The Interest of England in the Protestant Cause, Part 3
Of the Third.
THe endeavours of the adverſaries of the Proteſtant Cauſe are of three ſorts, according to the Principles and inclinations of thoſe that are oppoſite unto it.
The firſt ſort are the Profane and Hypocriticall Profeſſors who are within their own boſom and betray the Cauſe.
The ſecond are the open Atheiſts and meer Politicians who being oft times in places of power in the State; deſpiſe and neglect all matters of Religion.
The third are the Papiſts who commonly take hold of the advantages which both theſe fore-named adverſaries give againſt the Cauſe to weaken it, and thereupon ſet their own Engines of another nature a work to overthrow it.
The Profane and Hypocriticall profeſſors are ſuch as underſtand not what is meant by the power of Godlineſs, and yet being willing to be counted Religious take up the outward forms of the profeſſion & appear zealous for the Intereſts thereof, in the way of a party by which means the animoſities and diſputes for Circumſtantiall matters are increaſed; and with theſe the weaker ſort of plain hearted Chriſtians are involved into controverſies; all which cannot be called profeſſed adverſaries unto the Cauſe, for they have no deſign formed againſt it; but their way of owning the profeſſion by multiplying of ſcandals is oppoſite to the Cauſe and doth undermine it. Now to remedy the evil which doth ariſe from theſe profeſſors, there is none other way open but that the Godly and intelligent Profeſſors of all parties ſhould correſpond together, in the way of ſaving Truth and Holineſs; to own one another; and cry down the heat of diſputes concerning Circumſtantiall matters upon the grounds of Chriſtian liberty and Moderation in beating one with another.
As for the Atheiſts and the meer worldly Politicians who make a mock of thoſe that are Godly, and miſ-conſtrue all their proceedings as if they were done only for worldly advantages; theſe are more directly oppoſite unto the Cauſe it ſelf, and taking hold of the ſcandals which ariſe amongſt the Profeſſors, they thereby foment a ſeed of diviſion amongſt them, and make their weakneſs redound to the diſcredit of the Profeſſion it ſelf. Now to diſ-appoint the denign which Satan doth drive on, againſt the Proteſtant Cauſe by theſe his Inſtruments, no courſe will be effectual except the Godly of all parties by ſome mutuall Correſpondency come to ſome joint reſolution to remove the ſcandals which give them matter of obloquie againſt the ways of Godlineſs.
But the Papiſts are the moſt open and profeſſed adverſaries to the Proteſtant Cauſe: theſe build their plots upon all the miſcarriages which are amongſt the parties, how to ſtagger the weak, and to divide us more and more, by their ſubtile emiſſaries of ſeverall ſorts (which their Colledges de propaganda fide as they are called do maintain) in hope that thereby wee ſhall be made a prey unto them at laſt.
Now to take this advantage out of their hands, and to ſtop the gaps whereby they break in upon us, that they may cunningly heighten our paſſions, and make our diviſions irreconcileable; there is no likely way but this, that ſome Godly and conſiderate party ſhould ſtir up the reſt to Correſpond with it ſelf, and each with another, in theſe main an fundamentall Duties and Truths of Chriſtianity, wherein they are all united, and whereunto they have all attained, notwithſtanding their different opinions in leſſer matters. And except ſome ſuch courſe be taken, there is no human poſſibility to prevent the effect of the plots which the Papall Conclave hath againſt the Churches, which hath proſecuted and doth proſecute with indefatigable diligence, with innumerable Agents of ſeverall ſorts, with immenſe coſt and charge, with all manner of crafty inſinuations, and fair pretenſes, and with all the zeal that either the opinion of deſerving heaven, or the hope of temporall Greatneſs, Power, and profit can breed in Superſtitious, in ambitious and coveteous minds. Therefore to countermine theſe practiſes of the common adverſaries, and to cut them ſhort of the advantages, by which they will at laſt work out their ends, if no remedy be found: this religious Correſpondency in things whereunto the Churches have attained, is abſolutely neceſſary; and without ſome intercourſe between them to this effect, it will bee impoſſible, as to men to prevent the miſchief which will enſue.
Here although it is not my deſign to make any State conſiderations a ground of this diſcourſe, becauſe the ſtrength of the Cauſe and the true Intereſt of the Goſpell is not bottomed upon the out ward circumſtances of the affairs of this world, yet becauſe ſome uſe may be made of the prevailing power of Papiſts againſt the ſtate of the Proteſtants in this our age, to awaken us with zeal to our ſpirituall duty, therefore I think it will not be amiſs to make a little digreſſion concerning this matter.
If we look then upon the Proteſtant States in Germany, in France and elſe where in Europe, and conſider that which is obvious to all, wee may perceive by the cauſes of their preſent weakning and unſettlement their deſtiny in time to come, if thoſe cauſes be not ſpeedily removed. For it is certain that the houſe of Auſtria and the Papall Conclave, ſince the days of Charles the Fifth. When the firſt Warr about Religion was raiſed, in the year 1546. have entred into a League for the Extirpation of the Proteſtant party, which hath been to this day carryed on between them and the deſign thereof conſtantly proſecuted; nor hath any thing both firſt and laſt given them the advantages of all their ſucceſſes, ſo much as the divided affections and neglected Intereſts of Proteſtants amongſt themſelves, about matters of Religion: for the Elect or of Saxony in the laſt war for the liberty of Proteſtants did betray and deſert firſt the Elector Palat ne in his undertaking, and made him miſcarry in the defence of the Proteſtant Cauſe, onelyonly becauſe he was jealous; that the Calviniſts (as they are called) ſhould become too great in the Empire. And then afterward he refuſed to join in the Swediſh Evangelicall confoederacy erected at Heilbrum, in the year 1633. onelyonly becauſe he would not be engaged to maintain a War for the ſecuring of 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 onelyonly 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 onelyonly in Germany, but out of Germany alſo; not onelyonly 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 onelyonly 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 onelyonly 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 onelyonly 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 onelyonly 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.