A DISCOURSE IN VINDICATION OF Martin Luther.  
LONDON, Printed by J. G. 1656.   

A DISCOURSE IN VINDICATION OF Martin Luther.  
HE may be suspected of Hypocrisy, if not Atheism, that too suddenly leaps out of one Opinion into another; It being impossible for mere flesh and blood, to pull up all at once a Religion rooted by Custom and Education in the Understanding; which must be convinced, before it can let in another with any cordial welcome. I speak not of the ancient and extraordinary Callings of God, but those experimented in our times; in which over much haste doth oftentimes bewray Deceit; As appeared in the Bishop of Spalatto, who, in my days, left Italy for fear of Paul the fift, his enemy, and reconciled himself to the Church of England; but the old Pope being dead, and his Kinsman in the Chair, he resumes his former Errors, and goes to Rome, in hope of Preferment, where, contrary to promise, he dies miserably. When Falsehood is fallen-out-with, for any other respect, than Love of Truth, it inclines to Atheism, and is so far from mending the Condition of the Convert, that it renders it worse.  
None ever shown greater signs of God's Spirit, than Luther did; who observed such Gradations, as it may appear he found fault with nothing, he was not first led to by the dictates of Conscience: Falling first upon the abuse of Indulgences, too apparent an Impiety, to pass by so acute a Judgement undiscovered; From this he ascended to higher Contemplations, which afforded him the opportunity to take notice of remoter and deeper Errors His Wit and Learning having that vast advantage over the stupid Ignoranre of those times, that he bore down all before him, without any other Opposition, than the contrary Faction was able to raise out of power; much weakened by the desire all Princes had, to set limits to the Pope's daily Usurpations. And as for the Books, then writ against him, they did rather sharpen, than blunt the desire of Change: For the Friars had so l●ng enjoyed a free current of their Doctrine, without interruption, that they were more intent on the reaping of such Fruit, as grew from the Errors sown by their Predecessors, than upon Arguments to descend them. So as if Princes, that were weary of the Yoke of Rome, had wanted the guidance of Luther, it is not easy to say, whither they might have wandered. And though Charles the fifth, than Emperor, to keep his Subjects in obedience, did seem to discountenance the Schism (as they called it) yet he was content to shut up the Pope in the Castle of S●… Angelo. Which proves his small affection, and the truth of this Tenet, That if ever Christendom falls under one Monarch, or turns into popular States, the power of the Pope will be lost, or confined to Rome; being at this day only kept up, like a Shuttle cock, by the bandying of Princes.  
'Tis objected against Luther, That he was too passionate, using irreverent speeches toward some in Authority: Yet so much of this fault, as Zeal leaves unexcused, may be imputed to his Education: All can be said, is, He was but a Man, and subject to common Infirmities; And because his enemies do so often object this, it is strongly to be presumed, his worst fault. I could have wished, he had not married a Nun: but I believe he did it to show the People, The Quarrel was irreconcilable, as Absalon projected, when he polluted his Father's bed: And in this sense, the benefit takes away much of the blame; which lay not in the unlawfulness, but the inexpediency of the fact. And to show, God did not curse his Match (though he might participate of the fate of other learned men, who seldom find their abilities, represented in their Issue; yet) he left three such Sons, as did not give his enemy's occasion to upbraid his memory with them.  
For the Real Presence, maintained by him in the Sacrament, it doth not so much condemn his Judgement in this, as it justifies his Integrity in all the rest: He being as resolute to vindicate what he thought true, against the persuasions of his Friends, as he was against the threats and promises of his Enemies: For if any by-respect could have warped him, it would have been a desire to appease the hot Dispute, the retention of this error raised in his Own Party, wholly of his judgement but in this particular, in which Zwinglius, and the Helvetian Church did oppose him. And if this be not enough to wash him clean from the imputation of Self-ends and Covetousness, the Proverb used in Germany may, That Poor Luther made many rich.  
As he was protected from a number of apparent mischiefs, so the same hand freed him from many hidden, in respect of the eyes of the world; it being impossible, that he, who had galled so many Grandees, should not have Revenge laid in wait for him, in every corner: Experience proving, that Kings themselves can scarce whisper against the Court of Rome, but the Knife is ready to give them a final Answer. His Death was with as little Molestation, as his Life was full: For being called to the County of Mansfield, the place of his Birth, to determine a Case in Controversy between two Princes of that Family, he died there in the sixtyeth year of his Age.  
Had the Apostles, nay our Saviour himself been alive, and maintained what Luther did, they had been persecuted by the Clergy: Therefore the Crucifying of Christ is no prodigy in Nature, but daily practised among men: For he that can find the heart to stigmatize and whip his Brother, for an Error merely in Judgement, would never have spared Peter or Paul, coming with no more visible Authority than they had. But this is not the way to suppress an Heresy, since most are jealous of that opinion, which useth the Sword for her Defence: Truth having been long since determined to be most strong: And where Oppression is, there, for the most part, she is supposed to be. This shows as little Discretion as Charity in such as persecute those, that may be in the Right; or, if not, shall by this means, be kept the longer in the Wrong. If a Horse starts, the more he is beaten, the harder he is kept in the way; but let him stand, and have leisure to consider what he blanched at; and he will perceive it is a Block, & so go on. Yet it is neither cruelty nor imprudence, to restrain such furious Spirits (as they do Dogs) that will bawl and fly at all they do not know: But I should be utterly against burning of their Books in public, if they have once gained the light; which only adds to their price, and saves them a labour; because, if the State did not put them in credit, by their notice, they would perhaps, after a while, for shame, burn them themselves. The Whip reforms, not so much as him that endures it; but is taken as a triumph by the Faction, increasing their animosity, if not their number; So that in effect it proves a punishment to none but the honest and tenderhearted of the people, who cannot choose but be scandalised, to see the Image of God defaced, by cutting Ears and slitting Noses, etc. And this raiseth a strong suspicion, that the Hand of Justice would not lie so heavy only on the preciser side, but that something inclines it that may at last turn to the subversion of the most moderate part.  
The Dutch, though they tolerate all Religions and Tenants, yet none increased to their prejudice, till they strove to suppress the Arminians, who are in taste as like the Papists, as Scallions are to Onions; all the difference is, that the latter is the stronger: Yet since they have let them alone, this Opinion is observed to be lesse-numerously attended.  
Had the Pope seasonably reform the Error Luther discovered so apparently, in the publication of Indulgences, and rewarded him with a Bishopric, for his Learning and Zeal, let him afterwards have said what he pleased, it would have been looked upon by the people as of no credit: who like nothing so well, as what goeth cross to the grain of Authority.  
The Lord Treasurer Cecil, having been unsufferably abused by Libels, sent for the Poet, and, after he had rattled him sound, began to take notice of the poor fellows good parts, saying, It might be, vexatious poverty compelled him to make use of false, though common Rumours, given out by such as hated all in Authority; To ease which he gave him 20 pieces, promising to take the first opportunity to advance him. This favour (most contrary to his expectation, who would willingly have given one ear to have saved the other) did so work with him, and the rest of the Pasquillers of the time, that, till the Treasurer's death, none used the like Invectives. Bancroft, Archbishop of Canterbury, used the like demeanour towards some Gentlemen that had laid the imputation of Sodomy to his Charge, etc.  
Clemency seldom causeth repentance in an established Kingdom, or if it proves a fault, it is easily mended; Whereas Cruelty can never be recalled, raising a far greater Party out of a thirst of Revenge, than ever yet could be mustered up from the hope of Impunity.  
Therefore, to conclude, since Luther alone had the power to do so much, let us not be thus severe against others, that having the zeal kindled (though perhaps at the wrong end) run madding through the world; but rather pity them, if they be in an error; Because they something resemble the first Messengers of Truth.  
FINIS.