The Primitive Practice for Preserving Truth, Section 10
SECT. X.
BUt oh that Princes and Great ones would shake off those fleshflyes and Sycophants, who tell them the contrary, and know the Truth to be that nothing can more infamouze their raignes and memories to Posterity, nothing bring more inevitable ruine to their Persons, nothing finally prove so deadly a Consumption amongst their posterity, as to inforce the Consciences of their Subjects, by fines, imprisonments, subscriptions, recantations, depauperations, and death. Charles the fift having obtained the Imperiall Chaire, by the money and meanes of Henry the eighth of England, was the most potent Emperour that ever Germany had, as long as he maintained the peace of Religion, but having yeelded to the Popes instigations, and prospered a while in his intended extirpation of the Truth, he found at last by experience what his brave and valiant Generall Castaldus had foretold him; That these violent proceedings would in the end prove fatall to himselfe; For having first fled away at mid-night in a cold and rainy season from Onspruch, for feare of the Protestant Army, he was afterwards (in stead of setling his sonne Philip in his own Chaire, which he had fully intended) faine to surrender up the Empire to Ferdinand his Brother, who for divers moneths before had entred into a secret league with the Protestant Princes of Germany, and so having lived a few yeares after in a despised and disconsolate solitude, heat last ended his life very ingloriously. His sonne Philip the second, the most inveterate enemy of the Gospel that ever lived, did not onelyonly set up Shambles and Butcheries for Gods Saints in most of his own large Dominions by his Inquisitors, but continually ayded the Rebells in France, England, and Ireland, against their lawfull Soveraignes, and plotted to invade all other Protestant Dominions in Christendome, that so at last by one generall carnage of them all, he and his holy Father the Pope, might have shared the Christian world by a double Monarchy of the Church and Empire between them. But did this bloudy Prince prosper in these his ambitious and cruell designes? Certainly, nothing lesse; for what got he by his invading France by land, England and Ireland by Sea, and by his large Pensions conferred on the traytors and secret enemies of either State; but that in the issue having wasted about thirty millions of money upon those fruitless designs, and not gained a foot of ground in either of those Realmes, he lost a great part of the Seventeen Provinces, with whom having broken the Oath solemnly sworne to them upon his Inauguration, they by assistance of England, and France, freed themselves from his unjust oppression and tyranny? Neither did the divine Justice let him so escape, but raised a fire in his own house, so as the Jeast of Augustus touching Herod, might well be verified in him, That it had been better to have been his swine then his sonne. For whereas he had issue by Mary his first wife, the daughter of John the third of that name, King of Portugall, one onelyonly sonne called Charles, a Prince of admirable towardlinesse; he during the life of Englands unhappy Mary, his second wife, treated a marriage for his said sonne with Elizabeth the eldest daughter of Henry the second of France; During the treaty Mary his wife dying, he marries the Princesse Elizabeth himselfe, intended for his sonne: they both often in private after never forgetting their old affection, lament their unhappy losse each of other: the sonne also distasts his Fathers cruelties, and the butcheries of his Inquisitors. This enraged his jealous Father, who having in the yeare 1568. first imprisoned him, within a few dayes after poysoned him in a dish of broath. His Mother in Law followed him within a few moneths after, sent out of the world by the same kind hand and meanes, (say the French Writers) the violence of the poyson causing her to miscarry also by an abortion. And then was Philip the Father put to seek out a fourth wife, and having married Anne the daughter of Mary, his own naturall sister, he had issue by her, Ferdinand and James, both cut off by death in their Infancy, and Philip who being the onelyonly issue of this incestuous Match, lived to inherit his Fathers Dominions, though not the full measure of his cruelties, having been perhaps forewarned by his sad and loathsome end, to pursue a more milde and peaceable Government. Rodolph the second of that name, Emperour of Germany, not following the steps of the wise Maximilian his Father, but of the foresaid Philip his Brother in Law, sought by all secret and hostile means to enervate and destroy Religion in the Empire. What got he by it, but to have the curse of the Scripture to fall upon him; That the Elder Brother should serve the younger? for Matthias the Arch-Duke of Austria, raising an Army in the yeere 1608. and joyning his Forces with those of the oppressed Protestants in Bohemia, hemmed up his brother Rodolph in Prague, got the Kingdom of Hungary from him in possession, the Empire in reversion, and left him only the robes and complements of Majesty; which notorious affront he did not long over-live, nor ever had the means or power to revenge.