Seasonable Advice CONCERNING ecclesiastical Affairs; OR, The Prudent Speech of a Learned Privy councillor TO King James the 5th ▪ OF SCOTLAND.  
About the Year, 1539, Occasioned by the diversity of Opinions in matters of Religion then in that kingdom ▪  
Presented to the public view; by a cordial well-willer to the Peace and Tranquillity of this kingdom.  
London, Printed for Edward Brewster at the Crane in St. Paul's Church-Yard. 1661.   

Seasonable Advice CONCERNING ecclesiastical Affairs, &c.  
THe kingdom of Scotland now began to be divided in Opinions of Religion; they which held the Helm of State, labouring to Reconcile them: the King was sore perplexed, and uncertain what course to follow; suppress them he could not; to give way to them without shaking of the strongest beams of the policy of his kingdom, seemed to him impossible. His Privy Councellors being more of his ancient Servants then Nobles or Church-men, as they favoured, gave their several Opinions, some one way, some another: a freedom of speech being given, one of them as they were in his Chamber together spake to this purpose,  
SIR, Amongst the many blessings your Subjects do enjoy under this your Government, this is not the lest; that for the Weal of your Majesty, and for the public good of the Kingdom, the meanest of your Subjects may freely open his mind to declare his Opinion unto you his sovereign: and if ever there was a time in which grave, good and sound Counsel should be delivered to your Majesty, it is this, and the difficulties of the Common-Wealth do now require it.  
The Estate of your kingdom is troubled with diversity of Opinions, concerning Religion. It is to be wished, that the one only true Religion were in the hearts of all your Subjects:( since diversity of Opinions of Religion and Heresies are the very punishment of Almighty God upon men for their horrible vices and roaring sins: and when men forsake his fear and true obedie●ce, God abandoneth them to their Opinions, fantasies in Religion, out of which arise partialities, factions, divisions, strife, intestine discords, which burst forth into civill Wars, and in short time bring Kingdoms and Common-Wealths to their last period) but matters arising to that height and disorder, as by all appearance they are like to advance in this Kingdom; The number of Sectaries daily increasing: without dissembling my thoughts to your Majesty, the preservation of the people being the supreme and principal Law which God Almighty hath enjoined to all Princes. I hold it more expedient to give place to the exercise of both Religions, then under pretence and shadow of them to suffer the Common peace of your Subjects to be torn in pieces. What can wisdom[ SIR] advice you to do with these Separatists? either they must be Tolerated for a time, or they must altogether be removed, and that by death or banishment.  
So soon as a Prince begins to spoil, banish, kill, burn his people for matters abstract from sense, and altogether spiritual, he becomes as it were a plague unto them. It is an error of State in a Prince for an Opinion of piety, to condemn to death the Adherers to new Doctrine; for the constancy and patience of those who voluntarily suffer all temporal miseries, and death itself for matters of faith, stir up numbers who at first and before they had suffered were ignorant of their Faith and Doctrine, not only to favour their cause but to embrace their Opinions, Pity and Commiseration opening the Gates. Thus their belief spreadeth it se●f abroad, and their number daily increaseth.  
It is no less error of State to banish them; banished men are so many enemies abroad, ready upon all occasions to invade their Native Country, to trouble the Peace and Tranquillity of your kingdom. To take Arms against Sectaries and Separatist, will be a great enterprise; a matter hard and of many dangers. Religion cannot be Preached by Arms: the first Christians detested that Form of proceedings, force and compulsion may bring forth Hypocrites not true Christians. If there be any heresy among your people this wound is in the soul; our souls being spiritual substances, upon which fire and Iron cannot work, they must be overcome with spiritual Arms. Love the men and pity their errors.  
Who can lay upon a man a necessity to believe that which he will not bel eve? or what he will believe, or doth believe, not to believe? no Prince hath such power over the souls and thoughts of men, as he hath over their bodies. Now to ruin and extirpate all thoss Sectaries, what will it prove else then to cut off one of your arms to the great prejudice of your kingdom and weakening of the State? they daily increasing in number, and no man being so miserable and mean but he is a Member of the State. The more easy manner and Nobler way were to tolerate both Religions, and grant a place to two Churches in the Kingdom till it shal please Almighty God to return the minds of your Subjects & turn them all of one will and opinion. Be content to keep that which you may( SIR) since you cannot that which you would.  
It is a false and erroneous Opinion that a kingdom cannot subsist, which tolerateth two Religions: diversity of Religion shutteth not up society, nor barreth civil conversation among men: a little time will make Persons of different Religions, contract such accquaintance, custom, familiarity together, that they will be intermixed in one City, family, yea marriage bed, State and Religion, having nothing common. Why( I Pray) may not two Religions be suffered in a State, till by some sweet and easy means they may be reduced to a right Government? since in the( Church which should be Union itself, and of which the Roman-Church much vaunteth, almost infinite Sects, and kind of Monks are suffered, differing in their Laws, Rules of Government, fashions of living, dye●, apparel, maint●n●nce, and other Opinions of Perf●ctions, and who s●qu●st●r themselves from our public union. The Rom●n Empire had its extension not by similitude and liken●ss of Religion; different Religions, providing they enterprise not practise nothing against t●e Laws of the kingdom, may be tolerated in a State. The murders, Mass●cres, battles, which arise and are like daily to increase among Christians, all which are undertaken for Religion, are a thousand times more execrable, and be more open, plain, flat impiety then this liberty of diversity of Religions, with a quiet peace can be unjust. For as much as the greatest part of those who fl●sh themselves in blood and slaughter, and overcome by arms the peace of their neibours( whom they should love as themselves) spoiling and R●vaging like famished lions sacrifices th●ir souls to the infernal powers without further means or hopes of their over-recovering or coming back, when these other● are in some way of Repentance. In seeking liberty of Religion, these men seek not to believe any thing that may come in their brains; but to us● Religion according to the first Christian Institutions; serving God and obeying the Laws under which they were born.  
That Maxim so often r●peated amongst the Church men of R●me, that the chase and following of heretics is more necessary then that of infidels is well applied for the enlarging and increasing the Dominions sovereignty & power of the Pope; but not for the amplifying and extendintg of the Christian Religion, and the weal and benfi of the Christian Common-Wealth.  
kingdoms and Soveraignities should not be governned by the Laws and Interest of Priests and Church men but according to the exigency, need as the case requireth of the public Weal, which often i● necessitated to pass and tolerate some defects and faults. It is the duty of all Christian Princes to endeavour & take pains that their Subjects embrace the true faith, as that semblably and in even parts they observe all Gods Commandents and not more one Commandment then another.  
Notwithstanding when a 'vice cannot be extirpate and taken away without the ruin of the State: it wou●d appear to human judgements that it should be suffered: Neither is there a greater Obligation, bond nee●ssity of Law to punish heretics, more then Fornicators, which yet for the peace and tranquillity of the State; are tolerated and passed over. Neither can a greater inconveniency and harm follow, if we shall suffer men to live in our Common-Wealth who believe not, nor embrace not all our Opinions. In an Estate many things ●r● for the time tolerated, because they cannot without the total ruin of the State be suddenly amended and reformed.  
These men ore of that same nature and condition of which we are: they worship as we do one God; they believe those very same holy Records; we aim at Salvation, we may fear to ●ffend God; we both set before us our happiness. The differe●ce between them and us, hangeth upon this one point, that they having f●und abuses in our Church require a R●formation. Now shall it be ●●id for that we run divers ways to one ●nd; understand not rightly one another Language, we shall pursue others wi h fire and s●ord, and extirpate others from the face of the Earth? God is not in the bitter divisions and alleniation ●f ●ffection, nor in the raging flames of sedition, nor in the Tempests of turbulent whirlwinds of contradictions and disputations, but in the calm and gentle brea●hings of peace and concord. If any wander out of the high-way, we bring him to it again, if any be indorknesse we show him light and kill him not. In musical Instruments, if a string j●r and be out of Tune, we do not f●ettingly break it, but leisurely vere about to concord: and shall we be so churlish, cruel, unchritable, so wedded to our own superstit●ous Opi●ions, that we will barbourously banish, kill, burn & those whom by loved sweetness we might readily ●is and recall again? Let us one and merit of those men by reason let them be cited to a fre● Counsel it may be they sh●ll not be proved heretics, neither that they maintain Opinions condemned by ancient Counsels, let their Religion be compared and paralleled with the religion of the first age of the Church.  
Shall we hold this people worse then the Jews, which yet have their Synagogues at Rome itself? let them receive instructions from a free and lawful council, and fors●ke their errors, when they shal be clearly and fairly demonstrated unto them: heresy is an error in the fundamental grounds of Religion. schism intendeth a resolution to separation. Let a good council be convocated, and so if they be ready or not to reunite themselves unto us. That which they believe is not evil, but to some it will appear they believe not not enough, and that there is in them rather a defect of good then any habit of evil. Other points when they shall be considered, sh●ll be sound to consist in external Ceremonies of the Church rather in the substance of of Doctrine, or what is essential to Christianity. These men should be judgeed before condemned, and they should be heard before they be judged: which being holily and dprightly done, we shall find it is not our Religions but our private Interests and passions whic troubleth us and the State.  
The King followed not this Opinion but gave himself over to the Counsel and government of the Prelates which in a few years brought inevitable destruction both on himself and kingdom.  
FINIS.   

There is new published the Female Duel or the Ladies-Looking Glass representing a Scripture combat about business of Religion between ta Roman-Catholick Lady, and the Wife of dignified Person in the Church of England. Sold by Edward Brewst●r at the Crane in St. Pauls-Church yard.