Selected quad for the lemma: christian_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
christian_n	church_n	member_n	visible_a	6,329	5	9.5436	5	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A51449	The most Christian Turk: or, a view of the life and bloody reign of Lewis XIV. present King of France Containing an account of his monstrous birth, the transactions that happened during his minority under Cardinal Mazarine; afterwards his own unjust enterprizes in war and peace, as breach of leagues, oaths, &c. the blasphemous titles given him, his love-intrigues, his confederacy with the Turk to invade Christendom, the cruel persecution of his Protestant subjects, his conniving with pirates, his unjustly invading the empire, &c. laying all waste before him with fire and sword, his quarrels with the Pope and Genoieze, his treachery against England, Scotland, and Ireland, the engagements of the confederate princes against him; with all the battles, sieges, and sea fights, that have happened of consequence to this time.		1690 (1690)	Wing M2870A; ESTC R216384	73,891	189

Persons and Libertines the Veneration which people ought to have for the Power of the Church than the Ill use which it's Ministers may make of it the King 's said Attorney General declares that he is Appealing as indeed he appeals by the present Act from the Abusive use that is made of it in the said Bull and Ordinance not to our Holy Father Pope Innocent XI so as has been practised by some of his Predecessors When that they had the True Ideas of their Power that their years allow them to act of themselves there might be hopes that in time they might be brought to know the Justice and Truth of the Complaints that were brought before them And that neither the preventions in favour of their Country or the Partialities of those they honour'd with their trust did prevail over the obligations which the Quality of Common Father of all Christians does Impose Protesting to carry on this his said Appeal upon this grievance and upon others which he reserves to represent to the first General Council that shall be held as the Tribunal truly Sovereign and Infallible of the Church to which it's Visible Head must Submit as well as it 's other Members and therein to further amongst other things a Regulation that shall prevent the Imploying so Holy an Authority in uses so far from those for which it was consided in the Church in the Person of Sr Peter This may make the Pope be mindful that God having separated the two Powers of the Priesthood and of the Empire the Pope cannot make use of the Authority of the First for the Rights that depend on the Second that is according to Temporal Laws he ought to possess those Large Territories which his Predecessors have received from the Liberality of Temporal Princes and particularly from that of our King 's And in short he would consider upon a Truth which a Great Archbishop in France wrote to one of his Predecessors that a Prelate who Excommunicates a Christian contrary to the Rules and for Rights of a Kingdom of the Earth may in such an occasion lose the Power of binding and unbinding which his Character gives him but he cannot deprive of Eternal Life him to whom he does this Injustice if his Sins do not render him unworthy of the Mercy of God This Act was signed on the 22d of January 1688. We hope the Reader will pardon us the tediousness of this Matter when by it he may perceive how little Zealous Lewis XIV is for the Church of Rome when he thus violently affronts his Father the Pope its Visible Head only about a place of shelter for Thieves Murtherers and such like Villains when at the same time he will not allow his pious Subjects of the Reformed Religion whose Loyalty himself has owned and whose Estates have been always ready to furnish his Wars to have any shelter or aboad in his large Dominions though they have all along appeared the very sinews of his Kingdom and held with a strong Hand and open Purses the Crown he wears on his Head However the Pope would not yield to Revoke the Bull but the Franchises remained Null the Pope publickly declaring Lewis XIV the apparent Enemy of Christendom and the only Person that influenced the Turks to break the Truce and with an Inundation of Barbarians to Invade the Empire We have several times had Advice That the Ambassador of France has been Abused in the Divan at Constantinople being not only denied the Sofra but beaten by the Command of the Grand Vizier for throwing up his Cushion that chanced to fall upon the said Vizier as he was going out And although himself has placed and held his Stool upon the Sofra it has been removed nay he has had of late an Ambassador Imprisoned there whose Liberty was not gained without 100 Purses of Money And whilst all Europe was wondering what Measures this Great Monarch would take to revenge the Affront alas the Business was tamely clapped up the Ambassador was recalled and another sent in his stead and as good Friends as ever though the Kingdom of France at the same time Reaps no extraordinary Benefit in the Turks Dominion But those that have more narrowly pried into this Affair give their Opinion That these Affronts were agreed on to cast a Mist before the Eyes of the Christian Princes so that they might not see the underhand-dealings that were carried on between the Most Christian and Mahomitan Turk For this way of misusing the Ambassador was indeed looked upon by most as tending to a Breach and a Rupture was daily expected But it seems the Most Christian King delights most in shedding Christian Blood and his Zeal for Religion is manifested in Burning and Blowing up Churches of all Christian Persuasions as well those of the Roman Catholicks as the Protestants Let us look now a little back and we shall find Count Teckely in Hungary destroying with Fire and Sword raising Troops with French Gold and though a Protestant secretly encouraged to Invade the Empire by the French Emissaries with Promise of greater Assistance But proving too weak of himself to oppose the Armies that were drawn that way the Turks broke the Truce at the Instigation of France as will more largely appear when we come to insert the Emperor's Declaration of War with France And under that Advantage the Imperial Troops being drawn off Lewis XIV very Piously Besieged and took the City of Strasburg a Free Imperial Town when hardly any Body expected any Hostility His pretence was to restore the Bishop which that Protestant City refused to admit with his Popish Trnmpery The Articles of Surrender were very advantageous to the Citizens as a promise of their Religion Liberties and any thing they desired But the French gaining Possession soon barred them of a great part delivering many over to the Mercy of the enraged Bishop who never was any Favourer of the Protestants and likewise restored Popery building a Cittadel or Castle for the better curbing the Citizens many of whom finding themselves so hardly dealt with at first and fearing worse secretly withdrew with what Substance they could to other Cities remote whereupon the Effects they left were seized a strict Charge was given to have an Eye upon the Inhabitants and such as they suspected going off were Imprisoned and all the small Towns and Villages were taken in as Dependences and constrained to pay great Contributions and such as could not or refused were threatned with Military Execution A great Army also of the King 's lay hovering on the West Frontiers of the Empire whilst Cara Mustapha the Grand Vizier was coming down on the East like a Deluge with about Two hundred thousand Turks and Tartars who burnt and destroyed all before them For by this time Mahomet IV. had proclaimed War against the Emperor and detained the Count de Caprara his Ambassador All Princes of the Empire upon the sudden Allarm were in doubt and suspence

extreamly strengthened and fortified at the Expence of vast Treasure lying at the same time so Commodious for Trade and other Advantages The pretences the French King made were That there was an Agreement with Oliver Cromwell that upon the Payment of a certain Summ of Money it should be delivered to the French But no body as we can hear of was privy to this Contract but himself However contrary to all Mens Expectation his French Pistols gained that strong Town which all the Cannon and Forces of France had the King of England defended it could never have done But now we Experience the damage of that Oversight when too Late For Dunkirk was delivered for Money and Lewis had the unexpected Pleasure of entering into it in Triumph on the Second of December in the Year 1662. These Successes flushed his Ambition to greater Attempts nothing less now than the Dukedom of Lorrain will serve his turn and thereupon he sent his cunning Sophisters to wheedle the Duke out of it by Threats and Promises First That he had an Army ready to fall into it if it were refused Secondly That he would consign him Lands more secure in Lieu of it in another place And to make the old Duke more fond promised to declare him Heir to the Crown of France in Case the Family of Bourbon failed although there was a Dauphin born of the young Queen These and other inveiglings between Force and fair Means wrought so powerfully that the Agreement was made the Sixth of February 1662. and in March following confirmed in the Parliament of Paris to the apparent Wrong of Prince Charles the present Duke of Lorrain who though of years was no ways consenting to his Father's Act. And upon this Agreement the French Troops were immediately sent who seized upon all the Cities and Country of that fertil and spacious Dukedom except Marsal which being garisoned and influenced by the young Prince opposed their Progress This made Monsieur storm and immediately he ordered his Generals to be ready for an Expedition to make War as he term'd it for the Glory of his Arms and came on so terribly in the Head of his Forces that the old Duke though he repented of what he had done foreseeing the ruine that would insue to his People if he opposed and being altogether unfurnished by the surprize of his Towns to Encounter a great Army thought it his best way to submit to his Misfortune And thereupon in an humble manner he went to Metz in Lorrain to excuse himself to Lewis who received the venerable old Man after a haughty manner and would hear of nothing but the surrender of Marsal which not being able to hold out against such a powerful Army as he had brought into the Country it was put into French hands on the Third of September 1663. Much about this time Lewis fell a cavelling like an Unchristian Son with his Holy Father at Rome and the Manner was thus Monsieur de Crequi his Ambassador in that City bearing himself with too high a hand and putting Abuses even upon the Pope himself it so enraged some of the Pope's Guards that whether willingly or by chance remains doubtful a Harquibus was shot into his Coach which wounded some of his Servants This Affront made such a noise in the Court of France that Lewis instead of going in Devotion immediately prepared to make a Procession to Rome with his Dragoons which so frighted Pope Alexander II. that then held the Chair that he was forced to send and meet his Army with Protestation of his Trouble for what had happened and that he should have any satisfaction This stopped his Carier a little and Pisa was pitched upon as the City to examine the matter And on the Twelfth of March 1664. it was agreed between the French and Pope's Deputies a thing that the Pride of the Popes of Rome never submitted to for many Hundred years viz that Flavio Chigi the Pope's Nephew should come to the King and beg the Pope's Pardon so that it seems the Great Pardoner was forced to creep at this Time for a pardon from one of his Sons And farther That a Monument should be raised in the place where the Affront was done with an Inscription declaring the Cause of its being erected This was performed but it did not satisfie For whilst it was a doing the French fell into the Pope's County Palatine of Avignon drove out the Garrisons and without respect to St. Peter mother-Mother-Church or Father Pope plundered his Patrimony for which the most Christian King highly applauded them But soon after the Queen-Mother of France died and now Lewis XIV began to take his pleasure without Regard to the young Queen Wherefore though it may be looked upon as a digression it may not be amiss to see a few of Lewis the Great 's Intrigues with his Little Mistresses for you must understand his Inclinations have been as well to Love as Glory Since Lewis XIV was Married to Maria Theresa of Austria daughter of Spain the first Mistress though the Queen was charming enough young brisk and lively that he publickly owned was Madam de la Valliere and that she might come up the better to his Humour he made her Duchess of Vaujour And although the Queen grew jealous and the Queen-Mother very much reproved his over-fondness of this Woman yet he little regarded their Reproaches Whereupon they used many devices to draw off his Affections but those not succeeding one Father Anat a Jesuit and at that time his Confessor was prevailed upon to reprove him So that he took upon him boldly to represent to him the Scandal and bad Effects such a loose way of Living occasioned by making an ill Impression upon the Minds of the People and that if he did not Reform he must enjoin him sharper Penance at his next Confession But the most Christian King little satisfied with this Discourse coldly replyed That he thanked him kindly for his good Advice and his past Service but that for the future he would make use of no other Confessor but the Parson of the Parish And so the old Fellow was turned out of Service for his Ill timed Preachment which made the Society of Jesuits curse him for being so scurvy a Politician on such an occasion which he might have Improved to their Advantage But however though this was Cashiered yet others of the Society more cunning and facetious made a shift to creep into the King's Bosome making their own Advantages by embroiling a great part of Europe And the more to flatter his Ambition contrary to the Rules of their Order they took away the Name of Jesus from off the Gates of one of their Colleges in Paris and placed the King's Name instead of it which occasioned this Distich Abstulit hinc Jesum posuitque Insignia Regis Impia Gens Alium non habet Illa Deum They Jesus name have ta'en from their Aboad And plac'd the King's he only is

and promise of Diversion on the other-side to break the Truce And all this under the glorious Title of the most Christian King and Eldest Son of the Church which even barbarous Nations have detested in a time of Peace And yet such have been the Humours of this King's Flatterers that they have more and more blown up his Ambition by comparing him to the Sun as to the Star of Stars from whence all other Kings and Potentates receive their Lustre with many other Attributes as if they intended to set him up for an Idol for all the World to fall down before And of these we shall give the Reader a touch because those Parasites strive by glorious Epithets to make him appear white and shining almost if not altogether to a height of Blasphemy whom all unprejudiced and unbiassed Men behold cloathed with Oppression and Cruelty and dying his Scarlet Robes yet deeper in innocent Blood Amongst other things attributed to him passing over what is mentioned as to the placing his Name on the Jesuits College instead of that of Jesus we find these that follow which may be said to exceed what the Heathens have ascribed to those they foolishly Worshiped for Gods viz. 1. Lowis the Great born for the Glory of France and Happiness of his People in whom there lives an admirable Argument of Divine Wisdom and Fortitude that alone is sufficient to convince Atheists c. 2. Lewis the Great a King indeed since he Reigns not only over his Subjects but his own Passions being Invincible and strongly and sweetly overcoming all things who just as a God by one single Act of his Will subjects all things to his supream Power c. 3. Lewis the Great strong in Zeal for Justice a powerful and most just Rewarder of all good Actions the severe Punisher of Duels Blasphemy and all Iniquity the true Imitator of God who is so Good to repay by way of Recompence what he promises by way of Mercy 4. Lewis the Great according to God's own Heart annointed with his own Holy Oil whom in a particular manner God commanded his Holy Angels to preserve in all his Ways and whence the Existence of Angels is deduceable c. 5. Lewis the Great meditating only on eternal Things and knowing that the gaining the World with the Loss of the Soul profiteth nothing and therefore seeking of God the alone Happiness which God of his Goodness has called Man to 6. Lewis the Great Intent upon the Extirpation of publick Sin and the Encrease of Integrity of Manners and Virtue and for that Effect giving most sure Laws through the Inspiration of God the Supream Law giver by whom Kings Reign c. 7. Lewis the Great the Prodigy of the Grace of God and of so thankful a Mind towards him on that Account being Careful to Exalt that Grace has commanded all the Faculties of his Kingdom to explain that Grace conform to the Edicts of the Popes c. 8. Lewis the Great the Eldest Son of the Church who has restored to their See the Bishops that had been banifhed by Hereticks the Enemy of Heresie the Vanquisher of the Turks confiding only in God and burning in Love towards him the Example of Faith Love and Charity c. 9. Lewis the Great a Prince of Peace the Scourge of War having so far layed aside his Majesty that he might Remember the Mercies of Christ c. 10. Lewis the Great destroying all Vice and decreeing Several punishments on the Infringers of Divine and Ecclesiastical Laws In all things he hath demonstrated himself a most obedient Son of the Church 13. To declare the kinds of Sin though hard to some yet not to perfect Christians whose defender Lewis the Great justly to be named the King of Glory Strong and mighty in Battel c. We might recite a number more of this Kind which we find in print Exceeding the boasting Language of the Turks in their denunciation of War or magnifying their Emperor They have not only put them in print no doubt with the Approbation of this King who is not a little Ambitious of his own Praise but the Duke De Fevillade has erected his Effigies Crowned with Rays and Stars as the old Romans used to do their God Jupiter and in another place he is figured driving the Chariot of the Sun with this Motto I shine to All. And indeed this very much Resembles him for Europe has found him a very Phaeton if we consider the almost numberless Towns and Villages he has caused to fall in Flames At other times they call him Homo Immortalis an Immortal Man the same Character the Heathens were wont to give to those they fansied to be deified gathering the Conduct Courage Wisdom c. not only of his Ancestors but of all the Renowned Heroes that ever have been which they will have centre in him who indeed is but Mortalis Homo cum Fistula in Ano notwithstanding all the Flattery of Medals Prints Landskips Inscriptions Statues or as they have in one place made the Figures of Europe Asia Africa and America Kneeling at his feet as if he gave Laws to the whole Earth But how far he answers any of these Characters let us lay aside for a time his Actions and Behaviour towards his Neighbours and look a little into the Interiour parts of his Dominions and there see how he keeps his word and uses his own Subjects by whose Help and faithful Assistence his Ancestors mounted and himself as yet is fixed in the Throne of France King Henry IV. Grandfather to Lewis XIV had for the Many memorable and signal Services done him granted the Protestants the free Exercise of their Religion by an Edict and other Privileges that were granted them by Lewis XIII Father to this King The Edict of King Henry was given at Nantes in April 1598 under the favour of which the Protestants that had escaped the bloody Massacre in the Reign of Charles IX and the Sword of War that had continued for many Years revived as we may term it or multiplied in their Generations But when they thought themselves most secure and every one sat under their Vines of plenty this King by the Instignation of the Jesuits and his own Inclination began to thirst after their wealth as Ahab in another place had done after Naboth's Vineyard And finding whilst this Edict was in force it could not be attempted with the least Colour of Justice he published a Strict Decree to disannul it as likewise the Edict of Nismes given in July 1629. together with all the Concessions granted in them as well as other Declarations Edicts and Arrests of what nature soever forbiding any of the Reformed Religion under great Pains Penalties and Forfeitures to have any publick Worship amongst them as knowing like those who sought to destroy Daniel he could not make them disobey him in any thing Lawful The Bloody Decree being signed by the King at Fountainbleau in October

Places where Briefs were granted and large Contributions given for the Support of such poor Refugees as took shelter and by many Difficulties escaped the Vnchristian Cruelties of the Most Christian King Nor will it be improper for the better informing the Protestant Reader to give a brief Account of what the Manner and Form of the Abjurations and Subscriptions those of the Reformed Religion were to make for the Pleasure of Lewis XIV in which Popery is briefly anatomized viz. IN the Name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost Amen I Believe and Confess with a firm Faith all and every thing and things contain'd in the Creed which is used by the Holy Church of Rome viz. I Receive and Embrace most Sincerely the Apostolical and Ecclesiastical Traditions and other Observances of the said Church In like manner I Receive the Scriptures but in the same sense as Mother-Church hath and doth now understand and expound the same for whom and to whom it only doth belong to Judge of Interpretation of the sacred Scriptures and I will never take them or understand them otherwise than according to the Unanimous Consent of the Fathers I profess that there be truly and properly Seven Sacraments of the New Law Instituted by our Lord Jesus Christ and necessary for the Salvation of Mankind although not Equally needful for every one viz. Baptism Confirmation the Eucharist Penance Extream Vnction Orders and Marriage and that they do confer Grace and that Baptism and Orders may not be reiterated without Sacrilege I receive and Admit also the Ceremonies Approved by the Catholick Church in the Solemn Administration of the forementioned Sacraments I Receive and Embrace all and every thing and things which have been determined concerning Original Sin and Justification by the Holy Council of Trent I likewise profess that in the Mass there is offered up to God a true proper and propitiatory Sacrafice for the Living and Dead and that in the Holy Sacrament of the Eucharist there is truly realy and Substantially the Body and Blood together with the Soul and Divinity of the Lord Jesus Christ and that in it there is made a Change of the whole Substance of Bread into his Body and of the whole Substance of the Wine into his Blood Which Change the Catholick Church calls Transubstantiation I confess also that under one only of these two Elements whole Christ and the true Sacrament is Received I constantly believe and Affirm that there is a Purgatory and the Souls there detained are relieved by the suffrages of the faithful In like manner I believe that the Saints Reigning in Glory with Jesus Christ are to be worshipped and Invocated by us and that they offer up Prayers to God for us and that their Relicks ought to be honoured Moreover I do most stedfastly Avow that the Images of Jesus Christ of the blessed Virgin the Mother of God and of other Saints ought to be kept and ●●ained and that due Honour and Veneration must be yeilded unto them I also do affirm that the Power of Indulgences was left to the Church by Christ Jesus and that the use thereof is very beneficial to Christians I do acknowledge the Holy Catholick Apostolick and Roman Church to be the Mother and Mistress of all other Churches and I profess and swear true Obedience to the Pope of Rome Successor of the blessed St. Peter Prince of the Apostles and Vicar of Jesus Christ In like manner I own and profess without doubting all other things left defined and declared by the Holy Canons and General Councils especially by the most Holy Council of Trent and withal I do condemn reject and hold accursed all things that are contrary thereto and all those Heresies that have been condemned Rejected and Accursed by the Church This is the Goodly stuff to be Imposed on the Consciences of the Protestants which even an Ignorant Indian almost by the Light of Nature might detect And for refusin this they were forced to undergoe all the Torments that witty Horrour could Invent. And to this those that Recanted were obliged to swear in the following Words I Promise Vow and Swear and most constantly profess by God's Assistence to keep entirely and inviolably till death this self-same Catholick and Apostolick Faith out of which no Person can be saved And this I do most truly and willingly profess and that I will to the utmost of my power endeavour that it may be maintained and upheld as far as any ways belongs to my charge So help me God and the Holy Virgin And now to conclude this part of the Glorious Actions of Lewis XIV who would be taken for the very Champion of Mother-Church we shall give you a Copy of the Certificate that the Recanting party is to leave with the Preist when he makes his Abjuration I A. B. of the Parish of C. do certifie to all whom it may concern that having acknowledged the Falsness of the Protestant or pretended Reformed Religion and the Truth of the Catholick Religion of my own free Will without any Compulsion have accordingly made profession of the said Catholick Roman Religion in the Church of D. in the Hands of W. G. In testimony of the Truth whereof I have signed this Act in the presence of the Witnesses whose names are under-written This _____ day of the Month of _____ in the Year of the Reign of our Sovereign Lord the King _____ and of our Redemption _____ c. By this the Reader may see how Innocent Lewis XIV would appear when the Person is compelled to say he makes his Abjuration without any manner of Force and Compulsion voluntarily and willingly when indeed all People even the Preist that takes it knows it to be a palpable Lye Indeed Pope Innocent XI and the Pope we must conclude to be no Friend to the Protestant Religion which is diametrically opposed to his Interest when Lewis XIV by his Ambassador at Rome bore himself so much upon the Meritorious Service he had done the Church in converting such a number of Hereticks as he styled them told the Ambassador That if his Master had nothing else to boast of it would be little to his Glory for his manner of Converting Hereticks was neither pleasing to God nor Man But to trace this ambitious Prince a little farther let us see how little he regards Religion when his Interest or Wilfulness calls him on to Violent and Arbitrary Motions For even the Pope himself fared little better in his Hands as far as lay in his power to attempt against him though he would be styled the Eldest and most obedient Son of the Church Whereby it will appear that his Hand is against all without distinction Whilst Lewis the Great was so earnestly persecuting his Protestant Subjects Pope Innocent XI of a Pope reckoned to be the best that has been for some hundreds of Years finding an Increase of Murthers Outrages and Villanies in the City of Rome and that those

Cardinal of Furstemburgh that he attempted to leave Bonne sending in order thereto his best Moveables to Mentz Nor was Lewis the Great free from Apprehensions of his own Subjects Revolting which made him draw his Guards near his Person and publish an Ordinance for the hindering the meeting of the New Converts in several Provinces of his Kingdom and for the putting in Execution the Edict of October 1685. and to raise the Ban and Arrear Ban of the Isle of France many small Skirmishes happened on the Frontiers during the beginning of the Campagne the French attempting to Surprize and Burn Bopert were beaten off and many of them killed and soon after some of the Troops of the Land-grave of Hesse Surprized the Garrison of Lintz and cut them off And notwithstanding Liege had purchased a Neutratrality at the cost of One hundred and thirty thousand Crowns and the suffering their Cittadel to be demolished the French who scorn to be Slaves to their Words or Oaths ranged up and down in their Country and gathered Contributions under a slender Pretence that the Cittadel was not demolished so soon as it was agreed on by the Treaty of Neutrality and were forced to shelter their Convoys and furnish even the Troops that were oppressing their Country with such Ammunition and Provision as they could spare The Palatinate by this time growing somewhat too hot for the French Complexion they resolved to doe what Mischief they could before they should be obliged to abandon it and amongst others upon quitting Fredericksburg they set it on fire and ruined the Fortifications of Cassel But now the City of Liege finding the Misfortune of it's Neutrality and being pressed by the Emperor to declare either for the Confederates or France for he would allow no Neutrality it declared for the former and secured the French-Resident with divers Officers and their Arms as Hostages for the safety of their Minister in France The Count de Rabenac the French Ambassador was likewise dismissed the Court of Spain and Furstemburgh got into Mentz and the French Garrison of Strasburgh attempting the Siege of Oberkirk was beaten off a Captain with divers others killed and some of Note wounded On the 19 of April 1689 Lewis XIV caused a Declaration of War to be published in the City of Paris against the King of Spain and sent orders to break down all the Bridges on the River Sambre from Chastelet to Maubuge and so to Landrecy the Garrison of Luxemburgh commanding all the Country that depends on them to bring in their Provisions that exceed a Store for three Months on great Penalties flattering them that after the Expiration of that time they should be other ways supplied But for a brief Account of the Actions of Lewis XIV in his late proceedings the Emperor gives us these passages amongst others in his Letter to the King of Poland viz. Your Serenity will have sufficiently understood by our former Letter how unjustly and treacherously the Crown of France violating the Treaties of Westphaila and Nimeguen and the 20 years Truce concluded a few Years since hath invaded us and the Empire at a time when we expected nothing less But the Inormity of this Invasion is infinitely Agravated by the horrid Cruelties and Barbarities they continue to excercise in the Places they have possessed themselves of pillaging whole Towns and Countries which to preserve themselves surrendered upon Articles and afterwards payed the Contributions imposed upon them contrary to the Faith given them and confirmed by the King himself or the Dauphin and afterwards destroying them with Fire or Levelling the Walls and Houses to the ground and carrying away the Inhabitants bound as Slaves in a manner only practised amongst Barbarians and forcing them with Threats of Death to follow the French Army unto other parts not sparing the stately Houses and Palaces of Princes which had been preserved for Ages in the bloodiest Wars and not with-holding their Impious hands even from the Churches and excercising many other Cruelties and Inhumanities such as are seldom Committed by the Turks themselves and which can be hardly found in any History to be practised amongst Christians Which as they most deservedly Excite the Hatred of all Christendom against France so they especially lay a necessity upon us of providing for the Safety of the Roman Empire and of using all means to free it from unheard of Violences and Oppressions c. Thus we have the Word of an Emperor to confirm what we have set forth nor did his Electoral Highness of Brandenburgh find himself less aggrieved and in April 1689. caused his Declaration of War to be published against France in which amongst other things he sets forth That desiring nothing more than that the publick Tranquillity of Christendom might be preserved and that his own Subjects might under his Government enjoy the Benefit of Peace but that the French King having against all Right and Justice not only attacked the Roman Empire but having likewise possessed himself of whole Circles and Provinces and destroyed the same in a most barbarous Manner never before heard of amongst Christians with Fire and Murthers and other execrable Cruelties and threatned the Countries of Brandenburgh and his Electoral Highness's Subjects of Frankendale with the same Inhumane Treatment which he has begun even already to put in Execution and having committed other the like Attempts upon his Electoral Highness and his Allies as well within as without the Empire directly contrary to the Treaty of Peace and Truce in order to the total Ruine of the Roman Empire His Electoral Highness having regard to the Resolution of the Emperor and the Dyet at Ratisbonne is obliged to make use of the Power which God and Nature have put into his Hands and to take up Arms for the Defence of his Subjects and for the opposing with all his Force the perfidious Attempts of France And so proceeds to forbid all Commerce upon very great Penalties And now the English not to be behind-hand with other Nations the Knights Citizens and Burgesses assembled in Parliament waited upon his Majesty of Great Britain on the 26th of April and presented him an Address in the Banqueting-House wherein amongst other things they declared That whenever his Majesty should think fit to enter into a War against the French King they would give him such Assistance in a Parliamentary Way as might enable him under the Protection that God Almighty has ever afforded him to Support and go through with the same To which His Majesty was graciously pleased to return this following Answer viz. I receive this Address as a Mark of the Confidence you have in me which I take very kindly and shall endeavour in all my Actions to confirm you in it I assure you That my own Ambition shall never be an Argument to incline me to engage in a War that may expose the Nation either to Danger or Expense but in the present Case I look upon the War so