The Publiſher of theſe Letters, beſpeaketh the Reader, and greets him in theſe words.
VNderſtand, Good Reader, That theſe Letters were caughtup by the way betwixt Calize in Spaine, and Briſtoll in England: then ſent unto me by a pretious and honourable Friend, a MiniſteraaM. Will. Addert•y. in the Ship, wherein he has a Captaine like himſelfe, one, I hope, that feares GOD above manybbCaptaine Rob. Moulion.. I received theſe with this injunction, To make them publique and as uſefull as I could. By Gods helpe I will endeavour it; Becauſe God commands it ſo, To learne wiſedome from the unjuſt; and in imitation of my pretious Friend, whom God hath taught this Art, To turne poyſon into an Antidote. It is eaſily learnt, when God will reach it; and very Nature ſhall helpe us here, for the greateſt Balſomes doe lye enveloped in the Bodyes of powerfull Corriſives: And poyſons, as a great Phyſitian ſayes, containe within themſelves their own Antidote. In the head of a Toad, ſome tell us, is a pretious ſtone: but who found it there, I cannot tell. This I can tell, That it is our wiſedome, and it ſhould be our worke, To gain inſtruction from every thing. Now Reader, this muſt be the worke at this time; whereunto I will be as helpefull unto thee as I can, That thou maiſt informe thy judgement, and underſtanding from theſe Letters, touching grave and weighty queſtions; and be able to give ſhort but cleare reſolutions thereunto. Then thou ſhall ſee what uſe to make of all this in the cloſe.
For the informing of thy judgement, this is the firſt queſtion, Concerning the Church of Rome or of Spaine (both are one and the ſame.) Q. What Church is it? A. A malignant Church; waſting and deſtruction are in their paths: the wayes of peace they have not knowne.
Q. What her ſons and daughters are? A. As their Mother alwayes hath been, and now is (but now more enraged then ever, like a ſhe-beare robbed of her wheſpes) mad upon their idols evermore, and now mad with rage, and drunke with the bloud of Gods faithfull ones.
Q. How doe their hands, and heads, and hearts ſtand bent now? A. To deſtroy a Mother Church in England; nay, all over the world.
Q. What is their Religion? A. More brutiſh then the Pagans is now adayes; They have many petty-gods, but I doe not know, That they have one Goddeſſe among them all.
Q. Who is the father of their Religion? A. The Pope.
Q. Who their God-father? A The ſtocke, when they have laviſhed gold upon it; he undertakes for them ſure as their ſurety, for to it they bow, we ſee; and aske bleſſing, I thinke.
Qu. Whom doe they conceive is the hearer of Prayers; and giver of all Bleſſings? A. Queen Mary, the Queen of Heaven.
3Q. What is the ſcope of their devout Prayers? A. It is double, from a double eye, and a cloven heart:
- 1. That they may riſe at Court, grow rich, great and high in the world.
- 2. And, that their Countrey may fall into ruines: And Gods Servants all into their owne bloud, and wallow therein: ſo they pray.
Q. By what meanes will they compaſſe all this? A. By the mediation of the Queen of the earth; and by the ſole interceſſion of the Queen of Heaven; into whoſe hands the matter is referred; for the tranſacts all their affaires in Heaven and earth.
Q. What way doe they take for the effecting of all this? A. The old path, the path of the Deſtroyer, wherein they have ſtood theſe 1000. yeares up to the knees in bloud; where you muſt note all along, That they make lies their refuge too; under falſhood they will hide themſelves, horrible lies they will tell for advantage, ſo to promote their ſuit with the Queen on earth, and Queen in heaven.
Q. Who are the moſt bloudy and implacable enemies to our Church and Kingdome? A. They that were friends once, and are Apoſtates now; who had the forme of Godlineſſe only, and cared for no more; Theſe are the moſt implacable adverſaries againſt God and good men, as it is at this day; where we ſhould note, That the moſt horrible impieties, iniquities, outrages, all theſe will ſtand with the forme of Godlineſſe, as is moſt legible, 2 Tim. 3. from the firſt verſe to the 6.
Q. What counſell give they to their Prince? A The very ſame which Athaliab gave to her ſon Abaziah; To doe wickedly, ſo to haſten the deſtruction of his owne houſe, and of his Kingdome, whereby it appeares, That their Lord and maſter has the worſt ſervants of any lord in the world, for their work is, To make themſelves miſerable, and their Lord, as he was, whom Seracides cals the fooliſhneſse or ſhame of the people. Eccleſ. 47.23.
Q. What ſubjects are they? A. The Devill hath no better in the world, no more right-handed men; or, to ſpeake in two words, as he doth, KINGS-MEN, ſaith he, DIVELS-MEN, ſay I, for they will ſpend their bloud for their King, ſo be he will hath his ſword in Heaven (The true Church) make it drunke with the bloud of Gods pretious ones. Now, Reader, proceed to the Letters, and hear what the man ſaith, when thou haſt ſo done, thou ſhalt thereby ſee, That the Queſtions and Anſwers before cited, are all the reſult from the Letters, and having obſerved that, thou ſhalt heare more from me.
MY laſt unto you was about a moneth paſt by a Briſtow ſhip under covert of me to Colonell Collon, which I hope is come in ſa•ety to your hands, wherein I adviſed you of the receit of three from you, and one from my brother Henry. I could not then procure, &c. I ſent it (meaning his Tobacco) to Colonell Co••n, deſiriar, him to ſend unto Oxford by the firſt ſafe conveyance. The joy I received by yours to beare of his Majeſties proſperous and victorious proceedings, was not greater then the ſorrow and griefe received ſince (although I doe not beleeve4 one word that they ſay, being all or the moſt part of our nation that live here moſt damnable traitors and rebels) they have reported that the Scots have taken New-caſtle, and Yorke, and are maſters of the North; that my Lord of New-caſtle is retired to Oxford, that Sr William Waller hath given my Lord Hopton a great overthrow, and beat him into Salisbury; and that this Summer they will pluck the Crowne from his Majeſties browes, which God defend. I admire that his Majeſtie doth not prevaile with the King of Spaine, to ſeiſe upon all theſe accurſed Rebels eſtates and ſhips. He undertake that if the King of England could procure ſo much favour of his brother the King of Spaine this next vintage (for that is the beſt time to ſeize upon all ſuch ſhips and eſtates as doe belong to any Rebels,) he might thereby furniſh himſelfe with a brave fleet, and mony to ſet it out. I would I were in Commiſſion againſt them, firſt to ſhew my zeale and great deſire to ſerve my Sovereigne, and ſecondly, to chaſtiſe ſuch baſe ill-borne villaines that dare open their mouthes, and much more take up armes againſt their naturall King, and ſo good and vertuous a Prince, and that hath ſo many yeares protected them in ſuch great prosperity, but this is my paſſion and folly to give counſell to them that are able to give it to the whole Ʋniverſe, & ſince it hath been my ill fortune not to ſerve him with my bloud, I have & ſtill ſhal aſſiſt him with my prayers.
I adviſed you in my laſt Letters of the ſmall hopes of gaine, and the great adventure and perill of the trade to Briſtow in wines, I have a far better trade here to the Indies, and hope thereby to raiſe my ſelfe to an eſtate; I wrot you likewiſe in my laſt giving you light of a way to raiſe me to great preferment and honour in this Countrey, which I truſt, if you received my Letter, you have put in execution. I hope there will be no delay in a buſineſſe of ſo great importance, and where there will be no other expence, but of time and ſolicitude. The buſineſſe is this, That you and my brother Henry uſe all diligence by friends and favour [and lying] to procure from the Queene of England a Letter of favour to her ſiſter the Queene of Spaine in this manner. That Don Briano I: anſon the bearer of this, is ſon to a noble Gentleman, and ſervant of hers, who by reaſon of the great perſecutions in England of the Romane Catholiques [an horrible untruth] travailed into Spaine, and there married a Gentlewoman naturall in Cadiz. And that all his parents and kindred have, and ſtill doe preſerve themſelves in the Catholique faith: [An horrible lie, and more horrible it is, becauſe he belies the dead, his owne deare Mother in the grave; he knowes, and all that knew her, That ſhe deteſted Popery, and died a faithfull ſervant of the Lord Jeſus Chriſt: And for his Father, and Brother, they were Proteſtants too (at large) and ſo they would be accounted ſtill. They never turned themſelves to the Church of Rome; till the King turned his hand and ſword there, againſt the Church of England. And for his Uncle M. John J: anſon, his Fathers eldeſt Brother, he abhorreth Poperie, and deteſteth his brothers and Nephewes wayes. And therefore the younger Brother, the Knight, hath begged the lands of his eldeſt Brother the Gentleman, as I am informed, And the King hath given all his Right to him againſt law. But M. John J: anſon, holdeth his Right ſtill by the Tenour of the law, and that is a ſtrong hold. But this is enough to informe all, that will be informed, The manner of Papiſts, they will blaſpheme their deareſt friends for advantage; and to promote their Catholique Faith;] In concluſion, deſire the Queen her ſiſter to favour me as a ſervant of hers, and that I being5 a younger brother have but ſmall meanes, and in that regard deſire ber Majeſtie of Spaine firſt to honour me with a habit without any coſts or charges (which are great) and ſecondly to beſtow ſome office upon me, whereby to maintaine my ſelfe, and I make no queſtion but by this meanes to raiſe my ſelfe to good preferment. Let the Letter be ſent directly to me ly ſome good ſhip, and if you can conveniently procure a Letter from my Lord Hopton, to his brother my Lord Embaſſadour in MadridddObſerve: we have an Hopton in Spaine ſoliciting the cauſe there, as well as an Hopton in England fighting here; True Spaniſh both. to favour and aſsiſt me to his power upon any occaſion, it would not doe amiſſe: but the chiefe matter is Her Majeſties Letter, which being penn'd in the manner that I have adviſed will queſtionleſſe ſtand me in great ſtead. I hope that my former Letter came to your hands, and that you have put in action this my deſire, and that with all brevitie I ſhall heare from you as alſo of the health of all my brothers and Siſters, for whom with your ſelfe, my prayers ſhall never be wanting. So at preſent I commit you to God; and reſt
I Wrote to you by the way of Briſtow about a moneth paſt, which I truſt you have received, becauſe it doth very much import mee, which if you received, I make no queſtion but you have with my Father put in action the procuring of the Queenes Letters of favour in my behalfe to the Queene of Spaine her ſiſter, that thereby I may raiſe our Name in this Country to honour and meanes: for unleſſe I may freely enjoy the Roman Catholique Religion without any danger of my perſon or eſtate, there is no reaſon I ſhould leave a place where I enjoy liberty of conſcience and live in very good eſteeme. But I make no queſtion, but after the King hath ſubdued his rebels, be will at leaſt give freedome of conſcience to the Roman Catholiques that maintaine the Religion of all our Anceſtors, as well as he doth and hath done to ſo many ſorts and Sects as are this day in England, brought up and invented by particular moderne and light-pated Apoſtates: But I truſt in God that theſe warres will redound to his honour, and to the**Obſerve with all obſervation what the Papiſts now ſo furiouſly drive after, The Setling, &c. I had enlarged upon their Truſt, and ſet the Churches Trust againſt it, but there was no place for it. ſetting once againe of the true Catholique and Apoſtolique faith in that bleſſed Country, that deſerved (for the great devotion of the inhabitants once to the Mother of God) the name of the Dowry of the bleſſed Virgin, Queene of Angels; and I truſt in God to be an eye witneſſe of ſo great a bleſſing, and to lay my bones in my native Country; however and in the meane time it is very convenient to procure honour and preferment in this CountryaaHe would lay downe his body here, but he would be raiſed in Spaine firſt. You well obſerve who rules the Scepter in Spaine. , which I find no other way of poſſibility, but this that I have formerly adviſed my Father and your ſelfe, and now againe doe deſire, which is the procuring of her Majeſties Letters of favour to her ſiſter the Queene of Spaine, WHO GOVERNS•ERE MORE THEN THE KING. Let the Letter be to this effect, but better indited; Don Briano I: anſon the bearer hereof, is the ſon of a noble Gentleman and ſervant of her Majeſties; who by reaſon of the perſecution of the Roman Catholiques in England, and being a younger brother, with ſmall hopes of any eſtate, travelled into Spaine, where he married a Gentlewoman naturall of Cadiz; and that all my Parents, Kindred and Allies, have and ſtill doe continue firme Roman Catholiques,6 and that they have ſuffered much in their temporall eſtates only for the maintenance of the Catholique faith: This point I pray let it be amply ſet downe, for it will much import me in my pretencesbbObſerve how be would have his lie enlarged and inſiſted upon for advantage., and that in this regard her Catholike Majeſty (for that is her Title) will be pleaſed for her Majeſties of Great Brittaines ſake, to take notice of me and honour me with an habit of Calatrana or Alcantra, without coſts and charges (which are great, and my ability weake,) and that her Majeſty would beſtow upon me ſome Office, either in Court or elſewhere, aſſuring her Majeſty that I ſhall alwayes a•compliſh my obligation, for the which her Majeſty of England doth pause her royall word; ſend the Letter with all poſſible ſecurity to my hands in Cadiz, and from hence I will goe to Madrid, and I commit the ſucceſse of this, and alſo of all other matters touching me or mine, to the advocation of the bleſſed Virgin Mary, Queene of Angels and mother of God, of whomccWhen you have read this then reade 2 Theſ. 2.11, 12. I am confident ſhe will deſire the good ſucceſſe of theſe my endeavours, if theſe may redound to the honour of God and ſalvation of my ſoule, and to whoſe bleſsed advocation I doe likewiſe••••y commend my Father, your ſelfe, and all the reſt of my brothers, and ſiſters, and friends, and the whole Kingdome in generall, beſeeching her Majeſty that as ſhe is the FOƲNTAINE of GRACE, as we are aſſured by the ſalutation of the Angell, Ave Maria gr•t•a plena, dominus•ecu•, benedicta tu in mulie••us, & benedictus tructus ventris tui Jeſus; ſo ſhe will be pleaſed to communicate to me and all my kindred in particular, part of that grace, that thereby we may attaine to glory. Good Brother forget not to write to me by all conveyances, adviſing me of the happy proceedings of the King, for I muſt confeſſe I would not willingly ſo much as heare any thing to the contrary, although it be falſe; and pray uſe your friends and endeavours for the procuring of this Letter, for I truſt thereby to be raiſed, Mr Richard Archdale goeth now in this Fleete for London, and from thence he ſaith be will goe for Oxford, he is a true KINGS-MAN, and there are but very few in theſe parts, I would I had the tampering of them.
I have nothing elſe at preſent to advice you, only deſire you to be perſwaded, that there is nothing in this world more deare to me then the remembrance of you my deareſt brother; whom I pray God proſper in all your proceedings, and let me have the happineſſe to ſee you
The Publiſher to the Reader.
NOw, Reader, I beleeve thou art perſwaded, that this man hath ſent over his heart unto us; for which we have little cauſe to thanke him, becauſe it was quite from the purpoſe of his heart ſo to doe, that we ſhould underſtand his affections towards us. But a Gratious Providence hath ſo diſpoſed it, that we doe underſtand his mind perfectly, and can raiſe all theſe queſtions forecited from his Text, and give Reſolution from thence thereunto; All which his own hand hath made legible. But thou mayeſt make ſome queſtion here, whether, knowing the heart of this man, how it ſtands bent, thou mayeſt make judgement, what is the mind of all the Papiſts in the world, in relation to7 GOD, the LORD CHRIST, and the rights of his Kingdome? Whereunto I anſwer from the cleareſt grounds (which I have neither time nor place to ſet downe,) That, looke what way this man bends his tongue, his heart and his head, all the Papiſts in the world, at this day, ſtand, like a bowe, ſo bent; As face in water anſwers face, ſo doth the heart of one Papiſt anſwer another, They are all for the raiſing themſelves in the world; And for the caſting of the Church of God, and their rights and priviledges out of the world. All theſe bloudy characters are ſtampt: All theſe lines are drawne in the hearts of all the Papiſts in the world; from that Center they put forth into the Circumference of the whole Univerſe. There is the Anſwer for that. Now make ſome uſe of thy knowledge. Learne 1. Who is the fountaine of Grace in the Papiſts account? The Virgin Mary they ſay. An horrible blaſphemy. She is but a veſſel filled brim-full from that fountaine, the Lord Chriſt her Saviour. Therefore though this Papiſt has put up a prayer for his Country, regard it not, no more then his curſe; nor th' one nor th' other can doe any hurt, it is not in the hand of a mediatour. Be aſſured now, that their prayer is a curſe to themſelves: and their curſe is a bleſſing to us and our Land. 2. Thou haſt learnt, That the Lord Chriſt, bleſſed for ever, is the fountaine of grace; From Him is every good and perfect gift: Therefore renounce gifts, graces, duties, all; and let thy ſoule run-out all to that fountaine the Lord Chriſt, Him alone, and none with Him. 3. Thank God, that thou hadſt thy birth and breeding in a Land o'viſions. A mercy! Thou muſt thanke God for it; but it is no ſingular mercy: For the Scribe, who wrote theſe letters, was borne in the ſame Land, and had his breeding there in this very City; Yet he is what he is, and what he is thou underſtandeſt by his letters; Be thou thankfull for the place of thy habitation, and that thou art not, as he is. 4. Labour after the power of godlineſſe, drink in the Principles of GODS Truth; Let them ſinke down into thine heart; they ſhine with their own light; pray to GOD to ſhine upon thine heart; to give thee an eye wherwith to ſee; and an care, wherwith to heare; both theſe are from the Lord. This man had Principles too (upon my knowledge) at his tongues end; they did not ſinke down: So had his brother; his Father alſo; theſe were well principled; they had the forme of godlineſſe, that they had; I know it, no man better: And for the firſt, the ſecond brother the Scribe, he went into Spaine becauſe of perſecution, ſaith he; an abominable lye ſay I; but after the manner; This is a truth, that thither he went; and there ſold his Birth-right, (I meane the true Religion, the Crown, and diadem of a perſon and people) this he ſold for a wiſe, he thought good of the price, and they gave him the price; like to that, which is meant, by Thirty pieces of ſilver. Zech. 11.And the Lord of glory tooke it ſo ill now, as once he did, becauſe He is dealt with ſo unworthily, ſo ingloriouſly, that he commanded now as once he did, caſt it to the potter; let him make earthen gods of it: And ſo God hath left him to his own hardneſſe. It is ſo with the Father the Knight, and his eldeſt ſon the Doctor: They went for true Proteſtants, and held on their profeſſion, untill they went to the King, to ſerve him ▪ And now, if we may beleeve the Letter, they are as the younger brother is, who hath the Pope for his Father, his Church for his Mother; The ſtock on earth, and the Queen of Heaven, for his Godfather, and Godmother, theſe muſt undertake for him; therefore he asketh the ſtock bleſſing, worſhipping it: and he expects all good from the Queene of Heaven,8 ſhe is his God-mother ſure. Therefore fifthly, Aske thy ſoule this queſtion, What love haſt thou to the Truth? A weake, faint, wateriſh love, God knowes: Looke to it, to ſtrengthen it, elſe it will never carry thee-up to the work of Chriſt, nor can it keepe thy heart cloſe to it, ſo as to fulfill all His wilsbbActs 13.38. 〈…〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.. This is an hot ſervice thou art engaged upon now, it will put thee to coſt: but if thy love be not ſtrong, as ſtrong as death, (and that overcommeth all) thou wilt never be at coſt about it. That thou mayeſt not faint in thy mind, Looke to that Affection, it is the great Centurion, the commander in the ſoule; Aske thy ſoule inrice over, Doeſt thou love Chriſt? And ceaſe not, till thou canſt in uprightneſſ ▪ of neart, appeale unto Him as Peter did; LORD Thou knoweſt that I love Thee: Then certaine it is, nothing will be too hard to doe; nothing too much to ſuffer for Him; but if this be wanting, all is wanting. I knew the•••ne when the fore-mentioned, made profeſſion that they loved Chriſt; they did not; they hated Him; for remiſſe love is called hatred, and as it is called, ſo it is, and accounted: And now it is ſo with them; the wages of iniquity was tendered to their eye; they embraced it, and have blundered-on as Balaam did, againſt the drawne ſword, And ſo reade the judgement; they a•e delivered up to beleeve lies, and to a ſenſe reprobate; Let the Word of GOD, and then the love of God, dwell richly in you, Amen.
In the laſt place, that it may be firſt and laſt remembred, I will put to thee and my own ſoule, theſe two queſtions, and let us labour to put both out of queſtion.
1. Doe I put forth my ſelfe? does my ſoule run-out in as earneſt deſire and purſuit, to riſe in Gods favour, as the men of the world doe, to riſe in the favour of the world? O let us labour to put this out of queſtion; And to help our conſideration, and that we may doe as afore-ſaid, let us compare favour with favour; preferment with preferment; the favour of a man, with the favour of a God; preferment in the Court of Kings, with that in Heaven, to be there, as the Lord Chriſt is, in glory: And let us remember with-all, or elſe all is nothing,2 Cor 59. 〈…〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. that the favour of God, (that is) to be accepted of Him, is the greateſt preferment; But it muſt be laboured for with the ſame labour of love, as men have had, who have laboured after a Biſhoprick; or if you will, a Crowne of gold. 〈…〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, Clem. Al. Stro. 1.7. p. •00.A Crowne of Glory muſt be ſo laboured after: The Kingdome of God alſo ſuffers violence, and the violent take it by force; let us put this out of queſtion.
2. Doe I put forth my ſelfe? am I as active for GOD, for CHRIST and His cauſe, as are the enemies of all Righteouſneſſe, active for Anti-chriſt, the promoting his cauſe? If we are but as active, it ſufficeth; And then our hands, heads, hearts will be all a work for God: only this we muſt not doe, not lie for God, not doe wickedly for God; we muſt doe as they doe, with the ſame activity of ſpirit, for CHRIST, as they for Anti-chriſt. We are for God, we muſt work as God doth, in our meaſure, holily, righteouſly, there is no unrighteouſneſſe in Him. Worke ſo, and worke on; Let head worke, and tongue worke, and hand worke, heart, ſoule and ſpirit worke, it is for our Maſter in Heaven, and His Cauſe, a good Maſter and as good a Cauſe, He will plentifully reward the work is done for Him, ſeven fold into our boſome. Therefore my beloved brethren, be ye ſtedfaſt, unmoveable, alwayes abounding in the works of the Lord, foraſmuch as you know that your labour is not in vaine in the Lord.