Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n
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A88691
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A letter farther and more fully evidencing the Kings stedfastnesse in the Protestant religion, written by Mounsier de l'Angle minister of the Protestant church at Roven in France to a friend of his in London,
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L'Angle, Samuel de.
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1660
(1660)
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Wing L403; Thomason E1027_2; ESTC R202710
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14,957
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30
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and was assur'd the Church of God would ackowledge him and the time should come she would hold him her most precious Ornament 'T is true this Gentleman hath his soul transfixt with the love of his King but I am certain he hath a greater love to Truth and would not affirm a falshood so constantly with such affeveration for all the Crowns on earth I know likewise what he appear'd in this Town which was one of his first retreats after his defeat at Worcester and that all his discourse with those who had the honour to converse with him came from a heart sanctifi'd with the truth of the Gospel He spoke the very Language of Canaan he reprov'd such as murmur'd with David he conceal'd his deplorable condition Because 't was God that did it To some pious persons friends of mine he shew'd divers excellent prayers for his divine entertainments accommodated to the present estate he was reduc'd to All his discourses were season'd with nothing but faith humility patience and absolute resignation to the will of God who thrones and dethrones Kings as it pleases him who girds them with the sword but when he pleases to manifest his judgements cryes over their Crowne Subversion Subversion But by these discourses it appears that he gather'd great hopes of unexpected recovery in the mercies of God who when he will can raise with as great celerity as throw down and when he pleases changes our Desarts into Carmel In a word all that came near him observ'd a great soul not to be dejected by affliction who with a spirit perfectly noble Christian fustain'd himself in God to whom he resign'd his person and all his interests and who with the same devotion kiss'd the hand of God that came to take off his Crown with his Fathers head as hereafter he will kisse it again when he shall please to restore it Now Sir 't is not unknown to you that none but the true Religion gives this temper and none but the pure Gold stands the tryal of this teste And as in Daniel he who walked in the midst of the Furnace was known by his gate to be the sonne of God certainly he hath little skill in men that could not observe his carriage in these times of tryal to be the carriage of a true child of God and say of him Thou art a Galilean for thy language shews it Afterwards I am assur'd he testified great affection to such Pastors as had the honour to salute him in France and by the Lady Isabella daughter to the Earle of Holland when she took her leave of him at Amiens he sent to me to remember him in my prayers which must not be attributed to any converse I have had with this Prince for I protest before God I never had any that I never saw nor spake to him and that I have no engagement with him neither real nor verbal nor of personal hope and though I wish him all happenesse imaginable I neverthelesse expect not any thing from him But I believe some accidental occasion brought may name to his eare and hearing I was Pastor of a populous Church he was pleased to testifie by this obliging request he was of the same Communion with me Again I know him to be as you and I wish him out of the attests of his own Ministers Doctor Cosins amongst the rest a person venerable both for Doctrine and Piety And by the testimony of the Messieurs Breuins and Durel both eminent Pastours really native subjects of the King of England and who are honour'd with a share in his favours But I have so thorough a knowledge of them and so well know the candour and love they bear the Truth which they teach with such happy successe one with the Prince of Turenne the other with the Duke De la Force that I admire with as great acquiescence as a thing I had seen with my eyes or touch'd with my hands what they have oftentimes affirm'd to me that the King of England is a Protestant and of the best sort and that 't is not meerly secular interests engage him on this party but that he is so at the heart and that he makes the Religion he professes his Treasure of which they could not well be ignorant having attentively observed his wayes and carriage from his Infancy I suppose 't will not be amisse to tell you that of these two Gentlemen Breuins and Durel the King hath chosen the first for one of his Chaplains that is his Ministers in ordinary by reason this choyce confirmes the proof we endeavour to make of the Kings Religion and since he made election of one of the most zealous Professours of the Protestant Religion most capable to defend it and shew the beauty of it for one of the Directors of his conscience 't is an evident testimony he consents with him in Religion and will persevere under his example and conduct Which is likewise confirm'd by what I learn from all parts that he frequented oâ—r Sermons at Rochelie and other parts of France but particularly at this Town where with the Marquesse of Ormond who attended him without sitting down he heard the Sermon of Mounsieur Jansse my Colleague and told one to whom he discovered himself he had received greated fication And 't is observable he came incognito to these Assemblies and by consequence for no other reason then Devotion If he had been known to every one and had come in a publick way out of the violent inclination of his enemies to a sinister interpretation of this unfortunate Princes actions they would have said this was but a designe and he did it to regain credit with his people but since he was concealed 't is an assured testimony he had no other aime than his particular benefit Then the testimony of a Noble-man of note of the reformed Religion that is the Count of Suze is very considerable to me I saw him lately and intreated him seriously to tell me what he thought of the King of Englands Religion I address'd my self to him for satisfaction herein because he was diverse years at Bruxels with Monsieur the Prince whose cause he had espous'd and I knew moreover that the King of England was often with the Prince and that there was a great familiarity betwixt them The answer he made me was but what I knew before that the King of England while he was at Bruxels made high profession of our Religion and that every Sunday he diligently was very carefull to celebrate the duties thereof in his lodgings that to his knowledge his pulse had been often felt but he had made them understand he was not that way to be taken and that he knew in whom he believed and that his conscience was not like lands unknown at the mercy of the first comer I acknowledge I make great account of this testimony because I know he that gave it is a person of integrity that he was ever
A LETTER Farther and more fully Evidencing the Kings stedfastnesse in THE Protestant Religion Written by Mounsier de l'Angle Minister of the Protestant Church at Roven in FRANCE to a Friend of his in LONDON London Printed by A.W. for Joshua Kirton at the Queens Arms in St. Pauls Church-Yard 1660. THe reverend Author judgeing it fit and to good purpose to publish this Letter of his in France both for the comforts and undeceiving of the Protestants of that Nation in that great scandal cast on the King of England as inclining to the Church of Rome which scandal though it be now fully cleared and made evident as our Author saith that it came from Hell so that it might seem to no purpose to publish any farther vindication of his Majesty herein Yet the same reasons mentioned before for publishing of the original together with the gravity of the Author who is one of the ancientest Preachers in France and the fulness of the Letter wherein are many things not commonly known were strong inducements for publishing this translation whereby all true English men and Protestants may also receive much comfort and all prejudice removed from their hearts who in the least doubt of the sincerity of the King concerning the Religion he professeth A Letter of M. de l'Angle Divine to a friend concerning the Religion of the Serene King of England SIR TOgether with all known good men I praysed God when I understood the proceedings in Engl. tended to the re-establishment of your King and again I glorify'd him for the evidence appears that he will have compassion on that miserable Kingdom long known to me and whereas you well know I did for some years preach the Gospel to a people that lov'd me and in whom I observ'd much of piety 'T is true the people whereof the state at present is compos'd make up a various coloured garment which God in his Law allows not of And this prodigious compound of Frogs and Grashoppers that is the Sectaries which cover allmost all England made me feare the wrath of God would not long forbear this desolate Nation But God who is rich in mercy who for the sake of ten righteous would have pardoned Sodom hath yet more inclination to pardon his Hierusalem for the pious multitude in the mid'st of it who sincerely love God and by whom his holy name is called on especially I had a confidence that first or last the Presbyterians those who at present make the strongest party in great Britain would by examples of loyalty when God should afford them opportunity clear themselves of the infamy they are blasted wiâ—h for being complices in the death of King Charles of blessed and glorious memory And that to those of our Religion would be restored the glory Cardinal Ossat in one of his Epistles ingeniously acknowledgeth our due that is never to have attempted the life of our Soveraignes how cruel so ever they have been to us and notwithstanding the massacres upon those of our Religion by their orders these or such like are the Cardinals own words Whereupon Sir I shall tell you that discoursing some dayes since with a person of Judgement and one fearing God of the state of your affairs and particularly of those affairs in this conjuncture so cross for the King that seem to obstruct his re-establishment we concluded that amongst others two grand Obstacles concurr'd to hinder it which would infallibly succeed could they be taken away The first is the apprehension that the Presbyterians who only are capable to bring this about in behalf of the Church and State may have that the King distastes them holding them guilty of the parricide of the King his Father as some have endeavoured to perswade him some out of malice to foment an irreconcilible misunderstanding betwixt the King and his best Subjects and so to order it that they may never hereafter have confidence in each other Others out of unadvisedness being misinform'd in the reality of that said story as the late Salmasius in his Apologie for the King of England where this great person exasperates himself with a false generosity when he declares he was not born for compliance whereof no man ever suspected him and that he spares neither brother nor best friend where he finds them deviated from their duty The other obstacle we judged to withstand the Kings re-establishment is a perswasion that the enemies of Protestant Religion and the King of England have sowed amongst many that the King is not of the Religion he professeth but that he concurs with Rome wherewith he hath private engagements in a word that he is a Papist To take away the first obstacle I shew'd this good man a letter I sometime wrote to Salmaslus of whom I spake concerning his Apologie which he did me the honour to send me In this letter where I shew'd him that as Jacob said to Reuben his first-born Gen 49. he was unstable as water and should not excel I have so evidently clear'd the Presbyterians of the injury he did them and with reasons so considerable that the person to whom I communicated them thought it fit the letter should be published whereto I willingly consented judging the Letter would come forth to purpose and in season But the posture wherein at present I view them and the affection they testifie to their Prince justifies them above all the reasons I alleadg'd and if their great and glorious designe succeeds as the reformed Churches in all parts of the Wrold evidently pray like Moses lifting up their hands till God makes this happy day shine from above their innocense will appear so manifest that Calumny it self will not dare to attempt it For what man of reason sees not that if their hearts condemn'd them and that they were conscious of this crying sin they would not be cautious of procuring the Kings return since they must needs have cause to fear he should retain an immortal resentment and though for a time finding their party as the sons of Zerviah too strong and potent for him he dissembles the indignation conceiv'd in his heart they must alwaies think he would make them feel the effects when time should favour him And this argument is confirmed by the example of the Sectaries who fearing their hands should be found stain'd with the blood that cries so loud apprehend the Kings re-establishment as a sad day for them when this Prince may treat them in such termes as he of whom the Scripture tells us did those who revolted from their obedience and that in his just resentments he saith not Bring me hither these my enemies which would not that I should raign over them Though to deale ingeniously I believe their fear will be their only punishment and I am confident he is a Prince who will do by his subjects as Joseph did by his bretheren and as he had respect to the desires of his dying father Jacob to pardon his bretheren and not