THE COPY Of A LETTER Written to the DUKE of BUCKINGHAM Concerning the match with Spain:  
Discovering what Dangers would happen to this State by the Kings marrying with one of a contrary Religion showed by divers Precedents.  
Printed at London for George Tomlinson. 1642.   

The Copy of a Letter written to the Duke of Buckingham, concerning the match with Spain.  
THough to advise may seem presumptuous, what is well intended I am more than confident will not be either offensive to your Lordship, or prejudicial to me; the rather what is now offered is, not for your good only, but for the general also; the honour whereof as in some sort you may appropriate, so you cannot but participate and communicate in the benefit.  
The Parable in the Gospel tells us of a great King that married his Son and bid many thereto, yea upon the excuses of some and refusal of others, all of what sort soever and condition as well out of the highways as high places, were called and invited. As every true Christian hath an interest in the Marriage of the King's Son of Heaven; so every good Subject as well as every great subject hath an interest in the marriage and welfare of the King's Son here on Earth, which occasions so many to wish, that it may bring to him glory in her, good will and peace to him on earth, which is much doubted cannot be from Spain, since the motion of this match makes a gener●● fear t●at it can neither be safe for the King's person not good for this Church and Commonwealth, because that thereby may be an inlet to the Romish Locusts, who like a Cankerworm may in an instant smite our Gourd under whose shadow we sit safe; and then what may we all fear but the heat of persecution, or dissension to beat upon the head of jonah the best affected of God's people.  
Who can but lament and wish with Jonah to die, rather than to see and endure that day; for what evil will they not attempt against our goodly Cedar tree, that the Vine which their left hand hath planted may grow up? and they be sheltered under her Branches. But herein it is hoped that God will enable this State sooner to make prevention of their mischief than trial of their affections, for as there is no person that wounded them more deeply, so there is no person whom they hate more deadly. And if they murdered the last Lord, Hen. of France because they but suspected him to favour the Protestants how do they burn in malice against him who hath so professed himself, and blazed to ●i● glory and their shame? And it is as unsafe for men as displeasing to God, to rely upon them.  
Henry of Bullen King of Navarre father of Henry the 4. drawn by an imaginary Crown of Sardinia and the Provinces of the Spaniard, left the Protestants both in profession and person, and became a persecutor of those whose protector he was; but whiles he cast his hopes upon Spain he was deprived of his own Crown, and God in Justice who never leaves any that lean upon him, first gave him over to a violent death, for a bullet took him within his own Trenches besieging the poor Protestants in Roan; Henry the fourth his Son, what Battles did he fight, what dangers did he escape even to admiration while he was at distance with the Pope and Spaniards? but when in a politic and worldly respect he tasted the same sour Grape which set his father's teeth on edge; First a young jesuite struck him on the mouth, and then a Popish Raviliack stabbed him to the heart. Whereas Queen Elizabeth the happiest instrument of Go●s glory of her sex, since the blessed Virgin, notwithstanding the few friends she had abroad and division at home when she came to the Crown, being a liane woman yet she refused the King of Spain, being her first and earnest Suitor by the Earl of Feria his Ambassador and notwithstanding the thundering of the Pope's Bulls and Spanish Canons openly, or the working of his Pistols privately, they were never able to cut as much as the lap of her coat, or to diminish one hair, much less the Crown off her head. And His Majesty, that now is continuing constant in the same Religion she professed, continueth no less miraculously in God's protection; and though there were but one Protestant Prince in Christendom then besides himself, chose rather to match with her, than with all the wealth of Spain, or any other popish Prince.  
What therefore his Majesty hath given by precept to the Prince in his Book, and by precedency in his own person will undoubtedly be expected, and all good men hope will be performed; for as the Prince Proclaims the King his Father by his wonderful likeness and resemblance of the King himself, so it is hoped he will never appear unlike him as in his other virtues, so particularly in the choice of his second self, which so merely concerns himself and your Lordship only, for none can be too circumspect, especially since not a Somerset, not a Secretary only, but the first, the strongest and the wisest man that ever was, though they were all good men, and Types of Christ, yet they were hereby tempted and seduced.  
To address this Discourse more particularly to your Lordship, Kings have almost ever had their favourites.  
Alexander had long since his Hephaestion. and H. 3. of France his Epermon, and Philip of Spain had since his Larvea, yea the best Princes have not wanted them; for after the reckoning of David's great Officers, Hushai the Archite is called the King's friend, Ira the jairite is set down to have been chief about David, which stands with reason, and agreeth with nature; for every private man is left to affect as he liketh: neither can affection be forced. Now to disallow or confine that in a King which is left at liberty to the meanest subject, were preposterous and injurious. For though they Command actions as they are Kings, yet are they subject to their passion as they are men.  
And if I may allege it without misinterpretation of others (as I am free from ill meaning myself) who knows but Christ, the rather to show himself a Natural man, expressed so much the more his Passion in his often weeping and affection to divers particulars, but especially to Saint john (if I may not say his favourite) certaintly the Disciple whom jesus loved more than any of the rest.  
It is God's blessing and your happiness to be the King's Favourite, as Peter therefore not presuming to ask Christ of whom he spoke, beckoned to the Disciple whom jesus loved, on whose breast he leaned to ask for him: so sure most men neither may nor aught to be so bold to ask or advise the King in this business so much spoken of, yet they point at you, who the higher you are in the King's favour, the more you are in the people's eye and observation; and they expect you will not be wanting in the duty of a subject, a Counsellor and a Favourite; but as the reasons and persuasions are known to have the better opportunity to be delivered, and the more credit to be believed, so in this case to be with the King as Moses one of God's greatest Favourites and familiar servants to stand in the gap, to divert the plague (for so in most men's judgements it is feared) how glorious and necessary soever it seem outwardly, I am confident you think the King's favour and your own fortunes are not for your own ends alone, or for any ill end at all, we have lately seen the ends of those that have proposed such ends, and as God's providence extends to the fall of a Sparrow, so much more to the rise of a Favourite. And who knows but the same, that raised joseph in Egypt, hath advanced you in England for the like end.  
To parallel you in no disparagement you are a younger Brother by a second marriage as joseph was, a fair person and well favoured as joseph was, the King hath for your honour altered your name, as josephs' was, you have honoured and enriched your Parents and brethren, and kindred as joseph did, josephs' kindred were made known to Pharaoh as yours to our Caesar; Now my Lord seeing you follow joseph so fare leave him not to the end, but strive to be a means to preserve this our Land from a spiritual famine. We read not of any servant better respected of his Master than Eliazar of Damascus, whom Abraham had meant (had he died childless) to have made his heir, and we find not any service he did Abraham more (at least greater) then in the choice of a wife for his son Isaac.  
Amongst the servants of our Patriarch, The Defender of the Faith, we observe none better respected than yourself, and we know not in what you may do him better service then with Eliazar to help to choose a Rebecca for our Isaac, Abraham's injunction is a good direction not to take her amongst the Cananite Princes, for having liberty to taste of every tree in the Garden, if we shall one●y meddle with the forbidden fruit how miserable and woeful is our condition; for the Serpent will not only beguile the woman but the Philistims will entreat Dalilah, & she will betray Samson, so while they plough with our Heifer they will unfold our Riddle and undo our State.  
Besides whatsoever Language the Father speaks the children do commonly speak the mother tongue, and wheresoever there is a Babel, there is a confusion not of tongues only, but of states.  
Whereas Christ's Church is like his Coat closely woven and at peace within itself, though some itching Separatists seek to make a hole in our coat and Church, which the Papists labour to rend worse, and the desperate jesuit makes it past mending for wheresoever they come they turn Christ's coat into Deiantar garment, which as it set Hercules on fire, so it set others in combustion; the reason is, their first founder was a Soldier, and ever since, The way of peace they have not known; at least not loved. To instance in particular not unfit for our present purpose, we have not heard of any Protestant King that ever married with a contrary Religion, whose reign hath been prosperous but very fatal and unfortunate.  
Henry of Navarre married with Mary of France, which marriage was very unfortunate to the parties never having issue, and being afterwards divorced, and so fatal to our Religion that there was more blood spilt at those Nuptials than wine spent; for whilst the Parents dreamt of the glory and security they should have by the match, they were most miserably massacred, and who doubts but what the French committed in their own Country, upon that colour would any Papists be glad to do in this Kingdom, for without breach of charity we may doubt of their sincere meaning when they seem to desire the greatest union; for in 88 while there was a Treaty of peace, the Spanish Armado came upon us. If therefore we either live or are led by example or precept, we shall find it was forbidden the people of the world to marry with a different Religion; the injunction; the reason and the effect are set down in Deutrinomy to the jews. And we see in Solomon the wisest King that ever was, who married one of the greatest Kings daughters that then was, yet we see the weakest sex withdrew the wisest man, for Solomon became an Idolater, his Son a fool, his Subjects rebelled, and the best part of his Kingdom rend from his posterity for ever.  
If we search our Chronicles we shall find that God hath crossed (if not cursed) our alliance and association with foreign Princes, especially with Spain. A Prince of the greatest performance that this Kingdom or Christendom ever had was the black Prince, yet going into Spain to settle Don Pedro in that Kingdom, besides the monstrous ingratitude and perfidiousness of the Spaniard, who failed of the performance of those conditions he had promised, which caused the unseperable Revolt in France to the loss of our inheritance, the Prince was poisoned in that Country that he never had his health afterwards.  
But to come nearer to our present purpose and to our own times, which are little the better for our Spanish friendship.  
I beseech your Lordship observe that all the marriages for this last 120. years (except the several second marriages of Hen. 8. have been only and no where else but with Spain, with how little good God hath blessed them, the success shows.  
Prince Arthur married the Spanish King's daughter, we know God took him away presently by a sudden death without any issue.  
In a politic respect we would then make a second match for Prince Henry, afterwards King, did marry the same daughter, but doubtless God was less pleased with that match which was less lawful, and God took away all the male children, and left only a daughter, in whose short reign was shed more blood for the true Religion in six years, than for the false in these succeeding sixty years. We made then a third adventure and married with Spain, Queen Mary with King Philip, which was so discontenting to the people, that it caused Wiat's Rebellion, so uncomfortable that it broke the Queen's heart being left and neglected by her husband so dishonourable and prejudicial to this Kingdom, that merely for the Spaniards sake we having no difference with France we lost Calais in six days which had been above 200. years in our possession.  
And though I have not so much judgement, nor so little wit to presume where to match, yet I assume so much as to think a match at home cannot be held any ways inconvenient.  
We find that the first and the last of our Kings that ever matched with their subjects were William the Conqueror, Edward the fourth, and Henry the eighth, to which three matches God as it were to show the less we rely upon others abroad, the more he will bless us himself at home; for by the two latter marriages God gave two daughters, two Elizabeth's, two such Queens, than which there were never two such blessed instruments of God's glory, and this Kingdoms good, by establishing peace in the Land, and Religion in the Church, until his Majesty's most happy coming who brought both with him.  
Thus my Lord have I made bold to lay my poor single 〈◊〉 at your feet the many Talents you have cannot be better employed than this, to make you here and everlastingly a good and faithful Servant to both your Masters; if you would lie in wait for an opportunity which is happily presently offered, and your honour cannot invent any occasion more pleasing to God, and more laudable to the best men, then by persuading secretly by humble entreaties, and opposing publicly by your solid reasons this. Spanish match, since whatsoever the occasions or necessities of the Crown be, it will find more support by casting itself into the Arms of the Subjects which are the two Houses of Parliament, then by seeking to any foreign fawning foe, or envious enemy, whereunto whensoever we leave and trust we shall find the Egyptians Reeds, and their intentions rather to supplant than to support us.  
By him that is not ambitions (because not worthy) nor yet afraid (because not ashamed) to be known to your Lordship in this business. Thomas Alured.  
FINIS.