THe Policy of the Church of Rome consisteth principally in divi­ding it self into divers and sundry Orders, which are provided to retain all Humors in Mankind. By this She maketh Her Interest strong and powerful, and preserveth Her self from ruine; without which She could not have continued to this Day, or been able to act any thing to the hurt or detriment of the Reformed Churches.

First, as to the diversity of Orders amongst them; their onely Policy to those who despise the Wealth of the World, and that can content themselves with Poverty, are the Mendicants; their Prelates abound in Riches; their Hermits and Capuchins for severity of Life; their Cardinals for Pomp and Glory; their Jesuits for Learning, and all manner of Sciences; their Popes and Prelates exercising Soveraignty and Princely Command. They take e­special care to engage and ravish all manner of Humors. On the one side of a Street you shall have a Nunnery, or Cloister of Virgins; on the other side, a Sty of Courtizans. One day you shall have them all in Masks, with all manner of Obsceneness and Folly that can be imagined, or the corrupt nature of man desire; the day following, they will be all in Pro­cessions, whipping themselves until the bloud cometh. On one Door you shall have Excommunications, throwing Souls and Bodies to Hell: on another Door, a Jubilee, or full Discharge of all Villanies, Murthers, For­nications, Drunkenness, Swearing, Forswearing, Poysoning; in a word, all manner of sin, Leudness, and Impiety. They were led to this Policy by the hand of Confessions; by that means they come to discern the nature of Mankind in general. They do not hold it safe to restrain any of these Humors, lest it should cause Eruptions, and make their Subjects seek some other way for to vent them in; so that these Orders are as Sinks to receive the Humors. They have not the sword of the Spirit to destroy Vice, nor the Word of Truth to convince of evil Doing; therefore they must trust to carnal Policy: For the more growth sin hath among them, the more the Church increaseth in Riches, for that all Punishment, upon the matter, and Pardons, are Pecuniary. The ways they have to ravish all sorts of affecti­ons, as is said before, are well-nigh infinite, there being not any thing either Sacred or Prophane, no Vertue or Vice almost, nothing of how contrary con­dition soever, which the Church of Rome maketh not in some sort or other to serve Her turn, that each fancy may be satisfied, and each appetite finde what to feed on. Whatsoever their Wealth can sway with its Lovers, or voluntary Poverty with the despisers of the World; what Honour with the Ambitious; what obedience with the Humble; what great Imploy­ments with stirring or Martial spirits; as the Orders of Knights, that of Rhodes, St. John of Jerusalem, those now of Malta, that of the Knights of St. Morris, and St. Lazare amongst the Savoyards, established by Pope [Page 2] Alexander the fourth, 1644. the Knights of the Order of the Dog and Gock in France. The first were to wear a Collar full of Stags heads, with the Image of a Dog to hang thereon, to signifie fidelity; these fol­lowed Philip the first, King of France, in his Wars: Those of the Cock, signified watchfulness, and had a Cock for their Blazon, for that the An­tients accounted it to be a Bird of Mars. The Order of the Knights of the Ginit in France: The Order of the Knights of the Leli, in the Realm of Navar: The Order of Knights of St. Mary in Jerusalem, of St. John of Accon, and of St. Thomas, of St. Saviour, in Arragon; Knights of Mountjoy in Syria: The Order of Knights of the Glorious Virgin, in Italy: The Order of the Knights of the Golden fleece, in the Houses of Burgundy and Austria; with above 200 more Orders of Knights, too large here to be men­tioned. These Orders are for their Metall'd and Active spirits. Also, they have their perpetual provisions for their Heavy and restive Bodies, in their Cells. What content or pleasure Nature can take in Pass-Times and Jollities; What contrary wise, the Austere mind in Discipline and Rigor; What Love either Chastity can raise in the pure, or Voluptuousness in the impure or dissolute: What allurements are in knowledge, to draw the Contemplative; or in Actions of State, to imploy the Polititian: What Miracles, with the Credulous: What Visions, with the Fantastical: What Ceremonies can do with the Superstitious: What Prayers with the De­vout: What dispensing with breach of all Rules, with Men of Lawless condition: In sum, whatsoever the Heart of man can desire, he is fitted with, in the Storehouse of the Church of Romes Politicks; for himself to pursue, or at least to Adore or Reverence in another. This is the main Wheel on which the Church moveth, and keepeth fast Members of all sorts; so that, by this means of providing for the several Humours of the Members, it enjoyeth the more quiet in it self, and becometh able to oppose and disturb the Reformed Churches. They have other strings to their Bow, besides this aforementioned, which is indeed the chief.

The one is their Miracles.

Another is, their keeping the Laiety in Ignorance.

For their Miracles: the numbers are infinite that they reckon upon, but they are all of the same stamp and Impression with these, viz. the repre­sentation of the Virgin Mary with the Babe, their Eyes to move at certain times: it is performed by Engine-work, secretly contrived, to cheat the people into a belief of their Fopperies: the lifting up the hand of the Image of the Virgin, in imitation of blessing the People, and the like. Her Image giving Milk on the Day of the Nativity, conveyed by small Tin-Pipes at a great distance, begot the admiration in the people, and an Implicit faith of all these wonders. A subtil Jesuite shall make his abode five or six years, more or less, being blind (at least seem so to be) by Dying the inner skin of the Eye, by a water distilled from a certain Herb, not fit to be men­tioned here; or seem Lame, or Leprozed; or otherwise by Guzmans Art of raising an artificial Leprosy, now used among some Beggars, to move compassion in the Charitable. When he is well known, he shall come and implore the aid of such a Saint: Immediately he shall be as whole as a Fish, and his Sight shall be restored; then that Saint is repaired unto far and near; offerings come plentifully. Thus they contrive to enrich the Church: and if it chance that any Bath or Spring break forth of the Earth that passeth [Page 3]thorow any mineral, and is of Physical use (as all such are) it is Dedica­ted to one Saint or other; and sometimes waters of no vertue at all natu­rally, are cryed up to be for such and such uses; as the Well or Water of St. Winifrid, or the like. People repair to it, to use it: the which, together with the opinion that they have of it, doth effect some kind of cures. It is a true saying, that the Patients good opinion of the Physician or means, is more then half the cure. The Politicians of the Church of Rome know the truth of that saying, therefore they use all means possible to increase the faith of their Patients or Clyents; which makes their cure more certain and easie. It is known to Physicians, that several Distempers are cured by the strength of Imagination, as well as several Natures are subject­ed to several Distempers by Imagination. As in time of Pestilence, many that would die of other diseases than what was prepared by the Humors, or Disorders in nature. The Fear and Imagination of the party distem­pered, is as a mould to cast the form of the thing feared in: though others do die of it, being prepared, as tinder is apt matter for fire; so they more aptly are subject to the Influences operating at that time. God maketh use of second means, although that of the Plague be an immediate dispen­sation from Him, and is as it were a thing distinct from, and other than, the ordinary workings of Nature.

The Church of Rome are very well acquainted, and do much study Na­tural Magick, and are very good Proficients therein, as in many hundred cases they may be traced in their Legends; as most of all which may be performed by the natural Magical Art, though they ascribe unto them the honour of Miracles: As for Example, that of St. Francis his great wonder of kindling a fire with Ice. We must here let you to know, that it is easie for Artists to make such a composition, that so soon as one drop of water toucheth it, it shall become a violent flame; the which is effected by Antiperistasis; that is to say, the strengthning and opposing any qua­lity against its contrary, as of cold against heat. It may be represented in a more familiar Example, as that of the firing of Corn or Hay-stacks, when stackt too moist or wet; it doth not fire, because of heat and dryth, but it fireth because too moist or cold: which is able to oppose, though not overcome the other; qualities being stirred, devour the matter that retained them both. Also the Church of Rome is acquainted with Sor­cery, or Diabolical Magick; the which was practised by Pope Alexander the 6th. Who, the Papists themselves cannot deny, but that he gave him self to the Devil; who was not onely the wickedest of Men, but also the wickedest of Popes: He bestowed the Riches of the Church upon his Ba­stards; he made away the Brother of Bajazet for a sum of money, though he fled to him for protection; he used his own Daughter Lucretia, the Wife to three Princes. Innumerable examples might be given of this nature, too large here to be insisted upon. So much as to their Miracles, and the means by which they effect them.

Secondly, As to their other part or branch of their Policy, viz. Their practice to divide the Reformed Churches: they do it by Instruments and Emissaries of their own, who are sent to divide and infect them with Errors and Contradictions. They, out of the Seminaries of the Order of Jesu, do send usually great numbers to all Parts to do this work. This Order was wholly Religious before Luther's time, they vowed the preaching of the [Page 4]Gospel to Pagans, and the Instructing Christians in good Letters gratis. When Luther began to oppose the power of the Church of Rome, they cast off their Religious Vows, and betook themselves to defend the Supremacy of the Church of Rome to be above general Councils and Princes, by Prin­ciples and Practices of policy, or rather Devilish circumventing Cunning; for they value not the way or means by which they attain to the accom­plishing of what they undertake. When seeming Piety shall make way for what they design, they have it at their fingers ends; when the most impious and wicked act, that ever was on earth done, must accomplish what they design, they there also are most ready: But they make choice rather of seeming sanctity, than of wicked Violations; because the Church hath a better salve to cure the wounds made by the former, than it hath for the wounds made by the latter.

The manner of this Political Orders Practice, you shall find in Campa­nella's Discourse, (one of that Order) touching the Spanish Monarchy, Chap. 25. He adviseth the King of Spain, in the latter End of the Raign of Queen Elizabeth, in these words: Now as concerning the weakning of the English, there can no better way possibly be found out, than by causing division and dissention amongst them, and by continual keeping up the same; which will quickly furnish the Spanish Crown, or the Church, with more opportunities and advantages than the power of great Armies can pro­cure or produce. As for the Religion of that people, it is that of Calvin, though very much moderated, and not so Rigid and austere as it is at Gene­va; which yet cannot be so easily extinguished or rooted out there, unless there were some certain Schools set up in Flanders, with which people the English have great dealing and commerce: by means of which, there should be scattered abroad the Seeds of Schism and Division in the natural Sci­ences; as namely, betwixt the Stoicks, Peripateticks, and Telesians, by which the Errour of the Calvinists might be made manifest: For the truth is, That Sect is diametrically contrary to the Rules of Policy; for they teach, that Whether a man do well or ill, he doth all by divine Impulsion; which Plato demonstrates against Homer, to be opposite to all sounder Policy, which says, That every man hath free Liberty of Will, either to do well or ill; So that it is in our power to do and observe whatever is commanded, and from hence we are to expect our Reward or Punishment; according as I have taught in my Dialogue touching Policy, where I have discoursed of this Point, though but briefly; which they, since they have become Hereticks, are grown some­what subtil in; and yet being of a Nature that is still desirous of Novelties and Change, they are easily wrought over to any thing.

Here may be discerned what advantage they have over us in respect of Religion; and the Reader may perceive the Order and Working of these Polititians, who lay their Designs deep; they study Men, their Minds, Ob­jects, Causes, and their Effects, and the Effects of Effects, ad infini [...]m [...] They (and they onely) have lulled this Nation into so many severa [...] [...] thargies and Sleeps; wherein, those of this Perswasion dream they [...] are in the truth, and all others in Errors; so those of another do the like of the former.

And thus the Jesuit hath divided us, by his observing the several Humors of the English Nation; those that are more Austere, as the Presbyterian; those that are more pure, as the Independent, or separate Churches; the [Page 5]Anabaptists, as holy and select, and as persons set apart from the World, by their Submission to that Ordinance of Baptism at years of Discretion. The Difference is not much material, yet the Jesuite maketh use of these Distinctions, to carry on his design, by promoting of every one of them, and by keeping them at an even poyse; and sometimes again subdivide that thereby, whilst he divideth them that are most near to the Truth, he may work the better upon those that are of a baser Minde and Humor, and that will receive more gross Principles, more remote from the Truth: And those he practiseth upon such who have not a spirit of discerning, but have some Affection to devotion, as on the Seeker and the Quaker; more looser Prin­ciples on the Familists and Ranters; merrier and pretty conceited Devotions amongst the Rosicrucians, and Psalterists, or Hallilujaists, or Singers; so of many others: But he sometimes must make use of Truth, and the ways of Truth, to gain advantages in his Design; as the Devils in the possessed said, What have we to do with thee, Jesus of Nazareth, thou Son of the most high God? The Devil acknowledged Christ to be Son of God, in design; for the People seeing him to be acknowledged by the Devils, they drew this Con­clusion, That he did cast out Devils by the Power of Beelzebub the Prince of Devils: the Devils would never have confessed that he was the Son of God, but to produce that contrary Effect: so the Jesuite doth not promote, or cast himself under, those Forms that are true, or near the Truth, to any other end than to produce those contrary Effects before premised, viz. to divide and subdivide, to render the Churches less formidable or powerful in opposing the Church of Rome, if not subvert them, and bring them back to the Obedience of the Church of Rome. That this is certain, and not taken up upon conjecture, is evident, by the practice of Thomas Ramsy, of the Order of Jesus, who joyned with a gathered Church at Hexam in the North of England, under this pretence, that he was a Jew, and gave himself his name, Joseph Ben Israel; his particular Instructions was to insinuate the Doctrine of Free-Will, the which he did accomplish, and carried on with a High hand, until he was discovered, detected, and cast into Prison: One that got more than ordinary advantages of Familiarity, obtained of him the Discovery of many secrets in the Policy of the Jesuits practice, some of which are these; the ways that they practise in their Seminaries, to bring up youth, and render them fit for the intended Employments they put them upon, are; They First observe the Genius of the Party; and observing the peculiar Gifts he is naturally indowed with, they fit him onely for that service: he learneth some Trade (to hide and blind his Order,) which he practiseth; by this means he becometh Eminent amongst those of that per­swasion he casteth himself into: and, to put him into such a condition, that he may be freed from the stings of Conscience, they first teach him to swear, curse, damn, and forswear; and immediately to implore the Throne of Grace, with all pious Devotion imaginable: By this means they become flexible, and fit for any design that lyeth before them to promote; and if Conscience still should pursue them, their Pardons help at a dead lift.

And this they warrant from that Maxim, That no way is to be refused, whereby the Felicity and Peace of the Church of Rome is to be promoted and secured; let it be by any means whatsoever lawful or unlawful. These things considered, How much doth it behoove all that truly fear God, or have any true sincere Religion in their breast, to detest and decline the [Page 6]thought of condemning this Form, or that; in regard Religion doth not lye in Forms, but in the powerful practise of all Holiness, and godly Conver­sation; and therefore consent to some Natural Harmony, or Form necessary to the Truth, that the union thereof may be such, as it may be able to make head against the Church of Rome's designs, and the Projects of the Devil; else we shall continually be divided and subdivided, till at last we shall nei­ther have form or substance left, and be hurried into all manner of Confu­sion. The Truth of which is to be seen at this day amongst us: How do the giddy and unstable, run out of one thing into another! The Devil and Jesuit can scarcely invent that which hath either seeming Form or Or­der in it, fast enough, or so fast, as giddy People, that were never well principel'd in Religion, are ready to be led away captive by poysonous No­tions that are daily distilled amongst them, to the ruine of their own Souls, and to the dishonour of God: Who so soon as they are tainted by those delusions, immediately think themselves illuminated by Divine Light, as we see by sad Experience at this day amongst us, by people that yield Obedience, and submit to all manner of Delusions, and conform to them as Impulses from on High; which is nothing else but the Effects of depraved minds, agitated, illuminated, and acted by the Evil One.

The Art of the Jesuits is manifest. Another way, which serveth them to great purpose, is, the loosening of people from Principles; and when ef­fected, distil Notions to pursue after the discovery of new Lights, and in­stead of meeting with that which is Light, they close with what suiteth to their corrupt minds or ends. The Inferior sort of every Perswasion, when the Jesuit hath distilled his poysons amongst them, receive the Notions and Principles as Truth; and many of them worship under those Forms and No­tions, as in Spirit and Truth. The chief of most of them do joyn with them, out of corrupt ends, to be Head of the Factions, to exercise a kinde of Domination, which is delightful to Mankind: so that the Jesuit doth no more than first distil a poysonous Notion, and nurse it, and defend it, till it be indifferent considerable; when accomplished, it will subsist of it self, and put it self into form and order. Then when he hath done that by Er­rour, if that should grow too fast, he allayeth it by subdividing of it by some true Notion, or some other erronious Notion, which are equally alike to the Jesuit; for that the end of his designe is Dividing. When he hath divided and cast a Nation into many and various Forms, he hath accompli­shed and arrived to his End: then, if he can procure, foment, or stir up Dissatisfaction and Jealousies betwixt the Interests, there he keepeth them in continual ebbing and flowing; and naturally every Perswasion will in­cline some to one Interest of State, some to another: As for Example, the Episcopal doth naturally incline to a Monarchy.

Campanella did give the King of Spain the best advice to practise this kind of Policy; yea, he commendeth it before the opposing of England by Arms. The reason why he chose the Doctrine of Free will to be first set on foot in England, was, because that Opinion concludeth Man to be a free Agent, which looseneth and freeth the Disciples thereof from more firm and sounder Principles, and prepareth them to seek after new Lights; and when once arrived to this degree, immediately they turn Enthusiasts, who pretend, or think, that all they do, is done by the Spirit, and that they are attended by the Spirit of Revelation. Our Quaker is much pestered with the Malignant Influence of this Opinion.

The Jesuit, by this means, doth not onely divide people, as to Religi­on, and thereby render them less formidable against the Church of Rome, but also bringing an evil Report upon the Protestant Religion, disuniteth the affections of the Professors thereof, and causeth Jealousies, Heart­burnings, and Animosities, one against the other; and taketh them off from the power of Religion, to defend Forms and distinctions: and, that which is worst of all, thereby increaseth so many dictinct and diffe­rent Interests of State, as there are considerable Perswasions in a Com­mon-wealth. When a Perswasion is grown up to be considerable, it gives occasion for Factions in State; Thereby, some ambitious men will become the Heads of this or that Faction, and by the Power of the Faction they Head, become Mighty.

Now, if a State be led by such Principles; What wickedness shall not it be led into? What Villanies shall not they attempt? What so Sacred that they shall not Violate? Or, what Interest or Right will not they invade? What shall limit them, if they finde opportunity to at­tempt the accomplishing or the attaining to their desire? Miserable is that Nation that is subject to such Inconveniences; that are poysoned with Opinions: The World is mistaken, when they apprehend, that the Jesuit worketh immediately in Councels to produce Turns and Charges of State; No, but he worketh by remote Causes, such as are here before premised; that is to say, by infusing Notions destructive to publick safe­ty, at first into the common people, then it is drunk in by great Ones, then it Cleaveth and Divideth a Nation into so many Interests as there are Perswasions; then he applieth matter sutable to the Humor, and most apt to be received by the several Perswasions which shall work na­turally such Effects: and as it is the Policy of the Church of Rome to preserve it self, by providing sutable entertainment for each Humor within it self; so, it is to destroy other Churches, by several Poysons for each Humor.

Therefore it behooveth all Christian States to endeavour to fortifie themselves with Union: When a State hath arrived to consistency, its Form and Order is a barr to the Jesuites Operations. Those States that are divided, have no means to stay themselves from falling down the precipice of inevitable Ruine. The Jesuite doth not onely operate by distilling Notions in Religion, but also in affairs of State; as for Example, in the Case of our Controversies between the late King and the Parliament; the Parliament made War with Him, because that the discontents of the People did bear them up, and enabled them so to do; the which discontents were heightned by the Jesuit. When the War Ended, and the King overcome in the Field; it is evident that the Je­suit stirred up those Sons of Belial to stain their Hands with his Sacred Blood; the Jesuit also did practise and endeavour to incline the People to a Commonwealth: but in its Infancy also he endeavoured to stifle it, and prevent its arriving to a consistencie, lest it should be too firm & heavy for him to move. Also it is his design to endeavour the altering of a Common wealth again into a Monarchy, and a Monarchy that is erected out of a Commonwealth into an Oligarchy; not that any one of the forms of Government will be more Subservient to his design than any other, but that he may always practise Changes: by which means a [Page 8]Protestant State is exercised with struggling Interests with it self, so that it shall be less formidable and dangerous to the Catholick States.

That these things are not Conjectures, or taken up by supposition onely, or that these and such other Rules and Practices they follow, is plainly demonstrable by Adam Contzen the Jesuit, in his Politick, Chap. 16, 17, 18.

Chap. 16. ‘Is to shew that Princes must determine of nothing in Religion; as having power to defend that which the Pope determi­neth of, but no power to appoint or change any thing themselves, or judge of Controversies. The Church must judge and the Priest must Execute.’

Take notice that one of their Maxims is, that the Magistrate hath no­thing to do with matters of Religion. As that Maxim serveth their purpose to strengthen the Power of the Church, and weaken that of the Magistrate in Catholick-States. So it serveth their purpose in Pro­testant States to weaken the Magistrate, and lay all in confusion in the Church.

Chap. 17. ‘Is to shew, That to preserve Religion, (that is Po­pery), no other Religion should be permitted:But it is the Principle of the Church of Rome to Cry up all Tolerati­on, until they have by their Policy obtained the Power. and that Riches tend much to strengthen the Clergy, and preserve Religion; and the pover­ty of the Protestant Ministers (which must be by all means endeavoured).’

As he here prescribeth means to inrich the Popish Ministery, he adviseth the impoverishing the Protestant, that they may become disabled and discouraged to study and labour in the Work of the Ministery, as also that by poverty they may become contemptible: Indeed the Protestant-Minister is an Eye-sore to the Catholick; and those that Cry out against Ministers maintainance, do nothing else than the work of the Jesuit.

Chap. 18. ‘To bring in Popery, and abolish the Protestants Religion, is, to make use of the Protestants contentions. How easie is it (saith he) in England to bring the Puritans into Order, if they be forced to approve Bishops? or to reduce the Puritans in the Low Countries, if the Prince adhere to the Arminians? For the Variety of Opinions makes that doubtful, that before seemed certain; so that when the Magistrate joyneth with one side, he easily overturns the other, and leaves the whole obnoxious: As Paul did by the dissention between the Pharisees and Saduces; joyning to one side, he escaped. This (saith he) I would principally perswade an Orthodox Magistrate to (that is, a Papist.) For he may have as much advantage to make use of the Protestants disagreements, as of the Papists Concord, to extirpate Protestants. As in Wars, it is not onely the skill and strength of the General, but often also the Carelesness of the Enemy, or his Mistake, that gives very great advantges for success. When rigid Calvinism was assaulted by the Lutherans, in the heat of the Paroxysm, it was exasperated, and the suddain restraint did much hurt: But now the Arminians have of their own accord let go the hardest part of their [Page 9]rigour, and judge the Calvinists to be impious, and persecute them in the very Universities, and in other Towns they force them to ba­nishment: and would venture to do more and crueller things, if they were not afraid of the strength of the avderse Party.’

That he here saith of Contentions, is sufficiently practised: First, To Create them; And Secondly, To Foment them. That which Contzen principally taketh notice of, is, That Order in the Puritans or Pro­sessors of Religion in England, is easie to be effected: But he adviseth, that the Magistrate, or Agent for the Church of Rome do make use of the Protestants differences, and not permit them to Unite; but rather pursue all Ways and Means of contriving Disunion, fomenting of Breaches amongst the Professors of Religion of all sorts, and more especially the Church and State of England, than any other; for that it is the greatest State or Kingdom that is in Europe, that is freed from the Barbarous and Intolerable Yoke of the Papal Soveraignty or Suprema­cy; it is a Place whence the Church of Rome hath been plentifully sup­plyed with vast sums imposed upon this Kingdom, and obtained from it: It is evident, that what is here asserted, is no less than Truth; and it behoveth all Interests and Perswasions to reconcil to, conform and unite, and decline being Authors of Discord in the Church: Certain it is, That that which must be able to stand like a Rock against the violent and open Force of the Church of Rome, and its private undermin­ing Policies, must be something else than general Indulgence; He who hath any reason, and hath observed any thing of the Practice and Policy of the Church of Rome, must conclude, that it must be Union under a well-governed Church, that must be managed by Councel that must be care­ful of making good their Ground, and be able to detect their Policies and new Contrivances.

I shall add one thing more of Campanella, Chap. 18. Advice to the King of Spain.

Neither would I have this one thing to be omitted; namely, that He erect certain Colledges through all the Provinces of his Dominions, in which should be placed all the most ingenious Boys of the said Provin­ces; (and who are such, may easily be known, by their first Masters, that taught them their Grammers, and other the first Rudiments) and these, being thus culled out of all Grammer-Schools, I would have to be brought up, and maintained at the Kings Charge; and there should be a New Order set up of them, like that of St. Dominick; which Order I would have called, The Austrian Order. And when any of these were come to be 18 years old, they should then be commanded to Preach: and these I would have to be called, The Kings Preachers; and they should then be sent abroad, some into Germany, and others into England: where, if they have managed their business rightly, and well; at their return they should have Bishopricks conferred upon them by the King, of those that are in the Kings own Gift: for, by so doing, he shall render himself secure, both from the Pope, and also against all perfidious Preachers and Hereticks; and by this means such persons onely shall be maintained at His Charge, as do him service for it, and advance His affairs.

This is an evident Demonstration of the Practices of the Church of Rome; and it would not be amiss, if that something of the like nature were undertaken for the Church and State of England. Chelsey-Colledge erected, might be of use, and become a good Expedient against the underminings of the Church of Rome: the Hinderers of that Work, were no Friends to the Church of England. How far any can be deemed a Friend to Church or State that is a Roman Catholick, is a great Question, for that all Pretences, Oaths, Abjurations (what not?) in their Opinion may be absolved by the Pope: If so, what can a Protestant Prince or State expect from them? they may be Friends to Him in a degree, less or more, as their Interest shall lead them, and not otherwise.