Now that may be most coveniently effected thus:

First, If the administration of the primacy of Magdeburgh, which now is vacant, be given to the Bavarian Elector of Cologne, neither the Marquis of Brandenburgh, nor the Duke of Saxony, will easily grant their consents thereto.

Secondly, If that succeed not according to our desires, there must be some cause pretended, why the Duke of Saxony either doth seem worthy, or ought to seem worthy, to be removed from the electoral dignity. For if, in times past, the princes of the empire cast down Wenceslaus from the imperial throne, because they had adjudged him a negligent prince; surely the emperor may take as just an occasion to remove, from the electoral dignity, the Duke of Saxony, who is drunk every day. And, in this respect, let his imperial majesty restore, and confer that dignity, upon the house and family of the Dukes of Weymar. And, because these princes are yet under age, let the administration of that electorship be committed to Henry of Brunswick, a learned and vigilant prince. This project, being once set on foot, cannot chuse but beget infinite distractions, throughout all Saxony; so shall it come to pass, that they shall waste and weary themselves one against another, and by that means become utterly unable to withstand a common foe, when he shall come upon them.

And as for the Marquis of Brandenburgh, and them of Pomerania, let means be used to move the King of Poland, who is the emperor's kinsman, to covenant with his uncle, the King of Sweden, that they two shall invade and divide Prussia, and canton the same; which thing the Marquis of Brandenburgh will oppose with all his powers. Now as concerning the Landgrave of Hesse, he must be urged and sollicited daily, to divide the inheritance equally with his uncle Lodowick, and to resign the government of Hertsfield to the Bishop of Wirtzburgh; if he refuse to do so, let him be proclaimed rebel, and let his inheritance be assigned unto his uncle Lodowick.

Moreover, as for the Duke of Wittembergh, and the Elector Palatine, they two may with ease be set together by the ears, if the Duke be commanded to make restitution of some religious houses, or otherwise, upon his refusal, be proclaimed rebel, and some neighbouring monasteries be assigned to the Elector Palatine, and, amongst them, one especially, which he hath been observed to have aimed at long ago.

And these are those killing projects of the jesuits, which I have heard from their own mouths, not witheut admiration even to astonishment, and they have many more of like sort, all which I do not at this present remember.

Moreover, there hath been a consultation among the jesuits, to send abroad some bold assassins, who, by poison, or by the pistol, may cut off the principal doctors of the reformed churches; fellows who are so absolute masters in that trade of poisoning, that they are able so to infect platters, salt-cellars, basons, kettles, pots, and caldrons, and such like vessels of ordinary use; that, although they shall be ten times over

washed and wiped, yet shall they retain the power and infection of most deadly and speedy poison. Wherefore, I humbly advise all godly and religious governors, and ministers of the church, that hereafter they be wary, and cautious, how they trust any, but such, of whose fidelity they have had sufficient trial.

And these things could never have fallen within compass of mine understanding, nor ever did, before such time, as I heard them from the principals and heads of the society of Jesuits, together with many other particulars, which I held myself bound in conscience to reveal to the world, for the good of my country, and of the church of Christ; which although I have for the present only given you as in a rude and first draught; yet I purpose, God willing, in due time, to express the same at large, painting them out in their colours, with circumstances of time, place, and persons.

A Postscript to the Reader.

COURTEOUS Reader (if so thou art pleased to shew thyself, by taking an impartial view of this short, but well intended translation) I doubt not, but by this time thou art able to discern the face of the times, and of thyself to make a true parallel betwixt Germany and us, and dost see evidently the footsteps of that mystery of iniquity, which, by the contrivements of the pragmatical society of Jesuits, hath for many years been set at work amongst us. As there the foundation of their work was laid in working upon their diversities in opinions, and seconded by advantage, taken upon the several humours of the princes, propounding to each one some such ends, as his nature most affected; so may I truly say, they have done here also. To what other end was the pestilent doctrine of Arminius introduced, whereby to make a party, that might prove strong enough in time to oppose the Puritan faction, as they stiled it? Why was so great care and pains taken to leaven all considerable sorts of people of what degree soever, with those erroneous points, but to the same end? And can we chuse but think that Socinianism crept in after Arminianism, purposely to make the breach the wider, that it might be large enough to let in popery, at the full, in conclusion? Doubtless, as our Saviour sometimes said to his disciples, in another case, John iv. 35, 'Say not ye, there are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? Behold, I say unto you, lift up your eyes, and look on the regions, for they are white already unto harvest': So may I say now, most men thought it might yet be four months, or some good distance of time before the Jesuit could attain to reap the harvest of his desire amongst us. 'But I say unto you, lift up your eyes, and look on the regions, they are white already unto harvest': Or, if I may not say they are, because God's gracious hand of providence hath disappointed their hopes, yet I assure myself, that any man of ordinary understanding will confess, that within the space of this year last past, our land was already white to their harvest; the king's majesty was wrought to an evil opinion of

If the Lord had not

his people, the commons were grown discontented with the present government, two adverse armies were lodged in our land, and all this, with a new whole army of evil consequents, brought on by the secret contrivements of our adversaries, and on all hands the way was so prepared, altars set up, and priests enough in readiness, that nothing was wanting, to ripen their harvest for the sickle, but a proclamation for setting up publick mass, in all our churches; which things, when I seriously considered, and now of late, looking again upon the regions, I discern what alteration God hath begun to work amongst us by the pious endeavours of our happy parliament, I cannot but take up that saying of the psalmist, Psalm cxxiv. 1, 2, 3. 'If the Lord had not been on our side,' may England now say: been on our side, when men rose up against us, they had then swallowed us up quick, when their wrath was kindled against us; then the water had drowned us, and the stream had gone over our soul;' if the plots of the pacific Arminians had once set up the bridge of reconciliation, whereon the protestant and papist should have met, and the trapdoor had taken effect, then the swelling waves had gone over our souls indeed: 'But praised be the Lord, who hath not given us as a prey unto their teeth; our soul is escaped even as a bird out of the snare of the fowler, the snare is broken, and we are delivered;' so that we may truly say, as the psalmist there concludeth, Our help standeth in the name of the Lord, who made both heaven and earth. And now what remaineth for us to do but this? By daily and earnest prayer, to beg a blessing upon our gracious Sovereign, the King's Majesty, and upon the high and honourable court of parliament, that God will be graciously pleased to finish, by their happy consultations and pious endeavours, that good work of mercy, which he hath so graciously begun for this land and nation, to make a total and intire reformation in church and state, and particularly to root out this disloyal brood of Inigo Loyola from amongst us, preventing their plots, and turning the wisdom of their Aitophels into foolishness, that the gospel of Jesus Christ may have free passage amongst us, until his return to judge the quick and dead. This is, and shall be the daily prayer of,

Thy well-wishing friend and servant in the duties of a minister of Christ gospel.

VOL. V.

言

W. F. X. B.

A CONFERENCE

BETWEEN

THE TWO GREAT MONARCHS OF FRANCE AND SPAIN,

Concerning these our present Proceedings in England.

Wherein is discoursed of the Being of our Runaways under their Dominions, with a Consideration of their Dangers past, in the Wars betwixt England and them.

Printed in the Year 1641. Quarto, containing eight Pages.

HOW

France.

OW now, Brother Spain? How run the cheating dice of this in constant world?

Spain. Sometimes fives, sometimes sevens, sometimes nines, all upon odd numbers; but, if you will but give me the hearing of it, I will tell you such a sackful of news from England, that will make you laugh; hold, buttons, hold.

F. Prithee be brief, I long to hear the news.

S. Then thus: There is a thing held there at this time, which is called a Parliament, in which, as it seems, they use to chide offenders; now there were some which favoured our religion somewhat more than others, and faith, for fear of chiding, they are run for it, and lie now some under the covert of thy wings, and some under mine; and, on the other side, for they are, a many of them, in the extremes; some are so puffed up with pride, that honesty hath got the upper hand: the coblers and weavers, sow-gelders and tinkers, chimney-sweepers and butchers, do not stick to say, but that the spirit moves them to preach; nay, they do it as jealously, as our ancient sex hath done at Amster dam over a hotchpotch.

F. Faith, this news makes me smile, indeed; but, prithee, tell me, hast thou not some armada intended against that little island, that temple of delight, that paradise, in comparison of all the world again? Have the jesuits no brains left, to invent a second powder-plot, or one as bad, or else worse? Doth the dragon always wake that keeps these golden apples, the tree of Minerva ?

S. Yes, they have brains enough, and courage enough, in setting such plots on foot, but, a pox on it, it takes no effect; for one had as good shoot arrows at the stars, and have a cracked coxcomb for one's labour, as any ways meddle with them; for God doth overlook them, and keep them safe, else could they never have escaped all those plots which I, and mine, had laid for them.

F. Why, sure, they are as wicked as any nation under the sun, How then should God be said to protect them?

S. For the love he bears to some; for there are very honest-meaning men amongst them, which do make a conscience of their ways, which thing is most acceptable of any thing in the sight of God.

F. But, in faith, now were the time, whilst the Scots are intrenched, and their subjects distracted, some on this side, some on that side, to come with some armada, or forward some gunpowder-plot, or some such grand treason. Oh the fruition of that same little sweet gardenplot would make France and Spain flourish.

S.

Hark a while, and you will soon grant how ridiculous this childish folly of yours is; a wise man will never attempt impossibilities; for, certainly, it is as easy for any single arm to equal a whole troop of men, as for you or I to effect our wishes in this thing; for, certainly, they have borrowed from Jupiter, the heathen god, Argus with his hundred eyes, to overlook all our actions.

F. Tush, tush, thou art just like a coward, who, if he be once beaten, will hardly come on to the combate again; because your invincible armada, as you termed it, was bumbasted by the subjects of a maiden Queen, therefore it is impossible for us to do any good upon the same land; come, thou talkest idly for want of sleep.

S. Why, brother of France, did you never feel the force of England? Look you but back to the Black Prince, where you shall find that the then predecessor sent him a ton of tennis-balls, instead of his right he held by the Salick law? but he turned his balls into gun-stones, and kept such a racket about France, that he made the whole court of Gallia shake.

F. I do not deny, but that we have both smarted enough, and that is the reason I am so willing to take an advantage against it.

S. I tell thee what, brother, I can compare England more commodiously to nothing than a lion which lay sleeping by the way-side; the traveller, coming by, would needs make sport with the lion, as he said, by hollowing in his ear to awake him, which he did; the lion, being not used to such unaccustomed noise, rose, not quite awaked, and tore this traveller in pieces. Just thus it fareth with us at this time, for England is asleep, and unless it be awaked, we need not fear any thing; but if we compel it to draw its sword once, it is not all our intreaties will sheathe it again.

F. Well, thou hast given me such an item, that I will look before I will leap; I will surely have some great occasion, before I will meddle with them.

S. Faith, we have business enough of our own, if we would but look after it.

F.

True, yet I thank God I am in peace with the whole world. S. I would that I could say so too, for I protest ingenuously, I can scarce tell which way to turn myself, for on one side of me the great Turk lies, like some unseen monster, devouring all which shall come before him; on the other side, the Hollander is as a devil to me, for I cannot have a ship on the seas, but if espied by him, he is sure to sink for it. And, again, I look every day when the Portuguese will