were his enemies O the depth and hight of thy love What shall we render what can wee return to thee again Shall wee not love thee still shal we not relye upon thy mercy seeing wee know that there is mercy with thee that thou mayst bee feared O then let not our hearts be hardned any more from thy fear but let us now draw neer unto thee upon the account of Jesus Christ who hath loved us and washed us in his own blood let us find access at the throne of Grace to receive not only mercifull forgiveness for what is past but supply of present help in this time of our need Help us to a true Gospell frame and settlement within our selves through love to thee to thy Truth and to each other without partiality Help us to advance thy Kingdom in the Communion of Saints towards all thy Churches abroad whose outward safety is wrapp'd up in our Peace and settlement Help us to mind the oppressed for the Truth 's sake being willing as thou shalt enable us to bear their burdens Help us to mind thy ancient people the seed of Abraham thy friend and the remnant of the Gentiles till the fulness thereof come in Help us to oppose effectually all Tyrannicall and imposing powers and practises of Antichristian subtilty by the lifting up and maintaining of the Standard of Christian liberty and Truth according to the Gospell and to these effects Let the Spirit of wisedom and counsell of strength and courage of all virtue and grace in the fear of thy name rest upon the head and heart of him whom thou hast set over these Nations to govern them in Righteousness Let the same Spirit dwell and preside in the great counsell of these Nations that they may with one shoulder unanimously concur to heal our breaches to join unto thee to settle a lasting Reformation of all our disorders in Judicatures of all publick scandals amongst professors of all defects and corruptions of Piety and Learning in the Seminaries thereof whether in the Universities or in inferiour Schools of common education Let the Magistrates in all places be found faithfull to their trust and the Ministers of thy Word be as thine own mouth to thy people and shining lights before them in the beauty of Holiness Let the Armies by Sea and Land sight always under thy Banner and being faithfull unto thee and thy Cause for the relief of the oppressed go thou before them as their Captain with thy presence and let thy Glory bee their reward And lastly let all the people of these three Nations from Dan to Bersheba be owned by thee as thy people and enjoying thy Ordinances in the Purity thereof the unclean Spirit and those that use a rough garment to deceive the simple may be cast out and Peace and Truth many continue with us so long as the Sun and the Moon shall last Grant according to the riches of thy grace these and all other things subservient thereunto for the sake and in the Name of Jesus Christ thy Son and our Saviour to whom with thee and the Holy Ghost be given all praise and glory for ever and ever Amen FINIS A Postscript To the Christian READER TO fill up this Page which otherwise would have been empty I shall impart unto thee an extract out of Sir Edwyn Sands his Book called Europae Speculum or a View of the State of Religion in the western parts of the world page 183 with my observation thereupon He saith thus The end of these unhappy differences in Religi n between the Reformed and Lutheran Protestants will be that their enemies shall laugh when themselves shall have cause to weep unless the graciousness of God stir up some worthy Princes of renown and reputation with both the sides to enterpose their wisedom industry and authority for the uniting of these factions or at least wise for reconciling and composing those differences in some tollerable sort a work of immortall fame and desert and worthy of none other but of them of whom this wicked base world is not worthy Sir Edwyn hath been a true Prophet in this matter the enemies of the Truth have had cause hitherto and have new cause to laught at both our Ecclesiasticall and Civill divisions and to hope thereby for our ruine and I cannot disprove the remedy which he proposes namely that some Princes of power with both sides should interpose either to unite the parties or at least to allay their differences I say this indeavour of Princes is not to be dis-owned onely I would have this caution added that their endeavour in doing this should not be so much Authoritative and Magistraticall as Christian and Evangelicall if then they and their Counsellours could without Politicall ends and Interests in true simplicity and Christian sincerity take the work in hand to follow it as becometh those that serve Jesus Christ in his Gospel-way to lead men to the principle of love of moderation and mutual forbearance there might bee hope by their means to effect somthing in the work But hitherto their interposing hath been very little effectuall because the jealousies of States have been and are such amongst those that manage the affairs of the world that for the least difference upon any circumstantial punctillio of greatness they either fall out or at least break off all concurrence in common designs And if at any time they do concur in settling matters relating to Conscience they then as States mea in Au hority impose them in a way wholly inconsistent with Gospel liberty which can never hold where the light doth more and more break forth For this causeth whole difficultie doth lye in managing the Spirits of men with Christian meekness to gain them to their duty which is First wi lingly to declare that whereunto they have attained and wherein they agree with others Secondly faith fully engage themselves to observe the Rules of inoffensive walking notwithstanding such differences as are exstant among them if these things could be attained not by any command but by a loving perswasion from each party the work might be done both there and here where we have as much need of healing as any where else
The Interest OF ENGLAND IN THE Protestant Cause Zach. 4.6 Not by might nor by power but by my Spirit saith the Lord of Hosts Isa 59.19 They shall fear the name of the Lord from the West and his glory from the rising of the Sun When the enemy shall come in like a flood the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a Standard against him LONDON Printed in the Year MDCLIX The Interest OF ENGLAND IN THE Protestant Cause THe Duke of Rohan in his life time a wise Statesman an excellent Captain and a zealous Protestant did write a Solid discourse to shew the Interest of the States of Europe wherein upon most rationall grounds he doth make it appear that the Interest of England is to make a third party in Europe upon the Protestant account to ballance all publick affairs and State-transactions between France and Spaine and doth assert that if the State of great Britain doth not divide and weaken it self by civill controversies no forraign State can molest it but it will be able to uphold the persecuted Protestants every where and ballance the powers of Europe so between France and Spain that neither of them shall become too potent to sway the affairs of Europe Monarchically for their own ends which is the constant design of those two opposite Nations His discourse will be found by all that read it very rationall and clear but he onely reflects as a S ates-man upon the outward circumstances of humane affairs and the ways which Policie doth suggest to ballance power with power and treaties by treaties and corresponde cies by correspondencies concerning the transactions which are between States and by these means he would have England to interpose in all publick affairs to make it self considerable wherein he stands up for the honour of England and the advantage of the Protestant cause as a States man in matters belonging to his clement But there are other matters of farr greater weight concerning the interest of England in the Protestant cause then any he doth mention or could speak of in his time which now ought to be taken into consideration not so much upon a State as upon a true Christian account For the Protestant Cause if rightly understood doth not rely upon such State transactions as hee doth mention but is bottomed upon matters of a higher nature which few States men understand or regard for they measure all things in the ballances of Power and Policy as they may tend to the settlement or unsettlement of their present greatness or to the furtherance or hinderance of their future designes But the Protestant Cause if rightly understood is not so much upheld and propagated by the ballance of power and policy as of Righteousnes and of Truth manifested By the ballance of Righteousness the liberty of Christians is maintained that the Tyranny of power may not make them slaves to the lusts of men and by the ballance of Truth which is the Word of God the understandings of Christians are enlightned to discern pernicious errors to avoid them and their wills directed to follow the ways of Godliness wherein their strength doth lye to advance the Kingdome of Christ in their generation For whereas all the States of the world do mind nothing else but their own greatness in might in honour and in riches above their neighbours The Protestant Cause doth aim at nothing properly but at the greatness of Jesus Christ that his Kingdome of Truth of Righteouseness of Peace and of joy in the Holy Ghost may bee exalted and set up in the hearts of all men above all other advantages of might of honour or of riches So that the Protestant Cause is not to be taken for a Combination of worldly powers in a league to oppose the Papists by outward might but to be a conjunction of heavenly powers that is of spirituall virtues and grace to be held forth in the way of impartiall Christianity whereby the Kingdome of Satan which Popery doth uphold will be at last made manifest and overthrown And to bring this to pass the means which God hath ordained to advance the Kingdome of Jesus Christ is to be set a work in a Gospell way which is none other but the Communion of Saints in spirituall concernments of Truth and Righteousness And this Holy Communion cannot be entertained without a Religious correspondency to maintain and propagate the common Interest of the souls of men into Christ's Kingdome which is the proper work of the Protestant Cause and ought to be the main designe of those who are obliged to prosecute the same And although all Protestants as such are all equally obliged to mind unanimously the advancement of this Cause yet I conceive that the godly party of these Nations are more then any others stricktly and solemnly obliged thereunto that therefore they ought more then others to lay it seriously to heart and to act therein more directly and professedly that is to lead other Protestants in the way for the discharging of their duty The reasons which move me to hold forth this assertion I have thought expedient at this juncture of time wherein the great Assembly of the representatives of the Nations is met to lay open that such as are sober minded godly wise and conscionable Christians who are intrusted with the great concernments of these Nations may be put in mind of the engagement which before God and men doth lye upon them And that there may be no mistake of the true aim of this discourse the thing to be made out and insisted upon is this That all who are godly and faithfull in the three Nations are bound in Conscience before God and towards all the Churches of Christ jointly to intend a Religious correspondency with forrain Protestants that the Kingdom of Christ in this our generation may be advanced by the communion of Saints which we are more strictly bound to prosecute towards other Churches then other Churches are unto us Nor is the State it self for so farr as it is a Christian State free from this engagement And to prove this I shall first consider the engagement of the Godly and then of the State as Christian The engagement of the Godly will appear from three grounds First from the truth of the Christian Religion whereof we make profession Secondly from the sad condition wherein all the Churches are at present Thirdly from the designes of the adversaries and their attempts to ruine the Protestant Cause Of the First THe Truth of the profession of Christianity doth oblige all that are Godly to maintain a Religious correspondency with their Brethren of the same profession in three respects First in respect of the substantialls wherein the Truth of the profession doth consist Secondly in respect of the ends for which the gifts and graces of God are given to us and received by us in the profession Thirdly in respect of the means by which these ends are attained 1. The substance of the
the Calvinists liberties jointly with the Lutherans which the Swedish undertook to do and although at the pacification of Munster in the year 1648. the Protestants have carried it and gotten it settled by a statute Law of the Empire viz. that the Rights of both Lutherans and Calvinists and their liberties shall be equally secured and upheld in the Germane Territories yet it is manifest that not onely the Emperor ever since hath persecuted the Protestants more then ever before in his Hereditary Lands and that neither at the following Dyet at Ratisbone nor at the meeting of Deputies from all the States since held at Franckfort nothing hath been ratified which was concluded at Munster to the advantage of the Protestant Cause but the whole matter of that treatie relating thereunto hath rather been made disputable and is hitherto without effect and wil henceforth be made void because the Pope having declared that whole Treatie prejudiciall to the Church and consequently null The zealous Papist is bound not to keep it though sworn to it seeing he hath dispenced with his Oath it being against the publick good of the Church Thus although the Swedes did constrain the House of Austria to a peace with the Protestant party yet they will but watch for their opportunity to break it with advantage as soon as they can so that it is very manifest that the House of Austria having gotten their ends to have the imperiall dignity continued in their Family this Emperor no doubt will still prosecute his design to bring the Protestant States under his and the Popes subjection and to make himself absolute in the Empire nor is there any humane possibility to prevent the future prevalency of the Austrian absoluteness and the effect of the Papall league therewith for the extirpation of the Protestant Party but by removing the causes of that weakning and unsettlement which hath hither to befallen unto them which are none other but their want of concurrence and hearty Correspondency in a common interest for common safety and Gospel liberty If therefore this concurrence and the Correspondency in religious matters which is to be the true ground thereof cannot be procured nor maintained amongst Protestants it is apparent that the Cause will be lost and that henceforth without a miracle which we have no special promise to hope for in this case no safety can be hoped for to secure and preserve the Protestant States in Europe seeing they are not onely in Germany but out of Germany also not onely divided and shattered in their Counsels without any Correspondency for a common aim but even falling out one with another and fiercely breaking one anothers strength which divisions the enemies seek with industry to foment as is apparent in the constitution of affairs wherein the Dane with the Brandenburger are engaged against the Swede to make the Protestants ruine one another in favour of their common enemy Therefore such as can fore-see this eminent danger and every one that is rationall cannot but fore-see it and such as can disdern the onely remedy thereof to be such a Religious Correspondency as is here sued for and yet are not willing to set this remedy a work for common safety it is evident that such are not onely unfaithfull to the cause of Religion but in their hearts deserters and betrayers of the common Interest of Protestants which God certainly wil cal them to an account for if he hath betrusted them with means fit to uphold the same for his truths sake for God doth give a Banner to his people for his truths sake and to whom the Banner is given they are bound to display it Psal 60.4 but how to display it without some Religious Correspondence towards a concurrence in the work of common edification is not Imaginable and therefore such a Correspondency is absolutely necessary If the disadvantages which Protestants lye under at this time for want of a mutual Concurrence in their common Interest should be reckoned up in particular this discourse might be inlarged into a great Volume but this is not sutable to my scope and needless at this time it wil be sufficient to observe that whereas heretofore in the Empire the voyces in the Electoral Colledge were equall viz. three Protestrants and three Papists and the War was raised for the casting voyce namely that of the King of Bohemia whether the Protestant of the Papist should have it now it is apparant that the issue is not onely a determination of that voyce to be Hereditarily annexed unto the House of Austria but that in the other voyces of that Colledge the P pists have gotten four for three so that in the Supream sphere of the Empire the Protestant party is wholly weakned and if as there is cause to suspect that the Prince of the Saxon Electoral House may turn Papist then it is likely the five Papists will cast out the two remaining Protestants Brandenburg and Palatin which are so weak already that they can make no defence if any assault should be made against them As for the other disadvantages both within and without the Empire there is scarce any great Protestant Family but the Papall industry hath gotten some branch of it to graft it upon the old Stock by which means all manner of instruments are prepared to divide and break them within themselves as formerly the Emperor Charles the Fifth brake the Saxon Family by setting Maurice against John In France all the places of Security which the Protestants had are taken from them and that which in former time the Romane French Church rejected as a prejudice unto their liberty is now received and admitted viz. the Council of Trent which the Papall Conclave and the House of Austria have made a yoke to bee imposed upon the necks of all States throughout Europe and who ever will not submit unto it is to be cut off Thus both in Germany and in France the design of suppressing the Protestant profession is strongly carried on and there wil be no possibility to hinder it in humane appearance but all appearance to hasten it if there can be no Religious Correspondence set a foot amongst the heads of the Protestants to concur in thoughts which should advance the Gospel and settle the grounds of common unity in God's way for their mutual preservation Such then as are betrusted with the publick management of the affairs of Protestants and make it not any part of their work to advance a Religious Correspondency to this effect amongst them when they have the means in their hand and ability and opportunity to do it will have much to answer before God Therefore such a Correspondency is absolutely necessary to be intended and maintained not onely for the advancement of the Truth of the Gospel in serving Christ with one shoulder against Antichrist but in respect of outward safety and the securing of our Naturall and Spirituall Rights and Liberties to our selves to our Brethren
and to our Posterity Of the Engagement of the State HItherto I have reflected upon the reasons which should induce the Godly professors in these Nations to intend the duty of Holy Communion and Correspondency amongst themselves and with their neighbours for the manifestation of the Truth of the holy profession and the maintaining of Christ's Kingdom un animously in this our Generation now it remaineth to shew how farr they are engaged beyond others in this work and that the State it self as Christian is not free from this engagement but ought to mind it and advance the work in a leading way for if it hath been made out convincingly both upon spiritual and rational grounds that not only for the advancement of Christ's Kingdom in the world but also for the outward safety and preservation of the Churches which from within are undermined and from without are assaulted a Religious Correspondency is absolutely necessary for them Then an enquiry may be and ought also to be made further of two things First to whom the procurement of this Correspondency doth chieflly belong Secondly how it may be procured and maintained amongst the Churches and to answer in general terms these Questions I conceive we may say thus That the procurement of this Correspondency doth chiefly belong to those who stand most in need thereof for their own welfare and safety and who have most eminently engaged themselves to undertake the procurement of it And that the way to procure it amongst the Churches Phil 2.4 Heb. 10.24 can bee none other but a Christian endeavour to live and converse with other professors in the Communion of Saints which is not to look to our own things alone but that every one should look also to the things of others and in the consideration of others to provoke them unto love and to good works of a common concernment Thus much in general but then to answer the first Query in particular I conceive it may be truly said That the Godly Party living in this Common-wealth doth stand in more need of this Correspondency for the welfare of their Cause and for their own safety then any o her Churches do and that the same Party together with the State hath more eminently engaged it self towards God and men to undertake the procurement of this Correspondency then any other State or Churches have done And to make out both these assertions to bee truths I shall briefly offer these considerations First in respect of the need which they stand of it it is in my apprehension thus The Godly Party of this Nation with the State hath been led forth in a peculiar way of acting against the world and against Antichrist which others have not been acquainted withall This acting hath set them in opposition not onely to the world and Antichrist in a more direct way then others but also put them at a distance from their Brethren themselves who partly by reason of their weakness partly for want of that information which we should have given them partly because they have been prepossessed with false and injurious informations against us have been for the most part so offended at us that they have scrupled very much and many still scruple to own us as Brethren and look upon us rather as Apostates from the Cause and separate from all Relation towards other Protestants in their esteem we are a new thing start up and standing alone by our selves Now to bee in such a condition seems to be for us very unsate for if our enemies be able without any controule to represent us unto the world and to the Professors of the Gospel as giddy and unsettled men fit only to distribute and not build any thing and if we take no thought how to vindicate our Cause from false aspersions towards our Brethren and towards men of impartial judgment the Cause of Christian and civil liberty which we have undertaken and maintained hitherto cannot prosper but must needs at last miscarry in our hands For the prosperity of the Cause is nothing else but the gaining of Godly mens affections at home and abroad to it and if we make no Application to our Godly Brethren and neighbours to set them right and inform them of the truth of our Cause and proceedings and to interest them to Correspond with us upon a Gospel account how can our proceedings be successefull how can our Cause be justified and how can we promise safety to our selvs when our professed enemies together with our misled neighbours shall jointly conspire and rise up against us I know and am confident that the cause will prosper in God's hand and that he will carry it on and preserve the Instruments thereof who follow him in his way but I do not see any ground to believe that he wil do it without the ordinary Gospel-means of propagating the Truth of maintaining the Communion of Saints If then he doth intend to preserve us and to make use of us any further in this his work I am very confident that he will set us in the way whereunto he hath promised to give a blessing which is the way of brotherly love in a Religious Correspondency towards the rest of the Churches professing his name in the Truth By how much then our undertakings are more resolute and destructive to the course of the world by so much they are the more difficult to be carried on and therefore we stand the more in need of the help and concurrence of the Godly every where to carry it on with us to a good issue And by how much our present leaders in the cause are less interessed in the Godly Party a broad by so much if they desire to provide in God's way for the success of the Cause and for their own safety therein they should the more apply themselves to advance a Gospel-interest towards all the professors thereof and maintain with them to this effect a Religious Correspondency therein For as a man that is in a fight doth not make use of any one of his members alone but all the members of his body are set in a posture to concur and supply mutuall strength as standing in need of each others help so in this conflict of the body of Christ against the powers of the World and the subtilty of Antichrist as all the Churches are aimed at and assaulted so they stand in need of one anothers help and that part of the body which is most violently assaulted standeth most in need of the assistance of the rest for its safety Now it is without all doubt that the Godly Party of this Nation is most in the eye of the enemie and when the universall breach which is near at hand between Protestants and Papists shall be made it will be most violently put at therefore it doth stand most in need of help and is bound for its own safety in a Gospel-way to endeavour to receive it But the matter of