| Title: | Copy Letter In Hand ?, Dury? To ? |
|---|---|
| Dating: | Undated |
| Ref: | 1/14/1A-4B |
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[another hand:] Durie
[scribe:]
Sir.
It is the misery of humane nature, that the spirit of Iealousie is not to bee ruled by reason, & cannot bee quieted although it findeth nothing to entertayne itselfe withall: it feedeth vpon its own inward feares, & seeketh matter to entertaine its owne discontented apprehensions from every obiect which it meeteth withall: as men that are of a melancholy disposition if they walke in the darke, every thing which they see at a distance & also that which they see not doth affright them; nor is there anje meanes to perswade them that there is noe danger, except their fearefull temperament bee altered & their melancholy cured, which in matters of State none but God Almighty can doe: therefore such as haue a good Conscience in their actions, should looke vp vnto him with greatest confidence when the humours of men are most out of temper, because then they are not to bee ruled by reason, but must bee guided by him that doth all things in heaven & earth, & also in the spirits of men, according to the Counsells of his own will. And wee are sure that <H: hee> according to his promises and threatnings will make his word good. For hee commandeth his prophet[altered from prophets?] in such tymes as these are, when all is tending to ruine & confusion in a State; to say vnto the Righteous it shall bee well with him for hee shall eate the fruite of his doeings; & to the Wicked woe vnto him, & that it shall goe ill with him; because the reward of his hands shall bee giuen him. The mayne thing then, is to doe, & intend that which is righteous towards all men in the presence of [catchword: God.]
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God; & not to regard the groundlesse jealousyes of men further, then to take an advantage thereby to cleare our owne innocency towards them that are capable of Reason; & to exercise our hearts in relying vpon the Providence of God; & this is all the Councell that I thincke fit to suggest vnto to his Highnesse the P. Electour, if I shall come to him; & perhaps bee able to take occasion to speake of such matters with him, to see how farre hee is sensible of the jealousies that are raysed vp against him. I must to you as to a freind confesse that the times are very strange & his highenesse case extreamely hard, which none but God imediatly can redresse. The tymes are such that all Superioritie & Authority is suspected & feared, & almost so farre decayed in moste States, that nothing but meere strength & might is able to vphold it: because the fundamentall Rights & Relacions of nature are searched into, rather then the positiue Lawes of Gouerment; which is a presage vnto mee of a mighty change of the Empires of the World, at least in Europe; whose changes will bring an Alteracion vpon all the other parts of the Earth. In this vniversall commocion of the Nations of the World; which is big with Childe of a new frame of States, & travaileth in payne till it bee brought forth, all those that stand in any relacion towards the publicke must bee in pangs with the troubled Nacions. This maketh the tymes so difficult; & breedeth feares on euery syde amongst the [catchword: great.]
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great Ones of the world, who to subdue their people vnder them gather all their strength together which encreaseth theyr labour & paynes, & maketh them haste the more towards the change, whereof noe man can know the issue; because God doth keepe that in his owne hand, as his Soueraigne Regality aboue the inhabitants of the Earth; to alter & change the power of Dominion & to giue the Kingdomes of men to whomsoeuer hee will; & when it pleaseth him hee setteth vp ouer the same the basest of men; & none can stay his hand or say vnto him what doest thou? Now the meanes by which hee bringeth the Alteracion of Power, is by the distraction, which hee bringeth into the Counsells & Resolucions of men through jealousies & feares, when hee casts theyr mindes into such vncertainties that they know not what to trust to outwardly amongst men, & they also finde noe setled quietnesse & inward peace of mind, to rely confidently vpon God, by following the Rules of lawfull endeavours, which hee hath prescribed in his word. For if men can but find this last ground of Councell; they are not at theyr witts end. For although outward meanes in humane apparance seeme to fayle; & although they bee beset round with difficulties out of which they can perceiue noe issue, yet because they know a safe & infalible course which can bee taken & will helpe them if it bee Gods will to blesse it, they can bee at rest in hope; but if hee will not blesse theyr endeavours [catchword: yet.]
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yet then they can set their minds at rest neverthelesse also, as haueing done all theyr duety & giuen vp the event of theyr enterprizes vnto his will. And this is the only way to wrastle through the difficulties of these tymes of tryall, in what calling soeuer men are set, whether in a high or lowe degree; the rule to walke safe by is the same, & hee that followeth it shall find ease vnto his soule. And if his Highnesse the P. Electour by your good advise (which in due tyme you may bee able to suggest) can bee moued to pitch soundly & resolutely vpon this course; although his case bee extreame hard & full of precipices on all sydes; yet I am confident that hee shall walke safe through fyer & water, & swim through all the Flouds that doe beset him & seeme to overwhelme him if hee follow these maximes; & by them hee will giue good satisfaccion in due tyme to all such as are men of Iudgement & Conscience, able to consyder his carriage without partialitie, as they themselues would haue others consider their behaviours in the like cases. I know that the suspitious mistakes of a multitude are not to bee rectifyed, but let a wise-man consyder what his interests are in the peaceable [catchword: and.]
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and flourishing State of the Kingdome of England; & what advantage the Palatine House can hope for by the agreement of the King & Parliament & then let him tell mee whether that House can desyre to see these combustions fomented; except hee will thincke all that belong vnto it out of their wits. I am perswaded that hee will not thincke any of them so senselesse but that they know that haue noe greater enemyes then those who distract that State, onely to the end that it should not take to heart the Forraigne Affaires of Protestants, whereof the P. Electour is by all right the true head in Germanie; & for the defence of which his Father & hee haue lost theyr lands & dignities: It is well enough knowne that when the Parliament of England was about a Resolucion to assist the P. Electour against the House of Austria, that then the Rebellion of Ireland was stirred vp by evill instruments to make a diversion from that plott, & since that tyme the same instruments haue bred a division betwixt the King & his Parliament to augment the confusion & hinder the settlement of the Affayres of Ireland. This I am perswaded the P. Electour is not ignorant of, & how is it then credible that hee should bee [word missing? MS torn] [catchword: any word missing? MS torn]
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any way accessory to such Councells whereby all his hopes are frustrated of getting helpe from England. These jealousies then are so groundlesse that I cannot imagine they can enter into the minde of any Rationall Man against his Highnesse. As for
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Germanje, to procure by his meanes & in his rights the reestablishment of the Protestant Religion in Germany. When therefore the evill Instruments are remoued from the King & the Affaires of the Church setled vpon true protestant grounds, & in a good correspondency with Scotland, then they may correspond with Sweden & Denmarke and Holland & set the Prince Electours Cause a foote for the Recouery of the Palatinat & of the Electorall Dignitie, which in that State is the onely humane meanes to vphold the Protestant Religion & ouerthrow Popery. And till that can bee intended with a full Resolucion in the interim it would bee a pious & profitable worke to assist the P. Electour with a competent allowance to make him able to keepe Correspondency with the Princes & States of Germanie by the helpe of able Counsellours & Agents which could bee joyned to him if hee had wherewithall to maintayne them & employ them for his Affayres. A matter of 20. or 30. thousand pounds Sterling a yeare would doe this; & what is this much vnto the State of England. And if this money were well bestowed (as it may bee) for a faithfull Agency in Civill & Ecclesiasticall Affaires (which in this Negotiacion must neuer bee separated) it would vndermyne all the Popish plots before they could come to maturity; because the depth of them (which [catchword: consisteth.]
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consisteth in the procurement of an agreement betwixt Protestants & Papists) is already sufficiently discouered; & nothing is wanting to the disappointment thereof but the procurement of some good & Religious Correspondency betwixt the Protestant States; which for theyr Interest to Religion & by the meanes of the Palatine Rights, may bee effected. This is the advice which I would giue; but because I am not able to suggest it vnto any more freely then to yourselfe, I leaue it to your direccion to make vse of it as occacion shall bee offered for the Publicke Good, wherein as my affeccion doth concurre with yours these many yeares, so I shall not fayle at all tyme to approue my selfe herein
Your most faithfull
Servant.