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A88691
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A letter farther and more fully evidencing the Kings stedfastnesse in the Protestant religion, written by Mounsier de l'Angle minister of the Protestant church at Roven in France to a friend of his in London,
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L'Angle, Samuel de.
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1660
(1660)
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Wing L403; Thomason E1027_2; ESTC R202710
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14,957
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30
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A LETTER Farther and more fully Evidencing the Kings stedfastnesse in THE Protestant Religion Written by Mounsier de l'Angle Minister of the Protestant Church at Roven in FRANCE to a Friend of his in LONDON London Printed by A.W. for Joshua Kirton at the Queens Arms in St. Pauls Church-Yard 1660. THe reverend Author judgeing it fit and to good purpose to publish this Letter of his in France both for the comforts and undeceiving of the Protestants of that Nation in that great scandal cast on the King of England as inclining to the Church of Rome which scandal though it be now fully cleared and made evident as our Author saith that it came from Hell so that it might seem to no purpose to publish any farther vindication of his Majesty herein Yet the same reasons mentioned before for publishing of the original together with the gravity of the Author who is one of the ancientest Preachers in France and the fulness of the Letter wherein are many things not commonly known were strong inducements for publishing this translation whereby all true English men and Protestants may also receive much comfort and all prejudice removed from their hearts who in the least doubt of the sincerity of the King concerning the Religion he professeth A Letter of M. de l'Angle Divine to a friend concerning the Religion of the Serene King of England SIR TOgether with all known good men I praysed God when I understood the proceedings in Engl. tended to the re-establishment of your King and again I glorify'd him for the evidence appears that he will have compassion on that miserable Kingdom long known to me and whereas you well know I did for some years preach the Gospel to a people that lov'd me and in whom I observ'd much of piety 'T is true the people whereof the state at present is compos'd make up a various coloured garment which God in his Law allows not of And this prodigious compound of Frogs and Grashoppers that is the Sectaries which cover allmost all England made me feare the wrath of God would not long forbear this desolate Nation But God who is rich in mercy who for the sake of ten righteous would have pardoned Sodom hath yet more inclination to pardon his Hierusalem for the pious multitude in the mid'st of it who sincerely love God and by whom his holy name is called on especially I had a confidence that first or last the Presbyterians those who at present make the strongest party in great Britain would by examples of loyalty when God should afford them opportunity clear themselves of the infamy they are blasted wiâ—h for being complices in the death of King Charles of blessed and glorious memory And that to those of our Religion would be restored the glory Cardinal Ossat in one of his Epistles ingeniously acknowledgeth our due that is never to have attempted the life of our Soveraignes how cruel so ever they have been to us and notwithstanding the massacres upon those of our Religion by their orders these or such like are the Cardinals own words Whereupon Sir I shall tell you that discoursing some dayes since with a person of Judgement and one fearing God of the state of your affairs and particularly of those affairs in this conjuncture so cross for the King that seem to obstruct his re-establishment we concluded that amongst others two grand Obstacles concurr'd to hinder it which would infallibly succeed could they be taken away The first is the apprehension that the Presbyterians who only are capable to bring this about in behalf of the Church and State may have that the King distastes them holding them guilty of the parricide of the King his Father as some have endeavoured to perswade him some out of malice to foment an irreconcilible misunderstanding betwixt the King and his best Subjects and so to order it that they may never hereafter have confidence in each other Others out of unadvisedness being misinform'd in the reality of that said story as the late Salmasius in his Apologie for the King of England where this great person exasperates himself with a false generosity when he declares he was not born for compliance whereof no man ever suspected him and that he spares neither brother nor best friend where he finds them deviated from their duty The other obstacle we judged to withstand the Kings re-establishment is a perswasion that the enemies of Protestant Religion and the King of England have sowed amongst many that the King is not of the Religion he professeth but that he concurs with Rome wherewith he hath private engagements in a word that he is a Papist To take away the first obstacle I shew'd this good man a letter I sometime wrote to Salmaslus of whom I spake concerning his Apologie which he did me the honour to send me In this letter where I shew'd him that as Jacob said to Reuben his first-born Gen 49. he was unstable as water and should not excel I have so evidently clear'd the Presbyterians of the injury he did them and with reasons so considerable that the person to whom I communicated them thought it fit the letter should be published whereto I willingly consented judging the Letter would come forth to purpose and in season But the posture wherein at present I view them and the affection they testifie to their Prince justifies them above all the reasons I alleadg'd and if their great and glorious designe succeeds as the reformed Churches in all parts of the Wrold evidently pray like Moses lifting up their hands till God makes this happy day shine from above their innocense will appear so manifest that Calumny it self will not dare to attempt it For what man of reason sees not that if their hearts condemn'd them and that they were conscious of this crying sin they would not be cautious of procuring the Kings return since they must needs have cause to fear he should retain an immortal resentment and though for a time finding their party as the sons of Zerviah too strong and potent for him he dissembles the indignation conceiv'd in his heart they must alwaies think he would make them feel the effects when time should favour him And this argument is confirmed by the example of the Sectaries who fearing their hands should be found stain'd with the blood that cries so loud apprehend the Kings re-establishment as a sad day for them when this Prince may treat them in such termes as he of whom the Scripture tells us did those who revolted from their obedience and that in his just resentments he saith not Bring me hither these my enemies which would not that I should raign over them Though to deale ingeniously I believe their fear will be their only punishment and I am confident he is a Prince who will do by his subjects as Joseph did by his bretheren and as he had respect to the desires of his dying father Jacob to pardon his bretheren and not
regard the evil they had done him that so the King by the example of the sonne of God by whom he shall raigne God assisting may make grace abound where sinne abounds and in observance of the King his Fathers sage and Christian advice brought him by some that attended at his death which were to pardon his people and with a general Oblivion prevent their cries and lamentations But the other Obstacle stands yet and is of more importance that is the Calumny taken upon trust from hand to hand that the King is of the Roman Religion and will soon make it appear when he gets the raines of the Realme in his hands Sir Upon this point I must tell you that some yeares since this slander sprung from Hell I have made it my work to know the truth have us'd all sorts of means to discover what his heart was as towards God and if he were such as he was represented to me For this cause I followed him with a vigilant eye all the time he stayed in France after the battel he lost against Cromwell and again after he retired to Bruxells And that which drew me to this curiosity was not the tenents of those who hold that if the King prove not of the Protestant Religion we are not onely to abandon his Interests but with our power to oppose his return to the Crown for I have not so learned Christ nor can I be perswaded that because a man is not of our opinion in matter of Religion it is a sufficient title to deprive him of his Right and I willingly leave those deformed opinions that overturn the foundations of States and render Chhristian Religion incompatable with all the Polices of the Universe to such extravagant brains as hold the earth belongs properly to the Saints such as they take themselves to be and that the portion which every one who is not of the fraternity of these fanatick spirits enjoys is detain'd by injustice and absolute usurpation And by Consequence I cannot imagine the people of England were well principalled to cast their naturall Prince out of his Kingdom under colour that he was of a religion contrary to theirs For I know amongst the people of God there was never any such practice And that under all the legall dispensation since the state of the Jewes was devolv'd into the hands of Kings the people never rose against their Prince for his Idolatry but when oblig'd by expresse command from God As that given to Jehu And since Jesus Christ came upon earth the Christians that first embrac'd his Doctrine never esteem'd Idolatry wherewith their Soveraigns were infected sufficient to discharge them from their obedience The example of Julian the Apostate is in this decisive who revolting from Christianisme and becoming an Apostate and plunng'd in Pagan Idolatries and by this means had return'd the Empire which by a singular providence of God was fallen into the hands of Christians to the enemies of Christ an Religion yet receiv'd still homage from the Christians of those times who bore their yoke with humility because 't was God that laid it on them And it clearly appear'd this submission of the Church was acceptable to God by his timely releasing them from the persecution of this powerfull and malicious enemy for this change was but like a storm that soon is over and as a cloud as an Ancient calls it which for a time ecclips'd the glory of the Christian Church but by the good providence of God was dispersed in the turning of a hand and the Empire restor'd to Christian Princes who set the Church in her luster again 'T is true that in our age that unfortunate faction call'd the League stirred up by that spirit well known to all insolently publish'd that pernicious heresy that a Prince no sooner with Rome but he loses his Rights to his Crown and that the greater part of France poyson'd with this pernicious beleif us'd their utmost endeavours to have hinder'd Henry the great from ascending the Throne which he and his Posterity have since so gloriously enjoy'd But this doctrine went against the haire with all the good people of those times both of the one and the other Religion and numbers of honest men set their tongues their pens and their swords to work to maintain the Justice of that glorious Monarch and beat back this dangerous Maxime down to Hell where doubtlesse 't was first contriv'd 'T was not then Sir for that I had the least thought the Re-establishment of the King of England in his Paternall inheritance ought to depend on his Religion and that if I found he were imbu'd with the errours of the Roman Church I should have judg'd him incapable of that high dignity but for satisfaction of my self and all good people to the end that if according to the forejudgment I had allready in favour of his Religion which he deriv'd by tradition from his father of blessed memory to the constant profession whereof he exhorted him at his death I found him according to my hopes my joy might be accomplisht and I might spread the rumour every way where I thought the welcom news might conduce to the procuring Justice for the best cause on earth and that if amongst his subjects that differ in this poynt from the common sense of our Churches which allmost unanimously will have us give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar to Caesar I say as to Caesar only and not for that he is a Protestant Caesar they may learn that their King is doubly the Annoynted of the Lord and persectly of the quality they wish him and so there is nothing why they should not joyn with all other good subjects in the designe they appear to have of rein-throning him since not only there is no reason to oppose it but more there is not any pretence for it with the least colour of Justice To proceed I learn for certain he adher'd in his heart to the Protestant Religion for as much as man can judge of the profundity of that part I had it from such as have the honour to be near his person I am assur'd of it by the testimony of Mr. Long who had a share in the weighty affayres of the late Charles the first and of this likewise and who was one of those attended him in his voyage to Scotland A gentleman of an Excellent spirit not easily to be tax'd with any thing but a person of great integrity and who for those many yeares he liv'd amongst us was an exceeding help to our Church by his constant frequenting of Sermons and all acts of Piety can be required of a man fearing God and who for my particular highly oblig'd me not thinking me unworthy of his conversation nor the honour of his friendship He in the privacy of our most intimate communications hath a hundred times protested to me that the King of England in the bottom of his heart is of our Religion