next place to be weighed To discourse then first the alledged incivility of Van Ghent I know it would be thought ridiculous for me to endeavour to accommodat this mistake by these Gospel rules of simplicity meeknesse and divine goodnesse to offer to square the actings of Princes and Stats in such emergents by that deference forebearance and readinesse to pardon held forth in its high and heavenly precepts in prejudice of their grosse and vain politicks would be in the construction of these delicat Spirits and refined witts which deceive themselves and others to the foolish admiration and esteeme of things of no moment to trample upon the tender point of honour and dissolve the noble frame of interest neither shall I at this time further urge the difference pretended by the Dutch betwixt a man of war and a jacht impartialitie must certainly graunt that the refusing to strike to this vessel if in the Brittish seas which ten yeers agoe the Dutch had not scrupled to honour as a man of war and not much above a hundred yeers might possibly have served for their Admiral could onely have flowed from their late successe and elevation but as it is aboundantly evident that nothing save a fatal misfortune could engage either party to forme a quarrel upon this only occasion and that without the influence of far different considerations the King of England would not therein have shewed himself so uneasie so it must be acknowledged that in so light an offence not destitut at least of a colourable excuse the Dutch their offer of good performance for the time to come is as much as in reason can be expected the next point that occurres is the King of England's soveraignity over the Brittish seas whereof at present he appeares to be very jealous and questionlesse if his Majesty doe not content himself with the formality of striking as his sole prerogative but holds it only for a marke of due recognisance asserting withal his soveraignity indefinitly as to all effects that such a title may import it 's value doth not more deserve his jealousie then it's consequences may justly excit all to inquire into his pretenses I shall not here table the debate an mare sit liberum an clausum the reasons of those learned men who have managed it pro and con doe in my opinion very happily compose it in this reconciliation that as the nature and end of the seas doe plainly appeare incapable of dominion so in as far as they are destined and doe serve for common use the expresse or presumptive consent of one people may qualify restrict or renounce the same in favours of another and thus we see that wherever dominion over particular seas are acclaimed their effects are not onely precisely limited but almost every where different so to one is given thereby the sole benefit of fishing to another a certain tribut to a third the power of jurisdiction and so forth to every one as restrictedly to the condition of his right as to its respective bounds either of which if the owner should happen to transgresse his dominion would be in so far reput an insignificant plea so that this maritime dominion not being of the nature of terrene propriety of it self absolute unto all intents unlesse diminished by law or the owners concession but meerly a certain priviledge or servitude established by consent in that which of it self is as the air reserved for common use it 's evident that the consent and possession which constitut the right doe in like manner define it's extent And that upon the pretext of some particularities conceded to arrogat an unlimited soveraignity would both in reason and in the event prove an insupportable usurpation Hence it is that for all England's glorieing in this our dignity and for all the power wherewith no doubt we both did acquire and doe continue it yet it hath not to this day been further recognosced even in the Channel it 's principal seat and subject and where it hath alwayes affected it's maine Parad for as to the other brittish seas which are onely the neerest circumambient parts of the wide Ocean the Law of nations doth onely attribut to England its common priviledge then by the bare ceremony of the first salute neither in the last Treaty wherein the King of England was greatly concerned and no lesse solicitous to cleare this title was there any thing else agreed unto as I have already marked and without all peradventure if his Majesty in the conceit of his dominion should once offer to exert it though but in very ordinary effects such as the assuming of jurisdiction or imposing of tribute whereof the Sound and Adriatick do exhibit cleare precedents he would soone be made to understand his error not onely by the reclaming dissent but also by the vigourous opposition of all his neighbours I might insist to disprove this pretense of an indefinit dominion from the far more rational judgement of the ancient Romans who not only reckoned the sea with the air Inter ea quae sunt nullius but though by reason of the encircling of their vast Empire they might have acclaimed even the whole Mediterranean Sea jure diverticuli in many parts thereof had indeed several powers and priviledges yet were they so far from captating this vaine and groundlesse title that one of the greatest Emperours begins a rescript with relation to this same subject in these words Ego quidem munai dominus lex vero maris thereby manifestly holding forth that as he judged it incapable of dominion so it 's unstable nature and common destination could only be regulat as to humane concernes in so far as Law and consequently condition or consent did determine from all which I conclude that as the Dutch doe fully satisfie all that in justice the King of England can demand by their offering to strike conforme to the last Treatie and have good reason to repugne either to his indefinit soveraignity or any further preheminence for which nothing anterior to the said last Treaty can in reason be obtruded so his pressing them further in this affair is both captious and unjust and he might upon as good grounds refuse them the liberty of a free passage in the channel as exspect of them a consent to adominion which if not cautioned by a particular explication might assuredly be thereto extended The second ground of offence mentioned is that of the scandalous pictures and pamphlets but as every sober person may justly apprehend that that prudence which often adviseth a connivent dissembling of things of this nature at home will far more restraine any such contentious inquiries as may advance unto a challenge abroad so in case it should here prove too feeble for the provocation pretended it is evident that only such of those pictures and pamphlets as are indeed injuriously reproachful and are licensed or openly countenanced by the Stats their authority can warrant the King of
then that of religion faith honour and interest the dearest and highest of all concernes And first for Religion it is evident that it's disswasion cannot be called in question by any who doe not doubt his Majestie to be a Protestant for seing the truth and protestant cause are unavoidably threatened by the French successe what rational man can think that a protestant Prince should second them in the interprise And really the connexion of these things is so obvious that it cannot but be grievous to all his Majesties wel wishers to heare and understand how that his present proceedings have so much every where brought his affection to this interest under debate I need not here mention the specious title that he assumes of defender of the faith it's engagements hitherto have proved so insignificant that such as before did hesitat doe now begin to say openly that his resentment of gratitude toward the sea of Rome that conferred it do in effect seem to preponderat all it 's reall import and that Henry the eighth his scribling against Luther which procured him from the Pope this title of the faith's defender was not in any proportion that way so considerable as Charles the second his present arming against the Dutch may very justly entitle him with all true protestants to be the faith's betrayer whether he will hold on the paralel and disappoint all appearances and their feares as the same Henry did the Pope his author the event will testify and that he may is my hearty desire The next head that prohibits this apprehended assistance is that of faith and in this togither with the more common assurances of humanity Christianity and protestanisme doe conspire the special engagements both of the late Treaty and Triple Alliance whereby the King of England and the estats are expressely bound to keep true firme and inviolable peace and neerer and stricter Alliance and union from that day foreward c. All which if he should now breake strangers may indeed exceedingly wonder I say strangers for as for us his subjects sad experience hath aboundantly instructed us that all our part in this matter is to wish that where neither religion nor faith have availed yet at least common honesty and good fame may be prevalent The third disswasive that offers against this concurrence is honour And certainly where religion and faith doe claime so great a part honour cannot but have a very large share but because these succumbeing no doubt their concomitant will evanish as a shaddow it doth therefore present upon a distinct ground and pleads from its own peculiar merit That the English Nation sometimes masters and ever equal to the French should not now be degraded unto a base and mercenary subserviency it vvould be of moment vvith a generous person to suspend even a real let be a groundlesse provocation rather then to resent it snakeingly against his partie under another's disadvantage but neither can policy be exacted to these rules nor doth the present case stand upon such a punctilio Our substance and power with the noble ascendent that the genius of this nation hath alwayes had over that of the French do upon more solid grounds equally disdaine both the Switzers service Munsters hire and that the King of England should become a Pensionary of the French King is a novelty that hath hitherto had no precedent But it may be said that however we may thus calculat on the one side yet on the other if we remember the bussinesse of Chattam and the Dutch their late exaltation these cannot but chock every true English heart and to such at least as are tenderly sensible of this delicat point of honour excuse us to embrace any occasion whereby we may soonest and best retrive that of our nation unto it's former splendor I graunt indeed that that affair of Chattam was a high affront turning in effect England's glory the worlds terror unto the contempt scorne of a feeble defence and in our estimation delivering what was as Neptun's throne to be dragged in Triumph by poor distressed fishers so as I suppose that it may be truly affirmed as the fairest account of his Majesties displeasure that his resentment of the Chattam-Attacque is at the root of all Which as on the one hand it hath been notably improved by the french caresses wherewith it is known that they have plied both his Majesty and his favourits at all points so in all probability the envy of the Dutch prosperity the irritation of Van Ghent's Goe-by and the opportunity of the French invasion with the temptation of their money have heightened all other grounds of misunderstanding and advanced the indignation unto this present menacing posture And thus I confesse things may stand on the King of England's part But seing the surprise of Chattam was on the Dutch their part a fair act of hostility rather advanced then obscured by the Treaty begun with the warning of an expresse proviso of no cessation it cannot but be graunted that all these circumstances of his Majesties disgrace did onely redound and accumulate to the Dutch their honour so that now after the thing is voided by an ensueing peace and so long after to meditat the revenge of that which we had neither the providence nor courage in it's season to have prevented nor perhaps durst yet notice if the conjunction of the French did not thereto prompt besids it's injustice is an impotency more shameful then the cause that provocks it nay when I reflect upon the Dutch their then successe togither with that pusillanimitie and distresse that appeared in our court and that confusion and consternation which at that time did seise not onely London but the whole nation and withal consider how little the Dutch did presse these advantages either by an irruption into that feareful breach continuance of the war or shewing themselves more uneasie in the dependent Treaty I cannot but judge that the Dutch their so singular moderation and disposition to peace when England was in its lowest State ought to be a most powerful mitigation and utterly to efface all rancour against a people as generous in their carriage and condescensions as valarous in their atcheivements as for the Goe-by given by the Dutch vice-Vice-Admiral and Fleet to a pitieful pleasure-boat it is allready examined The fourth and last head that opposeth the King of England's resolution against the Dutch is that of interest and this indeed is so much the more to be pondered that not onely for the most part it hath the greatest sway in humane affairs but in this present bussinesse is in effect the cheife inducement wherewith many of this nation flatter themselves and would delude others for seing that the Dutch are the only people who can compet with the English in naval forces and that of late they have in a manner rendred themselves Masters of the whole trade of the world to the prejudice of England and all
others and thereby doe alone hold the ballance against us it must of necessity be graunted that the dominion will prove England's exaltation and as to the feare of too much aggrandizing France's naval strength for as to their power by land while England retains the command of the seas it is not to be reguarded it is aboundantly excluded both by the assurance we have of the Dutch their readinesse to accept of peace at our pleasure and of the French their remedilesse want of seamen and their nurseries wherewith England is so richly stored But though this reasoning doth appeare plausible yet how quickly is it dashed by this one short and obvious supposition what if the English Fleet be beaten Which as the righteousnesse and omnipotent power of the great God the Lord of Hosts the injustice of our cause and the dreadful wickednesse of the land the judgements of plague sword fire and wasting consumption which we have already felt without repentance his Majesties Motto Jer. 22. 30. which hitherto hath not failed and the injury offered unto the Dutch with their inclination to peace and forced necessity to war doe render many degrees more probable so I am sure that the known distractions and greivances of the nation oppressed by both court and Parliament and yet these two divided one against the other the strange difficulties and courses taken in the out-rigge of the present Fleet perverting right and starving trade by the stop of the exchecquer and trampling upon the nations honour and interest by that base and dangerous supply from France doe thence portend most sad and funest consequences and these so much the more assured and terrible that they seem infallibly to depend not on the disasterous successe of a long war but on the very simple miscarriage of the first rancountre and if thereby all the flatteries of our vaine hopes be not infinitly overballanced let all sober men judge But not alwayes to ominat the worst admit we doe overcome at first doth not our late experience sufficiently teach us that we by our courage may gaine fights and yet by reason of want of stock lose and be inferiour in the war Next when we are superior in the war where are our solid advantages and who can finde out and establish that midds whereby neither the French on the one hand shall reap too great benefit by the Dutch their ruine and so be rendered a more powerful competitor nor the Dutch on the other recover all their former habitudes and successe in trade seing in effect both their present increase and our decay are from causes altogither inward as we may heare Thirdly doe we willfully shut our eyes and will we not understand that the French first with the Dutch and now with us will againe tack about to the Dutch in case that we do prevaile And this leads me to wonder at the emptinesse and insignificancy of the consideration opposed to the just feares of the French their rising greatnesse if the late extraordinary beginnings of their sea forces do not convincingly assure a sutable advance yet their Kings first joining with the Dutch to quash and weaken the English and now turning to the English to suppresse the Dutch may palpably discover his designe either to be himself Master of both or at least to suffer neither of them to overtop him Now as to the nurseries we boast of the Thames our far more happy side of the Channel New-Castle trade and forraigne plantations are no doubt brave conveniencies and yet a man may well think that the French their many sea ports and rivers great trade and also plantations with their money that answers all things may in short time become more then equal While Spain had the ascendent the maxime for the English and Dutch was in the embleme of two bottles swimming together with their motto si concutimur frangimur that it should be antiquat upon the French their far more formidable prevalency I wish the event do not too late discover the error O how happy might the English be if but wise to advert how that their recovery of trade strength and riches could not possibly misse by a far more easie expedient and that in brief for I may not enlarge consisting in the simple reforme of three things viz. first of our excesse in respect of the Dutch frugality who by their sobriety and hard fare both by sea and land do evidently facilitat both manufacture and transport to the underselling of all others and the great advancement of their gaine Of the luxury of our Court vvhereby thousands specialy of the youth are debauched from all vertue and those summes vvhich might be a great accession to the trading stock of the nation turned out of that channel to the maintenance of prodigality and that beggarly villanous traine vvherevvith they are attended And 3 of our Church Clergy by vvhose jealous persecutions irreligious neglect of their office sacrilegious consumption of their benefices and Church livings so many sober persons have been and still are ruined or discouraged so much vice and idlenesse continually fomented and so great a treasure of money improfitably imployed and wasted But though the words of wisdome are all in righteousnesse yet knowledge is onely easie to him that hath understanding I might here further adde how far more glorious and profitable it would be for the King of England in this conjuncture to show himself Protector of the protestant cause and thereby not onely gaine the more cordial and intense affection of all his subjects and the esteem and honour of all the reformed nations and Churches but more powerfully binde the Dutch to all his reasonable demands to containe himself in peace and let his subjects so much the more plentifully gather it 's sweet fruits while others in their miserable contendings doe neglect them And lastly to hold the ballance and in its season absolutely umpire it amongst all his neighbours when wearied and broken by wars to the restoring of Peace setling of right and the high advancement of the interest of the English nation But who is so blinde as he who will not see His Majesty is abandoned to his humors and the solidity of the English nation that hath ever had a very sound discerning and noble misreguard of the airienesse instability of the French is at present exposed by the cheat of their complements to the worst designe of their policy The Dutch to gratifie the King of England have of late advanced the Prince of Orange and he who questioneth the ingrediency of this motive I am sure may quickly be satisfied by an easie reflexion upon the Late Prince his odd extravagancies and what ensued this Prince his relation to the King of England with the influences that thence may be feared and the tempting occasion that the continuance of such a command after the wars may give yet is not this like to prove a diversion It is further certain that the
whereof we boasted as if already arrived at our hoped for harbour our substance is consumed there is a moth in our Estat he bloweth upon what we had and bloweth it away we lose our flesh and fatnesse our mirth is turned into mourning and our organ into the voice of them that weep the whole nation filled with murmuring and complaints of penury and which is a prodigy the very Court that eat up all cryeth out my leannesse my leannesse To passe these things I say without insisting upon them let us by a few crying evidences remember how God remembred this iniquity and visited us for this sin with judgement And because England had never nationaly so dared him to his face as in his own sight in the sight of Angels and men to burn that obligation by a decree wherein the nation had obliged themselves to be his to be no more their own to be no more at the dispose of others but in a due subordination to him as supreme he giveth order to a destroying Angel to fall upon that City where this wickednesse was decreed and perpetrat and then the chief Actors must flee for it and seek another seat and city I need say no more of this but as never Prince never Parliament neither the Nation or City had been guilty of such outrage and Rebellion against the Lord so never did plague rage in the same manner nor did the destroying Angel get a command to put up his sword till such heaps were laid upon heaps and so many thousands upon thousands that all who heard thereof behoved to observe and say never was there such a plague in England and if resolved into it's true cause we must say righteous art thou O Lord God injudging thus we are worthy for never was there such a provocation in England One vvoe is past and behold another vvoe cometh quickly An evil Spirit from the Lord entereth into our counsels precipitateth us into a vvar vvith the Dutch soliciting a peace vvith us I forebeare to mention the unrighteousnesse of it vvhich vvas a greater plague upon the contrivers and actors then all that followed upon it though the shame and losse will make a great total in the beginning of this war we were plagued with so much successe as made us encourage our selves in this evil matter victrix causa diis placuit thought we and yet in that little seeming succcesse we had any discerning person might have observed how the hand of the Lord God of hosts was gone forth against us for though our enemies did flee yet as being deprived by the Lord of both counsel and courage we did not follow vvhen we had them even for the taking up so that if our effrontry make us boast of this bout as a victory we may with blushing remember the greater shame that the Lord poured upon us in depriving us of the Spirit of conduct that we knew not how to improve the advantage over a beaten enemy so that the Lord by this successe did seem onely to lift us up that he might with the greater shame noise and observation throw us down and truely whoever remembereth that action and day may confidently affirme that the Lord fought for Holland and against England seing he so observably interposed as a rere-vvard But before this Angel have done his vvork that vve might have a nevv proof of the displeasure of the Almighty and that he might make the World see hovv he himself and not men did cast us dovvn he sendeth a fire into our chiefe City before this war be ended vvhere vve had burnt that Covenant I passe all consideration of the immediat instruments let us give and graunt it was done upon designe even this maketh the judgement demonstrative with a witnesse of his wrath and indignation and as this fire seemed to take wings or be carried from house to house and street to street by a destroying Angel so those who were employed to quench it O it 's ill quenching where he kindleth except with teares were deprived of all wisdome and discretion or rather as if in the righteous judgement of the Lord they had designedly set themselves to obstruct the quenching of it and so it burnt till the bulk of the City was turned into ashes That as the Nations abroad had heard of our rage in burning that Covenant so they might hear of an act of holy revenge and be witnesses to the righteousnesse of his judgement in giving us fire for fire and as the like fury had never been witnessed against the Lord before so he had never kindled the like fire in the Nation before Nay nor almost the like in the World since the burning of Jerusalem and truely the parallel between the judgements may put us in minde of a parity betwixt the provocations as the crucifying of the Son of God and putting him to an open shame burnt the City of that bold abomination so the crucifying of him again in shedding the blood of his servants and puting him to such a shame in burning a Covenant made with him which is an unheard-of indignity amongst Princes and Stats even when after the violation of Leagues they fall in open hostility kindled this fire consumed the City of our solemnities and buried it into it's ashes But for all this as we do not turn away from the evil of our way but in stead of stoping and taking notice of the hand that is gone forth against us we continue in puting forth our hand to iniquity we become more insatiable in sinning rushing foreward in our course as the horse doth to the battel every bit and bridle that 's put in our mouth is too weak to hold us so his anger is not turned away but his hand is stretched out still The Angel who had drawn the sword in stead of puting it up seemed onely to have been furbishing it while the flame was consuming our City As we were become a frovvard generation Childreen in vvhom was no faith so he continueth in his righteousnesse to heap mischiefs upon us to spend his arrowes upon us We goe on with the war now that God who deprived us of wisdome hovv to improve our former victory first leaveth us in the pride and haughtinesse of our heart to the folly and infatuation of dividing our fleet and then he mustereth the host of the battel that cometh against us and so vve are foiled and put to flee before that enemy of vvhom vve had said vve had no other regret but because engaged against an enemy unvvorthy of our spirit and courage novv are the Dutch their prisons filled vvith English prisoners But vvhy doe I insist The close of the vvar is the confusion of England and a perfect Ecclipse of it's glory our English vvalls are broken dovvn and burnt vvherein the hand of him vvho judged us vvas so visible that the actors themselves doe not mention it othervvise then as the doing of the Lord vvhich vvas