into anothers Harvest Neither am I also of that opinion that it is Lawful upon any such presence to encraoch upon anothers Jurisdiction or Right or upon that occasion to Vsurp anothers Countrey as many have taken such shadows to do Ciâ—er 2. Offic. I would not I say that after the manner of those Arbitrators whom Cicero speaks of thou Adjudge the things in controversie to thy self I require only that you repress the Prince who invades the Kingdom of Christ that you take out the Serpents Sting that you raise up a Church that lies groveling on the Ground as it were at her last Gasp that you stretch forth your hand of Compassion to an Afflicted People and that you so discharge your self of this duty that all men may see your principal end was the Publick benefit of Humane society and not any private advantage of your own which must ever give place to Publick Interests Briefly to Epitomize what hath been formerly said If a Prince outragiously surpass the bounds of Piety and Justice a Neighbouring Prince may Justly and Religiously leave his own Country not to Invade and Vsurp anothers but to contain the other within the Limits of Justice and Equity Nay he is obliged in Honour and Conscience so to do If a Prince Tyranize over the People a Neighour Prince ought to yield succour as freely and willingly to the People as he would do to the King his Brother if the People mutinied against him If Porsenna brought Tarquinius Superbus back to Rome much more justly might Constantine requested by the Senate and Roman People expel Maxentius the Tyrant from Rome The commendation due to this sort of Courtesie hath wrought so strange effects in the Hearts of many Princes that some have received their profest Enemies And others have fallen out with their dearest friends rather than Restore a Prince being fled unto them for succour when he was demanded at their Hands Some have been offerred great Rewards which have been offered for the Restitution of such Exiles as lived within their Territories others have entertain'd them with large yearly Pensions and presently aided them for the recovery of their Kingdoms Some have given them whole Cities to dwell in and others have been so forward in relieving such as implored their help that they have lost their onw Kingdomes in defending them But as the case now stands nothing can be a greater Security to us than a League defensive against the growing power of the Papist Du Hailian lib. 24 Vis unitafortior In the Histories of France it is written that Charles the seventh having upon some displeasure conceiv'd against the Dauphin who was his eldest Son banish't him out of his Realm and commanded that none of his Subjects harbour or receive him The Duke of Burgundy who was then Vassal to the French King and mortal enemy to the Dauphin did nevertheless not only receive him but also gave him leave to choose what Castle Hold or City of his soever he pleased to dwell in and sent presently Embassadors to his Father to make his excuse for receiving him Piero Mexias Vid. de Hen. 3. in his Book of the Lives of the Roman Emperours reporteth That the Emperour Henry the third when as Peter King of Hungary was for his evil Government driven out of his Kingdom by the Rebellion of his own Subjects did not only receive and entertain him but also restored him again to his own Kingdom although the same Peter not long before had favoured the Duke of Bohemia who Rebelled against the said Emperour David distrusting the protection of God flyeth to Achib King of Goth 2. Kings who giveth him Siglag to dwell in And Jeroboam flying unto Shisack King of Egypt was honourably received of him and maintained there like a Prince till Rehoboam being deposed for his cruelty he was sent for out of Egypt and made King of Israel The King of Scots received Henry the sixth flying from the persecution of Edward the fourth Holinshed entertained him with a yearly Pension and aided him for the Recovery of his Kingdom Frederick King of Naples being oppressed by his Vncle the King of Spain fled unto the French King Lewis Illescas de Alexandor 6. who received him with great Honour and Civility made him Duke of Anjou and gave him 30000 Ducates of yearly Revenues Now whether it be lawful and commendable thus to receive and harbour another Prince who flyeth to him for Succour If Humanity deserves more commendation than Cruelty If it be true what the Poet sayeth Turpius ejicitur quam non Admittitur Hospes If Princes were first Ordained and Instituted to yield Relief to as many as were distressed If wiser Princes have oftner received than rejcted them And lastly if God most commonly Blessed them who yielded such Relief and contrariwise punished those who exercised no kind of Humanity towards them Then this doubt is easily and the difficulty quite taken away First that Humanity which is incident to Men is to be preferred before Cruelty which is proper to Beasts no Man is so sensless as to doubt Secondly that the Wisdome of those Princes who have Harâ—our'd their Neighbours and Allies T. Walsingh in his Neustia is commended beyond all measure by the Writers who mention them Whereas on the contrary for those Vnhospitable Princes all Histories shall sooner perish then their Infamy be forgotten And lastly all our Chronicles do sufficiently testifie how God Plagu'd the posterity of Henry the fifth for his extremity used to the poor distressed Prince of Scotland And French Histories do declare that God never prospered Lewis Sirnamed Oultremer King of France because he had dealt so unkindly with Richard Duke of Normandy an Infant whom he had received into his Protection Moreover since it hereby appears that every Prince ought to relieve his Royal Brother in distress so much more readily ought he to afford Succour to a distressed People by how much there is more just cause to pity many afflicted than one alone If a man becomes a Wolf to man who hinders that man according to the Proverb may not be instead of God to the needy And therefore the Antients have reckon'd Hercules amongst the Gods because he punish't and tam'd Procrustes Busiris and other Tyrants the Plagues of Mankind and Monsters of the Earth So whilst the Roman Empire retained her freedom she was truly accounted the Safeguard of all the World against the violence of Tyrants because the Senate was the Port and Refuges of Kings People and Nations In like manner Charlemain undertook to War against the Lombardy being requested to assist the Nobility of Italy although the Kingdom of Lombards had been of a long continuance and he had no just pretence of Right over them Also when Charles the Bald King of France had Tyranically put to death the Governour of the Country between the River Soyne and Loyre with Duke Lambert and another Nobleman called Jamitius and
care of a portion of the Church as that of Germany and Holland doth notwithstanding neglect and forsake another part that is oppressed and which he might succour He doubtless abandons the Church Christ having but one only Spouse which the Prince is so bound to preserve and defend that she be not violated or corrupted in any part if it be possible And in the same manner as every private Person is bound by his Humble and Ardent Prayers to God to desire the Restoring of the Church So likewise are the Magistrates tyed diligently to procure the same with the utmost of that Power and Means which God hath put into their Hands Now it were ridiculous and worthy of Punishment in the Church wardens who had care only of some small part of the Church and suffer'd all the rest to be spoil'd with Rain and Water In like manner all Christian Kings when they receive the Sword on the day of their Coronation solemnly Swear to maintain the Vniversal Church and the Ceremony then used doth fully express it for holding the Sword in their hands they turning to the East West North and South Brandish it to the end that it may be known that no part of the World is excepted And that this was accordingly the Practice of Ancient Princes we have their Examples to instruct us In the time of Ezechias King of Juda 2 Chro. 30. the Kingdom of Israel had been a long time before in Subjection to the Assyrians to wit ever since the King Osea's time And therefore if the Church of Juda only and not the whole Vniversal Church had been committed to the Custody of Ezechias and if in the preservation of the Church the same course were to be held as in the dividing of Lands or imposing of Tributes then questionless Ezechias would have contained himself within his own Limits especially when the Exhorbitant Power of the Assyrians Lorded it every where Now we read that he sent express Messengers throughout Israel to wit to the Subjects of the King of Assyria to invite them to come to Jerusalem to celebrate the Paschal Feast and moreover he assisted the faithful Israelites of the Tribes of Ephraim and Manasses and others the Subjects of the Assyrians to ruin the High Places which were in their Quarters We read also that the good King Josias expell'd Idolatry not only out of his own Kingdom but also even out of the Kingdom of Israel 2 Kin. 22. 2 Chro. 22. and 35. which was then wholly in subjection to the King of Assyria And no wonder is it for where the Glory of God and Kingdom of Christ are in question certainly no Bounds or Limits should there confine the zeal and fervent Affection of Pious and Godly Princes Though the Opposition be great and power of the Opposers greater yet the more they fear God the less will they fear Men. These generous Examples of the aforesaid Godly Princes have since been imitated by sundry Christian Kings by whose means the Church which was heretofore restrain'd within the narrow Limits of Palestine hath since been dilated throughout most part of the Universe Constantine and Licinius Govern'd the Empire together one in the East the other in the West they were Associates of equal Power and Authority Nevertheless for as much as Licinius doth every where Banish Torment and put to Death the Christians under pretence of Religion Constantine makes War against him and by force compels him to give free Toleration of Religion to the Christians and because afterwards he broke his Faith and relapsed into his former Cruelties against them Constantine caused him to be Apprehended and put to Death in the City of Thessalonica Which Pious Action of this Emperours was with so great an Applause Celebrated by the Divines of those times that they suppose that saying of Isaiah to be meant by him that Kings should be Pastors and Nursing Fathers of the Church Again after Constantines Death the Roman Empire was divided equally between his Sons without any Priority or Advantage one more than the other Constance the Younger favour'd the Orthordex Christians and Constantius the Elder enclined to the Arrians for which reason he Banished the Learned Athanasius from Alexandria as being the greatest professed Adversary of the Arrians Here if any Consideration in matter of Conscience were absolutely requisite it would certainly be amongst Brethren But nevertheless Constance threatens to wage War on his Brother if he restore not Athanasius and had undoubtedly performed it if Constantius had not readily Complied with his desire Now if he proceeded so far for the Restauration of one single Bishop had there not been much more reason for him to have assisted a great part of the People if they should have implored his Aid against the Tyranny of Wicked Princes who refuse them to exercise the only True Worship of God Sozom. lib. 7. Ch. 18. In like manner at the Perswasion of Atticus the Bishop Theodosius made War upon Cosroes King of Persia to force him to deliver the Christians of his Kingdom from Persecution although they were but particular and private Persons which certainly those most Just Princes who instituted so many worthy Laws and had so great a regard to Justice would never have done if by so doing they had conceived any thing were Vsurped on another Mans right or the Law of Nations violated But to what end were so many Expeditions undertaken by Christian Princes into the Holy Land against the Sarracens Wherefore were demanded and raised so many of those Saladine Tenths To what purpose were so many Confederacies made and Croysadoes Proclaimed against the Turks if it were not lawful for Christian Princes yea those farthest remote to deliver the Church of God from the Oppression of Tyrants and to free Captive Christians from under the Yoke of Bondage What were the Motives that led them to those Wars And what were the Reasons that urged them to undergo those Dangers but only their care of the Church Vnion Christ Summoned every Man from all parts to undertake the defence thereof All Men are bound to repel Common dangers with a joynt and Common Opposition which hath a natural Consent and Relation with what we now treat of For if this were lawful in them against Mahomet and not only lawful but that the backward and Negligenti were ever made liable to all Infamous contempts and the forward Vndertakers always recompenced with all Honourable respect and reward according to the merit of their Vertues Wherefore not now against the Enemy to Peace and Righteousness If it be a lawful War to fight against the Greeks when they Assail our Troy wherefore is it unlawful to pursue and prevent that Incendiary Lewis the Fourteenth who hath set all the European World in a Flame for no other reason but pour sa Gloire Do we pray God to abate a Pestilence and to take away a Famine why should we not in the same manner Pray against
divers others of the Nobility fled for fear to Lewis King of Germany desiring his Aid it was there in full Assembly agreed that Lewis should wage War against Charles for the Re-establishing in their Good Honours and Estates those whom he had unjustly dispossest Finally as there hath ever been Tyrants disperst in all parts so likewise all Histories testifie that there hath been Neighbouring Princes to oppose Tyranie and Maintain the People in their Rights Wherefore that all Protestant Princes would at this time imitate so worthy Examples by endevouring to suppress that French Tyrant who so oppresses both Souls and Bodies and the true Reformed Church of Christ Office 1.36 is the earnest Prayers of all poor distressed French Protestants and hearty desires of all good Christians For he that repelleth not injuries from his fellow if he be able is in fault as he that offers it saith Ambrose Piety commands that the Law and Church of God be maintained Justice requires that Tyrants and Destroyers of Mankind be compelled to reason Charity Challenges the Right of Relieving and Restoring the oppressed De Bed par 2. Now those that make no account of those things do as much as in them lies drive Piety Justice and Charity out of this World It were to be wished saith Grotius that many Princes and People at this day would take into consideration that free and Pious Spâ—ech of Fuelco Arch-bishop once of Rhemes Admonishing Charles the Simple thus Who may not be affraid seeing you covet amity with the Enemies of God when to the Ruine and overthrow of the Christian Name you take unto you Pagan Arms and enter into Leagues detestable For there is little difference between associating with Pagans and worshipping of Idols as the Papists do 2 Thess â— 15 Be ye not therefore saith St. Paul unequally yoaked together with unbelievers For what fellowship hath Righteousness with Vnrighteousness What communion hath Light with Darkness 2. Cor. 6.14.15 And what Concord hath Christ with Belial Or what part hath He that believeth with an Infidel Nevertheless too too many Protestants have Espoused and Leagued with the Popish Interest whereby alone the French are now rendred thus formidable In so much that under God nothing but a Protestant sincere and Cordial League can retrieve the Reformed Religion That as heretofore Henry the third of France So now Lewis the 14th may be Ruined by that very League which he entred into for the Extirpation of the Protestants Many there are I am sensible who raise a groundless fear and jealousie amongst us as if like Zophirus of Old who by maiming himself and counterfeiting the Renegado from Darius Jâ—â—n liâ— 2 was by that means admitted into Babylon and so betrayed it to the Enemy These distressed French Hugâ—nets should come over with any such design into this Nation But these surmises will seem very ridiculous if we weigh all circumstances concerning them As First the manner of their Arrival in such small Vessels as none but men in greatest extremity would hazard themsâ—lves in Secondly what sort of persons they be that come over whether they be not of all sorts as well Women and Children as Men And whether they are not mostly Men of professions as Fisher-men Clothiers Weavers and such from whom we have more reason to expect advantage from their Trades than danger from their Arms Thirdly whether there are not as manny arrived in Holland and other Protestant Countries as here and whether the States have not the samâ— Charity for their distress as we have Fourthly whether such a conspiracy if so could possibly be conceaâ—ed amongst so many thousands who are Arrived in all parts Fifthly and lastly whether it stands not to reason that the same Popish Fury which banish them from France should not as well to conceal their own Cruelty and keâ—p them from raising an outcry against Popery by their complaints as to have them discountenanced and discredited where â—'re they come Likewise maliciously and out of design raise all these Calumnies and false Reports against them So that there needs little of Argument to a thinking Impartial Protestant to convince him of the reality of their sufferings And for the benefit that may accrue to the Nation by their Planting themselves amongst us He that reads ancient Histories shall find that the Romans Hospitality to Strangers was the first step of their greatness and Corner Stone of that vast Empire Thus whilst Athens and Sparta though for all other things endowed with most excellent Law yet upon their Nicity of admitting Strangers amongst them remained inconsiderable in the World as to power Rome in the mean while having her City throâ—g'd with Inhabitants from being Numerous soon grew Potent Creseit interea Roma Livy Albae Ruinis the Ruin of Alba was the Rise of the Romans and may the fall of France be the same to England Never any State was so open to receive strangers into their Body as were the Romans their manner was to grant Naturalization which they call Jus Civitatis and to grant it in the Highest Degree that is not only Jus Commercii Jus Connubii Jus Hereditatit but also Jus suffragii Jus Honorum and this not to Singular Persons alone but likewise to whole Families yea to Cities and sometimes to Nations And it sorted with them accordingly for winning as much of their generosity as Arms Rome grew to be the Metropolitan of the Universe Now that England following the steps of Antient Rome in her Hospitality may likewise imitate her in her Victories and Grandeur is the Hearty Prayers of Philopatris FINIS