The serpent salve, or, A remedie for the biting of an aspe wherein the observators grounds are discussed and plainly discovered to be unsound, seditious, not warranted by the laws of God, of nature, or of nations, and most repugnant to the known laws and customs of this realm : for the reducing of such of His Majesties well-meaning subjects into the right way who have been mis-led by that ignis fatuus.

Answer.

This Author intends not to halt on one side onely in this Discourse, qui s•…•…mel verecundiae limites transi∣verit, * 1.1 guavit•…•… 〈◊〉〈◊〉 esse oportet. First, That just Conquest in a lawfull Warr, acquireth good right of Dominion, as well as Possession, is so conso∣nant to the universall Opinion and Practise of all Nations, yea, to •…•…he infallible and undoubted Testi∣mony of holy Scriptures, that he that denyes it, may as well affirme, Nil intra est •…•…leam, nil extra est in nu∣•…•…e durum. Force is not meere Force, where Justice goes hand in hand •…•…ith it, Omnia dat qui justa negat. Neither is this to alter the course of Nature, or frustrate the •…•…enour of Law, but it selfe is the Law of Nature and of Nations,

Secondly, Tha•…•… Subjects who have not the power of the Sword committed to them, after a long time of Obedience and lawfull Succession, after Oaths of Allegiance, may use force to recover their former Li∣berty, or raise A•…•…ms to change the Laws established, is without all •…•…ontradiction bo•…•…h false and Re∣belliou•…•…. They t•…•…at are overcome (saith Iosephus most truely) and have long obeyed, if they seek to shake off the yoke, they do•…•… the part of desperate Men not of Lovers of Liberty▪ Surely, if any Liberty might warrant such Fo•…•…ce, it is the Liberty of Religion, but Christ never planted his Religion in blood: He cooled his Disc•…•…ples heat with a sharpe Redargu∣tion,

yee know not of what spirit yee are of. It is better * 1.2 •…•…o dye innocent then live nocent, as the Thebaean Legion, (all Christans of approved valour) answe∣red the bloody Emperour Maximian, Cognosce Im∣perator, know O Emperour that we are all Christians, we submit our Bodies to thy Power, but our free Soules fly to our Saviour, neither our known Courage nor Despe∣ration it selfe hath armed us against thee, because we had rather dye inn•…•…cent, then live guilty; thou shalt find our Hands empty of Weapons, but our Brests a•…•…med with the Catholick Faith. So having power to resist, yet they suffered themselves to be cut all in pieces. The Observer is still harping upon Tyranny and sla∣very, to little purpose; he is not presently a Tyrant, who hath more Power then Nature did comm•…•… to him, nor he a Sl•…•…ve who hath subjected himselfe to the Dominion of another: That which is done to gain Protection or Sustenance, or to avoide the evills of Sedition, or to performe a lawfull Ingage∣ment, is not meerely done to abet Tyranny and sup∣port Slavery.

Thirdly, to the Observers instance of our Ance∣stours in the Barons Warrs, I know not whether Warrs he intends, the former or the latter, or both: This is certain, no party gained by them. They p•…•…o∣ved fatall and destructive sometimes to the King, some∣times to the Barons, sometimes to both, and ever∣more to the People. And howsoever the name of free Customs and Laws was mae use of as a plausible pre∣tence, yet it is evident, that Envy, Re•…•…enge, Cove∣teousnesse, Ambition, Lust, Jealousie, did all act their severall parts in them. And if there were any

(as I doubt not there were many) who did solely and sincerely aime at the publicke good, yet it cannot be denyed there was too much stiffenesse, and animosity on both side•…•…: a little yielding and bending is better then breaking outright, and more especially Con∣science requires it of them who are Subjects, and of them who contend for an alteration. Pliny relates a Story of two Goats that met in the midst of a nar∣row planke, over a swift current, there was no room for one to p•…•…sse by another, neither could turn back∣ward, they could not fight it ou•…•… for the way, but with certain perill of dro•…•…ning them both; that which one∣ly remained, was that the one couching on the planke made a Bridge for the other to goe over, and so both were saved. But the Subject is so direfull and tra∣gicall, and the remembrance of those times so odious to all good Men, that I passe by it, as •…•…ot much ma∣teriall to the Question in hand: Both Parties are dead and have made their accounts to God, and know long since whether they did well or ill: neither can their example either justifie or condemne our actions. It is probable there were some Shebahs, Trumpet∣ters of Sedition in those dayes, as this Author proves himselfe now: yet none so apt as these Catalines to cry out against Incendiar•…•…es. It is a good wish of Saraviah, that such seditious Authors might ever be placed in the front of the battle. Yet thus farre the Authors ingenuity doth lead him, to distinguish the Barons then, from His Majesties Opposites now. The Barons then fought for their Laws▪ not to change the Laws and alter the Government both in Church and Common-wealth, which was the very case of

the Lincolnshire, Yorkeshire, and Northren Re∣bells in the Dayes of Henry the eight, and Queene Elizabeth. I wish none of His Majesties Subjects were involved in it at this present.

Fourthly, whereas he urgeth that a native Prince may disfranchise His Subjects by Force, if He can make a Party, as well as Strangers: either he intends that he may doe it de facto, that is true; so may a Thiefe take away an honest mans purse▪ or else that he may doe it de jure, lawfully and conscionably; that is most untrue: There is a vast difference betwixt a just Warre and an unjust Oppression. His instance of Rehoboam is quite beside the Cushion, his error was threatning and indiscretion, the fault they found was with Solomon, thy Father hath made our yoke grievous: And yet it is most certain, they never had so gracious so happy a Reigne as Solomons was for Peace & Plenty, who made Silver as plentifull as stones, and Cedars * 1.3 as Sicamores in Ierusalem. So unthankfull we are naturally, so soone troubled with triviall matters as Haman was, and like flyes feed upon sores, leaving the whole Body which is •…•…ound. This is sure, that against Rehoboam, was a meditated Rebellion, wit∣nesse the place chosen Shechem, in the midst of the Fa∣ction; witnesse their Prolocutor Ieroboam, a seditious Fugitive, and ungratefull Servant of Solomons, by * 1.4 whom he had been preferred; they sent for him out of AEgipt. And howsoever the Author makes Rehobo∣ams attempt ridiculous, yet it proved not so shortly * 1.5 after, His Sonne Abijah discomfi•…•…ed Ieroboam, and •…•…lew of his Souldiers five hundred thousand men; the the greatest number that we have read of slaine at

once; yet had Ieroboam all the advantages in the World, of numbers, Stratagems, and every thing except the justice of the Cause. And that which is mo•…•…e for our learning, the House of Iudah had many pious and virtuous Kings after this Revolt, but the House of Israel not one but Tyrants and Idolaters.

Notes

• * 1.1

  •…•…ct. 10.
• * 1.2

  Luke 9. 5•…•…
• * 1.3

  1. King. 27.
• * 1.4

  1 King 3.
• * 1.5

  2. Chr•…•… 13. 1•…•…