now that my neighbour princes, especially France and Spain, have, of late years, enhanced the revenue, royal, at least, to the third part more than it was, it were a disparagement to me, that my king should not bear up in equal proportion, and point of greatness, this way, considering that he hath more of the royal stem to maintain, than any of his progenitors ever had. Lastly, That they may settle a way to regulate all exorbitant fancies of novelists, in the exercise of holy religion: Where there is no obedience, subordination, and restrictive laws, to curb the changeable humours and extravagancies of men, there can be no peace or piety: If the fire be not kept within the tunnel of the chimney, and that some be appointed to sweep down the soot (which may be done otherwise than by shooting up of musquets) the whole house will be in danger of burning.

Oh me! I feel the pangs of death assail me, let some good body go toll the bell; and, as one of my Kings, the night before he was slain in New Forest, for the expiation of his father's sacrilege, did dream, that a cold wind did pass through his bowels; so, methinks, I feel a bleak cold northern blast blowing upon me, which I fear will make an end of me: It is a miracle if I escape, it is only the high hand of Providence can preserve me. If I and my monarchy miscarry, I desire that my epitaph may be written (in regard I know him to have been, a long time, not only sensible, but a sharer with me, in point of suffering) by my dearly beloved child,

To the discerning reader.

JAMES HOWell.

HE, that with a well-weighed judgment observeth the passions of this discourse, must needs conclude, that the author, besides his own hard condition, hath a deep sense of the common calamities of this country in general, which makes him break out into such pathetick expressions. And, because he might do it with more freedom, and less presumption, he makes England herself to breathe out his disordered passions. We know a mother hath a prerogative by nature to speak home unto her children, and sometimes in a chiding way, though with tears in her eyes, to give them advice. The same doth England in this discourse, but with all the indulgence and indifferency that may be to both parties. Therefore the author humbly hopes, that no exception, much less any offence, will be taken at her complaints, or counsel.

J. H.

MOCK-MAJESTY;

OR,

THE SIEGE OF MUNSTER,

Being a true story of those fine things, wherewith King John Becock, at first a botcher of Leyden by profession, and his companions the anabaptists, pleased themselves, after they were become masters of that city. You shall here likewise have the issue of the whole mockshow..

Quidam, ut imperium subvertant, libertatem proferunt; si subverterint, ipsam aggredientur.

Malignitati falsa species libertatis inest.

C. TACITUS.

Idem, Histor. Lib. i.

ELEUTHEROPOLI, ANNO ’ANABAIITIETOMANI'A2, C. XIIX.

Imprimatur, James Cranford.

London, printed for J. S. and L. C. 1644. Quarto, containing thirty-two pages.

To the worshipful Mr. Richard Lithgold and Mr. John Child, bailiffs of the ancient corporation of Kingston upon Thames: For their endea vour for the publick good: For their vigilancy in their place and office: Especially, for the assistance and encouragement of their Minister, in preaching the word, and suppressing novel fancies:

This is dedicated,

Willingly, deservedly.`

To the intelligent reader, baptised or rantised.

THOU must excuse me for this pretty new stamped word. It is pity but it should signify something in English. Whether it do or no, it is not a week sineel first met with it, and that in a way of scorn, and contempt, of the baptism of our church. He that goes about to naturalise it, and make it a denizen, is one that takes upon him also to question the truth of that relation, which we have in Sleidan's commentaries, concerning the tumultuous carriage of the Anabaptists in Germany, as himself speaks; making the author thereof, for differing opinions sake in matter of religion, to make no conscience of violating that sacred rule, which directs and binds every noble historian. That he dare speak nothing false, nor yet conceal any

thing that is true. Not a little troubled to see so injurious and false an imputation laid upon the truest history, that ever was written since the Acts of the Apostles; I was the more incited to communicate again to the publick view, and that in a language which we all can understand, that part thereof, which concerns those tumults more especially; and I do look for better grounds, for the confuting thereof, than such weak surmises and exceptions, that he was a contrary-minded historian; or that it is not lawful to believe an history, from the mouth, or pen, of an enemy. More Christian and rational charity, I am sure, hath been observed to direct the souls and actions, even of heathen men themselves. And I forbear not to make use of St. Paul's question therein: Is he therefore become your enemy, because he speaks the truth? As for our author, he hath as faithfully, as ever did any, observed what the learnedest of the Jews requires in a good historian: To relate nothing, which he could not maintain from his particular and certain knowledge thereof, by personal employment in the action; or else had not received it from the hands of such, whose truth ought not to be called into question. What, in this respect, is objected against him by Matthæus Dresserus, upon the bare word, and assertion, of his friend, Christoph Carlevilius, hath as much weight in it, as Mr. Blackwood's surmises. And of what spirit Dresserus was, learned men, who have perused his books, certainly cannot be ignorant. Only I am sorry to see any reformer join, or, at least, agree with so great a stickler for the see of Rome; and that in a censure against a protestant, of such known piety and integrity. It is hard to gainsay what the noon-day looks upon and witnesses: And now to deny what our fore-fathers, and all Christendom, well-near took notice of, with no less wonder than shame, were to endeavour to swagger truth out of the world. The great respect and entertainment, which Sleidan had here, when he was ambassador to the court of England in the general name of all the protestants of Germany, shall be both a testimony of his prudence, faithfulness, and other abilities in publick affairs; and also an assurance, that this Taxov, or fragment, of that his most excellent history, shall find welcome with us in an English, though somewhat a coarser dress. How sacred and venerable he esteemed truth to be, and how religious a thing he accounted it to swerve in the least matter, from the nice observing of it, if any man be not Christian enough to have charity to believe the man himself herein, others then in this case shall more than abundantly witness it. Thuanus, Beza, &c. Papists, Calvinists, Lutherans, and men of what religion soever, that are not yet more blinded by faction, than led by reason, will give satisfaction in this belief, even to such as are extremely scrupulous. And if all these will not work in Mr. Blackwood a belief of Sleidan's truth, in respect of this relation, then let his own name-sake, and countryman, and perhaps kinsman, Adam Blackwood, a very learned writer, tell the story; and what both his credit and judgment was, concerning the same. Now you must pardon him, if he do perchance

Auriculas teneras mordaci radere vero:

And here you have his own words, rendered as nearly as conveniency would permit: Lindenius quidam (falsly printed for Leydensis Sarcinator, &c.) A certain botcher, says he, of Leyden in Holland, having by his sermons gotten to be King of the Anabaptists, stirred up a rebellion of the common sort of people, as formerly others had done, who for ten years space, destroyed and laid waste Germany, and occasioned the death of many thousands. But here I cannot sufficiently admire the sottishness of those men, who placed over themselves such a King, as preached nothing else to the people, but the destruction of kingdoms, the abrogation of magistrates, and that all men were created by that great and powerful God, to a like condition: Who either from those wild conceits he had gathered out of the Talmud, or other Judaical forgeries, or else, from absurdities taken out of the Alcoran, did teach them, that the enemies of their religion, or rather indeed of their rebellion and treason, were to be dealt withal by banishment and imprisonment; by bonds, and stripes, and by death itself. The truth of the matter procures itself belief. And I could wish, that all were but lyes, and merely feigned; and that the truth of the carriage of the whole business otherwise might confute what I say. At first, when this doctrine, newly raised from hell, was scattered and spread among the people, nothing could seem more meek and simple, than these kind of men. They desired nothing, forsooth, but reformation of the old discipline, and liberty of conscience. But, I pray you, what liberty of conscience call you that, which, breaking down all pales and boundaries, endeavours what it can to ruin kingdoms, and commonwealths, and to suppress all manners and laws? This conscience is a wolf, in a sheep's cloathing. And as the sea-horse, according to Plutarch, kills the sire, that he may more easily couple with the dam; so these mad men, that they may with more freedom abuse the commonwealth, which is the mother of us all, to their own lusts, they strive to disenthrone, and put down all Kings and magistrates, who are the common fathers of the people. And as the viper is not born, but by eating out a way to life; so neither is this new profession, but by the destruction of the commonwealth, our mother. For, as Macrobius says of the Epicures sect, this whole faction, carried away from the truth with a full swing, cannot by any means subsist, but by the corruption of manners and laws, and the utter ruin of states. For where good laws are in force, how possibly can any scoundrel fellow, and dunghil cobler, any talkative, ignorant, impudent coxcomb aspire, and aim at principality, and a kingdom, and tyranny itself? They, that were first indeed misled by this way, might be somewhat excused, as being, through their folly and simplicity, inveigled under a fair pretence, and shew of evangelical truth. But now, if any one at this day, and in so great a light of the Gospel, suffer himself at noontide to be blinded and seduced, he shall not be conceived to offend out of folly and simplicity, but out of stubbornness, and incurable madness; and therefore must by no means think to deprecate that judgment, which he hath voluntarily, and with his own hands, plucked upon his own head. Thus far out of that learned man, the

1

contrary-minded Mr. Blackwood, if I may borrow the expression, in his book dedicated to the excellent Prince Henry, and inscribed, De Vinculo Religionis & Imperii. A writer, to say no more, for it is testimony sufficient, very highly esteemed of, for his singular learning, by that great and eminent lawyer, Chancellor Egerton, Lord Elles

mere.

Farewel.

And the bramble said unto the trees, if in truth ye anoint me King over you, then come, and put our trust in my shadow; and if not, let fire come out of the bramble, and devour the cedars of Lebanon.

Judg. ix. 15.

OT far from Munster, one of the chief cities of Westphalia, is a church, dedicated to St. Maurice, wherein one Bernard Rotman, in the year 1532, preached the gospel to a very numerous auditory; and, when the citizens thought of some course to bring him in among them, they were hindered by the papists, who gave him a small piece of money to go somewhere else and exercise his talent: He hereupon goes his way, and, having touched at several places, casting about for his best profit and advantage, after some months absence, returns back to Munster. They, that were not well pleased therewith, did what they could to keep him out of the pulpit, but to no purpose, the people were already so much taken with him. Therefore presently some of the abler and wealthier sort got him in among them into the city; and, finding the church-doors shut up against him, they set him up a pulpit without doors in the porch; and, being now become confident of their strength, and presuming on their numbers, they make bold to demand the keys of the church from the priests, threatening otherwise themselves to break open the doors. Not long after, Rotman, by the counsel and consent of some who were chief of his party, sends letters into the Landgrave of Hesse's country, being not far distant from thence, requesting, that some able and learned men might be sent to assist bim in the plantation of the Gospel. They of Marpurg sent him two; who, with himself and three others, straightway enter into consultation, how with best speed they might rid all the papists out of the city, that by this means the Gospel might be preached with more freedom and liberty. The best way, they could think upon, was to sum up all the popish errors; and so, digesting them into thirty heads, they delivered them to the magistrates, assuring them all to be repugnant to the word of God, offering to make it good out of the holy scriptures, even with the hazard of their own lives. Hereupon, the magistrates cite the friars and priests to appear before them in publick, exhibiting the same articles of their errors alledged against them. Now, whereas they had ever borne the people in hand, that their doctrine was according to purity, and grounded on the word of God, which notwithstanding those preachers denied, undertaking to maintain it with their utmost peril, the magis trates demanded of them, Whether they could confute, by scripture,