7

MATTHEW W R E N, D. U

" Persons of Honour, were Eye and Ear-WitnelTes of, having the Happi-“ ness to attend him there.”

The common Voice in Spain went, that the Prince was come (as theycall’d it) to be a Christian ; and the Prime Minister Olivarez, at his first Visittold him, that the Match should be made presently, and that the Kings of Spainand England should divide the World between them ; for he question’d nothut he came thither to be of their Religion : Whereunto the Prince an-swer’d, " He came not thither for Religion, but for a Wife." After all En-deavours were us’d to allure the Prince to Popery, by Popish Books, PopishPictures, and carrying him to religious Houses, and to Persons famous forpretended Miracles, &c. his Highness remain'd Jiedfast, and exprefs’d no Shewof Change.

The Conference ended in a wonderful Applause in both Houses, of the Prince rag. ,y.and Duke's Behaviour and Carriage throughout the Affair; and in a hastyResolution to dissuade the King from entertaining any farther Motions to-wards the Match, and frankly and resolutely to enter into a War withSpain.

The famous Library of Heidelburgh, having been mention‘d before, froma Quotation of Spanhemius, it might be an Omission, not to insert this curiousRecord, as falling in our Way.

Bibliotheca Heidelburgensis tot a fere Europd celeberrima, eptstolam D. Pauli Anno 1622.tnanu exaratam prœ fe fer ens, partim Romam, partim also transport at a est ; stst ed f Hs!et prater hanc D. Pauli epistolam, aiunt Pentateuchum manuferiptum tantœ v id cbron .

‘ vetufatis , ut Judæi genufleblentes ilium exofcularentur, inde Romam hiatus-tranjlatum, et alia prceclara monument a.

The Alexandrian MS. in the King's Library is believ’d to be as old as that Jenkins’;in the Vatican , which is allow’d to be twelve hundred Years old. fv 'heCibriftfan

There is a Copy of St. Paul's Epistles, in the Freneh King’s Library, and %/igimfwlTanother in the Library of the Benediblines of St. Germains, which are con- H. P- 99 *eluded to be a thousand Years old at least.

By the Particulars in the foregoing Conference between the two Houses ofParliament, it is evident, King fames was not mistaken in the prudentChoice he had made of Dr. Wren, for the Office of Preceptor and spiritualGuide to his Son in Spahi ; by whose Learning and Skill, in all ccclefialhcalAffairs, and the most important Controversies between 11s, and those of theChurch of Rome, and by a rational Instruction of his Royal Highness in thefundamental Verities of the Protestant Faith, the Prince stood like a Rock,firm, and immoveable in the true Religion ; and in the end, triumph d overall the Efforts, Policy, and Machinations of the Romish Churchmen, andthe Courts of Rome and Spain.

It was a notorious Instance of the great Injustice, and Uncharitablenefs of theTimes which ensued, and of the Calvinian Faction ; that this orthodox /)/-vine, who, from his earliest Appearance in the World, did, on all Occasions,as well as on this of the Prince’s Journey to Spain, defend and maintain thefound Doctrine of the Church of England, with great Learning, Vigilance,

Christian Courage, and Resolution against Popery, Superstition, and Innova-tion-, should himself (as will appear) be accus’d, and publickly impeach’d inParliament, under the odious Imputation of a Papist, Idolater, and Innovator .

“ -- Innovation in Religion (fays a great Historian) was an unlucky Word, clarendon , s

“ and couzen’d very many honest Men into Apprehensions very prejudicial

“ to the King, and to the Church." Moreover, it was the usual Maxim and R f he st ,0 f^

Practice of the Puritans, and the faftious Party, in their Malice against - ' 4 '

the Government of the Church by Bishops, to call every Man they did not

lo vq Papists, " Arch-bishop Laud, had all his Life, eminently oppos’d Cal- Pag. 72;

" vin’s