THE COPY OF A LETTER VVRITTEN TO Mr. ALEXANDER HINDERSON LONDON Printed in the Yeare 1643. Reverend and loving Brother in Christ I Hope my two former Letters were safely delivered wherein I gave you notice of a purpose taken in hand here to make Notes upon the Bible what concurrence you think fit to give in such a work I leave to your owne piety to determine Now I have some other thoughts to impart unto you which lye as a burthen on my heart nor can I be at rest till I discharge them in some bodies bosome nor know I any more fit then your selfe to whom I may confide them for I trust that you will make them harmlesse to me and as profitable as you can to the Publique according to the occasions which God at this time doth put into your hand which may be of great consequence hereafter if rightly managed I am then very desirous to let you know my thoughts concerning the Palatine Cause which I heare is laid to heart amongst you whereat as I am glad so I will not cease to pray that God would direct your hearts to doe something in it as it ought to be done But to conceive what may be done in it and how that which may be done ought to be done so as we may be sure that God will give a blessing to it is a thing whereof I am not a little sollicitous since I have heard of the inclinations both here and there where you are tending towards some reall undertakings for his Highnesse You know that the right ayme in framing of Councels is of very great if not of greatest importance For it is like the Axell tree whereupon the meanes like a wheele runne about to carry it to an Issue If this ayme be not as it should be setled in the minds of the Undertakers for the Palatine Cause I can have little hopes of a blessing upon the enterprise whatsoever it be nor can I be perswaded that fit meanes to help the cause will be made use of and would to God not onely they that are willing to undertake for the House Palatine but that the House it selfe and the Counsellors which are about it did not understand onely but also affect truly the end which they should have in prosecuting their owne Cause The sweet natured Prince Elector is of very good capacity and judgement and as most young men and of a sanguine complexion are flexible and easily led so might he be brought into better apprehensions of matters then as yet he seemeth to have if the Counsellors that are about him were so sensible of the best things belonging to the Palatine Cause as Men in that place should be but that they are not truly sensible of their true ayme it appeareth to me in some things at which I can but grieve I speake this with due respect unto them and in love to the Cause which they do manage about his Highnesse And I pray unto God heartily that in suing for the meanes of their Restitution they may walke more entirely with God and in all his wayes then they have done many of them hitherto that they may be fit to looke up directly unto him and not so much unto the arme of flesh as States men commonly do and that they may be able to understand the Counsel of God towards their Master whom he hath honoured to suffer hatred and persecution for his own Cause Which cause I feare is little regarded by most of them and till they as well as the Prince himselfe be truly sensible of it I have little hope of any good issue in all their Enterprises which no doubt have beene hitherto miscarried for want of Gods blessing upon the undertakings and Gods blessing hath been wanting because the true end which he requireth in such a cause was not intended Lest therefore both they and you that are willing to undertake for them should make shipwracke upon the same rock I thinke my selfe bound in conscience to give some warning to you which I will leave to your prudency to insinuate to such as can make best use thereof in time and place convenient Now then to let you know what the true aim is which should be laid to heart in the Palatine Cause I must tell you what I know to be a certain truth and can make good if need be with infallible evidences concerning the Cause of the War in Germany The true originall of this War is known to be the quarrell of the Bohemians which the P. Elector took upon him But this was not the first originall of the Warre there were other fore-going plots laid against the Freedome of the Protestant Religion and their Liberties in Germany and especially against the greatnesse of the Palatine House then matched with our Kings daughter which made that House and the Protestant State whereof it was the Head so formidable unto the Pope and his Conclave that he with the Austrians took up a firm resolution to ruine that House lest by its means Protestancy might be so upheld in Germany as to weare out Popery And they had some cause to feare this when they saw what encrease Protestancy did make dayly so long as matters were at quiet in Germany and what a Nurse the Vniversity of Heildelberg was unto it This jealousie then was the true cause of the Quarrell which had broken forth elsewhere if it had not been fired in Bohemia For at the same time at divers other parts in the Empire a Quarrell was pickt against the free use of the Protestant Religion which was an intolerable eye-sore unto the Pope and Austrian party Thus then it is certain the cause in their contention originally is the feare and hatred of our Religion and no doubt it was in the P. Elector Palatine a pious intention to uphold the Protestant Liberties in Germany which were put at and which being lost the Religion it selfe would suffer thereby By this first originall of the Warre we see the nature of the Cause and from the nature of the Cause we must take the aime in undertaking it For if it should be undertaken as it ought to be it must be undertaken sincerely for Religion to uphold the Protestant Cause in Germany and then means answerable to this aime will be thought upon and may be found out if we will but consider what the Meanes are by which the Enemies of the Cause have all this while prevailed against it and what practises they still use to undermine and overthrow it wholly For if we can take away the advantages which have made them hitherto prevaile and prevent their future designes no doubt our undertakings will not bee without effect It is most certain that hitherto their greatest advantages have beene herein that as they were alwayes united amongst themselves and stood close to one main purpose which is the propagation of their Religion so they have been able alwayes hitherto by their practises and instruments to
and stopped his mouth that he became troubled in conscience and did not rest till he had dealt more privately with the Divine who had overcome him to whom he in testimony of his sincerity revealed his whole plot and by the procuration and intervention of great men and friends hath moved the foresaid Divine to go along with him into Polonia and to Vienna and as farre as Rome to see what can be effected in this Negotiation and further this pretended transaction Much more could be related of this subject but this is enough to make their intention fully known which no doubt is this to make a generall kinde of politick transaction of differences in Religion by the power of Civill authority with so many Protestant Princes as can privately or publiquely be gained thereunto that if others who will not condescend to such an agreement be moved for conscience sake to beare witnesse against it they may be crusht by Authority and suppressed and when the sounder part of Protestants shall be thus taken out of the way and not able to peep then his authority may be fully established over those that shall re-unite unto him without contradiction Thus the Pope dealt at first with the Hussites in Bohemia for after a long Warre wherein the Bohemians had wearied all their Neighbours he saw that by violence they could not be brought to a constant and voluntary yeelding unto him therefore he proposed Conditions of agreements unto the greatest part of them which was lesse sound by yeelding unto them foure or five Articles for the redresse of some grievances and when the sounder part would not acquiesce they were quite oppressed and dissipated nor did they ever after that Thabours was once taken recover strength or become considerable till the dayes of Luther and these later times wherein again they were the first sufferers The same purpose is now manifestly in hand to deale with all Protestant Churches but chiefly with those in Germany in like manner that if the Austrio-Bavarian faction in Germany can either by faire or foule means bring any considerable party of the Protestant Church anywhere but chiefly within Germany it selfe to yeeld unto the plausible Conditions which may be proposed for the redresse of common grievances then they have fully obtained their purpose and will not fail to deal there so with the remnant of Protestants as was done with the remnant of Hussites in Bohemia And what course the Emperour takes in Germany the same will be followed in Polonia and in France so that except God disappoint this plot by a wonderfull providence as he used to worke in all his wayes there is no possibility in humane appearance and by humane wayes to avoid the effect of it which will be the setting up againe of popery in all places where once it hath had footing Thus you see what advantages the Adversaries of the Palatine Cause have had hitherto against it and what their plot and practise is to bring their Enterprise to perfection I know that God useth to laugh the wisdome of this world to scorne and taketh the crafty in their own devises and that as heretofore alwaies from the beginning of Christianity and now of late also in the discovery of Antichristianity he hath had the better of his Adversaries even there and then where and when they thought themselves to be strongest So he will still to the end be at last victorious in his owne Cause yet although I know I am confidently perswaded that God will doe so yet I say we ought not to be negligent in doing our duty but taking the most likely course wee ought according to our ability help him against the mighty leaving the events of our endeavours to his providence Who knoweth but that the time may be now come wherein the Lord will rise work for his owne names sake nor is it unlikely to be so if we consider the accomplishment of prophesies and particularly that of Dan. 12. 7. that when the adversary shall have accomplished to scatter the power of the holy people that then their sufferings shall be at an end now verily their power is wholly scattered and divided and there is no considerable force either in or out of Germany that is able to rise up for Protestancy against Papacy and therefore I hope it is Gods time to worke now in his owne way and not according to humane appearance And this very consideration maketh me the more earnest towards you that seeme willing to take his Cause in hand lest in going about it his way should not be followed without which nothing can prosper in the Palatine affaires Now I conceive his way to be not a way of great strength and force but a way of spirituall Wisdome and integrity tending to advance the Kingdome of his Son in managing the controversâ—y of his Church If then all the outward undertakings whatsoever they may be goe not along with God in his way and are not made subordinate unto this end they will be in vaine and prove but a further scattering of the forces of Protestancy And how they may be set in this way in opposition to the way of those that fight against Protestantcy more by craft then by strength I will tell you my opinion that you may judge of it and submit it as you shall thinke fit to be judged of by others that are wellwillers to the Cause It is then briefly this First I thinke it necessary that both his Majesty and the Prince Elector be made sensible of the dangerous consequence of the Papall plot against Protestancy Then the Prince Elector should be dealt withall seriously by some grave wise and godly man to make him lay to heart the great honour that God doth to him and to his Family in calling him to suffer for his Cause and to beare the reproaches of them that reproach the truth of Christianity and the hatred of those that hate the Gospell of Christ which they persecute in his person To know truly what an honour this is would be a great strengthening of his spirit and then to know also how he ought to behave himselfe in all his wayes towards God in bearing up this Cause how that he ought not to seeke himselfe in it but should make the upholding of Protestancy and not the regaining of his Lands and Titles his true inward ayme and consequently to doe all in subordination to God and not by humane wisdome and policy c. If this could be truly as I am perswaded he is very capable of wrought upon him then I would not despaire of a blessing upon that which he may take in hand He being thus wrought upon to make God his counsell and strength in all things to manage faithfully his Cause could have some other Counsellors adjoyned to him besides those which he now hath Men of exemplary and entire lives men that should strengthen him in the true ayme of his Cause to keepe it
School-masters for the education of youths should be laid open Also the Charge of the Magistrate as he is Governour and Judge of the people and the duty of the Subject as he is under Superiour powers The Charge of a Husband and Wife The Charge of Parents and Children and of Masters and Servants should all be distinctly described and published in severall briefe Treaties and made common to all that both Protestants might see what they should do according to their own principles of profession and others might be informed of their walking who traduce them for licenciousnesse and blame their Religion as if it were the high way to dissolve all Government and to cast men loose unto all manner of rebellion and dissolution Such Treaties as these being briefly yet fully and substantially penned and then revised and approved by some Synods and Vniversities would be of great use to make all Protestants be of one minde in their profession of Christianity before the world and free them from many odious impressions which evill Statists and Emissaries of the Pope beget in the minds of Princes against them whereby more hurt is done then we are aware of Therefore to elaborate these tasks Men should be set apart and being fitted for the common use of all men they should be printed and dispersed in severall Languages to be seen by all and the Charges of Translation and Printing should be born by those that undertake the Palatine Cause and his Counsellors for the good of this Cause should set their minds awork how to bring these things to passe For herein doth their strength consist against which all the power and plots of the Enemies of Protestancy will never be able to prevail For suppose they should effect what they intend in calling a Councell in Germany by the Emperours authority to rectifie some generall grievances if Protestants have these Declarations and evidences to make the tenor of their common Faith and Practise appear in a readinesse to offer it to be judged by that Councell what will their plot be able to effect Will they not be taken in their own device and made instruments of confirming that Profession which they intend to overthrow I know not what you will think of the possibility to effect all this but I am sure you cannot deny but that all this may be done and that without great difficulty or great delay if the Protestant Cause were taken to heart as it ought to be and if some few Instruments were set apart to elaborate such tasks as these But alas these things are not at all minded nor can they gain any favour or countenance at any bodies hand who is in place of Eminency except they can make a particular use of the undertaking to subordinate the same unto some private aims of their own Hence it is that the solicitors of such Works are lookt upon aloof and suspected as dangerous Men by all sides or laught at in secret as men of odde and singular conceits that fancy unto themselves Castles in the air and impossible undertakings Verily I confesse the undertakings are impossible not per se but per accidens by reason of the stupidity of mens spirits in matters of a publike nature and by reason of their great partiality which doth blinde them in all other things not serving to their private ends and wayes Nor do most men that I meet withall minde any thing but what is immediately of use for their own present turns and because my thoughts cannot run that way I am become like a sparrow on the house top and as an Owle among the rest of the Birds of the Forest For all this while I have been knocking at a deaf mans door intending to put men in minde of these things and seeking help to bring them to passe I have spent my time and strength in vain Now then I have discharged my conscience and will set my mind at rest from henceforth and this I count to be the fruit of my labours This is the first kind of means serving to establish to perfect and to make known what true Protestancy is in the world The second kind of Means doth serve to oppose Popery in that wherein it doth study to divide and undermine the State of Protestants To this effect Means should be thought upon how to go crosse unto them in their proceedings against us They labour and plot how to divide us amongst our selves and to feed our disputes in Religion and jealousies of States and to bring every where some evill intelligence betwixt Rulers and Subjects and to make us of Great Britain to neglect all the thoughts of our Brethren which may tend to their comfort should not we then labour and plot to bring the quite contrary effects to passe namely how to reconcile matters of disputes in Religion and to take away jealousies of States and to bring good intelligences betwixt Rulers and Subjects and to make us here in Great Britain to think upon the State of our Brethren who suffer in and for the same Faith which we professe They have a Synagogue of Satan to tempt the Protestants to defection from whence they send forth swarms of Emissaries as they call it ad propagandam fidem but it is to creep into all Courts and Families to corrupt mens minds and to execute all mischievous designs against us and we are so dull as to intend nothing either for our own preservation or against them Nor is the way thought upon or inquired after how that any such purpose might be effected This then the undertakers of the Palatine Cause should lay to heart and seriously mind as a Fundamentall Maxime of their State That the Causes of divisions amongst Protestant Churches and States must be remedied by some effectuall Negotiation whereof the preparatives being already made to their hand rather by a Providence of God then by any mans instigation and encouragement they will be the lesse excusable if they make not use of the same by taking notice of the Means which may be shewed unto them whereof I will not now speak at large only in a word let me refer you unto the summary discourse concerning the work of Peace Ecclesiasticall how it may concur with the aim of a Civill Confederation among Protestants which is in print was sent unto you 6 or 7 weeks ago But if no such publike Negotiation can be as yet intended then a more private and yet no lesse effectuall way might be used by setting afoot a Theologicall Correspondency with Divines already ingaged in the Work of Reconcilement The maner and Method of entertaining this Correspondency and the Vsefulnesse of it might easily be shewed if there were any hope or appearance of obtaining any countenance Patronage or maintenance in undergoing it for much must be done in it by printed Letters and Tracts which should at once be made to flie abroad to all places convenient and yet not become common to every one promiscuously till matters should be sufficiently ripened in the minds of Leading men on all sides who in due time should be able to sway others unto good Resolutions And although in this publique Cause of maintaining Protestancy nothing else should be done but to keep afoot the Correspondency which is begun already that the thoughts of those that are everywhere raised and set upon these Consultations may be more and more confirmed and ripened yet this alone if it be effectually prosecuted may be able by the grace of God to countermine the Papall plot heretofore mentioned Therefore whatsoever else may be intended if my counsell may be heard I would not have this omitted nor delayed but His Majesty should be moved to settle some donatives and set them apart to maintain the Charges of this correspondency Many things of this nature will be in his Majesties disposing if those that are found guilty be punished and deprived of the gifts and priviledges which they injoyed without doing service to the publique therein Thus you see my desire and the care that doth trouble my minde about this businesse Having thus discharged the burden of my thoughts upon your wisdome and discretion I finde my spirit at rest because I make no doubt but God will addresse you to make some use of them where they may be most profitable to the good of the cause of Religion and I shall not fail to joyn my daily prayers with you and your endeavours that they may not be unfruitfull in this matter Thus I commend you to the Grace of God and rest Your faithfull friend and servant in Christ London Octob. 4. Anno 1641. FINIS