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<DATE>2014-04-29</DATE>
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<NAME>Olivia Bottum</NAME>
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<P>AN EPISTLE OF LOVE AND Friendly Advice, To the Amba&s;&s;adors of the &s;eve|ral Princes of <HI>Europe,</HI> met at <HI>Nime|guen</HI> to Con&s;ult the Peace of <HI>Chri|&s;tendom,</HI> &s;o far as they are concerned: Where|in the true Cau&s;e of the pre&s;ent War is di&s;|covered, and the right Remedy and Means for a firm and &s;ettled Peace is propo&s;ed.</P>
<P>By <HI>R. Barclay</HI> a Lover and Travailer for the Peace of <HI>Chri&s;tendom.</HI></P>
<P>Which was delivered to them in <HI>La|tin</HI> the 23d. and 24th. dayes of the Month called <HI>February</HI> 1678/7. and now publi&s;hed in <HI>Engli&s;h</HI> for the &s;atisfaction of &s;uch as under|&s;tand not the Language,</P>
<Q><P><BIBL><HI>P&s;al. 2.10.</HI></BIBL> Be wi&s;e therefore ye Kings, be in&s;tructed ye Judges of the Earth, &s;erve the Lord with fear, and re|joyce with trembling.</P>
<P>Ki&s;s the &s;on lea&s;t he be angry, and ye peri&s;h from the way when his wrath is kindled but a little; ble&s;&s;ed are all they that put their tru&s;t in him.</P></Q>
<P><HI>LONDON,</HI> Printed for, and Sold by <HI>Benjamin Clark</HI> in <HI>George-yard</HI> in <HI>Lumber-&s;treet</HI> Stationer. 1679.</P>
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<DIV1 TYPE="letter">
<PB REF="2">
<PB N="1" REF="2">
<HEAD>To the Amba&s;&s;adors and Depu|ties of the Chri&s;tian Princes and States, met at <HI>Nimeguen,</HI> to Con&s;ult the Peace of <HI>Chri&s;ten|dom, R. B.</HI> a Servant of Je&s;us Chri&s;t, and hearty wel-wi&s;her to the <HI>Chri&s;tian World,</HI> wi&s;hes increa&s;e of Grace and Peace, and the &s;pirit of &s;ound Judge|ment, with hearts inclined, and willing to receive and obey the Coun&s;el of God.</HEAD>
<P>LEt it not &s;eem &s;trange unto you, who are men cho&s;en and authorized by the great <HI>Mo|narchs, and States of Europe,</HI> to find out a &s;peedy remedy for the pre&s;ent great trouble, under which many of her Inhabitants do groan; as &s;uch who&s;e Wi&s;dom, and Prudence, and Abilities has &s;o recommended
<PB N="2" REF="3">them to the World, as to be judged fit for &s;o great and difficult a work) to be addre&s;&s;ed unto by one, who by the World may be e&s;teemed weak and fooli&s;h; who&s;e advice is not u&s;hered unto you, by the Commi&s;&s;ion of any of the Princes of this World, nor &s;e|conded by the recommendation of any earthly &s;tate: For &s;ince your work is that which concerns all Chri&s;tians, why may not every Chri&s;tian who feels him&s;elf &s;tir'd up of the Lord thereunto, contribute therein; and if they have place to be heard in this Affair, who come in the name of Kings and Princes, let it not &s;eem heavy unto you, to hear him that comes in the name of the Lord Je&s;us Chri&s;t, who in the true&s;t &s;en&s;e, <HI>is the head and governour and cheif Bi&s;hop of the Church, the mo&s;t truly Chri&s;tian and Catholick King:</HI> Many of who&s;e Subjects are concerned in this matter, and the blood of many in ha|zard for whom he hath &s;hed his <HI>preci|ous blood,</HI> and yet who &s;hall not &s;eek to obtrude upon you the beleif of the Truth or certainty of his Commi&s;&s;ion,
<PB N="3" REF="3">becau&s;e of his own Te&s;timony; but leave it, as well as the things he there|in delivereth, to the holy and pure witne&s;s of God, in all your Con&s;ci|ences, to be received or rejected by you, as it &s;hall there be approved, or not approved.</P>
<P>Know then my Friends that many and often times my Soul has been deep|ly bowed down under the weighty &s;en&s;e of the pre&s;ent &s;tate of <HI>Chri&s;tendom,</HI> and in &s;ecret before the Lord I have mourned, and bitterly lamented be|cau&s;e thereof: And as I was cro&s;&s;ing the Sea, and being the la&s;t Summer in <HI>Holland,</HI> and &s;ome parts of <HI>Germany,</HI> the burthen thereof fell often upon me, and it &s;everal times came before me to write unto you what I then &s;aw and felt from God of the&s;e things, while I was in tho&s;e parts; but I waited and was not willing to be ha&s;ty, and now being returned to my own Country, and at my own Home: I cheerfully ac|cept the fit &s;ea&s;on which the Lord has put in my hand, and called me to there|in, to &s;ignifie unto you <HI>tho&s;e things
<PB N="4" REF="4">which in his name and authority I am commanded to do.</HI></P>
<P>And for this end, the Lord has &s;hewn me, what the cau&s;es are of all this mi&s;cheif, and confu&s;ion, and de|&s;olation; which are nece&s;&s;ary to be made known unto you, and deeply and &s;eriou&s;ly to be con&s;idered by you, el&s;e ye can never be able to apply the right remedies; I &s;peak of the primary and original cau&s;e, as it proceeds from him, and is hatched by him, who is the Author of all mi&s;chief, and the great enemy to, as well as envyer of the true peace and pro&s;perity of all good Chri|&s;tians, and who &s;ows in mens hearts, <HI>that evil &s;eed and fomenteth that bad ground</HI> from which all evil ari&s;eth; for unle&s;s this be &s;een, di&s;covered, and re|moved in the ground, although the &s;e|condary and more immediate cau&s;es be &s;een, (to wit) the projects, de&s;igns and councels of men, and in part be an&s;wered and removed, by giving way to &s;ome, and taking from others, accor|ding as they are more or le&s;s formidable and con&s;iderable, mea&s;uring the&s;e
<PB N="5" REF="4">things by the rules of humane wi&s;dom, and carnal prudence and policy: Yet that is not &s;ufficient, that may allay the heat for a time, but will not remove the evil; and you in &s;o doing, will prove but like tho&s;e Phy&s;itians, that do miti|gate the pain and violence of a Di&s;ea&s;e for a time, but do not take away the ground and cau&s;e of it; &s;o that it &s;hort|ly again returns, and in the end de|&s;troys him that is afflicted with it.</P>
<P>The cheif ground, cau&s;e and root then of all this mi&s;ery among all tho&s;e called Chri&s;tians, is becau&s;e they are only &s;uch in <HI>Name,</HI> and not in <HI>Nature,</HI> having only a form and profe&s;&s;ion of Chri&s;tianity in &s;hew and words, but are &s;till &s;trangers, yea and enemies to the life and vertue of it; owning God and Chri&s;t in words, but denying them in works, and therefore the Lord Je&s;us Chri&s;t will not own them as his Chil|dren nor Di&s;ciples; for while they &s;ay they are his followers, while they preach and exalt his precepts, while they extol his life, patience, and meek|ne&s;s, his &s;elf-denying perfect re&s;ignati|on
<PB N="6" REF="5">and obedience to the will of his Fa|ther; yet them&s;elves are out of it, and &s;o bring &s;hame and reproach to that honourable name, which they a&s;|&s;ume to them&s;elves in the face of the Nations, and give an occa&s;ion for In|fidels <HI>Turks, Jews</HI> and <HI>Athei&s;ts,</HI> to pro|fane and bla&s;pheme the holy Name of Je&s;us: Is it not &s;o? While &s;o much <HI>ambition, pride, vanity, wantonne&s;s and malice, murder, cruelty and oppre&s;&s;ion,</HI> yea and all manner of abominations a|bounds, and is openly practiced; yea while tho&s;e, that &s;hould be patterns and examples of Ju&s;tice, Vertue and &s;obriety to others, do for the mo&s;t part exceed mo&s;t in tho&s;e things; &s;o that the Courts of Chri&s;tian Princes (who while in words &s;eem more to glory in being Pro|fe&s;&s;ors and Protectors of Chri&s;tianity then in their outward Crowns) which &s;hould be <HI>Colledges of Vertue and Piety,</HI> are mo&s;tly Scenes of greate&s;t wicked|ne&s;s, and ne&s;ts and receptacles of all the <HI>Buffoons, Stage-players, and other vile&s;t Vermine,</HI> not fit to be mentioned. I &s;ay is it not &s;o? while upon every
<PB N="7" REF="5">&s;lender praetext, <HI>&s;uch as their own &s;mall di&s;contents, or that they judge the pre|&s;ent peace they have with their neigh|bour, cannot &s;ute with their Grandeur and worldly glory:</HI> They &s;heath their Swords in one anothers bowels, ruin, wa&s;te and de&s;troy whole Countreys, expo&s;e to the greate&s;t mi&s;ery many thou&s;and Families, make thou&s;ands of Widows, and ten thou&s;ands of Orphans cau&s;e the banks to over-flow with the blood of tho&s;e for whom the Lord Je&s;us Chri&s;t &s;hed his precious blood, &s;pend and de&s;troy many of the good crea|tures of God: And all this while they pretend to be followers of the Lamb like Je&s;us, who came not to de&s;troy mens lives, but to &s;ave them; the &s;ong of who&s;e appearance to the World, <HI>was glory to God in the highest,</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Luke</HI> 2.14.</NOTE> <HI>and good will, and peace to all men;</HI> not to kill, murder and de&s;troy men, not to hire and force poor men, to run upon, and murder one ano|ther, meerly to &s;atisfy the lu&s;t and ambition of great men, they being
<PB N="8" REF="6">oftentimes ignorant of the ground of the quarrel, and not having the lea&s;t occa&s;ion of evil will or prejudice again&s;t tho&s;e their fellow Chri&s;tians whom they thus kill, among&s;t whom not one of a thou&s;and perhaps ever &s;aw be|fore, Yea is it not &s;o? that there is only a <HI>name and nothing of the true na|ture of Chri&s;tians,</HI> e&s;pecially manife&s;t in the <HI>Clergy,</HI> who pretend not only to be Profe&s;&s;ors, but Preachers, Pro|motors and Exhorters of others to Chri&s;tianity, who for the mo&s;t part, are the greate&s;t promoters and advan|cers of tho&s;e Wars; and by whom upon all &s;uch occa&s;ions, the name of God and Je&s;us Chri&s;t, is mo&s;t hor|ribly abu&s;ed, profaned and bla&s;phe|med. <HI>While they dare pray to God, and thank him for the de&s;truction of of their Brethren Chri&s;tians,</HI> and that for, and again&s;t, according to the changeable wills of their &s;everal Princes: Yea, &s;o that &s;ome will joyn in their Prayers, with and for the pro&s;perity of &s;uch, as their profe&s;&s;ion obliges them to believe to be Heretical and An|tichri&s;tian,
<PB N="9" REF="6">and for the de&s;truction of tho&s;e, whom the &s;ame profe&s;&s;ion ac|knowledges to be good and Orthodox Chri&s;tians: <HI>Thus the</HI> French, <HI>both</HI> Pa|pi&s;ts <HI>and</HI> Prote&s;tants, <HI>joyn in their Prayers, and rejoyce for the de&s;truction of the</HI> Spani&s;h Papi&s;ts <HI>and</HI> Dutch Pro|te&s;tants; <HI>the like may be &s;aid of the</HI> Dani&s;h, Swedi&s;h <HI>and</HI> German Pro|te&s;tants, <HI>as re&s;pectively concerned in this matter:</HI> Yea which is yet more &s;trange, if either con&s;traint or Intere&s;t, do engage any Prince or State to change his Party, while the &s;ame War and Cau&s;e remains, then will the Clergy pre&s;ently accommodate their Prayers to the ca&s;e in praying for pro&s;perity to tho&s;e to whom in&s;tantly before they wi&s;hed ruine, and &s;o on the con|trary, as in this pre&s;ent War, <HI>in the Ca&s;e of the Bi&s;hop of</HI> Mun&s;ter <HI>is manife&s;t:</HI> Was there ever? or can there be any more horrible profanation of the holy and pure name of God? e&s;pe|cially to be done by tho&s;e, who pre|tend to be Wor&s;hipers of the true God, and Di&s;ciples of Je&s;us Chri&s;t?
<PB N="10" REF="7">this not only equals, but far exceeds the wickedne&s;s of the Heathens, for they only prayed &s;uch Gods to their a&s;&s;i&s;tance, as they fancied allow their ambition, and accounted their warring a vertue, whom they judged chang|able like them&s;elves, and &s;ubject to &s;uch quarrels among them&s;elves, as they that are their Wor&s;hippers: But for tho&s;e to be found in the&s;e things, who believe there is but one only God, and have or at lea&s;t profe&s;s to have, &s;uch notions of his <HI>ju&s;tice, equity and mercy,</HI> and of the certainty of his pun|ni&s;hing the tran&s;gre&s;&s;ors of his Law, is &s;o horrible and abominable, as can|not &s;ufficiently be neither &s;aid, nor written.</P>
<P>The ground then of all this, <HI>is the want of true Christianity,</HI> becau&s;e the nature of it is not be gotten nor brought forth in tho&s;e called Chri&s;tians, and therefore they bear not the image nor bring not forth the fruits of it; for al|beit they have the name, yet the na|ture they are &s;trangers to, the Lambs nature is not in them, but the Doggi&s;h
<PB N="11" REF="7">nature, the Wolfi&s;h Nature, that will &s;till be quarelling and de&s;troying; the cunning Serpentine &s;ubtile nature, and the proud ambitious <HI>Luciferian</HI> nature, that &s;ets Princes and States a work to contrive and foment Wars, and engages people to fight together, &s;ome for am|bition and vain glory, and &s;ome for coveteou&s;ne&s;s and hope of gain, and the &s;ame cau&s;e doth move the Clergy to concurre with their &s;hare in making their prayers turn and twine, and &s;o all are here out from the &s;tate of true Chri&s;tianity: And as they keep the name of being Chri&s;tians, &s;o al&s;o upon the &s;ame pretext each will pre|tend to be for peace, while their fruits manife&s;tly declare the contrary; and how hath and doth experience daily di&s;cover this deceit? for how is peace brought about? is it not when the weaker is forced to give way to the &s;tronger, without re&s;pect to the equity of the cau&s;e, is it not Ju&s;t &s;o as a|mong the wilde and devouring bea&s;ts? who when they Fight together, the weaker is forced to give way to the
<PB N="12" REF="8">&s;tronger, and &s;o de&s;i&s;t until another occa&s;ion offer; &s;o who are found weak|e&s;t, who are lea&s;t capable to hold out, they mu&s;t bear the Inconveniency, and he gets the mo&s;t advantage, how|ever frivolous, yea unju&s;t his pretence be, who is mo&s;t able to vindicate his claim, and pre&s;erve it, not by Equity, but force of Arms: So that the peace-contrivers rule is not the <HI>Equity of the Cau&s;e,</HI> but <HI>the power of the Parties;</HI> Is not this known and manife&s;t in many, if not mo&s;t of the pacifications that have been made in Chri&s;tendom? It is therefore in my heart, <HI>in the name and behalf of the Lord Je&s;us CHrist,</HI> to warn you to con&s;ider of tho&s;e things: And therefore be not unwilling to hear one, that appears among you, for the In|tere&s;t of Chri&s;t <HI>his King and Master</HI> (not as if thereby he denyed the ju&s;t Au|thority of <HI>Soveraign Princes,</HI> or refu&s;ed to acknowledge the Subjection him|&s;elf owes <HI>to his lawful Prince and Su|periour,</HI> or were any ways inclined to favour the dreams of &s;uch, as under the pretence of crying up King Je&s;us; and
<PB N="13" REF="8">the kingdom of Chri&s;t,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Which calumny &s;ome have been apt to throw up|on us, by rea&s;on of &s;ome in tho&s;e Countreys that have &s;o affirmed.</NOTE> either deny or &s;eek to overturn all Civil Go|vernment) nay, not at all. But I am one, who do reverence and honor Ma|gi&s;tracy, and acknowledge &s;ubjecti|on due unto them, by their re|&s;pective people in all things ju&s;t and lawful; knowing <HI>that Magistracy is an Ordi|nance of God,</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Rom.</HI> 13.1.4.</NOTE> <HI>and that Magi&s;trates are his Mini&s;ters, who bear not the Sword in vain.</HI> Yet never|thele&s;s I judge it no prejudice to Ma|gi&s;tracy, nor injury to any, for one that is called of the Lord Je&s;us, to appear for him in this affair, for he is not a little concerned, as all by their confe&s;&s;ion, &s;o by right are his Sub|jects (unle&s;s they wilfully render them&s;elves to another, even to the ad|ver&s;ary) for he is Heir of all, and there|fore it is fit that they who &s;peak in his name be heard, for his honor and glo|ry is concerned, <HI>his Authority has been contemned, his Laws broken, his Life
<PB N="14" REF="9">oppre&s;&s;ed, his Standard of peace pulled down and rent, his Government in|croached upon: What &s;hall I &s;ay, his precious blood &s;hed, and him&s;elf afre&s;h crucified, and put to open &s;hame,</HI> by the Murthers and Cruelties that have at|tended tho&s;e Wars: If then ye come not under a deep and weighty &s;en&s;e of tho&s;e things, &s;o as to apply your &s;elves to &s;eek after &s;ome effectual way to remedy the&s;e evils; however you may &s;eek to plea&s;e Princes and States, by patching up a reconciliation and troubling your &s;elves to &s;atisfie their covetous and ambitious wills, who make &s;uch a noi&s;e and &s;tir in the World <HI>about their glory,</HI> and do not mind the glory and honour of the Lord Je&s;us Chri&s;t, &s;o as to give him the right that is due unto him: In the fir&s;t place, not in a bare &s;ound of words (he will not accept of &s;uch a Complement while the evil works remain,) <HI>I te&s;tifie in his name and Power and Authority,</HI> your work will be imperfect, and not pro|&s;perous; for although the&s;e Kings and Princes that are now at varience, may
<PB N="15" REF="9">be by your means brought to lay down Arms, and appear to be good friends, and dear allies: Yet unle&s;s the Lord Je&s;us Chri&s;t can be re&s;tored to his king|dom in their hearts, and that evil ground of ambition, of pride, and lu&s;t, and vain glory be removed, that &s;o they may rule in the wi&s;dom and power of God, and not according to their Lu&s;ts, that evil ground and devouring nature being &s;till alive, and predominant in them, will quickly &s;tir &s;ome of them up again &s;o &s;oon as opportunity offers fit for their advantage; they will kindle the flame again, and all your Articles will not bind them, but they will break them like &s;trawes; and their Coun|&s;ellers who flatter them, and &s;eek to plea&s;e them, will quickly find out a pretext for a breach, &s;uch as have taught them the&s;e helli&s;h maxims, <HI>Qui ne&s;cit di&s;&s;imulare ne&s;cit regnare,</HI> i. e. <HI>that &s;uch as make Con&s;cience to lye, or &s;erve the Devil; But to obey Chri&s;t, are not fit to rule, and that Kings mu&s;t not be &s;laves to their words:</HI> And perhaps if they find it difficult to hit upon any
<PB N="16" REF="10">probable ground or pretence, if they judge them&s;elves &s;trong enough, they will neither trouble them&s;elves, nor the world to give a rea&s;on, but tell, <HI>that to be at peace is no longer con&s;i&s;tant with their glory, and when they have brought about what they have determined, they will let the World know the rea&s;on of it.</HI> Hath not manifold experience proved tho&s;e things to be true, and &s;eeing it is &s;o, there is, nor can no &s;ettled, firm e&s;tabli&s;hed peace be brought to <HI>Chri|&s;tendom,</HI> until the Devils Kingdom be rooted out of mens hearts, from which <HI>Wars come,</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Jam.</HI> 4.1, 7.</NOTE> as the Apo&s;tle <HI>James</HI> te&s;ti|fies, and the Kingdom of Je&s;us came to be e&s;tabli&s;hed in the hearts of Kings, and Princes, and People, who&s;e Kingdom, is <HI>a Kingdom of righteou&s;ne&s;s, and peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit;</HI> until he come to rule in and among them, and his ene|mies, <HI>(viz.)</HI> every evil Lu&s;t be thrown out from him, &s;o that his Heavenly wi&s;dom may take place, <HI>which is pure,</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Jam.</HI> 3.17.</NOTE> <HI>and peaceable, and ea&s;ie to be intreated,</HI>
<PB N="17" REF="10">And therefore to bring this about, is the one and great thing needful to be minded and con&s;idered of and effectu|ally to be pre&s;&s;ed after, as that by the accompli&s;hing whereof the pre&s;ent evils can alone be cured and removed.</P>
<P>Therefore be not mi&s;taken, neither receive your &s;elves, to think ye can accompli&s;h this work by your worldly and humane wi&s;dom; the wi&s;dom of the fle&s;h will not do it, neither that of the fir&s;t birth, which mu&s;t dye, and be crucified, e're the Heavenly wi&s;dom, <HI>the beginning whereof is the fear of the Lord,</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Prov.</HI> 1.7.</NOTE> be reavea|led, by which alone this work can both be truly begun and fi|ni&s;hed, for the worldly and carnal wi&s;dom is the cau&s;e of the War; It is by it that men have been, and are &s;tirred up to it, even the wi&s;dom of the fir&s;t fle&s;hly Birth, which leads men not to be content with their own, but to covet their neighbours, and to quarrel and fight in hopes of advantage: There|fore that wi&s;dom which is the cau&s;e of the mi&s;chief, will, nor can, never cure
<PB N="18" REF="11">it; try and examine your &s;elves there|fore &s;eriou&s;ly, in the &s;ight of God whether you be led, acted and influ|enced in your pre&s;ent Negotiation, by the wi&s;dom of this World, the wi&s;dom of the fir&s;t Birth, which is &s;en&s;ual, di|veli&s;h, and from below, <HI>or by the heavenly and pure wi&s;dom of God,</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Jam.</HI> 3.17.</NOTE> which is from above, and is the fruit of the &s;e|cond Birth, the new Birth by Chri&s;t Je&s;us, formed and brought forth in the Soul, and the Light of Je&s;us Chri&s;t in you, which &s;howes you all your thoughts, <HI>and has reproved every one of you for your unrighteou&s;ne&s;s, even from your childhood up,</HI> that will manife&s;t un|to you, if you mind it, and heed it which wi&s;dom you are acted by, and di&s;cover to you, whether it be your thoughts and purpo&s;es to glorifie God over all, and to remove &s;o far as in you lyes, what is contrary to his holy and pure will, and whether you be more concerned for the particular In|tere&s;t, and Intere&s;ts of your &s;everal Princes, to &s;atisfie or obviate their de|&s;igns,
<PB N="19" REF="11">or to bring about that, by which Gods holy witne&s;s in every Con&s;cience may be an&s;wered, and the pure life of Je&s;us, that by the&s;e doings the oppre&s;|&s;ed, may be ea&s;ed, and &s;uffered to ari&s;e: For if this be little in your minds, as a thing not much regarded, but neglected by you, I mu&s;t intimate to you <HI>in the name of the Lord,</HI> that your work will not be ble&s;&s;ed by him, neither will it pro&s;per; for although you may make peace for a time, yet (as I have afore|&s;aid) it will not be firm, nor of any long continuance, but the old root &s;till remaining, will &s;end forth its evil fruit again, and all your labour will quickly be undone.</P>
<P>Let me exhort you then &s;eriou&s;ly to examine your &s;elves by the Light of Je&s;us Chri&s;t in you, that can alone di&s;cover unto you your own hearts, and will not flatter you (as men may) whether you be fit for this work you are &s;et about, which you cannot be until you have &s;eriou&s;ly applyed your &s;elves, to the killing and crucifying of that nature in your &s;elves, from which
<PB N="20" REF="12">all this evil flows, if the warring part be removed out of you, and the cor|rupted wi&s;dom done away, and the peaceable wi&s;dom brought up, then are you fit to con&s;ult and bring about the peace of <HI>Chri&s;tendom;</HI> but this can|not be accompli&s;hed in you, until you have fir&s;t believed in the light of Je|&s;us Chri&s;t, wherewithall you, as well as all men are inlightned, and which is given you as a &s;ufficient guide and leader, to lead out of darkne&s;s, to lead out of &s;trife, to lead out of the lu&s;ts,
<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Jam.</HI> 4.1.</NOTE> from which the Wars come? Unto the ways of righteou&s;ne&s;s and peace, which leads not to de&s;troy, but to love, and forgive enemies; it is the minding of this, and being led and guided by it, that only can fit you for &s;o great and good a work, for this is the fruit of the fathers love to mankind, and the gift of God even Chri&s;t Je&s;us, who was given <HI>for a light to en|lighten the Gentiles,</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>I&s;a.</HI> 49.6. <HI>Luc.</HI> 2.32.</NOTE> <HI>and for his Salvation unto the ends of the earth;</HI> &s;o it is by tur|ning
<PB N="21" REF="12">to this, and following it, and obey|ing it, in which is &s;ufficiency, and which gives power to the receivers of it to be|come the Sons of God,
<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Joh.</HI> 1.12.</NOTE> that the true nature of Chri&s;tianity can be brought forth, and re&s;tored, and by which Kings and Princes, Rulers and people, may be brought out of Lu&s;t, Envy, Warring and Strife, to true peace with God, and one with another.</P>
<P>And therefore the cau&s;e of all the mi&s;chief that is in Chri&s;tendom, is be|cau&s;e this Light has not been minded nor regarded in the heart, but has been hated and overlooked, as a low and in|&s;ufficient thing; and therefore the &s;eed of the Kingdom, this gift of the Fathers Love, this little Leaven, this pearl of great prize; and this Talent be|ing hid in the ground, condemned and de&s;pi&s;ed, and the world and wordly mind being &s;et over it, notwith&s;tan|ding all the preaching, and praying, and profe&s;&s;ing of Chri&s;t in words, that has been only one outward &s;how and appearance by which men might the
<PB N="22" REF="13">more ea&s;ily be deceived, and live more &s;ecurely in their wickedne&s;s; but the <HI>innocent life of Chri&s;t</HI> hath not been known, and all <HI>Chri&s;tendom</HI> has brought forth bitter and &s;ower grapes under all their talk and forms of Wor&s;hip, and not <HI>the &s;weet and peaceable fruits of righteou&s;ne&s;s,</HI> which can never be brought untill all come to him, to the Light of Chri&s;t in their Con&s;ciences, to follow and obey it, and acknowledge it as that which is given them of God, and &s;ufficient to lead them to Life and Salvation; for as this is thus received and entertained, the true nature of Chri&s;t will be begotten, and brought forth in people; and then the contrary nature in which the enmity and &s;trife is, will die and pa&s;s away, and &s;o Truth and peace will come to be &s;ettled, and firmly e&s;tabli&s;hed. And for this end <HI>the Lord God Almighty is ari&s;en,</HI> and ari&s;ing in his own power and glory (who out of his infinite compa&s;&s;ion, having regard to the pre&s;ent di&s;tracted and de&s;olate condition of Chri&s;ten|dom) is &s;eeing them &s;trangers to his Life
<PB N="23" REF="13">and power, and led and guided at will to the utter ruine and de&s;truction both of Body and Soul by the adver&s;ary of mandkinds true happine&s;s, that he might reveal the Light of his Truth, even of true Chri&s;tianity, to tho&s;e who have the name only, and hath turned many who are &s;trangers and enemies thereunto in their minds by wicked works, to this precious Light, by which <HI>judgment has been laid to the line,</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>E&s;a.</HI> 28.17. <HI>Mat.</HI> 12.20.</NOTE> <HI>and righteou&s;|ne&s;s to the plummet in them,</HI> and the evil works and nature in them has been judg|ed, and condemned; and they have willingly abode under it, until it hath <HI>been brought forth to victory in them.</HI> And many of them who have been wi&s;e according to the wi&s;dom of the World, have learned to lay it down at the feet of Je&s;us, that they might receive from him of his Pure and Hea|venly wi&s;dom, being contented in the enjoyment of that, by the World to be accounted fools, and al&s;o many of them who were Fighters, and even renow|ned
<PB N="24" REF="14">for their Skil and Valour in War|ring, have come by the influence of this pure Light, <HI>To beat their Swords in Plough-&s;hares,</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>E&s;a.</HI> 2.4.</NOTE> <HI>and their Spears in pruning-hooks, and not learn Carnal War any more,</HI> be|ing redeemed from the Lu&s;ts from which the Fighting comes; and there are thou&s;ands whom God hath brought here already, who &s;ee to the end of all contention and &s;trife, and that for which the World contends; and al|beit the Devil be angry at them, and rage again&s;t them in the meer Nominal and Literal Chri&s;tians, becau&s;e he knows they &s;tricke at the very root and foundation of his Kingdom in mens hearts, and therefore he prevails in his followers, to wit, in the&s;e Literal No|minal Chri&s;tians, to per&s;ecute, kill, beat, banni&s;h and impri&s;on, and many ways vex them: Yet becau&s;e the Lord has cho&s;en them to be a fir&s;t fruit of that glorious work, which he is bringing about in the Nations; therefore they hitherto have, notwith&s;tanding of all that oppo&s;ition, and yet &s;hall pro&s;per,
<PB N="25" REF="14">by a patient enduring, in the Spirit of Je&s;us, they do, and &s;hall overcome.</P>
<P>And therefore there is nothing can &s;o much tend to the good and univer|&s;al Peace of Chri&s;tendom, then for all and every one, to mind this gift of God in them&s;elves, and not only to &s;uffer, but to rejoyce at the preach|ing and promulgating of the univer&s;a|lity of this glorious Light, whereunto God is now calling many, for the re|&s;i&s;ting and &s;laying of this in them&s;elves, as well as in tho&s;e who come in the name of God to declare it, is the cau&s;e of all the mi&s;chief, that Chri&s;tendom labours under, &s;o al&s;o its being received and taking place, would remove and do it away.</P>
<P>Be not therefore ea&s;ily ingaged by the enemy, to &s;light and reject tho&s;e things, as fooli&s;h and weak, and too low for you to con&s;der, or give place unto; for thereby the enemy always laboured to vail and darken the coun|&s;el of God; and hindred it from being received by men:
<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 <HI>King.</HI> 2.8.</NOTE> Thus the King of
<PB N="26" REF="15"><HI>I&s;rael</HI> de&s;pi&s;ed the Coun&s;el of <HI>Micah,</HI> at the in&s;tigation of his mocking Pro|phets; but remember that you profe&s;s to be followers of Je&s;us,
<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Luc.</HI> 21.2.</NOTE> who was loaded with many roproaches,
<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Mat.</HI> 27.20.</NOTE> ac|counted a di&s;turber; and to whom <HI>Barrabbas</HI> a Mur|derer was preferred by the coun&s;el and advice of the wi&s;e Rabbies,
<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Job.</HI> 18.40.</NOTE> and great Profe&s;&s;ors among the <HI>Jews,</HI> and remember that you profe&s;s your &s;elves to be owners of that Go&s;pel, who&s;e fir&s;t and chief Mini&s;ters and Preachers were accounted fooli&s;h and and Illiterate men, mo|vers of Sedition,
<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Act.</HI> 2.7 4.13.17.18.19.26.21.28.24.56.25.7.</NOTE> Idle Bab|blers, and turners of the World up&s;ide down, and therefore be not ea&s;ily frighted by the&s;e, and &s;uch like reports, and reproaches, from hearing tho&s;e whom God hath called and cho&s;en, that in and among&s;t them he may be glorified; and by them, may re&s;tore that in reality in the &s;o called Chri&s;tian World, which for &s;everal
<PB N="27" REF="15">generations they have only had the &s;hadow of, but have not enjoyed in the &s;ub&s;tance: And becau&s;e many are the calumnies that &s;uch are reproached withall, as holding forth &s;trange and pernicious Doctrines: Therefore I have herewith &s;ent you a large Apology for the true Chri&s;tian Divinity held forth, and preached by them, that therein you may &s;ee how the truly Chri&s;tian principles, which have been lo&s;t in the Apo&s;tacy, while the life of Chri|&s;tianity was not to be found, is re|&s;toared by their Te&s;timony, de&s;iring you &s;eriou&s;ly to read and con&s;ider the &s;ame, as well as tran&s;mit it to the &s;e|veral Princes you are employed by, that both you and they may &s;ee, <HI>That the day of the Lord is dawned, and may learn to walk in the light of it, which would bring peace and quietne&s;s and fe|licity to all, both outward and inward;</HI> and thereby all may be &s;tirred up to receive with gladne&s;s, &s;uch as the Lord will move to preach and declare this day, as it is dawned and made mani|fe&s;t in them, following the Apo&s;tles
<PB N="28" REF="16">rules, <HI>In receiving &s;trangers willingly,</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Heb.</HI> 13.2.</NOTE> <HI>for that &s;ome in &s;o doing have entertained Angels unawares:</HI> And that none of you may be like the <HI>Phari&s;ees,</HI> who cryed Crucifie him; nor like tho&s;e who intreated him to depart out of their Coa&s;ts; and like tho&s;e who would have none of him to rule over them, lea&s;t with them, ye receive the like condemnation: However I &s;hall be clear of all your Blood, in &s;o far as I have faithfully an&s;wered what God re|quired of me towards you, and di&s;|charged my Con&s;cience in love to your Immortal Souls, as well as to the common peace and good of <HI>Chri&s;ten|dom;</HI> whereof, and of all tho&s;e that profe&s;s the name of Chri&s;t, I am a true friend and hearty well wi&s;her.</P>
<CLOSER><SIGNED>Robert Barclay.</SIGNED>
<DATELINE>This came upon me from the Lord to Write unto you, at <HI>&V;ry</HI> in my Native Country of <HI>Scotland,</HI> <DATE>the &s;econd of the Month called <HI>November,</HI> 1677.</DATE></DATELINE></CLOSER>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="conclusion">
<PB N="29" REF="16">
<P>COpies of the fore&s;aid Epi&s;tle in <HI>Latine,</HI> were upon the 23d. and and 24th. days of the Month called <HI>February</HI> 1678. delivered at <HI>Nimeguen</HI> to the Amba&s;&s;adors of the Emperor, of the Kings of <HI>Great Brittain, Spain</HI> and <HI>France, Swede</HI> and <HI>Denmark,</HI> of the Prince Elector <HI>Palatine;</HI> as al&s;o of the <HI>States-General,</HI> and of the Duke of <HI>Lorain, Hol&s;tain, Lunenburg, O&s;naburg, Hanover,</HI> and the Popes <HI>Nuncio,</HI> to wit, one to each Amba&s;&s;ador, and one to each of their Principles, toge|ther with &s;o many Copies of the Book whereof the Author makes mention in the Letter, the Title whereof is,</P>
<FLOATEXT LANG="eng" TYPE="title page">
<P>Roberti Barclaii <HI>Theologiae verae Chri&s;tianae Apologia</HI> Carolo <HI>&s;ecundo Magnae Bri|tanniae,</HI> &amp;c. <HI>Regi oblata.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Typis excu&s;a</HI> 1676. <HI>pro</HI> Ja|cob Claus, <HI>Bibliopola habi|tate</HI> Am&s;tellodami <HI>veneunt preterea.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Robert Barclay</HI> his Apolo|gy for true Chri&s;tian Divi|nity, offered to <HI>Charles</HI> the Second, King of <HI>Great Bri|tain.</HI></P>
<P>Printed 1676. for <HI>Jacob Claus,</HI> Book&s;eller at <HI>Am&s;ter|dam,</HI> and are to be Sold
<LIST>
<ITEM>Londini</ITEM>
<ITEM>Roterodami</ITEM>
<ITEM>Francofurti</ITEM>
<ITEM>Haga Com.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Middelburgi</ITEM>
</LIST> apud
<LIST>
<ITEM><HI>Benjamin Clark.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>I&s;aacum Naeranum</HI> op het Steyger,</ITEM>
<ITEM>and</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Jan Pieter&s;z</HI> Groenwout op het Speuy</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Henricum Bet&s;zinum.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Jacob Dante</HI> Abdezael</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Jacob Noenaurt</HI></ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P>And in divers other places.</P>
</FLOATEXT>
</DIV1>
</BODY>
<BACK>
<DIV1 TYPE="publisher's advertisement">
<PB N="30" REF="17">
<HEAD>BOOKS Sold by <HI>Benjamin Clark</HI> in <HI>George-yard Lumber-&s;treet.</HI></HEAD>
<P><HI>THe true Chri&s;t own'd, as he is true and perfect God and Man,</HI> by <HI>George Keith;</HI> Being an An&s;wer to a Book; called, <HI>The Quakers Creed,</HI> Written by a Namele&s;s Author, in An&s;wer to a Book; called, <HI>The Way ca&s;t up, or the Stumbling-&s;tone removed.</HI></P>
<P><HI>The Principles of the</HI> Papi&s;ts, <HI>by which their Leaders put them upon Bloody and Treacherous Practices, plainly demonstra|ted by the Scriptures to be most Erroneous and Wicke,</HI> By William Tomlin&s;on.</P>
<PB REF="17">
</DIV1>
</BACK>
</TEXT>
</EEBO>
</ETS>
