and stopped his mouth that he became troubled in conscience and did not rest till he had dealt more privately with the Divine who had overcome him to whom he in testimony of his sincerity revealed his whole plot and by the procuration and intervention of great men and friends hath moved the foresaid Divine to go along with him into Polonia and to Vienna and as farre as Rome to see what can be effected in this Negotiation and further this pretended transaction Much more could be related of this subject but this is enough to make their intention fully known which no doubt is this to make a generall kinde of politick transaction of differences in Religion by the power of Civill authority with so many Protestant Princes as can privately or publiquely be gained thereunto that if others who will not condescend to such an agreement be moved for conscience sake to beare witnesse against it they may be crusht by Authority and suppressed and when the sounder part of Protestants shall be thus taken out of the way and not able to peep then his authority may be fully established over those that shall re-unite unto him without contradiction Thus the Pope dealt at first with the Hussites in Bohemia for after a long Warre wherein the Bohemians had wearied all their Neighbours he saw that by violence they could not be brought to a constant and voluntary yeelding unto him therefore he proposed Conditions of agreements unto the greatest part of them which was lesse sound by yeelding unto them foure or five Articles for the redresse of some grievances and when the sounder part would not acquiesce they were quite oppressed and dissipated nor did they ever after that Thabours was once taken recover strength or become considerable till the dayes of Luther and these later times wherein again they were the first sufferers The same purpose is now manifestly in hand to deale with all Protestant Churches but chiefly with those in Germany in like manner that if the Austrio-Bavarian faction in Germany can either by faire or foule means bring any considerable party of the Protestant Church anywhere but chiefly within Germany it selfe to yeeld unto the plausible Conditions which may be proposed for the redresse of common grievances then they have fully obtained their purpose and will not fail to deal there so with the remnant of Protestants as was done with the remnant of Hussites in Bohemia And what course the Emperour takes in Germany the same will be followed in Polonia and in France so that except God disappoint this plot by a wonderfull providence as he used to worke in all his wayes there is no possibility in humane appearance and by humane wayes to avoid the effect of it which will be the setting up againe of popery in all places where once it hath had footing Thus you see what advantages the Adversaries of the Palatine Cause have had hitherto against it and what their plot and practise is to bring their Enterprise to perfection I know that God useth to laugh the wisdome of this world to scorne and taketh the crafty in their own devises and that as heretofore alwaies from the beginning of Christianity and now of late also in the discovery of Antichristianity he hath had the better of his Adversaries even there and then where and when they thought themselves to be strongest So he will still to the end be at last victorious in his owne Cause yet although I know I am confidently perswaded that God will doe so yet I say we ought not to be negligent in doing our duty but taking the most likely course wee ought according to our ability help him against the mighty leaving the events of our endeavours to his providence Who knoweth but that the time may be now come wherein the Lord will rise work for his owne names sake nor is it unlikely to be so if we consider the accomplishment of prophesies and particularly that of Dan. 12. 7. that when the adversary shall have accomplished to scatter the power of the holy people that then their sufferings shall be at an end now verily their power is wholly scattered and divided and there is no considerable force either in or out of Germany that is able to rise up for Protestancy against Papacy and therefore I hope it is Gods time to worke now in his owne way and not according to humane appearance And this very consideration maketh me the more earnest towards you that seeme willing to take his Cause in hand lest in going about it his way should not be followed without which nothing can prosper in the Palatine affaires Now I conceive his way to be not a way of great strength and force but a way of spirituall Wisdome and integrity tending to advance the Kingdome of his Son in managing the controversâ—y of his Church If then all the outward undertakings whatsoever they may be goe not along with God in his way and are not made subordinate unto this end they will be in vaine and prove but a further scattering of the forces of Protestancy And how they may be set in this way in opposition to the way of those that fight against Protestantcy more by craft then by strength I will tell you my opinion that you may judge of it and submit it as you shall thinke fit to be judged of by others that are wellwillers to the Cause It is then briefly this First I thinke it necessary that both his Majesty and the Prince Elector be made sensible of the dangerous consequence of the Papall plot against Protestancy Then the Prince Elector should be dealt withall seriously by some grave wise and godly man to make him lay to heart the great honour that God doth to him and to his Family in calling him to suffer for his Cause and to beare the reproaches of them that reproach the truth of Christianity and the hatred of those that hate the Gospell of Christ which they persecute in his person To know truly what an honour this is would be a great strengthening of his spirit and then to know also how he ought to behave himselfe in all his wayes towards God in bearing up this Cause how that he ought not to seeke himselfe in it but should make the upholding of Protestancy and not the regaining of his Lands and Titles his true inward ayme and consequently to doe all in subordination to God and not by humane wisdome and policy c. If this could be truly as I am perswaded he is very capable of wrought upon him then I would not despaire of a blessing upon that which he may take in hand He being thus wrought upon to make God his counsell and strength in all things to manage faithfully his Cause could have some other Counsellors adjoyned to him besides those which he now hath Men of exemplary and entire lives men that should strengthen him in the true ayme of his Cause to keepe it
THE COPY OF A LETTER VVRITTEN TO Mr. ALEXANDER HINDERSON LONDON Printed in the Yeare 1643. Reverend and loving Brother in Christ I Hope my two former Letters were safely delivered wherein I gave you notice of a purpose taken in hand here to make Notes upon the Bible what concurrence you think fit to give in such a work I leave to your owne piety to determine Now I have some other thoughts to impart unto you which lye as a burthen on my heart nor can I be at rest till I discharge them in some bodies bosome nor know I any more fit then your selfe to whom I may confide them for I trust that you will make them harmlesse to me and as profitable as you can to the Publique according to the occasions which God at this time doth put into your hand which may be of great consequence hereafter if rightly managed I am then very desirous to let you know my thoughts concerning the Palatine Cause which I heare is laid to heart amongst you whereat as I am glad so I will not cease to pray that God would direct your hearts to doe something in it as it ought to be done But to conceive what may be done in it and how that which may be done ought to be done so as we may be sure that God will give a blessing to it is a thing whereof I am not a little sollicitous since I have heard of the inclinations both here and there where you are tending towards some reall undertakings for his Highnesse You know that the right ayme in framing of Councels is of very great if not of greatest importance For it is like the Axell tree whereupon the meanes like a wheele runne about to carry it to an Issue If this ayme be not as it should be setled in the minds of the Undertakers for the Palatine Cause I can have little hopes of a blessing upon the enterprise whatsoever it be nor can I be perswaded that fit meanes to help the cause will be made use of and would to God not onely they that are willing to undertake for the House Palatine but that the House it selfe and the Counsellors which are about it did not understand onely but also affect truly the end which they should have in prosecuting their owne Cause The sweet natured Prince Elector is of very good capacity and judgement and as most young men and of a sanguine complexion are flexible and easily led so might he be brought into better apprehensions of matters then as yet he seemeth to have if the Counsellors that are about him were so sensible of the best things belonging to the Palatine Cause as Men in that place should be but that they are not truly sensible of their true ayme it appeareth to me in some things at which I can but grieve I speake this with due respect unto them and in love to the Cause which they do manage about his Highnesse And I pray unto God heartily that in suing for the meanes of their Restitution they may walke more entirely with God and in all his wayes then they have done many of them hitherto that they may be fit to looke up directly unto him and not so much unto the arme of flesh as States men commonly do and that they may be able to understand the Counsel of God towards their Master whom he hath honoured to suffer hatred and persecution for his own Cause Which cause I feare is little regarded by most of them and till they as well as the Prince himselfe be truly sensible of it I have little hope of any good issue in all their Enterprises which no doubt have beene hitherto miscarried for want of Gods blessing upon the undertakings and Gods blessing hath been wanting because the true end which he requireth in such a cause was not intended Lest therefore both they and you that are willing to undertake for them should make shipwracke upon the same rock I thinke my selfe bound in conscience to give some warning to you which I will leave to your prudency to insinuate to such as can make best use thereof in time and place convenient Now then to let you know what the true aim is which should be laid to heart in the Palatine Cause I must tell you what I know to be a certain truth and can make good if need be with infallible evidences concerning the Cause of the War in Germany The true originall of this War is known to be the quarrell of the Bohemians which the P. Elector took upon him But this was not the first originall of the Warre there were other fore-going plots laid against the Freedome of the Protestant Religion and their Liberties in Germany and especially against the greatnesse of the Palatine House then matched with our Kings daughter which made that House and the Protestant State whereof it was the Head so formidable unto the Pope and his Conclave that he with the Austrians took up a firm resolution to ruine that House lest by its means Protestancy might be so upheld in Germany as to weare out Popery And they had some cause to feare this when they saw what encrease Protestancy did make dayly so long as matters were at quiet in Germany and what a Nurse the Vniversity of Heildelberg was unto it This jealousie then was the true cause of the Quarrell which had broken forth elsewhere if it had not been fired in Bohemia For at the same time at divers other parts in the Empire a Quarrell was pickt against the free use of the Protestant Religion which was an intolerable eye-sore unto the Pope and Austrian party Thus then it is certain the cause in their contention originally is the feare and hatred of our Religion and no doubt it was in the P. Elector Palatine a pious intention to uphold the Protestant Liberties in Germany which were put at and which being lost the Religion it selfe would suffer thereby By this first originall of the Warre we see the nature of the Cause and from the nature of the Cause we must take the aime in undertaking it For if it should be undertaken as it ought to be it must be undertaken sincerely for Religion to uphold the Protestant Cause in Germany and then means answerable to this aime will be thought upon and may be found out if we will but consider what the Meanes are by which the Enemies of the Cause have all this while prevailed against it and what practises they still use to undermine and overthrow it wholly For if we can take away the advantages which have made them hitherto prevaile and prevent their future designes no doubt our undertakings will not bee without effect It is most certain that hitherto their greatest advantages have beene herein that as they were alwayes united amongst themselves and stood close to one main purpose which is the propagation of their Religion so they have been able alwayes hitherto by their practises and instruments to
unmoveable in his heart men that are versed in publique Treaties about the cause and experienced in State affaires chiefely in the Germane Princes Courts such a one is N. N. without whose judgement and experience I conceive his businesse can hardly be well contrived in respect of Germany and I could wish that he were maintained to be perpetually about him for he is a very religious and knowing man and of singular use in this worke for the contrivance of the counsels therof toward forraine States and besides him one or two States men more could be named But I leave this and will come to the undertaking of the Worke not of the outward military supply which may be sent for him but of the spirituall part of the worke which should tend to uphold Protestancy against Popery not onely in Germany but every where else I conceive then that such as undertake to restore the House Palatine in Germany should make the quarrell not in pretence but in truth as indeed it is a matter of Religion and so should resolve to handle the Cause in a religious way as well as by force The cause then of maintaining the Religion and Liberties of Protestants in Germany ought to be made a publique businesse and in all Treaties with forraine States and deliberations about forraine Affaires it ought to come into consideration and all Ambassadours towards other Protestants should be instructed to deale with them for a concurrence in it and in effect become like unto the advice of Cato for the destroying of Carthage an appendix to every counsell given in the Senate If the Cause of Religion should be made a publique businesse then publique wayes and meanes must be used to advance Protestancy so as a matter of Religion ought to be advanced that is without partiality and by respects or private ends and affections by taking Protestancy in the true notion thereof as it stands in its principles opposite to Popery and to advance it thus taken two kindes of meanes should be set aworke the one should serve to make knowne unto the world what true Protestancy is the other should serve to oppose the wayes of Popery in undermining it I will name onely the heads of these meanes as now they lye in my conception To make true Protestancy known unto the world thoughts must be had how to make the tenour of their Common Faith and the Rules of their practise in their publike and private profession of the Gospell better evident unto the world then hitherto they have been For the tenour of their common Faith it may be evident two wayes First if the harmony of Confessions be reprinted for it is wholly out of print and in some things enlarged and compleated Secondly if a course could be taken to make Scripturall knowledge more common to all in the plaine and evident truths thereof and lesse intangled in disputes and subject to various interpretations amongst the learned The first may be done by using meanes to make the literall sense of the Text and the cleare doctrins thereof plaine for the vulgar use and fit for the ordinary reading of all men by the printing of Bibles with Notes and briefe Explications wherein all Protestants should agree and consent of the meaning of the Text The second may be done by some common Rules and Methods of Interpretation of places doubtfull whereupon the godly learned could be moved to agree amongst themselves that by common principles in the Analogie of Faith and by a way of Analysing the Text and drawing consequences therefrom which should be agreed upon by common consent of the Learned they might be able to avoid private interpretations and disputable doubts in Doctrine which obscure much the faith and trouble the weak professors and keep off doubting Papists from being fully convicted This would be a Means if it could be had to inlarge very much the knowledge of the Truth and to confirm it without danger of divisions it would also be a ground of reconciling different opinions without all danger of betraying Truth or suppressing it which is a thing so much feared in the work of peace Ecclesiasticall Concerning the rules of Protestants common practice in their publique and private walking according to the Gospel they ought to be set forth as much to advance themselves in the Reformation of their religious walking as to vindicate the credit of their profession against malicious aspersions Here then Means should be thought upon how the Rules of their Publique Worship in their Ecclesiasticall meetings to hear the Word to put forth prayers and praises to God and to partake of the holy Sacraments one with another should be framed so as to take away the offences which arise amongst themselves by reason of diversity in these practises and by conforming their actions herein unto that which is expressed and prescribed in the Word that they may shew themselves true unto their own principles wherein they maintain against Popery that Gods Worship should be truly spirituall according to his will and not clogged and mixed with humane inventions And to bring this to passe all their Ecclesiasticall Constitutions should be compared one with another and their fundamentall agreement amongst themselves and with the expresse Rules in the Word should be taken and distinguished from the Circumstantiall matters wherein the free and indifferent custome of Nations not unlawfull to be used make them differ one from another This their agreement in substantiall and difference in diaphorall practises wherein every Church hath its own liberty might be published as the Harmony of Rules in publike Worship observed by Protestants in conformity to Gods Ordinances and what is over-plus as a clogge and mixture of humane institution in some Churches means should be thought upon how that might by little and little be antiquated and left off And to effect this if some publike Treaties and Synodicall meeting could be brought about in due time amongst them it would be a great settlement unto themselves in the wayes of Truth and a speciall means to propagate it unto others As for the rules of their private walking they should be set forth and described in respect of common Family duties and in respect of the severall Callings and Charges belonging to all these that are Members of the Church and Common-wealth Here then should be a substantiall description of the right ordering of Christian Families to make it apparent how Protestants some do study and all should study to walk before God in their private houshold societies And in like manner other materiall descriptions of the severall duties of Ecclesiasticall and Civill charges how they are or ought to be discharged conscionably in the presence of God should be put forth to informe all of the integrity of their waies and intentions Here then the duties belonging to the Pastorall Charge and to the Doctorall Charge and to the Helpets in the one and other Charge such as are Elders and Deacons in the Church and