COnversion is an hard work, but it is glorious; it relates to the two great Faculties of our mind, the Understanding and the Will. Our Understanding, that our Faith be found; Our Will, that our Morals be good. I will begin with our Morals, because it is no matter what our Judgment is when our man­ners are bad; Lewd men credit no Professi­on, but disgrace the cause they own. Chri­stianity consists of a redemption, and that redemption from the iniquity of our ways; that is to say, a Turning from Sin to Vertue, [Page 2] from Satan unto God. A Turning from a bad life is nothing else but a Separation of a mans self from profane uses unto Holiness; As when a Child and Heir of Hell becomes one of the Sons of God, in Scripture Phrase this work of Conversion is called a Ceasing from evil, and a learning to do well; A put­ting off of the old man, and a putting on of the New; and it is called a new Creature, a Conformity to Christ in his Death and Re­surrection; or according to the same Apostle elsewhere, Be not conformed to this World, but rather transformed by the renewing of your minds. Or lastly, in our Saviours Language, A seeking the Kingdom of God and the righteousness thereof, and being holy as he is holy in all manner of Conversation. Therefore Chri­stians, as you desire to have Peace with God and your own minds, live soberly, righte­ously, and godly in this World. Labour to prove the truth of your Profession by your pious practices. Endeavour to become living Images of God, Vessels of honour, and Tem­ples of the Holy Ghost. I might argue against Sin from the common mischiefs of it, and [Page 3] remind Sinners of the Labyrinths into which it leads them, and assure you that Gods Service is perfect freedom. For if all the happiness which Christian Religion propounds to us were only confined to such Promises as have a relation to eternal Bliss, it might be thought that the Lord Jesus was only careful to make the end of a Christian Race glorious, yet had neglected to make the way pleasant which leadeth thither. But if it be truly considered on the other hand, that those very Precepts which are enjoyned as the Rules of our duty are in themselves infinitely conducing to our own present satisfaction, then we must con­clude that none can be miserable in the next World but only such Sots as will not give God leave to make them happy in this.

For the Laws of the holy Jesus are so agree­ing to our Natures, that the Execution of them are as great expedients of our pre­sent happiness as Testifications of our duty, so that our duty and our priviledges run parallel in one Line. In the next place, as Conver­sion relates to our Wills, so also to our Un­derstandings, that we may have such Notions [Page 4] of God and his Worship as becomes the So­lemnity of that duty we owe to our God. And what dangerous Errors, Education, and Prejudice may breed is very obvious to all that have made remarks in the World. For we know that a dangerous Principle hath hurried many into desperate Practices; Saint Paul's Zeal for the Mosaick Law made him spurn against Christ himself. So that the im­moralities and debaucheries of some men are less dangerous than their Tenents. God for­bid that any thing that I say should give the least countenance unto Vice, but to shew that we may fly from one extreme to another.

I may compare the enormities of Vice to a Sore that is Ulcerated, Nauseous, and Offen­sive to all mens view: Errors in our Judg­ment (or a false worship of God) is like to a Sore skinned over, though not so offensive to our Senses, yet more dangerous to the Vi­tals. Our Saviour told the Scribes and Pha­risees, that Harlots and Publicans entered into the Kingdom of God before them; not that we are to think that the Kingdom of God is a place for either Harlots or Publicans, as such: [Page 5] but that the recovery of the one is more hope­ful than the recovery of the other. The Pro­fane person is sick, but then he and all men know it: The Heretick is sick, but he thinks himself well, and so neglects all means for a remedy, and the cure of such a one becomes a wonder.

The Subject I have chose this day is copi­ous, and from it I might present you with many particulars, but I must forbear and come to the Application, which I must Cen­ter in my self: ‘When thou art converted, &c.’

I hope this Scripture is fulfilled this day on my self, being a Monument of God Al­mighties mercy in bringing me from the gross Superstitions of Popery to the glorious light of the Gospel; and seeing the Conse­quent of my Text is the strengthening of my Brethren. I shall now give you some few of the principal motives which drew me from my former perswasions.

You must know I was bred and Catechi­zed in all the absurd Doctrines and Practices of the Romish Church, and no little Zealot [Page 6] in that way; I was ordained Deacon and Priest, and made Confessor General through­out the Kingdom of Ireland; was a Frier of the Order of St. Francis, and afterwards Su­periour of a Convent, and Chaplain to se­veral eminent persons of qualety in that King­dom. Upon a certain time I accidentally came to a publick house to refresh my self, I found that a lewd Priest had pawned the con­secrated Host to the woman of the house for five and thirty Shillings: which I redeemed: And with this remarke that Christ was made by him, not an Offering for Sin, but a Sacri­fice for his Lust. I need not tell you how great the Scandal was to my self, but aug­mented by considering that the Person was a Superiour of an Order, and in great reputa­tion among his People. There are many sad circumstances in the story, but I will forbear at present to mention them.

Upon this great disgust I began to dispute the Doctrine of Transubstantiation, and all the ridiculous consequences of it became evident to my understanding; for suppose a Turk should tell me that I make my God, and [Page 7] then eat him; and should he challenge me to produce so nonsensical a Tenent in the Alco­ran, I must either change my opinion of Transubstantiation, or quit my Christianity. Is it not strange that Christ should eat himself, and that all the Disciples should eat him alive before the Jews had Crucified him? I know he calls the Bread his Body, but then he calls the Cup his Bloud, and shall one be allowed to be a figure, and not the other? But that which expounds the whole Institution are these words, Do this in remembrance of me; that is to say, This Ordinance is a comme­morative Sacrifice of my self; if Christ be corporeally present, how comes there to be any exercise of our memories? But others have said so much of this Subject that I need say no more.

Another great motive of my Conversion was their Adoration of Images, so flatly contrary to the Second Commandment. God told his People Israel of old that they saw no similitude, for the prevention of all manner of Worship by Images. They say, by Graven Image is meant only an Idol, but then these [Page 8] words following, Nor the likeness of any thing before me, spoyls that interpretation. For if by graven Images be meant only Idolls, then the Commandment is altogether super­fluous, for Idolls were forbidden in the first Commandment by having no other Gods; and if they say, they worship not the Image, but the person represented by it: I answer, this justifies all the Heathens in their Idola­tries, for they said they worshipped nothing made with hands, neither did they believe them to be their Gods, but that their Gods were present in them in an Extraordinary manner.

In the next place, I will speak of the Do­ctrine of Purgatory, which upon serious exa­mination became strange to me. Indeed I read of a narrow way that leads to bliss, and a broad way that is the high road to misery, for that Via media, that leads to Purgatory, I find it not in my Bible; yet I hold Purgatory, but it is in my Saviours bloud: and it is that Purgatory which only must purge my soul from sin; and if that Purgatory will do a sinners work, I will look for no other. Yet [Page 9] for all this, Purgatory in the Popish Notions of it is a gainful Doctrine; it is that fire which makes the Popes Pot boyl; and therefore no wonder if they be so loth to have it extin­guished.

Another motive that I had to abandon all Communion with the Church of Rome, was that intolerable practice of having the Ser­vice in a Tongue unknown to the people: and Chap 14 of the former Epistle to the Co­rinthians seems to be wholly writ against that Custom. It is said Exod. 12. 26, 27. And it shall come to pass, when your Children shall say unto you, What mean you by this Service? that you shall an­swer and say, it is the Sacrifice of the Lords Passeover, &c. When I read this Scripture it reminds me that Gods Service is a reasonable Service, and that we ought to know the rea­son and meaning of that Service we perform to God. Edification and Devotion are in­separable from the true Worship of God. Now should I in the language of this Scripture come to the Common People at the celebration of the Mass, and say, What mean you by this Service? What satis­factory [Page 10] answer can be expected? Some of late (I must confess) have translated the Popish Prayers into the Vulgar Language, but the Pope has forbidden the use of them. So that who shall so use them are not right Catholicks.

But above all the Tenents of Rome none seemed more ridiculous to me than that Do­ctrine of Infallibility, for if that be proved, I shall submit to any thing that she shall im­pose upon me.

For had St. Peter himself been appointed the infallible Judge of Controversies, what needed the Council at Jerusalem, Acts 15. It would have been a much shorter cut to have had St. Peters determination in the Case, without giving the Apostles any further trou­ble in it. The Patriarch of Antioch pretends that he is St. Peters Successor, and we have more reason to believe him so then the Pope; for Antiquity is clear that he was Bishop of Antioch, and the Scriptures are express that there he exercised his Function, and that there it was that the Disciples were first called [Page 11] Christians. St. Paul saitb, that to him was committed the care of all the Churches. St. Pe­ter might have said those words with as much innocency as St. Paul, but it was Gods mercy that he did not, for then the Pope would have pretended a good Text for his Universal Pa­storship. But that which makes the Doctrine of infallibility more vain are those contradi­ctory establishments which are in that Church; had I time I might give in endless instances. But that which is the most mis­chievous to them is their non-agreement among themselves where this infallibility is seated, which makes nothing more fallible than the very Doctrine of Infallibility. And I must tell you, that among the many other Errors and ill Practices which I discovered in the Roman Church, their Cruelties were no small disgust to me, as if Christianity had taught them to forget Humanity; I cannot but with horror think of those barbarous Massacres which were committed in my own Country, as if Papists had guts, but no bowels; so that it is not only their Prayers, but Faith that they have written in bloudy Characters: You will [Page 12] hear them boast of Loyalty: Look into the Irish Histories, and then judge of those preten­ces. If by accident some have shewed them­selves so in England, yet the constitution of their Church looks with another aspect, for I am sure I ever thought it a meritorious acti­on to murther either Prince, or any Protestant Subject, provided I was commissionated so to do by the Pope, but how to serve two Ma­sters, I understand not, the Pope and the King; I must tell you, that I my self am an instance of their intended cruelty, for after my conversion from their fooleries, and ha­ving by the good providence of God been in­strumental in bringing seven Friats and Priests from their Communion, and several of their Laity, their malice was such, that Preaching upon a Sunday in a Protestant Church a Mus­ket was levelled at me as I stood in the Pulpit, but through Gods mercy the Bullet went only through my hair without doing me any other mischief; but when I saw my life was aimed at, I was forced to quit both my new Prefer­ment, and my Country. But are these things according to the Gospel of Peace? They that [Page 13] Preach Religion with fire and faggot surely know not what manner of spirits they are of, if our Saviour's Kingdom were of this world his Servants would fight; and indeed we read St. Peter used his Sword once in his Masters quarrel, but he got so sharp a rebuke for it, that I do not read that he ever so much as wore one after. Must the Pope cut off Heads because St. Peter cut off an Ear? This is strange. The old Romans thought to propagate the Faith by dying for it: Our new Romans think to establish theirs, but by a quite contra­ry method; Reason is the Crown of a man, Religion is the Crown of Reason, Christi­anity is the Crown of Religion, Charity is the Crown of Christianity, and Charity we know suffereth long, and is kind, and seeks its own establishment by means and methods the most like to it self.

I must also tell you, that the Prayers to Saints and Angels became very offensive to me, having in all the Scriptures not one Pre­cept, nor one Example to give countenance to any such custom. I am sure our Saviour in­vites weary and heavy laden sinners to come [Page 14] to him, Mat. 11. 28. And when I can come and have an access to the Throne of his Grace with boldness, I shall not think my self to stand in need of any other Spokesman; if I can be free with my Prince, why should I trouble any Courtiers to present my Addresses. Besides, we have great reason to believe there is an incommunicable gulf between the glori­fied Saints and us, for the Scripture tells us, That Abraham knows us not, and Israel is igno­rant of us, &c.

I could also give large Narratives of their pious frauds, as they call them, by which they delude the people to fix them in their gross Er­rors and Superstitions. When I was made a Frier, a great number of people were present at the Solemnity; I appeared in a spruce Garb, had there my Horse, my Sword and Pi­stols, and appeared with much Gayety and Splendour. The head of the Convent advised the People to take notice of my Pompous condition, and that I was willing to lay aside all those outward glories for St. Francis his sake, and accordingly I disrobed my self, and put on the mean Garments which be­longed [Page 15] to the Order, and then made three Vows, of Obedience, Poverty, and Chastity: After that took one and twenty Oaths; now in the Oaths I swore never to come on horse­back, never to wear Shoes, to obey my Supe­riour in what ever he commanded me, with­out examining the lawfulness of his Com­mands, not to be ashamed to beg, never to be out of my Friers habit. But that which was a cause of a disgust at that time unto me was this: The Superiour tells me, that I must take my former Garments, that is, return in the same Posture I came, and go see my friends; and though all these things were against my Oaths, yet he would absolve me from them. I must confess this seemed to me a strange cheat to the People, that he should tell them what self-de­nial I was guilty of in taking those Oaths, and yet he presently absolves me from them; and this is the state of all the Irish Friars. And I may tell you what offence I took at those vain stories which they have of Miracles, and espe­cially when I discovered their grand impo­stures therein: For about seven years ago a Priest, near the City of Limbrick, by name Wil­liam [Page 16] Sarchwell, had for fifty shillings hired a Woman to pretend her self a Cripple from her birth, and that she had a Revelation that if she dipped her self in such a Well, whilst a Priest said Mass by the place, she should be recovered of her infirmity; The plot thus laid, and accordingly executed, she comes halting to the Well, returns out of it perfectly cured, which became a Miracle to the people; which did not only get the Contriver of the Cheat a vast sum of money, but also confirmed the people in their Superstition. But after some time the Counterfeit had some remorse of conscience, came to me to confes­sion in order to absolution, which I would not grant till she had declared the whole story to the Congregation, which she did accord­ingly. It is well known the poor miserable people are mightily deluded by these Cheats. A Frier of great note and Zeal told me that he was at a Franciscan Convent beyond the Seas, where was the Image of the blessed Virgin, made with a Scrue in the head thereof, where they put in some water, and having a string that came undiscerned to a place where the [Page 17] Friers stood (and when they thought the peo­ple had brought a good Offering) then by the help of that string they could unloose the Scrue, by which the blessed Virgin seemed to weep, and this was one of their Miracles.

Indeed the Relator (though a Friar) said it was a great scandal to him, and accordingly complained to the General of the Order, but his answer was, should he make a reformation in that particular that Convent should starve. It is said, that the Monks of a certain Convent had put the like fallacy upon St. Bernard him­self, who when he came into their Church had prepared an instrument to carry a voice to the Image of the blessed Virgin, who when he came into the Church saluted him with a Salve Bernarde; but he, apprehensive of the cheat, gave no other return to the complement than this: It is a shame for a woman to speak in the Church. But of all their fine stories com­mend me to this new Miracle they talk of for the confirmation of Transubstantiation, the Story is this: They say, that in a certain place within the King of Spains Dominions, that as the Sacrament of the Mass was celebrated [Page 18] that all the perfect Effigies and proportion of a man rose out of the Host, but when the peo­ple came too near, that they might plainly see the Miracle, he vanished away, therefore for ever hereafter it must be horrid Blasphemy to deny Transubstantiation shall be hardly guil­ty of so much Vanity as to make any replicati­on to such a ridiculous story, only let it be no offence to tell you what a remark a facetious person made to the Rélator of it: You suppose, saith he, that it was Christ himself that appeared, and it seems that upon the approach of the people he vanished a way, which is the only circumstance to make the story credible, for he might suppose the people were come to eat him, and so he vanished. Upon these considerations, and reasons, and others, more than I have now time to menti­on, I renounce here in the presence of God and this great Assembly my former Popish ways, and withal I declare my self a Protestant; and that you may believe me a true Pro­testant, I do further declare, that I am a Pro­testant according to the Church of England, as it is here by Law established; And I must further declare before the Searcher of all [Page 19] hearts, that I speak none of these things either out of malice or prejudice, nor for any sinister end or corrupt design whatsoever, but that Gods name may be glorified, his truth cleared, and my Brethren edified, and that my own Soul may be eternally saved. But will it not be enquired by some, Whether I be not gone from Popery to Popery, that is, unto the same Church, though of another Denomination, it being objected, that the Constitutions of this Church are framed out of Popery, and the Common Prayer Book compiled out of the Mass-Book? I answer, The Devil hath ma­ny devices to carry on his own interest, and the Papists do contrive many Engines to di­stract Protestants; and I look upon this Ob­jection to be hammered in their Forge to make us worry one another, and to break our Communion. But to give a full answer to the objection, let me tell you, that I think I un­derstand the Mass-Book better than any here, and can assure you the Argument is vain and unworthy: My reason follows, first all is not Popery that is in the Mass-book, there are several particulars of the Primitive Litturgy [Page 20] that is not Popery: There are several places taken out of the holy Bible, neither is that Po­pery. Secondly, there are several other good things in the Mass-book, and if it were not so the Cheat would be evident to every Eye. You know the Devil could tempt our Saviour in Scripture language, shall we therefore ex­punge these Scriptures because the Devil used them? He transforms himself sometimes into an Angel of light, yet that makes him no less a Devil, though harder to be discovered. The reformation quarrels not with the Church of Rome for any thing that is good, but what is really bad; We differ not from Rome in any thing but wherein she hath dif­fered from her self, so the Schism is in Rome, not here: and from very good grounds I am apt to believe that Rome hath altered almost as much in her Religion as in her Language; for you may as well say that the Italian is the ancient Language of Rome, as the present Court of Rome is the ancient Church of Rome. The Church is compared to a Spouse, the Pope hath put her in a Fools coat, and be­smeared her face with filth and nastiness. [Page 21] The Reformation washeth her face, and takes from her her ridiculous garments, but med­dles not with her Essentials, nor any thing else but what is an apparent scandal: But I know not how to represent the condition of our Church at the time of the Reformation better than by comparing it to a house infected with the Plague; The Charity and Wisdom of Authority orders this house to be cleansed by burning all the infected Rags, but the Pewter, Brass, or Iron, and other goods not capable of any infection still abide to the use of the house. What remains of the compari­son I leave to your own meditation to illu­strate. I have only this to say, That as the Pa­pists have attempted my life, I must con­clude that they will traduce my name, and bespatter my reputation, but I hope your Charity will relieve me; and for my own part, with the Almighties assistance, I will be cautious that my life scandalize not my Profession, that from thence the Enemies of the Lord may have no cause to blas­pheme.

[Page 22] I hope you will joyn with me in giving to the God of my mercies all honour and praise, the just Tribute of all created beings, henceforth and for evermore.

AMEN.

BY the Providence of God, I was Con­verted to the Protestant Religion a­bout two years since, at which time I obtained from the succeeding Guardian of the Friery, whereof I was formerly Guardi­an [Page 26] (a Guardian being used to be Elected e­very three years) a Testimonial of my good behaviour before I declared my self in pub­lick to be Converted

After my Conversion, I applied my self to the Lord Bishop of Clonfeart, who gave me a Curates place in Loughreah, with some o­ther preferment in the County of Galloway, worth about 80l. per annum, where I, shortly after, in using my Function in the Church, was shot at by one Thomas Tressey, a Papist, In­habitant of that place, but not wounded, for which he was afterward bound to his good behaviour, by the said Bishop; after which, the Papists, there, did several times threaten me with death: whereupon, for pre­servation of my Life, I was forced to retire into Lymerick, whereby I lost such prefer­ment as the said Bishop had bestowed upon me: But before I went from Loughreagh, several of the Papists Priests, and others, li­ving thereabouts, which I am ready to name, and do hereby Accuse, did publiquely re­port that his Majesty, his Royal Highness, and all the Nobility & Gentry of the King­dome [Page 27] of England, were privately of their Re­ligion, which they used as an Argument to make me fall back again to Popery.

After my coming to Lymerick, I being ap­pointed to Preach an Anniversary Sermon in Detestation of the late Rebellion there, se­veral Popish Priests, and others, came to hear me; and after Sermon ended, as I was going from Supper, assaulted me in the Night-time, and endeavoured to kill me, but by the pro­vidence of God, I defended my self, and e­scaped unhurt.

After that, I came to Youghall about Christmas last, where one of the Papists there, did report in the hearing of Credible Witnesses, that he should think himself ve­ry happy if he could have opportunity to kill me, though he should be hanged for it imme­diately, for which the said Papist was by the Mayor committed to prison.

After which, to save my life, I was forced to go to Dublin, and being recommended by the Earl of Orrary to the Arch-Bishop of Dublin, and Lord Chancellor of Ireland, I [Page 26] had Authority, and did preach as well in the Cathedrals as other Churches there; and as often as I preached, was assaulted in the Streets by a Rabble of Papists of that Citty: in one of which Assaults, my Man was wounded, and I hardly escaped their Fury; whereupon my Lord Lieutenant of Ireland gave me his Protection; notwithstanding which, I was persecuted and assaulted as much as before, in so much that I was forced for safeguard of my Life, to come for Eng­land, to my great discouragement, and the discouragement of all such that are Pro­testants of that Kingdome, and others that would be so, were they not held to their Su­perstition, for fear of losing their Lives by the fury and rage of the Papists there.

During my abode in Ireland, since my Conversion, I was instrumental in Convert­ing several Priests and others to the Pro­testant Religion, and without doubt, many more would have been turned from the Ro­mish Church, had they not been affrighted [Page 27] by the rigour and fury of the Papists there a­gainst me, and others; one whereof being Guardian of a Friery, and after some Corre­spondence with me, had inclination to be­come a Protestant; whereof, Talbot, that goes by the name of Arch Bishop of Dublin, understanding, Excommunicated him, and the whole Inhabitants of two Parishes pro­cured a Warrant from the Lord Dungan, who is a Papist; and made a Justice since the Indulgence, to take the said Guardian or Prior, who being brought before him, he caused him to be laid in Irons, and commit­ted to a Dungeon, where he remained till complaint was made to the Counsel of Ire­land; whereupon the Councel dispatched Sir Henry Ingoldsby to know the truth there­of, with a Habeas Corpus for his Removal, who found him in the Condition before re­lated, and committed for High Treason, as appeared by his Mittimus, whereby he could not be removed; but all the said Sir Hen­ry Ingoldsby could do, by being bound for his true Imprisonment, was, to procure him the [Page 30] liberty of the Town, and a Tollerable Roome to Lodg in, till he should be deliver­ed by due course of Law.

All which I am ready to prove, not only of my own knowledg, but also by the Testimony of several persons of Quality; some whereof are now in this Kingdome: and many o­ther things of like nature, which to avoyd prolixity, I now omit; but if desired, will shew the particulars.

TEnore praesentium licentiam conce­do fratri patri Antonio Egano nostri instituti confessario eundi ad Commitatum de Clare circa quaedam negotio per agenda, nobis nota quibus finitis, sicut ipsi videbitur expediens, revertatur praecipue commendo praefa­tum Antonium omnibus Christi fi­delibus ad quos contigerit in via, ut, be­nigne charitative illum tanquam ve­rum obedientiae filium recipiant.