OF A WAR WITH SPAIN. 239 



wars defensive for religion, I speak not of rebellion, 

 are most just ; though offensive wars for religion are 

 seldom to be approved, or never, unless they have 

 some mixture of civil titles. But all that I shall say 

 in this whole argument, will be but like bottoms of 

 thread close wound up, which with a good needle, 

 perhaps, may be flourished into large works. 



For the asserting of the justice of the quarrel, 

 for the recovery of the Palatinate, I shall not go so 

 high as to discuss the right of the war of Bohemia ; 

 which if it be freed from doubt on our part, then 

 there is no colour nor shadow why the Palatinate 

 should be retained ; the ravishing whereof was a 

 mere excursion of the first wrong, and a super- 

 injustice. But I do not take myself to be so 

 perfect in the customs, transactions, and privileges 

 of that kingdom of Bohemia, as to be fit to handle 

 that part : and I will not offer at that I cannot 

 master. Yet this I will say, in passage, positively 

 and resolutely ; that it is impossible an elective 

 monarchy should be so free and absolute as an here 

 ditary ; no more than it is possible for a father to 

 have so full power and interest in an adoptive son as 

 in a natural ; &quot; quia naturalis obligatio fortior civili.&quot; 

 And again, that received maxim is almost unshaken 

 and infallible ; &quot; Nil magis naturae consentaneum 

 &quot; est, quam ut iisdem modis res dissolvantur, quibus 

 &quot; constituuntur.&quot; So that if the part of the people 

 or estate be somewhat in the election, you cannot 

 make them nulls or ciphers in the privation or 

 translation. And if it be said, that this is a dan- 



