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<DATE>2013-11-01</DATE>
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<NAME>John Pas</NAME>
<RESP>MURP</RESP>
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<ITEM>Proofed and reviewed as part of batch B130910.pdcc.</ITEM>
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<IDG S="marc" R="UM" ID="A81273">
<STC T="W">C912bA</STC>
<STC T="C">R223860</STC>
<BIBNO T="umi">99897185</BIBNO>
<VID>135636</VID>
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<TEXT LANG="eng">
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<DIV1 TYPE="text">
<PB REF="1">
<PB N="1" REF="2">
<HEAD>THE CASE OF ENGLAND, AND THE <HI>PROTESTANT INTEREST.</HI></HEAD>
<P>S<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="4 letters"> <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 word"> pre&s;ent condition of the <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 span"> the whole Prote|&s;tant Intere&s;t by the conjunction of <HI>France</HI> and <HI>Spain</HI> abroad, and a a more horrid combination of &s;everal at home, mu&s;t needs affect with the mo&s;t melancholy Reflections all true Engli&s;h Hearts, all &s;uch as have any real love or zeal for their Religion, or their native Country. I cannot think it ami&s;s to pre&s;ent a &s;hort and impartial View to &s;uch as have not con&s;idered the &s;ame.</P>
<P>In the beginning of the la&s;t Age, the Prote&s;tant Intere&s;t in <HI>Europe</HI> was more than a Match for the Roman Catholick: the Kingdom of <HI>Bohemia</HI> was alm<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">&s;t all Prote&s;tant; near half the Subjects of <HI>Hungary,</HI> of <HI>Au&s;tria</HI> and <HI>Mor<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">via,</HI> were Prote&s;tant (and did many times defend them&s;elves by force again&s;t the Emperor him&s;elf, when oppre&s;s'd by him for the &s;ake of their Religion.) That in <HI>Germany,</HI> the Hou&s;es of <HI>Newburgh</HI> were Prote&s;tant, the <HI>Palatina<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">s</HI> for the mo&s;t part of them Prote&s;tant, of the &s;tricte&s;t &s;ort; the <HI>Saxons</HI> e<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">tirely Prote&s;tant, and being hearty unanimous, and &s;eated in the mid&s;t o<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> <HI>Germany,</HI> were a Bulwark and Defence to the Prote&s;tants of many other le<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="3 letters">r States as often as they were oppre&s;s'd for their Religion, by their own or the<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> neighbouring Princes: That many of the Subjects of <HI>Bava|ria, Bamburgh, Colo<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="2 letters">, Wurtzburgh</HI> and <HI>Worms</HI> were Prote&s;tants. Be&s;ides the&s;e,
<PB N="2" REF="3"> that the Prote&s;tants of <HI>France</HI> were &s;o powerful, as to maintain 8 or 9 Civil Wars in defence of their Religion, and always came off with ad|vantage. The <HI>Vaudois</HI> in <HI>Italy</HI> were all of them Prote&s;tant, and great num|bers of the Inhabitants of the <HI>Spani&s;h</HI> Low Countries were of the Reform'd Religion. Be&s;ides, <HI>England</HI> and <HI>Holland,</HI> and the Northern Kingdoms of <HI>Denmark</HI> and <HI>Sweden,</HI> and Dutchy of <HI>Brandenburgh,</HI> were entirely Prote|&s;tant. B<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">t now in&s;tead of this, is not the Prote&s;tant Power de&s;troyed almo&s;t ov<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="2 letters"> <HI>Europe?</HI> The whole Kingdom of <HI>Bohemia</HI> entirely Popi&s;h? Are not the Prote&s;tants of <HI>Poland, Au&s;tria, Moravia</HI> utterly de&s;troyed? Is not their de&s;truction now carrying on, and almo&s;t fini&s;h'd in <HI>Hungary?</HI> In <HI>Germany,</HI> the <HI>Newburghers</HI> of Prote&s;tants are become fierce Enemies of the Prote&s;tant Religion. The Prote&s;tants of <HI>Bavaria, Bamburgh, Cologn, Wurtz|burgh</HI> and <HI>Worms</HI> are all de&s;troyed. In <HI>France,</HI> the <HI>Spani&s;h</HI> Low Countries, <HI>Savoy</HI> and <HI>Vaudois,</HI> after long and mighty Struggles, the Religion is utterly extingui&s;hed. Again&s;t the poor <HI>Palatinates</HI> the Per&s;ecution is now carrying on with its u&s;ual barbarity, and their Neighbours the <HI>Saxons</HI> are &s;o far from being able to help them, that they are under the fearful Apprehen&s;i|ons of &s;uffering the like from their own Prince (lately turned Roman Ca|tholick to obtain the Kingdom of <HI>Poland</HI>) &s;o &s;oon as his Wars with <HI>Swe|den,</HI> and other troubles created him by his Poli&s;h and Lithuanian Subjects will give him leave. Be&s;ides this, two Northern Princes have given great cau&s;e to &s;u&s;pect their conver&s;ion to the Romi&s;h Religion: That <HI>Sweden</HI> by its &s;eparation from the re&s;t of <HI>Europe</HI> by the <HI>Baltick,</HI> is unable to give a&s;&s;i&s;tance to the Prote&s;tants in any part of <HI>Europe,</HI> without the con&s;ent of the <HI>German</HI> Princes bor<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ering on the <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 span"> granted by Papi&s;ts in favour of the Prote&s;tants.</P>
<P>Thus the Prote&s;tant Religion which had &s;pread it &s;elf over almo&s;t all <HI>Europe,</HI> which had gain'd the entire po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ion of &s;ome Countrys, the greater part of others, and mighty Intere&s;t in mo&s;t, has through the re&s;tle&s;s malice and endeavours of its Enemies, been &s;ubverted and de&s;troyed in Country after County, till it is at la&s;t reduced to a little Corner of what it once po&s;&s;e&s;t (<HI>England</HI> and <HI>Holland</HI>) And do we think our Enemies will not accompli&s;h (what they have thus pro&s;perou&s;ly carried on &s;o far) our utter De&s;truction? Is it not high time then to think our &s;elves in dan|ger, to look about us to enquire what it is hath thus weakend us brought us &s;o near our ruin, what mea&s;ures will certainly accompli&s;<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> it, and what we mu&s;t take for the prevention of it?</P>
<P>The Romi&s;h Methods of converting the Prote&s;tants have leen in all Countries the &s;ame, <HI>viz.</HI> Confi&s;cation of their E&s;tates, Goals and Impri|&s;onments, Fire, and Sword, dragooning and ma&s;&s;acring, and inflicting the mo&s;t inhuman torments that rage and fury cou'd inve<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">t upon &s;uch, who&s;e re&s;olution and zeal for their Religion cou'd not b<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> moved by the former means.</P>
<PB N="3" REF="3">
<P>If this be the title ca&s;e of <HI>England,</HI> and <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="2 letters">e Prote&s;tant Religion, then what is wanting to give the f<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="3 letters">i&s;hing <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">roke to our de&s;truction, but only an ability in the King of <HI>Fra<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="3 letters"></HI> <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">o break the Powers of <HI>England</HI> and <HI>Hol|land.</HI> And when we con&s;ider how in the year 1672. the King of <HI>France</HI> marched his Army through the mid&s;t of <HI>Flanders,</HI> fell directly upon <HI>Hol|land,</HI> then unprovided, enter'd their &s;tronge&s;t Towns like open Villages; &s;ome without defence, or almo&s;t denial, mo&s;t of them without any blows at all, and all of them with very few, and made him&s;elf Ma&s;ter of three parts of <HI>Holland</HI> in 2 months time; for which Sir <HI>W. T. K. C.</HI> II's Amba&s;&s;ador (then in <HI>Holland</HI>) tells us the rea&s;on was, That the <HI>Dutch</HI> then not &s;u&s;pecting &s;uch a thing, had no Field-Army &s;ufficient to encounter their Enemies, or &s;uccour any Town: That walled Towns will not de|fend the men within, unle&s;s the hearts of the Men will defend their Walls: That no Gari&s;on will make any re&s;olute defence, without the pro&s;pect or hopes at lea&s;t of relief. 'Tis true, that the <HI>French</HI> King having then all <HI>Flanders</HI> on his back, gari&s;on'd with <HI>Spani&s;h</HI> Troops (then his implacable Enemies) a powerfull Army of the <HI>German</HI> Princes marching upon him down the <HI>Rhine; Spain</HI> and <HI>England</HI> (alarm'd by his &s;ucce&s;&s;es) preparing to attack him on all quarters, was glad to vomit up all again, and return home with as much precipitancy, as he had invaded them, lea&s;t the Pro|vi&s;ions and retreat of his Army through <HI>Flanders</HI> &s;hould be cut off. But now the ca&s;e is otherwi&s;e, he has po&s;&s;e&s;s'd him&s;elf of <HI>Flanders,</HI> extended his Dominion to the very Frontiers of <HI>Holland;</HI> Spain <HI>is all united to him, &s;ome</HI> German <HI>Princes (then his Enemies) are now become his Friends; others <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 span"> <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="3 letters">ditions of <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 span"> with him.</HI> And &s;hould he now by a <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">atal Battle (which God of his infinite mercy forbid) break the <HI>Dutch</HI> Army, which they have with infinite Charge and matchle&s;s Vigour, gather'd up from <HI>Denmark, Brandenburgh,</HI> and other remote Countries of <HI>Germany,</HI> might he not enter the heart of their Country? And whence then can their &s;trong Cities and Towns depend upon relief? May he not as former|ly enter 'em like open Villages? May he not as formerly po&s;&s;e&s;s him&s;elf of their whole Country in le&s;s than one Campaign? It was the opinion of that great State&s;man, Sir <HI>W. T.</HI> That <HI>Holland</HI> wou'd make a &s;tout re&s;i|&s;tance in any quarrel remote from their own doors; but that which ena|bles them (their Wealth) to carry on a foreign War with Vigour, wou'd in a War at home render 'em defencele&s;s: Rich and populous Towns are not fit for <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ieges, or were ever known to make any long and re&s;olute de|fence. If his be our ca&s;e, if the whole power of the Prote&s;tant Religi|on re&s;ts now in a manner in <HI>England</HI> and <HI>Holland;</HI> if the de&s;truction of <HI>England,</HI> as well as of our holy Religion, mu&s;t inevitably follow the lo&s;s of <HI>Holland.</HI> If <HI>Holland</HI> by one unfortunate Battle might happen to be lo&s;t in one Campa<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">gn or le&s;s, Are we not in a mo&s;t &s;ad and deplorable Con|dition?
<PB N="4" REF="4" MS="y"> and if &s;ome Men a<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="2 letters"> without their Fears, Have we not the greater rea&s;on to fear for our &s;<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">lves, our Religion, and our Country. What &s;hou'd we judg of tho&s;e who tell <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 word">, 'tis too early yet for <HI>England</HI> to declare? The Enemy has rai&s;e<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> his Armies, furni&s;h'd his Magazines; and 'tis too early for us to think of rai&s;ing a Man. The Enemy is before our Outworks, and 'tis too &s;oon for us to prepare our &s;elves to be on our guard: Will not tho&s;e Men tell us, when <HI>Holland</HI> is lo&s;t, 'twill then be too late? To what purpo&s;e (will they &s;ay) now do you think of rai&s;ing Forces? Is not the <HI>French</HI> King Ma&s;ter of <HI>Holland?</HI> Po&s;&s;e&s;s'd of all their Ports? Where will you land 'em? To what u&s;e will you put 'em? Does not &s;uch Language as this plainly &s;hew the intention of the Authors? Is it not plainly to deliver us blindfold, bound hand and foot into the Ene|mies hand? Is not their de&s;ign now &s;o vi&s;ible as not to be di&s;gui&s;ed? Do not &s;ome of the Party begin to throw off the Mask, and tell us, 'Twill not be well with us till our old Ma&s;ter returns, till the Government returns to its natural Channel. And are not tho&s;e that were the very Tools and In|&s;truments of Popery and Arbitrary Power in former Reigns, and that owe their Lives to Acts of Indempnity in this, indu&s;triou&s;ly repre&s;ented by &s;ome as the Patriots of their Country; and by a &s;trange kind of Paradox tho&s;e that have been always hearty for the Church, and were for defending of it when others were for pulling it down; that were hearty for the King's Acce&s;&s;ion to the Throne, and to his Per&s;on and Government ever &s;ince, are repre&s;ented as betrayers of us, as having &s;old us to <HI>France:</HI> Would it not be a piece of rare refin'd Policy, if <HI>France</HI> could hang up her great|e&s;t Enemies, under the Notio<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 span"> Friends, and give Encou|ragement to her antient Friends, under the Notion of being her Enemies?</P>
<P>Let us therefore while it is yet in our power (as we tender our Religion and our Country) u&s;e our utmo&s;t Endeavours by all legal ways to a&s;&s;i&s;t his Maje&s;ty and his Government, again&s;t all his and our Enemies both at home and abroad; and in the wo<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ds of our Liturgy, let us offer up our mo&s;t fervent Prayers to God Almighty, <HI>Give peace in our time, O Lord! becau&s;e there is none other that fighteth for us but only thou, O God!</HI></P>
<TRAILER>FINIS.</TRAILER>
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