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A27543 The present interest of England stated by a lover of his king and countrey. Bethel, Slingsby, 1617-1697. 1671 (1671) Wing B2072; ESTC R5304 27,311 42

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terms with their Neighbours so that the subversion of Holland would be no benefit to any save to the French King into whose mouth their Country would most fall who wanting nothing for the making of him uncontroulable but Havens and Ports to harbour Ships nourish and breed Seamen would find supply there and whose Kingdom being over-stocked with people would be able to spair men to plant an un-inhabited Countrey as would certainly be the fate of Holland under a Conquest and Arbitrary Government as it hath been to all the free Cities in Tuscany and Italy since they lost their Liberty whereas England wanting neither Havens nor Ports nor having an over-plus of people it would be a dammage to them in the loss of their Inhabitants and an unprofitable charge to maintain Forein Colonies where the Seas must be perpetually crossed for supplying of them with men monie and necessaries insomuch that the Netherlands under such circumstances as they would be reduced unto by subduing of them would not be in the hands of the English so much for their own security as in theirs that now possess them for restraint and freedome makes so great difference in prosperity that less than Liberty incouraging Trade and Industry would never be able to maintain their Walls against the Sea which are kept up with incredible labour charge and ingenuity but expose those parts lying upon the Sea which are many times more considerable than all the rest to be devoured by it or laid much under water and so rendred inconsiderable And the truth of this principle in thus much advancing the benefit of freedom above Arbitrary Government which would be the lot of Holland under any Conquerour may be observed by the two Cities of Wesell and Mastrick which whilst in the hands of the Spaniard were without Trade miserable wretched and poor many of the houses of the latter being left in ruines by the Inhabitants as wanting ability to repair them and now in less than 38 or 39 years that the States have been Masters of them they are both become flourishing places the latter being in a great part new built with one of the fairest and best new publick Town-house that is ordinarily met with next Amsterdam and Augustbourg in Germany But if there were not these considerations in the case as well as that of the advantage that the fall of Holland would be to the French which alone is sufficient to ingage England to support them it could no way be the Interest of England to ruine them to the end to increase their own Trade because if their aims be only traffick the world affords matter enough to satisfie both Nations and that England hath so much the advantage of Holland in natural helps for Trade that if they do but improve them they cannot miss of exceeding all others in it and if they will be careless of their common concerns they ought not to draw an argument from their own neglects and sloth for the envying other mens activity and diligence And lastly so long as a firm Peace and amity is maintained by England with the Netherlands they may look upon them as the out-works which must be first taken in by any invader that will attempt them for as it never can be the Interest or in the power of Holland to invade England so their Interest in reference to Religion as well as Civil security will alwayes oblige them not to suffer any others to do it or to endanger them in whose safety they can onely be safe it being the clear Interest of England not to suffer any other Potentate to subvert their Government So that upon the whole since the subduing of Holland cannot be a benefit but losse to England and may be of great advantage to France and the Church of Rome against which they are impregnable Fortresses with some smaller profit to other Popish Soveraignes bordering upon them as to the Elector of Colne and Bishop of Munster c. It must be the chief Forreign Interrest of England to support the present Governmeut of Holland Thirdly It is the Interest of England to hold a good Correspondence with Spain not onely because that People being little inclinable to Commerce gives a Trading Countrey the more advantage in their Friendship but also for that that Crowne is necessarily to be made use of for the ballancing of France Fourthly and lastly as the French King striveth for the Protectorship of the Romish profession so it is surely the King of England's Interest to render himself wherein he can have no opposition the General Protector of the Protestant Religion whereby he will become more formidable and glorious then he can by other means For as Queen Elizabeth adhering thoroughly and cordially to that Party advancing the Religion holding intelligence and taking part with them in all their engagements and considerable treaties was not onely able in the infancy of the reformation in England to maintain the reformed in Scotland France and the Netherlands against their Enemies their then seveveral Soveraignes but also at last to bring down Philip the second of Spain one of the wisest and greatest Kings they ever had and in him the whole Popish Party by which her memory is made famous unto posterity so his Majesty having many lesse difficulties to struggle with than she had by espousing the same principles cannot fail of the like glorious success And now to sum up the Domestick Interest of England it lyeth in the advancement of Trade by removing all obstructions both in City and Country providing such Laws as may any way help it and make it most easie especially in giving Liberty of Conscience to all Protestant Non-conformists and denying it to Papists In not covering Foreign Conquests which have alwayes been prejudicial and can never be of advantage to them and retrench the unreasonable Fees of Lawyers Physicians and Officers as they are great iimpoverishers of the Nation And as to the Foreign Interest of England that may be calculated to be in keeping the balance among their Neighbours and other European Princes being in order thereunto firm to their present tripple League and in that especially to Holland in holding a good correspondence with Spain and in being jealous of all growing greatness in the French keeping the Baltick Sea open in His Majesties making himself Protector of the whole Protestant party and as Peace is the adadvancer of Trade to seek it and not war except an inavoidable necessity require it And thus I shall conclude this Chapter and in it the Interest of England with begging pardon of the Author of that Book intituled A Discourse of Ecclesiastical politie for my Non-conformity to his Doctrine which teacheth That it is safer for a Prince to allow Vice and Debauchery than Liberty of Conscience whereby he prefers the breach of the ten Commandments and that which the whole Word of God the Old and New Testament the Law and Gospel so dreadfully threatens and declares against before that which neither the practise of our Saviour nor his Apostles nor any Text in Scripture forbids or at least himself being Judge not positively and indisputably as they do the other wherein I confess I am so far from agreeing with him as also in many of his other railing principles not much better that I think the Church of England hath reason to wish his Book had been writ by some of another Coat and of a more remote relation to the Church then the Author is reputed to be by reason of the advantage that their enemies may have of drawing arguments from it to prove their old Charge that the power of godliness is so far from being held out in the Lives Conversations and Principles of many of their Priests that they rather seek to debauch and make the people wicked and profane This is all I have at present to say of this Country besides adventuring to Prophesie that when England neglecting Church Politicks which are commonly founded in passion revenge and self and Lawyers Divinity which is generally collected out of their own Books more than the Books of God will effectually pursue their true Interest they cannot fail their natural advantages for trade considered of being more great and glorious than any other Nation FINIS * The late Dutch War * State of England pag 434 435 436. State of England pa. 60. 61 62. State of England The History of the Siege of Rochell The Grecian and Armenian Popish cong●egations c. Interest of Holland The Edict of Nantes granted by Henry 4th 30 April 1593. The Edict of Nantes confirmedly Lewis 13th the 22 May 1610. and again 10 Nov. 16●5 and by Lewis 14th the 8 July 1643. confirmed in Parliament 3 Aug. 1643. and again confirmed by the said Lewis 14th this present King the 21 May 1652. State of England pa. 50 56 60. King James his Proclamations 22 Feb. 1603. and 10 Janu. 1606. the preamb. of the Stat. of 35 Eliz. cap. 2. 35 Eliz. ch 2. and 3 Jacob. ch 5. Duke of Rohan his Memoires Sir Walter Rawleighs Cabinet Counsellor