The Novelty of Popery Opposed to the Antiquity of True Christianity, Book 7 · Controversy 14 – Treatise
Fourteenth Controverſie, OF THE SEVENTH BOOK. THE ANTIBARBAROƲS, OR, Of unknown Language, both in the Prayers of private perſons, and in the publick Service. Where alſo the principal Clauſes of the Maſs are repreſented, which might offend the people if they underſtood them. To my dear Nephew Monſieur BOCHART, Paſtor of the Church of LAEN.
Dear Nephew,
IF the Church of God receive ſome benefit by this labour of mine, ſhe may thank you for it; for in my anſwer to Cardinal Du Perron, having unawares omitted his Chapter about the uſe of unknown language in Gods ſervice, you have given me advice of that defect, and exhorted me to ſupply it. I have followed your counſel, and made this Treatiſe, which I here preſent unto you, beſeeching you to receive it as a teſtimony of my hearty love, and of the joy I receive ſeeing you ſerve in the work of the Lord with ſo much praiſe. It is no ſmall conſolation to me among ſo many deſolations, to ſee that God is raiſing lights to ſhine in the darkneſs which groweth thicker every day. For ſince God ſends us good labourers, he ſheweth that he will leave us yet ſome harveſt. Having endowed you with his fear from your infancy, and now ſet you apart for his ſervice, he will arm you with ſtrength and courage, that you may not ſink under the burthen. For you are inrolled in this ſacred Militia in a time when you ſhall have need of double proviſion of zeal and holy magnanimity. It will be a great honour to you to be ſet upon the breach, and in the hotteſt conflict, and to be a burning and ſhining lamp in the diſmal night of our Age. In this great work you ſhall have a bleſſed experience of the help that God promiſeth to them that love him, and hold it a great gain to loſe their lives and eſtates for his ſervice. As he hath given ſtronger roots unto trees that ſtand in the top of rocks, becauſe they are more expoſed to the impetuoſity of winds, he will alſo proportion your ſtrength to the meaſure of the combats unto which he will expoſe you. Indeed the match between us and our Adverſaries ſeems to be very unequal, and the enterprize on our ſide no leſs hard and unlikely then if we went about to undermine a rock with pins. But we ought to remember that we fight Gods cauſe, who uſeth commonly weak Inſtruments for admirable works, that the glory of his ſucceſs may not be attributed unto mans vertue. We muſt alſo put on this confidence, that the heavenly truth, though it were caſt into the deepeſt bottom of the ſea, will riſe and come up to the top again: And that the Church ſtands faſter then the world, ſince the world was made for the Church: To which may be applied that which is written of the City of Jericho, that he that founded it, laid the foundations thereof upon his firſt born. This ſame God, who with the ſound of Joſhuah's trumpets made the walls of the enemy to fall, will one day make the wall of Babylon to fall down at the ſound of the trumpets of the Goſpel. And if God for the ungratefulneſs of this hard age defers that excellent work unto another time, we that have ſowed in earth with little ſucceſs, ſhall nevertheleſs reap a plentiful harveſt in heaven. We carry this light like Gideons ſouldiers, in earthen veſſels, that is, in frail bodies; the breaking whereof ſhall be happy and honourable, if it may ſerve to make the light of the Goſpel to appear. For ſhould we that preach the croſs of Chriſt be exempted from it? Should not we that bear this Ark enter the firſt into this Jordan, being patterns to Gods people that followeth, not only in doctrine, but alſo in zeal and all vertue? As for me, having almoſt ended my race, and aspiring with all my ſoul to the reſt which God hath promiſed unto them that fear him, I rejoyce to leave after me perſons endowed with a greater meaſure of his graces, and eſpecially mine own Nephew, whom I have loved with a fatherly affection; one who treading upon the ſteps of a vertuous Father, whoſe memory is bleſſed in Gods Church, will go beyond his predeceſſors▪ and ſhall leave an example unto poſterity. But while I remain yet in this earthly houſe, you owe me the help of your prayers, as I for my part beſeech God that he ſtrengthen you with his grace to be his faithful ſervant, to fight the good fight, and to be fruitful to his glory. I reſt
Your beſt Unkle, and very humble brother and ſervant, P. DU MOULIN. At Sedan, Auguſt 6. 1629.