AN ORATION MADE AT THE HAGE, BEFORE THE Prince of ORANGE, and the Assembly of the High and Mighty Lords, the STATE'S General of the United Provinces:  
By the Reverend Father in God, the Lord Bishop of Landaff, one of the Commissioners sent by the Kings most Excellent Majesty to the Synod of Dort.  
LONDON, Printed by G. P. for Ralph Rounthwait, and are to sold at his shop in Paul's Churchyard, at the sign of the fleur-de-lis and Crown. 1619.   

MOST ILLUSTRIOUS and Noble Lords.  
MOST EXCELLENT PRINCE.  
OUR Lord and King JESUS CHRIST, when he was now about to go unto his Father, and desirous to leave unto those whom he loved, some excellent benefit, (a benefit then which the earth cannot yield a greater,) he left them Peace: Peace at his death as a Legacy, he bequeathed them: My Peace (saith he) I leave unto you, my Peace I give unto you; for neither could men wish from heaven a greater blessing, neither could the Angels declare unto men from heaven a more welcome message, than Glory in heaven, and Peace in earth.  
This Bond, by which heaven unto earth, and earth unto heaven reciprocally is united, hath so straightly bound the heart of the King's Majesty of great Britain, that according to the exceeding care which he hath evermore had of the safeguard and defence of true Religion, of settling Peace and Concord amongst Christian Princes throughout the world; but especially, Most Illustrious, Noble, and Magnificent Lords, of procuring the good and tranquillity of this your State, to which he acknowledges his Kingdom to be linked by the Tie of an ancienter and straighter League: He hath sent us hither with this especial charge, that as much as in us lies, we procure your prosperity, and your Church's Peace.  
Certainly, an exceeding desire of Peace & the public good, possessed his Princely heart, when he commended unto your Lordships the care of Religion.  
This his majesties provident care can never be unwelcome, if it may please your Lordships, according to your Wisdom and Piety, to recount the benefit of the reformed Religion, and the blessings of God's favour, which like showers from heaven, have watered your Provinces far & near. I suppose, it cannot be unknown unto your Lordships, what & how much you owe to true Religion. Religion it was, which from blood and tempest reduced your State to these flourishing days of quietness and Sunshine. Religion it was, which first begat, then enlarged, and finally established your prosperity. Let your Lordships now consider with yourselves, what you will repay unto Christ for all these blessings. Of your Lordships, Christ, who is King of Kings, and Lord of Lords, requires this, that for and above all his other benefits, you preserve the Peace which he bequeathed you.  
The bond of the public good is Religion, and of Religion, Peace; those therefore who either themselves raise dissensions in the Church, or cherish such as are raised by others, what do they else intent, but the rooting up of Peace and Religion; the banishment of Christ out of your coasts? that by jarring of Churchmen, the edification of the Church may be hindered, that the consciences of the multitude be troubled, that wavering and unstable souls be carried about with every wind of Doctrine, that the contempt of the Minister bring with it a contempt of his doctrine; till at length these Cockatrice eggs bring forth the Basilisk, even open Impiety and Atheism. If the church-affairs be ill managed, all sorts of men, the people, the Priest, yea you yourselves shall be accountable unto Christ for it. In the people he requires obedience, in the Priest light & truth, that is, knowledge joined with holiness of life. But I know not whether I may impute it either to the corruption of this our time, or to the sleights of the Devil, trying all his plots and devices now in this declining age of the world, that some are arisen, who either quite rejecting, or at least too much neglecting purity of life, a garment which best of all adorns the Priests of God, have altogether diverted upon jangling disputes, & unprofitable, yea pernicious contentions. From hence come fervour, and emulation, and ostentation of Wit; mean while, the building of the Church is interrupted, yea her ruin by undermining is closely practised, by some that lie in wait to betray your happiness.  
Awaken and stir up yourselves, most Noble Lords, establish that Peace in the Church, which in the Commonwealth you have established, yea that Peace, I say, which your Lordships, by the vigilancy and prowess of his Excellency, peaceably, without any noise and tumult, but not without the present assistance of God, have lately attempted, and at length accomplished, is to be entertained with the joyful applause of all the Churches, and to be for ever remembered to your eternal praise and glory.  
The reformed Churches throughout Europe, having recovered their liberty, and shaken off the heavy yoke of Rome, to show themselves more thankful to Christ their Redeemer, have severally set forth confessions of their Faith, which though they were many, yet they so well agree in one consent and harmony of minds, that we may plainly discover, it was the voice of one only Spirit, which in so many Nations, so many Languages delivered itself. In this general concord of other Nations, your consent did bear a part; your praises were in the Gospel, your authority in the Church much set by. But now the neighbour Churches round about inquire, question, and wonder, what it might be which in these confessions your Church alone quarrels with: Against which, none of the rest, sincethe reformation, have taken exception.  
Give me leave to ask of you in the Apostles words, Proceeded the Word of God from you alone? or hath it come only unto you? Other Nations and Provinces preserve the doctrine of the Gospel which they have received, whole and sound, without any alteration and change, and resolve by God's help, hereafter so to continue.  
This is that which his Majesty commends unto you, even the unity and consent of Confession, the spring and original of reformation; he commends unto you the consent of the Churches, he requires you, that what form of Church you have received from your Fathers, you will deliver over to your posterity; that what Doctrine now these twenty or thirty years hath been publicly taught amongst you, you preserve in its former purity; that you shut up all gap and inlette, which may every day give way to innovation, that such treasures of Christ as are committed to your trust, you preserve safe, without suffering them to be embased by admixtion of false and counterfeit stuff. Unto you are committed the Oracles of God; keep your Faith unspotted, and undefiled unto God and Christ the Church's King: You are seriously to take heed, that your Doctors, leaving the simplicity of holy Scriptures, divert not upon abstruse and intricate quirks; that they set not before you smoke, in stead of solid meat. At least, thus much are you carefully to look to, that those who handle the Word of Life, abstain in their Sermons to the people, from those deeper speculations, which pose the Schools themselves, and our sharpest wits, and may with probability on both sides be disputed: Lest the Faith of the Church, which is stable and immovable, seem to be ambiguous and doubtful; and Scandal creep in, in place of edifying. Your consent in Doctrine with other Churches, shall be a sacrifice of sweet savour unto God, when one soul of so many people shall cleave unto him, and it shall be welcome news unto the Churches, and Honourable unto your Lordships, when they shall understand, that you hold Brotherly fellowship one with another in Christ; for God gives not grace and glory to such as walk severally, every one in his own ways, but such as meet together in one Communion of Saints. Factions & part-taking have wounded the Church on both sides; on the right hand, and on the left: yet these wounds, we doubt not, are curable, if they fall into the hands of a skilful Physician. The true Physic must be administered by the hand of your authority: as for our labour and industry, if it may be any way available to the Church's Peace, it shall be evermore ready and at hand: Neither are we ready only with our labour and care, but if it so please GOD, in whose hands we are, even with our dearest blood to procure the Church's Peace.  
But since the Church which Christ hathredeemed with his blood, according to the example of our Lord himself, requires not the blood of her Ministers in peace, but in persecution: by a peculiar fate, (if I may so speak) of the Church, it falls out, that men prove stronger under the Cross, and in affliction, then in times of peace. In times of persecution they love not their lives for Christ: in time of peace they stick not to bandy factions against Christ. O how difficult is the Church's ease! what strait conditions is she tied unto, either she suffers persecution with inward peace and joy of the spirit, or she is outwardly at peace with the world, but with intestine and civil wars.  
The Sons of God, like little children are most easily disciplined under the rod; lay the rod by, and presently they return to sidings, to faction, to contentions. But all things turn to the best to those that fear God; and not only afflictions, but faction and schism, yea errors and heresies themselves; GOD, who is omnipotent, shall turn to the good of his Church, that those who are faithful may be tried, and their faith being tried, may be made manifest, and such as love the Truth, may not be ashamed to conquer and triumph over their own errors.  
This mind we heartily wish may be found in our Brethren, that those who are always ready to fight unto the death, for that faith which once was given to the Saints, may striveto excel each other in humility; not solicitous who shall overcome, but applying all their strength, their skill, their labour, that Truth may have the victory, the Church Peace, and God the glory.  
FINIS.