A Turbulent Pragmatical JESUITE, is the Bell-weather of the Roman Shep­herds Flock; a most trusty Janizary to the Triple-Crown. A zealous Hector for Popery, that wherever he comes, plays the Devil for Gods-sake. An Eccle­siastical Granadier to scatter the Wild [...]fire of Con­tention; or, a Religious Flambeau to put King­domes into a Combustion; so through-pac'd a Ca­tholick, that he has left off to be a Christian, and instead of the Evangelical Duties, Peace, Obedience, and Love, recommends Rebellion, Trea­son and Murder, as the best expedients to promote Holy Church. The distinguishing Badge of other Papists is Superstition, but of him Sedition and Subtlety, not Ignorance the Mother of his Devotion.

He usurps the Title of JESUITE, just as their Popes are observed to have chosen Sirnames, ex­actly contrary to their Tempers; as, the most Hatchet-fac'd Formosus, the most prophane Pius, the most cruel Clemens, &c. For certainly, never did any more interfere with the steps of the Blessed Jesus, than those that blasphemously call themselves his Companions or SOCIETY. He disclaimed his Kingdome to be of this World; but [Page 3] their whole endeavors aim no farther. Riches, Dominion, Pomp and Glory, are the Butts they shoot at; and if ever they appear Heavenly, by tampering with Affairs of State, they mix Heaven and Earth together, to bring all into Confusion. Let them magnifie the Travels of their Saint Xa­verius, and boast the Multitude of Heathens they have converted; look narrowly into that intrigue, and you'll find it only an Hucksterly Charity of mercenary Pedlars, rather than a free offer of glad tidings. They did but Traffick to the Indies, to Barter Religion for Gold; never car'd for Preaching to Beggarly Nations, but always car­ried the sound of Christianity to Regions that had rich Mines or precious Quarries, to make ad­vantagious Returns. Not to mention their Cruel­ties, in Baptizing far greater numbers in Blood than Water, and making the Gospel odious to those dark Souls, by their perfidious and Traiterous Practises; for which, the King of Japan long ago, and the Emperor of China since, banisht them their Territories, choosing rather to relapse into honest Paganism, than entertain Truth sullied by such Knavish Impostors.

He owes his Original to Ignatius Loyala a Spa­nish Souldier, about the year 1540. and though found out long since the invention of the Cannon, has not done less mischief than that Butchering Engine. Luther had now broke the Ice, and the Dawn of reviv'd Learning having open'd mens Eyes to see through the grosser Cheats of Ignorant [Page 4] Monks; the Pope had no other play, but to cherish this Society, who having devoted them­selves by a particular Vow to his Interests, employ'd all their excellent parts and skill in the Sciences, (wherein their diligence soon rendred them fa­mous) to bolster up his tottering Ʋsurpations. The better to effect this, laughing at the Nasty Auste­rities of their more Melancholly Religionists, they applied themselves to the Politicks, and a sociable kind of life; to understand not only Languages and Arts, but Passions, Humours, Prejudices, and (as they speak in Courts) Blind-sides, in one word, Persons. Thus they became false Keys, to open Princes Cabinets, and pry into their Councels, by their oily Tongues, and plyable Behaviour; in­sinuating themselves into the affections of the un­wary, as gently, as malevolent Stars dart their in­fluence, or blasting Mildews slide into the bosom of a flower. In his Seminary, he acts the part of a Fox; abroad, a Spaniel; but in the Inquisition, a Lion Rampant. The Mask which in Spain or Italy he wears on his Heart, in Countreys he calls Heretical he puts upon his Face; varying shapes oftner, than a Strumpet shifts her Lodgings; now a Courtier, to morrow a Souldier, then a Cobler, by and by a Weaver; a Gallant amongst the Ladies, an Atheist with the Wits, and a Qua­ker when he assembles with Friends at the Bull­and-Mouth.

He regards the other duller Litters of Cloister'd Cubbs, with an eye of Contempt, and devours or [Page 5] eats them out of Credit (if planted neer them) as fast as a Pike does the smaller fry in a Fish-pond. Indeed his Colledge is always furnisht with some one Professor in every Faculty, excellently ac­complisht; and the whole Society consists of select persons, either of extraordinary natural and ac­quired parts, great Birth, Alliance, and Interests abroad, or Heirs to large Fortunes; and the for­mer, ever govern the two latter, well knowing how to make use of such Tools for their main designs, which are Aggrandizing the Court of Rome, spreading Popish Doctrines, wheadling in of Proselytes, destroying, weakning, or dividing Protestants, and heaping up wealth to their own Seminaries. Hence not only the Reformed, but the Dominicans, Franciscans, and other Catholick Brotherhoods, apprehending the growing great­ness of this Leviathan-Order; nay, his Holiness himself, in the traverse of the business, is but their Vassal, and apt (like Conjurers) to dread these busie Imps, which himself first raised to Mis­chief others. Nor has it been the least skill and prudence of the Conclave, for the last Age, to keep out any of this Fraternity from mounting the Infallible Chair, left they should Intail the Popedome on its Members, and rifle the Nests of the Monks, to enrich their own Hives. And if their own Tribe be thus jealous of them, what sentiments others ought to have for them, will not be difficult to determine by any that has read their detestable Writings and Positions, of Deposing and [Page 6] Murdering Excommunicated Princes, absolving Subjects from their Allegiance, Faith not to be kept with Hereticks, &c.

As for the common Popish Priest, though oft he has not so much Learning, yet he puts in hard for an equal share of Malignity, being a Ghostly Factor to Retail out his Holiness's braided Wares; a kind of Spiritual Kidnapper for Souls: One might take him for a Conjurer; for he uses an unknown Tongue, transacts most of his Business in Hugger-mugger, comes in secretly, and crawls up and down in Corners like a Serpent, and with a few frightful words, as Heresie, Purgatory, Catholick Cause, Infallibility, and the like, Transforms people as he lists, and Jilts them first of their Wits, and next of their Money: For though he pretends 'tis in pure kindness to your Soul, yet still the Plot is upon your Purse; and therefore where he meets with a fat Convert, he sticks to him as close as Ivie to the Oak; and for the same reason too, viz. to suck out Sap for his own Support and Maintainance. Thus he switches and spurs an honest Gentleman, or devout Lady, through thick and thin, till the poor Soul look as lean and wret­chedly, as if ridden Seven years by a Night-mare. The Reins he manages them with, are Confession and Absolution, whereby he becomes Master of their Secrets; and if they will not pace as he would have them, on goes the Snaffle of a severe Penance, to make them more easily rul'd.

He makes a perpetual Din of true Religion, and the Catholick Faith; but 'tis Restitution of all the old Abbey­lands that his fingers itch for; and if ever he get into the Saddle, 'tis will if his quondam Patrons may be admitted to hold the stirrop. In the mean time he sometimes makes use of them, as blind men of their staves, to thrust them into Plashes and Sloughs, before they'll tread them­selves; and run them against Posts, to save knocking their [Page 7] own heads. When any Combustible matter is to be fired; these cunning Petardiers ram it into the hollow Cranium of some zealous or desperate Votary, and having enflam'd the Fuzee of his Tongue, shoot him against Government, not caring though he breaks himself into a Thousand pie­ces: For though the Jesuite has out-done them in the Theory of Rebellion and Treason, the Monks preceded him long in the Practical part. Was it not a Monk that Poyson'd our King John? was it not Bernardinus a Fryar Mendicant, that Anno 1313. poyson'd the Emperour H. the 7th with the Consecrated Host? A Crime that might seem to dispute a shape of Guilt with that of the Proto-Rebels, the faln Angels: For surely for a Priest▪ to poyson his God (as they hold it to be) thereby to murder his Prince, was such an exquisite piece of wickedness, that all the Wit of Hell could never scrue any to an higher pitch. Was it not Clement a Jacobin Fryar, that murdered Henry the Third of France with a Sanctified Knife, to whose praise Pope Sextus Quintus dedicated a Panegytical Ora­ration? And for us nearer home, hear what a Reverend Pre­late asserts —This we may observe (says he) That no Treason was ever attempted, Dr. Carlton, Bishop of Chichester, in his Book I [...] itu [...]ed, A Thankful Remembrance of Gods Mercy. Printed Anno 1630. page 246. without a Romish Priest. The Treasons attempted in England, have that proper and peculiar Mark, to have a Priest in the Practice.

Yet no doubt such kind of Romish Emissaries will still tell us they quit their Seminaries, and come hither, hazard­ing their lives meerly for our Souls health: That they love us intirely, and desire nothing but our Salvation: and a thousand other endearing Expressions.—But Good words butter no Parsueps. All these sugared Complements will but put discreet men in mind of that Fable of the Birds and Fowler: The Fowler in a cold morning caught good store of them, and still nipt them on the head and put them [Page 8] up: His eyes in the mean time watering with the sharp­ness of the Air; See, said one of the Fowls, how the good man pities us, he weeps to see us taken. Ah, said the other, look not to his Eyes, but to his Hands, there you shall see what pity we finde from him. Or at least may remember us of St. Chrysostomes sure Rule, to discern a Wolf from a Sheep: 'Tis possible (says he) for the Wolf to clothe him­self with the Sheeps Skin, so as that cannot descry him; and to imitate the Sheeps Voice, so as that shall not betray him, but look to his Chaps, and they cannot deceive you: For you shall not finde either Grass in the Wolfs mouth, nor Blood in the Sheeps. Let us never be so rash, or fondly credulous, as to mistake one for the other.