatnesse aboue other Men that 's to say their Bounties that 's to say their Honour I meane that their Maiesties by their Faces and their Armes may be seene and their Soueraignties subsist in the Goodnesse of their Coyne as in a Myrroer all their Kingdomes through though their persons bee seen to sit vpright in their Throns or reside in their Seats of sanctified Iustice betweene Greatnesse and Decorum namely in their Courts of Equity Subalterne and Soueraigne for Meum and Tuum Distributiuely and Mints of Equalities and Staples of free Commerce Commutatiuely Whereby it now appeares how by all mens consent Gold and Siluer the Seats of fixed Goodnesse by the Name of Bullion become Ab Effectis as it were King and Queene of the world because these alone make Kinges in their Thrones powerfull to protect both their Subiects and their Friendes both by Sea and by Land Trafficke Lapis Philosophicus and dispose of Trafficke by their owne Elixars and Mines or Load-stones of price within their owne Dominions as God by Goodnesse their onely Iudge and Patterne both in Number Weight and Measure first made the World and still doth guide the same Each King in this respect being a liuely Idea euen of Deity it selfe so much excelling in Preheminency of Power for his Person and Place and Prerogatiue of Wisedome for Bounty and Grace by how much they endeuour to expresse in themselues and shew foorth to others the Characters of MAIESTY and Titles of their SOVERAIGNTY in the truth of their Coyne I meane by their Exchange And how Exchange alone becomes that Cordiall preseruatiue which easing all Greefes in sores Exchange Vniuersalis medicina suppling all sores in diseases and curing all diseases in particular Members holds the whole Bodies of Kingdomes in health the sacred Rules whereof as no profane Couetise could euer comprehend nor confident Empericke attaine to practise so none of priuate difcretion or partiall affection may presume to alter or any way controle as beeing a Doctrine peculiar vnto none but the Grauest and Wisest in highest Authority and Soueraignes themselues Bullion therefore Catexochen that 's to say all kinde of Golde and Siluer not Coyn'd or made currant for euen Coynes that are not currant may be taken for Bullion by generall consent as the Sunne in the highest Globe of Glory and Money beeing the Beames Exchange becomes the light that makes the world to see And as Bullion beeing the Pylot Money is the Sterne and Exchange the Compasse that guides all courses right nay as Bullion being the Chylus Money is the Blood Exchange becomes the Spirit that quickens all the Body In a word Bullion being the Body and very Blood of KINGS Money is the Medium betweene Subiects and their Kings and Exchange the very Cyment that glewes them both together O that my Tongue or Pen were able to expresse Or had the guift to make Men vnderstand Those great and graund effects of Sacred Happinesse Exchange alone would worke by Kings and Counsels hand Religious Iustice would then so blesse our Land That Men on Earth might see by this Idea made What Heauen it selfe doth boad by this our Kingly Trade Seeing then that Bullion or Gold Siluer Coynd is the Bodie and Blood of Kings not as Men but as Gods truely represented to the comfort of their Subiects through all their Dominions by the stampes of their Money though their Persons keepe their Thrones And Exchange that Spirit of Traffique and Mysticall Cyment that glewes so fast together the communion and coniuction of Soueraignes and Subiects by Reciproke Loue Grace as Religion and Iustice both teach vs to beleeue Let 's all cry out of Rome wherein first was hatcht the Doctrine that enchants and transubstantiates our Eucharisticke Sacraments of the Body and Blood of CHRIST represented euery where within his Church Militant as liuely as in a Glasse till his comming againe though his Person be in Heauen by blessed Bread and Wine into Idolatrous Masses and our Christian Exchange into Iewish Vsury I speake therefore with confidence to all that seeke for Happinesse and loue their owne Saluation not bewitcht as it were or void of sence and reason be wary still of Italy as Aeneas with his Misselto when he traueld towards Hell and let all come home from Rome for feare of the cursse that by Iustice hangs vpon her For if He alone whose absolute Power could work so wel that all he made became still like himselfe exceeding Good to his own eternall Glory and Mans immortall blisse GOD I say the Father GOD I meane the Son and GOD the third time the Spirit though once for all The Trinity in Vnity and Vnity in Trinity whom onely to know is euerlasting Life and ioy but to heare and make mention of his Name be that spring or Fountaine of Goodnesse Truth and Wisedome from whence all streames besides both in Heauen and Earth deriue not onlie Essence but Happinesse in being and whence to swarue is to turne againe to nothing Quia vidit Deus quod omnia quae fecerat erant valde bona What greater bane then Sinne Sinne. Pride What greater sinne then Pride What greater Pride then the height of all Presumption in one sinfull Man that vsurping on the Powers both of Heauen and Earth Darkenesse Freewill Profanenesse to drowne Light in Darkenesse both in Goodnesse and Truth of his owne meere Freewil giues Lawes vnto Iustice and profanes all Religion the Rules of Truth and Goodnes both in God and Kings If heauenly Goodnesse and Truth in all Perfections both of Nature and Art be those beautifull aspects and beneficiall influences of heauenly beatitudes which the Grecians do describe by their Calocogathia to make al things happy Chaos Euill Quia Bono suo diffusiue verè constant omnia What Euill so infectious What infection so poysonous and what Poyson so accursed as that Chaos of Doctrine that by Pride and Presumption Presumption Merits Equiuocation profaning Goodnesse turnes Grace into Merits and Equiuocating Truth turnes Truth into Lyes in all the Contractes both of GOD and Men If Gold and Siluer of all the sollide Bodies which Nature presents at the Standart of Truth Truth be fittest and surest by generall consent to fixe Goodnesse in for easier extention in vendible Commerce by the Name of Bullion Quia omne Bonum Bullion being sui diffusiuum quantò communius eò melius infunditur semper secundum meritum materiae Fraude Wrong Priuate-Gaine Couetise Deceipt What fraud like publique wrong What wrong like priuate gaine And what gain more deceiptfull then couetously to hoard or sophisticate the purenesse and finenesse which Nature weighes in Bullion for the generall vse of Goodnesse by Traffique among Men If Money or Coyne bee those figured proportions of Goodnesse more or lesse for Number and Waight Money by
fraudis in Materia Signo vel Pondere fiat but as Mons à mouendo quod minime mouet Ignorance But how doth the Idolatry of the Masse bring Vsury to be Popery Customer By the Pictures in Coyne for Vt mundo Natura Cursum Soli lumen sic gratiam Auro Men looking on the Beauty of Bullion and powerfulnesse of Money by too too much admiring the pourtraitures of KINGES expressed in their Coyne fall in loue with their Pictures as the Heathen with their Idols Ignorance It seemes then by this meanes that the Masse may proue a higher sinne then Heresie and Vsury more then Treason what sinne may that be Cust Nay there forsooth I leaue you for I dare not once think therof much lesse determine Ignorance What helps to excuse it for the sinnes that are past Customer Onely meere simplicity frailty and weaknesse Ignorance And what may expiat the guilt thereof in eyther Customer Harty repentance for all that is past and a serious entention to forbeare it hereafter Ignorance Then farewell sinfull Masse and Vsury both together since wilfulnesse obdurates so fearefully in either O damnable Iesuites that bewitch still the World by such kinde of Popery But what 's all this to Customers Customer The CVSTOMER by his Method seeing MAIESTY no where fixed but in GOD and Christian KINGS Personally and Himselfe a sworne Seruant and Customer to a Christian KING whose MA seemes ecclipsed and defectiue in his Customes showes heer the Reason why and manner how He Ex Officio became forc'st first of all others to search out the Grounds of so Great Iniustice Radicitùs as it were and Originally Namely Finding that Impietie by direct opposition did vndermine Godlinesse in all Christian Religion stil by meanes of the Masse and Iniquitie by Vsury to attempt the like on Equity in all Kingly Iustice by misvsing their Moneyes Mystically and obseruing withall howe Iustice and Religion by holding hands together did illustrate each other He came at last to discerne howe POPERY by the Masse disguising Christianity bewitching Catholiks found the way to hoodwink Kings and enthral Kingdoms ecclesiastically and with VSVRY as with Gunpowder to blow thē vp at last with their Customers Customes Whereupon the Customer leauing Impiety with the Masse for Diuines to lay open following still his Method in the Mistery of Iniquity or Secular kind of Popery He betooke Himselfe directly to the POPES owne Person whose main Subsistence being SIN and Rome by Iubilees c. the Mart and Staple thereof to poison the world by Bankers and Bawdes drawing home his Annates Peter-pence and Reuennewes depends most on VSVRY For hauing no naturall Mines of Gold and Siluer nor Mints to make Mony nor Wares worth the battering HE settles there and makes Port-sale from thence of all kinde of SIN articificially for Bullion and rebelliously vsurping the EMP powerfull Mints makes HIS Kingly Stamps strike His Counterfet Coyn as by his Face thereon and Armes is intuitiuely euident and Catholickly cleare And instead of lawfull Tributes as Caesar sometimes had settes Taxes Imposts and Impositions by Discretion to keepe KINGS and Kingdoms vnder still distracting their STANDARDS debauching their EXCHANGE The same with GOD and KINGES for Customers are Catholiques and Christian Men too and faine would bee happy but as Popery by Idolatry presuming vppon Deity eclipseth MAIESTY in KINGES so Customers by Vsury are put by their Customes Ignorace Why from whence came their Customes Custo From their Staples Ignorance Where then are their Staples Cuctomer They were sometimes at home though now exilde beyond Seas and would faine returne if Vsury were put downe for our Temples and our Staples were wont to stand together Ignorance How Temples with Staples Customer Religion and Iustice haue euer helde together and as the one had her Altars for Vnity and Truth still kept in her Temples so the other had her Mints vnited to her Staples and those Mintes Coyn'd the Money wherewith Traffique at our Ports did acknowledge her homage before shee crost the Seas which is that we call Customes Ignorance But what haue KINGS to doe with Staples in the question of Money Customer In regard of their Bullion since none but they may Coyne and their Bullion is no where to bee found but at their Staples by vertue of their Load-stones that are there laid vp together so that No Staples no Load stones No Loadstones no Bullion No Bullion no Mints No Mints no Money No Money no Customes No Customes no Honour No Honour no Homage No Homage no Iustice and no Iustice no Religion and all for lacke of Staples Ignorance Why say KINGES should Coyne no Money for want of their Bullion and say they haue no Staples yet if Subiects may but Coyn so it be at their Mints what harme can come of it Customer If Subiects may bee Coyners that 's as Vsury aliâs Popery would haue it then what becomes of Exchange and then where is Bounty Where 's Greatnesse that makes KINGS weare the Crowne Nay when the Spirits of their Pulses haue no blood of their owne where subsistes their Essence if their Substance bee gone Ignorance Indeede this seemes something Customer If any thing be something graunt this or graunt nothing therfore let Common Sense be Iudge if I had not sometimes Reason in seeking after Staples thereby to finde Bullion when comparing things by contraries to illustrate each other I crid out against Couetise and Priuate-gaine thus Great Greater and Greatest of all must their Accompts be both to GOD and KINGES that prepostorously peruerting their proper Materials turne their best helpes for Bullion to their priuate aduantage to the intollerable disturbance both of Court and Countrey and almost vnrecouerable wrong to the King and his Crowne Ignorance This is much to their Mints indeed but what are Staples to Iustice Customer What are Temples to Religion Ignorance Temples sure are Sanctuaries for the maintenance of Religion for I read it thus written O worship the Lord in the Glory of his Sanctuary and Beauty of his Holinesse which I take to be Temples and Churches in regard of Deuotion Customer Euen so say of Staples O Honour the King in the Greatnesse of his Bounty or Iustice of his Courtes Subalterne and Soueraigne which in this case of ours I call the COMMON-PLEAS together with his Staples in regard of Meum and Tuum by the one and Bullion by the other For as the Graue Court of STAR-CHAMBER by set daies of hearing and presence of the King shewes MAIESTY and SOVERAGNTY betweene Greatnesse and Decorum Vitia perimendo seruatis hominibus besides his owne Counsell and PRIVY-COVNSELL-TABLE And as the KING on his BENCH in the midst of his Iudges by publique proceedings betweene Him and his Subiects doing Iustice to All breakes Bread to the meanest according to Birth-right and out of loue and affection as well may beseeme Him standes gratious to some more then all the rest protects notwithstanding