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A90933 The next way to France: or, A short dialogue between two zealous well-wishers for the advancement of the kingdom of Christ; viz. H. P. and B. G. H. P.; B. G. 1651 (1651) Wing P32; Thomason E645_8; ESTC R208804 4,839 8

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The next way to FRANCE OR A SHORT DIALOGUE BETWEEN Two zealous well-wishers for the advancement OF The Kingdom of CHRIST Viz. H. P. and B. G. LONDON Printed for GILES CALVERT at the black Spread-Eagle at the West-end of Pauls 1651. The next way to France OR A short Dialogue c. H. P. FRriend what sayest thou from abroad B. G. That it 's conceived to be a convenient time for to put life and vigour into those of the Reformed Religion that thereby they might endeavour to recover themselves H. P. Why do they not lay hold on the present occasion to joyn with the Prince of Condé that so by his means they may regain their Sixscore Towns of security which they formerly lost as well as their Three hundred thousand crowns yeerly Revenue and their places of Judicature to boot B. G. As they lost them for having sided with this Prince of Condé's father who after that he had attained unto his own ends left them at the French King's mercy to make the best Composition they could for themselves at the Treaty of Loudun so may you rest assured that those of the Reformed Religion will never venture to take up Arms against their King in the behalf of any party of their own Nation nor in respect of any Forraigners whatsoever except for such who minde the propagation of the Gospel of Christ who intend to knock at Rome's gates and who will not for any worldly respects abandon them H. P. Do you conceive that their hopes were well fix'd and that they were well secured whenas the Duke of Soubize was wafted towards Rochel and Ré by the late Duke of Buckingham Think you not that it was a like business to that of Anthony King of Portugal whenas he was conducted towards Lisbon by the Earl of Essex B. G. Those of Rochel made Sir William Beecher attend half a day at their gates before they would admit him for that they were not well assured of the reality of that good which was pretended unto them as then nor did there so much as one man of those of the Reformed Religion budge after the descent at the Isle of Ré for that none of them as aforesaid will in the least enter into any League with whatsoever parties unless they be qualified as above-said such who shall have assured them by such persons as may be confided in on the profession of true Christianity that they will go thorow-stitch with the propagation of the Gospel's purity who will not cease till they have knockt at Rome's gates and who shall appear in their own persons amongst them H. P. As then whatsoever may be conceived of a possibility of their stirring at present or of their siding with the Prince of Condé must even pass for fair nights dreams as well as their bruited reflecting on the present proceedings in England and Scotland and on him who appears to be the great Joshua of Britain who as wise men do conceive ought to be sought unto for did not those of Rochel send a very considerable number of their select members unto King James as well as unto the late King And did not the States of the United Provinces send their great Barnavelt with two more of their Deputies to seek unto Queen Elizabeth B. G. Nay did not Henry the Fourth of France send unto her And doth not the Paper-room at White-hall contain one of his Letters bearing these very words My sister my sister if you would have opened your coffers your brother Henry would not have been constrained to go to Mass This was a King put to great straights by a Spanish League But in case the Common-wealth of England should deem fitting to minde the preservation of those of the Reformed Religion in France you will finde it altogether necessary to put them secretly into a strong and assured hope thereof and of the abetting of them and to insinuate the same unto them by such as could waft even from their bosomes to the Prince of Condé and his Party their longing desires to see him prosper As then that Prince and his party would not run the danger of being gained by Titles and Treasures but would stick close unto his first resolutions and principles whereby he would continue to cut out work for the Parasites and Sejanus's of that Court to pick their teeths withal H. P. It were no hard task to feed the ears of some of the French Reformed Preachers with fair hopes and also those who may serve as Interlopers B. G. Take my word for it nothing so much hath been the overthrow of that Cause as such ear-feedings and the over-prodigalities of promised fair hopes for that we finde by experience how that at the greatest Assembly that ever was held of those of the Reformed Religion in France at which several Dukes Marquesses Barons and an infinite number of such as were thought to be the very Pillars of the Church assisted even as then Five and twenty of them fell off at a clap and deserted the rest insomuch as that they were then called in French Le meschant quartron for that they had betrayed the whole party In the same manner the most part of all those who during these later Ages were employed by the French to negotiate with their Neighbours did also betray their parties as well such as were intrusted to treat for those of the Reformed Religion as those who were to treat for the Romane Catholikes and likewise those which were employed by the discontented Princes Finally those who treated for the late Queen-mother of France and for the present Duke of Orleans during their exiles served them no better H. P. By the matter as then I perceive that there is little account to be made of those giddy-brain'd and perfidiously-given men who are so much addicted to Whimsies and Romances And should the Lord's work which solely depends on his providence be intrusted to such Bunglers it would surely be but in a desperate condition You see how marvelously it hath thus far prospered by the attendance of the Almighty's providence by those who have fought under the Banners of Christ in this Land True it is that weak and earthen vessels are oftentimes employed in the refining of Gold even in the most violent fires B. G. The same Lord who hath been pleased to bless the proceedings at home may also do the like in their endeavours to heed those occasions which are requisite to be reflected on from abroad and may make them so successful as that they shall not run the hazard or need to apprehend the being foiled by the weakness and inconstancie of others And doubtless there may be a great deal of good done Providence being the Leader if so be these present occasions were heeded for that thereby sundry mischiefs which are like to ensue might be prevented The good which is to be done might be promoted on the true Principles of Conscience and Religion So likewise the preventing
of the evil which is apprehended may be carried on on the Principles of Self-charity and Justice H. P. I doubt not but that you are able to prove what you say B. G. Why truly I can do it to the purpose for that you must of necessity grant how that God himself divided the speech of those who went about to build the Tower of Babel He caused the Midianites to fight against their brethren in Gideon's days He sent a spirit of dissention between Abimelech and the Sichemites for that he would destroy both the one and the other He suffered a lying spirit to act by the mouth of his own Prophets for to bring Ahab to a fall in Ramoth-Gilead He permitted Samson to fire the foxes tails to set them on to do mischief Paul himself raised a difference between the Sadduces and the Pharisees that so he might work his own deliverance In the like manner it 's void of all doubt that the Publike Good may be endeavoured with a very safe conscience although it should be effected by the causing of a confusion amongst men yea although they were neighbours especially such who should they be left at liberty would sheathe their swords in our own bowels whenas in case they be prevented therein the truth of the Gospel may thereby have a free passage and so consequently the Kingdom of Christ may be advanced which is the main thing to be minded As for the accessory results of such an Undertaking it must needs be granted that it cannot chuse but be a great advantage for any State to cut out work amongst its neighbours abroad that so it may have rest at home a Maxime which in all times hath been held void of all dispute and the which hath swayed amidst all men not onely those of the first Age and the second or during the times that Hannibal left Carthage to war on the Romanes or whenas the Athenians and Thebans bestirred themselves to puzzle the Spartans but even in these later Ages in our grandfathers and fathers days the particulars whereof may be as yet fresh in our memories viz. How that in Philip the second King of Spain's Reign the French King's the Emperour's Queen Elizabeth of England the King of Denmark's the Swedes nay and amidst the States General of the Low-Countries the same hath been found to be a necessary course and an usual practice whereunto the said King Philip the second had so much accustomed himself viz. to minde and endeavour the embroyling and setting by the ears together of all the other Christian Princes as that the several inhabitants of Europe were at length constrained to imitate him therein though not to the same extension of their consciences as he did especially whenas his extreme passion illimitated ambition and cruel fire-brands moved him to see all his neighbours on fire nay he endeavoured to have made use of Henry the Fourth of Navar as then of the Reformed Religion to make war against the French King Henry the Third when at the self-same time the said King Philip the second made an agreement with the Infidel Muley Malucco It may therefore without any further allegations or examples be maintained that those who do not much differ in the point of Religion from those of the Reformed Religion in France may lawfully use all plausible means to back and abet them in the advancing of the Kingdom of Christ and in their opposing of that Faction which meaneth nought save destruction unto the Britains and so interrupt them in their running alongst on the Lords providence Thus I have made good the goodness justness necessity and plausibleness of the Undertaking H. P. But as now pray resolve me concerning the apprehended mischiefs which may ensue if so be this present occasion be not heeded B. G. Hereunto I answer That as there is nothing so inconstant as a French-man's spirit so is there nothing so furious in its resentments As for instance the Flemings can very well determinate whether the French furies and massacres were not far more violent and outrageous then the Spanish although it cannot be denied but that the French will also passionately love and befriend where once they are engaged All which infers how that there is nothing so apparent as that in case the discontented French Princes should perceive that neither those of the Reformed Religion in France nor themselves when once engaged could expect to be countenanced abetted and back'd they would as then with the more violence hasten to patch up their own domestick Jars at any rates as also their forraign Wars with Spain which if they should once compass what can there then be expected but that they would all together joyn their malice and forces towards the impediting of the Britains their designe and so unanimously proceed to the troubling of the English Seas So hath it likewise ever been accounted for an infallible truth that though the French Nation be excessively inconstant ready and capable at each turning of the winde to embroil one another and to commit most egregious oversights so are they as ready and capable to piece up their own differences again and to finde out Expedients to salve over their faults Moreover as they are more violent then any other Nations in the hatching of mischiefs against those with whom they fall foul being as Cesar observes at their first onset more then men so likewise are they easily pacified and soon reconciled Wherefore my conclusion thereon is no other then this Viz. That although Divine Providence steers all things on its own score yet that there is an obligation which may very well to observe and to make good and that same seems at present to be in season to wit That a fair civil and hopeful demonstration might be made of Amity and countenance unto those of the Reformed Religion in France and unto the discontented Princes whenas this following truth will not admit of any gainsaying viz. How that both of them do conceive that they have sufficiently exprest their meanings thereon H. P. By what I pray B. G. By that which I have instanced on to shew and to unfold so that if you heed it not it must needs lie at your own door And the which is the less to be excused for that in two yeers time the said Particular could not so much as be permitted to be represented nor was there so much as any notice taken That the same was grounded on Credentials whereon it was to have been manifested Besides men have not Letters Patents for their lives durance nor can it be expected that whenas Parties do not meet with the least encouragement at all for the heeding of their Overtures in fit time they should as then expect any better success on their Proffers then those who sowe seeds on Ice or Snow FINIS Octob. 17. Anno 1651.