A SPEECH Delivered to the KING In the Name of the Foreign Churches Of ●his REALM for the ROYAL PROTECTION WHICH HIS MAJESTY Hath been pleased to assure ●h● His late DECLARATION Pronounced at WHITEHALL on Frid● MARCH the 15th 1665/6. By LEWIS HERALD Minister of the FRENCH Church in LONDON Published by Command LONDON Printed by Tho Ratcliff for Octavian Pulleyn junior at the Bible in St. Paul's Churchyard over against the little North-door M.DC ● ● A SPEECH Delivered to the KING In the Name of the FOREIGN CHURCHES Of this REALM for the Royal Protection which HIS MAJESTY hath been pleased to assure Them of by His late DECLARATION SIR IT is in the Name of the Foreign Churches both French and Dutch who live under Your Majesty's Royal Government that this Day we have the Honour to appear in Your Presence to render unto Your Majesty our humblest Submissions and deepest Respects and to Present you not Thoughts curiously ●pon choice Words or an artificial composed Speech but Hearts burning with Zeal fervently devoted to Your Majesty's service and Souls breathing nothing else but Thankfulness Obedience and Fidelity No SIR this Speech is not a Speech of Art but of Nature It is out of the abundance of the heart Mat. 12 34. that our moths do make this humble Acknowledgement to Your Majesty of all the Favours we have formerly received from Your Royal Goodness and in a more especial manner to render unto Your Majesty with all the sincerity of our hearts our most humble Thanks for this last great Favour which You were pleased to add to the former in following the Example of God who doth not only take into his protection all Mankind but more particularly all true Believers And according to St. Paul's Exhortation who adviseth us to do good to all men 1 Tim. 4.10 but especially to those who are of the household of faith Gal. 6.10 Your Majesty by Your Declaration published not long since taking under Your Royal Protection all the Strangers living in Your Dominions and willing to come into them for shelter doth declare a most kind and special care toward those amongst them who have that advantage and are so happy as to be joined and united with Your Majesty in the same Bond of Faith and Religion SIR by that Clause inserted in Your Declaration in favour of all Foreigners in General Your Majesty does most advantageously show at once Your Humanity Prudence and Generosity ●essing in this according to its usual practice the Cha● truly Royal disposition whose purpose it is to do good men and to do hurt to none 〈…〉 Luk. 22. And so You may with right ●●ke upon ●●u th● Title of Benefactor which is given to Kings in the Gos● in a more particular manner belonging unto Your Majesty ●nd in that also SIR You show Yourself to be the true Son and worthy Successor of the late King Your Father of glorious and immortal Memory who caused this excellent Motto to be engraven on a Medal ●rasum ut prosim I am a King only to do good And in this respect it may be said of Your Majesty Carolus Quintus what was said of that great Emperor of the last Century That with one hand he made War and with the other he offered Peace But also because Your Majesty's Goodness amongst all Strangers in General is pleased more especially to consider those whom the purer profession of the Gospel doth force to seek here under the shadow of Your Royal Protection the Peace and Liberty of their Consciences You give therein a manifest proof of Your true Christian Piety and show that You might have without any comparison more right to assume amongst Your Titles that Motto Adrian Pietas Augusta the August Piety than did that Emperor of Old By it also You do Declare to all the World that most justly and in a most august manner the glorious Title of Defender of the Faith is Your just due and that it is not without a direction of God's special Providence that it is fallen as it were amongst the Lot of Your Inheritance By this means it old Rome was praised and renowned for her Hospitality towards afflicted Strangers who did resort thither from all Corners of the World and to whom She was an Azylum a place of Reinge and for this reason was called the Centre of all Nations Your England SIR with a far more just Title enjoys that Cle●y and deserves much more to be so called having been so happy for above an whole Age past by the Bounty of the Kings Your Predecessors and of Your Majesty to be likewise an Azylum and a place of shelter to many Thousands of the Faithful of several Nations who being forced to forsake their own Country have as it were found it again here with greater and more considerable advantages Insomuch as of them in some sort it may be said That they had been lost if they had not been lost By this means also SIR after the Example of Him whose Image You have the Honour so particularly to bear You draw them to Your Obedience and Service You tie and fasten them to You with a most strict Knot You chain and link their hearts if I may so say with the cards of a man and with bands of love You Rule SIR not only over their Bodies but chiefly over and in their Souls in which You have established Your Empire and Dominion And hereof it is SIR that we now make a solemn station to Your Majesty humbly beseeching You with 〈…〉 foundest Humility we are capable of to be fully 〈…〉 our entire Obedience and steadfast and inviolate 〈…〉 Your Service from which we shall never depart i● 〈…〉 ther directly nor indirectly In this state and condition SIR we shall continue to pray and beseech the God of all Blessings that it may plea●● him to sanctify more and more all those great Endowments and rare and eminent Virtues with which he hath been pleased to enrich Your Majesty and for which You are at this Day by all the World looked upon as one of the greatest Princes that ever wore a Crown being thus by God made a powerful Instrument in his hand for the accomplishment of his work We shall continue fervently to pray and beseech him Psal. 144.10 who giveth salvation unto Kings and delivereth them from the hurtful Sword who hath already wrought so many Wonders in Your Majesty's behalf and who after many fiery Trials to prepare and frame You for his work having showed You great and sore troubles hath quickened You and brought You again from the depths of the Earth Psal. 71.20 who having suffered Your Majesty to be as it were for a time trodden upon by Dragons and covered with the shadow of Death hath at last br●●sed in pieces and trodden down those Dragons under his feet causing their outrageous devices to return on their own guilty heads showing himself to be the God of Your Salvation To him I say we shall daily pray that he will be pleased to take more and more Your SaCRed Person in his Custody and Protection Psal. 17.8 Isa. 49.16 Cant. 8.6 delivering You from all hurtful Accidents whatsoever To keep You as the Apple of his Eye to cover You under the shadow of his Wings To have You always graven as upon the palms of his hands To set You as a Seal upon his heart as a Seal upon his arm To encamp round about Your Majesty the Army of his holy Angels To be Your Van and Your Rear To be Your Buckler Psal. 71.18 Psal. 61.8 Psal. 91.4 and an impenetrable Shield of Defence against all Attempts and Enterprises Not to leave You nor to forsake You till You are Greyheaded and that You may abide before him for ever That his Truth and Mercy may preserve You That it may be to You a Shield and a Buckler That he will pour down abundantly on Your Majesty's Head the choicest of his Blessings both of Heavens and Earth Psal. 132.18 Psal. 21.4 Psal. ● 16. That he make Your Majesty's Diadem flourish on Your Brows and Your golden Crown on Your Head That he satisfy Your Majesty with long life That he continue to show You his deliverance That he in a full happiness add days unto the days of Your Majesties and make Your Years to be as many Generations That he pour his blessing upon Your Royal Bed that he make it green and flourishing that the Queen Royal Comfort be as a fruitful Vine To be short that he 〈…〉 ●ed to give unto Your Majesty a long and happy Life a 〈…〉 ●ire a firm and well established House victorious Ar● 〈…〉 C●●●sel ●edient People a quiet State Briefly 〈…〉 a word SIR that he be continually 〈…〉 You by the right hand Psalms ●● 〈…〉 guide You by his Counsel 〈…〉 ●eceive You into his Glory Amen SIR Amen FINIS