THough it hath not been deemed prudent, that Legislators should in their Acts and Sancti­ons render their reasons of them; lest by so doing, they might haply invite and court contradiction from some ill-affected thereunto, which might prove derogatory unto their Supreme Authority, by giving occasion to the governed to wrestle with their reasons rendred and alledged; and if they should think (though erroneously) that they have resolved or con­futed them, they would then also think that they have taken all vertue and efficacy from the very Laws them­selves: Yet it hath ever been esteemed acceptable and good Service to Government it self, that Subjects should defend the just Laws of their Princes, and especially those wherein Religion is concerned. And Religion being, or ought to be, the grand concern of every In­dividual, I hope I shall not be thought to wander inconsi­derately out of my own Province, whilst I endeavour to justifie the late Act of Parliament for preventing dan­gers which may happen from Popish Recusants. I must confess that I dare not adventure my Salvation or Dam­nation on blind obedience, or Implicite Faith, or on any Deputies, Proxies, Popes, Priests or Fryars, no [...] [Page]take their bare word without express warranty from Scripture, especially being commanded to search them, and thereby to try them that say they are Apostles and are not, and being pre-cautioned, lest by good words and fair speeches the Hearts of the simple be deceived, Rom. 16.17. In which kind of Arts the Papalins are most expert.

I have exposed this Treatise to the consideration of all Christians, but more especially of all Kings, Princes, and Governours, not to implore their Countenance or Protection of any error, that haply may be found here­in; that were not only unmannerly, but injurious to Majesty it self. If what is here written cannot be justi­fied by its own truth, and effort of sound reason, let it fall to the ground, and be obliterate for ever: For no error or salshood, or any false equivocating reasonings can ever be pleasing to the God of Truth, and there­fore ought not to be supported or countenanced by any sublunary Majesty whatsoever. Justa ratio sapientem non possit offendere. The chief aim and great design in this Publication, is to justifie to all the Christian World His Majesties great Title of Defender of the Faith truly An­tient Catholick and Apostolick by his ready compliance with His great Council, his Two Houses of Parliament, to put away the evil from this our Israel by this His Act; that both this and future Ages, perceiving it to have been grounded both on great reasons of State, and true grounds of Religion, all the World may be the better satisfied, and his own Subjects may hear and fear, and do no more so presumptuously.

It is the great duty of every individual Christian for Truth and Conscience sake, but more especially of Gods Lieutenants on Earth, even for necessity, and reason of good [Page]government also, nay, even out of duty to him by whom they reign to maintain and preserve Religion in its pu­rity. For this very end God hath ordained Kings and Queens to be his Vicegerents on Earth, and conferred greatness and Majesty upon them to make them Defen­ders, nursing Fathers and nursing Mothers of his Holy Church; in which Calling the greatest of them can never give a good account of this their Charge and Stewardship, except it be by a constant watchful care in matters of Re­ligion. As it is not prudent in civil Politicks for any Prince to receive a great succour from a more purissant Empire; so it is as imprudent for any temporal Prince or Power to indulge or countenance any Sects that own any dependence on a Foreign Head, Ecclesiastical or Civil, especially if Sworn to advance that Head and promote his Interest. And such a Head is the Pope, who claims to be superiour to all Princes, to be exempt from all Controll, and exempts his Ecclesiasticks from their sub­jection and obedience unto their natural Princes, and whom (if you will believe them) they cannot chastise, though they are rebellious; that he hath Power over all, and can deprive Kings of their Kingdoms, that in any difference between the Ecclesiastical and Secular, the judg­ment appertains to the Ecclesiastical as to the more worthy: And as is the Pope, so are his Papalins. The same Hour they become his Proselytes, they also become his sworn Vassals and Advocates.

Can it be other than an infinite prejudice done to the Authority of Sovereign Princes, if they should but su­pinely permit, or be constrained to change, or but to suspend their own Laws at the Beck, and Pleasure of ano­ther State or Interest, passing from one Law to another; [Page]or tacitely by conniving only to acknowledg, that he borrows from any other any power of governing in matters Civil or Ecclesiastical, and therefore but just and reasonable for Princes to secure their own power by wholsome Laws, preventing all Popish influencies, that haply by some Wiles or politick Stratagems might oppose them, or interfere with them, in order to gratifie and support their own interest, contrary to the interest of those Princes whose Subjects they are.

The main Bane of true Church power hath been the great opinion that the Antient and first converted Empe­rors had of the Abilities, piety and devotion of the Antient Fathers Ecclesiasticks, which confidence begat in them supiness and negligence of their own power, and that gave occasion and encouragement to the Popes and their Ecclesiasticks to usurp and encroach upon their Au­thority, whilst they little regarded their own power, which God had fairly stampt upon them; consequently neglecting their duty, as if they were to render no ac­count to God for themselves or their Subjects, as if the care and defence of Religion and Piety were the least of their concerns, tolerating for their own interest the people to be deceived, by suffering the Pope to set up new Orders and Rites under the umbrello of Religion, but in reality for his own Empire and profit, without considering that such Orders and Customs by tract of time carry along with them their own warranty, and so secretly invite belief, which at length become meerly ser­viceable to the interests of those that manage them ( viz. the Popes) and consequently disserviceable and disad­vantageous unto Princes, and all temporal Governments: And such Orders being received and continued by the [Page]present Princes, are no small obligations to their Heirs and Successors to continue them by reason of that former Authority engraven upon them by Custom, and their Predecessors. Now, what does this Act do? give a stop to the open, and publick profession of the true Antient Catholick and Apostolick Faith, as the Romanists bespat­ter and give out. Nothing less! It only discountenan­ceth the publick and open Profession of the Romish Tri­dentine Faith, which (in those Articles wherein they differ from the Protestants) is neither True, nor Antient, nor Catholick, but is an entire Apostasie from it, and doubtless is the most Catholick, and greatest Heresie in the Christian World. A Religion, that upon due examina­tion, and chioce, no Man can embrace without reproach­ing his Maker, and his Redeemer, by renouncing his rea­son, nay his very outward senses wherewith God hath endued him. A Religion, that by the same reason that they endeavour to justifie Transubstantiation (I in­stance in this, because I find more do wave the obser­vance of the Act on the account of the Declaration and Subscription, than of the Oaths therein) a Man may as well believe every Hobby-horse to be a Barbe on Courser of Naples, or the picture of every Bruit on a Sign-post to be really the Bruit it self. Nay to doubt, or deny that ever there was such a person as Jesus Christ upon Earth, or that, he or any of the Saints which slept, did rise from the dead after him; or that the Graves did open, or that the Vail of the Temple was rent, or that there was dark­ness over the whole Land from the sixth hour to the ninth, &c. I appeal to all the World if ever God declared either by word or practice, that he would make use of artes praestigiariae, Jugling Arts, by deceptio sensuum, or [Page]otherwise. Nay, hath not his practice ever been clearly contrary in all the Miracles that he or his Son ever wrought? And the learnedst of the Romanists would infinitly oblige us if they would demonstrate unto us, which of Christs Body it is, that is Corporally in the Sacrament, whether his glorified, or not glorified Body, and clear it of all the monstrous absurdities that opinion is guilty of.

The Antient Catholick and Apostolick Faith partakes not of their fopperies, nor of their absurdities, (for their concealments and spunges are no better) needs no captious reasonings, no equivocations; requires no im­plicit, or blind faith or obedience, uses no knaveries: No, no, pure Religion, and undefiled, is of a better Brood, of a more Noble Extract, of a more Divine Origine: The profession thereof joyned with Holiness and Righteousness, ennobles every Soul, scorns to obscure any Truths, needs no prohibition of Gods Word, no Indices expurgatorii, hath superlative priviledges, the greatest ornament any Sublunary Majesty can have, scorns to use any indirect Artifices to Create Subtilities, or Coyn Evasions, to conceal or adulterate any of her Truths from ignorant, or learned, or to abuse any of our Senses, as if we could not distinguish Bread from Stones, or Fish from Serpents. What have we from without us common to all Mankind so infallible as our Senses to cause Belief, that Jesus Christ lived upon the Earth, was Crucified, Buried, and Rose again? The only Argument that Christ himself used to convince dif­fident St. Thomas to Believe, was by his own Senses of seeing and feeling, John 20.25, 27. And if the Senses of all Christians in all Countries have been deceived [Page]above these 1600. years since Christs death in one Point, why may not we by the same reason question and sus­pect the Senses of all those that lived contemporary with him in more Points, as whether any of these things were so or no. So happy, I confess, are the Papalins in their Disputes against Protestant Religion, that many of their Arguments by retortion only are as strong against their own Religion, and indeed as strong against all Re­ligions as against ours. Light is come into the World, but these men love darkness rather than light: And why? be­cause their Deeds are evil; every one that doth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his Deeds should be discovered; but he that doth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God, 3 John 19.20, 21.

SUch hath the Confidence of the Papists of these latter times been, as to claim a Right unto the Kings Majesties favour for a tol­leration of their Religion upon the ac­count of their great Merits, as having best deserved of His Majesty, because of all, they were the most faithful to him and his Father. The purport of this hath not only been averred by the generality of them in their ordinary discourses; but also set out in print by several of them, P. W. R. P. J. S. H. M. and others. At which confident Assertion of theirs, when I consider how bold­ly, and feircly the contend for meritorious works; nay; for works of super-errogation, even with God himself; I do not so much wonder, that such Merit-mongers broach it so confidently now, as that they have not done it all this while.

§ He that is first in his own Cause seemeth just, but his Neighbour cometh, and searcheth him, Prov. 18.17. Which that we may the better do, we will only a little look back into our own Chronicle, without cloying the Rea­der with like Foreign Stories, which would fill Volumes, and first see how true, and trusty Trojans the Papists have been to the Kings of England, no Protestants, but Papists; and if they shall be found to have been neither true, nor trusty, but Traytors, and Rebels to the Kings of their own Religion; can it then ever be believed, or hoped, that they ever will be Loyal and Faithful to Protestant Princes, when a neat opportunity offers the contrary, and that Maugre all Roman Mandates to the contrary? What Prince, or other Sovereign, soberly considers the new founded Society of Jesuits, erected by Pope Paul the 3 ^d. about 1540, (who, although at first but 10 in Number, yet so wonderfully encreased since, that they bragged not a few years ago, that they were 1300010. they lived in Colledges, and places of residence, besides those that trotted up and down, that they had 359. Col­ledges, or Schools; 18 Domus professae; 40 Domus probationis; 8 Seminaries; 1010 Residentiaries. Vide speculum Jesuiticum. Runninge Register.) And what their Principles and Doctrins are, and what their practices have been for the destroying of all Princes quacum (que) Arte, that will not become Vassals to the See of Rome, and and acknowledg a Spiritual Monarchy in that Roman Chair paramount all temporal Crowns and Scepters; and how strict, and of what extant their vow of Obedi­ence is to the Roman Bishop; and how it is decreed by several Popes, that the Institutions and Doctrins of the Jesuits must not be contradicted, or disputed by any [Page 3]Ordinary, Delegate, Judg, or Magistrate; and how vastly that society is enlarged, both in their Clergy and Layety, since these great brags of theirs will be suffici­ently convinced, that neither their persons, or their Kingdoms, can ever be secure, where either one sort or other are suffered to flourish.

§ Let us now see matter of Fact. Did not Pope Alex­ander the 3d. by violence and tyranny, force King H. the II. to surrender his Crown Imperial into the hand of his Legate, and afterwards b e content with a private Condition for a while, to the great regret and Indig­nation of his Subjects? Did not Innocent the 3d. stir up the Nobility and Commonalty of this Kingdom against King John, and gave the Inheritance and Possession of all his Dominions unto Ludovicus the French King? What were those 52000. but Papists, that rebelled against Ri­chard the I. Anno 1196. And all those that rebelled a­gainst Edward the II. Anno 1316, 1317, 1321, 1322, & 1326. Amongst whom was Robert Baldock, Bishop of Norwich, and Lord Chancellor of England. And all those that consented to the Murder of Edward the Third's Father, and sought to kill John of Gaunt, Duke of Lan­caster, Edward the Third's Son, Anno 1330. 1372.

And those in Richard the Third's time, Anno 1381. Annimated by John Ball a Priest, who at his Execution refused to ask the King forgiveness, and despised him; so peremptory was he, Jack Straw, confessing, that when he sent for the King to Black-Heath, they purposed to have murdered all Knights, Esquires, and Gentlemen that should have come with him and when they had got sufficient force, they would suddenly then have put to death in every County all Lords and Masters of the [Page 4]Common people, in whom might appear to be either Council or Resistance, (one Argument used by some of the late Protectorians, for the death of our Glorious King and Martyr) that he was too knowing, and too intelligent to be suffered to live) and especially they would have killed the Knights of St. John, and all Men of any Possessions, only Begging Fryars should have lived, that might have Administred the Sacraments throughout the Realm; and lastly, they would have killed the King himself, and made Kings in every Shire.

Thomas Arrundel, Arch-Bishop of Canterbury, trai­terously practiced the deposing of the said Richard his law­ful Sovereign.

§ It were no very wild conjecture to Divine, that our late Generation of Levellers, Major Generals, Quakers and Phanaticks were spawned from them, and that they are still but Badgers, plotting and digging Holes for Ro­mish Foxes to lie couchant and covertly in for their more subtile contrivances.

§ What were those but Papists that rebelled against H. the 4th. designing to Murder him under the colour of Ju­stinge and other pastimes pretended 1399. And also those who raised Arms against him; among whom was John Madelyn a Priest, who had been Chaplain to King Richard, and impudently personated the King. They were Priests and Friars that suborned a False Richard, whereof 8 being Miners were hanged at Tyburne. Os­wald, Bishop of Galloway, was the chief Plotter against Richard the 2d. in the Year 1403. A Priest of War­wick, and also Walter Waldock a Prior of Land in Lei­cester-Shire, and one Richard Freseby, a Dr. in Divinity, was Executed in his Religious Habit and Weede, and not long after 10 Grey Fryars were executed all for [Page 5]Treason. In the year 1404. Tho. Percy Earl of Worcester with other Rebelled. In the year 1406. Henry Percy, Earl of Nor­thumberland, R. Scroope, Arch-Bishop of York, with o­thers, Robelled, and were Beheaded in the Year 1414. Sir John Beverley, an Anointed Priest, with others, con­spired the death of H. the 5th. other Conspiracies there were in the Year 1416. and 1417. against the same King by the like Generation of Men. And by such also se­veral other Rebellions were raised against H. the 6th. in the Year 1433. 1442. 1447. 1450. & 1451. and so a­gainst Edward the 4th. in the Year 1461. 1472. 1478. his Two Sons were after his death murdered by the contri­vance of Sir James Tyrrel, by the appointment of the Duke of Gloucester their Uncle; who then procured himself to be Crown'd King by the name of Rich. the 3d. but both the Duke of Dloucester, Sir James Tyrrel, and Miles Forrest, one of those that smothered the Innocents, came all to untimely and shameful deaths, according to Psal. 55. The Blood-thirsty and deceitful Men shall not live out half their days. King Richard himself Slain in Battle, hacked, hewed, and hurried on Horse-back dead, most ignomi­niously being tugged, torn and dragged like a Dog. They were Priests and Friars that 1 Ed. 4 conspired with Ja­sper Earl of Pembrooke, for which they were Executed. There were likewise several Treasons and Conspiracies against H. the 7th in the Year 1494, 1497, 1498, & 1499. Asa, a Priest of Ireland, was a chief Complot­ter against the union of the Two Roses: So Two Priests, Greenwell and Garnet would have destroyed that Blessed Ʋnion in King James. During the Reign of H. the 8. many were executed for several Treasons, as 29 April 1536. The Prior of the Charter-house at London, the Prior of Bevall, the Prior of Exham, Reignolds a Bro­ther [Page 6]of Sion, and John Haile Vicar of Thissleworth were Condemned, and Executed the 4th. of May following. 18 Junii Three Monks of the Charter-house at London, named Exmew, Midlemore, and Nidigate were Execut­ed for Treason, and that without any exclamation in those days that they were executed for Religion; a late trick taken up only since the days of Queen Elizabeth, though no more reason for that Calumny now, than was then.

§ There were also Two Rebellions raised in the North the same Year against the King, and one in Lincolnshire 1537 for which Twelve were Executed 29 March, where­of Five were Priests, one Abbot, a Suffragan Dr. Mackerel the Vicar of Louth in Lincolnshire, and Two Priests. In the Year 1538. There was another rebellious commotion in Somersetshire. Lawrence Cooke, a Prior of Dancalfe, William Horne a Lay-Brother of the Charter-house, with six others, were Executed for Treason. The same Year there was a new Rebellion in Yorkshire. Many more such good Works have we done, for which of them will you stone us, or deny us a tolleration, or liberty to do more.

By this short Survey without travelling beyond Seas, which would fill Volumes of like Presidents, its abundant­ly apparent to all that are not wilfully blind, that Papists themselves, even before Jesuitism was batched, made it their usual practise to Rebel against their Princes, though of the same Faith and Relgiion with themselves, and can it then be reasonably expected, that they will ever be Loyal and Faithful to Protestants (in their account He­retick) Princes, especially now Jesuitisme is founded, e­stablished, nay vastly increased and advanced? so that indeed they are the only great Apolloes in the See of Rome, whose Doctrin it is to Excommunicate, depose, nay de­stroy [Page 7]Princes quacum (que) arte, and that uncontrollably for that several Popes have decreed, that the Jesuits are Immediate Subjects only to the See of Rome, free and exempt from all other Jurisdictions whatsoever, and that the Institutions and Doctrins of the Jesuits must not be oppugned nor contradicted directly or indirectly, no not by way of Disputation or otherwise. Spec. Jesuit. 27. However let us see what have been their practises since Jesuitisme first sprung up, which was about the 31. Year of of H. the 8th. in whose time several Papists sub­mitted to death, rather than they would quit the Popes Supremacy, and acknowledg the Kings: which yields certain demonstration of the impossibility of such so principled, being faithful Subjects to Protestant Caesars, that own the Pope to be his and their Superiour.

In the Reign of King Edward the 6th. which was very short, and he himself a Minor, there were Rebellions and Commotions in Somersetshire and Lincolnshire; for which many were Executed, then in Cornwall and De­von, where above 4000 were Slain and taken Prisoners by John Lod Bussel, Lord Privy Seal. Then they Rebelled in Norfolk and Suffolk, against whom Sir John Dudley, Earl of Warwick, went with an Army, and slew above 5000. and took their Ring Leader. About the same time 3090 rose in Rebellion in the North and East­riding of Yorkshire, but were suppressed by the Lord Pre­sident. Amongst those Western Rebels Humphrey A­rundel was Chief Leader, who amongst others, with 8 Priests, were taken and Executed therefore.

What were those but Church-men, that b y their Do­ctrin in the Pulpit, and subscription of Hands to Trai­terous Decrees, Embassed the Two Daughters of H. 8. [Page 8]both before and after the death of Ed. 6. for satisfaction to the Pride and Ambition of an aspiring Humour?

In the days of Queen Mary, though there were few Treasons committed, yet was there much Innocent Christian Blood shed: Concerning which I shall make this Observation and Comparison between the Marian and Elizabethian days

§ In Queen Elizabeths days the Papists put out many traiterous, infamous and lying Libels in sundry Langua­ges, and reported in other Princes Courts, that she put a multitude of persons to torments and death, only for pro­fessing the Roman Catholick Religion, when in truth none of them were questioned for matters of Religion, but justly by order of Laws openly condemned as Tray­tors, for treasonable practises against Her Person and State, maintaining, and adhering to the Pope, the Ca­pital Enemy of Her Majesty, Camb. 213, 214. and her Crown, who was not only the cause of several Rebelli­ons in England and Ireland, but in one of Ire­land did manifestly maintain at his own charge Comman­ders and Souldiers, under the Banner of Rome, against the Queen, so as no Enemy could do more, and that not by force of new Laws, either for Religion, or against the Popes Supremacy, as the slanderous Li­bellers, would have it seem to bee; but by the Ancient Laws of the Realm made in Edward the Third's time, a­bout the Year 1330. above 200. Years before, even when the Popes were suffered to have some Authority-Ecclesiastical in this Realm, as he had in other Coun­tries.

They gave out also, that they dyed because they would not acknowledg Her the Supreme Head of the Church, [Page 9]which was a most appetent untruth, visibly to be contra­dicted by the very Acxts of Parliament.

For at the beginning of Her Reign, that very Title was omitted in Her Style. And to make the matter seem more horrible and lamentable, they printed the particu­lar names of all the persons, which by their own Cata­logue did not exceed 60. to the Year 1583 whereof hot above 30 Priests, nor above 5 Receivers and Harbour­ers, and for Religion not any one Executed: whereof not any one at all, till about the 12th. Year of Her Reign. And J. W. their own Martirologest for Her whole Reign, (which was above 44 Years) doth not reckon a­bove 180. whereas in the short Reign of Queen Mary, which was little above, Years) there were by Impri­sonment, Torments, Famine and Fire almost 400 de­stroyed, besides such as were secretly murdered in Pri­sons; and of that number above 20 that had been Arch-Bishops, Bishops, and Principal Prelates or Officers in the Church lamentably destroyed, and of Women a­bove 60, and of Children above 40, and amongst the Women some great with Child, and one, out of whose Body the Child by Fire being expelled alive, was yet most barbarously thrown into the Fire again and burn­ed: Examples Cruel beyond the Cruelty of Hea­thens.

§ It is further observable, that they which suffered in Queen Maries days, though they dyed constant unto, and professing the Protestant Religion, yet were there no traiterous Machinations nor Assassinatious laid to their charge, nor did they ever at their deaths deny their lawful Queen, or maintain any of Her open and Forrein Enemies, or procure any Rebellion or Civil Wars, nor [Page 10]did Sow any Sedition in secret Corners, nor withdrew any of her Subjects from their obedience, as the Papists (being sworn Votaries to the Pope) did continually do against Queen Elizabeth, countenancing and avowing the Pops Excommunications, Bulls, and other publick Wri­tings, denouncing the Queen not to be Queen, charging, and upon pain of Excommunication commanding all Her Subjects to depart from their Duties, and natural Al­legiances, encouraging also, and authorizing all persons of all degrees in both Kingdoms to Rebel; and upon this Antichristian Warrant (contrary to all the Laws of God and Man, and nothing at all agreeable to a pasto­ral Officer) they sought by all ways and means to justi­fie, and to put in Execution that traiterous Warrant of the Popes Bull. And yet of these kind of Of­fenders, as many of them as after their Condem­nations on second and better thoughts were contented to renounce their former traiterous Assertions, so many were spared from Execution; such was Her Majesties cle­mency and unwillingness to have any Blood spilt without very urgent, just and necessary cause proceeding from themseloves.

I must make this further observation, Merits of Pa­pists by their own Confessi­on. That in the days of Queen Eliz though the Je­suits and Secular Priests fell strangely foul one upon the other with black Pens and Mouths, with Language scarce to be matcht at Pitch-hatch or BVillingsgate; yet the Seculars commended high­ly the Queens clemency, and justified her proceedings against the traiterous Jesuits: Avowing, That they them­selves, knowing what they did know, how under pretence of Religion the life of Her Majesty, and subversion of the [Page 11]Kingdom was aimed at, if they had beeen of Her Highness Council, they would have given their consent for the making of very strict and rigorous Laws, to the better suppressing, and preventing of such Jesuitical and wicked designments. Important Considerations, &c. f. 57. They did also complain een to the Pope and Cardinals, That the Je­suits were the Fire-brands of all Seditions: That by right or wrong, they did seek simply and absolutely the Monarchy of all England: That they were the couses of all the dis­cords in England: That Fa. Holt did not only intend, but would indeed give wretched England in Conquest to himself, and his Favonrites, and many other Complaints there were of this nature, Extracted out of the Memorials, and other Letters dated at Rome, 8. Novemb 1597. Relation of the faction at Wisbich 74 Though I say the Seculars were so violent against the Jesuits, and such stout Asser­tors of the Queens moderate dealing with the Papists; yet were some of them found guilty of like traiterous pra­ctises; so little are any of them to be trusted, for that though they have Mel in ore, yet have they Fel in Corde. Call to mind the great and serious Protestations that Watson the Priest made in his Quodlibetical Questions; That albeit he differed in Religion from that which was professed in the Church of England; yet if either Pope or Spa­niard should seek by hostile means to invads his Countrey, he would willingly spend his substance; nay, his dearest Blood against any such as should attempt it: Yet he himself, with Clark his fellow Seminary, were the first that I read of that came to the Gallows for violating it; which considered together with what they confessed upon their apprehension, viz. That the Jesuits continually negotia­ted with Spain, preparing for a Forrein Aid, leavied great [Page 12]Sums of Money, bought Horses, Powder, Shot, Artillery, &c. and conveyed them secretly to their friends, wishing not to stir, but to be quiet till they heard from them, &c. These things, I say, considered, do argue, that Secular Priests and Jesuits, and those that favoured them, were all Traytors in Heart, though their malice one towards the other made them discover, and rayl, and libel each other both at home and abroad; which Queen Eliz. wisely considering, would not confide in them, not­withstanding all their books and promises, but by her Proclamations banished both one and the other: For in truth both Seculars and Jesuits, were in this like Sampsons Foxes, though they differed in many other things very bitterly, yet in this they joyned their Tayles, their main Ends, to be Fire-brands to kindle dissention, and with­draw her Subjects from her obedience, and to reconcile them to Rome: So as Joab kissed Abuer, whilst he stab'd him, and as Judas kissed our Saviour, whilst he be­trayed him to the Pharises: So these men pretended Loy­alty by their Tongues and Pens, and yet acted traiter­ously by their Plots and Contrivances. What could they print more than they did? viz. We are fully per­swaded in our Consciences, and by Experience, That if the Catholicks had never sought by indirect means to have vex­ed Her Majesty with their designs against her Crown: If the Pope and the King of Spain had never plotted with the Duke of Norfolk, who was to have been the head of a Rebellion, if the Rebels in the North had never been heard of, if the Bull of Pius Quintus had never been known, if the Rebellion had never been justified: If neither Stukeley nor the Pope had attempted any thing against Ireland. If Gregory the 13th. had not renewed the said Bull and Ex­communication: [Page 13]If the Jesuits had never come into Eng­land: If the Pope and King of Spain had not practised with the Duke of Guise for his attempt against Her Majesty: If Parsons, and the rest of the Jesuits, with other our Countrey-men beyond the Seat, had never been Agents in those traiterous and bloody designs of Throckmorton, Parry, Cullen, York, Williams, Squire and others: If they had not by their Treatises and Writings endeavoured to de­fame their Sovereign, and their own Countrey, labouring to have many of their Books translated into divers Langua­ges, whereby to shew their own disloyalty: If Cardinal Allen and Parsons had not published the Renovation of the said Bull by Sixtus Quintus: If thereunto they had not added their scurrilous and unmanly Admonition, or rather most prophane Libel against Her Majesty: If they had not sought by false perswasions, and unghostly Argu­ments, to have allured the hearts of all Catholicks from their allegiance: If the Pope had never been urged by them to have thrust the King of Spain into that barbarous Action a­gainst the Realm: If they themselves, with all the rest of that Generation, had not laboured greatly with the said King for the Conquest and Invasion of this Land by the Spaniards, who are known to be the cruelest Tyrants that live upon the Earth: If the Pope had not ordered Ridolphi to distri­bute 150000 Crowns to advance the attempt, whereof some was sent to Scotland, some to the Duke of Norfolk, & alias. And King Philip to send the Duke of Alua and his Forces into England to ass [...]st the Duke of Norfolk. If in all their whole proceedings they had not from time to time depraved, irritated and provoked both Her Majesty and State with those and many other such like their most [...] ungodly and unchristian practises; there had been [Page 14]no Speeches amongst us of Racks and Torments, nor any cause to have used thim, for none were ever vexed that way simply, for that he was either Priest or Catholick; but because they were suspected to have had their hands in some of the said most traiterous designs. And most assuredly the State would have loved us, or at least born with us, and we had been in much better condition than now we are. Im­portant Considerations, &c. fo. 39, 40, 41. printed 1601. Furthermore, antoher in answer to a Letter of a Jesuited Gent. by A. C. fo. 89. complains of the Je­suits, averring, That Her Majesty is an Heretick, an Ex­communicated Princess, and consequently to be deposed: What Jesabelling of her have I heard them use? What que­stioning whether no Jehn have subdued her? why yet she pros­pereth? why yet she Reigns? why yet she lives? what de­faming her? what throwing Soil at her Picture? what a­vowing her Royal Lyons and Flower-de-luze no better worth than to serve for Signs to Baudy-houses? Thus do the Je­suits, and Jesuited use Her Majesty to my express know­ledg, and worse, which for good manners I omit, fo. 90. nay, they sent one to me in the nature of an Engineer from beyond the Seas to perswade my assisting his firing the Queens Navy throughout England against the next years coming of another Spanish Armado, f. 90.

Was it not Fa. Parsons and Fa. Creighton, F. 9. ‘That with much vehemency and bitterness contended for the disposing of the Crown of England, the one for the Lady Infanta, the other to his King of Scotland? Were they not Jesuits which plotted with the Duke of Parma for surpriseing, or stealing away of the Lady Arabella, and sending her into Flanders? who imploy­ed [Page 15]the Messenger into England about the affair but Fa. Holt Jesuit? who but the same Jesuit was consenting with Sir William Stanley to the sending in of Richard Hesket for soliciting Ferdinando Earl of Darby to rise against Her Majesty, and claim the Crown? was it not the same Jesuit that entertained York and Young in the Plot of firing Her Majesties Store-houses? that set on work Mr. Francis Dickinson, and others, to per­swade Watermen to fly with Ships and all into the ser­vice of the Spaniard? f. 93. their Conspiracies were not confined to England only? but they were extend­ed also to Scotland; whereupon were the Three Ca­tholick Earls Angus, Arrol and Huntley convicted of High Treason by Act of Parliament about 1593. if not upon certain plots laid by Fa. Creighton, Fa. Gourdon, and upon hopes given them of succour from Spain? Why was the Lord of Fentry Executed but for the same designs imparted to him by Fa. Ro. Abercronii a Jesuit? Was it not the principal cause of Fa James Gordons travel to Rome about the same time to solicite the Pope and other Princes to assist the King of Scots, if he enterprise any thing either against England, or in his own Countrey, 93, 94.’

And yet these matters will not be believed at this day by the Papists, though it be their own voluntary con­fession in several of their printed Books yet extant, Priests and Jesuits each deservedly accusing other of Trea­sons and Conspiracies against the Queen, Her Person, Crown and Dignity, with this difference only, that the Priests mostly, the Jesuits seldom acknowledged the Queers great favours and Jenity towards them, the Queen had great reason to believe them both, not barely be­cause [Page 16]cause they peached one the other, but because thereof she really found the sad effects: And indeed because she and her Council did very wisely consider, that Pa­pists some Centuries of Years before ever Jesuits were thought of, did universally incline unto and side with the Pope against their temporal Princes, usurping many great and exorbitant authorities and priviledges over them, whereof Histories are full; and therefore it was but high time that the Queen should by wholsom Laws inflicting moderate pains and mulcts provide against both one and the other.

This is no small Bedrall of Treasons, Vide Impor­tant consider. f. 16, 17, 18. Con­spiricies, provocations, &c. and yet as ma­ny more they might have urged; nay to do the Secular-priests right, they have done it particularly sparsim both in this and divers others their Books, and also made large, very large acknowledg­ments of the Queens Bounty, Moderation and Clemency towards those Papists that were quiet and faithful, (a gratefulness that I have not found in any of the Jesuits) and in so doing they did the Queen but right; for from the year 1. Eliz. unto 11. Papists came to our Church and Service without scruple? so that for 10 years they made no Conscience, nor Doubt to Communicate with us in prayer: But when once the Bull of Pius Quintus (often called by the Queen Impius Intus) was publish­ed, wherein the Queen was accursed and deposed, 16, and Her Subjects discharged of their obedience and Oaths of Fealty; yea cursed if they did obey Her: Then, and not till then, they refrained our Churches and Service, so that recusancy in them (the name of Recusant being never heard of until the 11. Year of Eliz. [Page 17]as is evident by the very Acts of Parliament) is not for for Religion, but in an acknowledgment of the Popes power, which was little regarded here, our famous Kings being never afraid of Popes Bulls, no not in the very midnight of Popery, as Edward the Confessor, Henry I. Edward I. Rich. II. Henry IV. Henry V. &c. And in the time of Henry VII. and in all their times the Popes Legate never passed Callais, but staid there, and came not to England until he had taken a solemn Oath to do no­thing to the detriment of this Crown or State, (so Jea­lous were our Kings even in those days.) A shrewd sign, and a plain demonstration what their judgment is con­cerning the right of the Prince in respect of Regal power and place, there being nothing in our Liturgy that a Conscientious Papist might justly except against out of the Word of God; but because the Pope had Excom­municated and Accursed, therefore forsooth, be it law­ful of unlawful, they must obey the Pope, and diso­bey the Queen their incomparable Liege Lady. Now by reason of this Bull (the very bringing in whereof by a subject was adjudged Treason in the time of Edward the I.) the very foundation of all the ensuing Trea­sons, Rebellions, &c. And in Edward the Third's time the Abbot of Tavestock was fined at 500 Marks for receiving a Bull from Rome, wherein were but aliqua verba regi & Coronae suae prejudicialia. One main Ar­ticle in Parliament inforced for the the deprivation of Richard II. was, that he had by admitting Bulls from Rome inthralled the Crown of England, which was free from the Pope, and all other Forrein power. In Edward the Third's time there was a seisure of all the Tempo­ralties of the Bishops of Ely and Norwich for the pub­lication [Page 18]of a Bull against Hugh Earl of Chester. And the Bishop of Ely was Condemned of Felony by a Jury at the Kings-Bench, notwithstanding his bold challenge to be unctus Dominit Frater Papae. The state of Romish Recusants became very miserable, being thereby ensna­red in a lamentable Dilemma; for either they must be executed for Treason against the Queen if they did resist, 11 or be accursed by their Holy Father, if they did obey Her: But rather than the Pope and his Crew would loose the Design and Effect of his Bull, (which for ought I know is in force to this very day; for if the Pope will say, that it was not directed and in­tended against the Queen only; but that its force and efficacy extends still to her Successors, I am sure it must go for good Doctrin with them, if they will be true to their Oaths, Doctrins and Principles) he quickly found out a means to extricate them out of that miserable Condition wherein they were thereby involved, viz. A Dispensation from himself, which was afterwards re­inforced by Gregory the 13th. that all Catholicks here might shew their outward Obedience to the Queen, Ad redimendam vexationem & ad ostendendam externam obe­dientiam; but with these cautions and limitations, Re­bus sic stantibus, things so standing as they did. 2. Donec publica Bullae executio sieri possit; until they might grow into strength, until they were able to give the Queen an unavoidable Check-mate, that the publick execution of the said Buil might take place: And so much was con­fessed openly at the Barr by Garner, as before he had done under his own hand, for the better execution whereof the Pope granted Faculties to Rob. Persons and Edmond Campion then ready to go for England 14, April [Page 19]1580. which Hart also confessed, Perside Gens! A strange Generation of perfidious-Men, whom no fa­vours can oblige to be quiet and loyal. It was observ­ed by Sir Edw. Coke Attorney General at the Tryal of the Powder Traytors, that since the Jesuits set foot in this Land, there never passed 4 Years without a most pestilent and pernicious Treason, 11. b. tending to the subversion of the whole State: And was there ever any Prince that would endure, or not execute such per­sons within their Dominions as should deny him to be lawful King, or go about to withdravv his Subjects from his Allegiance, or incite them to assassinate, or to resist, or rebel against him? and vvithall endeavouring to ju­stifie it by their pens: Nay, by their deaths vvith strong presumption of meiting thereby? What possible hopes can there be of such Men enslaved to such Principles? Nay, vvhat Prince under Heaven can think his State secure so long as every pettish Pope may vvithout thime or rea­son pick a quarrel vvith him, vvhence a Citation, thence a Sentence, vvhich either neglected, or not satisfied, in­fers Contumacy, vvhich deprives the supposed Delin­quent of that right vvhich God gave, Conscience avovvs, and consent of Ages, and successive Generations hath fortified; and being declared an Heretick, the Croy­sade is published? The Words of the Canon strongly bent against the Crovvn Impereal of Hen. 4. are not ma­ny, but very heavy and very fatal, and extensive to all Princes, and in English thus: We observing the Statutes of our Holy Predecessors, do absolve those that are bound by Fidelity and Oath to persons Excommunicated from their Oath, and do forbid them to observe or keep their Fealty [Page 20]towards them quous (que) ipsi ad satisfactionem veniunt, till they come to yield satisfaction.

In this case I appeal to the judgment even of the Priests themselves, who confess, That in all the Plots a­gainst Queen Eliz. none were more forward than many of the Priests were, but how many of them were so inclined and addicted the State knew not: In which Case, fay they, there is no King or Prince in the World disguisting the See of Rome, and having either force or mettal in hin, that would have indured us, but rather have utterly rotted us out of his Territories as Traitors and Rebels to him and his Countrey; and therefore we may bless God that we live un­der so merciful a Prince, which had she been a Catholick, might be accounted the mirror of the World. Import. Con­sid. fo. 16. There were sparks of Ingenuity in these their Acknowledgments; but much more saucily writ those Emperor-like (Quaker-like, say I) Jesuits, Par­sons and Creswel; who in one of their Books spake thus to Her Majety. In the beginning of Thy Kingdom Thou didst deal something more gently with Catholicks, none were then urged by Thee, or pressed either to Thy Sect, or to the denial of their Faith. All things indeed did seem to pro­ceed in a far milder course: No great Complaints were heard of: There were no extraordinary Contentions or Repugnan­cies: Some there were, that to please and gratifie you went to your Churches, &c. Ibid. f. 6. And yet did Queen Eliz. not only not call into question Thousands that were capitally guilty of the pains of her Laws, but fa­voured many known Papists, professing Loyalty and O­bedience to Her Majesty: None of which sort were for their contrary opinions in Religion prosecuted, or charg­ed with any Crimes, or pains of Treason; nor yet wil­lingly [Page 21]searched in their Consciences for their contrary opinions that savoured not of Treason, and mony even of those that were Edecuted would she have pardoned, if they would but have owned Her Regality, and de­fended Her Majesty against any Forrein Force, though coming, or procured from the Pope himself; An Ex­ample of Royal Clemency never to be matched in Queen Maries time.

And John Lecey, in defence of the Petition Apologet. presented to King James in July, 1604. confesseth, That Queen Eliz. both in person, and by Here Embassies abroad, did aver, That Her Will and Intention was not to punish Her Subjects for their Religion and Conscience, fo. 13.

It is also observable, That after the Sanguinary Laws were Enacted, that no Priest or Jesuit remaining here that had before these Acts taken Orders beyond Seas, and lived quietly, was ever called in question for his Re­ligion. In all the Laws, though extorted from the Queen by so many Rebellions nd Treasons, there was nothing that did reflect upon an old quiet Queen Maries Priest, or any that were Ordained within the Land by the Romish Bishops then surviving; so they were no o­ver active, and busie in Treasons and Conspiracies; This also was such another Example of Royal favour as was not to be parallel'd in Queen Maries time. And yet its very remarkable, That the chiefest of all these, and the most of them had in the time of Hen. 8. & Ed. 6. either by preaching, writing, or arguing, taught all people to Con­demn, yea to Abhor the Authority of the Pope; for which they had also yielded to both the said Kings the Title of Supreme Head, &c. and many of their Books and Sermons against the Popes Authority were printed both in [Page 22]English and in Latin, to their great shame and reproach to change so often; but especially in prosecuting such as them­selves had taught and established to hold the contrary: A sin near to the sin against the Holy Ghost. Just. Brit. f. 4, 5.

The Priests themselves confessed, that such of them as upon examination were found moderate, were not so hardly proceeded with in so much as 55. by the Laws liable to death, were in 1585. (when great mischiefs were in hand) only banished. A Regal Favour not to be parallel'd in Queen Maries days. Import. Considera­tions, f. 29, 30.

Having seen how Faithful and Loyal Papists have been to Princes of their own Religion; and also to Edw. 6. and Queen Eliz. Princes of a different profession, let us now see how faithful they have been to King James and his posterity.

Such were the deep, malicious, and early Councels and designs of Papists against our protestant Princes, and Reformation it self, (in the bud as they would have it) that they were not content by all open and secret Councels, Powers and Artifices imaginable, that Rome, France, Spain, Catholick Princes, Priests and Jesuits could contrive or possibly suggest to Assassine and de­stroy that incomparable Princess Queen Eliz. but in her days laid such a foundation and ground-work for future disturbances, ruine and destruction even to all her Suc­cessors, and to this Nation, and to the Protestant Reli­gion, that hitherto it hath wrought, and is still working by undermining powers and policies, the effect where­of we feel even to this day, and so like to continue to all successive Generations, as long as the Seminaries and [Page 23]Jesuitism continue, whose Trade and Business it is to en­courage themselves and others in mischiefs, and to Com­mune among themselves how they may privily lay snares. In the Year 1568. The English fugitive Priests assem­bling themselves at Doway by the design of William Allen of Oxon (the most learned amongst them) did Collegiate together in a common Col­ledge-like Discipline, Vide the Hope of Peace 20. to whom the Pope as­signed a yearly pension. Afterwards being banished the Netherlands by Don Lewis Requesens the King of Spains Deputy: A like Seminary was erected at Rheims by the Guises the Queen of Scots Kins­men; Camb. 216.206. and another at Rome by Gregory XIII. And afterwards another founded at Vallodolid, that there might never want a successive Generation of Men of corrupt Minds, Heady, High-minded, despisers of Do­minion, Idolatrous and Traiterous Priests to poison England with their false Doctrines, and traiterous prin­ciples.

In these Seminaries it was quickly defined, That the Pope hath by the Law of God fullness of power over the whole World, as well in Ecclesiastical as Temporal matters; and that he out of his fulness of power may Excommunicate Kings, and being Excommunicate, depose them, and ab­solve their Subjects from their Oaths of Allegiance. Then were divers Priests well instructed in such Principles and Doctrins sent into England. This done, divers traiterous Combinations and Conspiracies both Forrein and Do­mestick were plotted, as here, so elsewhere is related. Then the Jesuits on one side, Camb. 297. and the Fugitive Noble-men and others on the others side, with different affections suggested unto Mary Queen of [Page 24] Scots such dangerous Councels, that the Seculars after­wards charged the Jesuits, as procurers and Instruments of her death. And the Jesuits, when they saw there was no hope of restoring the Romish Religion either by her, or King James her Son, began to forge a new and feigned Title in the succession of the Kingdom of Eng­land for the Spaniard, (so wonderful faithful were they to King James) and they sent into England (as Pas­quire saith) one Saimer, a Man of their Society, to draw a party to the Spaniards, and to thrust the Queen of Scots forwards to divers dangerous practises, by telling her, That if she were refractory, neither she, nor her Son should Reign, (most faithful Men still) and by exciting the Guises her Kismen to new stirs against the King of Navarre, and the Prince of Condey, that they might not be able to aid her. This their faithful­ness (such as it was) lasted not only before King James came to the Crown, but afterwards, as will e're long appear. Did not Fa. Parsons in Spain contest bit­terly with Fa. Creighton, Parsons to settle the Crown on the Infanta, and Creighton on the King of Scots? Did not Fa. Parsons, with Sir William Stanley, thrust on Hesket to perswade Ferdinando Earl of Darby to Claim the Crown? Did not he perswade York and Young to fire Her Majesties Store-houses? Did not he perswade Fr. Dickenson, and others, to tempt Water-men to fly with Ships to the Spaniards? as hath been intimated be­fore Dialogue 93.

Thus you see how many several Titles did they seign, and set up to set by Q. Eliz. from the Crown, and to set up M. Q. of Scots, whom they prompted and annimated unto so many Contrivances of dangerous Consequences that [Page 25]brought that Princess unto that sad Catastrophe, and consequently were the occasion thereof, and so confess'd in print by themselves? they left no stone unturned. Paul the 4th. would not acknowledg here, and why? Because, forsooth, this Kingdom was held in Fee of the Apostolick See; that she could not succeed being Illegi­timate, and that it was a great boldness to assume the Name and Government without him, and therefore refused to hear Sir Edward Kerne her Ambassador.

All this, and more, was pretended to have been done in favour of that Admirable person M. Queen of Scots. But what think you would they have done, if the Tables had been turned? And Q. Eliz. had been an Illegitimate Papist; and M. Q. of Scots a Legitimate Protestant, would you then have been so zealous and in­dustrious for the Q. of Scots? Certainly not! which is demonstrable by their Actings and Endeavours to hinder King James from the English Crown. And it is plain, that it was not Bastardy, but Heresie, i. e. for being a Protestant, that made their malice so implacable, and this is apparent by the Bull of Pope Pius V. Dated 25. Febr. 1570. in which there is not the least mention of Bastardy. No, No, Illegitimacy is not so monstrous a Gudgeon, but that it will easily be swallowed at Rome. Gregory XIII. had a Bastard, James Buon Compagna, and to him he gave Ireland, and impowred Stewkely with Men, Arms and Money to Conquer it for him. And England he gave to Don John the Emperors Bastard, (both admirable Catholicks without all peradventure) and gave him leave to Conquer it for himself. Christs brave Vicar! give that which was none of his own, or had any thing to do withall. But that perverse Queen had [Page 26]no occasion to part with either on such ridiculous Nods. And his Successor Sixtus Quintus took no Notice at all of King James, proceeded against her with all his Italian Scarcrows, curst her afresh, and publisht a Croysade against her, and gave all her Dominions to Philip II. King of Spain, but forgot to give his Benedictions of Craft and Cunning to get them, and so they still remain vested in the hands of the right owners, and long may they so do, even till time shall be no more.

Now, if Romish zeal for Qu. M. of Scots had had its Rise and Original from her more rightful Title to the Crown of England, then it would have continued unto King James also; but their Actings being Diametrical­ly opposite and contrary, it was visible to all the World, that it was Popery, not the Title that they contended so furiously for. And it was the common voice amongst the Jesuits of those days, That if King James would turn Catholick, they would follow him; but if not they would all die against him. Watson Quodlib. p. 150.

The mutual love and amity that was between Queen Elizabeth and King James, 428 his immovable constancy in Religion, the strict Laws made against Je­suits, and such kind of Men, the Execution of Graham of Feutre, the forwardest of all those that affected the Spanish party, the granting of Supreme Authority in matters Ecclesiastical to the King by the States, and the assotiations against the Papists did so quash all hope of restoring Popery in England and Scotland, that some of them in England which most of all favoured his Mothers Title began to project how to substitute some English Pa­pists in the Kingdom of England, when they could not [Page 27]agree uon a fit man of their own Number; they cast their Eyes upon the Earl of Essex, (who never appro­ved the utting of Men to death in the cause of Reli­gion) feigning a Title from Thomas of Woodstock, King Edward the Third's Son, from whom be derived his Pedigree. Indeed rather for any Body then for King James, who they foresaw, would be Malleus Hereticorum; such was their faithfulness to him; as also witness the designs of Gordon, Creighton, Abercromy Jesuits, and o­thers, plotting the ruine of King James of Scotland. And also the Two Breues sent by Clement the 8th. to exclude King James from the Inheritance of the Crown of Eng­land; unless he would take an Oath to promote the Roman Catholick Interest. But the Fugitives favoured the In­fanta of Spain, although they feared lest the Queen and the States would by Act of Parliament prevent it by of­fering an Oath to every one, and they held it sufficient, if they could set the King of Scots and the Earl of Essex at Enmity.

To which purpose to Book was Dedicated to Essex under the Counterfeit name of Doleman, but wrote by Parsons, Cardinal Allen, and Sir Francis Inglefeild, as was believed.

In this Book despising the right of Birth, they project, that the Antient Lawsz of the Land concerning Heredi­tary Succession to the Crown of England, are to be altered, that new Laws are to be brought in cocerning E­lection; That no man but a Roman Catholick, 14. b. of Blood soever they be, is to be admitted King.

And was not this another piece of meritorious service to King James, like the rest no doubt, of those that went before, and of those that will follow?

They traduced most of the Kings of England as wrong possessors, and all in England of the Blood-Royal, as ei­ther Illegitimate, or uncapable of the Crown. The most certain right of King James to the Crown of Eng­land they most unjustly sought to overthrow, and did by forged Devices most falsely Entitle thereunto the Infanta Isabella of Spain, because she was a Roman Catholick: Yea, they proceeded with that violence herein, that they compelled the English in the Spanish Seminaries (if they themselves are to be credited) to subscribe to the forged title of the Infanta therein set down, and exacted in Oath of the Students in the Seminaries to maintain the same brave Blade! They rested not in their Pens and Tongues, but prosecuted the same by Actions.

For Thomas Winter, as he himself confessed, and Jes­mund a Jesuit being come into Spain from Garnet, and others of them privily plotted to cast off Queen Eliz. and exclude James King of Scots from his most just Title to the Crown of England.

Yet not long after, when King James was proclaimed, this Impudent Parsons, excused by Letters to a Friend of his, 15 as proceeding not from a mind to do King James wrong, but out of an earnest desire to draw him to the Romish Religion, 24 and he hoped he should be excused, for that these Injurres did not prejudice the King, because, forsooth, they failed of success.

As in the Year 1592. Patrick Cullent Treason, who was incited by Sir William Stanley, Hugh Owne, Jaques Frances, (a base Laun dress Son, who said, That unless Mrs. Elizabeth be suddenly taken may, the State of [Page 29] England is, and will be so settled, that all the Devils in hell will not be able to prevail with it or shake it: (Hi­therto a true Prophet, I hope will be so still.) And Holt the Jesuit (vvho resolved to kill the Queen) vvas ac­companied vvith a Book called Philo-pater, written for the abetting and warranting of such a Devilish Act in general by Creswel the legier Jesuit in Spain; so was Tesmunds Treason accompanied with Two Bulls or Breues from Pope Clement the 8th. when the Queen was full of days, and infirm, one to the Clergy, the other to the Laiety unto H. Garnet superior to the Jesuits in Eng­land, which as they were sent privily, so were they kept very closely, and Communicated unto very few. The tenor and purport of them was, that they should admit no Man how near soever in Blood for King after the Queens death, unless he would not only tollerate the Roman Catholick Religion, but also promote the same with his whole might, and undertake by Oath, according to the manner of his Ancestors to perform the same, which in true understanding was directly to exclude King James and his Family from the Crown, These Bulls came forth upon the aforesaid negotiation of Tho. Winter in Spain, at what time an Army should shortly after have been sent to Invade the Land, and this was to be put in exe­cution Quandocum (que) contingeret miseram illam seminam ex­hac vita excedere, 16. b. when ever it should happen that that wretched Woman (so pleased the High-Priest of Rome to call the Queen the greatest of Women, cujus memoria semper erit in benedictione) should depart this life. Of these Bulls also within Two Years after was begot that dreadful roaring Monster, the Powder Treason. Their Force and Vertue was not confined [Page 30]with Tweed, but extended it self also into Scotland. For the Sword was prepared there also at the same time by the Rethuens Brethren, to take away King James's life; who boiling with revenge for their fathers death, the Earl Gowry by Law in the Kings nonage, by a Wile in­ticed the King (to whom they were much engaged) into their House most wickedly appointed him to the slaughter, had not God the Protector of Kings prevent­ed it by the help of John Ramsey and Thomas Areskin, and turned it upon the heads of the Authors.

Having thus summarily declared the good intentions, and faithful Service the Papists performed towards James 6th. King of Scotland, whilst he stood the next and un­doubted Heir apparent to the Crown of England, be­fore he came to be King thereof. I will now shew you one other great Plat-form and design of theirs, for the ruine of this Nation, and then proceed to shew you how faithful they were to King James after he came to be King of England, and have been since unto his Son and Grandson.

The Seminaries being thus founded and established in divers places, 16 and at Vallodolid by the procure­ment of Parsons, that Arch-Traytor, who for his un­cessant Romish Contrivances had by this time got great Interest in Rome and Spain, that in them they might con­sult and act how to bring to pass their grand design of erecting their universal spiritual Monarchy for Rome, Spain and Jesuitism, and a seeming Title being made out by his Book of Titles, or Succession of the Crown of Eng­land to the Infanta: He then in another Book, called A Memorial for Reformation, or High-Court or Council of Re­formation of England, written at Sevil 1596. (of which [Page 31]he was so fond, that he kept it like a precious Jewel, An Answer to a Jesuited Gent. as close in his bosom as the Dukes of Florence are said to keep Tully de rebublica, vvhich not all the World have but themselves, as la­boured all he could to have it read in the Refectaries at Rome, he there lays a secret Snare for our ruine by a Plat-form, to vvork insensibly the Alteration of our Go­vernment, by bringing it to a popularity, (and hovv near it vvas brought to effect in these late times by Pa­pists, (as some Write) under the Title of Levellers, Agitators, Independents, Fifth Monarchy Men, Quakers, &c. vvho are but Badgers, Working Holes for the Foxes, the Jesuits) vvill be obvious to every intelligent Rea­der. In this Book it is designed, that no Religious Or­der should resort into England, or be permitted to live vvithin its Dominions, but Jesuits and Capuchins. That all Abbey, and Church Lands, and those of Col­ledges, Parsonages, Bishops, Vicarages, 16 b. Monaste­ries, Nunneries, Frieries, &c. must be no longer in their Hands, but must be brought into a publick Exchequer, under the Government of Four Je­suits, 27, and Two Secular Priests to be chosen by the Gene­ral and Provincial Jesuits, vvho vvere to allovv the Bi­shops, Parsons, Vicars, &c. Stipends and Pensions as Bishops, Suffragans, and Mont Seigniors had in other Catholick Countries, all the rest must be imployed in Pious Uses, pro ut, &c. vvithou rendring an Account. They prescribed Rules of Living for the Lords Tempo­ral, and other the Nobility and Gentry, vvhat Retinue they vvould keep, hovv much should be allovved them to spend yearly, and what diet they should keep at their Tables: That Magna Charta should be burnt, the man­ner [Page 32]of holding Lands in Fee-simple, Fee-tail, Frank-Al­manige &c. by Kings Service, Soccage, or Villenage, should all be brought into Villany Scoggery, and Popularity; the Common Laws to be wholly annihilated and de­stroyed; and Caesars civil Imperials brought into this Ʋtopian Spiritual Monarchy. Quodlibets 92, 95. And the Reasons are given in these Quodlibats, viz. For that the state of the Crown and Kingdom by the Common Laws is so strongly settled, as whilst they continue, the Jesuits see not how they can work their Wills. He hath also set down a Course how all Men may shake off Authority at their pleasures: And this Stratagem is, how the Common people may be in­veigled and seduced to conceipt to themselves such a liberty and prerogative, as that it may be lawful for them, when they think meet, to place and displace Kings and Princes, as Men may do their Tenants at Will, 17 Hirelings; or ordinary Servants. 286. Princes had need be fond of such Subjects, and account them their best Friends.

Having thus acquainted you with the Plat-form laid long since deep in Council for our Ruine; I leave to all Contemporaries of these late Rebellious Anarchical times, to judg how much of this Train hath taken Fire, and how much of the substance of this Plot hath been put in Execution, and how near the whole design was like to have taken Effect, when the Assembly Elected only by the Army Officers on the 20th. of August 1653. (as the Diurnals printed) they ordered there should be a Committee selected to consider a new Body of the Law, for the Government of this Common Wealth, who were to new mould the whole Body of the Law. and is not this according to T. F. Parsons Plat-form? He that would know more of it must read the Book it [Page 33]self, (which is still in great esteem amongst them) or because that is rare, he may read a Book of the same Parsons, Entituled, A manifestation of the folly and bad spirit of the secular Priests; wherein this Memorial is owned by him, and Analysed and Excused from f. 55. to 64. or W. Clark a Roman Priest his Answer to the Ma­nifestation, Entituled, A Reply unto a certain Libel, lately set forth by Fa. Parsons p. 74, &c. or Watsons Quodlibets, p. 92, 95, together with a Reply to a brief Apology, and several other Books, which above 60 Years ago the Priests wrote against the Jesutis, and the Jesuits a­gainst the Priests, whereby the Reader may in transitu, be­sides all this, perceive that there be as many, and as great differences between them, as among Protestans. Smiths Preface to the Apology f. 12. See also Citizen the Mor­gentine Jesuit. f. 2 c. 18. of his POliticks and Campanella in his Monarchia Hispan, The Jesuits now seem to drive another design all the World over, viz. as they have one Ecclesiastical or Universal Monarch; so to set up a temporal universal Monarch, which Eul. Postellus attri­butes to Terra sancta, cui Gallia ob primariam orbis nomen & jus substituitur eo quod Ambae toti arhi legem sunt da­turae.

I now proceed to shew you how faithful the Papists were to the Crown of England, after King James came to it

The first Meritorious Act towards King James was to calumniate him with a breach of promise, as made to some of them before he came into England for a Tollera­tion of their Religion, which now he did deny to per­form, which had this intended double mischief in it, viz. That it should bring an Odium upon him from the [Page 34]Protestants for making such a promise, and the like from the Papists for the breaking of it. And unto whom should this promise be made but unto that Arch-traitor Percy, and to that false Priest, Watson, both afterwards found in other Treasons, for which being condemned, Watson confessed to the Earl of Northampton (purposely sent by the King to examine him who was the first first Au­thor of that false report) at Winchester, a day or Two before he was Executed, (at which time no man is pre­fumed to lye) that he never could receive any spark of Comfort touching ease of Counscience to Catholicks from His Majesty, 17. b. how unjustly soever the World had made him Author of that Scandal; though withall he added, how unwilling he had been to declare to his Fellows how averse the King shewed him in his own Words, lest over great discouragement might render them desperate. The like did Percy (another despe­rate Traitor) aver after his return out of Scotland, both before and after the Queens death, that in the point of Conscience he found the kings intent, and final purpose to be peremptory. Proceedings against Traitors, 182. A. 6. & 45.6.46.

The like slander and Scandal was raised upon the King by the Lord of Belmerinath his Scotish Secretary, by sending the Pope Word that King James would become his obedient Son, who afterwards being Arraigned, ac­knowledged his offence in devising Letters, and send­ing them to Rome, which himself got cunningly Signed in shuffling them in amongst others; His Majesty being utterly ignorant of the Contents. Speed. 917.

Another faithful service towards King James his Per­son, Crown and Posterity, was plotted by Watson and Clark, Two Secular Italianated Priests, who drew others of the Nobility and Gentry into their Hellish Confede­racy, as Lord Cobham, Lord Gray, of Wilton, Sir Wal­ter Raleigh, Lord Warden of the Stanneries, Sir Griffin Markeham, Sir Edward Parham, George Brooke, and o­thers; their design was to have surprised the Kings per­son, and his Son Prince H. to have kept them prisoners in the Tower, or in Dover Castle, and there by violence to obtain their Ends, viz. A Tolleration of Religion, and a removal of evil Councellors, or to put some o­ther projects in Execution, and then to obtain their Pardons. Watson to have been Lord Chancellor, 18 Lord Gray Earl-Marshal of England, George Brooke Lord Treasurer, Sir Griffin Markham Secretary, &c. Thus did they divide the Bears-skin, which is not yet caught, though the same Generation in all probability be still in hot pursuit of the same Quarry, viz. A Tolle­ration and Change of Religion in the transferring of all Crowns from Protestant to Popish Princes and Govern­ment, according to Parsons and Campanella's Plat-form. Of those Consederates only Sir William Parham was ac­quitted, and Three only Executed, viz. George Brooke, Clark, and Watson, who had taught equivocating; and to avoid his other solemn protestations both by Word and Writing, that the Act was lawful, being done before his Coronation, for that the King was no King before he was Anointed, and the Crown solemnly set on his Head.

By this we may conclude, that there is no trust to be reposed in Papists of any Order. What Man in the [Page 36]World could profess and pubish to all the World in Writing more obedience and faithfulness to a Prince than Watson did to Queen Eliz. most fiercely and bitterly blaming the Jesuits for their iterated and re-iterated Treasons and Rebellions against her, and for creating disturbances in allt he states of the World where they are. As he lived to see, so I hope he lived to repent of his sin and error; for he left this brand and suspicion on the Jesuitical Order at his death, that they in revenge had cunningly and covertly drawn him into this Action, which brougt him into this shameful End.

§ What shall I say more? 18. b. 31. Vox faucibus haeret. I am now come to that monstrum horrendum, In­forme, Ingens cui Lumen Ademptum, unto Guy Fawks and his dark Lanthorn, that never to be parallel'd Gunpow­der-Treason, in which I will say with the Grave Senator, repertum esT hodierno die facinus quod nec Poeta fingere, nec Historia sonare, nec Minus Imitare poterit. This plot of plots is yet so fresh in memory, and so well known all the World over, that I will not enter into the parti­culars of it, though there are some so desperately Jesuited, that either out of simplicity, or Impudence will not con­fess the truth thereof, others extenuate it, by saying, they were only a few discontented persons, desperate in Estate, or base, or not setled in their Wits, without Re­ligion, Habitation, Gredit, Means or Hope, and as our A­pologizer for Catholicks f. 5. A few Desperadoes. But most certain it is, that they were Gentlemen of good Houses, of excellent parts, and of Competent Fortunes. Besides that, Percy was of the House of Northumberland, Sir William Stanley, (who principally imployed Fawks into Spain) and John Talbot of Graston, both of great [Page 37]and Honourable Families; others say, That there was never a Religious Man in this Action, which is no truer than the other. Whoever yet knew a Treason without a Romish Priest? In this there were many, Three of them Legiers and States-men, Henry Garnet alias Waller, superior of the Jesuits Legier here in England, T. F. Cres­wel Legier Jesuit in Spain, Fa. Baldwin Legier in Flanders, as Parsons at Rome, besides their Itinerant or Cursory Men, as Gerrard, Oswald, Tesmond alias Greenway, Ha­mond, Hall, and other Jesuits. Proceedings 27, 18. Others of them condemn it now, 19 that happily would have commended it, it had taken effect, Prosperum Scetus virtus vocatur, would have been a good Axiom then; such Hellish Actions being of their Nature and Number, quae non Laudantur nisi peracta. [...] [...]gainst whom was this Hellish Plot contrived (not to name Parliament, Council, Nobility, Gentry, &c.) but against King James, that peaceable obliging Prince, who had sought all Mild and Royal means possible to have reduced them unto a quiet, peaceable, and Loyal Tem­per, and yet even 1 Joc. when His Majesty used so great lenity towards Recusants in that by the space of a whole Year and Four Months, he took no penalty due by Statute of them. For at the time of Watsons Treason, when some of the greatest Recusants were convented at Hampton-Court, and not found Participes Criminis, were presently dismissed, with incouragement, favour and promise, that those mean profits which had accrued to His Majesty, since His coming to the Crown, for their Recusancy, should be forgiven to those who had kept themselves free from all Conspiracies: Nay, so far was His Majesty from severity, nay from discriminating, that [Page 38]he indifferently Honoured all with Advancement and favours. And were they at all Reclaimed by this? No­thing less; for at that very time they gave out, That the King would deal rigorously with them, designedly to keep up the Hearts of Catholicks against him, for that end indeed they had more Treasons then hatching against him before they saw his Face in England, and all ground­ed on those Two Papal Breves? For in March 1603. 19. b. Garnet complained to Catesby, That the King had broken his promise with the Catholicks: And in September following, Catesby making a grievous com­plaint to Thomas Percy, That ocntrary to their Expecta­tions His Majesty both did hold, and was like continu­ally to run the same course which before the Queen had held, Percy presently breaks forth into this Devilish Speech, That there was no way but to kill the King, which he would undertake to do; but Catesby cunningly replyed, No Tom; Thou shalt not adventure thy self to so small pur­pose: If thou wilt be a Traytor, there is a Plot to greater ad­vantage; and such a one as can never be discovered, viz. thereby meaning the Powder-Treason.

How impudently soever this is now Extenuated, nay denyed by some Papists; yet Johannes Barclaius a French Catholick, wrote the History of it, under the Title of Conspiratio Anglicana, the very same Month it was dis­covered, viz. Novemb. 1605. where he thus brands it. Ingens, Atrox, horridum facinus, quale nec Antiquit as vidit, & aegre posteri credent: Deni (que) velut omnium fla­gitiorum compendium in hanc diem fortuna contulit. So matchless and horrid a villany, that our Fore-fathers ne­ver saw the like, and which future Ages will hardly believe, it being the very Quintessence and Compendium of all the [Page 39]villanies that the Sun yet ever saw; (Christ passion ex­cepted.)

Which history he improves to this Axiome. Saepe Divinitatis opera haec sunt ut Furias in ipso jam successu securas subito vitio excipiat: Ne vel unquant improbis ti­mor, vel spes absit calamitosae virtuti. When they shall say peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as Iravel upon a Woman with Child, and they shall not escape, 1 Thes. 5.3. Neither doth God ever leave the wicked without fear, nor distressed righteous without hope. This pitiful politick device of theirs is so improbable, and looks so Jewish, that I can resemble it to no other. Though Pilate by the Advice of the Chief Priests and Pharisees, made the Sepulchre wherein Christs Body was laid sure, by stealing the Stone, and setting a Watch and Guard of Souldiers, lest His Disciples should come by night and steal Him away; and though His Resurrection was made unquestionable by an Earth-quake, and by the rowling back of the Stone from the Door by an Angel des­cending from Heaven, and sitting upon it, whose Counte­nance was like Lightning, and his Raiment White as Snow; so that for fear of him the Keepers did shake, and became as dead men; yet when some of the Watch had shewed unto the Chief Priests all the things that were done, yet so hard of belief were they, that they assembled with the Elders, and having taken Council, they gave large Money unto the Souldiers, to say, His Disciples came by night and stole him away whilstowe slept, and if this come to the Governors Ears, we'l perswade him, and secure you; so they took the oney, and did as they were taught, Mat. 28. which saying is commonly reported among the Jews until this day. And if Brows of Brass, and Brazen Faces [Page 40]can prevail, the 5th. of November shall no more be believed by them another Age, than Pope Joane is now.

Had these kind of Men had any spark of Loyalty, or Gratitude in their Hearts, it had been impossible they should ever have plotted, and conspired so desperately against so mild and gratious a Prince as King James was, and who had sought their quiet and safety by many ob­liging means. Did not he bestow many Honours on ma­ny Catholicks? Did not he allow them free Access both to his Court, and to his Person, not only on just occasi­ons, but for their comfort, and at their pleasure, though he was not ignorant, that the Jesuits had been tamper­ing with the Catholicks, as well to disswade them from the Acceptance of His Majesty at his first coming, al­ledging, that they ought rather to die, than to admit of an Heretick (for so they termed His Majesty) to the Crown: And that they might not under pain of Ex­communication accept of any but of a Catholick for their Sovereign: 20 as also to disswade Catholicks from their Loyalty after he was King? Did he not o­pen the Gates of Justice indifferently to Protestants and Catholicks alike? Was his predecessor so confident in the fidelity of any Catholicks, as to imploy them to For­rein Princes in Embassie? Would she have called the Chief Catholicks to her Councel Board, that upon their laying open their just complaints, they might have re­dress with favour? Did not Recusants in his days that were in Arrear compound with a Commission directed only to that end, almost for what term, and at what rates they might best satisfie? Did he not put them in possession of their whole Estates drawn out of the Far­mers [Page 41]hands upon due proof made of spoil, without further command of any other Contribution or Taxation than the Laws limited? Did he not give order for the punish­ing of Informers and Messengers, that preyed upon the prostrate Fortunes of Recusants, with harder measure than the Justice of the State Warranted? Was he not pleased in the General Pardon granted at the close of the Parliament; that Priests and Jesuits should be com­prised in the List, and among them both Garuet and Greenwell, who in recompence whereof were shortly after pleased, that so Royal a Dispenser of Grace and Bounty towards them, should be blown up by their Bon­tefeaux? Had they not greater freedom than formerly in their own Countries, and to serve what Prince or State abroad that they pleased, to travel when and where they pleased, without yielding an account at their return? 20. b. 35. Did ever any Magistrate in cold Blood proceed against a Priest, that for want of means to procure a pardon had been kept in prison fince the time of the Queens decease? By all which, and much more that might be said, it fully appears, That King James was no hard Master, reaping where he had not sowed, and gathering where he had not strowed; nor yet Revengeful, who though he was to have been blown up after all these Favours and Liberties conferred on them, still continued, I might say increased them, (not­withstanding that horrid and matchless Conspiracie) even to his dying day, with as much Indulgence and Favour as he could without Offence or Scandal to the tender Consciences of his own Church, which as he ought, so he did chiefly regard.

§ Neither were King James his Favours con­fined to the Papists of Great Britain only, 21 but were extended also to those never to be obliged Catho­licks in Ireland; For he resolved not to take any advan­tage of great Forfeitures and Confiscations, which he was most justly Entitled unto by Tyrones Rebellion; but out of his Royal Bounty restored all the Natives to the Intite possession of their own Lands, in hope this would for ever have engaged their Obedience to him and his at least, if not unto the Crown of England: And yet he had not Reigned 6 Years e're the Earl of Tyrone, (not long before obliged by the Queen, with Titles of Ho­nour, great store of Lands, Commands of Horse and Foot in her pay) was designing afresh the raising of a­nother Rebellion, into which he easily drew the whole Province of Ʋlster then entirely at his Devotion: But his Design being prevented, he with his chief Adherents fled into Spain (from whence he never returned) which impious and ungrateful Act of his, and his Adhe­rents, rendred them justly suspected to be Irreconcila­ble to a Protestant Prince, which forced the King to cause their persons to be attainted, thehir Lands to be seiz­ed, those Six Countries within the Province of Ʋlster to be Surveyed, &c. And the same course to be taken likewise in Lemster, where the Irish had made Incursi­ons, and violently repelled the Old English. And though the King was by due course of Lavv justly Enti­tuled to all their vvhole Estates there; yet vvas he gra­tiously pleased to take but ¼ part of their Lands, vvhich coming to Brittish undertakers, made them to flourish vvith costly Buildings, and vvith all manner of Improvements; 21. b. so that the very Irish seemed [Page 43]to be very much satisfied with the flourishing, and peace­able Condition of the whole Kingdom, and yet could not Acquiesce therein; but Rebel they must against King Charles the Son, who besides many other Favours and Connivances, had so far gratified the Natives Anno 1640. that he grants unto the Commissioners, then sent unto him out of Ireland, the Act of Limitations, (so vehemently desired by the Natives) and the Act for the rilinquishment of His Majesties Right and Title to the Four Counties in Connaught: Besides, at this time the Pa­pists privately enjoyed the exercise of their Religion throughout the whole Kingdom by the Indulgence, and Connivance of the late Governours, they having their Titular Arch-Bishops, Bishops, Deans, Abbots, &c. who all lived freely, though obscurely, yet without controll, and exercised a voluntary Jurisdiction, Multi­tudes of Priests, Jesuits and Friars returning out of Spain and Italy, where the Irish Natives that way devo­ted were thither sent for Education, and now returned, lived in the chief Towns and Villages, and in the Hou­ses of the Nobility and Gentry, exercising their Religi­ous Rites and Ceremonies, none of the severer laws being put in Execution, whereby great penalties were to be inflicted on Transgressors in that kind.

Were they ever the more faithful for these great In­dulgencies? nothing less! For in August 1641. (after a­bout forty years peace) the Popish party in both Hou­ses of Parliament then sitting in Dublin, grew so insolent, as being scarce compatible with the present peaceable Government, they were forc'd to adjourn for 3 Months, before which time, viz, 23. Octob. 1641. they brake out into that detestable and desperate Rebellion, as is [Page 44]not to be matcht in any story, wherein, in less than Two Years they murdered in cold Blood above 200000. En­glish Protestants, 22 destroyed some other ways, and expelled out of their Habitations; nay more­over, they threatned to burn Dublin, destroy all Records and Monuments of the English Government, to make Laws against speaking English, and that all names given by English to places should be abolished, and the Antient names restored. And was not this also a great demonstration of their Faithfulness to the King and Crown of England.

Let every man judg as he sees cause how faithfully they requited King Charles the first for his favours to­wards them, which were many and great, which I will not here enumerate, it being super-abundantly done al­ready in print in divers Pamphlets. though I fear with no good intention towards that glorious Martyr, but rather to raise an Odium towards him from some of his weaker Subjects, willing happily for other ends to be so seduced, many whereof I hope have lived to see and consider that his pious life and death gave a just contra­diction to those false Imputations and Jelousies. And yet I must not forget one remarkable kindness of his (who loved not to punish scrupulous, peaceable Con­sciences sanguinarily) towards Papists, who being sent unto by both Houses of Parliament Anno 1640. for the Execution of John Goodman, a Condemned Priest, did in answer to them 3. Febr. 1640. own that he had re­prieved him not without giving them great reasons for his so doing, viz. For that neither his Father, nor yet Queen Eliz. did ever avow, that any Priest in their times was Executed meerly for Religion; and therefore did re­mit this particular cause to both the Heresies, cautionat­ing [Page 45]them withall, That happily his Execution might seem a severity in other States, 22. b. and might draw in­conveniences on his Subjects in other Countries, and there­fore held himself discharged from all inconveniences, that might ensue upon his Execution. And this did he notwith­standing the Popes Directions unto the then Superior of the Catholicks in England, Anno 1638. were expresly to com­mand them suddenly to desist from making such offers of Men towards the Northern Expedition then under consideration, as we hear they have done little to the Advantage of their Dis­cretion, and that they be not more forward with Money, than what Law and Duty enjoyns tem to pay.

§ Such was the kindness and faithfulness of those Irish Papists to the King and Crown of England, that indeed they did rise, I must needs say, most Catholick­ly in Rebellion against both from all parts of the King­dom, designing thereby to monopolize the whole Go­vernment of that Kingdom into their own hands, (ex­clusive of the King, if several Oaths are to be credited, published by the Kings Warrant) to enjoy the publick profession of their Idolatrous Religion, and to Expell all the English, by whose protection, countenance, fa­vours and purses that Kingdom was so beautified and in­riched, as it then was, and is at this day, though now by them miserably pejorated by that Intestine War rais­sed by themselves in the midst of their happy enjoy­ments, and that without any provocation, ground or colour against the King, as himself expressed under his Great Seal: To this give Testimony those early instru­ctions privately sent over into England by the Lord Dil­lon of Costeloe, presently after the breaking out of the Rebellion by the Remonstrance of the County of Long­ford [Page 46]pretended about the same time to the Lords Ju­stices by the same Lord Dillon, as also by their frame of their new Common-Wealth found in Sir John Dungans, house not far from Dublin, and sent upon thither out of Connaught to be communicated to those of Leinster, the sum of which, and other such like, is summ'd up, and may be seen to have that purport in the Irish Rebellion, written by Sir John Temple, f. 80, 81, 82.

§ Indeed if the Irish Papists had been so Loyal and Faithful, 23 as they now boast themselves to have been: Nay, had they had the least spark of gra­titude for that King, who had disobliged so many by obliging them so much, they would never in his di­stresses have capitulated so severely, and on the Swords point with him, nor have held him to such hard tearms as they did in all their Treatises, which they used only as Stratagems to Trapan, not to serve His Majesty: For in the Year 1643. when a Cessation was concluded with them by the Kings Authority, and both English and Irish Engaged by Articles to Transport their Armies to England for His Majesties Service; the English did it, the Irish only pretended they would do it when the English were gone, and then accordin gto one of their old Maxims Nulla fides servanda cum Hereticis, they plotted and attempted the ruine of the small Remnant of Eng­lish left behind in Munster, where the Lord Inchiquin commanding by the Kings Commission, and the English with him were necessitated to stand on their own defence against the Popish Army, Orery 25.

Though in the Year 1645. the Earl of Glamorgan gave as Adventageous tearms as they could ask, and condes­cended to such hard and dishonourable propositions on [Page 47]the Kings part, as the then Marquess now Duke of Or­mond in Justice and Honour neither could nor would condescend unto; and though the Commissions of the confederate Catholicks solemnly engaged the pub­lick Faith for the performance of them; 23. b. one Ar­ticle whereof was, That they should send 10000. to serve His Majesty &c. 41 yet did they not in due time perform their plighted Troath herein, which was a great disservice to His Majesty: In which slender performance of theirs, they could have no other end than thereby to render the Rebells in Eng­land more irreconcilable to His Majesty, that so that War might be kept up, that they might the better gain by Fishing in those troubled Waters; so that they well ho­ped to give Law to both.

It was the constant observation of the Protestant Ar­my there, that the lower and more unfortunate the King was in his successes in England, the higher were the de­mands of the Irish; for the Truth is, how Loyal and du­tiful soever their pretences were towards the King; yet their design was to set up for the Pope, and the establish­ing the Romish Religion, and erecting its Spiritual Mo­narchy at least, if not a Temporal with it.

The Arch-Bishop of Tuum was a principal Agent in the Irish Wars, and of the Supreme Council of Kilkenny, He attended the Army about this time to visit his Dio­cess, and to put in Execution an Order for the Arrears of his Bishoprick granted to him from the Council at Kilkenny, which Order, together with the Popes Bull, and several other Letters of Correspondence between him and his Agents from Rome, Paris, and several parts of Ireland were found about him, whereby it did ap­pear, 24 [Page 48]that the Pope would not at the first engage himself in sending of a Nuntio for Ireland, till the Irish Agents had fully satisfied him, that the Establish­ment of the Catholick Religion was a thing feaseable and attainable in that Kingdom; in which being satisfi­ed, he was content to sollicite their cause with Florence and Venice &c. and also to delegate Farmano his Nuntio to attend the Kingdom, who after some delays in France, was at last posted from thence by express Order from the Pope, and he arrived at that River of Kilmore in a Frig­got of 21 Guns in October, with 26 Italians of his Re­tinue, Secretary Belinges, and divers Regular and Secular Priests, and also with great Supplies, (for the service of the King no doubt) as 2000 Muskets, 4000 Banda­liers, 2000 Swords, 500 Petronells, and 20000 l. of Powder, all which arrived at Brooke-Haven the same Month, together with 5 or 6 Deskes or Small Truncks of Spanish Gold; how far all those Popish Auxiliaries con­duced to the Kings service, and the Protestant Interest, I leave to all Contemporaries to judg.

As in the year 1645. so in that Year 1646. after a peace concluded with them they treacherously attempted to cut off the Lord Lievtenant, and his Army with him, who marched out of Dublin on security and con­fidence of that peace. 24. b. The same year the Coun­cil and Congregation of the Confederate Catho­licks of Ireland obliged their General Preston by a solemn Oath to exercise all Arts of Hostility against the Lord Marquess of Ormond, 43 (the Kings Vice gerent) and his Party, and to help and advise with Council, and assist in that service the Lord General, and Ʋlster, employed in the same Expedition.

In the Year 1647. from Kilkenny 18. January, the Ge­neral Assembly of the Confederate Catholicks of Ire­land employed Commissioners to Rome, France and Spain, to invite a Forrein power into Ireland. To Rome they sent their Titular Bishop of Ferns, and Nichola [...] Plunket Esq; (Knighted there by the Pope for his good service therein) to declare, that they raised Arms for the freedom of the Catholick Religion, which are their own words in the Third Article of those their Instru­ctions. (Orerey) This is consonant to the Oath framed the same Year with some Addition to what had formerly been taken by the said General Assembly, and pressed on all sorts of people under pain of high Treason, which Oath enjoyns the maintenance of these ensuing Propositi­ons. 1. That the Roman Catholicks, both Clergy and Laiety in their several Capacities, have the free and publick exer­cise of the Roman Catholick Religion and Function through­out the Kingdom, in as full lustre and splendour as it was in the Reign of Hen. VII. or any other Catholick King, his Predecessors Kings of England, and Lords of Ireland, either in Ireland or in England. 2. That the Se­cular Clergy of Ireland, viz. Primates, 25 Arch­bishops, Bishops, Ordinaries, Deans, Deans and Chapters, Arch-Deacons, Prebendaries, 44 and o­ther Dignitaries; all other Pastours of the Secular Clergy, their respective Successors shall have and enjoy all, and all manner of Jurisdictions, Priviledges and Immunities in full and ample manner as the Roman Catholick Secular Clergy had or enjoyed the same within this Realm at any time during the Reign of the late King Hen. VII. sometimes King of England, and Lord of Ireland, any Law, De­claration of Law, Statute, Power or Authority whatsoever [Page 50]to the contrary notwithstanding. 3. That all Laws and Statutes made since the 20th. Year of Hen. VIII. whereby any restraint, penalty, or other restriction whatsoever is or may be laid upon any of the Roman Catholicks, either of the Clergy and Laiety for such their free Exercise of the Roman Catholick Religion within this Kingdom, and of their several Functions, Jurisdictions and Priviledges may be repealed, renewed, and declared void in the next Parlia­ment, by one or more Acts of Parliament to be past therein. 4. That the Primates, Arch-Bishops, &c. of the Roman Catholick Secular Clergy, and their respective Successors shall have, hold and enjoy all the Churches, and Church-Livings, in as large and ample manner as the late Protestant Clergy respectively enjoyed the same on the first day of October 1641. together with all Profits. Emoluments, Perquisits, Liberties, 25. b. and other Rights to their respective Sees and Churches belonging, as well in all places now in the possession of the confederate Catholicks, 45 also in all other places that shall be recovered by the said confederate Catholicks from the adverse party with­in this Kingdom, saving to the Roman Catholick Laiety, their respective rights to the Laws of the Land.

§ But to return to the said Instructions, it is Recorded in another part of the said Third Article, that they in­tend to insist on such Concessions in matters of Religion, and for the security thereof as his Holiness shall approve of, and be satisfied with.

And in the Ninth Article, they were instructed to make application to his Holiness for his being Protector of Ireland, (wherein they were before the Phanaticks in England) and by special instance to endeavour his ac­ceptance there &c. Nay, their Commissioners then sent [Page 51]to France and Spain, were required in case of the Popes refusal of being their Protector to offer it to either of those Kings, nay to any Popish Prince (from whom to use their own words) they might have most considera­ble aids. Orerey. Faithful and Meritorious Servants still, if they may be their own Judges, though they desired and designed the Pope; nay any King or Prince rather that the King of England ratified to be their Liege Lord for so many successions of Princes together.

Neither was it in those Treaties only that they shewed themselves such Loyal and Faithful Sub­jects; 26 but in that other also, Anno 1648. wherein they forced and compelled the King to yield unto such un­reasonable condiscentions, that nothing but pure ne­cessity could ever have extorted from him, 47 or his Lieutenant. And did they Acquiesce in those Articles, or were they at all more Loyal and Faith­ful to the King than before? not at all; for they having got by the 18th. Article a Papal-like preclusin of all offences to be committed or done after their date, they then thinking themselves sufficiently authorised and par­doned for all or any new Crimes by a pardon of much more force than of one from their Holy Father the Pope; they were not long e're they began to vilifie and disobey the Kings Lord Lieutenant of Ireland; in pur­suit wereof they sent to the Lord Lieutenant in April 1650. desiring him to leave the Kingdom, and to commit the Government thereof to one that they should choose, and might confide in, and this without so much as ac­quainting his present ajesty with it. And in very deed they had good reason so to do; or else how was it possible for them to compass teir main design, viz. [Page 52]The Atchieving of the Government into their own hands and power, that so they might have a Native King of their own, and extirpate the English, Root and Branch.

Though herein they were disappointed by the Piety, Honour, 38 Courage and Integrity of the Lord Lieutenant; yet did they not forbear to impeach, and affront the Kings Authority in him; for in August fol­lowing, by their publick Declaration, they did therein manifest to the people, that they were no longer obliged to obey the Ordersor Commands of the Marquess of Or­mond, whereby they did evidently break these Articles, and declare their power paramount to His Ma­jesties Orerey, 27 5, 6,7. And this they pursued yet farther, not without some scorn; for in the next Month they caused their Clergy to Excommunicate not only the Lord Lieutenant, but all that should feed or adhere to him; (a great Bug-bear I must confess) but it being solemnised Glave Errante it scared not his Grace, nor any of his Adherents from their duty, and so it mist of their desired end; however this shewed their good will to have preserved His Majesties Regal Authority, by be­reiving his Lieutenant of it. All Meritorious and our best Friends still.

The Rump, that Infamous Rump (Infamous as for many other abominations, so most superlatively for their High-Court of Injustice) was much more beholding to them than the King was; for they made Petitions and Supplications unto them, as unto the Supreme Authori­ty of the Nation, Entitling them the Parliament of the Common-Wealth of England, wherein they did readily subject and put their Consciences, Lives and Fortunes as in­secure [Page 53]Sanctuary under the Protection thereof: (they are their own words) And herein vaunted, That several of them were able to make appear their constant good affection, and adherence to the Rump, (their own words still) and prayed a competent time to be allowed them for making out the same. Vide the Petitions of Sir Ra. Talbot Ba­ronet, and Garret Moore Esq; who were not herein pri­vate, but publick persous, and so owned in the Title of their Petitions, being for the behalf of others, for whom they were Sollicitors, Agitators, or Trustees, call them what you will, 20 (and were so continu­ed for the Irish Papists until of late days) which is more than ever they would do to King Charles I. or King Charles II. for they treated with their Majesties upon the Swords point, upon as great tearms of defiance, as if they had treated with the Tork, and not with their Liege Lord Vide Orerey, fo. 14, 15. Of which sit liber Judex, the Articles of the Treaties. They went yet further congratulating with them, by acknowledg­ing, That their withered hopes, and former confidences were a fresh revived by the Rumps return to the management of the Government, under which their propensions to peace and quietness were so great, that they willingly acquiesced in their transplantation; albeit it was not executed by any Legal power, as not being derived from their Honours.

What could they submit more than they did, Con­sciences, Lives Fortunes? Nay, their Transplantation they accepted chearfully; nay, Petitioned for it? would they yet but acquiesce in that their Transplantation on­ly, (as they bragg'd unto the Rump, that they did to them) it would be some manner of Expiation for their Crimes past, and encouragement to His Majesty more se­curely [Page 54]to confide in them for the time to come, and be a means to remove many Fears and Jealousies, and would make way for future Graces.

But they are yet so far from doing any thing of this Nature, that they contend Tooth and Nayl, both by Pen and Interest, for the performance of those extorted, and Inglorious Articles made 1646.

Articles, 50 that nothing but pure necessity could ever have compelled His Majesty to have yield­ed unto Articles that themselves broke and set at naught, 28 as hath been proved; besides, did not Gallway after the Articles of 1648. Treat with the Duke of Lor­raine to be Protector of Ireland? Did not Waterford de­ny a passage to the Lord Lieutenant and his Army? Nay, sought they not his life afterwards, or to deliver him to the Usurpers, had he not suddenly and secretly with­drawn and secured himself?

Their General Assembly stiled themselves His Majesties Loyal and Faithful Subjects, and to manifest it the En­acted: That no Temperal Government or Jurisdiction should be assumed, kept or executed in Ireland, or in any Province or County thereof, other than of what should be approved or instituted by their General Assembly. If this be not pro­fessing like Saints, and doing like Devils I do not know what is; profess Loyalty, that they might have the bet­ter opportunities to perpetrate their wicked designs; Kiss and Betra with Judas, Salute and Honourably pre­sent with Ehud, and at the same time thrust a Dagger in­to the Kings Bowels: Hosanna on the rips of their Tongues, and Crucifige in the depths of their Hearts: And yet so Impudent as to style themselves the Kings best and most faithful Subjects.

They Addressed their Petitions to the Supreme Au­thority of this Nation the, Parliament of the Common-Wealth of England. First odrator f. 59. They affirm­ed, that they had generally taken, and punctually kept the Ingagement. 2. Moderator f. 41. They promised, that if they might enjoy their Religion, they would be the most quiet and useful Subjects of England. 1. Mo­derator f. 31. They proved it in these words, viz. The papists of England would be bound by their own Interest (the strongest obligation amongst wise Men) to live peaceably and thankfully in the private Exercises of their Consciences, and becoming gainers by such Compassions, they would not so reasonably be distrusted as the Prelatick party that were loosers, 1. Moderator f. 36.

I have dwelt the longer on the practises and designs of the Papists of Ireland, for that there was clear demon­stration in pact of foot of their Affection and Adhe­rency to the Pope before; nay, against their rightful King and Sovereign, which hath been evidenced by their publick Acts and Monuments, (of which for a Teste take a part of one Translated, viz. Ʋrban. 80. ad fu­turam rei memoriam. Having taken into our serious consideration &c. Orerey f. 59, 60.) by their often Treaties, their Acts of their General Assembly, and of their Council, by their Instructions to their Engineers to their Forrein Princes &c. All which are excellently, and much more largely Anatomized and descanted on by the Earl of Orerey in his answer to P. W. Into whose hands many of the Originals having fallen, cannot be gainsaid; and if they had not, yet their Catholick and open rising in Arms, and fighting on every occasion against His Majesties Armies and Comwands, is a demonstration as [Page 56]evident as the Sun at noon, that they were Rebels to the height to all intents and purposes; for it was begun, continued, and ended by Papists only, (not one Pro­testant among them) both Secular and Regular; the Pope himself, the Head of their Church in the person of his Nuntio Rinuccini generalissimo of all their Forces both by Sea and Land, with all his Tribe of his Eccle­siastical Orders, contributing all assistance and encou­ragement imaginable thereunto: Whereby it is most manifest, that the horrd Rebellion was not only a Crime of some in their Church, but even a Crime of their Church.

I now pass to the Papists of England, concerning whose Actions and Affections it cannot reasonably be expected, that I should so clearly discover their more secret De­signs and Machinations, 29 for that our Civil Wars here were not Papists fighting under the Popes Banner, Countenance and Encouragement against Pro­testants, as they did in Ireland: But Protestants (Jesui­tically in that point principled) against a Protestant King and his Liege-men that were more loyally minded and principled, and so were never Embodied together apart and by themselves; and therefore could never As­semble and Confederate together either in Battle to fight, or in full and open Council to design and plot, but what they did covertly and in the dark, by fo­ [...]enting dissentions and Intestine Wars according to Corzen the Moguntine Jesuit, in the Second Book of his Politicks Ch. 18. and to Campanella's design de Monar. Hisp. Ch. 24. p. 204. &c. I am vero ad enervandos An­glos nihil tam conducit quam dissentio & discordia inter illos excitata perpetuo (que) nutrita, quod cito meliores occa­siones [Page 57]suppeditabit, and that by putting the Parliament upon it, ut Angliam in formam Reipublicae reducant ad Imitationem Holandorum and how near it was brought to this by our late Republicans is most notorious; So con­fident were the Jesuits of their Plots and Designs taking effect, that Campian in his Book printed 1583. at Trevers, declares, thus concerning the English in the name of his Holy Order, viz. Our Will is, That it come to the knowledg of every one so far as it concerns our Society, that we all dispersed in great numbers through the World, have made a League, and Holy solemn Oath, That as long as there is any of us alive, that all our Care and Industry, all our Deliberations and Councils shall never cease to trouble their quiet and safety, we shall procure and pursue for ever their Ruine, the utter destruction of their Religion, and of their Kingdom.

It is long since we have taken this Resolution with the hazard of our lives; 53.29. b. so that the business being already well begun and advanced, it is impossible that the English can do any thing to stop our design, or sur­mount it. Faithful Men still no doubt they are yet un­to the Mither and Red-Caps of Rome only; but nothing less unto the Crown and Diadem of England. And shall we after all such demonstrations dis-believe their own protestations, and not take their own Wrods for it?

§ Besides, if we may guess at the Body of Hercules by his foot, we may then by tracing some of the Foot­steps of our English Catholicks as have casually come to light, discover the main design of them, and espe­cially of those of their Clergy to have been for the ruine of the King of happy memory, and of the Pro­testant [Page 58]Religion: Yet I would not be mis-understood herein, as if I meant every Individual Papist; for some of them, and those of Noble Families and Fortunes, as also others of them of meaner rank, ventured both Lives and fortunes very gallantly for their Sovereign; but it was still against a Protestant, not against a Popish party; however I wish they may continue heartily Loyal against all parties, and that all of that Religion were so minded, which though I may wish, yet can never rationally hope to see, whilst they continue true to Romish Principles, which oblige them to set up another Supreme Head within those His Majesties Dominions in derogation of this Imperial Crown and Scepter. 30

I shall not trouble you with the repetition of many store of the disguised and dark Actings of the Papists against the King and Crown of England, they being al­ready extant in several Treaties, viz. In hidden works of darkness brought to light. Jus Patronatus. Mr. Prinne his Speech in Parliament, his Memento, his Epistle to a rea­sonable and legal vindication &c. Quaders unmarked. In which, and other Books, many particulars may be seen of their secret undermining Actings.

In the Year 1638. (when the Kings had great need both of Men and Money, and the Hearts of all his Sub­jects, and their contributions, whether Popish or Pro­testants) his Holiness gave directions to his Catholicks in England, whereof these following were part, viz. You are to command the Catholicks of England in general, that they suddenly desist from making such offers of Men to­wards this Northern Expedition, as we hear they have done little to the advantage of their direction. And likewise it is requisit, considering the penalties already imposed, they [Page 59]they be not forward with Money more than what Law and Duty enjoyns them to pay without any Innovation at all, or view of making themselves rather weaker Pillars of the Kingdom than they were before.

Declare unto the best of the Peeres and Gentry by word of mouth, or Letters, that they ought not at this time to express any averseness in case the High Court of Par­liament be called, nor shew any discontents against the Acts, which do not point blank aim at Religion, being in general the most fundamental Law of this Kingdom.

Advise the Clergy to desist from the foolish, nay rather il­literate and childish Custom of distinction in the Protestant and Puritan Doctrin, and especially this Error is so much the greater, when they undertake to prove, that Protestanisme is a Degree nearer to the Faith-Catholick: For since both lye without the verge of the Church, it is a needless Hypocrisie, yea it begets more malice than it is worth.

All busie Inquirers are defended, but especially into Ar­canes of States.

It is affirmed by — in a printed Speech before a great Assembly 4. September 1654. p. 16, 17. That he knew very well, that Emissaries of the Je­suits never came over in those Swarms as they have done since these times. That divers Gentlemen could bear witness with him, that they had a Consistory, and Council abroad, that Rules all the Affairs of the things of England. That they had fixed in England in the limits of most Cathedrals (of which he was able to produce the particular Instru­ments) an Episcopal power with Arch-Deacons and o­ther persons to pervert the people in the midst of all our sad Distractions.

And I presume it will not be denied, Inde quod nuper ve­teres com. gravere Coloni. that ve­ry many of them have been sent or come over from Forrein Seminaries into England under the disguises of Converted Jews, Phisitians, Chy­rurgians, Independants, Quakers, Fifth Monar­chy Men, Agitators, Mechanicks, Merchants, Factors, 55 Travellers, Souldiers, that they might the more unsuspectedly have an Influence on the Com­mittees, Agitators, and Officers of the Army. It was confessed to one of the English Nobility at Rome by the English Provincial there, that they had then above 1500. of their Society in England able to work in several pro­fessions and Trades, which they had there taken upon them, the better to support and secure themselves from being discovered.

Who ever considers the fore-mentioned Plat-form laid subtilly by F. F. Parsons, and others, to work in­sensibly our Ruine. Vide Smiths Preface fo. 12. the Swarms of Papists here ready to joyn Heds, and Hands, and Hearts on all occasions and opportunities to bring it to pass, the new printing (about the time of that borrid matchless Murder) of their Dolman, that Infamous and Traiterous Libel against our Kings under a new Title of several Speeches, delivered at a Conference concerning the powers of Parliaments to proceed against their Kings for mis-government, together with what is averred for truth, and offered to be justified (when ever called thereunto) by that learned and worthy Di­vine Du Moulin in his Vindication Se. 58, 59, 60. &c. will easily conclude, that their Merits have not been of that Nature, as to be used as Arguments for a Tollera­tion, no nor yet for the least of kindness, viz. When the [Page 61]business of the late bad times are once ripe for an History, and time the bringer of Truth to light, hath discovered the Mysteries of Iniquity, and the depths of Satan, which have wrought so much crime and mischief, it will be found, that the late Rebellion was raised and fostered by the Arts of the Court of Rome. That Jesuits professed themselves Inde­pendent, as not depending on the Church of England; and Fifth Monarchy Men, that they might pull down the English Monarchy, and that in the Committees, for the destruction of the King and the Church, they had their Spies and their Agents.

§ The Roman Priest and Confessor is known, who when he saw the fatal stroke given to our Holy King and Martyr, flourished with his Sword and said, Now the greatest Enemy we have in the World is gone.

When the News of that horrible Execution came to Roan, a Protestant Gentleman of good credit was present in a great company of Jesuited persons: When after great Expressions of Joy, the gravest of the Company, to whom all gave ear, spake much after this sort. The King of England at his Marriage had promised us the re-establlshing of the Catholick Religion in England, and when he delayed to fulfil his pro­mise, we summoned him from time to time to perform it; we came so far as to tell him, That if he would not do it, we should be forced to take those courses which would bring him to his destruction: We have given him lawful warning, and when no worning would serve, we have kept our Word to him, since he would not keep his Word to us.

In the height of Olivers Tyranny Tho. White a Priest, and a right Jesuit in all his Principles about Obedience, set out a Book Entitled, The Grounds of Obedience and Government; wherein he maintains, That if the people by any Circumstance be devolved to the state of Anarchy, their promise made to their expelled Governor binds no more. That the people are remitted by the evil mannaging, or in­sufficiency of their Governour to the force of Nature, to pro­vide for themselves, and not bound by any promise made to their Governour, that the Magistrate by his miscarriages abdicateth himself from being a Magistrate, and proveth a Brigand or Robber instead of a Defender; that word De­fender he writes with a great D. that the Reader may take notice whom he means. His Book is full fraught with Ar­gumentations of this Nature. All in barr and prejudice to His Majesties Restauration. Of the same opinion was F. F. Bret, when at St. Malo he was earnest with those Gentlemen that had so gallantly defended the Castle of Jar­sey to take the Engagement; from which they ought to be freed by the Articles of their Rendition, maintaining, that they were not to acknowledg any Supreme but the prevailing power. Du Monlin Ibid.

§ Having dwelt thus long on this unpleasant Theme, it is now time to wind up this Botton, and therefore, Admit the Papists had merited in these late troubles, as [Page 65]much as they pretend they have, from the King and his Father; yet doth it not follow, that they ought there­fore to be rewarded with a Tolleration of their Religion, or with any Mitigation of our Laws prohibiting the ex­ercise thereof, no more than it was fit Joseph, for the good service done to his Master, should be be gratified with the company of his Masters Wife. Neither did his Master think this reasonable, though he acknow­ledged the extraordinary good Service of his Servant, much less did Joseph expect it. In like manner the Pa­pists must first satisfie us, That the Tolleration of their Re­ligion is not Tolleration of Idolatry, which the Scripture calls Spiritual Adultery, nor yet the exercise of a World of Impieties under the Mask of Religion, before they can convince as (whatever their Loyalty may other­ways be) that it is either lawful or reasonable for Magi­strates (whom the Scripture stileth Gods, and who standing in Gods stead ought to be as jealous of his Ho­nour in that case as a Husband would be of his Wife; Nay, as much as in them lies, even as God himself, who professeth himself to be a Jealous God) to Authorize or connive at the Exercise of such a Religion, or as to account very strict Laws too severe in that Case, for which there is both Precept and Example in the Word of God.

It is a very great Truth, That Kings neither can, nor ought to give permission or allowance of any things, which in their own Natures are evil, and opposit to the Salvation of Mens Souls, and which though they should permit them; would nevertheless continue and remain sins, and exclude them that do and practice them from obtaining Salvation. And of such a Nature are many [Page 66]Popish Doctrins &c. And certainly those Princes are most worthy of the praise of God and Men, that endea­vour to remove such Abuses, and all things forbidden by God, which remaining make it impossible for men to be saved, or if saved, yet so as by Fire, very difticultly. But in things not repugnant to the will of God, all Princes have liberty to do that which the good and weal of their State requires.

I appeal to all the Oaesars in the World; nay to all mankind, if it be reasonable, that the requital of the good Services of particular persons should be gratified with the vacating, or but suspending those Laws which are our strongest security, or should be debarred from making yet stronger Laws against Butchering and Ido­latrous men and Principles. This State seeks not your Blood, it only desires to be secured and safe from those destructive dangers,, unto which Popish Doctrins, pra­ctises and principles do most manifestly expose it; against which no persect security can possibly be given, but by as publick condemnation and detestation of them, as they are ratisied by, (1) by Popes, Councils. Decrees, great and learned men, Abjurations, and the like.

And I appeal yet further to all the World, if our Popish Traytors here have not in defiance of our Laws, and for their Justification, Honour and Encouragement been rewarded at Rome with Honours and Offices, made Holy Martyrs, Canonized for Saints, and their very Bones kept for Reliques: Mighty Motives I must con­fess to perswade us to reward and tollerate such men, and such a Religion. A Religion that no Protestant (I might go farther) can embrace without becoming worse than bruitish, by unreasoning themselves out of [Page 67]their own reasonable Souls, yea their very Senses, accor­ding to Jer. 10.8, 14, 23. They are altogether bruitish and foolish: Their Stock is a Dostrin of Vanities: E­very Man is bruitish in his knowledg: Every founder is confounded by the Graven Image; for his molten Image is falshood, and there is no Breath in them: Nay, the Pastours are become Bruitish, and have not sought the Lord And what are they but bruitish that will not know, that will not understand and that hate reproof? Now let all the Romish Doctors and Jesuits shew if they can, if the Doctrines of the Popes power to Excommuni­cate, Depose and Murder Emperours, Kings and Prin­ces, and to absolve their Subjects from their Oaths of Obedience and Allegiance to them: And if the Extra­vagant, de Majoritate & Obedientia, and that other of unam sanctam be not in as full force and vertue now at Rome as ever, only the most Christian King did cudgel Cle­ment the 5th, into better manners, and made him to ex­pound that Extravagant of Boniface the 8th. in favour of him and his Subjects by another of Meruit de privilegiis. And did not Paul the 5th. Innocent the 10th. and Alexan­der the 7th. of later days ratifie these monstrous opini­ons with a particular respect to the case of His Majesties Subjects of Great Britain? And shall we after all these demonstrations of their rancour and malice towards us, and our Religion, mitigate or suspend our Laws that secure us? or ought not they rather to repent and amend their lives, their Religion and their Doctrins? I appeal to all unbiassed persons if they have not incapacitated themselves of all possibility of ever giving any probable security to a prudent State, whilst they remain in the Communion of that Church by becoming Votaries to [Page 68] Rome by their Vows and Oaths, except they will abjure them, and imbosom themselves in our Church. And shall we then fear to Countermine such destructive bloody principles and practises by moderate and cautionary Laws preventing them? or by any precautions to disap­point the mischiefs designed against us, and which if they should fall upon us were never to be repaired by any fu­ture Laws or punishments how severe soever? Let God and the whole World be Judg between us.

I must confess my self so little discerning, that I can­not perceive any difference between the Idolatry of the Jews, and that of the Papists. The Jews were reaso­nable Creatures, had the same senses and faculties in­ward and outward as Papists have; and can it then rea­sonably be imagined, that the Jews after they were come out of Aegypt, and had themselves broken off the Gold Ear­rings which were in the Ears of their Wives, of their Sons, 32. Ex. and of their Daughters, and given them to Aaron to Make a Golden Calf withall: Should yet be such Changlings, so void of all sense and reason as to think, That that very Calf made but Yesterday by Aaron, should be the very God that brought up them and their Fathers out of the Land of Aegypt so many years before. It is true, they said, These be thy Gods O Israel that brought thee up out of the Land of Aegypt, and accordingly built an Altar, proclaimed a Feast unto the Lord, (not unto the Calf) offered burnt Offerings, and brought peace Offerings, and sat down to eat and to drink, and rose up to play; i. e. to Idolatrize, 1 Cor. 10.7.1. To play the fool, by thinking to please God by making a representative of him; for they could only mean, that the Calf represented that God (not that it was the very [Page 69]God) that brought them out of Aegypt; leading and de­fending them by a Cloud by day, and a Pillar of Fire by night.

Those Athenian Idol-worshippers, whose altar inscri­bed to the unknown God, Acts 17.23. argues, That their Sacrifices and Devotions did not center and termi­nate in the Idols they worshipped, but had respect to the True God, though unknown to them, whom there­fore they did ignorantly worship, (whereby it is mani­fest, that their Worship had respect unto God) Paul did declare unto them to be him that made the World, and all things therein, &c. Vers. 24, 25, 26.

Is Romish Idolatry less, or other? I doubt not. Jehu riding in pomp in his Chariot, brag'd and boasted of his zeal towards God as much as Papists, Come see my zeal for the Lord, 2 Kings 10.16. and pretended wor­ship to God when he worshipped representatives, 1 Cor. 10.18.20, 21. Psal. 106.37 Deut. 32.17. Golden Calfs, nay Devils, 2 Kings 10.29. 2 Chr. 11.15. By which it is plain, that their worship did not terminate in the Calves, but had a far­ther prospect, even a respect to God himself. Is not Romish Worship the same? where's the difference? Crux Legati a dextris collocari debet, quia ei debetur Latria. If the Legates Cross must be placed on the right hand for that very reason because Latria, (which is the same Worship and Reverence which is due to the one only God.) Graece servitus dicitur que quamum ad Religio­nem attinet, non nisi uni & soli Deo deb [...]r, Vide Isid. 12. lib, Vide August. contra Faust. Manich. lib. 20. c. 21. Vide Aquin. 1, 2. q 130. Art. 3. is due unto it. I for my part must acknowiedg my self so thick Scull'd as not to discern any difference between the Jews worshipping the [Page 70]Calves, and the Papists worshipping the Cross, their Breaden God, or any Picture, Thing or Representative, though Vasques be so bold as to ascribe Worship even to a Wisp of Straw. Tho. Aquin. sumnt. part. 3. Quest. 25. Artic. 3. Concludes, Sic sequitur quod eadem reve­rentia exhibeatur Imagini Christi, & ipso Christo; cum ergo Christus adoretur adoratione Latriae, &c. That the same Reverence is to be given to the Image of Christ, and to Christ himself; and by Consequence seeing Christ is adored with the Adoration of Latria (or Divine Worship) his Image is to be adored with the adoration of Latria also; which induces me to believe that that in Jeremiah, ch. 10. is as truly applicable to the now Ro­manists, as to the Jews of old.

All which seriously considered, and that though Su­preme Magistrates have power moderately, and in measure, by wholsom Laws (not by Fire and Faggot, Tortures and Inquisitions) to compel, and to secure the true Religion and undefiled, and their Realms professing the same; yet I find no warrant in Bibliis Sacris for any power to tollerate and indulge any false Religion in their Dominions.

§ Concerning which I shall say thus in general, That though no mortal man hath rightful power to forbid Christs Spiritual Duties, the Worshipping of God, Preaching his Word and Truth; yet I say first, that no Indulgence ought to be given by the Magistrate to any Sect whtsoever, whose Doctrins and Principles are not known, and therefore none to Quakers and Enthusiasts, whose Rule is not the Scripture, but the Light within them, which is darkness to others, if not to themselves, and it may be Hosanna to day, and yet Chucifige to, mor­rovv. Then the Principles, by vvhich other Sects do [Page 71]worship, being known, the legislative Magistrares, whe­ther Monarchs, or Free States, are the Judges of them, how confistent or inconsistent with Gods true Religion and Worship, and with the peace and wellfare of their own Dominions and Subjects, and accordingly may, or may not Indulge or Tollerate their Religion and Worship.

And therefore Princes ought to use great Caution, and to be very wary and circumspect herein, for that sins committed by others through our Example, Instigation, Connivnace or Tolleration, become ours by just Impu­tation. In Naboths death, the Judges and false Witnesses were the next Agents, Jesabel the Plotter only, and In­stigator, 1 King. 21.7, 13, 23. Yet she is punished for shedding Naboths Blood, though her hand was not upon him: Even in Courts of ordinary Justice it seems just, and is so in our Law, that not only the Executioner, but the Plotter, Abettor, Instigator, and Concealer of Treason, be punished with death: Yea, see how far a less degree of participation brings guilt upon our Souls: The Ru­lers amongst the Jews that but tollerated the breach of the Sabbath, are charged to have prophaned the Sabbath, Nehem. 13.17.18. Yea the least Countenance given to Idolatry, makes culpable of Idolatry, 1 Cor. 10.18, 21. To this agrees the Prohibition of St. Paul, Communicate not with other Mens sins, 1 Tim. 5.22. And that com­mand, Lev. 16.17. Thou shalt rebuke thy Neighbour plainly, and not suffer him to sin. It is a Gospel-Prin­ciple that Gods Children ought to be careful not only to eschewe evil in their own persons, but also to prevent it in othrss. A notable Example we have in the people of Israel, who (well knowing that God was a Jealous [Page 72]God, Deut. 4.24. Isa. 42.8. and would not have his Glory communi­cated to others, nor his praise unto Graven Images) out of their abundant caution, mind­ing the concerns of their Brethren as their own, when they heard Tidings how the Rubenites, Gadites, and half Tribe of Manasseh, had Erected an Altar, not for Worshipping, (as they truly protested) but for Memo­rial; so fearful they grew of Gods Wrath, that they presently dispatched an Embassy to their Brethren to prevent their sin. And see how pithily they deal with them: Is the Iniquity of Peor too little for us, from which ye are not cleansed to this day, that ye also must depart from following the Lord, Josh. 22.17. Thus they in a shew only and appearance of evil, which we are commanded to abstain from, 1 Thes. 5.22. and to resist unto Blood striving against sin, Qui non ve­tat peccare, quum possit Jubet. Heb. 12.4. The Conclu­sion is strong, What sins of others we labour not within our Province, Power, and Compass to pre­vent, are ours in the guilt, as well as those of our own personal Commission. The Reasons are ma­ny, 1. We hazard our selves to infection, 1 Cor. 5.6. A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump. 2. Ʋnto wrath, Come out of her my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her Plagues, Apoc. 4.3. We hazard the Delinquents to obstinate impenitency. We blemish our own same and since [...]ity. 5. Quantum in nobis, we encourage others to like exorbitancy in sinful Worship, even in our common Laws; it is held mainte­nance, when a great person only by his presence counte­nanceth a Cause. Saints of old were regularly scrupu­lous and abstemious in this kind, I have not sate with vain persons, neither will I go in with distemblers: I have [Page 73]heated the Congregation of evil doers, and will not sit with the wicked, Psal. 26.4, 5. Jer. 15.15.17. I sat not in the assembly of mockers, nor rejoyc'd. Did not Elias sharply repove King Ahab, and the Commons of Israel for that error? He did not say, Why permit you not those that will to serve the Lord, and those that lift to serve Baal? But, How halt you between Two opinions? If the Lord be God, follow him; but if Baal then fallow him, 1 Kings 18.21. Since it is confessed both by Protestants and Pa­pists, That there can be no God save the Lord, Psal. 18.31. and he never meant to surrender any piece of his Glory, Isa. 48.11. but is so jealous of it, that he will be serv­ed, and only served with all our Heart, and with all our Soul, Deut 10.12. I reckon, it cannot stand with a Magistrates duty to reverse this Heavenly Decree, Thou shalt Worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve, Mat. 4.10. Deut. 6.13. with establishing Two Religions in the Realm. And the first precept forbid­ing more Gods than one, barreth all other services of the same God, save that which himself hath appointed for himself? His commands relating to his own Worship are very severe, very strict. He that is born in the House, and bought with thy Money, must need be Circumcised; i. e. Observe the whole Law, Gen. 17.12. So the charge of Keeping the Sabbath is had upon the Father of the Fa­mily for all that are within his Gate, Exod. 20.10. The Lord commandeth, That if any person, Brother, Son, Daughter, the Wife of thy Bosom, or thy Friend, which is as thy own Soul, shall intice to Idolatry, or any City shall set up a new Worship, the one shall be killed, the other destroyed, Det. 13.6, 9, 12, 15. To this belongeth [Page 74]that precept, to seperate the pretious from the vile, Jer. 15.19. and this, viz. Not to sow the Field with divers Seeds, nor to wear a Garment of divers things, Lev. 19. [...]0. So Moses, Deut. 22.10. Thou sha't not plough with an Oxe and an Asse together; which St. Paul thus expound­eth, 2 Cor. 6.14. Be not unequally yoaked with unbelievers. Which the Apostle demonstrates to be as absurd and monstrous, as that righteousness shall have fellowship with unrighteousness, or light to have communion with darkness, or that Christ can have Concord with Belial, or that the Temples of God can have agreement with Idols, and such Temples are all good Christians whom Legions of Lusts and Devils do not pre-possess, Vers. 14, 15, 16, 17. Besides, it cannot be denyed, but that they may, and will be Snares and Traps, if not Scourges in our sides, and Thorns in our Eyes, Josh. 13.13. God fore-saw it, and fore-told it, and the refore made such strict commands against such Medly-mungril Christians, like those of Sa­maria, who feared God, yet served Idols, and like those of Israel, who Swear by the Lord and Melchom, to hear as Protestants, but believe as Papists, to cry the Temple of the Lord, the Temple of the Lord, boasting of the high Priviledges the Gospel hath and doth afford us, and yet not to walk by the Rules, and Precepts thereof, which in plain English is to talk indeed like Saints, but in truth to do like Devils. Why then should we hazard the Eternal well­fare of our precious Immortal Souls upon nice points of Logick, upon Peradventures, and come at last, and when it is too late, unto an, Had I wish'd? Remember Nehem. 13.23, 26. Did not Solomon King of Israel sin, by these things? yet amongst many Nations was there no [Page 75]King like him, who was beloved of his God, and God made him King over all Israel, nevertheless even him did strange Women cause to sin.

§ Moreover, it hath been the practise of the Church in all Ages to cast out the Leaven of contrary Doctrins and Profession In the time of Enos before the Flood, the Servants of God began to worship God by them­selves apart from the prophane Generation of Cain. Ish­mael was cast out of Abrahams House, because he was a scorner of Isaack; Jacob reformeth his House, and put­teth away the strange Gods, Gen, 35.2. Joshua maketh the Gibionites hewers of Wood, and drawers of Wa­ter for the House of God, Josh. 9 13, David expelleth the Idolatrous Jebusites out of Jerusalem, 2 Sam. 5.8. Asa put Maacha his Mother from her regiment, because she was an Idolatress, and brake down her Idols, 2 Chron. 15.16. Josias put down the Chemarins a Sect of Idola­trous Priests, 2 Kings 23.5. Zerubbabel would not suffer the adversaries of Judah to build the Temple with them, but refused their service, which they offered, Ezech. 4.3. This was the Law, Thou shalt make no Covenant with them, nor with their Gods, they shall not dwell in the Land, lest they make thee sin against me, Exod. 23.32, 33. Deut 7.2, 3, 4. The Graven Images of their Gods shall ye burn with fire: Thou shalt not desire she Sil­ver and Gold that is on them, nor take it unto thee, lest thou be snared therein; for it is an abomination to the Lord thy God.

Neither shalt thou bring an abomination into thy house, least thou be an accursed thing like it; but thou shalt utter­ly detest it, and thou shalt utterly abhor it, for it is a cursed thing, Deut. 7.25, 26. Neither shalt thou set up any [Page 76]Graven Image which the Lord thy God hateth, Deut. 16.22. Where Gods Ark is, there Dagon shall be thrust out of his place, and fall down before it, 1 Sam. 5.

§ One kind of vile and base Idolatry, when Men Worship their own Fancies; (as Papists, Ouakers and Enthusiasts amongst others now adays do) observing, that for a Religion, which their deceived minds ima­gine; then may not Princes wink at corrupt and vitious Religion, which is an inward and ghostly worship of Idols, seeing no man; and therefore no Prince can serve Two Masters, Mat. 6.24. Luke 16.13. And the Service that Princes yield Christ in respect of their Royal vocation, consisteth in making Laws for Christ, which if they do, likewise for Antichrist, it cannot be salved, but that they serve God and Mammon, or rather cease to be Servants of Christ, in that they renounce their Ma­ster, by serving his Adversary: And they cannot but know, that silence provoketh, and sufferance imbolden­eth their Subjects to forsake God, and his Church: Even as in civil Affairs the slacking of Justice doth maintain dis­order; the life of the Law is penalty when duly execu­ted; wherefore the great Law-giver to his own Israel useth such enforcements. Every state and Kingdom hath Refractories, whom nothing restrains but penalty, in­deed penalties executed do scarce reform, yet is Treacle made up of such Vipers, for preserving o­thers.

All Israel shall hear and fear, Deut. 17.13 and do no more presumptuously; Servility is much in men of best inclination; they are not always led by the Spirit of Ingenuity, Psal. 51.12. Draco his Laws are yet ex­tant, their severity is deemed over rigorous, providing [Page 77]death for least offences; lenities in some enormities is no less blamable, whilst Adultery laughs at the white sheet, or secures it self of redeeming that shame, with purse or power, As offences grow though but in circumstances, so ought Penalties, Num. 30.32.35. Maxima peccandi Hle­cibra est impunitatis spes; There is no greater encourage­ment or enticement to sin, than hope of Impunity. Some wise Men begin to think, as that Sage Politician spake by occasion of Nerva's remissness in Government: Praestat vivere ubi nulla, quam ubi omnia sint cicita. It's better to live in that state where nothing, than where all things are lawful, David was so far from suffering the worship of any strange God within his Realm, that he protesteth, Their offerings I will not offer, neither make mention of their names within my lips, Psal. 16.4. When would he, think you, confirm their Honour and Service with his Royal Authority, that thus disdained them common civility, he had a more Ennobled Spirit, more Divine Principle, Quo major suum eo plus laborabo as the Sun. Josh. 23.7. Deut. 12.3. Num. 32.38 and would shew it by the sub­limity of his Actions, scorned to know wicked persons,, or to let them tarry in his sight; he was engaged to do something more than ordi­nary, being called to be Gods own Anoint­ed, and that the observation of Gods Laws was the noblest Ornament of His Majesty, and that the Law was express against it. Make no mention of the names of other Gods, neither let it be heard out of thy mouth, Exod. 23.13.

The good Kings of Juda were favoured and blessed of God, for walking in the Ways of David their Father, and purging the Land from all Sacrifices and Ceremonies not prescribed by Moses's Law: Contrariwise Solomon was [Page 78]rejected for admitting other Gods to be erved within his Dominions, besides the God of Israel, though this tolleration was granted, in respect of his own Wives that were strangers, Nehem. 13.36. Jerohoams politick devise to Worship the same God in Dan and Bethel, after a new manner, turned to the destruction of him­self and his Posterity: Therefore Jehosaphat reproved by Jehu, visited his Kingdom from Beersheba to Mount Ephraim, and brought his people back unto the Lord God of their Fathers, 2 Chron. 19 2, 3. That the false Priests and Prophets did so over-bear the true Prophets of God, Jeremiah, Ezechiel, &c. to the ruine of the Ci­ty and Kingdom, was the fault of Jehoiakim and Zede­kiah. And at this day it is the fault and folly of Chri­stian Kings that suffer the grand Seignior of Rome to im­pose upon them, and that the Church of Rome is not ei­ther reduced to her primitive truth, and purity from which she is degenerated and brought to better confortymi­ty vvith the truly Holy, Catholick and Apostolick Church, or else demolished as the Jewish Synagogue vvas.

§ Gratian at his first entring finding all places full of Arrians, and the Laws of Valence his Unkle making for them, fearing some general Tumult, if he should pre­sently destroy so many, gave leave, That every Religion might have Churches and Oratories with Freedom and Im­munity. But being once settled and joyned with Theo­dosius, he commanded that all Heresies should keep silence for ever, as interdicted by the Law of God and Man, That none should any longer teach or learn prophance Doctrin. Cod. 1. Tit. 5. lege omnes.

The same prohibition did Arcadius and Honorius con­tinue with great severity: Let all Hereticks understand, that all places must be taken from them as well Churches as other places, and of private Houses also: In all which let them be debarr'd from service, both by night and by day; the Lord Deputy to be fined 100 l if he permit any such thing in sight or in secret. Ibid. lege cuncti. Theodosius the younger, and Valentinian his Cousin, comprising a long Bed-roll of sundry sorts of Heresies, appointed, That no where within the Roman Empire their Assemblies or Prayers be suffered, and that all Laws made to probibit their meeting should be revived and stand good everlastingly. Ibid. lege Ariani.

The Papists in the time of Queen Elizabeth wrote divers Books, and used many Arguments against the Oath of Supremacy, and for a Tolleration of their Religion; alledging the Examples of other Countries; and admo­mshing Her Majesty, that she must answer to God, not only for things done by her command and knowledg, but for what­soever is done unjustly by her Name and Authority, though she never knew thereof; but Her Majesty (respecting her duty, and account that she was to make to God of all things done in the flesh, whether they were good or evil) denied to bear the burden of their wicked abuses, and poi­soned errors; which no civil Magistrate can avoid, that permitteth their sinful Masses, and licenceth their wick­ed Rites, because the seeing and suffering their Impie­ties (having power to suppress and hinder them) is a plain consent, and in a manner an open Communion with their unfruitful works of darkness. The down­fall of Ely, a dear Servant of God (once a Judg in Israel) for Connivence only, and foolish Pity, (where [Page 80]even Bowels of Nature might seem, if not to dispence with severeties, yet to excuse his lenity) Scriptures have Registred for our warning and terror. And if Religion be not as meer a Fable as any in Aesop, the greatest Governments in the World will one day be call­ed to a most severe Account for their so doing.

§ That other Countries and Kingdoms otherwise affe­cted in Religion than themselves, were nevertheless con­tented to suffer their service vvithin their Dominions, prevailed not vvith Queen Eliz. she vvell considering, that their doings could be no warrant nor discharge for her who was not to imitate the Vices, but the Vertues of Princes. Besides that in such tolleration they did well, ought first to be proved before their Examples should be urged, as they were in her days. It being the duty of every Prince to consider and do what every Prince ought to do by Gods Law, and not regard what other Princes please to do what seemeth best in their own Eyes. And Her Majesty for so refusing to countenance their Religion deserved more countenance and protecti­on with God, and praise with Men, for that in guiding her people she rather embraced Christian Piety, than ir­religious policie, and chose rather to walk by Gods Pre­cepts, than by the ill Example of other Princes. Besides, Her Majesty well knew, that amongst the Germans and Hel­vetians (Examples in their Writings urged) many Dukes, Landt-graves, Marquesses, Counts, yea Bishops, Barons, Ab­bots, and Gentlemen had Regal Jurisdiction within their respective precincts: And it is no news to see divers Laws under divers Lords, and divers Religions under divers Regiments. As for any other Countries or Kingdoms (as Polonia, Hungaria, &c.) not able without Blood and War to reduce their Countries to the profession of [Page 81]the true Faith; neither may we reprove them as negligent, nor the Papists alledge them as warrantable Examples, since not their own sault, but other mens fore [...] keepeth them from attempting any redress by thei [...] Princely power, which the Nobles restrain, and th [...] Commons receive with this Proviso, that their accustom­ed freedom of conscience be no ways prohibited, nor interrupted. Other Examples of Turks, Pagans, Ar­rians, and the like, are unfit for Christians. David, Josiah, and other Kings of Judah, are to be imitated in this not Sarazins. Moses and other Holy Writers are very plain and positive against this dawbing with untem­pered Morter, Exod. 23.13, 32, 33. Deut. 12.2, 3. Deut. 13.6. Jor. 15.19. Deut. 12.10. Come out from among them, and be ye seperate, and touch not the unclean thing, and I will receive you, and will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my Sons and Daughters saith the Lord Almighty, 2 Cor. 6.17, 18. Levit. 36.12. Isa. 52. n. Was not the Church of Thyatira (otherwise beautified with many Graces) highly blamed for suffering the false Prophetess to teach, and to seduce. I know thy Works, and Charity, and Service, and Faith, and Patience, (all excellent Graces) notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that Woman Jezabel, which calleth her self a Prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit Fornication, and to eat things sacri­ficed unto Idols, Rev. 2.19, 20. which fearful Effects made Constantine to decree, That all Temples of Hereticks should without any denial be overthrown, and in no place publick or private should their Assemblies be suffered. Jo­vinianus resused to govern those that were not sound in Faith. Socrat. lib. 5. c. 1. The privateness of the place [Page 82]when the fact is ill, acquitteth not the doer from sin; nor excuseth the permitter from negligence. No cor­ner so secret, no Prison so close, but their Impieties there suffered do offend God, infect others, and confirm their own frowardness.

Private permission of error is unlawful as well as publick, if Popish Religion be good. Why should it lack Churches? If it be naught why should it have Cor­ners? St. Patil hath put in a Caviat against that slight of permitting, which in truth is consenting, Rom. 1. Ely reproved his Sons, yet was sharply punished of God for his Indulgence, which is all one with Connivance, 1 Sam. 2.22. St. John saith, He that receiveth into his house, or biddeth an Heretick God speed, is partaker of his evil deeds. Eph. 2, 10 11. How then can Kings bear with your Sacrilegious prophaning of the Lords Supper, and forbidding Gods own Word to be read, and licence the rest of your Impieties, and Blasphemies, and hope to be free from your plague? When Valentinian the younger was requested to wink at the renewing of an Alter for the Pagans in Rome; St. Ambrose disswaded him in these words. All men serve you that be Prmces, and you serve the Mighty God. He that serveth this God must bring no dissimulation, no Connivance, but saithful zeal, and de­votion; be must give no kind of consent to the worship of Idols, or other superstitious or prophane Ceremonies, for God will not be deceived nor mocked, who searcheth all things, even the secrets of our Hearts. Ambrose lib. 5. Ep. 30. Now what account will God exact for his Name blasphemed, his Word exiled and wrested, his Decalogue dockt, his Sacraments curtal'd and prophaned? And what answer must be made for the ruine of Faith, har­vest [Page 83]of sin, murder of Souls consequent always to the publick freedom of Idolatrous and Superstitious Worship and Heresies, which ought to be fully considered, and wilely prevented by Christian Magistrates, who must as well as the meanest of their Vassals give an account of their Stewardships when called thereunto at the day of their Account.

§ When Mary (afterwards Queen of England) ear­nestly besought her Brother King Ed. 6. both by her own Letters, and by the mediation of the Emperour, That she might have the free use of Mass in her Family, alledging her Conscience for it, that her House was her Flock, &c.: The King by his Council made answer, that it was well liked, that her Grace should have her House or Flock, but not exempt from the Kings Laws and Orders; neither may there be a Flock of the Kings Subjects, but such as will hear and follow the voice of the King their Shepherd: God disalloweth, Law and Reason forbiddeth it, Policy ab­horreth it, and her Honour may not require it: However, at her earnest intreaty and desire made in the Emperors Name, thus much was granted, and no more, that for his sake, and hers also, it should be suffered and winked at, if she had the private Mass used in her own Closet, for a season, until she might be better informed, whereof was some hope, having only with her a few of her own Chamber; so that for all the rest of her Houshold the Service of the Realm should be used, and no other. After this was granted in Words, the Emperors Ambassador desired some Testimony of the Pro­mise under the Great Seal, which being denied, he desired to have it by a Letter; which was also denyed, but not without shewing sound reasons, that he perceiving it to be [Page 84]denyed with Reason, wight be the better contented with the answer. But when there was ill use made of this Indul­gence and Connivance, her Chaplain taking too great a liberty by publick Celebration of the Mass out of her Presence, was sent for by the Council, imprison'd &c. for whom, though her Grace mediated by many carnest Letters, both to the King and his Council; yet did his Majesty signifie to her by a Letter dated 24. January 1550. That though he had for a while connived, that she might be brought as far towards the Truth by Brotherly love, as others were by Duty, and in hope of her amendment; yet now if there be no hope, why should there be sufferance? Alledging also, That his charge was to have the same care over every mans Estate, that every man ought to have over his own: And that in her own House, as she would be loath, openly to suffer one of her Servants, being next her, most manifestly to break her Orders; so must she think in his state, it would prejudice him to permit her so great a Subject not to keep his Laws, that her nearness to him in Blood, her greatness in Estate, and the condition of the Time made her fault the greater. The Example is unnatural, that our Si­ster should do less for us than our other Subjects, the Case standerous for so great a person to forsake our Majesty. And therefore 24. Aug. 1551. He sent Commissioners to sig­nifie to her, That His Majesty did resolutely determine it just, necessary and expedient, That her Grace should not in any ways use or maintain the private Mass; or any other manner of service than such as by the Law of the Realm was authorized and allowed. So resolure was this young Josiab, this Noble pious Prince, though his dear Sister, and the next Heir of the Crown, had divers times [Page 85]offered her Body at the Kings Will, rather than to change he rconscience.

§ Queen Eliz. as in other things, so in Religion, was according to her assumed Motto semper endem, never suf­fering the least Innovdtion thereof; and therefore, as in the first Year of her Reign, she took great care that those, Protestants which then began to frame a new Eeclesiasti­cal Poliey, being transported with a humour of Inno­vation, should be repressed betimes; and that but one only Religion was to be tollerated, Angli Bello in trepidi nec mottis sensu dete­rentur. lest diver­sity of Relig ons amongst the English (a stout and Warlike Nation) might minister conti­nual Fuel to Seditions: So in the Second Year of her Reign, when the Emperor and Ca­tholick Princes by many Letters made earnest inter cession, that the Bishops and other Ecclesiasticks dis­placed for refusing the Oath of Supremacy (which not­withstanding most of them had Sworn unto and taught in their Sermons, and writ in defence thereof in the Reign of King H. 8. might be mercifully dealt withall, (there being, as themselves had written and calculated, above 9400. Ecclesiastical orefer ments, and not above 189. displaced, whereof 14 were Bishops) & that Churches might be allowed to the Papists by themselves in Cities; she an­swered:

§ Of the same opinion was King James Anno 1596. in the Case of Huntley Angus, and Arrol, Popish Lords, who though they would have betrayed the Kingdom to the Spaniard; yet the King being willing afterwards to have them return, (though Guilt had made them Fugi­tives) and being returned, the King writ thus to Huntley, viz. ‘My Lord, I am sure you consider, and do remem­ber, how often I have incurred Skaith and hazard for your cause; therefore to be short, resolve you either to satisfie the Church betwixt that day that is appoint­ed, without any more delay, or else if your Consci­ence be so Kittle, as it cannot permit you, make for another Land betwixt this and that day, where you may use freely your own Conscience, your Wife and Barnes sholl in that Case enjoy your Living, but fo [...] your self look never to be a Scottish Man again; de­ceive not your self to think by lingring of time your Wife, and your Allys, shall ever get you better Condi­tions: And think not, that I will suffer any professing a contrary Religion to dwell in this Land.’

Afterwards when His Majesty came to the Crown of England, which was May 14. 1602. he declared to his Parliament there 19. May 1603. Li c. p. 1 ‘That the Po­pish point of Doctrin is that Arrogant and Am­bitious Supremacy of their Head the Pope, whereby he not only claims to be Spiritual Head of all Christians, but also to have an Imperial civil power over all Kings and Emperors, dethroning and decrowning Princes with his Foot as pleaseth him, and dispensing and dispo­sing [Page 90]of all Kingdoms and Empires at his appetite. The other point which they observe in continual practise, is the Assassinates and Murders of Kings, thinking it no sin, but rather a matter of Salvation to do all Actions of Rebellion and Hostility against their natural Sove­reign Lord, if he be once accursed, his Subjects dis­charged of their fidelity, and his Kingdom given a Prey by the Three Crowned Monarch, or rather Monster their Head.’

Which Positions of theirs the Gun-powder-traitors, within Two Years after made good, after which time he was not only willing, whilst he lived, that we should pray to God as was done in the days of Great Eliz. that he would keep us from all Papistry, and that he would preserve us from the Pope as well as from the Turk, in as much as the Pope laboured to dethrone Christ, as well as the Turk did; but he required further of us: That we should pray God to strengthen his Hands, and the Hands of his Nobles and Magistrates in the Land to out off the Pa­pists, In the Prayer to be made 5. Novemb. for the Gun-pow­der-treason. to root them out of the Confines and Li­mits of the Kingdom; protesting in Parliament, that he could not permit the increase and growth of Popery, without betraying the li­berty both of England and Scotland, and of the Crown in his posterity, and did declare in his Speech in Parliament 1605. That none of those that truly know and believe the whole Grounds and School-Conclusions of their Doctrins can ever prove-good Christians or good Sub­jects. Vide his Works 504. Nay farther, in the Second Year of his Reign ter' tr' upon a false rumor being spread, that His Majesty intended to grant a Tolleration to Pa­pists; he commanded all the Judges, with divers of the [Page 91]greatest Nobility, viz. Lord Chancellor, Lord Treasu­rer, and to Assemble in the Star-Chamber to receive their opinions upon these and other points; at which time the Lords severally declared, how the King was discontent­ed with the said false Rumor, and had made but the day before a protestation unto them, that he never intended it, and that he would spend the last drop of Blood in his Body before he would do it: And prayed, that before any of his Issue should maintain any other Religion than what he truly professed and maintained, that God would take them out of the World. Vide Sir George Crokes Re­ports part. 2. ter. tr. Anno 2 Jac. Reg. in Banco Regis.

§ When a Match with Spain was propounded to King James for Prince Charles, and there with an Article defired for a Tolleration of the Popish Religion, which when King James had propounded to the Arch-Bishop of Canterbury, 1623. the Arch-Bishop did write his Sen­timents of King James; in which Letter He besought His Majesty to take into his consideration, what your Act is, and what the Consequence may be by your Act; you labour to set up the most Damnable and Heretical Doctrine of the Church of rome, the Whore of Babilon. How hateful it will be to God, and grievous to the good Subjects, the professors of the Gospel, that your Majesty, who hath often disputed, and learnedly written against those, should now shew your self a Patron of those wicked Doctrins, which your Pen hath told the World, and your Conscience tells your self, are Superstitious, Idolatrous and Detestable. Besides this Tolleration which you endeavour to set up by your Proclama­mation, cannot be done without a Parliament, unless your Majesty will let your Subjects see that you will take unto your self ability to throw down the Laws of the Land at your [Page 92]pleasure, &c. prout. King James not long after, viz 23. Ap. 1624. returns this Answer to a Petition of his Parlia­ment touching Recusants, viz. What my Religion is, my Books declare, my profession and my behaviour do shew; and I hope in God I shall never live to be thought otherwise; sure I am, I shall never deserve it: And for my part I wish that it might be written in Marble, and remain to posterity as a mark upon me, when I shall swerve from my Religion; for he that doth dissemble withy God, is not to be trusted by Man. My Lords, Ip rotest before God, my Heart hath bled, when I have heard of the increase of Opery; and God is my Judg, it hath been so great a grief unto me, that it hath been like Thorns in my Eyes, and Pricks in my sides, so far have I been, and ever shall be, from turning any other way. And my Lords and Gentlemen, you all shall be my Confessors, if I knew any way better than other to hinder the growth of Popery I would take it, and he cannot be an honest man, who knowing as I do, and being perswaded, as I am, would do otherwise.

The Romish Catholicks for want of this liberty and tollerance in the time of Queen Eliz. and since have made and written many bitter Complaints and Inve­ctives against the Rigour of our Penal Laws &c. Rex Talionis. I could requite them by commemorating the flames they kindled in England to burn their Brethren to dust: How Pius Qintus conferred England on Phi­lip II. King of Spain, and approved as an Act law­ful by Azorius. Instit. Mor. part. 2. lib. 11. c. 5. And how many Princes they have displaced, poisoned and murdered.

The Holy House which the Friars have planted in spain, resembling the Torments of Nero his Garden, the Massa­cres of Provence, Piedmont of old, and of late, and of Paris, where they murdered Men, Women and Chil­dren by Thousands, against the very Grounds off all E­quity, Piety, Charity, and Humanity, without Con­victing, Accusing, or so much as Calling them before any Judg, to hear what was misliked in them. And when was any of this put in Execution, some of it, even the 24 Aug. 1572. the very Year that Charles IX. the French King pretending great kindness to the Protestants, had in Testimony thereof desired a Confederacy at Blois with Queen Eliz. and the Princes of Germany in favour of them, whom notwithstanding he had secretly and treacherously designed to the flaughter: For no sooner were the Articles of Confederacy agreed on, (which was the 11th. of April) and confirmed by Oath by the Queen at Westminster 15. May in the presence of Montmo. rency, stiled the first Christian Prince, and accounted the most Noble Family of all france; who also again earnestly sollicited the Marriage with the Duke of Anjou; but for that they could not agree about the Exercise of Religion, he hasted into France to the Marriage of Henry of Navarre, and Madam Margarite the French Kings Si­ster. To this Marriage, in pursuance of the said Bloody Design, were invited the Queen of Navarre, and all the choicest of the Protestants, and also Burleigh and Leicester our of England, (pretending Honour to them) and the Palatine Elector's Sons out of Germany, that be­ing brought into the snare, both they, and with them the Protestant Evangelical Religion, might with one stroak, if not have had their Throats cut, yet at least [Page 94]receive a Mortal Wound: For no sooner was the Mar­riage Solemnized, but that barbarous Massacre of Paris, and the Bloody Butchering of the Protestants throughout the Cities of France, upon men of all Estates, was cur­sedly put in Execution, and that within Two days after. Mota: Fennelon the French Ambassador had propounded the Marriage between Queen Eliz. and the Duke of An­jou at Kenelworth. Camb. Elisab. 162. Which consider­ed, I annot but wonder to hear you thus complaining at the Fatherly Chastisement wherewith this Realm seeketh your amendment, and sucketh not your Blood. Com­pare the penalties which you fret at, with the Laws of former Emperours, and you will see how easie they are in respect of their ancient Edicts; ‘which restrain­ed such as did forbear to communicate with the Church of Christ from buying, selling, disposing, be­queathing Goods or Lands by will or otherwise, yea from receiving any Legacies, or enjoying their Fathers Inheritance, the place where Schismatical Service was faid, Chappel or House to be forfeited, and the Bishop and Clergy-man to pay 16 l. weight in Gold, or to be banished. God. l. 1. Tit. 5. Mamcheos Ibid. 8. Cuncti. St. Augustin Ep. 48.’ When it was expected, by reason of the goodness of his Nature, that he should mediate for some of these penalties to be released, gave this quick and smart answer: Nay, marry let Princes in Gods Name serve Christ in making Laws for Christ.

§ It was, in the days of Queen Eliz. objected, That for want of the Exercise of a Religion, many sorts want things necessary to Salvation, and many are forced to things which Bring Damnation. Sol. We do not know what those things necessary to Salvation are, which this [Page 95]Realm wanteth. Receive with meekness the Word that is grafted in you, which is able to save your Souls, 1. Jam. 21. So long as we refuse no part of the Gospel, which is the power of God for the Salvation of every Believer, Rom. 1.16. all other Wants signifie little. St. Paul doth war­rant us, That the Scriptures are able to direct and instruct Salvation by Faith in Christ Jesus, 2 Tim. 3.15, 16. less we believe not, more we need not, dream you what you list of Salvation and Damnation. The Comfort of the Scriptures shall nourish our Hopes, Rom. 15. It is you, not we, that keep back half the Communion one of the Commandments, and the publikc use of the Scripture, the very Rule and Guide to Salvation.

§ It grieves you sore, As lawful for Prote­stants as Papists to compel. that any of your Tribe should be invited against their Wills to frequent our Sacraments or Service, and that any mans Conscience should be forced: Then why did you force Numbers with extream violence to recant, and forswear the perswasion of their Faith? What Reason can you bring that you may compel others, and none must compel you? Where got you that exemption? or if Compulsion be lawful for both sides alike: Why storm ye so much at our easie penalties, and those seldom or never put in execution, when your selves are justly charged with many cruel, and unchristian Butcheries and Tragedies? your Inquisiting, your Burning, your Murdering of Thousands, without any refpect of Inno­cent or Ignorant, is indeed very lamentable. This kind of compelling which Queen Eliz. used, and out Laws still prescribe, cannot be denyed to be Charitable, and to be resembleable to that Co-action, which the Seri­ptures [Page 96]commend in Josiah, which the most virtuous Em­perours followed in the Primitive Church, and which St. Austin, upon deep debating the cause, found allow­ed by God himself as the chiefest point of that Ser­vice which he requireth of Christian Princes. As much as they are troubled with Compulsion, when it is used against themselves, yet they can glory in it when they use it against others; Witness Peter Damesius the French Kings Ambassador to the Council of Trent, who in his solemn Oration to that Synod, vapoured, that the Kings of France had never suffered any Sect in any part of France, nor any but Catholicks; yea, have procured the conversion of Strangers, Idolaters and Hereticks, and have constrained them with pious Arms to profess the true and sound Religion, (rectius Heresie.) He shew­ed how Childibert compelled the Visigothes (who were Arrians) to joyn themselves to the Catholick Church; and how Charles the Great made Wars 30 Years with the Saxons to reduce them to Christian Religion. Cons. Tr. 186. Our Sacraments, Service and Sermons, are re­formed according to the Constat of Christs Will and Testa­ment, and therefore ought to be used and frequented, and persons may be compelled to frequent them.

To come yet nearer home, & unto our own days; What are the persecutions of the Hugonots & Hungarians at this day, but Compulsions, & those contrary to several Edicts, Agreements and Sanctions of their Princes, which there­by (besides their just right derived from God himself) become their just due, and ought as Inviolably to be kept as well on the Princes as on the Subjects part. God never brake his Covenant made with his people; and Princes ought as solemnly in this to Imitate their God, [Page 97]and their Lord, whose Vice-gerents they are, and ought not to transgress or go beyond their Commission. No­thing of this kind can ever be claimed from, or object­ed justly against our Protestant Kings or Parliaments. I will not look far back, nor mention those solemn cursed Oaths some of our European Princes have taken to de­stroy and extirpate Hereticks, . e. Protestants Root and Branch.

I shall here only call to mind the Edicts of Nantez. made by H. 4. as a particular Irrevocable fundamental Law. In pursuance whereof Commissioners were sent into all Provinces to execute the same, which being done in due form, the Commissioners returned the Execution thereof into the Hands of the King to serve as a Rule and Standard in all future Debates which might happily arise on that Subject. Now to tell of all the violations of this Edict at the Instigation of the Jesuitical Clergy would fill a Volume, therefore I shall stint it to a few of many.

New Commissioners since 1660. being Commissioned, are commanded to Execute the Acts of Council made in Consequence of that Edict, which are no other than so many violations of the same. The Council Anno 1662. past an Act, that the Protestants shall not be admitted before the Commissioners to prove the right for the Ex­ercise of their Religion by Inquests or Witnesses, even although the Witnesses be Roman Catholicks, where­by they have lost near Three parts of Four of all their Churches.

Provence, which had 15 or 16. Churches, is now redu­ced to 4. Grex which had 23 Churches hath now but 2. In all Bretaigne remains but 2. High and low Languedock [Page 98]are reduced to half their Number. Poictu which had 61 indisputable Churches, is now reduced to 13. by an Act of 6. August 1665. and so of divers other Pro­vinces.

By which means the Protestant Religion suffers more than by any Parisian Vespers: the Protestants being ne­cessitated either to live without any publick Exercise of their Religion, or through infinite dangers and incon­veniencies to wander 50. or 60. Miles distant from them.

One Act of Council hath robbed them of the liberty of praising God by forbidding singing of Psalms, even privately in their Houses. May 6. 1659. March 17. 1663.

Another Act hath deprived them of the comfort of paying their last duty to their Dead with any conve­niency; compelling them to bury clandestinely, and in the night. Inhumanity heyond that of Heathens. 7. Aug. & 3. Novemb. 1662.

Another hath divested Protestant Magistrates, what ever be their charge or quality of the priviledge of pre­siding in their Courts. Soct. 1663.

Another hath taken away all means of Instructing and Educating cheir Children, leaving them at most (and that only in some places) the smaller Schools, where is only taught to Write, Read, Compt; as if study of Religion were incompatible with the study of Humane Sciences. 26. Eeb. 1663.

Another hath restrained the liberty of Printing any Book in favour of the Religion without obtaining an Im­primatur from the Kings Council, and how likely they are to obtain that is not hard to guess. 29. Jan. 1663.

Another ordaineth Parents to give Pensions to their Children who turn Papists, although the Children will not dwell with them. Declaration 24. Oct. 1663. and Acts of Council 30. Jan. 1665. As if paternal Authority were nulled by Childrens Apostacy; forgetting, that Christian Religion doth not absolve Slaves from their Sub­jection to their Masters, yet Dominus Deus vester Papa can discharge Children of their obedience which they owe to their Parents of the Protestant Religion.

Another prohibits the Exercise of Charity towards their Brethren, who have no sufficiency of their own for their livelyhood. 5. Oct. 1663.

Another dischargeth payment of Debts by those of the Commonalty who shall turn Papists. The very Heathens never pretended that those Christians who did but Apostatize to them, should be discharged from pay­ment of their Debts.

Another prohibits Ministers to preach without the place of their residence, thereby depriving them of the bene­fit of Annexation, i. e. the priviledge of one Ministers supplying Two Churches, which singly are not able to afford a compleat maintenance. 22. Feb. 1664.

Another giveth liberty to Priests and Fryars to enter their Houses, and come unto their Bed-sides when sick or dying to sollicite them to change their Religion. 18. Sept. 1664. & 12. May 1665.

Another maketh it criminal in Ministers to style them­selves Pastors or Ministers of the Word of God. Nay, they have regulated the very Garments of Ministers; for­bidding them to wear a long Garment, that they may have no Character of distinction from the peasants. 30. Jan. 1663.

In the Declaration of pretended Relapses 1663. rati­fied in Parliament 7. Jan. 1663. It is ordained, that those of the Religion who have once embraced the Po­pish Religion shall never again return unto it under pain of perpetual Banishment. A thing plainly contrary to the Edict: Yet they have given it a retrospective and re­troactive power to execute it against persons who be­came of the Religion long before the Declaration was in being; and accordingly have proceeded against some whom they have imprisoned, compelled to do penance (by going Bare-foot and Bare-headed through the streets with a burning Torch to the place of Justice, or person offended, and there to ask forgiveness) and then Ba­nished the Kingdom.

I could cloy the Readers with like severities us (que) ad nauseam, but I forbear, having no other design by this brief Narrative but only to give a tast of the difference of severities, which we use here, and which are used against us abroad in our Neighbour Nations, without going farther into Germany, Hungary, Poland, and o­ther Popish Countries. Vide the Me­moirs of the King of Swe­den to the Em­perour. Let William Watson the Secular Priest conclude for our Justifica­tion, viz That all the sufferings brought upon the Papists here in England, was the due re­ward for their own demerits: Which Axiome is as compleatly true now, as it was in his days.

Now, what hope can we have to speed better than our Neighbours, who only want power to do as much for us? but I proceed.

As in the days of Queen Eliz. so now they begin to play their old tricks over again, and would fain perswade us, that there is a Generation of them that are faithful [Page 101]and dutiful Subjects to this Crown, (whatsoever others of the same Communion are) and therefore plead hard for Indulgence and Tolleration above their Fel­lows; F. 5. As that they disown the Paramount and Omnipotent Powers attributed to the Pope in many particu­lars, and look upon it as a grievance, rather than a right belonging to him, and complain and wish for remedy; that they will stand with the King, his Crown and Rega­lity in some Cases by them named, 6 and in all others in all points to live and dye with them. They farther con­ceive that it is the right of every National Church to pro­vide for the particular concerns thereof, and yet confesses, that it is not for her safety to receive those who do not be­lieve as she doth. It is there owned, F. 7. ( yet not with­out a Peradventure) that the Church of England hath preserved the face of a continued Mission, and un-in­terrupted Ordination, that her moderation in Doctrin is great, that her disciple preserves Episcopal Government, that she abhors Phanaticisme, and the wild Errors of a pri­vate Spirit, that though she hold the Scripture to be the Rule of Controversie, yet holds withall, that it is not of pri­vate interpretation, and that she is for Vincentius Lyrinen­sis Rule, quod ab omnibus, quod semper quod ubi (que) that the Papists upon many occasions have been found as faithful to the State as any of their fellow Sub­jects. At last this Diologist P. takes pet, F. 15.33. that the seasonable discourse accounts the Protestant Religion excellent, and the Popish full of stupidity, which though granted, yet he argues, may we not therefore be permitted to say our Prayers in private, which is all the Indulgence allowed us? and that sure it is no part of the Protestant [Page 102]Church to hinder others from being as good as they can, and the worse our Religion is, the more need we have of praying to make us better.

A great Courtier I must confess, and hath complement­ed us highly to his own ends and advantage, yet with lit­tle Injury to us; which though I cannot so courtly re­turn in its own kind without flattering; yet I modestly wish, that all the Papists were no worse minded: And yet if they were, I do not know that this State were the more secure. This very Scene was acted in Queen Eliz. days, as I have shewed before, and their own Books, which are very numerous, and very full of such acknow­ledgments and disclamours; and yet some of the same Leaven for their unfaithfulness to her and this Crown came with the first unto untimely ends, and that deserv­edly. I will hope better of these of this Generation, presuming they will take warning by other mens harms. However, I presume this State will be as wise now as they were in her days, and trust to neither, for that the more secure we are of the one, the less safe we are from the other. The Seculars and Regulars in her days con­fessed much more, viz. That though they disliked the seve­rity of her Laws, yet could not but acknowledg, that the State had great cause to make such, except they should have shewed themselves careless, and though the Laws were very extreme, yet the occasions of them were very outragious; and like­wise, that the Execution of them was not so Tragical as many did write and report. Import. Consider. f. 11. A Letter from a Jesuited Gent. f. 65, 66. Dialogue between a Secular Priest, and a Lay. Gent. sparing discovery, and others, sparsim.

In Queen Eliz. days such of the Papists who though they did not forbear to profess Loyalty and Obedience to Her Majesty, and were ready to resist any Forrein force, though Authorized from the Pope himself, (as this Dialogist pretends now to do:) None of this sort were for their Religion prosecuted, or charged with any crimes or pains of Treason. And this I shall demon­strate in point of fact, by instancing of some few of ve­ry many of the better sort, (for of the more ordinary sort they were sans nombre) not unfit to be taken no­tice of; as by name Dr. Heth, that was Arch-Bishop of York, and Lord Chancellor of England, in Queen Maries days, who at the first coming of Queen Eliz. to the Crown, shewing himself a faithful and quiet Subject con­tinued in both the said Offices, though in Religion then manifestly differing, and was not restrained of his li­berty, nor deprived of his proper Lands and Goods; but willingly leaving both his Offices, lived in his own House very discreetly, and injoyed all his purchased Lands, and disposd of them as he pleased at his death: An Example of Clemency not to be parallel'd in Queen Maries time. The like did Dr. Poole Bishop of Peter-borough: Dr. Tunstall Bishop of Duresme: Dr. White and Dr. Oglethorpe Bishops, the one of Winchester, the other of Carlisle, who was so inclined to dutifulness to the Queen, that he did the Office of Consecration and Coronation of Her Majesty: And Dr. Thurleby, and Dr. Watson, the one of Ely, the other of Lincoln Bishops, and so Turbervile Bishop of Exeter; all which lived at their own liberty, without being charged with any Capi­tal peine, though they maintained the Popes Authority against the Laws of the Realm: Some Abbots did the [Page 104]like, as Mr. Fecknam: Some Deans, as Dr. Boxall, Dean of Windsor: Dr. Cole, Dean of St. Pauls: Dr. Reignold, Dean of Exeter, and many others, having born Offices and Dignities in the Church, and that had made profession against the Pope, which they only be­gan in Queen Maries time to change; yet were these ne­ver troubled nor deprived of their proper Goods and Livelyhoods; but only removed from their Ecclesiastical Offices, which they would not Exercise according to the Laws, and most of them, and many others of their sort, for a great time were retained in Bishops Houses very civily and courteously, without charge to themselves or their friends, untill the time that the Pope ( Phalaris like) sent out his roaring Bull, dated 5. Calend. Mart. 1569. 5. Papatus Pij Quint. and his bellowing Messages to trouble this Realm by stirring Rebellion about the same year, being about 11 Years after Her Majesties coming to the Crown. Besides these Ecclesiasticks, there were also very many Lay-men of good Fortunes and Families that were manifestly seduced by their Priests to hold wrong opinions in Religion for the Popes Authority, and none of them were ever impeached of Treason, or of loss of Life, Member, or Inheritance, for such their opinions in Religion, or for the Popes Authority alone, as our most impudent Adversaries have often publish­ed, F. 5. and yet some of them were well known to hold opinion, That the Pope ought by Authority of Gods Word to be Supreme, and only Head of the Catholick Church over the whole World, and only to rule in all Causes Ecclesiastical; and that the Queens Majesty ought not to be Governour over any of her Subjects in her Realm, being persons Ecclesiastical; which opinions are [Page 105]nevertheless in some part by the Laws of this Nation pu­nishable in other Degrees; yet for none of these points were any persons prosecuted with the Crime of Treason, or brought in danger of life, but enjoyed their Religion in private with Connivance, though not with Tollera­tion and Abetting, and so they have done ever since even unto the very day this Dialogist writ his Dialogue, with as much freedom and liberty: Nay, with more, than have our other dissenting Brethren, (who differ in Disci­pline and Ecclesiastical Government only, not in Do­ctrin) without having their Consciences raked into by Six bloody Articles, or any Oaths: And if any thing of more than ordinary severity hath lately befallen them, they may thank their own most implacable and restless Spirits for it: And if any of the same Communion be­ing of more quiet, and moderate Temper and Humour, and better principled, do suffer thereby, they ought in all Justice to do as the Seculars in Queen Eliz. days did, and place the blame on the fiery tempers of that Crudele genus of some their own Colleagues that have brought this upon them, and not to blame us or our Laws, who in all prudence ought to provide for the safety and quiet of our selves and of our own Religion by wholsom Laws, be displeased therewith who will.

Now were Papists in Queen Eliz. days the quieter or better Subjects for those 12 Years Indulgence, Conni­vance, Favours and princely Graces or the Queen in any manner the more secure in her person, or quiet in her Dominions? Let be Judg that Bull of Prius Quintus, together with the Popes Commission granted to Dr. Sanders as Legate, (who before his passing into Ireland openly by writing, Impudently avowed that Bull against [Page 106] Her Majesty to be lawful, and which for ought I know is in force to this day against all her Successors, (if any Pope please to have it so) and together with the Facul­ties granted by the Pope unto P. P. Robert Parsons, and Edmund Campion at Rome, 14. Apr. 1580. then going for England, and together with the Confession of Hart, who (being Condemned with Campion) did the last of December 1580. confess, That the Bull of Pius Quintus (for so much as is against the Queen) is held amongst the English Catholicks for a lawful sentence, 25. Feb. 1570. and a sufficient discharge of her Subjects fidelity, and so remaineth in force; but in some points touching her Subjects it is altered by the present Pope. For where in that Bull all her Subjects are commanded not to obey her, and she being Excommunicate and Deposed, all that do obey her are likewise innodate and Accursed, which point is perilous to the Catholicks; for if they obey her, they are within the verge of the Popes Curse; if they disobey her, they are in the Queens danger; therefore the present Pope to relieve them hath altered that part of the Bull, and dispensed with them to obey or serve her without peril of Excommunication, which Dispensation is to endure but till it please the Pope otherwise to determine. We thank his Holiness. This Bull did Import, 1. That Her Majesty was not the law­ful Queen of England; the first and highest point of Trason. 2. That all her Subjects are discharged of all their Oaths and Obedince; another point of high Treason. 3. All warranted to disobey her and her Laws.

This was the proper and natural product of 12 Years Indulgence and Connivance with much moderation, and many savours, and from this Root sprang all the subse­quent [Page 107]Treasons (in Queen Eliz. days, and since, and will be again if not prevented) of Northumberland, West­moreland, Parsons, Parry, Throgmorton, Somervile, Stewke­ley, Saunders, cum multis aliis. A special Argument and Motive I must confess (and well becoming P. the Dialogist, when he hath no better) to perswade King and Parliament to give new and fresh Indulgence to the Papists, that they might with the better Grace, and more Authority impune peccare.

As to this pitiful begging Argument of this P. viz. That because many of them deny much of the Popes Authority; therefore they should have Tol­leration now; I shall only apply matter of Fact, viz. the chiefest and most of them that I have na­med, had in the times of H. 8. and E. 6. either by preaching, writing, reading or arguing, taught all people to condemn, yea to abhor the Authority of the Pope; for which purpose they had many times given their Oaths publickly against the Popes Authority, and had also yielded to both the said Kings the Title of Su­preme Head of the Church of England, next under Christ, and yet they refused to allow Queen Eliz. the Title of Supreme Governor, though to gratifie them she omitted the very Title of Supreme Head at the begin of her Reign, and this is demonstrable by many of their Books and Sermons against the Popes Authority printed both in English and Latin to their great shame and reproach to change so often, but especially in persecuting such in Queen Maries days, whom themselves had taught and established to hold the contrary in H. 8. days; a sin bordering on the sin against the Holy Ghost, scarce to be forgiven. And [Page 108]shall we be gull'd again by such Sophisters. Was Queen Eliz. ever the more safe in her person? or her Domini­ons the more secure from Troubles, Insurrections, or Rebellions, because some few protested Loyalty? Let all Impartial Histories, and their and our own Memories be Judg. Come out of their fellowship, and you will not partake of their plagues; else they that will ship them­selves with the Devil must Sail with him

But why trouble I my self, or the Readers with this frivolous Argument, when it cannot be the least dust in the Ballance to perswade? That upon this Dialogist, War­rant, or only Intimation rather, he and his Seculars (and who those are we know not, and not possible for us to distinguish) shall use loyal and peaceable beha­viours; nay, what if they should be as good as their Word, deny the Popes Exorbitant powers, and swear Allegiance maugre the Popes Mandates to the contrary? Is this an Argument prevalent enough to perswade us to nurse and nuzzle up the Popes Imps, (whose Seeds-men and Legates are both Priests and Jesuits) and suffer him that hath already cursed Her Majesties person, and in her all her Successors, removed her Crown, discharged her Subjects, invaded her Dominions, In the days of H. 8. the Earl of Desmond profered Ireland to the French King, (the Instru­ment whereof yet re­mains upon Record in the Court at Paris) and the Pope after­wards transferred the Title of all our King­doms unto Charles the 5th. which by new Grents was con [...]i [...]tect unto his Son Philip in the days of Queen Eliz. with a resoluti­on to settle this Crown upon the Spanish In­fanta. Bishop Ushe. s Spech at Dublin, f. 12. and given them away to others, and now to suffer them to steal from our Kings and Queens their peoples Hearts, and reonile them to that Mother of Abominations, that dares call light dark­ness, and darkness light, dock Commu­nions and Decalogues, and worship I­dols, whole Brow is Brass and whose Heart is harder than the neather Mill­stone, [Page 109]that hearing, will not hear, and seeing, will not see, nor understand; charm the Charmer never so wisely, ne­ver so sweetly, and all this under the vi­zard of Catholick Religion, and feigned Devotion, which in truth is nothing less, but is superstitious, Idolatrous and Abominable, the Tolleration and Allowance of which cannot possibly be Indulged, without manifest breach of Gods Law (against which there is no plea or excuse to be allowed) joyned with the subversion of the Crown and Royal State. For how is it possible that light should agree with darkness, God and Belial, Christ and Anti­christ? the same Moment any persons is reconciled to Rome, the same Moment he is become a sworn Votary and Vassal to Rome, subject to another head.

Were this humble Petition and desire only for Earth­ly and not Heavenly things, and did it not concern Christs Glory, but the Indempnity of our Kings and people, what a pittiful toy is it for a few Friars well versed in the Arts of Equivocation to think themselves meet Pledges and Hostages for the security of so great a Prince and people. Submission to God, and your Prince would be more preswasive and authentique, and would better become you. It is not enough to renounce the exorbitant powers claim'd by the Pope, except withall you renounce the idolatrous Worship of Rome, and her Doctrins of Infallibility, and of probability, of Transub­stantiation; Demy-Communions; praying in an un­known Tongue; debarring the people the use of the Bible, and a thrave of other false and Heretical Doctrins and practises; having only lowd and bawling Im­pudence [Page 110]for their Justification, without either Sense, Rea­son or Scripture.

The most Honourable and Grave Sages of this Na­tion understand you so well, that I believe you find they will not easily be cheated with kanting words or specious pretences, made use of only to obumbrate and shadow the clearness of their long and grounded Experience, pur­chased by clear demonstration, and matter of Fact at the dearest rate and expence of Blood and Treasure. I do heartily joyn Issue with this Dialogist, and believe as he doth, That it is not for the safety of our Church to receive those who do not believe as we do. In this we are good Friends; but I doubt he will be as angry with me, as with the seasonable discourser, for accounting the Po­pish Religion to be Superstitious, Idolatrous and Absurd; and the Protestant to be the True, Antient, and Aposto­lick Religion: Neither shall I much differ with him in some other of his Concessions, viz. That it is the right of every National Church to provide for the particular concerns thereof, and (and without his Peradventure) that the Church of England hath preserved the face of a continued Mission, and uninterrupted Ordination, (which is impossi­ble for the Romanists to do, their Doctrin of Intention being allowed for currant) that her moderation in Do­ctrin is great, that her Discipline preserves Episcopal Go­vernment. He concludes, may we not therefore (because the Popish Religion is accounted stupid) be permitted to say our prayers in private, which is all the Indulgence al­lowed us, and that sure it is no part of the goodness of the Protestant Church to hinder others from being as good as they can, and the worse our Religion is, the more need we have of praying to make us better.

§ As it is no part of our Doctrin to hinder prayers and devotions, ( that are in truth so according to Christs Con­stat) or men to be as good as they can; so it is no part of our practise, and it looks too like a slan­der to intimate it; and it is our belief, that the worse the men and their Religion are, the more need they have of their own and other mens prayers to make them better, but then they must be made to God, and his Son, and not to Pictures and Images, nor yet to Stocks and Stones, and those in a Language to themselves Intelli­gible.

It is is indeed the desire and design of our Souls, that being converted our selves to strengthen our Brethren, and to hinder some scabbed Sheep from infecting the rest of the whole Flock, to hinder the traficking of your private Idolatrous Masses, or the feeding His Majesties best Subjects with Fragments of Communions, or to mock the weaker Brethren with prayers not understood, or weary them with ridiculous Gestures, and to binder the giving the Glory that is due to God unto Stocks and Stones; Prayers understood or not understood to Saints, Pictures, and Idols, Ave Maries and Beads, Agnus Dei's, and such Abominations which will never prevail with God for Blessings, but will rather pull down his Cur­ses and Judgments upon you. Prayers to God and his Son are by God commanded, and are acceptable to him without dispute; to Wafers, Saints and Pictures, are not so; it being indisputable Idolatry to give Di­vine Honour to a Creature, to a Wafer God, that Dogs, Mice and Rats may eat.

Do but what our Saviour undeniably did, viz. break and give to all, Mat. 26.26, 27, 28. that all may be par­takers one Bread, 1 Cor. 10.16, 17. Di­vide the Cup that all may drink thereof: Do that which he commanded to be done, who first ordained this My­stery: Do that which St. Paul received of the Lord, and delivered to the Church of Corinth, 1 Cor. 11.23, 24, 25. Do that, I say, which the Primitive Church of Christ always did, and you need not doubt of publick Allowance, nor of publick places and oratories. Do not make your selves wiser than God himself, by putting a Padlock on the Scriptures which Christ hath command­ed every man to search, for in them ye think to have Eter­nal Life, and they are they which testifie of me, John 5.39. and which was taught Timothy from a Child, and are able to make wise unto Salvation through Faith, which is in Christ Jesus, and is profitable for Doctrin, for Re­proof, for Correction, for instruction in Righteousness, that the man of God may he perfect, throughly furnished unto all good Works, 1 Tim. 3.15, 16, 17. Do not go about to rob God of his Glory, by denying the Work of his own hands, and the Redeemed of his own Blood, the Efficacy of the Scriptures, with the assistance of his Spi­rit; not us of our Senses, as if we could not distinguish Bread from Flesh, or the Juice of the Grape from the Blood of Christ: Do not substract from Gods own De­calogue one of his own Commandments; under the pain of Eternal Damnation add 14 new Articles to the Apostles Creed, which squint more at belief in the Pope and Papal Definitions, than towards God and his Word, lest ye Incur the plagues denounced against such Arith­metick, and your part in the Book of Life be taken away, [Page 113] Rev. 22.18, 19. Neither be of those many which corrupt the Word of God; but as of sincerity; but as of God in the sight of God speake and write in Christ, 2 Cor. 2.17.

These few of many are sins so gross, that they go o­pen before to Judgment, and are as manifest as the Deeds of the Flesh, which are Adultery, Fornication, Ʋn­cleanness, Lasciviousness, Idolatry, Murders, Revelings, &c. Gal. 5.19, 20, 21. which both God and Nations abhor and make Laws against, and Prohibitions; so that none can be deceived, but such as are given up to a reprobate sense, and unto strong delusions to believe Lies, 1 Thes. 2.11.

§ It is true, you have reconciled some Proselytes unto your Church, (which hath made both King and Parlia­ment so Industrious, to preserve the rest from Infection and Seducements) and by so doing you have made them two fold more the Children of Hell than they were before, meer Samaritans, Worshippers of they know not what; whereby we have lost little, and you have not got much: For indeed it matters little what Religion Men profess, if they live not according to to the Decalogue. It is neither Circumcision nor Ʋncircumcision, Gal. [...]: 9. but a new Creature that availeth, Gal. 6.15. For no man either knows or believes in God otherwise than the Devils do, that doth not keep his Commandments: And God knows the love of men towards him, only by their keeping of his Commandments, and by abstaining from that black Catalogue of sine Recorded Gal. 5.19. [...] without Ho­liness it is impossible ever to see the face of [...] comfort. I know no medium between a Saint and [...] Purgatory b [...]tween Heaven and Hell [...] so [Page 114]it lies, Heaven and Hell will divide the whole World at last.

As it hath been the unhappiness of former Ages, so of this also, that they that depart from evil make them­selves a Prey; and they that live Holily, Godlily and Righteously in this present evil World are jeered, and accounted but the off-scowring of the World, Peniten­tiarii Asini, Formal Fops. But I fear when the King of Terrors shall Attacque the Copyholds of such Flowters, and Magor-Missabib, Fear and Terror shall be round a­bout them, and when they are drawing near to the Cham­bers of Death, that then their Groans will be like the Groans of a deadly wounded man, and their Hopes like the giving up of the Ghost; and that then the'l wish that both their lives and their deaths had been like those Formal Fobbs. Therefore my hearty desire is, That both this Dialogist, and all the perverted reconciled Proselytes to Rome would return from whence they are fallen, and re­pent, and come out of that Inchanting City, and Sink of sin, (that hath spawned more false Doctrins of a Scar­let Dye, than all the Christian Churches in the World) and be seperate, and no doubt but this Church will re­ceive them, and our Kings and Queens will be their nur­sing Fathers, and Mothers, and you will become their Sons and Daughters; else, What fellowship can righteous­ness have with unrighteousness? what Communion can Light have with Darkness? What Concord can Christ have with Belial? and what agreement can the Temple of God have with Idols? Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, and God and this Church will receive you, and God will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be his Sons and Daughters, 2 Cor. 6.14, 15, 16, 17, 18.

§ Reasons are as strong and convincing against Tolle­ration, if the case be considered upon a Politick Account and Interest, as well as upon a Religious; for tordraw away Subjects to depend upon a Forrein Prelate or power from their Natural or Lawful Sovereign, is in a Politick Consideration as the defiling of the Kings Bed, and debauching of his Consort from him; and this is that which makes Popery Intollerable on a Politick Ac­count; neither can any Merits render it tollerable or rea­sonable.

Notwithstanding their pretensions of Merit are so high, that they are not content with connivance & safety (which they enjoy without grudging, and with more freedom, and less trouble than many non-assenting Protestants, nor yet with Honours, (which they have had also in great mea­sure) nor yet with power and trust, of which they have had their shares also) and yet are not contented: Lords Paramount they must be, or else restless, and clamorous they will be. Such is their Nature, that it must de­vour or trample down all before it, or else it will never rest satisfied. Such is the unsatiableness of this Scarlet Lady, so often drunk with the Blood of the Saints, that no Blood could yet satisfie, but that she still cries, Give, Give.

In all Histories from Generation to Generation, they that run may read prodigious Examples of Exorbitant Papal Claims and pride over Kings, Emperours, Princes, and Free States, even against right reason, and to the Indignation of all Mankind, and these justified by their Popes, Councils, Decretals, Canons and Divines of the first Magnitude, ascribing to the Pope power of de­posing Kings, if Hereticks, and they are all so, when [Page 116]his Holiness pleaseth so to tearm them by as good Lo­gick as the Foxes Ears are Horns, if the Lyon please to call them so.

And if yet there be any Papists that in Word, or Writings do disown such Doctrins as the Seculars did in Queen Eliz. days, (of whom notwithstanding it is observ­ed, That they never discovered any traiterous design until it was first discovered by others, and that in several Treasons, though many of the Seminary Priests were active and for­ward) yet they are as little to be confided in, as those that own and justifie them; for that by so doing they contradict and disclaim the very Faith they own and pro­fess; and unto which they are sworn, thereby forsaking their Popes, Councils, Canons, Divines, and Decretals; nay, their Doctrins of Supremacy, of believing as the Church, i. e. as the Pope believes of Infallibility and Pro­bability of Equivocation, of no Faith to be kept with Hereticks, &c all Doctrins of the Church of Rome, which alone are in their esteem, of power sufficient to warrant and justifie their blind obedience, and to null all the security that can possibly be given between Prince & People, whether Oaths or Laws, Civil or Ecclesiastical, nay Divine.

And if we may prognosticate of practises to come, by practises past let the said Experience of former Ages, and of all Countries, and of ours in particular, rise up in Judgment against them, that they never have been, never will be Loyal Subjects to our Protestant Princes the Reasons are strong, for that they are ever incited to such evil Machinations and practises by the strong impulse and impetuous zeal of their own Doctrins and Superstiti­ons, and all proceeding from causes pecular unto Romish [Page 117]Religion and Principles, which they have not in the least as yet changed, nor disclaimed, nor yet their Interest.

§ Besides, if the Papists of England have merited any thing from the King and his Father in these late trou­bles, it is no thanks to their Religion; and therefore no reason they should be gratified in their Religion; for had it proceeded from the undoubted principles of their Re­ligion, it would have held as well in Ireland as in Eng­land; nay, it would have held as well in Queen Eliza­beth, and King James his time, as in the time of King Charles Father and Son. Postscript to an Answer to a Jesui­ted Gent, and also in a sparing Dis­course. It being con­fessed by themselves, that none of them have in all the times of persecution dy­ed expresly for Religion, but all for Treason. Answer to a Letter to a Jesuited Gent. f. 45. And that Irish Papists would have been as little Loyal to Queen Mary as unto Queen Eliz. But the continual Plots against the Life and Crown of that Queen; and that horrid Gun-powder Plot against King James, and all his Race and Nobles; and the late Re­bellion in Ireland against King Charles do demonstrate the contrary, and their Religion, where that and the Pope are concerned, teaching the contrary; but they thought not their Religion in that case concerned, if they had, then it would have appeared, whether their Loyalty would have born up against it or no, more than it hath done in former times. Therefore if any such Merits have been, they have been only personal, and so may be, and no doubt so have been, and will be requited with personal favours, but in no case, with such as may tend to the advantage of the Popish, and consequently to the [Page 118]disadvantage of the Protestant Religion, Power and Inte­rest of our Princes.

But let us a little examin what in truth have been the Merits of the Papist, in the late Wars. To say the Pa­pists were the Formal Causes of the late War upon what hath been before written, were happily not quite besides the Cushion. However, the former matter and grounds administers good Reasons to believe, and affirm that they were great occasions both of the rise, growth and continuance of our late Wars. Some, and those not a few, of the wisest and most sober Cavaliers thought that the Papists did look upon the War as their great Interest and Hahvest, either by opening unto them occasions to pretend something in favour of their party in case the King prevailed; or otherwise by somenting of the War between Protestant and Protestant, they should have gained an Interest through their divisions, when they had weakened one another, and that by fishing in troubled Waters they should gain some advantage by the confusions, which (as the Law stood) in a setled State of Affairs they could not expect.

§ However, if the Papists did not design those divisions, and the breaking in pieces of the Antient Government of this Kingdom, and that wherein they hoped to find their Interest; it is certain they were great occasions thereof; for what on the one hand with their Negotiations before the War by Seignior Con, and other the Popes Agents, and the State tampering with the Pope and King of Spain about the Infanta, not yet ont of the Minds and Memo­ries of his Subjects; and their boldness upon the favour they might happily expect from the Kings Mother, and [Page 119]the Clemency which they found from his Father, (no way desirous to have the Sanguinary Laws Executed up­on them) and what by the Rebellion of those of that Religion in Ireland, they created so great Jealousies in the minds of the Protestant party in England, that it rather weakened the Royal party than fortified it, and made the Adverse party so numerous and so successful as a long time it was. And it may be truly said there was never a Papist in the Kings Army, but it lost him the Hearts of many Protestants; and as it cannot be supposed, that they brought a Blessing on the Kings Armies, so it is cer­tain they brought a very ill reputation upon them; and where one fought against the Kings party upon a serious Examination of the State of the Quarrel, Hundreds took the other party, because they saw so many Papists on his side; and possibly things had never grown to that height, as to have broken out into a War, had it not been for the Jealousies which were partly given, and partly taken from the Insolent Carriage of that party both in England and Ireland. And yet for all this, and that they were so much concerned to quench the fire, that had so far contributed to the kindling of it, we shall find as little ground for their Works of Super-errogation in this mat­ter, as in point of Religion; if the number of them that were slain, or suffered for the King or his Father be compared with the Protestant profession: Neither were they so Instrumental to the restitution of the King as those of the Protestant profession, no not as very ma­ny of those that had formerly been of the contrary side, and even where Interest might seem more to sway them another way, and that in all probability might have pro­mised themselves more favour under the powers that then [Page 120]prevaled; for that is also considerable in that matter, (which was pleaded by many of the Papists to obtain favour from the powers that were from time to time up­permost, when they were so) that could they have lived quietly in their own Houses, they had never repair­ed to the Kings Garrisons. But the War being held forth (to gain more credit to the party) to be against Papists and their Adherents chiefly, though all sorts of gther opinions found some Indulgence, yet the Papists (professing themselves Papists) could not be admitted upon any tearms, though happily they were admitted; nay favoured under disguises of Quakers, and the like; and therefore no marvel if they were on the Kings side, that they might play their Game the better on both sides, when they could not be on the other side pro­fessedly.

§ The Truth is, prudence and necessity together, with their Loyalty, made them serve the King in his Wars, they well knowing that the Parliament was professedly and desperately bent against them; and therefore could have little hopes of comfort from them, which Induced them to adhere to the King, who was Pater Patriae, and from whom they might justly challenge protection, as Subjects, though not as Papists, in which capacity His Majesty received them; neither did he ever own their assistance, but as Subjects, and as justified by ne­cessity.

And now that the differing parties being weary of endless Broyls, were willing to come to a Closure; those that had done so much to occasion the War, and so lit­tle to make it successful, and less to bring about His Ma­jesties happy return, and union between him and his [Page 121]people, would make such a vertue of necessity, as to deserve such Indulgences and Rewards, which neither can be expected with modesty, nor granted with a good Conscience towards God, no nor yet with safety to the Crown, if the Intrinsick Interest thereof be justly weigh­ed and considered, and without all Colour or Ground of Reason, Conscience or prudence: For indeed all things, principles and practises considered, I cannot I­magine what good and indeseasable security they can possibly give to any Protestant Prince or State, that they will be and continue Loyal and Faithful Subjects: There­fore until they reverse and nullifie their Oaths and Princi­ples of Obedience to the See of Rome, their claims and pretensions of Jurisdiction over Temporal Princes, their Doctrins of Infallibility, and of blind Obedience; nay, their Doctrins of probability also they must excuse me, if I differ in opinion with them, and make it an Article of my Creed, and believe, that no protestant Prince or State can ever be undoubtedly secure of the Loyalty and Fidelity of their Popish Subjects, if the Pope command the contrary: It being according to their Doctrin of probability, a Maxim amongst them, that that which 1, 2 or some few Roman Catholick Doctors say is law­ful, may (in the Judgment of Papists) be done with­out mortal sin.

This is Mr. Knots Charity maintained c. 4. Sect. 25. as also Valentias, Vasques, Lessius, Euriques, Sa, Cellot de Hier. l. 8. c. 16. p. 714.) But not only one but ma­ny Popish Doctors; nay, Popes, Cardinals and Councils say, That it is lawful to murder or depose a Supreme Ma­gistrate that is guilty of Heresie, or suspected of it, and such according to their Tenets are Protestant Princes: [Page 122]Nay, J. E. in his Book Entitled, The Right and Juris­diction of the Prelate, and the Prince, printed with the Licence of Superiors, 1617. maintains the same not only by the opinions of very many Doctors, but also by the Popes, and the Authority of General Councils, as that of Lateran under Innocent the Third, Anno 1215. c. 3. and that of Lyons c. 5. de homicidio in 6. and ano­ther General Council of Lyons, Anno 1245. and affirms, That many other Councils he could alledge for the same, as Bellarmine and Schulkenius have done, Ergo, Cavete Principes Conclusionem. Princes beware your Crowns, beware your Heads, and of giving any Indulgence, Countenance, and power to that Generation of Men, who are Sworn Vassals to the Bishop of Rome, and make it a part of your Letany, viz, from such ill kind of Men Labera nos Domine.

Having thus Summarily manifested to all the World, that will read and understand the Doctrins and practises of Papists to be so desperately pernicious and destructive to our Protestant Kings and Kingdoms; and withall will consider what most precious Golden Aples England, Scotland and Ireland, with all their Forrein plantations and Dominions, are to gratifie Cardinalisme, Nepotisme, or any incestuous Brood of any Donna Olympia. It is ve­ry reasonable to believe, That what they have done, that they will re-iterate again and again, if not wisely and timely prevented; were it not then admiral discre­tion in us to give this Generation of Men yet more power and liberty (the only things they want) to put the same practises in Execution again, when they have given us from Age to Age successively such Demonstrations and Assurances, that they will do as they have done when [Page 123]ever they have power, a neat opportunity, and are so commanded by their universal Monarch?

But I Conclude, That if we have any love or regard for that Religion, which is pure, peaceable, undefiled, and which is truly Antient, Catholick and Apostolick, or any abhorrency to that Inchanting City full of all pollutions & uncleaness, Idolatry, Superstition, Blasphemy, what not? or any concern for the safety of His Majesties person, for liberty of our Consciences, property and freedom of our Estates, and lastly any care to preserve King and Kingdom from Parisian Vespers, Inquisitions, Fire and Faggot, and from a Six-knotted-whip of Articles; it will wonderfully concern us by all wholsom Laws and means to prevent the growth of this Crudele Genus, by paring their Nayls only, that otherwise would crack our Crowns, and seek our lives, unless we will quantum in nobis, sa­crifice once more all that is near and dear unto us, unto Romish Tyranny.

§ I shall yet further Conclude, That if Protestant Princes will but rightly consider that they (like Gods own Sabbath) were ordained for Kingdoms, and not Kingdoms for them, and that if they will follow but the very Dictates of right Reason, and the very light of Nature, they cannot (without being felones de se) esta­blish, or tollerate by Law Popery in their Protestant Do­minions: For as self-preservation by the very Law and Light of Nature is the Suprema lex of every Individual, and consequently of every Prince considered only as a single person: So Salus Populi, (wherein the Prince himself is also included and involved) even politically, and in respect of Magistracy considered is the Suprema lex also, And the first and principal thing Magistrates [Page 124]are to look after, is to preserve Magistracy, and the Au­thorty they are intrusted withall for the good of the Go­verned, in its full power and prerogative: And for this great reason also it is wonderful absurd to suppose a Ma­gistrate obliged to tollerate any thing destructive to the very being of the persons, and Authority of him and his people, for whose wellfare he is intrusted: And of such a Nature is Popery, and is the design of Papists, and no pretence of Conscience whatsoever is in such a Case to be hearkned unto, or endured, it being against the very Light of Nature, and in-truth nothing else but to pretend Conscience, the better to enable them to destroy not Religion only, but even Protestant Mankind: For the very Light of Nature abandons all such principles from the least Tolleration, they making men cease to be true Subjects to the State, or good Common-Walths­men in relation to others.

Though I have thus justified the Act of Parliament by the confessions of Papists themselves, by matters of Fact, Reasons of State, and warranty of Scripture; yet I can give no Vote or Encouragement for Sanguinary Laws, meerly for matters of Religion abstract from trea­sonable and capital crimes and practises; nor yet to imi­tate our Adversaries in Inquisitions, fleaing with Stripes, starving with Hunger, Cold and Nakedness, plunging into loathsom Dungeons, full fraught with stinking Na­stines, and with Toads, Serpents, and other venomous Creatures; nor yet for unnecessary pecuniary Mulcts. And I am confident, that such true English generous Blood runs in the Veins of English Parliaments, that they naturally pity the distressed, and abhor cruelties, that they will not use Extremities, not put in Execution [Page 125]the utmost of the Penal Laws, but will mould them a gently as the peace and safety of the Nation will bear and permit. And I am verily perswaded, That if their over busie and fiery Priests had not been over Active, the Review and Revival of any severities against them had never been though of, and if any new Acts do en­sue, it is but what they have brought upon themselves, and for which none may be blamed but themselves, and their Layety only, because they suffer themselves to be led blind-fold by their Noses by them who have no Au­thority so to do, for which they are much, very much to be commiserated, there being a vast difference between the Seducers and Seduced.

But if any more severe Laws than other ought to be put in Execution, certainly they ought to be inflicted on Idolaters and Blasphemers. That the Papists are Ido­laters hath been demonstrated by many Pens; and that they are Blasphemers is as evident: For according to the Notion of Blasphemy, even in the New Testament: He that assumes and appropriates to himself a property Divine, is a Blasphemer, and in truth a setter up of more Gods than one; and of such a Nature is their Doctrin of Infallibility. This is most Evident from Luke 5.20, 21. when the Jews Taxed Christ himself for speaking Blasphemy, who did not rayl, but only said to the Paralitick Man, Thy sins are forgiven thee. Yet they (not acknowledging him to be God) did account it Blasphemy in him to take upon him to forgive sins, (which is a property meerly Divine) For who (said they) can forgive sins but God alone? so Rev. 2.9. I know the Blasphemy of them that say they are Jews, and are not, but are the Synagogue of Satan. Much more he that says he is In allible, (a property Di­vine) [Page 126]when he is not. So John. 10.33. For a good Work we stone tee not, but for Blasphemy, because thou, being a Man, makest thy self God. What was this blasphemy? even because he said, I and my Father are one, v. 31. Whereby it is apparent, that the Popes assuming to themselves a pro­perty Divine make themselves guilty of Blasphemy, and indeed of making more Gods than one, which is undeni­able Idolatry: To which if their Luciferian Dogma's be added, it will not mince the matter at all, viz. Credere Dominum Deum nostrum Papam non potuisse statuere prunt statuit Haereticum censetur. Extravag. Johan. 22. cum inter nonnullos, gloss. ibid. declaramus. Idem est Dominium Dei & Papae. Augustus Ambonitanus q. 45. & 35. Dominus Deus noster Papa. Clement. in proem. in Gloss. ibid 121. Rex Regum, Dominus Dominantium. Extravag. de Majo­ritat. & obedientia. But let these pass.

In the Church of Rome the Popes were the first Prea­chers of force and violence, and that their St. Dominick was one of the first that I read of, that preached the Do­ctrin of Death and Tortures for opinions in Religion. He was the founder of the begging Order of Friars prea­chers; and therefore in Honour of him the Inquisition is intrusted only to the Friars of his Order. And if they will believe their own Legends, his own Mother the night before he was born dreamed that she was brought to bed of a Mastiff Dog with a Fire-brand in his mouth. The Hieroglyphick whereof I leave to every Reader to make. Only his deportment towards the Albigenses is storied to be as mad as that of Dogs; so that one saith of him. That a Hundred Thousand of them were put to flight, Aeo quidem ut Cen­tum Haereticorum Millia ab Octo Mil­libus Catholicorum fusa & interferta fu­isse perhibeantur. and slain by 8000 Catholicks, and of those who became Captives 180 were [Page 127]burnt to death; the first Example that I find in the Church of Rome of putting dissenting Brethren to death for Re­ligion.

Though my particular Confession engages me Experi­menta per mortes Agere; yet I abhor to be of the Col­ledge of Blood-suckers, whose Bellies like those Canes Sepulchroles of the Romans are never satisfied with the Blood of Saints. I have learnt better things from Isa. 27.4. Fury is not in me. And from Psal. 11.5. Him that loveth violence his Soul hateth; lest God should return Blood upon me in fury and in jealousie, Ezek. 16.38. I Conclude with St. Cyprian. Quid facit in pectore Christiano Luporum feritas? & Canum Rabies? & venenum Serpentum? & cru­enta saenitia Bestiarum? Gratulandum est cum tales de Eccle­sia separantur, ne columbas, ne Oves Christi Soeva sua & ve­nenata contagione praedentur. What hath the fierceness of Wolves? The madness of Dogs? The venom of Dragons and the Bloody Cruelty of Wild Beasts to do in a Chri­stian Breast? There's joy and gladness when such are sepe­rated from the Church, lest the gentle and innocent Doves and Sheep of Christ be made a prey to their cruel Jaw [...] and Venom.

May our King live for ever, and may there never want a man of his Race to sit on his Throne, Ruling in Righte­ousness, fearing God and hating evil; and that there may be a high-way of Holiness throughout his Dominions, that wayfa­ring men, though fools, may not erre therein, Isa. 35.8.

Surely there is no inchantment against Jacob; neither is there any Divination against Israel, Numb, 23.22.

Rara temporum faelicit as sub Nerva & Trajano ubi sen­tires quae velles & dicere quae sentires.