Selected quad for the lemma: prince_n
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A81925
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Motives to induce the Protestant princes to mind the worke of peace ecclesiasticall amongst themselves.
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Dury, John, 1596-1680.
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1641
(1641)
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Wing D2875; Thomason E160_30; ESTC R23320
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5,382
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12
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being made one and the same their unitie may be their strength and their Religion may be their preservation because God hath promised that when we shall seeke first his kingdome and the righteousnesse thereof that then all other things shall be added unto us 5 The leaders of a weake partie cannot be otherwise supported then in making themselves considerable by winning the affections and hearts of the Common people And to doe this nothing is more fit in its owne nature or at this time more seasonable then to undertake and follow out the cause of Religion in a way which is unblameable tending to brotherly love and reconciliation 6 A generall peace is sued for but except this unitie of Protestants amongst themselves be really taken to heart it is not like that ever it will be obtained or being granted safely and inviolably kept But if this businesse can once be brought unto some perfection no doubt but it will daunt the Austrians more then any thing which can be attempted and consequently will be a greater meanes of peace then any thing else 7 To oppose the Austrian and Papall designes against Protestants no course more rationall and effectuall can be devised then to crosse the intentions of those counsels whereby they get their greatest advantages Seeing therefore that it is most cleere that their chiefest advantages arise from the division of Protestants amongst themselves for matters of Religion it followeth that no course can be taken in hand more fit to oppose them then to heale these breaches whereby they have prevailed 8 Lastly God doth require those whom hee hath established in places of eminent authority that they should be carefull to imploy themselves and make use of their eminency in his service Now his service is nothing else but to doe good to the mysticall body of his Sonne Jesus Christ which is his Church For all the dignitie which is bestowed upon men is given to this end that Gods kingdome may be advanced in their greatnesse Therefore this dutie is to be taken to heart not onely for worldly reasons but also for conscience sake as being an obligation laid by God upon the places of great men For such as are honoured by God with the first places above all other men are obliged reciprocally to honour him in the first places of their thoughts which if they doe he hath promised to adde more honour unto them Those that honour me saith the Lord I will honour and hee that despiseth mee shall be lightly esteemed To this purpose then the words of the Prophet Azariah 2 Chron. 15.2 3 4 5 6 7. spoken to King Asah may be at this time fitly applyed to all Protestant Princes Heare me saith he Asah and all Judah and Benjamin The Lord is with you while yee be with him and if yee seeke him he will be found of you if yee forsake him he will forsake you Now for a long season Israel hath beene without the true God and without a teaching Priest and without Law But when they in their trouble did turne unto the Lord God of Israel and sought him he was found of them And in those dayes there was no peace to him that went out nor to him that came in but great vexations were upon all the inhabitants of the Country and Nation was destroied of nation and Citie of citie for God did vex them with all adversities Be strong therefore and let not your hands be weake for your worke shall be rewarded These are the words of the Prophet From whence we observe that when the afflictions of the Church are greatest then the opportunitie of working and gaining a full reward is most seasonable Therefore this is a dutie unto which all Protestant Princes and States-men are bound not only for reasons of State but also by reason of conscience for this is the only thing that God doth regard in all men namely what they intend to doe for conscience unto him For if we serve God for other end then for himselfe although wee doe his worke yet it is not thanks worthy neither can a blessing upon any other undertaking be hoped for except this businesse also be heartily intended For God that seeth the hearts doth blesse men according to their secret intentions towards himselfe which he knoweth best God is just and as wee deale with him so he deales with us with the pure he sheweth himselfe pure and with the froward he sheweth himselfe froward and doth reward every man according to the cleanesse of his hands in his eye-sight Let us look to David he did prosper because God was with him And why was God with him Because his heart was with God in uprightnesse He testifieth himselfe that this was the cause of his deliverances Psal 18.16 to 27. And afterwards when hee was come to the kingdome What care had he to bring Gods Arke into his Citie Nay what zeal had he for the house of God that it might be built when he made a solemne vow never to rest till hee knew the place which God would appoint for the building of it And this was that which God regarded in him and rewarded For he had no sooner intended to build an house unto God but God revealeth his intention towards him that he would establish his throne and house for ever Thus then God is a faithfull master to faithfull servants and rewardeth carefully all good endeavours taken up for his Name sake Therefore it is certaine he will be mindfull of those that minde his Church he will honour those that honour his cause hee will have good intentions towards those that meane uprightly with him and hee will invincibly maintaine such as by suffering for him have mainteined the truth of the Gospel From all which considerations we may thus conclude that except the worke of Ecclesiasticall reconcilement be seriously intended all these evils will follow First the Protestant Churches and States overthrow will be inevitable in Germanie Secondly the Austrian absolute government will take effect over it Thirdly the true cause for which the war was undertaken will be quite deserted Fourthly the sufferings of the Protestant Princes will be which God forbid remedilesse and the State thereof irrecoverable Fiftly the affections of all men will decay and be lost from the Leaders of the cause Sixtly a generall peace will never either be obtained or kept inviolable Seventhly the Austrian and Papall designes will not be directly opposed Eighthly and lastly the chiefe dutie to which all Protestant Princes are bound in conscience towards God will be wholly neglected for which cause greater judgements will seaze upon them But to prevent all those evils the establishment of Religion in Germanie by the composure of Ecclesiasticall differences will be a meanes usefull and sufficient An Extract out of the 27. booke of the Historie of Thuanus Tom. 2. pa. 28. Edit Gen. ABout this time came Ambassadours from Kings and Princes who according to the usuall Stile and Ceremonies due to Princes after they had condoled the death of King Francis congratulated the succession of King Charles to the Crowne Amongst these was George Glukus the Ambassadour of Frederick King of Denmarke who had been oftentimes before sent into France and long remained there He being invited to dinner by the King of Navarre induced thereunto by his wives advice and as it is reported put in hope by him that before the yeare should goe about he should see Gods purer worship celebrated thorough all that kingdome and therefore desired by him that he would assure his King as much having first returned thankes to God and then approved the resolutions of the King therein desired of him againe that he would use his best indevours that Calvins doctrine which the Switzers then profest might not be entertained there but rather that the Augustane Confession drawne from Luthers Jenets might be introduced By which meanes he assured him hee should gaine no small respect from the King of Swede and Denmarke and all the Germane Protestants the extent of whose Dominions came not short of all those Countries which acknowledged obedience to the Pope To which the King made answer thus That Luther and Calvin both dissented from the Pope in forty points in thirty eight whereof they both agreed thus there were onely two remained in controversie then betwixt them and that in his opinion both parts should unite their meanes and forces to suppresse the Common Enemie and that once done the reconciling of the two points yet in question and restoring of the Church of God to the ancient purity and splendor of it would with far lesse difficultie be effected FINIS