THE fatal and Bloody Tragedy, which, with a great deal of Confusion, hath been acted on the Theatre of Europe, near upon fourty years, or upwards, having dashed most potent Kingdoms, Nations, and Provinces, one against another, hath at last (with more Severi­ty, because later) reached our Sarmatian Climate, and therein that most flourishing Kingdom of Poland, but especially the Great Dukedom of Lithuania, and the Provinces belonging thereunto; wherein it hath so ruined, and destroyed many magnificent, and populous Cities, lesser Towns, and Villages without number; that there are not so much, as any Marks left, where they stood before.

This is now the twelfth year, since the highest, and most righ­teous Judg of all unrighteous Nations, having banished Peace from our Countrey, hath, in his fierce anger, called for many perfidi­ous, cruel, swift, and mighty Nations, to execute his Judgments against us. And these, not having been in the least provoked by Us, but onely thirsting after our Fortunes, and Blood, have washed their cruel hands therein, and are not satisfied therewith, but to the spoiling of the Goods have added most exquisite Torments upon the Bodies of the true Professours of Christianity.

In the Year 1648. when the first Rebellion of the Cossacks broke forth, to whom the Tartarians readily did associate them­selves, the Nobility was sought out, with much diligence, by the furious Rebels, to be slaughtered; and all such, as were not of the Greek Religion, were most ignominiously put to death, with­out any distinction; where were many numerous Congregations [Page] of the Reformed Protestants, whose Ministers were not spared also.

And the Cruelty of the furious Cossacks was so barbarous, that the Tartars themselves (though their Associates) would not be guil­ty of so much Innocent Blood; but compassionately did rescue as many, as they could, out of their hands.

Many had their Skins pulled over their Ears, whilest they were alive. Others had their Hands, and Feet, cut off. Some had their Bowels taken out, alive. Others had their Shin-bones bored thorough. To some they poured melted Lead in at the Wounds, which they made in their Heads, or Bodies. Their Eyes were plucked out: there is no number of those, that were hanged. And it was accounted a great Mercy, if any had his Head cut off with a Sword, or if they were sent away as perpetual Sl [...]ves to the Turk. Poor Parents, and Husbands, were forced to look on, whilest their Wives, and Daughters were ravished.

This was the miserable Condition of our Countrey, and Church, for several years together, during the Civil Wars. But afterwards, when we all begun to hope for better things, there fell a new, and more strange Calamity upon us, when we were almost consu­med before. For the perfidious Moscov [...]te, having taken notice of the distraction, and devastation, which by the just Hand of God befell us; and that the strength of Lithuania was, by continual Intestine Wars, decayed, he presently took an opportunity to in­vade it; and, to that effect, having found out some Pretenses, he came with an Army of two hundred thousand men, and associa­ted to himself sixty thousand of the Rebellious Cossacks; who carried all before them, like a Flood, spoiling, burning, destroying all, that they met with, sacking the strong Holds, and Cities, not leaving one Corner in all Lithuania unsearched. Never was greater Tyrannie committed in those Parts before. There was no regard of Tears, and Lamentations: no Pity shewed to yielding Persons: all, without discretion, were cut to pieces. The common Multitude were slaughtered out of hand; but the Gentry, and No­bility were carried away; and, upon deliberation, were either hanged, or burnt alive. Every Corner being filled with Massacres, made the Blood run, like Streams, through the Streets of Towns, and Cities.

But the Condition of the Ministers of Christ was most misera­ble; [Page] for as many, as were taken, were, with mo [...] [...] [...] ­ments, put to several kinds of death.

Adrian Chylinsky, a man most conspicuous both for his old Age, as also for his Piety, and Learning, whereby he deserved eminently of the Church of Christ, being surprised at his own house, had his Hands, and Legs, tyed together, and then rosted alive, leisurely by degrees, there being but some Chips, and Straw, gathered about him. Two of the same Name, a Father, and a Son, called Smolsky, both Ministers of Christ, near Vilna, the chiefest City in Lithuania, had their Heads most cruelly sawed off with a Sickle. Another Minister, in a Town called Holowozyn, whose Name was Slawin­skie, had a new Torment put upon him: for they cut him by pie­ces, so long, as he lived. Many other Ministers were amongst the high Mountains exposed bound, and naked, to the Snow, and ex­tream cold Air; which made their noble Souls forsake their mi­serable Tabernacles. And by this kind of death, this last Winter, there were destroyed above fifteen hundred innocent Souls; who, seeking for shelter, were in their flight over-taken. Those, that were most healthy, or strong, were sent away to be made Slaves; but others were either flay'd alive, or cut into pieces. The num­ber of those, that were thus miserably put to death, as also the several kinds of Torments, which poor innocent Creatures were put to, no History can describe.

In this Juncture of Affairs, all the Minist [...]rs of Christ were for­ced to forsake their Dwelling-places. And there is above fourty, of whom it is not known, what kind of death they suffered: but that they are dead, is certain; because they are not found, nor were they carried into Captivity. The Churches, for the most part, as far as the Enemy could reach, were destroyed by Fire: All the Bells were carried away; so that there are but few left in the whole Dukedom. The desolate Fields, and Water onely were left, as Witnesses of the insolency of a barbarous Enemy; for all Dwelling-places, and Woods were pulled, and cut down, and burnt to Ashes.

One would think, that the Land had been by this time chasti­sed sufficiently, and that the sharp Rod of our Correction should have been broken: but God was not yet pleased to put a period to our Calamities; for every year our Countrey had a New Ene­my [Page] raised upon it, and so that little, which the former had left, the succeeding Enemy devoured: For, in the year 1655, the Multi­tude of our Enemies was augmented, by the coming of the Swede: whose Armies, by reason of the vicinity of these three Provinces, Borussia, Curland, and Liefland, which they had in their power, have, for the space of five years, afflicted our Countrey also. And, without any respect of the Protestant Religion, they used u [...] as Ene­m [...]es: and, by their coming into the Countrey, they made us lya­ble to be more hated by those of the Roman Religion, then before; although after that all the Polis [...] Armies had forsaken their King, and that His Sacred Royal Majesty had with drawn himself out of His Kingdom, by reason of the Power of the Enem [...]s, who pressed all places, and being absent for a very long time in Si [...]sia, yet the Lithuanian Churches, all that time, remained still constant, and faithful to their Gracious King.

All this came upon us, undoubtedly, because of the Sins of our Country: yet the Wrath of God did still burn against us; for, a little while after, He did send another Enemy, out of another Cor­ner, to wit, the Prince of [...]ransylvania; in whose Army, besides the Hungarians, and Transylvanians, there were M [...]ldavians, Valachians, Servians, and other Eastern Barbarous Nations, who came with great hopes, that they should be enriched with our Fortunes, and Goods.

This brought a new Calamity upon that, which remained; for they made havock of all, wasted, and destroyed all without distin­ction. The Churches, that remained, they robbed; the Houses rifled, and burnt; the People driven into B [...]nishment; and those, that could not fly, were murthered.

It cannot be sufficiently lamented, much less uttered, what in such long continuance of our Troubles, amongst so many E [...]stern, Western, Northern, and other Enemies, our Native Country, the Church, and every M [...]mber thereof, have suffered. The dead, and the unborn, were then accounted blessed: the weaker Sex was reputed as the most Infortunate; For we have seen ma­ny Illustrious, and N [...]ble Families so exhausted, and brought to extremitie; that they have not had Bread to eat. We have seen Noble Men, and Matrons, Virgins, and Children of great Paren­tage [Page] mancipated under the pleasure, and servitude of the Musco­vians, Tartarians, Cossacks, and others; under which both they, and many Ministers of the Gospel to this day do groan heavily.

In consideration of those Extremitis, which indeed are extra­ordinary, we cannot but adore the just Judgments of God thus poured upon us by reason of our Sins, and deplore our sad con­dition: and the more by reason of the small hopes of Restitu­tion, or deliverance from such a Devastation. For, though we are brought very low already, having been made subject to ma­ny Wastings, great Terrours, and Troubles, as having had Death before our Eyes continually; yet there is still matter of new Troubles at home, especially to those, that desire to serve God in simplicity, and purity: to this particularly one Calamity fol­loweth another, as the Waves, in a tempestuous Sea, come one upon another.

Our very Neighbours do hate, and persecute the Remnant of us still, with as much eagerness, as our foreign Enemies did: they deprive us of our Churches yet remaining: those Lands, which were given for the maintainance of Ministers, and Scholes, they give away, as if they had been their own: our Ministers are banished; and such, as remain are beaten, and misused: the Threatnings of our total Exilement are encreased: In a word, all the Reformed Protestans are accounted as the Off-scou­ring of the World, and the original cause of all the Troubles, which are hitherto befallen to the Country. Hence it is, that they are hated, abused, threatned more and more: and whatsoever may be found odious amongst men, all that is put upon them, for to make their calamities the greater.

We do not question, but that all, that shall read, or hear of these things, and have the least spark of Christian Charitie left in their Hearts: or take to heart the affliction of Joseph, will take Compassion on us being affected with the truth of that Worship, Doctrine, and Godliness, which did shine amongst us, even in the midst of our Troubles.

For our parts, we have no other recourse, but to the Goodness of our God, and the sympathie of the Members of his Church; and therefore, following the Practise of the Apostles of Christ, and the [Page] Example of the Churches in the Palatinate, Bohemia, and others; which being in the same condition, some few years ago, implored the aid of their fellow-Members of the Reformed-Protestant Church, we do likewise make our recourse to your Goodness, and Charitie. For we are perswaded, that God hath in these Times made these Kingdoms, and Churches more happy, and flourishing, then others, that they might be a place for refuge, and a Port of safety for those, that suffer Ship-wrack for the Name of Jesus elsewhere.

Look therefore, we beseech you, upon us, as Objects of Pitie, and for the Love of God, for the sacred bonds of unity in Christ Je­sus, stretch forth your hands, that the Ʋine-yard of the Lord may not be utterly destroyed. Send suitable comforts to those, that are comfortless; strengthen the hands of the feeble; support the weak, supply the wants of the needy with your liberality: not doubting, but that the Lord, who is the rewarder of all good deeds, and who takes all the works of Charitie, bestowed upon the Members of his Militant Church, as if they had been bestowed up­on himself, will be your sufficient reward, and at the Great day of Accounts will put you in minde of such Works for your eter­nal comfort. These are the prayers, and desires of those; who, in the name of all the Lithuanian Churches, have sent their Messen­ger to you, who sollicits this in their Name, as having been an Eye-witness, in many places, of their distressed condition, and partaker of their Evils.