And you speak of it as if that refusal of their Forces had been very detrimental to the Kings Affairs and much retarded the Progress of his Conquests And yet it is certain in the mean time That all the best qualify'd Persons in the Councel of that Canton had promis'd to grant the Companies which the most Christian King required of it But One Factious person amongst them occasion'd the breaking of that Resolution upon this score that besides his being a man absolutely devoted to the Dutch ever since his reception of a Present from them when he sojourn'd in this Country he was out of hopes of getting the Command of a Company for one of his own Relations that he might make some advantage thereby But as to the Canton of Zurick I must acknowledg it to be powerful and that it might have rais'd several Companies of good Soldiers I know also That its Councel consists of Persons of very good worth such as have Wit and Honour Vigour and Constancy if the thing had depended upon them and they knew their own Interest much better than to have deny'd his Most Christian Majesty the Forces he had required of them But the mischief of it as you know is That they are not the absolute Masters The Sovereign Authority lies in the hands of the Councel of Two Hundred consisting for the most part of much Heat and little Prospect of much Obstinacy and little Reason It is no wonder then that the Ministers having enflam'd that multitude with the zealous Concern of Religion they could not be dispos'd to grant Forces to his most Christian Majesty though he should have no Design to employ them against the Dutch I must confess further Sir That I am very much astonish'd at your Undertaking to make a confident justification of those Two Cantons for their having deny'd Forces to the most Christian King as also that after you had blamed your own for their having granted a Regiment you should undertake to vindicate all it did afterwards either to have it recall'd or to prevent its being employ'd against the Dutch It will be no hard matter for me to make it appear to you That this Conduct of yours bâ—sides its being most unjust may also be very prejudicial even as to what relates to the interests of Religion You cannot forbear granting your selves to be absolutely unjust if you deny the demeaning of your selves towards his most Christian Majesty as you would have him demean himself towards you For instance If it should happen that you were attack'd by the King of Spain or the Emperour by the Duke of Savoy by the Catholick-Cantons or by some other Prince of the same Religion you would desire That his most Christian Majesty would assist you against them by vertue of the Alliance there is between you and him If the King should deny you the Forces you desired and alledge That he could not assist you being of the Reformed Religion against Catholick Princes you would complain of it and affirm That the Most Christian King does not observe the Alâ—iance he has made with you How then do you not see that the most Christian King has just cause of complaining That you are unwilling to supply him with Forces against the Dutch because they are of the Reformed Religion Do you not further observe That by your indiscreet Zeal you deprive your selves of all the Advantages which you might expect from the Alliance there is between You and the most Christian King by giving him just cause to deny you assistance if you should come to desire it of him If the Duke of Savoy should enter into a War against you upon the Pretensions he has to the Country of Vaud tell me Whether you would be so presumptuous as to desire assistance from the Most Christian King You would not have your Forces to serve his most Christian Majesty against the Dutch bâ—cause they are of our Reformed way of Religion though they are not your Allies By what Right can you pretend That the most Christian King should give you Forces to serve you who are not of his Religion against a Catholic Prince who besides his being in alliance with him has also the honour of being nearly related to him Besides you make but an ill acknowlâ—dgment of the Favour which the most Christian King did you not Two Years since when he openly undertook your protection against the Bishop of Basil who was going to give you some disturbance He had establish'd a Catholick Church upon some part of your Territories as he pretended that he had a right to do The Pope the Emperour and the King of Spain had openly taken his part by reason of the Concern of the Catholick Religion The most Christian King having been inform'd That he had not any Right to establish that Church upon your Territories sent a Message to him That if he did not restore things to the condition they were in before and forbear making any alteration he would openly grant you assistance against him You know Sir That the said Prelate standing more in awe of the most Christian King's Indignation than relying on the Succours of the Pope the Emperour and the King of Spain thought in his best course to renounce his Pretensions and to give over disturbing you If the most Christian King had done then what you have done at the present he would have been far enough from entertaining so much as a thought of protecting you being of the Reformed Religion against a Bishop especially in a Cause wherein the Interest of the Catholick Religion was concern'd You know also That the Emperour and the King of Spain who have a particular Alliance with the Catholick Cantons are oblig'd to assist them in case they should enter into a Warre against you or against the other Protestant Cantons Now it is manifest That upon such occasions you cannot hope for any assistance but from the most Christian King If therefore you would not have your Forces to serve his most Christian Majesty against the Dutch who are not your Allies meerly upon the score of their professing the same Religion as you do I do not see how you can desire the most Christian King to grant you Forces to serve you who are of the Reformed Religion against the Catholick Cantons who are of his Allies as well as you You know further That the City of Geneva is under the protection of France ever since the time of Henry the Third who granted it thereto against Philibert-Emanuel Duke of Savoy All the Successors of that King have continu'd their protection to the same City against the Successors of that ancient Duke who are the troublesome Neighbours and in a manner the only Enemies whom that Republick has any cause to fear You see then by this proceduce of Henry the Third of France and the Kings who succeeded him That though they were very zealous for their Religion yet they made no scruple of giving
of no long Standing in the World By this mâ—ans did he make account to gain the Affections of the People and at one time or other to make his advantage of those different Râ—ligions for the execution of his great Designs He knew that all those new Christians whom he protected in the Exercise of Religions were so many Creatures whom he made sure to his Party by an inviolable Bond and as many irreconcileable Enemies to Philip who was the cruel Persecutor of all those upstart Professors of Religion In the mean time Prince William who had all this while conconceal'd his Sentiments for Religion took a very convenient opportunity to lay by the Roman-Catholick persuasion which he had till then profess'd and to embrace that of the Protestants He was in Germany at his Brothers the Count of Nassaw and had been forc'd by the Intreaties of many of his Relations and some Friends banishâ—d out of the Low-Countries to try an expedition to endeavour the deliverance of their Country from the oppression wherein it was and to set it at liberty When therefore he saw that he stood in need of the assistance of the Protestants for the getting of an Army togâ—ther he thought it a fit time to cast off the Mask and to publish by his Mâ—nifesto That he had deserted the Roman Church to follow a better Religion He had also in his Eye this considerable advantage That by the Settlement of a Religion different from the Roman he rendred the reconciliation between the Provinces and the King of Spain more difficult or indeed impossible He had observ'd that some of the Catholick Provinces had deviaâ—ed from the Alliance of Gaunt and put themselves under the obedience of Philip and he saw that the Catholicks of the Confedâ—rated Provinces would rather have enclin'd him to reassume the yoke of their ancient domination It was his Fear and with reason That when the dispute should be only about the Privileges the Lawes and the Customs and in a word things of a temporal Concern King Philip coming to satisfie his Subjects or the Subjects to recede from their Rights for the obtaining of a Peace it would be no hard matter to see those people reconcil'd to their Prince Whereas on the other side having dispos'd the confederated Provinces to embrace a new Religion he thereby put an insurmountable obstruction to their reunion with Philip. He knew that That Prince who with an implacable fury persecuted all those who had renounc'd the ancient Religion would resolve rather to lose the Low-Countries than to grant his Subjects the free Exercise of a new Religion There had been a Report spread about that presently upon his Return into Spain after he had order'd the Condemnation of some men eminent for their Learnâ—ng and women illustrious for their birth to be burnt he would himself be present at so cruel an execution and was a spectator of it as if it had been a delightful Show Many persons therefore amongst the Inhabitants of the Low-Countries having embrac'd the new Religions the Prince of Orange engag'd them by the Bond of Conscience and by the Despair or Pardon to maintain the Change he had made that so they might not relapse under the power of their ancient Master Happy was it for the prosecution of his design that he had made this advantage of that Liberty of Conscience which he had given to all sorts of persons but perceiving withal that that unbounded Liberty without the establishment and preference of some one Religion occasion'd a great confusion in the Government he thought it necessary to make choice of one which should be the pubâ—ick and predominant Religion and the Religion of State Yet had he not as yet absolutely pitch'd upon what he intended nor determin'd which Religion he ought to embrace whether that of the Lutherans that of the Calvinists or that of the Anabaptists all those three Religions not making any acknowledgment of the Popes Authority or the jurisdiction of the Roman Church But he had afterwards some reasons which oblig'd him to determine upon the choice of one as well for his own private Concern as for that of the State The Sect of the Anabaptists was the least considerable upon all accounts and was not much to be fear'd as well by reason of the divisions wherewith it was shaken as by reason of its Sectators who for the most part were persons of a very obscure condition and of their Sentiments by which they are not admitted to Magistracy or the Use of Arms. For which reason the Prince of Orange could not make any Use of them as being not proper for his Design He aspir'd to the principal charge of the State and that Religion permitted not its Disciples to exercise any kind of Magistracy He needed the assistance of Arms to maintain and make good the Change he had made in the State and the new form of Government which he had establish'd and the Anabaptists would not have Arms used upon any occasion The Lutheran Religion was very considerable by reason of the affection and Support of several Princes of Germany who had embrac'd it and highly protected those who made profession thereof Prince William had more inclination for that Religion in which he haâ— been instructed from his Infancy and he might very well hope for assistance and protection from the Electoral House of Saxony of which he had Married a Daughter to his Second Wife But on the other side he hoped for more considerable assistances from the Princes who made profession of our Reformed way of Religion That which Queen Elizabeth had Establish'd in England was wholly conformable to ours as to the Doctrine and differ'd from it only as to the Form of Government and the Use of Ceremonies The Elector-Palatine who was then the most powerful Prince of the Empire did absolutely profess the same Religion The King of Navarre the Prince of Condé and the Admiral Castillon and a considerable number of the Lords and Gentlemen and a numerous people of France made a publick profession of it The Prince of Orange therefore hoping to engage all those Princes by the interest of one and the same Religion to give him powerful assistances for the corroboration of the new Republick thought fit to make choice of that Religion for himself and the State Besides as that Religion was more contrary to that of the Romish Church than the Lutheran so he thought it more fit for the Common-wealth which he had founded out of an aversion to the Tyrannical Domination of Spain The Inhabitants of the Low-Countries having a strong aversion for the Spaniards the Prince of Orange endeavour'd to persuade them That there was no likelihood that a people so corrupted should have received directions from God to serve him purely by the Worship of the true Religion He afterwards endeavour'd to insinuate to them That our Reformed Religion which was more different from theirs was doubtless the best and most acceptable
to God There comes into my mind upon this occasion what I have Read in the History of the Indies That they could not by any means dispose a great number of persons of that Country to be converted to the Christian Religion because the Spaniards made a profession of it For as those poor people had seen them commit such Cruelties as they had never seen any example of before so they had a horror for their Religion upon a supposition that it inspir'd them with such barbarous Sentiments They could not be mov'd with the hope of Celestial Felicity after they had been told that the Spaniards together with all good Christians would have their abode in that happy place They saw no charms in the Glories of Paradice since they were to be partakers of â—hem with a Nation so barbarous and they could not believe that the Felicity which they put them in hopes of could secure them from the persecution of so inhumane a people In a word they could not be induc'd to embrace a Religion which was to conduct them after their death to live eternally in the company of a people which according to their Sentiment was the most wicked of any upon Earth The Duke of Alva having exercis'd in the Low-Countries as strange Cruelties as those of his Country had done in the Indies the Inhabitants of Flanders and no less an aversion for the Spaniards then the Indians And as all the rigorous punishments which had been inflicted upon the people of the Low-Countries were imputed to the Roman-Catholick Religion so the Prince of Orange did cunningly make use of that prejudgment to induce them to embrace a Religion contrary to that of the Spaniards which had made them endure so many Calamities It was in the Year 1572. that that Religion which was receiv'd in your Protestant-Cantons at Geneva in the Palatinate of Germany and in the Churches of France was established in the Confederated Provinces for the only publick Religion And yet they put a difference in it which you will think very considerable if you consult the Sentiments of your first Reformers those of the Doctors who were their Successors and the constant practice of your Protestant-Cantons and of all the Estates of the Reform'd Religion For you know that in all the Countries where those of our Religion are the Masters they do not suffer the exercise of any other Religion nor allow in all their Territories a place of habitation to those who profess a different one whereas the Vnited Provinces did not only permit the exercise of all sorts of Religions but did also reject as Tyrannical all the Laws whereby there was any prescription made for Uniformity of Sentiments upon that occasion attributing to them the name of Inquisition so odious amongst them And this Liberty of Conscience was as I have already observ'd Establish'd not only by the Writings of the Prince of Orange by the Peace of Gaunt by the publick and particular agreement which was made for Religion under the Regency of the Arch-Duke Matthias by the Union of Vtretcht and by several Treaties which have been made with the Cities of the Country If I mistake not methinks it may be affirmed that the Confederated Provinces were of our Reformed Religion in particular while the Liberty of Conscience was Establish'd for all sorts of Persons and the exercise of all Religions was publickly permitted and it was so till the Year 1583. All the Regulations which the States-General have made afterwards for Religion and the Conduct they have been guided by in reference to that are so far from proving them to be of our Religion that they make it evidently appear that they never were nor are not at all of it And this Sir is what I design to justifie to you in the first Letter which I shall write to you upon this Subject This is long enough and if I am weary of Writing you possibly may be more weary of Reading what I have Written Let us then repose a while It will not be long e're you hear from me again mean time be assur'd that I am Reverend Sir Your most humble c. Vtretcht May 4 th 1673. The Second LETTER Reverend Sir IF you have seriously reflected on what I have written in my first Letter I conceive you will readily make this acknowledgment That the Vnited Provinces were not of the Reformed Religion as long as there was not any such Establish'd by any publick Decree and that all the Sectaries had as much liberty there as those of the Reformed Persuasion I know well enough that that Liberty of Conscience which had been Establish'd by so many Treaties and by so many publick Acts was absolutely forbidden by the Regulation which the States-General made in the Year 1583. Take here in express terms what it contains Since there has been a permission granted by the Vnion of Utrecht to amplifie to abridge and change some Articles when ever the welfare and security of the Provinces should seem to require it the States attentively considering the XIII Article have unanimously ordain'd and appointed That the exercise of any Religion shall not be henceforward receiv'd other then that which is publickly taught in the United Provinces which is the Reformed Religion With this proviso however That if any Provinces Members or Cities of the Popish Religion shall be willing to enter into this Alliance they shall be continu'd in the freedome of their Religion conditionally that they sign and subscribe the other Articles of this Alliance To render this Ordinance of no effect I might tell you what was alledg'd as soon as ever it was past by the Catholicks and all those who were not of our Reformed Religion Their complaint was That it had been made contrary to all manner of Justice and Reason contrary to the Stipulated Faith of all the Treaties which the Inhabitants of the same Provinces had made and of those which the Provinces had made mutually one with an other They maintain'd That having united themselves together for the preservation of the Laws and Privileges of the Country it was a great injustice to make an Establishment of one single Religion to be the publick Religion and to deprive the others of the exercise of theirs and not to allow them any part in the Government of the State But above all others the Catholicks thought it very strange that they having taken up Arms against the Spaniards only for the defence of their Liberty should not be allow'd the free exercise of their ancient Religion as if they had spent all their labour only to deprive themselves thereof and to acquire Liberty of Conscience for others and to make the Reformed Religion the most predominant and to raise that only into the Throne Nor did the followers of the other Religions think they had less cause then the Catholicks to be dissatisfy'd and disgusted at that Ordinance which took away the exercise and absolute freedom of their Religion They
urged That from the time of their first intertexture of the interest of Religion with that of the State in the contest which they had with the Spaniards Liberty of Conscience had been Establish'd by so many publick Decrees that they could not be violated without extremity of injustice The Prince of Orange without concerning himself much at the complaints of the one or the other of the aggrieved Parties did for his own private interest and for that of the Republick prosecute his design of making an Establishment of our Reformed Religion to be the only Publick Religion of which all those who should pretend to any concern in the Administration of the Government were oblig'd to make their profession He had a jealousie of the Catholicks upon the score of his being afraid that they might employ their credit to dispose the people to resettle themselves under the domination of the Spaniards Nor had he any greater liking to the adherents of the other Religions by reason of their being odious to all the rest of the Protestants As therefore those who profess'd our Reformed Religion were the best-affected to him so he thought it convenient to entrust them with all the Authority for the management of publick Affairs Now Reverend Sir be your self pleas'd to judg whether these Provinces deserve to be called of the Reformed Religion for this reason that out of pure interest of State and without any Justice they have made an Ordinance for the Establishment of one single Religion exclusively to all the rest But supposing I should grant that whatever is alledg'd by the Catholicks and the Sectaries against that Ordinance is groundless and irrational and that they had the justest Reasons in the World to make it yet I maintain that the bare making of it is not a sufficient inducement for any one to affirm that this State is of the Reformed Religion I cannot forbear acknowledging that this Ordinance does so expressly comprehend the sentiment of all our Doctors that if the Vnited Provinces had been as careful in the execution of it as the Elector-Palatine your Protéstant-Cantons and the City of Geneva are it could not be deny'd but that their State really and truly is of our Reformed Religion But I think Sir that you do know and if you do not know it I shall make it so clearly appear to you that you shall not in the least doubt of it That this Ordinance has been so far from being put into execution that they have always practic'd and still do practice what is directly contrary to the Contents thereof By this Ordinance there is an express prohibition of allowing any other Religion then the Reformed in the Provinces and yet we there find the publick exercise of many other Religions besides the Reformed not to say of all those who were desirous to have it And that you may not doubt of it I shall here give you a short Catalogue of the Religions in that Country which have an uncontroulable liberty of celebrating their Mysteries and serving God as they themselves think fit Be pleas'd then to know that besides those of the Reformed Religion there are Roman-Catholicks Lutherans Brownists Independents Arminians Anabaptists Socinians Arrians Enthusiasts Quakers Borrelists Armenians Muscovites Libertines and others And there are in fine some whom we may call Seekers because they are still seeking out for a Religion and do not profess any of those which are already Establish'd I give you no account of the Jews the Turks and the Persians in regard that as they are not Sects o Christians so what I might say of them would signifie nothing to the subject I have in hand And since I am well satisfy'd that there are not any Turks and Persians but what are in Amsterdam or haply in some other Sea-Port-Towns there is no consequence deducible thence for the Residence of any such in the other Cities of that Country Nor shall I say any thing of the Armenians and Muscovites who are all of the Greek Religion And as I conceive that there are only some Merchants of the one and of the other of those Nations and that none of the Natives of the Country do profess their Religion so I do not think there is any person that will condemn the liberty which is given them to serve God according to the Ceremonies and Precepts of their Religion And whereas of all the other Religions and Sects we find a great number of persons born in that Country who make an open and publick profession thereof I conceive you will not take it amiss that I should here in few words give you an account of the Opinions of all the Religions which are in this Country As to the Doctors and Professors of our Religion I question not but you know that they also differ amongst themselves in many things Voëtius and des Marets have by their disputes distracted and dishumour'd all the Province of Holland where they have been so violent one against the other that if men would believe either the one or the other they must upon pain of Damnation stick to the sentiment of the one and reject that of his Adversary Voëtius did and still does maintain That it is Sacriledge to leave the Ecclesiastical Revenues at the disposal of Slothful Paunches which are not any way serviceable to Church or State That those who are known by the name of Lombards are not to be called or admitted to the Lord's Supper inasmuch as lending out Money at Interest they exercise a profession forbidden by the word of God That the Sabbath-Day is to be very carefully and Religiously observ'd That we ought not to Celebrate any Festival-Day no not Easter Whitsuntide or Christmas That when we speak of the Apostles Evangelists or Disciples of Jesus Christ we are not to give any one the name of Saint and that we are not to say Saint Peter Saint Paul Saint John Saint Thomas but to say downright Peter Paul John and Thomas and that all the Faithful ought to follow a severe kind of life to retrench themselves from the greatest part even of the most innocent enjoyments of life that they may the better work out their Salvation with Fear and Trembling On the other side des Marets is opposite to Voetius almost in all these things and hath argu'd against his Sentiments with so much Animosity as if their Dispute had been about those points of Religion which are most important and most necessary to Salvation And I think they had not yet ended their Dispute if Cocceius had not publish'd some Opinions which were displeasing to both upon which they thought fit to agree together in order to the opposing of them This Cocceius was a Professor of the University of Leiden very well skill'd in the Hebrew Tongue who read the Scripture with a continual attention and has therein discover'd many things which were not before known to any one and hath penetrated into the mystical and profound Sence of
of the Satisfaction of Jesus Christ Episcopius in the mean time affirms That Jesus Christ has by his Passion and Death so far satisfy'd God as to render him Propitious to all Mankind and ready henceforwards to receive all men into his Communion provided they by Faith embrace that Propitiation of Jesus Christ So that God being no longer displeas'd there is no Enmity remaining but what proceeds from Men refusing to entertain the grace of Jesus Christ They very earnestly press the Toleration of all the Opinions of those who profess Christian Religion maintaining That all Christians agree in the most Important and such as they call the most Essential and Fundamental Points of Religion That it has not been hitherto decided by an Infallible Judgment who they are amongst the Christians who have embrac'd the Truest and Purest Religion and such as is most conformable to the Word of God That to the effect all may be mutually united to make up one and the same Body or Church and that they ought to love one another as Brethren and not to have any enmity or animosity one against another upon the score of their dissenting in some Points of Religion especially such as are not of the most considerable That men ought not to force any one to condemn and renounce his own Sentiments or to approve and follow those of another They say That heretofore amongst the Jews the Pharisees the Sadduces and the Esseni of whom the Sects were very different and had most dangerous Opinions were however tolerated by the Jews and all receiv'd into the Temple to present theiâ— Sacrifices and Prayers to God and to perform all the other Functions of Religion If Arminius were to come into the World again certainly he would not own most of those who bear his Name to be his Disciples And yet there are some amongst them who have not added any thing to his Sentiments But they all agree in this point That all Christians ought to be Tolerated either that all-together they might make up but one and the same Church or that every one may be allow'd the liberty of his Religion The Brownists have many great Assemblies in the Low-Countries They are a sort of people separated from the English Church and from all the other Reformed Churches which they think to be corrupted not as to the Doctrinal Points of Faith concurring in that respect with those of the Reformed Religion of Holland Germany and other places but as to the Form of Government They equally condemn Episcopal Government and that of the Presbyterians by Consistories Classes and Synods They will not joyn with our Churches for this reason as they say that they are not assur'd of the Conversion and Probity of the Members whereof they consist because they therein suffer Sinners with whom men ought not to communicate and that in the participation of the Sacraments the good contract impurity in the Communion of the wicked They condemn the benediction of the Marriages which are celebrated in Churches by the Ministers maintaining That being a Political Contract the confirmation of it depends on the Civil Magistrate They would not have their Children to be baptiz'd who are not Members of the Church or are not as careful as they ought to be of the Children that have been baptiz'd They reject all Forms of Prayers nay they affirm That the Prayer which our Lord has taught us ought not to be recited as a Prayer but that it was given us to be the Rule and Model by which we ought to frame all those which we present to God They reject the Use of Bells and Churches especially such as they say had been Consecrated to Idolatry The Independents are a brood of the Brownists John Robinson an English man is the Father of all those who are in this Country They believe That every Church or as they call it every particular Congregation has in it self radically and essentially whatever is for its conduct and government and all Ecclesiastical Power and Jurisdiction That such a Church or Congregation is not subject either to one or more Churches or to their Deputies or Assemblies or Synods or to any Bishop Or that any one Church or Assembly has any power over any other Church whatsoever That every particular Church ought to manage its own affairs without any dependence on any other and hence it comes that such as follow these Sâ—ntiments have the denomination of Independents And though they do not think there is any necessity of assembling Synods yet they affirm That if any be assembled there ought to be a consideration of their resolutions as of the counsels of wise and prudent men whereto a certain submission is due and not as definitions and establishments requiring conformity and obedience They are willing to acknowledge that one or more Churches may be assistant to another Church as to advice and admonition nay that they may reprove it if there be any offence yet not upon the account of any superiour authority which has any power of Excommunication but as a Sister-Church declaring That she cannot have any communion with such a Church as hath offended and does not demean her self according to the Rules and Commandements of Jesus Christ And these are the Particular Sentiments of the Independents in reference to the Government of the Church Their very Name had render'd them very odious even to the Protestants but the Confession of Faith which their Brethren of England publish'd when they assembled at London in the Year 1651. has made it appear That they have not otherwise any particular sentiment as to matter of Doctrine but that in reference to that they concurre in all things with those of the Reformed Religion I have hitherto given you an account of but Three or Four different Religions or rather Persuasions but this Letter being come to a considerable Length I will adjourn what I have to say of the other Sects of this Countrey to the next opportunity I shall have to write to you remaining in the mean time Reverend Sâ—r Your most humble c. The Third LETTER Reverend Sir I Am now according to my promise to give you an account of all the different Sects or Religions which are in this Country They who in other places are called Anabaptists are known in these Provinces by the denomination of Mennonites and have deriv'd that Name from Menno a Man born at a Village of Friezland in the Year 1496. Not that the said Menno was the first Father of the Anabaptists in this Country but that he having rejected the Enthusiasmes and Revelations of the Primitive Anabaptists and their Opinions concerning the new Reign of Jesus Christ which they pretended to establish upon Earth by force of Arms has broach'd certain new doctrines which his Followers have embrac'd and persisted in to this day Their Tenets are these That the New Testament only and not the Old ought to be the Rule of our Faith That in speaking of
they are interrogated not one amongst them confesses any thing and there could be no Discoveries made of their being guilty of it But it was for the interest of the Dutch-Company that they should be so That they might be â—ender'd such in appearance they are put to the Torture All â—he several Tortures of Fire and Water were us'd to make them acknowledg what the Dutch would have them to say After some resistance of such Cruel Torments they were at last or'e-press'd by their violence and confess'd whatever they desir'd them But after they had recover'd themselves again they disown'd all they had said in the midst of their Torments nay when they were just at the point of Execution they call'd God to attest their Innocence and besought him to make it appear after the death they were then going to suffer He who was the Commander of that place and the unjust Judg who had condemn'd them were nothing mov'd at though fully convin'd of the Innocence of those Prisoners But there beâ—ng a necessity of their Dying for the interest of the Dutch-Company Nine of the pretended Conspirators were Executed and some of them were set at Liberty who returning into England brought thither the News of that Cruel Massacre Now Sir I would fain know what you would say of so inhumane and so barbarous an Action Will you still allow those to be good Reformed Christians who make no scruple to cut the Throats of their Brethren professing the same Religion as they do for a little Worldly Goods and for their own private Interests This Tragical Story is so well known all over the World that there is not any Dutch man dares deny it Nay an Author of their own Nation one Aitzema in his Book entituled The Lyon-Combatant pag. 211 212 213 214 215. Printed in the Year 1661. gives a very large and particular description of it And he makes out withal how false and unlikely the Accusation brought in against the English was and confidently affirms that it was fram'd upon no other score than that they might have a pretence to put them to death seize into their own hands all the effects of the English Company and by that detestable imposture render themselves Masters of all the Trade of the Moluccoes Amboyna and Banda The same last-mention'd Author does in the same Book page 113. Relate another Story of a greater Cruelty which the Dutch exercis'd upon the English in the Island of Banda He says That the Dutch in order to their becoming Masters of that Island Massacred above Forty English-men and that after they had bound living Persons to dead Carkasses they cast them into the Sea and afterwards possess'd themselves of what they had which amounted to above Five and Twenty Thousand Pounds Sterling True it is that they are somewhat to blame who still reproach the Dutch with those two Actions and particularly with that of Amboyna since they have made a considerable satisfaction for it in the Treaty which was concluded between them and the Protectordome of England in the Year 1654. For the Parliament having enter'd into a War against them which amongst other pâ—etences had that of the Execution at Amboyna the Dutch gave the English several Millions of Guilders not simply to satisfie them for the damages they had caus'd them to suffer which could not have amounted to neer so great a Sum though they had taken away all the effects which they had in that Island and depriv'd them of the advantages they might have made by the Commerce of Thirty Years but also by way of Reparation for the Blood which they had Unjustly spilt and to blot out the remembrance of so barbarous an Action There would be a necessity of compiling a great Volume if it were my design to make a collection of all the Cruel Actions which the Dutch have committed in the Indies and elsewhere upon the pure interest of Commerce But I am apt to think that you will gladly spare me that Trouble and will think no doubt that I have said enough and haply too much upon a subâ—ect which is not divertive to you If then after a serious reflection upon what I have entertain'd you withal you find no abatement of the affection which you had for the Dutch I must acknowledg That your friendship does in steadiness and strength exceed that of any other person in the World And this gives some hopes that you will continue that part of it which you have promis'd me as I assure you of my ever remaining Reverend Sir Your c The Sixth LETTER Reverend Sir IT is no small affliction to me that I have given you an account of some things concerning the Dutch which certainly must have rais'd in you some disgust against me I am therefore out of a pure fear of feeding or augmenting it resolv'd to be very careful in waving to tell you any â—hing henceforward which may give you any perplexity in reference to them Nay I am willing to make you satisfaction for all I have already said to you I acknowledg therefore to humour you that the Dutch are as good Christians and as much of the true way of Reformation as you imagine them to be that is to say the best in the World Though it were so yet I do not think you have any reason to cry out Arms Arms as you do to excite and encourage all that are of the Reformed Persuasion in Europe to come in to their relief You know weâ—l enough that his most Christian Majesty is not engag'd in a War against them upon the matter of Religion but that the reason of his engaging in it was to chastize their ingratitutde to mortifie their violence and to teach them a new Lesson of paying him the respects they owe him and to keep within the bounds of modesty and reason Were it a War upon the score of Religion do you think that the one or the other Branch of the House of Austria that of Germany and that of Spain which are the natural Enemies of our Religion and which ever have been the cruel Persecutors of those who profess it would have openly undertaken the defence of the Dutch in this cause against the interests of the Catholick Religion of which they make it their oftentation That they are the Proâ—â—ctors and especially the King of Spain whom for that reason the Pope has honour'd with the Title of Catholick King But to shew you again how desirous I am to please you I will acknowledg also That this is a War of Religion Let us see whether it will turn to our advantage to raise an Army consisting only of men professing the true Reformed Religion and to bring it into the Servâ—ce of the Dutch Let us make a computation of all those who may be for us and of all those who in this case might be against us But I think it were better we never meddled with that troublesome discrimination which would only convince