Intendants and to so many Eye-Witnesses as we have upon the respective Places We cannot insist any longer on such sad and doleful Particulars and therefore we have but just touched upon them but this short glance is enough for our purpose to stir up the Compassion of all Protestants Now the Compassion we desire is not such as consists in Words and Complaints much less in Expressions as evaporate only in Reproaches and have no real Effect 'T is properly Assistance and Relief we beg for the Afflicted Church and that not for the French Church only but also for all the Protestant Churches of Europe which are now more fiercely attack'd than ever they have been since the Reformation No sooner were they born but there was a Conspiracy to stiffle them in the Cradle and in order thereto the Antichristian Rome became every where a Boutefeu increased the Cruelties of the Inquisition set up Gibbets kindled Fires in Spain Germany England and France many Rivers of Blood and many horrid Massacres in France and in the Netherlands under the Reigns of Francis I. Hâ—nry II. Charles IX and Henry III. all French Kings and of Philip II. King of Spain In the beginning of this Age the Protestant Church sound some protection and enjoyed some ease whereby she recovered strength but we must also confess that she degenerated very much during the time of her tranquility God Almighty therefore being justly provoked by our Iniquities and Contempt of his Truth hath about the middle of this last Age raised up three Princes great Persecutors of his Church viz. Leopold Emperor of Germany and King of Hungaria Lewis the XIV and James the II. There is no question to be made but that the destruction of the Protestant Church was resolved upon by these three Princes The natural and we may say irreconcilable Enmity between the two Families of France and Austria is no hindrance to such an Agreement because Popery hath contrived a way for its own preservation which no other Religion can have and the Protestants are wholly deprived of that is the Bishop of Rome the Center of a Temporal Union The several and distinct parts united to that Center need not hold any Correspondence to adjust their Designs they are joined to a common Head and have nothing else to do but to follow its Motions even at that very time when they are the most divided by their Temporal Interests The Emperor began the Persecution He put the Churches of Hungaria and Silesia to incredible Sufferings The Publick hath seen the History of that Persecution and chiefly the Relation of the Calamities of those Glorious Confessors who were sent to the Galleys of Naples and released by the means of the Dutch Lewis the XIV immediately after the Pyrenâ—an Treaty formed the Design of rooting the Protestant Religion out of his Dominions This Undertaking he durst not attempt during the Life of Cromwell who was indeed an Usurper and a Parricide too if you will but who for all that perfectly understood that the true Interest of England and of the Rulers of it consisted in becoming the Head and Protectors of all the Protestants in Europe This was his Masterpiece of Policy whereby be kept all Europe in awe After his Death Charles the II. was re-established on the Throne of his Ancestors This Prince being Educated by a Popish Mother in Popish Courts was in his youth prepossessed against the Protestant Relâ—gion and many Heresies increased in his Reign James the II. succeeded him and it was chiefly between this Prince and the French King that the Measures for the ruine of the Protestant Religion were concerted No sooner did the French Court see him on the Throne but she resolved to give the fatal Blow K. Charles died in February and K. James was at the same time proclaimed King His Advancement to the Crown was more firmly Establish'd by the Death of the Duke of Monmouth in England and that of the Earl of Argyle in Scotland The Edict of Nantes was recall'd in October the same year and every body knows what hath been done since King James though he was influenced by the same Jesuitical Spirit which swayed in both Courts could not however go on so fast as Lewis the XIV and yet nevertheless he had in three years time promoted his Religion more than Lewis had in thirty five when unexpectedly it pleased God Almighty by a Revolution which surprised all Europe to advance William the III. to the Throne of England and by that means to make the greatest part of the Designs of that Antichristian League to prove abortive These short and cursory Observations have no other Aim but to make the Protestant Princes sensible that there is a Plot on foot for their ruine The last Treaty of Peace with the Emperor confirms this truth for by a mutual Agreement with the Emperor's Plenipotentiaries they have inserted an Article whereby the Protestant Princes of Germany are deprived of the Authority of regulating Ecclesiastical Affairs in their own Dominions which had been formerly granted them by the Peace of Passaw and the Treaty of Osnabruck Nay they are constrained to tolerate the Publick Service of the Romish Religion in all the Countreys lately conquered and now restored by France True it is that these Protestant Princes have opposed it but their Oppositions are but bare Protestations which will always prove insignificant if not supported by other Means more effectual The Popish League will every day get strength and the Protestant Party decline now in one place now in another and shall we stand still unconcerned and see to the reproach of our Profession the ruine of the only pure Christianity which hath cost us the best of our Blood If they do not awake and exert themselves in the present Circumstances the Wrath of God will not fail to awake against so heinous a Neglect We will not presume to prescribe the Means proper to prevent the Consequence of the League since they are obvious to every body It will be enough for us to say that it is high time to think on 't and that e're it be long the Disease will be past Remedy The great Revolution in Europe which now seems near at hand by the Death of a King leaving no Issue to succeed him in his vast Dominions will give a fair opportunity to take the fittest Measures for the Preservation of the Protestant Religion For whilst these two great Adversaries of ours shall be obliged to employ themselves in deciding the greatest Controversy they have had for these two hundred years they may be prevailed upon to let fall their Persecution and then the Reformation if powerfully assisted may be able to gain ground upon the Common Enemy In this general Design of protecting and promoting the Reformation upon which Popery hath in this Age so much incroach'd the Princes and People concerned ought in our Opinion to take a special care to preserve the Reformed Religion in France
because they are to look upon it as the Mother Church of all those which by a purer Reformation are distinguished from the Lutherans And History informs us that from France the Reformation was brought into the Netherlands and from thence into the United-Provinces where it got the upper hand The defection of Henry the VIII from the Pope made way for it in England where it made some progress under Edward the VI which was soon ruined by the Persecution under Queen Mary In the mean while the Church of France was reforming and setling her self in the midst of Fire and Faggots she held her first National Synod under the Reign of Henry the II a great Persecutor and the most Absolute King that ever was in France till the King now reigning And since it is very true that the Blood of Martyrs is the seed of the Church all the Western Churches must needs confess that those of France have laid on them such an Obligation as can never be enough acknowledged for they have afforded an infinite number of Martyrs they have had Rivers of Blood shed in the Massacres committed on them both in the last and this present Age and lived all along under the Cross insomuch as all the Sufferings of all other Churches are but little in comparison with those of the Protestant Church in France she is the only Church which hath maintained her self in the midst of Torments and been continually fruitful both of great Men and great Examples and therefore all other Reformed Churches though under whatever different kinds of Ecclesiastical Government cannot plead any Exemption from acknowledging their Obligation to the French Church which hath been either their Mother or at least their Predecessor and consequently they cannot excuse themselves from doing all that lies in their power both for its Preservation and Comfort The most proper Means in our Opinion to be made use of at the present are to undeceive her of that erroneous and groundless Conceit taken up by her that she is quite forsaken There are still sufficient Arguments remaining to convince her that though hitherto she hath not been effectually relieved yet at least a good will to do it has not been wanting There is nothing in the World can so much discourage our suffering Brethren as the Opinion that no body will stir any more in their behalf This the Persecutors now labour to make them believe But the Protestant Princes and States are necessarily obliged to let them see the contrary Not by taking up Arms for the Wars being swayed by Humane motives only are not in all probability the Means designed by God's Providence for the restauration of his Church Perhaps God Almighty will in a short time reveal unto us what he intends to do towards the fulfilling of his purposes in the mean time 't is our Duty first to turn to the Lord with all our Hearts of which I shall Treat more fully hereafter and secondly to stir up our Charity afresh of which we must speak a Word or two and so conclude The Reformed in France have been so much cast down and dispirited to see themselves excluded from the benefit of the Peace that nothing can less raise their Courage than such extraordinary efforts of Charity as we saw immediately after the Revocation of the Edict of Nantes all the Protestant Princes and States did in that Juncture open both their Gates and the Bowels of their Mercy to those distressed People who in great multitudes quitted their own Habitations just as we used to do an Enemy's Country They collected great Sums of Money for them set up Manufactures to help the Tradesmen to a Livelihood and settled yearly Pensions upon Persons of Quality Particularly the most Serene the Elector of Brandenburg of Blessed Memory and his most Religious Son now Reigning have signalized their Charity in an extraordinary manner not only by the Colonies they have Establish'd in the chief Towns of their Dominions but chiefly by the Pensions they have allowed all Ages Sexes and Conditions and that with so great a liberality as one would think might have lain very heavy upon their Exchequer But since it hath not proved so 't is an undeniable Instance of the greatness of their Revenues and Power as well as of their Charity We shall only add this that unless the same Zeal be now re-kindled the Truth and the Defenders of it will suffer mightily for the Miseries and the Necessities of the Protestants are now much greater than they were at that time The most of them when they made their escape from France had saved some part of their Effects and lived upon them for ten or twelve years and waited patiently in hope that the War and the Peace following would better their condition but now they have spent all and have not so much left them as a glimpse of Hope So that we see the old Refugees lying under so great extremity as they must of necessity perish if not speedily supplied with Necessaries by the Charity of the Protestant States But what shall we say of those who still live under the pressure of their Sufferings who groan and long for an opportunity of setting themselves at liberty The fear of starving puts a stop to them for this is one of the greatest Temptations one can be exposed to and there are but few able to cope with this Idea of the utmost Poverty Notwithstanding a great many do come every day out of France and we are told by them that there are thousands who have a mind to follow them as soon as they hear that the Protestant's Charity is grown as liberal as formerly and therefore we do earnestly intreat and beg all Princes and States and all private Men whom God Almighty hath blessed with Ability to be willing and ready to relieve these distressed Brethren who groan under the heavy burden of Christ's Cross These new Refugees by their flight will compleat the depopulation of that Kingdom which is already weakned by so many publick Calamities and continue to bring their Money Industry Arts and Trades into these Countreys whereinto they will retire and fill up the places of those Inhabitants the War hath taken away We easily believe that our Complaints and Prayers will not reach the Ears of those whom we do chiefly intend to persuade But at last having done what lies in our power God Almighty out of his Gracious Goodness will perform the rest and move the Heart of those from whom we may receive any Comfort and Relief LETTER III. Containing some Directions for the Protestants Behaviour towards their Persecutors and for their Resignation to the Will of God who will not permit the total ruine of the Reformation in France The Necessity of keeping up their Common Assemblies and their Duty of Watching carefully over their Children who are daily taken from them With a Form of Prayer for the Afflicted Church WE now proceed to the Advices we promised you about
like those Trees St. Jude speaks of Twice dead and plucked up by the Roots there will be afterwards found no place of Repentance Set the Martyrs of the Primitive Christianity frequently before your Eyes who being asked the Question Whether they were Christians or no did quickly and chearfully answer Yes They knew for certain that they were to go from the Tribunal either to be burnt or devoured by Wild Beasts but for all that they went with the greatest eagerness to receive that Crown of Martyrdom they longed for Had our Ancestors wanted this Courage they had never transmitted Christianity to their Posterity Besides these general Considerations there is another strong Motive which doth particularly concern you and that is this there is no other way in the condition you are now in to abate the Persecution and save your Church but this only if you yield and go one step back in this new Persecution you must expect to be dealt with without mercy But if you appear as unmovable as a Brazen Wall we know not meerly by Conjectures that they will not be so hard upon you The French Government doth not intend to lose above a Million more of Subjects of the Reformed Religion which are still in the Kingdom They are not ignorant that all those whom they shall Murder and Hang are lost for ever and also that although they take all the precautions imaginable to prevent any escape an infinite number will nevertheless run that hazard We know this by Experience for many are already come over to us some have been taken and stopt some will be so in time to come and some of them will be sent to the Galleys and to the Gibbet but those who shall be stopt and Executed to serve for an Example will be lost to the State as well nay much more than those who are gone away since the Exiled may be called home but the Dead can never be raised from the Grave Be therefore assured that the salvation of both you and your Church depends from henceforth on your constancy indure suffer cruel Reproaches Threatnings Prisons Banishments but suffer them without fainting and you will soon see by Gods Assistance the end of them all This is the first Advice I had to give you A second thing which I will recommend to you dear Brethren is to have Fellowship and Correspondence one with another for the mutual support of your Zeal and Charity You are mightily mistaken if you presume you shall be able to stand up alone by being retired within your selves This fire raked up under ashes will be soon put out You are under an indispensable obligation to edifie your Neighbours by your good Works and consequently you must let your Light shine before Men. God abhors the Nicodemites that are ashamed to make an open profession of his true Worship Your Brethren must know you and you ought to know your Brethren You are to practise what hath been done as we hear in many places where the Faithful were so courageous and successful as to establish among them a kind of Church for they have set over themselves Rulers Churchwardens and Catechists and by this good order they prevent Scandals and the total ruine of Truth and therefore make it your business to assist and edifie one another But how can one do this will you say do you not know how severely our Meetings are forbidden Yes we know it very well but we hear also that notwithstanding these Prohibitions many thousands even several times in a week have met together 'T is true some lose their Lives and some their Liberty upon that account but if you are sway'd by such Motives you must never think of undertaking any great Action because no place is exempted from danger A Soldier must not henceforth venture to go up to the Assault nor mount the Breach to repulse the Enemy because there many must certainly lose their Lives If you could once take up a vigorous Resolution to contemn Death and to welcome it with Joy when it may be useful to the Salvation of your Brethren assure your selves that they would be soon tired with Murdering you The ancient Christians had the same Motives of Fear which you have they did not question but no sooner they should be taken in their Assemblies but that they should be put to a cruel Death But did you ever hear that they forbore meeting together for that reason Do you not read that in the time of the most severe Persecutions they met in the night in Forests and Caves and this practice of theirs gave occasion to the following Malicious Calumnies against them viz. They did assemble say they together by Torch-light and murdered a Child with whose Blood they kneaded their Communion-Bread and then did all of them eat of this abominable Food after which they put out the light and each of them took hold of the next Woman either his Mother or Daughter or Sister with whom they committed such horrible Impurities as 't is a shame to mention and of which even the thoughts are to be abhorr'd They would have wanted a pretence to spread such odious Accusations against them if they had not met by night in hidden and subterraneous places I will require nothing of you but refer you to your own Consciences be Judges your selves whether or no it be not more honourable to imitate the Zeal of the Primitive Christians than to obey the Council of your Wise Politicians But however do not let your Prudence render you remiss in the performance of your Duties one of the most material whereof is this we are speaking of viz. to find out the fittest Means to Confer together and Edifie one another Some perhaps will tell you that the Wisest Course would be to secure your selves by a speedy Retreat and it is certain that the surest Expedient for every Private Person is to retire to a place of safety but this Matter hath been sufficiently discoursed already and we have nothing to add unto it only I 'll say that the Execution of this Design is by the Wiles of the Devil involved in a thousand Difficulties The first and perhaps the hardest thing to be done in this present Case is to part with the Flesh Ambition Covetousness and the Love of Ease wherewith so many are intangled When once you have broke asunder these troublesome Bonds you may till you have a fair opportunity of obeying that Commandment of our Saviour When they persecute you in one City flee ye into another remember in the mean time to practise all the other Counsels we have now given you There is another Article wherein you stand in great need of being advised and assisted and that is about your Children They snatch them out of your Arms and will have you carry them to Mass If you refuse to send them to be Catechised by the Priests they will lay great Penalties upon you to your utter ruine and when all this