To our Venerable Brethren, The Patriarchs, Archbishops, Bishops,
Clergy-men, Religious, and all the Faithfull ones of Christ
belonging to the Catholick Church.
ALEXANDER VII. POPE.
VEnerable Brethren, Beloved sons, greeting and Apostolicall
Benediction. While from the height of our
Apostolick Dignity we look round about us, and sollicitously
survey the State of Things throughout the world, as subjected
to our care and Charge, the Affairs of Christendom appear to be
in a very sad and lamentable condition; for, strangers make
spoile of the Portion of the Lord, and his heritage, casting out
those that are indeed his Children. Those nations, which out
of our fatherly love and tendernes, we had a desire to take
into our bosom, that is to say, into the bosom of true Religion,
and most affectionately to imbrace them, even they endeavour
to rend and teare this very bosom in pieces; and making
their way from the remotest parts of sea and land, have invaded
the Flock of Christ. Yea and Catholick Princes disagreeing
bend their Forces against themselves, and (which is a Judgment
that God threatned heretofore against our Enemies, and
them that rise up against us) they devoure one another, and are
made drunk with their own Bloud, as it were with new wine.
Whilst in time past, we were silently bewailing these things with
our self, it seemed good to him, who works things great and
incomprehensible without number, to call us, unwilling and
trembling, to the government of the Church; and to lay this
immense burthen upon us, enough to make the strongest shoulders
to shrink, What our sorrow hath been, we have testified
by those publick prayers, which we enjoyned in all parts, as
soon as we were advanced to the supremacie; as also by those
Letters which we sent to our most dear sons, not onely to the
illustrious Ferdinand of Hungarie and Bohemia King, and
Roman Emperor Elect, but also to the 2 Kings, and which
with grief of heart we wrote a second time, when we perceived
our most deadly Enemy designing ruine and destruction to all
Europe, by distressing the most renowned Republick to the
end that we might turn them from mutuall discords, against