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A01180
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The apologie of the Reformed Churches of France VVherein are expressed the reasons, why they haue ioyned their armies; to those of the King of Great Britaine. Translated according to the French coppie.; Apologie ou sont deduites les raisons des eglises reformées de France. English
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Eglises réformées de France.; Reynolds, John, fl. 1621-1650.
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1628
(1628)
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STC 11293; ESTC S102594
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40,175
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64
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THE APOLOGIE OF THE REFORMED CHVRCHES OF FRANCE VVherein are expressed the Reasons why they haue Ioyned their Armies to those of the King of Great BRITTAINE Translated according to the French Coppie LONDON Printed for Nathaniell Butter 1628. TO ENGLAND IN HER REPRESENTIVE BODY The High and Illustrious Court of Parliament LORDS KNIGHTS BVRGESSES YOu haue here in all humilitie presented to you the sighes teares of our sister Church of France who is at this present miserably persecuted by the bloodie power and Malice of Antichrist and his adherents as also the naked grounds and motiues why shee ioynes her Armes with those of our Soueraigne in her lawfull Defence and preseruation For although Rebellon be the false pretect yet Religion is the true cause why the Pope by his Champion the French King now seekes her finall raine and extermination Shee now mournes both in teares and blood and breathes forth her wounds and sorrowes to vs in a fainting yea almost in a dying eloquence Shall wee therefore who professe our selues to be the best of Christians and the deerest of Gods Children permit prophannesse to preuaile ore pietie Idolatrie to triumph ore true Religion and the Church of Rome ore that of God if our Religion be theirs must not their dangers and persecutions be ours For what Peace can we haue whiles they are oppressed with Warre or how can our consciences be at rest and tranquilitie whiles theirs are tovmented with all sorts of afflictions and cruelties Can that Church of France be beaten but this of England is threatned or the Protestants of that Kingdome be extinguished but we are Eclipsed yea doe not their feares presage and predict ours and their dangers fatally denounce and portend ours We haue already seene and suffered Gods Church in Bohemia the Paâ—…atinate Selesia and Morauia to bee ruined and shall we not therefore beleeue if that of France goe next that this of England must immediately follow We see the Pope is as bloody in his malice as boundlesse in his Ambition and that with high wrestling and an insulting brauerie he proceedes in his Enuie and power at one time to roote out the name and memorie of Gods Church and Children in all places and Countries of Christendome How powerfully hath he lately preuailed with the Emperour and the King of Spaine and Poland in this bloody quarell who with barbarous hearts and sacrilegious hands haue played their prises in oppressing and de-pressing these Churches in their Countries and now by a policie as subtile as execrable hath likewise drawne the French King to make himselfe guiltie of the same impious and bloody crimes to ruine the Protestants of his Kingdome whose Valours and Fidelities placed the Crowne on his Fathers head and to exterminate those Churches which with so much Pietie and wisedome hee had established in the Meridian of their perfection and glorie The which to preuent and oppose God hath inspired the heart of our Gracious King CHARLES to reach them out the hand and Scepter of his Royall assistance and so to proue himselfe a true Defender of the Faith as well in Fact as Title Knowing therefore that by the Lawes of Honour and Religion we are bound to ayde and asist them and not to suffer the Vineyard of Gods Church to be thus miserably trampled ore and rooted vp by the Champions of Rome and Hell it will be a pious and a Noble worke for you Illustrious Lords and Gentlemen the Great Senators and Elders of our Israell to contribute the meanes as our King hath the Will to the preseruation and building vp of so Religious and glorious a Worke by affecting it tenderly in your selues and by cheerishing it carefully and dearely in the hearts of all the parts and members of this Kingdome For as the Protestants of France call on our King so doth his Maiestie on you who are the essentiall and figuratiue body thereof and God on you all for the speedy and vigorous assistance of this his afflicted Spouse the Church and hee who is the searcher of all hearts the witnesse of all soules and the Iudge of all actions will infallibly iudge betwixt you and him with what true Deuotion and Zeale you performe this part of his seruice and glorie Warres are made as well with Gold as Iron therefore in assisting this our afflicted Sister the Church of France wee must second our words with deedes our promises with effects and our Prayers with our purses Their Enemies are strong and powerfull their afflictions and dangers great so therefore must our assistance be to them They are neere to vs by Cituation but farre neerer in Religion for as their cause and quarell is ours so should the sence and feeling of their calamities and in this sence I may iustly affirme that they are a great part of our selues because we generally belong all to one Church as that Church doth particularly and peculiarly to God As truth is the best eloquence to perswade vs to this assistance so Religion is the best truth and it would bee an act not onely of Impietie but of shame in vs if these our three flourishing Churches of England Scotland and Ireland should not now powerfully assist that afflicted one of France which sues to them for it with teares and prayers But Illustrious Lords and generous Gentlemen my Iudgement prompts mee that I should wrong yours in seeking to perswade your affections to so charitable and religious a worke from which I know nothing is capable to direct or disswade you and in that behalfe I rest hopefull if not confident that you will at least excuse my zeale if not pardon my presumption for proferring vp the sighes and teares of this poore persecuted French Church to your sublime Protection and Patronage or rather to your charitable care and religious consderacion as esteeming it euerie way as worthy of your pittie and compassion as of your knowledge May the sight of her afflictions myseries and calamities teach vs how to preuent our owne May God of his best mercie so operate with our hearts and soules as wee may esteeme and repute them our owne and may England by the Kings royall and your Illustricus example stretch forth her hands to relieue this poore French Church and people so vniustly afflicted and so wrongfully oppressed and persecuted for God and his Cause IOHN REYNOLDS The Apologie of the Reformed Churches of France wherein are expressed the Reasons why they haue ioyned their Armes to those of his Maiestie the King of Great BRITTAINE THERE is none but will iudge that a sicke Patient is extreamely oppressed with his disease when hee frequently takes violent Physicke whereof as yet hee hath his stomach wholy charged and afflicted and therefore loathes and abhorres it were it but onely for the bitternesse thereof Right so wee must confesse that our wronges haue exposed and reduced vs to the last point of necessite since wee are enforced to haue recourse to that remedie wherein wee haue
consequence purposely to authorise them hereafter Moreouer in that which was one of the most important points and the chiefest motiues of our resumption of Armes to wit the subsistance of the Fort before Rochell they would expresse nothing in the Declaration touching the promise made to vs for the razing and demolishing thereof And that promise which was yet giuen vs by the Ambassadour of the King of Great Britaine as also of the Lords States Generall was couched in such ambiguous and generall tearmes that it manifestly appeared the intent of those who gaue them was not to obserue and keepe them because by their artificiall prouidence they prepared the way to euasions which they haue since practised and would thereby inferre and pretend that they had promised vs nothing So that in what estate soeuer our affaires then were finding more safetic in a weake resistance then in a peace which publikely cuts our throats we therefore refused to accept it vpon those conditions which we held would infallibly draw after it our fatall ruine and destruction But at length we found our selues obliged yea we dare affirme almost enforced by the vrgent and reiterated assummons which were made vs by the aforesaid Embassadours who in the name of those they represented were established vnto vs as Pledges and Sureties that we were proceeded with sincerely and especially for the demolition of the said Fort whereof they alleaged they had expresse promise and assurance As also that this peace was not of the qualitic and nature of the precedent peaces which had beene treated onely with vs whereas this was properly not so much with vs as with the King of Great Britaine and the Lords States so as whosocuer violated or infringed it the infraction and iniury thereof was properly offred to them who would not spare either their intercession or other meanes to make good their words to vs. And although this were very preualent and powerfull to induce vs to accept and admit thereof they yet further represented to vs That our Armes was the onely obstacle that the King imployed not his against the inueterate Enemy of our Estate and Religion and why he did not so soundly wed himselfe to the affaires of Germanie with the King of Great Britaine so that whatsoeuer ill successe betided it would be iustly imputed to our obstinacy and would occasion all those who hitherto haue wished vs well wholly to abandon and forsake vs. To these important reasons we suffred our selues to be vanquished and although we then foretold them that they would finde themselues deceiued as well in the assurance which was giuen them to conferue peace vnto vs as also so to ioyne their designes and Armes with them against Spaine yet we would no longer oppose against their requests and instances but sacrifized vp our selues and all our common interests to the aduantages of the King of Great Britaine and his Allyes and so accepted the peace in the same manner and forme as it was giuen vs onely we drew an Act from the Embassadours of Great Britaine verifying all which was formerly alleaged the which because it is the foundation of the Iustice of his and our Armes it is requisite we doe here insert it VVE Henry Rich Lord of Kensington Earle of Holland Captaine of the Guard to the King of Great Britaine Knight of the Order of the Garter and Priuie Councellour to his Maiestie And Dudley Carleton Knight Priuie Councellour and Vice-Chamberlaine to his said Maiestie extraordinary Ambassadors for him to the most Christian King to all present or to come Greeting Whereas Monsieur Montmartin and Monsieur Maniaâ—…d Generall Deputies of the reformed Churches of France together with other particular Deputies of my Lords the Dukes of Rhoan and Soubize as also of many Townes and Prouinces which haue ioyned their Armes with those of the said Lords hauing made Peacewith the Most Christian King by our aduice and interuentions agreed and consented by the said Most Christian King their Soueraigne and that the said Deputies haue yeelded to and cut off many things which they esteemed to be most important for their safetie euery way conformable to their Edicts and Records which they were expresly charged to obtaine in the Treatie of peace and wherein they had powerfully persisted but that the Obedience which they owe and will render to their King and Soueraigne and the consideration and regard which they will yeeld to the expresse requests and intrauentions of the King of Great Britaine our Master in whose name wee haue exhorted and councel'd them to condescend to the Conditions offred and giuen them by the said Peace in fauour and for the prosperity of this Kingdome in particular and the content and assistance of Christendome in generall To which causes Wee declare and certifie That in the words which were heretofore giuen vnto vs for the accomplishing of the said Treatie and proffered by the Lord Chancellour at the acceptance of the peace containing that through their long seruices and continuall obedience they may expect that from the goodnesse of the King which they could not else obtaine by any other Treatie and in those very things which they esteeme the most important and pressing in conuenient time they might heare and prouide for their Supplications made with respect and Humilitie There was a cleerer interpretation brought vnto vs from his Maiestie and the Lords his Ministers by those who were the Agents and Negotiators of the peace being Men of Honour and qualitie ordained and established with power from his Maiestie and his Priuie Councell whereof the sence and meaning is That they vnderstand to speake of the Fort Lewes before Rochell and therby to giue assurance of its demolition in conuenient time and in the interim some remedies of other matters which should remaine by the said Treatie of Peace to the preiudice of the Libertie of Rochell Without the which assurance of Demolition and the ease and exemption of Garisons the said Deputies protested vnto vs that they would neuer haue consented to the subsistance of the said Fort being commanded and resolued to conserue the right of that Demolition As they doe by this present declaration with assurance that the King of Great Britaine will labour by his intercessions ioyn'd with their most humble supplications to hasten the time of that demolition whereof we haue giuen them all the royall promises and words which they can desire after we had shewed them that they might and ought to remaine satisfied and contented In witnesse of all which now formerly expressed we haue signed and sealed this present with our names and armes and haue caused it likewise to be vnder-signed by one of our Secretaries Dated in Paris the 11. day of February 1626. And so signed Holland D. Carleton with seales vnder euery signe and vnderneath by the commandment of the said Lords signed Augier This Act so dressed and finished the Deputies carry it home to their Prouinces to serue for comfort and