their Protection to a Protestant-State against a Catholick Prince Had your Politicks been known in the World those Princes would not have become guilty of what you think a great crime That a King should defend a State professing a Religion different from his own against a Prince who is of the same Religion with him If this Maxim comes once to establish'd you may very well fear that the most Christian King having his Eves open'd by your illuminations and following your example may withdraw his Protection from Geneva that so he may avoid the Reproach which may be made to him of having succour'd a City of the Huguâ—not-Persuasion against a Prince of his own Religion From this you may also take this further measure That the implicite affection which you have for the Dutch does expose you as also the Protestant-Cantons and your Allies to an evident danger of not receiving any more assistance from his most Christian Majesty against a Catholick Prince or State If it should ever happen that you were concern'd in such a War the plausible pretence of Zeal for Religion would prove very prejudicial to you in depriving you of the Assistance of the most Christian King who certainly is the greatest or to say better the only Support and Refuge that you can have Your Injustice therefore and your Ingratitude are so much the greater in as much as you cannot deny but that France has many times openly given its Protection to the Protestants in opposition to the Catholicks You know That for a long time it assisted the Dutch against the King of Spain even before there was any open War between the Two Crowns You know also That France gave an Overt Protection to the Protestant-Princes of Germany against the Emperour who had already devested several of them of their Dominions and would under the pretence of Religion become Master of all Germany The late King Lewis XIII made an Alliance with the King of Swedâ—n against the House of Austria and got that Prince to come out of the remoter Parts of the North to oppose the Ambitious Designs of that House to raise up the oppressed Princes â—nd to defend the Liberty of the Empire After the Death of Gustavus Adolphus France did again joyn its Arms with those of his Successors and the Generals of that Great King in a continuance of its Protection to the Protestants and for the re establishing of those Princâ—s in their Territories who had been dispossess'd of them But on the contrary the House of Austria had the greatest part of its Alliancâ—s with the Catholicks against the Protestants 'T was upon this that the Adherents of the Emperour and the King of Spain took occasion to publish Libels against the most Christian King whom they accus'd of being a Protector of Hereticks and fighting for them against the Interests of the Catholick Religion And yet all those Accusations which were put up against France upon that score obstructed not its persisting in the stipulations it had made to its Allies and continuing its Protection to the Protestants against the Violence of the Emperour who endeavour'd to oppress them Nay the King of France is in a manner the only Catholick Prince who allows the Protestants the Exercise of their Religion in his Dominions whereas the King of Spain would never Tolerate in his the Exercise of any other Religion than the Catholick And the Emperour has forc'd all the Protestants out of his Hereditary Countries And both the Emperour and the King of Spain think it highly meritorious in the sight of God to be the irreconcileable Enemies and implacable Persecutors of those whom they call Hereticks In the mean Reverend Sir it appears by your deportment That lâ—t the Protestants be never so transcedently oblig'd to his most Christian Majesty they should so little mind it as that the only resentment they have should have no other object than the Calamities which the Dutch endure by the War wherein he is now engag'd against them Your Compassion is so great for their Misery that you think you have a dispensation to forget all the Kindnesses which the most Christian King hath done to those of the Reformed Religion and not so much as to reflect on those he may yet do you in giving you assistance against your Enemies In a word your Bowels do so yearn for those poor Brethren of yours the Dutch that provided their preservation be secur'd you do not much concern your self what may become of you and all those of the Reformed Religion You are so blindly infatuated upon this subject that provided you demonstrate your good Inclinations for the Dutch you seem to be indifferent that you are thought a bad Huguenot and most wretched Politician The Dutch certainly are the best Politicians in the World for things relating to Religion which they never made any other Use of then that of accommodating it to the Interests of State Nay they have alwaies been so little concern'd at the danger of those who profess'd the same Reformed Religion that they made no scruple at all of entring into a War for their destruction upon the pure score of Money Of which take this instance I think you need not be inform'd Reverend Sir how that the Dutch sent a certain number of Ships to the most Christian King for the reinforcing of his Fleet by which Rochell was then block'd up That was indeed a War upon the pure score of Religion in which the most Christian King was engag'd against his Subjects to get out of their hands the fortify'd places which they were possess'd of and would keep to secure the observance of the Edicts and the Exercise of their Religion All the whole party of the Reformed-Religion in France were afraid That as soon as the King should have taken Rochell he would abrogate the Edict of Nantes and absolutely take away the Exercise of the Calvinisticall Religion All the other Reformed Princes and States had the same apprehension insomuch that publick prayers were made in all parts for the preservation of Rochell as a City on which depended the safety of all those of the Reformed Religion in France They had the same thoughts in the Vnited Provinces and prayers were made to God in all Churches that he would be graciously pleaâ—d to preserve Rochell as the impregnable Fort of those of the Reformed Religion And yet the Dutch made no scruple of hiring out Ships for money to the then most Christian King to promote the Destruction of a City which according to the apprehensions of all the World was certainly to have consequent thereto that of our Reformed Religion and of all those who profess'd it in the Dominions of France Was there ever seen any example of so detestable an impiety That a State which makes a boast of being of the Reformation should have made no Conscience for money of contributing to the Ruine of a great People who make profession of the same Religion and that at
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
you Reverend Sir What Sâ—ntâ—ment you have of those Magistrates who are of Opinion That no Man ought to be troubled or molested upon the score of Religion and That all Christians ought to be tolerated whatever disagreeing Sentiments they may have upon that Account If â—here were some of them amongst you I do not beliâ—ve you would receive them into your Communion at least thus far I am assur'd Thâ—t according to your own Principles you ought not to receive them Hâ—w then can you be of a Persuasion That the Magistrates of the Vnited Netherlands are of the Reformed Religion properly so called when as if they were at Geneva or in Cantons you cannot admit them to communicate with you You know that Monsieur d' Huisseaâ— Pastor of the Church of Saumar was some years since depos'd and excommunicated by the Synod of the Province for the Book which he had publâ—sh'd for the Toleration and Re-Union of Christians Though I have read it yet cannot I call to mind all the Maxims whâ—ch he advances and maintains Mean time this I â—m assured of That he does not advise a greater Toleration of Christians than what the States-General do effectually grant Which is as much as to say That the Magistrates of these Countries have time out of mind practis'd that which that Minister has taught by the Book which he writ some years since If it be so I cannot imagine the Minister should be more in Fault than they are since he has offended only by his Writings and the Magistrates are effectual Offenders They have been the Doers of the Mischief and he has been but the Teacher of it and possibly induc'd thereto by their Example If you are of Opinion That the said Minister was justly and legally excommunicated you must certainly be guilty of a strange Partiality if you allow the Name of your good Brethren in Jesus Christ to the Magistrates of the Low-Countries who â—or those hundred years past have committed the Evil fâ—r which that Minister hath been excommunicated though he had not done it and but only approv'd the Doing of it If therefore you cannot own them for Brethren nor admit them to the participation of the Communion with you according to the Maxiâ—s of your own Religion and Discipâ—ines can it enter into your Belâ—â—f That the external Profession which they make of your Religion is sufficient to give him the denomination of being of it as well as you But if the Magistrates did acquit themselves of the Devoir whereto the Reformed Religion does particularly oblige Magistrates I should make no difficulty to grant them the Privilege of Attributing to the State which they govern the Name of the Religion which they profess I believe you will grant me That the Reformed Magistrates are after the Example of your Cantons oblig'd to obstruct the Establishment and publick Exercise of false Religions and the Magistrates themselves of the Low-Countries cannot be ignorant of what their own Confession of Faith review'd and approv'd by the Synod of Dort prescribes to them upon this occasion The xxxvi Article in which mention is made of Magistrates saies expressly That it is their Duty to remove Idolatry and the false service of God to endeavour the destruction of Antichrist and to advance the Kingdom of Jesus Christ I cannot imagine therefore that you should endeavour to maintain That the States-General do conscientiously acquit themselves of what they are olig'd to by their charge of Magistracy after what I have said to you of the Liberty and Indulgence they grant to so many different Sects which by their erroneous opinions subvert the principal Mystery of our own Religion If you consult your own Sentiments and those of your Collegues and of all your Ministers and if you follow the Practice of all your own Churches you are oblig'd to exclude out of your Communion all those Magistrates who give that Liberty to all sorts of Sects and Persuasions How then can you think that those Magistrates whom the Ordinances of your own Churches permit not to communicate with you can give the Name of your Religion to the State which they govern Nay there are some Magistrates at Amsterdam and Rotterdam two of the principal and most wealthy Cities of Holland who make a publick and open Profession of their being Arminians The Sieur Adrian Patius who is one of the Magistracy of Rotterdam is also an Arminian and his Religion hinders not his exercising the Charge of Ambassadour from the States-General at the Spanish Court where he at present is I know not whether he be of those of the Sect who do absolutely follow the Sentiments of the Socinians But if that person be a Socinian and in his Return from Spain should be in Humour to take his way through your Cantons I know not whether the worst that might happen to him would be a Denyal of Reception into your Communion Upon the Summing up therefore of all I have said to you I am apt to think that you cannot still have the same Opinion of the States-General and continue your calling them a Holy and sanctify'd Republick Could you represent to your self that strange party-colour'd Chequer-work of Religion which is to be seen in those Countries I should hardly believe that you could persist any longer in the good Sentiments you have for this State I am ready to acknowledg That the Protestants are oblig'd to it for the liberty they have to live there without any fear in the exercise of Religion But are not all sorts of Hereticks equally oblig'd to it for the liberty they have to live there quietly in the exercise of their Religions If this State has been a Sanctuary to those of the Reformation all Hereticks have also found refuge there as well as the others In the General Diet held in Poland in the Year 1658. it was Order'd by a Publick Decree That all the Socinians who were very numerous in that Country and had their Principal Seat there should be sent away thence and that after some time allow'd them for the disposal of their Estates they were to be for ever banish'd thence The States-General did charitably receive all those amongst them who took refuge in this Country and it is particularly since that time that they have notoriously increas'd and multiply'd If this State be the School of the Reformed Party it is in like manner the School the Damme and the Nursery of all Hereticks Nay I am in some suspense whether it may not be justly maintain'd That Christian Religion has receiv'd more detriment than advantage by the establishment of this State And possibly for the same interest of Christian Religion there will be a greater obligation to wish its ruine then its wellfare It will be a very hard matter to persuade you to this since you are of Opinion That the Republick of the Vnited Provinces is a most-Christian State and one of the most Reform'd even amongst Christians I know not whether
us of the weakness of our little Flock and discover the great number of Enemies whom we should have to do withal I am satisfy'd That a great number of good Soldiers might be got out of your Canton and the other Protestant Cantons But I humbly conceive you will not be offended if I tell you That if Jesus Christ himself were upon Earth and had occasion for the assistance of your Forces you would not let him have any unless he would be sure to see you well paid for them and that he should not prevail so far with you as that for his sake you would abolish the Proverb which you have brâ—ught into Vogue Point dâ—argent point de Suisse Mo Money no Swisse or as the English Saying has it 'T is Money makes the Mare to go And that it thus happen'd is well known when the Chimerical Ambassador of the Dutch had under-hand sollicited your Cantons and had afterwards been admitted into your Assembly Conjuring and beseeching you by the love you ought to have for your dear Brethren not to abandon them in their Necessities and to maintain their Cause which was that of Jesus Christ You know very well that all he could get of you in your Diet was That you had resolved one should be assembled for their sakes that you would spare some few repâ—sts observe a Fast and pray for their Preservation and Prosperity That if it were a Warre upon the score of Religion whatever Zeal you might have for ours the Catholick Cantons having no less â—or theirs we should find more Soldiers running out of the Catholick Cantons to maintain the Party of their Religion than there wâ—uld be Protestants ready to defend the Interests of ours And as to the quality of the Soldiers of Swisserland if a computation may bâ— made of it by the Success of two Wars one wherâ—oâ— you had about 140 years ago and the other about 18 yâ—â—rs since I am conâ—ident you cannot deny but that the Catholick Soldiers are much better than all those of your Protestant Cantons Nay the Catholicks would have this advantage that their Pay would easily come out of the Exchequers of Kings and Princes if the Dispute were about the defence of their Religion Whereas yours not finding any Protestant-Prince who were able to bear the charge of them should be forc'd to keep in your own Country and content themselves with the making of Vows for the preservation of our Religion Nay I do not think that all the Princes or States of the Reformed Religion in Europe would be able all together and do their utmost to keep up an Army of Ten Thousand men when the safety of our Religion lay at stake I do not speak of the Lutherans because the greatest part amongst them have such an animosity against us as loudly to affirm That they would rather enter into the Communion of the Catholicks than into Ours If again on the other side you consider how many Kings Sovereign Princes Republicks and States there are in Europe who all profess the Romish Religion you may all imagine That as we are but a small handful in comparison of them so there is not any likelihood that we should be able to resist them if they were once engag'd in a War against us Nay if it were an open and declar'd War upon the account of Religion you would soon find the Emperour and the King of Spain deserting the party of the Dutch and siding with that of their own Religion The Catholicks have yet another most considerable advantage which would extreamly corroboratâ— their Party against ours They have the Pope whom they all acknowledg to be the visible Head of the Church upon Earth who reunites them all for their Common Interest and would with much more Zeal publish a Croisado against us then ever he did any against the Turks And indeed he has reason to have a greater animosity against us than against all the unbelieving people in the World As he pretends to be the Spiritual Head of all Christians so he considers those who do not acknowledg him as revolted Subjects and Rebels to his Empire whereas he looks on the Turks and Heathens as Strangers who are out of his Jurisdiction and not within the extent of his Superintendency And as a King is more incens'd against his Subjects who have revolted from the obedience they owe him then against forreign Enemies who are not within the Verge of his Dominions So the Pope suffers the Jews in his Territories and would never permit any of the Reformed Persuasion to harbour in them His Pontifical Dignity will not suffer him ever to be reconcil'd to those who directly shock the authority which he pretends to have over all Christians You may see by this the great danger into which those of our Religion would be reduc'd if your Zeal could enflame them so far as to make a Party in favour of the Dutch Nay I leave it to your own Judgment whether it is any fault of yours if your inconsiderate Zeal has not excited the Catholicks to fall upon those of our Reformed Religion in those places where they lye expos'd to their mercy and that they have not made it their business to exterminate them But if your Zeal without Knowledg be injurious to all those of the Reformed Religion in general it is also very prejudicial to all your own Protestant-Cantons and to your Allies in particular Assoon as ever you saw the first breaking out of this War You your self Reverend Sir in the City of Berne and all your Ministers within the Extent of your Government were continually cajoling the people by their Seditious Sermons to make an Insurrection against those of your Magistrates who had given their judgment That there should be a Regiment of men granted to the most Christian King out of your Canton If men would have believ'd you and all the Ministers of your Country-Villages it must have been accounted a very horrid Crime in you to suffer your Soldiers to be employ'd in a War against your beloved Brethren in Jesus Christ the Dutch 'T was this gave occasion to your Magistrate distracted by your Pulpit-bawling and by the clamours of the multitude whom you had inflam'd into an Insurrection to write unseasonable Letters upon Letters to the Officers of your Regiment fraught with terrible menaces if they sâ—rv'd in this War against the Vnited Provinces Nay you thought it not enough to put in a Charge against your own Canton upon the account of its having granted Forces to his most Christian Majesty and his not preventing their being employ'd against the Dutch but you must also Panegyrically celebrate the Cantons of Zurick and Schaffouse for their refusal to give him any I cannot comprehend any reason you should have to name Schaffouse which being a poor little Canton has but one half-Company in the Service but a hands-breadth of ground within its Jurisdiction and can raise but Two Companies at the most
time That the said authority belong'd to them of Right upon the score of their merit that of their birth that of the great Estates they were possess'd of and that of the Services they had done the State The Ecclesiastical party were most highly disgusted upon this account That their Abbeys their Priories and their Benefices were to be abolished for the Raising of a Revenue for the new Bishopricks which had been erected as also for that they had set over them certain Persons who devour'd their annual profits and who censur'd their Conduct and their Manners To which they added another grievance That according to the decisions of the most learned Lawyers of the Country it was an impiâ—ty to convert the Goods of Ecclesiastical Persons to any other Use than that whereto they had been design'd by the Wills of those who had made the donations of them The Magistrates of Cities and Corporations made their Complaint That they had deny'd audience to the States who had desir'd a free Assembly that there might be a common consultation about the remedy most likely to promote the remedying of their grievances and that there had been new and insupportable impositions laid upon them not only without the Consent of the Estates but also in spight of their opposition The ordinary People loudly declar'd That the King of Spain would have abolish'd the ancient form of their Government to the subversion of their Lawes and Customes that he might thereby introduce a Tyrannical dominion like that which he made Use of for the Government of some Kingdomes of Spain that of Naples and the Indies In a word the Grandees the Ecclesiasticks the Magistracy and the common sort of People had all a particular occasion of discontent but they had also one which was common to them all Above all things they had an extream horror for the Inquisition which had been establish'd amongst them out of a Fear that under pretence of Religion some design might be carried on against the Liberties and Estates of all It was for the same reason that the Inhabitants of the Kingdom of Naples and of the Dutchy of Milan would not endure the establishment of the Inquisition amongst them though neither of those two Countries ever had any design to desert the doctrine and Worship of the Roman-Catholick Religion Most part of the Inhabitants of the Low-Countries were at the beginning strongly inclin'd to the profession of the ancient Religion and yet they could not endure that any man should be put to death upon the score of any Religion whatsoever And though that cruelty gave them not any occasion of Fear for themselves yet did it however raise in them a compassion for their fellow-Citizens Howe're it were whether out of pity to others or by way of precaution for themselves those People who were extremely jealous of their liberty and for the conservation of their Lawes and Customes which at best are but Temporal things contributory to the conveniences of the present life could yet much less endure to be depriv'd of the Spiritual things which relaâ—e to the service of God and eternal Salvation In the year 1566. The greatest Lords of the Country and several Gentlemen considerable upon the score of their extraction of whom most were Catholicks entred into an Alliance for the preservation of their municipal Laws and for the abrogation of the sanguinary Edicts which had been made for the Establishment of the Inquisition In pursuance of this first Treaty of union was it that they presented to Margaret then Governess of the Law-Countries that famous Petition which occasion'd the first insurrections and which procur'd them the denomination of Beggars which was then given them and which they could not get off for a long time After the Treaty of Gaunt all the Catholick Provinces save only that of Luxemburg enter'd into an Alliance with those which were already confederated for the security of their Lawes their Privileges and their Liberty The Alliance of Union and Armes which they had contracted against the Spaniards was immediately publish'd in Brussels and confirm'd by the solemn Oaths of the Clergy the Nobility the Gentry the People and of the Senate it self In the year 1578. The Estates as well of the Roman-Catholick Religion as of the Reformed Persuasion being assembled at the Hague did unanimously declare That King Philip was devested of the Principality of the Low-Countries In the year 1579. The Estates being assembled at Vtrecht made a new Union from which they took the name of the Vnited Provinces And in the 13 th Article of that Treaty it is expresly order'd That every man shall be allow'd the liberty of Religion without any trouble of persecution to any one upon that occasion All these Treaties of Alliance which the Provinces as well Catholick as Protestant had made together for their mutual defence against the Spaniards make it evidently appear That the design of Establishing a new Religion was neither the ground nor motive thereof Prince William himself in his Declarations and Apologies did alwaies openly protest as did also the States in theirs That they had not taken up armes for Religion and that the Provinces had not united in order to the profession of any one particular Religion So far was it from this that it is certain all the Treaties as that of Gaunt and the Union of Vtrecht all the Declarations of the Arch-Duke Matthias and of the Duke of Anjou do loudly establish the free Exercise of all Religions and in express terms forbid the Disturbing and Persecuting of any man upon that occasion In the mean time though they had not at the beginning any reflection by way of conscientious motive for the having of any one publick Religion yet could they not forbear establishing it afterwards out of a pure interest of State The Inhabitants of the Low-Countriâ—â— having then in a manner quite shaken off the yoke of Obedience to the Magistrates that juncture of time seem'd wonderfully fit for the Establishment of new Religions About thirty or forty years before men had seen budding out afresh in Germany the opinions of John Hus in England those of Wickliff and in France those of the Waldenses All these different doctrines were much about the same time spread up and down amongst the Belgians The Prince of Orange having got out of Germany and France some of the Disciples of Luther and Calvin where their Religions were already establish'd order'd them to Preach in the Low-Countries by the means of those new Doctors But he himself persisted in a publick profession of the Roman Religion and was unwilling in the Principality of Oranâ—e to permit the Exercise of our Reformed Religion which was otherwise well establish'd in France But as he had his Prospects at a great distance he either under-hand or openly when he thought it most convenient countenancâ—d or conniv'd at all the Assemblies which the People made for the Exercise of all the New Religions which were
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
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
denomination of Seekers It is the acknowledgment of these people That there is one true Religion which Jesus Christ has brought us from Heaven and which he has reveal'd to us in his Word but they maintain withal That that true Religion of Jesus Christ which we ought to profess in order to the attainment of Salvation is not any one of those Religions which are Establish'd amongst Christians They have some particular exception to make against every one of those Religions and they condemn them all in general In a word They have not pitch'd upon any one determinate Religion as being still concern'd upon the Seeking account They read and meditate the Holy Scriptures with great attention They pray to God with a fervent Zeal That he would illuminate them in the knowledg of that Religion which they ought to embrace in order to the serving of him according to his Will and for the acquest of that everlasting Felicity which he has promis'd his Children I should not think that I have given you an account of all the Religions and Persuasions of this Country if I should omit the saying of a word or two of an Illustrious and Learned man who as I have beâ—n assur'd has a great number of Followers and those such as keep closely to his Sentiments He is a man by birth a Jew whose name is Spinosa one that has not abjur'd the Religion of the Jews nor embrac'd the Christian Religion So that he continues still a most wicked Jew and has not the least tincture of Christianity Some Years since he put forth a Book entituled Tractatus Theologo-Politicus wherein his principal design is to destroy all Religions and particularly the Jewish and the Christian and to introduce Atheisme Libertinisme and the free Toleration of all Religions He maintains That they were all invented for the advantage and conveniences which the Publick receives thereby to the end that all persons subject to Government may live honestly and obey their Magistrates and that they may addict themselves to Virtue not out of the hope or expectation of any reward after death but for the intrinsick excellency of Virtue in it self and for the advantages which accrue to those who follow it in this life He doâ—s not in that Book make an open discovery of the opinion which he has of the Divinity but he does however so far insinuate it as that we may guess at his meaning whereas in his Discourses he boldly affirms That God is not a Being endow'd with Intelligence Infinitely-Perfect and Blissful as we imagine him to be but that he is not any thing else but that Virtue of Nature which is diffus'd into all the Creatures This Spinosa is now living in this Country His Residence was for some time at the Hague where he was visited by the Virtuosi and all others who pretended to more then ordinary Curiosity nay by some young Ladies of Quality who pride themselves in being more ingenious then is requisite for their Sex His followers are somewhat cautious in discovering themselves because his Book before-mention'd does absolutely subvert the very Foundations of all Religions and has been condemn'd by a publick Edict of the States-General and a prohibition put upon the Sale of it and yet it is publickly Sold. Amongst all the Divines of whom there is a great number in this Country there has not stood up any one that has presum'd to write against the opinions which this Author advances in the afore-said Treatise And I am the more surpriz'd thereat for this reason that the Author making a discovery of his great knowledg of the Hebrew Tongue as also of all the Ceremonies of the Jewish Religion of all the Customs of the Jews and of the Heathenish Philosophy the Divines of the Reformation cannot say but that the Book does well deserve that they should take the pains to refute it For if they still continue silent men cannot forbear affirming that either they are defective in point of Charity in suffering so pernicious a Book to be scatter'd up and down without any Answer thereto or that they approve the Sentiments of that Author or that they have not the courage and abilities to oppose them And thus Reverend Sir have I given you an acccount of the different Sects of Christians which are in this Country and which have all in a manner the freedom of Exercising the Religions which they profess I leave you to make thereupon what reflections you shall think fit It will be no hard matter for me to deduce from this diversity of Sects such convincing Reasons as shall prove what I have before advanced to wit That the States-General are not of our Reformed Religion In the first place it cannot be affirmed that this State is of the Reformed Religion upon the score of the number of those who make profession of it For though it cannot be precisely known what number there are of persons professing the Calvinistical way of Reformation which is commonly called the Reformed Religion in these Provinces yet this is still out of all question That the number of those who are not of it is incomparably greater than that of those who do profess it Having thereupon consulted some of the Inhabitants they have assur'd me That there may be a Tripartite Division made of the people of these Provinces and that the three parts may be something towards an equality The one is of the Reformed Religion another of the Roman-Catholicks and the third of the Sectaries I should never have thought that the number of the Roman-Catholicks had been so great It is certain that a considerable part of the Inhabitants of Great Cities and the greatest part of those of the Campaigne and of the Boors of that Country are Roman-Catholicks and there are assuredly at least as many of those of the Reformed Religion And if we put together all the Sectaries they also doubtless make up a third part of the Inhabitants of these Provinces If therefore the Domination and the Denomination ought to be deduc'd from the greatest part those of the Reformed Religion being at most but a third part of the people of this Country cannot give the whole State the Denomination of being of the Reformed Religion It cannot therefore be such upon any other account than this that our Reformed Religion has been Establish'd and the others forbidden by the publick Edict before-mentioned It might indeed be granted that it deserv'd that name if that Ordinance had been put in execution but that having not been executed the name cannot be justly given it But that being a matter requiring much discussion I shall wave it at this time and make it the subject of my next to you and so I shall make no addition to this save only that of assuring you of my being Reverend Sir Your most humble c. Vtrecht May 7 th 1673. The Fourth LETTER Reverend Sir YOu have observ'd in my first Letter That the States-Generall have always
given Liberty of Conscience to all sorts of persons and allow'd the publick exercise in a manner of all Religions You thereby find that they never executed the Ordinance which they made in the Year 1583. to wit That no any Religion should be thenceforwards receiv'd nor the exercise of any other be permitted then that which was publickly taught in the Seven Provinces and which is the Reformed Religion It will be no hard matter for me to prove to you thereby That what external profession soever the Vnited Provinces have hitherto made of the Reformed Religion if we search the business to the bottom it will appear that they neither are nor ever were of it While the free exercise of all Religions was permitted by all the publick Decrees you will certainly acknowledg That then the States were not yet of our Reformed way of Religion For if you make this conclusion That these Provinces were at that time of our Religion because there was a publick profession of our Religion made in them I shall with the same reason make this That they were Catholicks Lutherans and Anabaptists because at that time there was a publick Profession made in them of all those Religions Let us therefore examine what Ordinances these Provinces made afterwards which might give them the name which they are so desirous to have of our Reformed Religion I have told you heretofore That it was in the Year 1572. that our Reformed way of Religion such as it was taught at Geneva in your Cantons and in the Palatinate of the Rhine was receiv'd in these Provinces for the only publick Religion But the very Ordinance which establish'd our Religion to be the publick Religion Did also openly confirm the Liberty of Conscience of all sorts of Religions with an express prohibition for the Disturbing or Molesting of any Person whatsoever upon that account The difference there upon this Score between the States-General and all the other Estates of our Reformed Religion was so great that I cannot imagine you should think the one and the others to be of the same Religion The Vnited Provinces had ordain'd it by a publick Decree That the free Exercise of all Relâ—gions should be permitted The Elector Palatine the City of Geneva and your Cantons did not in any part of their Territories permit the Exercise of any Religion ever so little different from ours I question not but that you know the Elector-Palatine did at the beginning follow the Confession of Auxbourg which was received in all his Dominions and that since that time having embrac'd our Reformed way of Religion and having estâ—blish'd it in his Country he order'd all the Lutherans who would not make profession thereof to depart out of it It is doubtless no small trouble to the Elector of Brandenbourg to see that most of his Subjâ—cts are Lutherans that there are many of them Catholicks and but very few of the Calvinistical reformed way of Religion But as you know it is not above sixty years since that Electoral House began to make profession of our Reformed Religion yet so that he could not oblige his Subjects either his embrace the same or to quit that which they had profess'd for a long time before John Sigismond who died in the Year 1619. and was Grandfather to the Elector now reigning was the first Renouncer of the Lutherane Religion which he and some of the Ancestors had till then profâ—ss'd and first the Profession of our Reformed way He publish'd a Confession of Faith in the Year 1614. In the Preface of it he saies That it was about eighty Years since Joakim he Second had renounced the Ceremonies of the Roman Church But that having retain'd a Doctrâ—ne upon the Point of the Eucharist which was not conformable to the Truth and some other things in the Temples which were not allowable he had apply'd himself to the correcting of all Abuses in order to a full and perfect Reformation And yet the greatest part of his Subjects having near fourscore years before embrac'd the Lutherane Religion he was so far from obliging them to quit it and to embrace the Profession of ours that in many parts of his Territories nay even at Berlin it self which is the principal City of his Residence he has not the Liberty of having the particular Exercise of our Relâ—gion for any but himself and those of his Houshold No doubt but he wishes that he could follow the example of other Estates who do profess it in not permitting the Exercise of any oâ—her in all his Dominions There is not any necessity of my telling you That there never was either at Geneva or in your Cantons any permission I do not say of the Exercise of our Religion but even of Habitation for those whose profess a Religion different from ours That being so I assure my self of your being persuaded that one and the same Religion cannot inspire those who profess it with sentiments that are contradictory and with an absolutely opposite Conduct and deportment There may be some in the World who would say That interest of State obliged the Palatinate the City of Geneva and your Cantons to proceed one way and that the same interest of State obliges the Vnited Prvinces to take a quite different Course in the same case and upon the same Oceasion But I do not imagine that you approve that strange Maxim of some Politicians who accommodate Religion to the Interest of State and I hope you will acknowledge that they who do so have not any at all At the very time that our Religion was establish'd by a publick Decree Liberty of Conscience was also solemnly confirm'd by the Union of Vtrecht Nay it is expressly granted That as to matter of Religion Every Seignory or Province should make such regulation as it thought fit according to its own customes It is therefore manifest That the united Provinces cannot be said to be of the Reformed Religion according to the Calvinistical way but only from that time and by Reason of the Regulation which they made in the Year 1583. But if as I think I have evidently made it appear the States have no other ground than that from which they may have the demonination of being of the Reformed Religion methinks I shall without much ado make it further appear to you that they have not any at all If then the Decree they made by which it was expressly ordained That there should not be the permission of any Religion amongst them but of ours only does justly give them the Name of a State of that Reformed Religion the continual Conduct which they have hitherto observ'd in a constant Practice of what is quite contrary to the Ordinance does if I mistake not deprive them of the Name which they pretended to by its Establishment I do not think Sir that you will undertake to maintain That for a State to be of our Reformed Religion it needs do no more than make a Decree by