I Cannot but admire the Heat and Zeal of many Men, (perhaps ſome of the Honourable Houſe of Commmons,) who, to Support the Church of England, unhappily take ſuch meaſures, which in all probability muſt deſtroy That which they ſo Vehemently endeavour to maintain. 'Tis true, Vox Populi had once a great Influence; but now, ſince we have a Prince ſo Religious, whom none but Atheiſts can diſlike; and ſo Juſt, whom none but Traytors can fear; Give me leave to ſay, That no People in the World are ſo Unjuſt to their Sovereign, or ſo Unkind to themſelves, as thoſe pretended Patriots, who ſo obſtinately promote the continuing of the Penal Laws for Religion, eſpecially the TEST, I mean that of Shaftsbury, whoſe very Name alone one would think were ſufficient to Damn it.

For ſure I am, no honeſt Church of England-man can have the Confidence to Vindicate that Man, or his Principles, who meerly out of Malice to His preſent Majeſty (whom God long preſerve) and not out of any kindneſs to the Church of England, was the only Contriver of that Machine, which in It contains, or at leaſt aims at almoſt as much Blaſphemy as the Alchoran, and ought to be as much Exploded by any Man that pretends to the Name of a Chriſtian.

I have often taken notice of the Common Scandal the Engliſh Clergy, without any colour of Truth, throw upon Catholicks, & That they are the moſt Severe and Sanguinary People imaginable in the Propagation of Religion; And then for inſtance, my Learned Parſon is pleaſed to urge the Inquiſition of Spain, and the Nick-nam'd Perſecution of France, all of his own knowledge, tho' he never was o'th' other ſide the Water, unleſs at Surrey Aſſizes to Proſecute ſome Litigious Action againſt his Pariſhioners. Such Men would do well to conſider the Rigour of the Penal Laws of this Kingdom againſt Catholicks, and then I am ſure they'l be of another mind; For I defie any Impartial Man to inſtance a greater Perſecution of Chriſtians, than that of the Proteſtants againſt Catholicks. If we enquire into the Statutes made ſince Henry the VIII. about Religion. 'Tis true, under Diocleſian, and many other Roman Emperours, Chriſtians have been put to Death, and to the moſt Exquiſit Torments imaginable; But in theſe Statutes, Death in compariſon is the leaſt Puniſhment; For thereby a Catholick, (tho' an Engliſh-man, and of a plentiful Fortune,) is made incapable of Enjoying his Eſtate, and his own Native Right and Property, the Son of Inheriting his Father; and in 〈1 page duplicate〉 fine, his Wife and Children turn'd out of Dores to beg their Bread: Yet all this while the Proteſtants are the only Peaceable, and Charitable Men in the World. Indeed I could wiſh they were ſo, for then thoſe Laws would ſoon be Aboliſh'd: But on the contrary, I find they would Proſecute all other Men with the greateſt rigour. Tho' they cry out of Popery and Perſecution, when they feel the leaſt Reſtraint upon themſelves; a very great Injuſtice, and ſuch as all good Men ought to bluſh at.

Of the ſame ſtamp are all the other Calumnies, and Malicious Stories impoſed upon the Church of Rome, by B. S. T. S. and many other Celebrated Raby's of the Proteſtant Communion, who, inſtead of Argument, endeavour to repreſent Catholicks as the greateſt Blockheads in the World, if all were true they ſay; But ſince they themſelves know 'tis all falſe, I am ſatisfy'd that Character belongs to themſelves; For by ſuch Romances, inſtead of Preaching the Goſpel, they (beſides aſp •• ſing the King,) Ridicule Chriſtianity it ſelf, and endeavour, (as much as in them lies,) to introduce Atheiſm. Pardon this ſhort Digreſſion, and be pleaſed to conſider one thing further, That the Government of England is abſolutely Monarchical, and that the Prerogative of the Crown can't be Diminiſh'd, even ſi le Roy le veut. Now this being granted, (which I'm ſure no Gentleman of the Long Robe will deny,) I would gladly know whether Magna Charta, (that great Diana of the unthinking Croud,) Charta Foreſte, the Statutes of Metron, Marlebridge, Glouceſter, Acton-Burnell, Weſtminſter the 2d, Wincheſter, Quia Emptores Terrarum, &c. (to omit many others,) are not, or at leaſt were Authentick Laws; if ſo, then the Kings of England had Originally the Enacting Power in themſelves alone. Thoſe Statutes being (if I miſtake not,) created, and made by the Kings Supream Fiat and Authority only, without the formal phraſe, By and with the Conſent of, &c. Though now thoſe words are look'd upon as Eſſential.

This ſure is a great Prerogative of the Crown, and at any time may be re-aſſum'd if 'tis the Princes pleaſure ſo to do, for Nullum tempus occurrit Regi. And therefore, if Subjects will Sawcily Vindicate their pretended Rights and Properties, I ſee no Reaſon why His Majeſty may not Legally Aſſert his own Power and Prerogative.

Theſe, (as well as many other Reaſons now in Print,) one would think were ſufficient to perſwade any Rational Man to a Complyance with His Majeſty, for Aboliſhing the TEST, and other Penal Laws concerning Religion.

But if nothing will do, and Men will ſtill perſiſt in their Obſtinacy, I ſhall leave them to reap the benefit of their own folly, and ever Pray that God Almighty wou'd Enable His Majeſty to Trample upon His Enemies, and bleſs Him with a Long and Proſperous Reign, Amen.