Selected quad for the lemma: religion_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
religion_n	king_n	prince_n	queen_n	3,203	5	6.8163	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A16302	The true copies of sundrie letters concerning the affaires of Bohemia, as they haue beene seuerally writen in High Dutch, Latine and French, to princes, and other men of account. Newly translated and printed	Saincte Foy, François de.; Christian II, Elector of Saxony, 1583-1611.; Bethlen, Gábor, Prince of Transylvania, 1580-1629.	1620 (1620)	STC 3214; ESTC S121080	17,678	44

to be good hauing after it against his solemne Oath violated the Lawes of his Countrey endeuoured to abolish the Priuiledges and so to make it of an electiue Kingdome hereditary failed in his faith and word giuen to the States of the Countrey not to meddle with the gouernment during the life of the Emperour Matthias exercised all kinds of violences and cruelties against the Inhabitants his domination being degenerated into Tyranny those whose had right to elect him King might reiect him hauing rendred himselfe vnworthy Now against all these reasons there are made fiue Obiections to wit that this war being made for the subiect of Religion that the most Christian King ought to vndertake it that the Emperour Ferdinand is Vncle by the Mother to the Queene that succour in distresse is a mutuall office which Kings doe owe one to another that the example of reuolt against the Prince ought to be repressed and lastly that it is to be doubted that the Turke may make his vse and benefit of these wars among the Christians his neighbours As for the first it may bee remembred that when the house of Austria did inuade France they did sticke this calumnie vpon our Kings that they were Heretikes or fauourers of Heretikes And now to disunite them from their friends and ancient Allies they doe coniure them by the protection of the Church of Rome which from all antiquitie they haue cherished and peraduenture would not stick to tell the King with Saint Gregorie the first Pope of that name that the Kings of France doe alone deserue the name of Catholike which doth not belong to any else But this pretext of Religion is the ordinarie Maske of those who would ouerrunne such as are of a beliefe differing from them and beg the assistance of them which are of their owne opinion This is that olde Cloke of two sides which shewes on the one side the publike good of Christendome and sets forth on the other side a fayned zeale of Religion thorow which notwithstanding is nothing to be seene but ambition and hypocrisie It is question say they of Religion but may not that bee preserued but vnder the Empire of Austria Will you beleeue the accusers only shall wee condemne our Allies without hearing them vpon this point And if it were true would not the Catholike inhabitants of the Countrey send to request the Kings assistance And yet in this case were it fit to thinke of the matter For since euery King and Soueraigne in his Territorie is not accountable of his administration to his Neighbours and that wee our selues would not approoue that others should come to controll vs in this point wee ought to feare the example of such a proceeding in time to come Secondly if you pronounce a iudgement that it is a warre of Religion you giue leaue thereby to the greatest part of the Emperours Armie to depart home who are Protestants of the Countries of Stiria Carinthia Austria c. And you doe put the Duke of Saxe and other Protestants out of doubt who haue not hitherto taken this warre for other then a warre of State Besides there doe follow two inconueniences First that you doe taxe of desertion of the Catholike Religion those Princes and States Catholike who doe assist the King of Bohemia The second that you doe alarme deuide and put into euill agreement the Subiects of this State the inclinations of whom cannot be too wel vnited for the repose of this Kingdome But to take away this Maske of Religion you need but to consider the matter how it hath passed for at that instant that the Iesuites were driuen out of Bohemia by the aduice of the Catholikes themselues all the other Orders of Priests and Religious persons were receiued into the protection of the States of the Countrey Since that the King Frederick the first both at the time of his Election and Coronation hath confirmed it and hath moreouer published it in his Declaration and lastly hath written it to our King by his Letter of the 20 of October last By which it followeth that this feare cannot fall into the conceit of any but such as hauing no certainly in their faith and word doe iudge of others by their owne proceeding The second perswasion of the Partisans of the Emperour is to say that he is Vnkle by the mother to the Queene but they leaue out that the alliance of State doth extend farther then any personall alliance as they could well say when it was contracted that marriages were but particular contracts to take away all shadowes from diuers who did enter into ielousies at that time and now they would haue it cleane contrary that particular pactions should preiudice the publique right of State so as it may serue for their purpose But when this alliance it selfe was in question the stipulations renunciations and other clauses which they themselues caused to bee inserted without any other occasion then through the ielousie which they beare against the State of France and the feare which they had that it might haue been augmented by this alliance doe sufficiently exclude the Queene particularly not to interest her selfe in the quarrells of State betweene these two houses The third obiection is taken from the common interest of Kings and from the support which the afflicted doe request which is a cleane contrarie Style from that which they did endite during the warre of Piemont during which they did pursue as criminals those who did assist the Duke of Sauoy whose State the King of Spaine did inuade without any more apparent subiect then for the alliance which he had treated with the late King Henrie the Fourth But these men doe now preach charitie for their owne profit and yet doe they retaine Nauarre of which they spoyled one of the Kings Ancestors who came to assist our King nor will they yeeld vp the places which they vsurped during the league which they stirred vp entertained as long as they could But if this argument to succour the afflicted be good were it not more to purpose to assist the King of Bohemia whose Predecessors haue contracted alliance with our Kings and haue assisted them with men and money against the League and the house of the Emperour who haue this word by writing in many of his Letters and the Acts and Registers of his owne Chamber of Accounts for proofe of their good deeds and good offices towards our Kings and their States Nor is it to any purpose here for them to alledge in the fourth place the euill example of the reuolt of subiects against their Prince who haue stirred vp and entertained the same amongst vs and who doe now receiue by the diuine chastisement and for a lawfull subiect the experience in their owne Countries of the disorders which they haue produced in the States of their neighbours And on the other part the Bohemians both in regard of what is said before and of the reasons layd downe

seated in the nauell or center as it were of Hungarie with mightie forces both of horse foot at that verie instant it was when fire was giuen to the most outragious persequutions nay and in so many seuerall places that his said Imperall Maiestie by this means lost Strigonium Transiluania Hungarie Valachia and Moldauia the recouery of which Prouinces cost our deare Germaine Countries many millions of men and an infinite treasure in Gold and Siluer During this cruell warre these tumultuous people were not satisfied in partly dishonouring and making fruitlesse the victories of his Imperiall Maiestie and partly opposing and crossing them but the Iesuites further by all manner of wicked stratagems wittingly perseuered in their persequutions in Carinthia Carmola and Stiria exposing the principall Inhabitants of the said Prouinces to cruell Proscriptions while the Turke in the meane while toooke in Camsa For what other cause was there why the States of the Sacred Empire after the last Dyet of Ratisbone without any laudable effect or any firme and mutuall reconciliation separated themselues but onely the Iesuites and their importunities who did nothing but exclaime that the most pious Constitution of the peace of the Religion was nothing but a meere delay a truce an Interim or tolleration scandalizing in this case euen the Counsell of Trent and this they divulged all ouer in their writings From which and many other occasions superfluous here to write many complots and practises being vndertaken to the great preiudice of the house of Austria your Highnesse may euidently discerne the truth of what we produced to wit that your illustrious Family hath met with no more capitall and deadly enemies in all the world then the Court of Rome the Iesuites and their Societie I speake nothing of so many pernicious practises and disastrous assaults which the Iesuites haue attempted against other Kings and Monarkes in France England Poland Sweden Venice and other places without all remorse or shame that if God had not euen by way of miracle preuented their diabolicall dessignes they had turned entire Kingdomes topsie turvie whole Countries with their Inhabitants and had reduced them for euer to a finall and absolute ruine For wheresoeuer this Sect or rather insect kind of Creatures plant they bring with them all manner of disasters and miseries To conclude if by their Counsells and instigations which I must tell you are no wayes grounded vpon any true politike foundation but rather as Spiders wouen out of themselues their venemous passions and Scholasticall Dreames they haue excited Subiects yea and the entyre Prouinces of some Princes to mutinie and reuolt they can create no new Inhabitants or Subiects themselues flye away into Italy or somewhere else leauing behind them a mortiferous stinke and the Impressions of an horrible and vast desolation But admit your Maiesty may haue beene perswaded by some that you are in no sort tyed to ratifie and confirme vnto your Subiects their ancient Rights and Priuiledges aboue others those that concerne the free exercise and practice of the Confession of Auspurg which were granted to the people by the Emperours of famous memorie Ferdinand and Maximilian for no small summes of money and therefore vpon no beneficiall tearmes but those very burdensome and chargeable wee are willing to excuse your Highnesse innocence herein and naked sincerity beleeuing rather that this was performed by the enemies formerly mentioned who seeme to affect your Highnesse ouerthrow and to depriue you of your Prouinces exciting and drawing eyther by malice or grosse stupidity the generall enemie of the Christian name into the heart of the Countrey who without any great difficulty is like to be Master of all these so renowned Regions with whole Hungarie the which except present order bee taken to the contrarie will bee enforced to come vnder the Turkish protection For your Serenity knowes that both the one and other Austria haue now contracted a verie firme League with the Kingdome of Hungarie and other Prouinces so as if you grant not fauourable permissions to the one as well as to the other they being equally interessed in the cause of offence by vertue of the Confederation by you approou'd the other parts will yeeld them ayde and succour And though as Subiects they are ready to expose their liues for their Soueraigne their bloud yea euen their second drops which is their goods and prodigally to cast away whatsoeuer they haue in their power yet what can be imagined more deplorable and miserable then to racke and torment their soules by such an extraordinary and seruile Tyranny That same Apothegme of Stephen King of Poland was very prayse-worthy who talking of some persecutions begun in his Kingdome said That he was King ouer a people but not of their consciences It seemes this good King well apprehended that Religion was not to bee planted by the rigor of Fire and Sword but leauing his subiects freely to build vpon that beleefe by which they hope for eternall life and no wayes herein disturbing them And your famous Predecessors Princes that were endued with admirable experience and wisdome plainly perceiued that those Princes of Germany and Estates of the Empire which neuer gaue way to this oppression of conscience haue beene wonderfully belou'd and obseru'd of their Subiects for this only cause enioying hereby a most happie Reigne and tranquillity Our deuotion therefore towards your Illustrious Family being to euery one well knowne and from whence this loyall simple admonition proceeds your Serenitie hauing not the least surmise to thinke that we were falsly aduertized by your Subiects but on the contrarie let all the world duly obserue what hearts they carrie to you and your thrice Illustrious Family that instigate you to these preposterous courses which common experience and the miserable euent of present affaires sufficiently testifie We therefore in all humble affection beseech your Maiestie that conformable to the trust you repose in vs hauing perused these Letters to take them in good part and according to the Lawes to the Inhabitants both of the one and other Austria ratifying those Priuiledges which they haue dearely bought you will permit them the free exercise of the Confession of Ausburge not putting hereafter their Consciences to the Rack And so relying on this Confirmation as a member and Elector of the Sacred Empire beyond all comparison we did more truely labour your owne and the greatnes of your Family then the whole bodie of the Iesuites and their Followers wherof sufficient testimonie hath beene giuen during the sixteene yeares of this Hungarian warre and that your Illustrious House hath beene more sincerely by vs affected then euer it either hath or will be by this pestiferous Sect. Otherwise if you take this friendly aduertizement in good part be sure your Subiects will yeeld you absolute obedience neither sparing their liues nor goods in your seruice no wayes doubting of their fidelitie or of any effect that can ensue By this meanes you