able to give up a Church which by the Providence of God was by Law established and which they had the Care of committed to them They durst not discountenance a Deliverance which every body was then sensible was so divinely offer'd and wherein all the Protestant Interest of Europe was embarked This Refusal the Bishop of Rochester has lately published and the Archbishop of Canterbury has favoured with a License under his own hand So soon as the late King James had thrown up the Government cancell'd the Writs of Parliament and withdrawn himself from the Kingdom then did the Archbishops of Canterbury and York the Bishops of Winchester St. Asaph Ely Rochester and Peterborough with the Lords Temporal that were about London assembled at Guild-hall devolv'd themselves upon the Prince of Orange acknowledging his great Kindness his vâ—ss Expence his Hazard to Rescue them from Popery and Slavery The Convocations of England had formerly assisted the foreign Protestants both with their Prayers and Purses now was the happy day of Retribution come when we were to eat that Bread which was cast upon the Waters an hundred Years before It had been a renouncing of the ancient Church of England and the old Charity laid up in store for us if we had not accepted so great a Deliverance The common pertness of young Divines and the inveterate prejudice of some elder will not be able to rencounter the more ancient Judgment and this late authentick Practice of the Church of England It will be satisfaction to behold here the concurrence of a foreign Church for we have always valued Catholicism but now we much more desire it now we are under the Head of the Protestant Interest and hope that our present Soveraign of Great Britain will be another British Constantine to the World. Those Churches which never had the Favour of Princes cannot but want many advantages and we who were Reform'd by a Prince who did not only shake off the Pope's Vsurpations but reserved several of them to himself are capable of being made more happy Those that have travell'd abroad and searcht the Archieves of the Protestant Churches find how the principal Reformers and Establishers of our Religion consulted them and how greivously they were afflicted to be over-ruled by secular Men in the Establishment of those things which were not to be found in the Catholicism of the Reform'd Religion And we have sadly found the mischief thereof for men who are the Authors and Abettors of those things which are particular to themselves are apt to be more fond of their own Institutions than of the Catholick and Divine Ordinances and so the zeal of a particular Church has been in danger of spending it self without being concern'd for and sometimes in opposition to the Vniversal As I began with one Prophet so I 'll conclude with another let Isaiah now revive us with an Assurance that God will at last give Kings to be Nursing-fathers and Queens to be Nursing-mothers to his Church And such as we now have England never had before He hath prophesied also That the light of the Moon shall be as the light of the Sun and the light of the Sun shall be seven-fold as the light of seven days in the day that the Lord bindeth up the breach of his people and healeth the stroke of their wound We have such a litteral accomplishment of this that 't is hard not to believe it the design of the place we have such a seven fold influence of our Sun to revive and comfort the distressed part of the World and our Moon is equally Soveraign with him Shall not all this make us happy the greatest Authority and the best Examples if not 't is because we are the worst People that ever enjoy'd the Sun shine THE Ninth Pastoral Letter of the Third Year Wherein this Question is Examined Whether it be Lawful to Defend our Religion by Arms WITH REFLECTIONS UPON THE Affairs of England Our most Dear Brethren Grace and Peace be given to you by our God and Saviour Jesus Christ WE did in our last leave Monsieur Bossuet endeavouring with all his might to overthrow Doctor Burnet by making him contradict himself he was also labouring to render the Reformation of England Odious and seeking for some Variations upon the Article of the Lord's Supper But these Variations being laid aside and reserv'd for Volumes and perhaps for future Ages Mr. Bossuet in the remaining part of his tenth Book enters upon the Wars of Religion The conspiracy of Amboise comes upon the Stage drest up with I don't know how many Reflections and as many Demonstrations to prove that it ought entirely to be imputed to the Huguenots and had no other cause but Religion All the Civil Wars of the 〈◊〉 Age are made to re-appear both the Assassination of the Duke of Guise before Orleans by Poltrot and that of the President Minard by Stuart are remembred And amongst all this are inserted some Decisions of Synods and other Arguments to prove that the Calvinists think well of maintaining the Gospel by Arms. All this fine parcel of History is composed of many matters of Fact and one question of Right The Fact relates to the Civil Wars of the last Age upon which it is not here my business to discourse an Answer may be given if it be thought requisite and for me that which hath been already said in my Answer to the Jesuit Mainburg's History of Calvinism may be sufficient The Question of Right is concerned in the taking up and using Arms for the Defence of Religion which Monsieur Bossuet proposes as a great Crime in the Protestants For since the Gospel acknowledges no other Arms but those that are Spiritual the Church is not to attempt any thing but by the Word nor to defend itself but by Patience Thus the Primitive Christians defended themselves we cannot find that they repell'd force by force Their Prayers and their Tears were the only Bucklers they opposed to the Violence of their Persecutors but behold now a new sort of Christians of Reformers of the Church and the World who take up Arms that they may repel the Violences of others by Violences of their own These are the fine common places wherewith the Protestants of all Europe are at this day entertain'd to perswade them that they ought patiently without any Emotion to suffer the utmost Efforts of Popery to their Ruin. The circumstances of the present time oblige us to enlarge a little upon this Question not only in way of Answer to Monsieur de Meaux and his Friends but principally with a design to satisfie some who are truly Conscientious and not well instructed as to the sense of this Maxim That it is not lawful to make use of Arms in favour of Religion First does it not well become M. the Bishop of Meaux and in general the whole Papistry to raise the Reputation of this Maxim that the Conduct of the Protestants might be rendred
divided into divers Parties as it was under Charles I It is apparent that the Anarchical and Independant Party have once gained the power over it so that we might have seen the Nation return to the same Estate it was under Cromwell and perhaps to a worse The King might very possibly have been exposed to the same Miseries which his Father suffer'd The Prince therefore for the Interest of the State for the Interest of the Princesses for his own and also for the King 's could not dispense with putting himself at the head of an Expedition which might have been ruin'd if it had not been govern'd by so great a Soul. And then for the pretended Obligations of Consanguinity they are meer appearances there are Obligations much more indispensable He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me We owe to God to the Laws to Religion more than to our Kindred It had been a cruel piece of Piety to have seen a Church and a Kingdom perish without relieving them for fear of offending one Person with whom we have some relation of Flesh and Bloud I know our Enemies will not scruple saying that it was not Piety but Ambition that gave life to these great Motions which this Great Prince was very sensible of But we who are near him and have known his sentiments for many Years are able to witness two things one is that he is truly touch'd with the Love of God and his Religion The other is that he did not undertake this Enterprize till the last Extremity And we know with the greatest certainty that the English were twenty times refused upon the Proposition which they made because he always hoped that God would open some softer Methods to protect Religion from the Oppression which was prepared for it Those that are near him can witness that there never was a Prince more Zealous and better affected to the Truth The Success which God hath given to his Enterprizes may convince us that he it is whom God is pleased to make use of for accomplishing his great Designs and for the establishment of the True Religion One might further say things much more considerable for Justification of this Great Enterprize with respect both to the Nation and the Prince but time will place them in a better Light and it shall be made known that those who have shed so much Bloud and have had no respect to the Laws of Consanguinity merit not regard upon their account Nevertheless the Prince has and always will have a regard to the King whose Destiny is so much lamented for he has no design against his Person or against his Dignity he would onely take away from him the means of hurting others and of hurting himself But this Unfortunate Prince by following the Inspirations of that unhappy Genius which hath animated him for so many Years has cast himself into a Precipiece and saught his Safety by forsaking his Palace and his Kingdom without having any just cause for it It cannot be said with any truth that the King of England could observe either in the Conduct of the Prince or the Lords or the Bishops or the People any design to attack his Person his Life his Liberty or his Dignity On the contrary every thing was so disposed that Affairs might be treated of with the greatest sweetness In the first Address which was presented to the King after the Prince's arrival by fourteen or fifteen of the Lords Ecclesiastical and Temporal they promise after they have entreated for a free Parliament to serve him with all their power and the power of their Friends And in the last great Council held Decemb. 9th constituted of all that were considerable at London it is certain that the King was only askt to call a free Parliament but this was done with such respectful and tender Expressions that 't is evident the Nation had no design against the Person or Dignity of the King. And the King having agreed upon the meeting of a Parliament upon the 25th of January the Prince accepted of it upon the most reasonable condition that can be imagined Which was that neither his own nor the King's Army should come within forty Miles of the place where the Parliament sate Here it appear'd that the King had no sincere intention in calling the Parliament and that it was only to gain time and to receive the foreign Assistance which he expected These Succours failing and his own Troopes declaring that they could not fight against the Laws and Religion of their Country he was resolv'd suddenly to play the part of quitting his Throne Choosing rather not to Reign than not to Reign over the Laws and to take the advantage of an odious imputation against the Protestants that they had driven him from his Kingdom But all Europe is witness to the contrary and if hereafter he looses the Crown 't is a loss for which he can only blame himself having drawn it upon himself partly by Violation of the Laws and partly by his Desertion If there had been any design violently to drive him from his Throne why was he so stopt in his Flight What an Object is a King Arrested as a Fugitive But why was he staid to do him Violence Was he not honourably entreated to return to his own Palace Had he not the liberty given to retire as he was best pleased I question not but all this shall be reflected upon us with the most malevolent Influences for 't is a common thing with the Papism in its rage to take hold of all that may any way serve its Revenge But be wise and Adore the profound Judgments of God. You see in this Event the first blow to the ruin of Popery which we have proposed apparently near out of the Prophecies of the New Testament This great and surprizing Revolution will without doubt draw others after it which shall be no less considerable The Empire of Antichrist hath not received so terrible a check since the last Age it rouls down to its Fall and God visibly pushes it upon the Precipiece Keep silence then my Brethren but do not suffer your selves to be carried down the stream of Outrages against him whom God hath chosen for the Instrument of his great Work. Remember the Injustice which the Papists have been guilty of at this time To violate Laws which ought to have been most inviolable to break their Oaths to trample under Foot the most sacred Engagements to seize upon the Miserable and force them to Abjuration to throw them into Prisons to send them to Gallies to Banish them and confiscate their Goods This is all good and lawful for advancing the Catholick Religion But to maintain the Reform'd Religion by maintaining Laws and to repress the Enterprizes of those that would violate them this is an horrible Attempt an infernal Action Is not this to weigh Actions in unequal Balances January 1 1689. With the Priviledge of our Lords the States Rotterdam at the House of Abr. Acher near the Bourse Books lately Printed for J. Lawrence at the Angel in the Poultrey I. A Discourse concerning the Nature Power and Proper Effects of the Present Conventions in both Kingdoms called by the Prince of Orange Quarto II. A Political Conference between Aulicus a Courtier Demas a Country-man and Civicus a Citizen Clearing the Original of Civil Government the Powers and Duties of Soveraigns and Subjects in a familiar and plain Way which may be understood by every ordinary Capacity Quarto III. Liberty of Conscience Explicated and Vindicated and the Just Limits betwixt it and Authority Sacred and Civil Cleared Quarto IV. The Triumphs of Grace or the last Words and Edifying Death of the Lady Margaret de la Musse a Noble French Lady Aged only Sixteen Years Twelves
Royal-houses in the Countries in the Cities of the Realm II. 'T is the Crime of High Treason in the first degree against the State and the Laws to give reception to Priests and Monks within the Kingdom How can this agree with the condition of a Popish King who provides for Covents of Monks in his own Palace and every City III. 'T is a Crime forbidden by the Laws and punishable with Death to acknowledge the Pope to be Head of the Church and Vicar of Jesus Christ How can this be consistent with a King who makes publick profession of recognizing the Pope as Head of the Universal Church IV. 'T is the Law of England that what man soever holds correspondence with the Pope in any manner he shall be deemed guilty of High Treason How can this be consistent with the quality of a Papist in a King who believes himself obliged to receive the Pope's Nuncio's in his Court and to send his Ambassadors to him V. By the Laws of England the King is obliged to make the Oaths of Supremacy and Allegiance to be tender'd to all his Subjects by which the King is acknowledged the only Supreme Governour of the Church of England and wherein the Superiority of the Pope as well in Spirituals as Temporals is expresly renounced I would fain know how this can be adjusted with the nature of a Popish King What kind of Monster is it whose Body is a Protestant Church and whose Head is an utter Popish King VI. 'T is a capital Crime by Law to sollicit People and Subjects to be recâ—nciled to the See of Rome How can this be consistent with the Constitution of a Popish King who believes himself oblig'd in Conscience to bring back all his Subjects to the Romish Church by Threats and Promises by Punishments and Rewards and Seducements VII 'T is a capital Crime in England for any person to promise Obedience to the Bishop of Rome How can this agree with the nature of a Popish King who calls the Pope Holy Father and submits himself to him at least in Spirituals VIII 'T is one of the Laws of the Kingdom that whoever enjoys any publick Office shall be obliged to take the Oath of the Test by which the Romish Religion is abjur'd and detested But how can this be consistent with the constitution of a Popish King who possesses the principal Place of the Kingdom and therefore so publickly embraces and defends the Romish Religion There is no end of reciting all the Laws of England from whence there is an absolute inconsistency between the being of a King and the being of a Papist in the same Person Thus then 't is evident that without Injustice the English Nation and the Church of England might declare to the King that his Religion rendred him uncapable of the Crown It is true the Crown of England is Successive but according to all Laws and in all places of the World he that receives a Succession receives it with all the Charges which by Law are annexed to it or he falls from it He that receives an Estate charg'd with Rents and Obligations must perform them must yeild Faith and Homage if he would enter into possession of the Inheritance It is yet more certain that in Successive Crowns there are certain Qualifications which ought to be in the Successour if he has them not he must have a Guardian or a Regent must be made or the Crown devolves to the next fit Heir who has the Qualifications required by Law. The Crown of England has a Happiness above any other Crown in Europe to be subject to certain Laws which are above the King so that a person who hath not the qualities requisite or such as are inconsistent with the Laws is not capable of being admitted to the Crown tho' he should have the Right of Inheritance All the World knows that the French Popish Lords who were in the Interests of Henry IV after the Assassination of Henry III prayed him to receive the Crown but in the quality of a Roman Catholick King as inseparably requisite to the quality of a King of France They had not the same right to discourse at such a rate for the Kings of France had for a long time rais'd themselves above the Laws and Henry being in such a State might have taken it with his Priviledges Besides it was false that there were any Laws in France which made the quality of a King and the quality of a Protestant to be inconsistent whereas in England 't is apparent that the condition of a King and the condition of a Papist are irreconcilable Nevertheless such was the goodness of the Church of England and the English Nation that they would not exclude James II. from the Crown perswading themselves that they had laid an inviolable Obligation upon him religiously to keep the Oaths made at his Coronation in preserving Religion and the Laws as he found them But this Prince suffer'd himself to be lead by the most impudent of Mankind who lifted him up above the Laws and made him forget the Devoir of the Kings of England which is to Rule according to the Laws He made a League with a great neighbouring Prince to ruin the Protestant Religion in all Europe He dispens'd with all the Laws both of Government and Religion He made Mass be said publickly in the three Kingdoms He invested the Papists with the principal Offices of State turning out the Protestants He would constrain the Bishops by corporal Punishments to those things which were against their Consciences And that which is the unconceivable Prodigy of Ages in a Protestant Kingdom he raised up a Jesuite to be a Member of the Council of State of the Privy-Council of the Council in a word that Governs the whole Kingdom So a Jesuite was seen Master of the Kingdom Master of the Bishops Master of the Church of England It was necessary therefore to think of securing Religion and the State and this the Nation was indispensably oblig'd to To this purpose did she implore the Succour of that Prince who now in England is the greatest Person of Europe and therefore 't is against him chiefly that the Country where you are discharges its Rage as if he had violated all the Rights of Nature and trampled under Foot the Obligations of Consanguinity First it appears that he was called upon by the Nation this I say appears by the suddenness of the Revolution which was brought to pass so soon as it began The only Princess of the Bloud that was in England and the Prince her Husband declared themselves for him all the great Men the Peers the Cities the Provinces acknowledged the Justice of his Demands and supported them If this Prince had refus'd to have afforded Succour to the Nation she would have done the very same without him that she now does under his Banners and from thence would have unavoidably followed the ruin of the Monarchy For the State was