The Interest of These United Provinces, Section 3
Sect. 3. The plea of France's granting us the liberty of our Religion conſidered.
FIrſt for the French it may be argued, that the King will grant us the liberty of our Religion.
To which I reply by way of conceſſion, that I verily believe he will; but deſire it may be further conſidered.
1. If he grants this liberty according to the cuſtome of France, it will be onelyonly to thoſe of the reformed Religion. Now beſides theſe, there are many others amongſt us, Iews, Lutherans, Anabaptiſts, &c. The common-wealth conſiſting both of ſeveral ſorts of people, and ſeverall ſorts of Religions: and what ſhall become of thoſe, which the common-wealth tollerates, though not of the profeſſed Religion of the Land?
2. But let it be further ſuppoſed, that proviſion be made for the liberty of thoſe allſo that diſſent from the reformed Religion, or for all, and that by Articles, Edicts, or whatſoever way you pleaſe: yet we know how ſlightly theſe are uſually obſerved, by thoſe that have the execution of them, and how litle Governors and Soldjers regard theſe. For they well know, that moſt cannot, many dare not, others will not complaine of them; and if any doe, it will be a weariſome worke, and the remedy many times worſe than the diſeaſe. So that a patient ſuffering is the onelyonly ſolace to the ſufferer and oppreſſed.
3. I might add, that it is a maxim with many Papiſts (allthough not all I confes*Molanus de fide haereticis ſervanda.) that no faith is to be kept with hereticks. Now all Papiſts accounting us ſuch, if thoſe that Governe be of that perſwaſion; how litle account will they make of what conditions ſoever are made with us; but as occaſion ſerves, if they dare not openly breake, yet will they ſecretly evade, all ſuch as ſerve for our ſupport, and thinke they doe God good ſervice. As allſo their tenet of the Popes power of diſpenſation with all oaths, Articles, Promiſes and obligations though never ſo ſolemn and ſacred: or if you pleaſe (for it is all one) a power to abrogate Gods laws, nul all the faith and bonds of man-kind, ſubvert all humaine Society, and in ſhort ex injuſtitia facere Juſtitiam as the Canoniſts tell us.De tranſlat. Epiſcop. c. quanto in gloſſa. Now ſuppoſe we have Governors that meaſures conſciences by ells rather than inches; who matters no more engagements diſpenſed with by his Holines, than we doe our Almanacks out of date. I ſhould be glad to be informed what we could doe in the caſe, more then cry and complaine to God Allmighty. For I doubt they will ſeldome doe that, which Maximilian the firſt did frequently, Deus aeterne, niſi vigilares, quàm malè eſſe mundo, Morn. Myſter. Iniquit,quem regimus nos ego miſer venator, & ebrioſus illè ac ſceleratus Julius! Nay if Governors thinke themſelves obliged in conſcience and honour to keepe conditions; yet it is well known how generally they are influenced by their Clergy: ſo that in all dubious caſes, and the application of generall rules to particular practiſes, it cannot be exſpected but judgement ſhould be given on the Papiſts ſide, and that the Grandees of the Church ſhould beare them out in it, and Jeſuits and others Zelots applaude their practiſes.
4. The Papiſts muſt have publique places for their Worſhip, not only in all Cities but Villages, as we may ſee in the Articles propounded by the French. Now there being by far too few Churches or places for publique Worſhip, in moſt of our populous and enlarged Cities allready; it will not be poſſible for a great part of our Religion, to enjoy the publique Ordinances of God; but many will run into profane courſes, moſt grow ignorant and careles what Religion they are of, and their poſterity abſolute Papiſts. By which meanes the number of the Reformed decreaſing, and Papiſts increaſing; where at firſt there was but onelyonly one Church for popery; they ſhall then take more, and ſo continue to inlarge themſelves and ſtraten us. Nor let any judge theſe, as onelyonly jealouſies and feares. For if they begin allready to incroach (as it is credibly reported from ſeverall places they command) and breake Articles heerein, when not onelyonly the commands of ſuperiors, but common policy requires a moſt religious obſervance thereof; what ſhall we thinke they will doe hereafter? If they will not now out of hopes to win thoſe to them, which yet ſtand out: much les will they, when there is no more hope of gaining thereby.
5. When popery is the Religion of our Governors, who have the diſpoſall of preferments and profits, to allure men to their Religion: We ſhall find by wofull experience, what by education, converſe, marriages, dignities and other worthy advantages; many of the ignoranter and looſer ſort of Proteſtants, will change their profeſſion (I ſay not Religion for that ſuch never had) and turne Papiſts. Who is ſuch a ſtranger in the world as knowes not, that by ſuch artifices they have more weakened the Proteſtants in France, than by all their wars and conteſts with them. In ſo much that of late yeares, ſome wiſe men of the Reformed Religion there, have bene ſo fear full of its being utterly ſupplanted; that they have required their children by their laſt will and Teſtament, to leave that Kingdome, and ſetle themſelves in theſe Countries.
6. Let the beſt he ſuppoſed that any rationall man can imagine, yet will it be bad enough. For if the Papiſts have the Civill power to back them, allthough the wiſer and better ſort, it is not to be doubted will be civill; yet the the ruder ſort will be intollerably inſolent. And this begins to appear in ſome places allready, where the Popiſh Inhabitants are more inſufferably inſulting, ſpightfull, and injurious than the French themſelves. And if they doe this ſo early while things are doubifull, and the iſſue of the War dubious; what may we expect when they are in their high Meridian of ſucces and glory?
7. And laſtly, if any one thinkes that theſe are onelyonly needles feares and groundles ſurmiſes, I ſhall deſire them to peruſe the French Embaſſadors Speech to the Emperors Council,Gremonville. where he will find this Argument of Religion inſiſted on to divert the Emperor from our aſſiſtance (which is well retorted by the ingenious Anſwerer thereof.) And inform themſelves how faſt the Jeſuits and other Zealots for the Romiſh Religion, fall off from the Houſe of Auſtria and Spaint to France; in regard of their inability to carry on their deſigns of the Univerſall Popiſh Monarchy, and the hopes they have of France's potency to effect it. And then let them judge, if there be not ſufficient ground, for all that I have ſaid, and much more that might be ſaid upon this Subject.