The Papists Reasons of State and Religion, Reason of state 8
Reaſon of State. 8 8. REASON OF STATE.
IN few words, for that we are loath to beaA good excuſe: whereas indeed they are quite deſtitute of anie argumentes. tedious to your Maieſty, in multiplying of reaſons, beſide the pleading of theſe and other like regardfull Motiue, that might be alleadged, which doe allbhow directlie they ſtand for to ler ation the Anſwere ſhewath. direct y ſtand for toleration, we further thinke (vnderunder your Maieſties correction) that the permiſſion of the liberty we intreate, is, neither in reaſon of State, a thingcMoſt pernicious vntounto the Stare. hurtfull, nor by the doctrine of ProteſtantsdA thing cloane contra it to our doctrine. vn awfull to be granted. The firſt is cleare by the example of Germanit, France, Poland, and other Countries, where diuerſitie of Religion is licenced by ſupreame authority, & the likeeNon cauſa pro cauſa. found peace wrought and eſtabliſhed thereby, as both make the ſaid Dominions and Territories to floriſh, and could n…uer (though of laboured) bee brought to paſſe by force of warre or bloud-ſhed. The other like-wiſe is as litle doubtful, if not better known, he ProteſtantsfBold aſſertiōs, but no proofes. books, their Pulpits, their priuate writings, & Diſcourſes ſounding nothing more (whilſt they had not the Sword and Scepter on their ſide) then that it was vnlawfull, tyrannicall, yea diabolicall, & Antichriſtianlike to puniſh any for matter of meere conſcience, faith & religion. And the fauour we ſue for, is but the benefite of that pofition whichgWho be they? wherefore are they not named? they held for moſt true and ſcripturall: ſo that if they ſhould now departe from that doctrine, they moſt needes giuegive the world to ſee, that either then they did wittingly mainetaine the pofition againſt trueth, only to ſerue their ownehThis is iust your practiſe as this time, in ſupplicating for soleration, being a point of doctrine againſt the ſtreame and currens of your owne men. turne withall (an ingraven blemiſh) or generally erred in that point of doctrine (a blot of no leſſe diſcredit vntounto them) which breaching clemencie, did moſt recommende, & gaue greateſt increaſe to their religion.
And if the Petition we proſtrate, and doe moſt uppliantly begge of your Maieſty, be neither preiudicial to matter of Stat, nor repugnant to the doctrine of the Religion eſtabliſhed and regnant in the kingdome, as the proofes afore-goinglMaine things ſeeme which are non and ſo doe thoſe proofes you ſpeake of, for indeed they are no proofes … all. ſeeme to make plaine, wee hope there is no other exception that can iuſtly impeach, and many ſeverall reſpects that may much further the obtaining of our requeſt at your Graces hands.
Reſolution of the 8. Reaſon.
Toleration of Popiſh Religion is neither in Reaſon of State hursfull, as is cleare by the example of Germanie, France, Poland, and other Countries, where diverſitie of Religion is licenſed by ſupreame auctority: nor, by the doctrine of the Proteſtants, vnlawfull to be granted.
Ergo:
Toleration is not to be deuyed.
ANSWERE.
I To the Antecedent.
THe Antecedent is notoriouſly falſe, for it is both pernicious vntounto the State, and alſo contrary vntounto the doctrine of Chriſt, which we profeſſe.
2 FIRST, it is not only pernicious, but alſo the very overthrow and ruine of the State.
I Becauſe it draweth GODS curſe, and provoketh his wrath againſt the ſame, ſubiecting it to male diction.
The Prophets & Apoſtles teach vsus, that no kingdom, no State can proſper; no Prince, no Potentate, no people can be wiſe, or bleſſed in their government, but by honoring and obeying almighty God, in ſuch ſort as hee hath appointed.
VVhichWhich doctrine oftentimes is repeated in the lawe, wherein it is declared vntounto the people of GOD, that this ſhould be their wiſedome with all nations, which ſhould ſay, ſwely this only is a wiſe and a politique people, if they kept, without adding or diminiſhing, all the preceptes vvhichwhich GOD commanded.
The promiſe of bleſſings vntounto the obedient; and the threatning of curſes vntounto the diſobedient, with taking heaven and earth to witneſſe that they ſhould finde it ſo in the end; doth plainely teſtifie, that ſuch religion muſt needes be good, for the eſtabliſhing and proſpering a Common-weale, which the Lord himſelfe hath left vntounto vsus: and contrary wiſe, that no falſe ſervice of him, can be good for any State; but that it continually provoketh the curſe and indignation of GOD againſt it. Deut. 28. Deut. 30.19.
Therefore was the King commanded to take a coppy of the law, to hauehave it by him, and to read in it all the daies of his life; that he might learne to feare the Lord his God, to obſerue all his words and ſtatutes by doing of thē, that his minde might not be lift vp aboue his brethren, nor he depart from the law, to the right hand or to the left; that he might prolong his daies in his kingdome, & his ſonnes in the midſt of Iſrael. Deut. 17.18.19.20.
To like effect it was ſaide vntounto Ioſhua, Let not the booke of this law depart out of thy mouth, but meditate in it night and day, that thou mayeſt diligently obſerue as it is written in it. For then, thou ſhalt prosper in thy wates, and hauehave ſucceſſe in thy affaires. Ioſh. 1.8.
For this cauſe, the Kingly Prophet exhorteth Kings to bee wiſe, and iudges to be well adviſed, that they worſhip GOD, and his anointed: denouncing vntounto the enemies the Almighty power of Chriſt, to the confuſion of all that ſet themſelues againſt him, whereby he ſhould be able as eaſily to breake them, as a man with a barre of iron doth daſh in peeces a pot of earth. Pſal. 2.10.11.12.
To this purpoſe, notable is the ſpeech of Aſaria the Prophet vntounto King Aſa, and to all Iuda & Beniamin, whē the Lord had miraculouſly foyled the innumerable multitude of their enemies. The Lord (ſaith he) hath beene with you, while yee have beene with him, and if yee will yet ſeeke him, be will be readie for you; but of yee for ſake him, he will for ſake you. According to that which the man of GOD had ſaide before: I will honour theſe that honour me, and deſpiſe thoſe which despiſe mee. 2. Chron. 15.1. Sam. 2.30.
This doctrine was ſealed in the caſting away of Saule: and in the chooſing and proſperous ſucceſſe of David, as he often acknowledgeth. 1. Sam. 15. Pſal. 18.2. Sam. 22.
Likewiſe in Salomon, the moſt vviſe and politique Prince that ever ſate in the ſeate of David, or ruled any people in the world, who becauſe he fully eſtabliſhed the ſervice of GOD, according to all that had bin commanded by the Prophets; the Lord alſo eſtabliſhed his ſeate, and increaſed his glory aboue all the Kings of the earth; till he began to decline frō the Lord his God; & brought the abominable Idols of the ſtrange women, whom hee loved, into his owne kingdome & houſes. 1 King. 10. Then the Lorde raiſed vp his ſervant againſt him; who alſo in the daies of his ſonne, ſo rent away the ten tribes of Iſrael from the houſe of David, that they never returned vntounto it againe.
This was the ſpeech of the Prophet Shemaiah to Rehoboam and the people of Iudah; Thus ſaith the Lord, You have for ſaken mee, therefore will I alſo abandon you, and give you into the hand of Shiſhak. which was performed, but in mercy vponupon their repentance. 2. Chron. 12.5.
Abuah King of Iudah, obiecteth againſt Ieroboam that he could not proſper, becauſe he had erected Idols in his kingdome, & had made him Prieſts contrary to the lawe: and aſſured himſelfe of GODS aſſiſtance againſt him, for this reaſon; becauſe they had the Lord for their GOD, who was their Captaine; & his lawfull Prieſts the Sonnes of Aaron ſounding the Lords trumpets in the field before them. Therefore ſaith he, O yee children of Iſrael, fight not againſt the Lord GOD of your fathers; for yee ſhall not prosper. And accordingly it is added that the Iſraelites were overthrowne, having five hundreth thouſand men of warre ſlaine; and the Iewes were ſtrengthened, becauſe they reſted vponupon the Lord GOD of their fathers. 2. Chron. 13.
Divers was the eſtate and aflaires of King Aſa, according as he walked with GOD: proſpering when he truſted in GOD, and decaying when he followed the vaine diſcourſe of fleſh and blood, and ſought to the Aſlyrians for helpe.
The ſame is alwaies diligently noted in the liues of the reſt of the Kings, Amazia, Azaria, Ioas, Ezechia, Iehoſhaphat, Manaſles and the reſt, even to the Captivity of both the houſes of Iſrael and Iudah with their Kings, for falſe worſhippe and diſobedience vntounto the vvord of the Lord their GOD.
What ſhall I ſay of the life, raigne, & death of our late bleſſed Soveraigne Queene ELIZABETH of moſt famous and happy memory, who being but a woman, after innumerable dangers and manifolde Perſecutions, comming to the crowne; (as the learned and reverend Father, M. Doctor Abbots Deane of VVincheſter noteth, in his Auſwere vntounto Reaſ. VI. of D. Hill, in the latter end) with vnſpeakeable courage, notwithſtanding very many difficulties of Subiects at home, of Princes abroad, and of the Divell every where, profeſſed to mainetaine the trueth of the Goſpel, and to deface Idolatry & ſuperſtition: which with ſingular conſtancie, ſhee continued all the daies of her life; yeelding her lande a Sanctuary to all Chriſtians throughout the whole world, groaning for liberty of true Religion; protecting and defending the afflicted Chriſtians abroade in forraine Countries from the oppreſſion of ſavage and bloudy Tyrants; flouriſhing in wealth, honor, eſtimation; being every way admired of all the Monarkes vnderunder the Sunne whither her fame did come and leaving matter for ſuch a ſtory as no Prince ever hath left the like. This thrice noble Princeſſe after many glorious victories, triumph…, & other renowned proſperities, notwithſtanding the tyrānous attempts of forraine enemies abroad, & the frequent conſpiracies of vngodly perſons at home, againſt her crown & perſon, by the favor of the Almighty, vnderunder the ſhaddowe of whoſe wings ſhee was ever ſafely protected, having Raigned foure and forty yeeres, foure months and eight daies a Virgin Queene, dyed in peace, in a full & glorious age, ſo beloved, ſo honoured, and ſo eſteemed of her Subiectes, as never was any Prince more. And GOD, to teſtifie his owne worke, left, at her death, no calamitie or miſerie in the kingdome; no warres (but even Ireland then calmed) no famine, no apparant peſtilence, no inundation of waters, but plenty and abundance, with inexſpected tranquillity. Yea to the end that he might crowne her with bleſſings, hee put vnity and agreement into the Nobles, Cleargy, & Commous of this Lande, that readyly they ſubmitted them. ſelues to the only lawfull and royall Succeſſour.
Theſe, and infinite ſuch like examples, declare true Pietie to be the very baſe, and foundation of all true wiſedom and policie: & Impietie, what ſhew ſo euer it hauehave of outward ward profit and commodity for a ſeaſon, yet in deed, and in the end, to be the very cauſe of ruine and overthrowe to all eſtates and kingdomes.
The reaſon whereof is manifeſt; becauſe all Kings and Princes holde their Crownes and Scepters at the will and pleaſure of GOD, who is King of Kings, & Lord of Lords. Prov. 18.15. Dan. 4.32.
As therefore the Tenant at will hath no better policie, then to pleaſe his Lord of whom he holdeth: ſo the greateſt policy, & ſoūdeſt wiſdome that may be vſed by Kings & Princes, is to pleaſe the Lord our GOD in all obedience; & namely, in the zealous advancing of his true religion & ſervice; & in the repreſſing of all falſe worſhip, Idolatry, hypocriſy, tyranny, which otherwiſe call, nay cry aloude, for GODS vengeance, to pull down ſuch ſleeping & diſſembling colluders out of their thrones.
II Popery cannot be tolerated in England, becauſe it cannot chuſe but involve the State in infinite perplexities, and raiſe tumults and vproares in the kingdome.
3 The inſtāces in Germanie, Fraunce, & Poland are falſe: for their eſtate is nothing ſo peaceable and flouriſhing, as this Common-wealth is.
I Let vsus conſider the Roman Empire. Shee having pitty to ſee that Church creeping, as it did in the beginning, vponupon the ground; ſuffered the ſame to embrace it, and to growe vp by it, (as the Yvie doth by the oake) whereof the Empire, being a mightie tree indeed, felte not at the firſt any annoyance; but nowe findeth, that it hath ſucked it in ſuch ſorte, as it hath drawne out all the iuice & vigour of it, being brought by it now to a withered ſtocke, ſcarce able to beare the barren braunches that are vponupon it.
For by meanes of Excommunicating and curſing the Emperours, by giving the Empire to whom it pleaſed them, by forcing warre betweene the Houſe of Fraunce & the Empire, and other the noble Houſes of Europe, the Pope hath brought to paſſe, that now there is no Emperour at-all at Rome, but himſelfe.
II France, the world knoweth, was almoſt torne in pieces by civill warres; & now by the baniſhment of the fire-brands thereof, the Ieſuites, hath obtained peace.
III As for Poland, the Popiſh Prieſts themſelues confeſſe that the Ieſuites excited and ſt…rred vp ſuch an I hade of tumules & civil warres amongſt thoſe Chriſtians, as that they cauſed of late more battels to bee fought, then had bin in five hundred yeeres before. Le Frank Diſcourſe. pag. 89.
4 So then it is not toleration that cauſeth peace in theſe kingdomes, but other cauſes, as is manifeſt.
5 If toleration were the cauſe, as the Petitioner pretends: yet is that no ſufficient warrant for his Highneſſe to allow of wicked and dāgerous toleration in England. For we muſt not live by examples, but by lawes, and rule of reaſon.
6 Popiſh Princes may lawfully, without diſparagemēt of their eſtates, permitte Proteſtants to exerciſe their religion within their kingdomes; the doctrine which they profeſſe, being the only word of GOD, which cā be preiudiciall to no eſtate, or true policy. But Proteſtant Princes may not permitte Papiſtes, to exerciſe their idolatrie within their domimōs; the doctrine which theſe profeſſe, being both contrary vntounto the lawfull auctority of Kings, and vntounto the expreſſe word of GOD, More plainely:
7 The doctrine of the Goſpel holdeth nothing that may impugne Kings lawfull right and auctority; but contrariwiſe teacheth all due honor and obedience to be given to them, and that for conſcience ſake. Wherfore both they may ſuffer the exerciſe of it without danger, yea to the great eſtabliſhing of their ſtates and thrones in ſecurity and aſſurance; and conſequently alſo ſuch profeſſours may be faithfull and loyall ſubiects, yea even to heathen Princes: as the Apoſtles and Fathers of the Primitive church were. But a Papiſt, that houlds a faith & doctrine, the maximes and rules whereof are oppoſite to the ſtate and dignity of Princes, though they alleadge a thouſand times, they ſtand but for their conſcience & religion: yet becauſe their conſcience and religion is ſuch, as the principles and grounds of it, are contrary to all States & auctority; the Magiſtrate cannot endure ſuch a conſcience and religion, without the certaine danger of having the mace and ſcepter wrong out of his hands.
8 Againe, the Papiſts do intolerably wrong his Maieſtie, in ſoliciting of his Highneſſe, to graunt that whereof they can give no ſimilitude of inſtance in any Proteſtant Prince: Yea which the Pope himſelfe cannot endure.
9 For if toleration bee ſo beneficiall to the State as heere the Papiſts affirme: wherfore do not they perſwade the Pope, & all Popiſh Princes, to practiſe the ſame within their dominions? why do they not cancell the bloodie Inquiſitiō; & ſurceaſe their perſecuting of the Proteſtāts? If they thinke this intolerable in their regiments: wherfore ſhould we iudge it tolerable in our State; eſpecially their Popiſh documēts being very fire-brands to ſet al on fire; their Popes very leaches of our treaſure, that wil never be ſatisfied; and very tyrants that will oppreſſe not onelyonly the lawfull liberty of the people, but alſo the royal power & auctority of our Kinges & Princes; & their Prieſtes & Ieſuites very bellowes of all ſedition & rebellion?
10 SECONDLIE, Toleration of Papiſtry is cō trary vntounto the word of GOD, (as I have proved in the A…ſwere vntounto the firſt Supplication, and alſo, beſides what I have written in this already, ſhalbe more plainely ſhewed in the ſequele) and therefore contrary to the doctrine which we profeſſe.
It is written in the law, that the falſe Prophet, & the ſeducing Idolater ſhold be takē from amongſt vsus & ſlaine, that all Iſraell may heare and feare, and not dare to commit the like. Deut. 13.
We acknowledge that Faith is the gifte of God, which commeth by the preaching of the Goſpell: and yet wee thinke it not vnlawfull for the Magiſtrate to execute the Lords iuſt vengeance vponupon obſtinate Heretiques and ſeducing Idolaters.
Repentance and holynes of life is alſo the gift of God, and commeth by the ſame meanes: and yet the Magiſtrate not only in a good conſcience may, but in duty to GOD ought to draw out the Lords ſword of execution, iuſtice and vengeance againſt all ill doers, to wound and to kill according to the qualities of the offence. So likewiſe ought he in this caſe.
And though conſcience and religion be not put in by torments; yet may one, having his obſtinacy chaſtened by auctority, bee ſtirred vp to conſider more ſeriouſly of the courſe he holds, and by ſuch occaſion, growing to a deeper examination of the cauſe, through the grace of God, attaine to the true faith.
And if they ſhould not be cōverted, yet is not the puniſhment in vaine. For by it many, which oftentimes by a diſſolute lenitie, would bee encouraged with impunitie, and follow the ſame wicked waies, are better adviſed and kept from deſtruction; elſe were it in vaine ſaid, vvhichwhich I hauehave alleadged before, Take away the evill from amongſt you, that all Iſraell may heart and feare, and not dare to doe the like.
11 If any hauehave taught otherwiſe then this, it can no more, yea not ſo much preiudice our cauſe; as nowe this pleading for toleration (beeing a thing which they hauehave ever abhorred, both in words, & writing) doth preiudice the great Patrones of Vnity, and Conſtancy in their profeſſion, (as they tearme themſelues) the Papiſts.
II To the Conſequence.
1 The Antecedent beeing abſurde, and falſe all the breadth of heaven the Conſequence muſt needs be abſurde and falſe in like manner.
2 If the Antecedent were true, yet coulde not the Conſequence bee admitted. For it is not agreeables to the State; nor yet ſuppoſed conformitie with the doctrine of the Proteſtāts, if it be not otherwiſe ſimply true in it ſelfe, that can make a thing lawfull and tolerable.