THis being a time that the true Sons of our Church might devoutly wish for, but could not Morally few months ago hope so soon to have seen; wherein, as by a Touch-stone, gold is distinguished from baser mettals, the true Protestant Religion from Fana­ticism and Popery, it may not be improper to say some­thing to you, by way of Preamble, of Religion; and the rather, because you know there are so many profes­sions, all pretending to an Equal and Apostolical Right.

Now to enable you the better to distinguish, I lay this down for a just and true measure of it, That Religion is the best and safest, that most magnifies God, and likewise most advances a peaceable Christian conversation amongst men. I shall not say much of the former at present, conside­ring that all professions equally pretend to it, but make the main subject of my discourse concerning the latter. Our blessed Lord and Saviour left this for a standing rule to his Church: Whatsoever ye would that men should do unto you, even so do to them: By the strict following of which, so much advancing a Peaceable Conversation amongst men, she triumph't o're the Roman world in less than three hundred years, notwithstanding the op­position of all her Legions. The Professours of Chri­stianity [Page 2]amongst us, may be reduced to five heads: Quaker, Independent, (under which may be compre­hended all the Rabble of Sects, as Familists, Anabap­tists, Fifth Monarchy men, &c. for Independency is like a Mathematical line, divisibilis in semper divisibilia) Presbyterian, Church of England, and Papist. Now when I have set forth the Principles and Practices of all severally, it will not be hard for a Rational unbyast man to judge which is the safest Religion, that is, which most advances a peaceable conversation amongst men.

The Quaker hath a plausible pretence, by his Prin­ciples of the unlawfulness either of Swearing or Fight­ing, and his practice accordingly, which, if so, (as he may very well be suspected to have none, considering their being still acted by a light within them) are abso­lutely inconsistent with Government, and consequently with peace; which will be easily granted when it is con­sidered, that the first moment a man turns Quaker, the King loses a Subject, as to the being useful to him, and every man a Neighbour; for he that will not fight in an honourable and just War, of which no private person is judge, is as dead to his Prince: And likewise, he that will not assert truth, by oath thereto lawfully called in vindication of his Neighbours Interest, there being no other way to do it by the Constitution of the Law, is worse to him. As for their pretensions to perfection, contrary to Scripture and their own impure practice, I shall leave to the Divines to consider of, and conclude that Quakers are like salt that hath lost its savour, Mar. 5.13. and thenceforth good for nothing but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men: For it is not at all con­sistent with the prudence of Princes, to connive at, much less to tolerate an opinion that renders the abet­tors useless, if not worse, to all the ends of Govern­ment.

The Independent now pretends to a kind of Call or Election into the Pastoral Office, as they tearm it, by a Company of people who say they are Saints, and that's all the reason we have to believe it. I should wonder how it can come into any mans head to accept of an Office, according to their own opinion, sacred too, up­on such a title (but that we see ambitious men will ac­cept of Power upon any terms) it being a principle in Law, Nemo potest plus juris in alium transferre quam ipse habet, None can transfer or give a greater right then he hath. And I think all sober men will grant, that the people, viz. Tom, Dick, and Cis, originally have no such power as to confer Holy Orders. Electo then may be a fitter name then Pastor, for those Boanergeses. I have heard of a Garrison that in a high mutiny, turn'd out the Officers, and chose out of the Commonalty, o­thers into their rooms, by the name of Electoes, to sup­ply their places in martial conduct, who acted their parts stubbornly enough against their General, as fearing to return to a private condition, if not worse. So our pretended Saints have thrown off their Spiritual Gover­nors and Directors, and have done worse then the Ido­latrous Israelites; Exod. 32.23. for they so far observed the Decency of Order, as to desire the High-Priest to make them Gods, which should go before them: But ours have of them­selves chose their Gods or Electoes, who are not likely to return in haste to the Communion of the Church, and consequently to the condition of Private men, being that they exercise as absolute an Episcopal and Despoti­cal power, over the Estates and Consciences of their re­spective Congregations or Troops of Bandetti, as ever any Pope pretended to, in the days of the greatest Ig­norance and Bigotery; it being their design (I suppose) to take the Kingdom from men, and to give it to Jesus Christ; and then the Saints and the secret ones shall [Page 4]work destruction, J. Owen p. 22.165. T. Goodw. P. Nye. Skid. Symson. W. Bridge. Jer. Burrows Apol to the Parliament. as the same Author elegantly hath it. Now what may be the end of that, is not hard to say, when a Club of them have jointly declared: This Prin­ciple we carried along with us, not to make our pre­sent judgment and practice a binding Law for the fu­ture. Now if these be not as slippery Chapmen, by vertue of this, as either the Papists with their Fides non est servanda cum Haereticis, Faith is not to be kept with Heretiques; or the Quaker with his Light within, I am much mistaken.

Now that something has been said of their Principles, 'tis fit you should know likewise of their Practices; which have been such, as have not at all shamed their Prin­ciples: For all our late Civil War and Bloodshed, with the never to be too much deplored Fate of the best of Kings then, or many ages before living, was the result of their most holy Faith, and all justified by following Divine Providence; Caryll. and not only so, but they persisted in their Rebellion to the last too, as is evident to all knowing men of that time; nay they were so generally involved in it, that Capua it self was comparatively loy­al:Sir W. R. Hist. World. Pun. War. 2. For there were upon a strict scrutiny two found not guilty of Rebellion; but to these Gentlemen the saying of the Psalmist may be applied, There is none that doth good, no not one: And none that is loyal can take the application of that Scripture amiss, that considers, that in the year 1648 a Book was printed and licensed by the then Authority, with this Title, Several Speeches de­livered at a Conference concerning power of Parliament to proceed against their King for mis-government, which is word for word taken out of Parsons the Jesuites book, as the learned Dr. Stillingfleet hath observed; which Book was written under the name of Doleman, as I take it, to invalidate the Scotch succession, and consequently our Kings Title to the Crown of England: so harmoniously [Page 5]did the Independent and Jesuite agree against the com­mon enemy; Herode and Pilate were not so unanimous in crucifying the Lord of Glory, as these were; and pro­bably will be again upon occasion, in quenching the light of Israel: And yet a modern Author,Rehear. Trans. that takes himself for no small fool, has the confidence to say, that the Cause, meaning the Rebellion 1642. was too good to be fought for. But it may be presumed by what over acts we see of their Allegiance, that had they the same opportunity again, they would not have so Vene­rable an opinion of it.

It will not now be difficult from what has been said to conclude, that Independent Principles and Practices notwithstanding the unintelligible Jargon that their Ser­mons and other printed discourses are full of, are far from making any thing towards a peaceable conversati­on amongst men, and so to be lookt on accordingly. Now what severity soever is shewed them, must come far short (because the Laws are not strict enough for't) of what they have shewed to others: For it passed for Orthodox amongst them,Th. Case. That God would have Judges to shew no mercy, when the quarrel was against Reli­gion.

The Presbyterians pretend to a constant succession of Holy Orders or Ordination by imposition of hands from the Apostles time, as well as we, but by the Medium of Pres­byters, as we of Bishops. They, that is the sober part,Clevel. (for There is a Church as well as Kirke of Scots) wave enthusiasms and such like dreams, and make the Scripture the rule of Faith, as well as of manners; all the difference then lies in the construction of the word [...], which they say signifies a preaching, ruling, and sometimes a lay-elder, and our Divines (and doubt­less with more reason) say a Bishop, and such an one, as hath superintendency over Presbyters too; but this ha­ving [Page 6]been the subject of the learned pens pro and con, I shall say no more, but that many of them are worthy in their generations, and eminent both for Learning and Piety, and have been instrumental too in the Kings, and consequently the Churches Restauration; let them now come into her bosome, who is always willing to re­ceive them, and reap at least the fruits of those worthy labours, least the controversie betwixt us and them be decided by a third party, as that of the Mouse and the Frog in the Fable, was to the ruine of both the gladia­tors: And I hope there may be an expedient found out for it, for I am sure the Church of England is not of the humor of Pope Paul the fourth,Cor. Trid. p. 406. who said, rather then he would loose one jot of his due, he would see the whole world ruin'd. It cannot be said, that they were ever immediately guilty of any Soveraign Princes blood, yet they were a little School-men like, too nice in the distinction betwixt the Politique and the Personal capa­cities of Princes, and did a little too inconsiderately swallow the Vulgar Error of the Kings being one of the threeI humbly pro­pose to those worthy persons of that judg­ment, whether the making the King an Estate makes him not a co-ordinate power, and where such is, then in reason, all matters are to be decided by majority of suffrages, and how that will lesson Majesty, he is very shal­low that cannot discern. Estates, not having a due regard to the ill con­sequences of both, which naturally are such as must ren­der the assertours of those opinions, liable at least to a suspition that they have been far from being zealous in e­very thing that may advance a peaceable conversation amongst men.

The next in order is the Church of England, whose Credenda, matters of Faith, are according to the holy Scriptures, and the first four general Councils, and are such as all her opposers (but the buzzardly Quakers) be­lieve, or at least pretend so, to be true and Orthodox; she claims a succession of Bishops from the Apostles, and hath as much authority for it, notwithstanding the Fryer-like tale of the Nags-head-Tavern, as any of the most potent of her adversaries; she directs Prayers to God, [Page 7]according to his command, and not to the uncertain ear of a Creature intercessor; in fine, she believes according as they believed, in the purest primitive times, and di­rects mens practice accordingly; and though her dire­ctions are not so successful perhaps as then (yet then there were immoralities, as may be seen by the irregu­larities in the infant Church of Corinth, and the impuri­ties amongst the Nicholaitans and filthy Gnostiques) it can no more be attributed to her, then the Idolatry of the old Israelttes could be to Moses, who directed them otherways. I shall not use many Arguments, for truth needs not many Champions, but only say, That if Loy­alty and Obedience to Lawful Authority, be an argu­ment of a peaceable conversation, the Church of Eng­land is to be preferred before all others of our Cogni­zance; witness her brave and patient suffering during the almost 20 years of tumult and tyranny, in which her sons asserted their allegiance with so much chearfulness to the loss of their lives and fortunes, as is not to be pa­rallel'd in any age; to whose restless endeavours and constant struglings against the pretended powers, his Majesties happy return may more justly be attributed then to any other second Cause. Independency it self was not more eminent for Rebellion, then she for Loy­alty, which is as inseparable from her, as light from co­lour; for its as well known as a Negative can be, that never any of her sons ever made defection, as to that, except one Apostate Bishop (which is the less to be won­dered at, considering there was a Judas amongst the twelve) since the Reformation from Rome; and though many did pay obedience to the late powers, yet it was for wrath, not conscience sake. All this considered, it will appear no great wonder, if her sons be still kindly lookt on by his Majesty, according to the saying of his Royal Unkle to his Cardinal upon another occasion: [Page 8]There was no reason he should forsake them that loved him,Lust. Ludo. p. 169. to humor the Caprichio's of those that did not love him. So what the Spirit said to the Church of Philadel­phia, may I hope without presumption, be applied to that of England: Rev. 3.10. Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the Earth.

Now we come to the Church Triumphant, that of Rome, whose Grandeur hath o're gone all the Churches that ever were; in the pomp and vanity of this wicked world, she professes the well-bred (that is) the Travel­ling Religion, and thinks, I suppose, that we are as dis­cerning in the point of Religion, as we are in that of Cloaths, in love with every thing that is Forraign; she would never offer else to impose all her little tricks upon us.

The two Pillars or Staves,Zec. 11. v. 7. on which this mighty Ma­chine of Popery is supported, are not Gods staves of beau­ty and bands, but Supremacy and Infallibility; Pope Boniface the 8th was a great Asserter of the former, when he made it Authentick Law, in these words: We say and define and pronounce, that it is absolutely necessary to salvation, for every humane Creature to be subject to the Bishop of Rome. A new Article of Faith never heard of amongst the Ancient Creeds, Antiquity making out the contrary;Cited by L. Cook Re. 5. For S. Edw. Laws c. 19. delivers this for Law, Rex autem qui vicarius summi Regis est, ad hoc constitutus est, ut Regnum & populum Domini, & super omnia sanctam Ecclesiam regat, & defendat ab inimicis, maleficos autem destruat. By this you may see that the King was owned by the Law then to be Gods Vicar or Vicegerent, not foreseeing the proud decree of Boni­face. Inter omnes convenit, quod nemo possit appropriare ullam Ecclesiam cui animarum cura incumbit, cum sit res [Page 9]Ecclesiastica, & Ecclesiastica personae approprianda, nisi ille qui jurisdictionem habet Ecclesiasticam; sed Gulielmus pri­mus ex se, sine quovis alio Ecclesiarum curam personis Ec­clesiasticis, ut Rex Angliae appropriavit, unde ipsum Eccle­siasticam jurisdictionem habuisse consequitur. It is agreed of all hands, that no man can appropriate any Church with cure of souls, because it is wholly an Ecclesiastical affair, and to be appropriated to an Ecclesiastical per­son, except one that hath Ecclesiastical jurisdiction; but William the first King of England did do it, from whence it must follow that he had jurisdiction Eccle­siastical.

Now if the Kings of England had Ecclesiastical Juris­diction, as it appears they had, by the exercising of it, notwithstanding the decree of a little Council or Con­venticle to the contrary, which decreed that no spiritual person should enter into any Church by any secular person; Con. Mant. where was the Popes Almighty Power almost, that he pretended to, about that time in every thing?

By the ancient Laws of the Church of Rome, the issue born before marriage, is as lawful inheritable, marriage following, as otherways; yet that was never allowed in England for all the Popes power, as may appear by the Statute of Merton, 20 H. 3. when the Bishops instanted the Lords that they would assent that the Custome of England should conform to that of Rome, in that particular re­ceived this for answer, Nolumus Leges Angliae mutare, Cooke 5. Rep. we will not change the Laws of England.

By this may be seen what a small influence the Popes had even at that time upon our Parliament, notwithstand­ing the assistance of the Bishops, and mitred Abbots.

Yet afterwards P. Inno. 4. occasionally with a great deal of Magisterial Indignation (being very angry that Grosted Bishop of Lincoln, refused a Nephew or nearer Kinsman,Fox p. 407. for a Prebend of that Church) said that the King of Eng­land [Page 10]was his Vassal,Mancipium. his Page, his Slave, reflecting I sup­pose upon that submission that King John, as the Empe­rour Frederick said in his Letter to Henry the third his son, more like a woman than a man, made to Pandolphus the Legate; yet Edward the first that Heroick Grandchild of that unfortunate Prince, was of another sort of mettal, for in his Reign a Subject brought a Bull of Excommuni­cation against another Subject of this Realm, and pub­lished it to the Lord Treasurer of England, and this was adjudged Treason by the Ancient Common Law of Eng­land, against the King, his Crown and Dignity, for which the offender should have been drawn and hang'd; but at the great instance of the Chancellor and the Treasu­rer, he was only abjur'd the Realm for ever.

Certain Messengers had from the Pope serv'd Process up­on an Officer of Chancery then held at York, Vid. le Re­gist. f. 224. to command him by those Bulls to appear at Rome, & for this contempt the party that served the Process, was committed to York Castle; and at length the Kings Majesty, by the entreaty of divers great men of the Realm, was content upon taking bond, that he should answer the said contempt ad proximum Parliamentum nostrum ubicunque illud sum­moneri contigerit; at our next Parliament, where ever it happens to be assembled or summoned, to deliver him out of Prison.

Edward the first presented his Clerk to a Benefice within the Province of York, who was refused by the Arch-Bishop, for that the Pope by way of Provision had conferred it upon another; the King thereupon brought a Quare non admisit, the Bishop pleaded that the Bishop of Rome had long time before provided to the said Church, as one having supream authority in the Case, and that he durst not, nor had power to put him out; who by the Popes Bull was in possession: For which high con­tempt against the King, his Crown and Dignity, in refusing [Page 11]to execute his Soveraigns command, fearing to do it a­gainst the Provision; by judgment of the Common Law the Lands of his whole Bishoprick were seized into the Kings hands, and lost during life: So all these Presidents considered, it is no wonder if that bold Briton who pub­lish't the Excommunication against Queen Elizabeth in Pius Quintus his time, met with the sinister accident of a Halter.

For if it be treason in a Subject to do so against a Sub­ject, as it was adjudged in Edward the first his time, a for­tiori, as my Lord Cooke says, it is treason for a Subject to do so against his Soveraign: It may very well be asked now, considering these high Practices, and some strict Laws to abate the power of the See of Rome, how the Pope could possibly have so considerable an Interest as we know, or at least believe, he had in Henry the eighth's time. The Statute of Provisors of Benefices of 27 Ed. 3. gives you a reason to that time, in these words, That though the Statute of Ed. 1.25Which Statute is not in the printed Sta­tutes, either by negligence, or probably be­cause it was made at Car­lile, the Roll was not trans­mitted to Lon­don., stands good, yet by sufferance and negligence, it hath been attempted the contrary. The Pope afterwards got ground by the remiss latter end of Ed­ward the third's Reign, and the whole one of Richard the second, who though he made the strict Law of premunire, yet it did much abate of the strictness of the Common Law before spoken of, which unhappy Prince was depo­sed and murthered by his Cosen and Vassal Henry of Lan­caster, who though the murthered Prince left neither Chil­dren nor Friends, yet by reason that the murtherer was not next Heir at Law, he was a little uneasie all his Reign; so that he was forced to comply, by reason of the badness of his title, contrary to the humor of his great Father, with the ill designs of the Roman Clergy (who of all are the best at soldering crackt titles) and make bloody Laws against the Lollards under the notion of Heretiques;H. 42. c. 15. yet Henry his son, who had no fault but his title, let them know [Page 12]other, I will not say better things, by suppressing the Pri­ory Aliens, which was all that was done to shew the Cou­rage of the English Kings in that particular, till H. 8. who was, if you peruse the Chronicles, the first that had leasure to question his Holinesses encroachments upon this Mo­narchy.

Neither was the Supremacy much more ancient a­broad,Ros Hist W. Chronolog. for the first that had any thing like it was Boniface the third, to whom Phocas about 606 granted that he should be the head of all Churches; 'twas that Phocas that murther'd his Lord and Master Mauritius; and to say the truth, the Popes have arrived to that height they now pretend to by the wickedness of Usurpers, who having no title themselves, made little regard what they gave to others, to countenance their own Rapine; yet this grant was not so authentique as to make the succeeding Popes stand upon their own legs, for the first downright oppo­ser of the Emperour, was Constantine the first, who oppo­sed Phillipicus about Images, and not only so, but for the greater affront,Stilling. Fa­nat. of the Church of Rome. 362. forbad the publique use of the Emperours Name and Title, his Successors Leo the third and Gregory the second, wrote so after his copy, that they stript the Emperors of all they had almost in Italy, by absolving the Subjects of their Allegiance, that they fell into Rebelli­on and destroyed their Provincial Governours. The Popes of that time were encouraged to this insolence by correspondence with Charles Martell, Major of the Pallace, who more then probably had some design of usurpation upon the Crown of France, at that time managed by a race of weak Princes, which afterwards Pepin his son ex­ecuted by the help of Pope Zachary, who understanding his meaning when he sent to know, whether it was not fit for him to bear the name, who did all the business of a King, readily absolv'd him of his oath to his Lord and Master with all his Nobles and People: Pepin upon this [Page 13]deposed his Master Chilperick, and put him into a Mo­nastery, and by some such way or worse, made sure of the remaining house of Pharamond. By this may easily be seen the danger that attends lawful Soveraign Princes by the exorbitant power of the Pope o're the consciences of their Subjects. The successors of this Zachary, not­withstanding the succors that Pepin gave them, which needs must be very great, having nothing to adjust his perjury and usurpations but the Popes supremacy; as on the contrary they had nothing to save themselves from the fury of their justly provoked Leige Lords, but the strictness of that League; yet some of his Successors by reason of the Lombarde power, were not free from trouble; for Pope Leo the third was put into Prison for some enormities, and escaped to Charles into Saxony, who brought him to Rome with an Army to clear himself, where calling a Synod to examine whether the matters were true or no, that he was accused of; the bold Pope took the Chair and jollily determined it, that the Bishop of Rome was above all men, and to be judged by none: But to make Charles amends, he Crowns him and Proelaims him Augustus, and Emperor of the Romans, to which he had the same title as his Father had to the Kingdom of France; and Charles in requital conquer'd the Lumbards for him, and bestow'd most of those Lands upon him, called now the patrimony of the Church; for which he was, I suppose,Ros. p. 128. Sainted many years after, having no other vertue but that to deserve such a favour; and who knows but that some kind Pope hereafter may canonize the Rump-Parlia­ment, or at least the High-Court of Justice, they having as much right to do what they did, as Charles had to be King of France (for the Fathers prosperous treason could never create a title in the Son) or Emperour, and I am sure they did the See of Rome more service then that great War­rier for all his enfeoffing her in those Italian Provinces. [Page 14]And this is the Original of the Popes greatness, who as long as the Empire continued in the line of Charles out of common policy, if not gratitude, were very mannerly to the Emperors,Hist. Coun. Tren. 835. for they still dated their Bulls, Privi­ledges and Grants, with these formal words, In the Reign of such an Emperour our Lord and Master.

But Hildebrand was of another temper to the German Emperours, for he forced Henry the Emperour with his Lady and Prince, to attend him three days at the Gates of Cannusium, before he would admit him to his presence; Alexander the third was not much more modest, when he set his foot upon the Emperour Frederick his neck, pro­phanely applying that saying in the Psalms, super Aspidem & Basiliscum ambulabis, & conculcabis Leonem & Draco­nem.

To this submission was the Emperour forced to save the life of his Son, who was lately fallen into his malitious hands by misfortune: But least these Examples should by reason of their Antiquity be objected against, it may not be amiss to give some later instances of their being busie-bodies in managing of Crowns; Julius the third very briskly told Henry the second of France in the year 1551.Con. Trid. 314 by his Em­bassadour. Foul. pag. 725. That if he took Parma from him, he would take France from the King; and in the year 1626 Ʋrban the eighth sent to forbid his beloved sons the Catholiques of Eng­land, the taking of the pernicious and unlawful Oath of Allegiance; nay more, the Catholiques of Ireland submit­ted that unhappy Kingdom to the said Ʋrban, and after to Pope Inno. the tenth, who bestowed it as a favour upon his dearest Miss Madam Olympia. In the year 1662 Car­dinal Barbarino bids the Irish take heed they fall not foul upon some things condemned by holy Church, in ad­justing their Loyalty, which they at that time stood in need of, considering the then posture of affairs: But these however, the latter is a private Doctors opinion, and [Page 15]the Church not at all answerable for it, says the little Priest that leads the silly women captive; for to give them their due, they will never justifie any thing but what may conduce to their ends, like them that never tell truth for truths sake, but because it is fit to be so; they give the best words of any people in the world to bring people into their Communion, but when once in, they'l shew you another manner of Countenance, especially where they have a coercive power, you must then believe all their little things upon pain of being deliver'd up to the secu­lar power, that is to Fire and Fagot, as it was almost in our Grandfathers days: and what fair dealing can we expect from them? when the Author of the History of the Coun­cil of Trent gives this Character of the Pope Paul the third, that he was a Prelate endowed with good qualities, C.T. p. 71. but among all his Vertues, he made more esteem of none, then Dissimulation.

But to make this more appear, I'le give you a relation of some transactions of the Inquisition related by a Ro­manist, which clearly make out, that, that Holy Office, as he devoutly terms it, did take upon them (and I'me sure do so still, if they do any thing) the cognizance of things, of which, by their first institution they were not at all ap­pointed Judges; that Office or Court was set up at the instance of Dominick (whose Mother dreamt when she was with Child of him,Martyr. in vit. Dom. that she had a whelp vomiting fire in her womb) to reduce the Waldenses about the year 1205, and afterwards brought into Spain upon the Con­quest of Granada by Ferdinand and Isabella Kings of Ar­ragon and Castile, as an expedient of discrimination of Christians from Jews and Moors: But Charles the fifth made other use of it in the Low Countries, for by its help he burnt and otherways destroyed 50000 of his poor Subjects, little thinking that his memory, as well as the persons, of his most inward friends should fall under their lash.

The Story lies thus, which for the Novelty I have translated.

But they left not there, for taking advantage of the cre­dulousness of that Priest-Peckt Prince Philip the second; they never left imposing upon him that Don Carlo his son was dangerous to his Estate, and intimated too much fa­miliarity with his Mother in Law; so that at length, the Prince, though heir apparent to the Crown, for shewing too indiscreet an indignation at that affront to his Grandfa­thers memory, and some other demonstrations of his ill [Page 18]sentiments of their tyranny, was given up to them, who did him only the favour to give him the choice of his death: the mischief ended not there neither, for the jea­lous Prince in a manner commanded his Queen, though great with Child, to be poysoned, to expiate the supposed CrimeHow far that Office had to do in it, I'le not determine; but its no great breach of cha­rity to think, that those per­sons who would not spare the Heir apparent of his Catho­lique Majesty, would not be very scrupulous in attempting upon Heretical Princes, especi­ally when the Inquisition preferred that barbarous and unnatural mur­der of Don Carlo, before the obedience of Abraham, and in a Blas­phemous Zeal compared the King, all with one voice, to the Eternal Fa­ther, who had not spared his own Son for the salvation of mankind; now what sins will not they pass by for the advance of the Papal authori­ty, when so black a crime has got such an extravagant encomium.: There was a design upon the Queen of Navarre and her son, after ward Henry the fourth of France, to seize them when they lived at Pan, by the villany of one Cap­tain Dominick a Bernois, but by the kindness of the Queen before mention'd, the generosity of Don Carlo concurring, which might be one thing that cost her her life; it was discover'd, but what they failed in at that time, their Factors afterwards brought to pass upon one with a knife, and upon the other with poyson; by this you may see what they would be at, none must make a Will, except they have a share, or else his memory must be exposed to contempt and scorn; for had the Emperor given according to his quality, a good sum of money for foundations for prayers, as my Author terms it, the Will nor any thing else had been questioned, and the Dr. had escaped Spitchcocking, and though the Inquisition is a stranger in most of the Popish Countries, yet this abates but little of the force of my argument, for who knows not that it is none of the Popes fault? WhenC.T. 405.416. De seres in vita H. 3. Paul the fourth said that it was the principal secret and mystery of the Pa­pacy, and at his last gasp recommended it to the Cardinals, exhorting them to establish it where ever they could; and his Successors have always been ready to shew their good will to it, witness the endeavours to introduce it into France, by vertue of the Holy League, under the ministrati­on of that bloody and perfidious Prince the Duke of Guise, and afterwards of his Brother the Duke de Main: How many horrid murders were perpetrated in order to it? but above all, the murder of Henry the third, by a Jacobin Monk at St. Cloud, is most admirable, for in the same room [Page 19]at St. Cloud, where he amongst others had contrived the bloody Massacre at Paris, the greatest piece of villany and treachery that the world ever knew justified (except that of the Mamertines, upon their hosts at Messana) was slain by a Monk for not being papist enough,Sir W. R. l. 1.270. though he had formerly so signalized it, by an Act so Heroique, that his Holiness thought fit to celebrate, by calling his Cardinals together, to give ‘God thanks for so great a blessing confer­red upon the Roman See, and the Christian World.’

To omit many more notorious practices, it's very prin­ciples are inconsistent with Monarchy, for it sets up at the best two Supreams, like Hobs his two omnipotents, DeCive. which will like them too, be in a continual state of disobedience to each other, which is utterly inconsistent with the ends of Government.

Now we have a great deal of reason to submit, which they call reconciling our selves to the See of Rome, when we consider how the Council of Constance broke the pub­lique faith, in burning of John Hus and Hierom of Prague, C. T. and as the Diet at Wormes would have done in the case of Luther, had not the Prince Palatine Lewis, used his power as well as reasons against it; and no wonder, when it is considered what Paul the fourth, Decemb. 20.1555. in the Consistory after wards declared, a mongst other things, that it is an article of Faith ‘That the Pope cannot be bound, and much less can bind himself, C.T. 396. and that to say otherwise is ma­nifest heresie, and if any after that should say so, the Inqui­sition should proceed.’

I shall not say much of Infallibility, their second Staff or Pillar, because the pretences to it (one would think) cannot be very strong, when you consider that there have been about 30 Schisms in that Church, that is more then one Pope at a time, and Council against Council too in the Case, as that of Basil under Felix the fifth, against Florence under Eugenius the fourth, besides others, and all equally [Page 20]pretending, and I think with equal right too, to Infalli­bility, which is not much strengthned by the Act of Parli­ament that declared,2 R. 2. c. 5. that Ʋrban was duly chosen Pope, and so ought to be accepted and obeyed.

Image worship, I shall wave as being (by an able Cham­pion of our Church, sufficiently proved to be Idolatry, notwithstanding the nice distinctions of [...] and [...],Stilling. of Idol. and shall speak first of Transubstantiation, as being the greatest, if not the only part of their Religion, that they are content to have the Scriptures extant for, but with what reason we shall briefly examine [ [...], this is my body) it is here observable that the word [...] is not the Relative to [...],Ham. annot. Mat. 28. bread, but of the neuter gender, and consequently it is not here said, that this bread is my body (the body of Christ) but either indefinitely this, or [...], take, eat, this is my body; this taking or eating is, or denotes my body, which is more fully exprest, Luke 22.19. This is my body which is given for you, do this in re­membrance or commemoration of me.

There are many other arguments made use of thereby this Learned Doctor, to whom I refer those that desire further satisfaction in this point, whereby he does inva­lidate the literal and carnal meaning of these words so far, as you may as soon prove Extream Ʋnction by them as Transubstantiation.

Now having done with the Scriptural part of it,Acts & Mon. 218. it may not be amiss to tell you, that it is but a Novel, being but established under Pope Nicholas the second, against Be­rengarius in the Council of Lateran: Yet Hildebrand his Successor had no great faith in it, though so established, when he desired the Church to pray that God would shew by miracle whether Berengarius was rightly condemned or no, an argument of his doubting; but after he gave a special one, that he no longer doubted, though I cannot say it was any great argument of Faith, when in a fit of [Page 21]madness he burnt the Host, because it did not give an an­swer concerning the success of Henry the Emperor: But since that doctrine, with a great many other worthy ones, hath been confirmed by the Council of Trent, Con. Tr. Ses. 13. which de­creed that Divine honor should be given to the Bread. But no wonder if you consider the Bishop of Quinque Ecclesiae's Letter, an eminent member of the Council, to the Emper­our Maximilian the second; ‘What good (saies he) could be done in that Council, where Votes were not weighed but numbred; and a little after, They were hireling Bishops, who as Country Bagpipes, C.T. 84. could not speak but as breath was put into them, the holy Ghost had nothing to do in this As­sembly.’ For it consisted of Tituladoe's, Beardless boys, old flatterers, unlearned and simple, Ibid. yet fitted by their impudent boldness; generals of orders, names, nor things ever heard of in the primitive time, but they are the Popes Mamalukes, with whom he doth enslave a great part of the world, and desigus the same to the rest.

Now if the point of Transubstantiation, for which di­vine honor is given to the bread, come to be examined by reason, which is not wholly to be declined in matters of Faith, it will notwithstanding the Fathers of Trent, be found little less then a meer Invention: God Almighty requires a reasonable service of us, 'tis then impious to think that we must wave that faculty, by which we are distinguished from Brutes, in becoming his servants, as all men must, that believe that Doctrine: And though they pretend that the doctrine of the Trinity is as irreconcilable to reason, as the other, and yet not to be disputed; they may as well argue thus, the Doctrine of the Trinity is not to be comprehended by reason, Ergo the Pope is Infallible.

St. Peter on the day of Pentecost used other kind of Ar­guments, when 3000 were converted; for if he had said,Acts 2. from v. 6. instead of God hath made the same Jesus whom ye have cru­cified both Lord and Christ: that the wafer or piece of bread [Page 22]then shewed them, was the same Jesus that not many days before was crucified at Jerusalem, what would a rational man think would have been the sequel, they would have counted him at the best, as they did the Eleven, full of new wine; V. 13. nay rather some of the Zealots would have stoned him, as they afterwards did St. Stephen and St. Paul upon a less occasion: Therefore no wonder if the Jesu­ites so often miscarry amongst the Japaneses, a very wise and rational people, when the strongest arguments to in­duce them to Christianity, consist in carrying a bit of bread in procession and worshipping it.

I'le give you one Philosophical argument for all out of Father Gage a late converted Dominican, hoping it may be as lawful for me to have a Batt at the Pope with the Butt end of a Dominican, as it was for Merry Andrew to have one at the Church of England with the Butt end of an Arch-Bishop; Rehearsal transprosed. and that's thus, ‘When Mr. Gage was at Portabello in his return for England from the West Indies, as he was celebrating Mass, and being devout in his me­mento prayer,Survey of the West Indies. 197. a mouse came and stole away the Wafer, which being recovered from her by the help of some Priests, though half eaten up, was a great motive for him to rub up his Philosophy concerning substance and acci­dent, and so resolved (as any reasonable man would) that what was eaten up by the mouse, was no accident but a real substance, which no Papist will be willing to say was the substance of Christs body (because of the ab­surd consequence) Ergo, it must follow it was the sustance of bread, and so no Transubstantiation: Besides it con­tradicts the Philosophical Axiome, Duo contradictoria non possunt simul & semel de eodem verificari, two contradi­ctions cannot be verified both together, and at the same time, for here in Romes Judgment, the body of Christ was gnawn and eaten, and in another place it was not gnawn and eaten.’ To this purpose Father Gage, and rightly [Page 23]too; For nothing is more absurd then this Doctrine, for it implies contradictions, which are reconcilable neither to right reason nor to omnipotency it self, for that can do any thing but lye, that is, act contradictions: They'le tell you of many miracles about it, but the greatest I believe i'th case is, that men, otherwise of great wisdom and learning, should so much deny their sense and reason, as to believe such a notoriety of contradictions and fopperies: And to compleat the absurd consequences of it,Dean Tillot. son. our senses are de­ceived too in their object, and that at a due distance; and if they be to be imposed upon in these circumstances, all and at the same time, their's an end of all argumentati­on.

To conclude, that opinion is hazardous even accord­ing to their own principles, for 'tis decreed under an Ana­thema, That the Ministers intention is necessary to the essence of Sacraments, C.T. Sess. 7. Can. 11.12. and that the Minister who is in mortal sin giveth not the true Sacrament, and that certainly made the condition of Henry the seventh Emperour, very lamentable, being poyson'd by a predicant Fryer in the Sacrament, and damned too, for committing Idolatry, in worshiping the elements, for though the Priest might have a right Inten­tion in the consecration, yet no man can excuse him from mortall sin in the Execution of so nefandous an act; but it may be objected that the Pope who was then at enmity with the Emperour directed it, and then the intention was right, and no mortal sin in the Priest neither; and so the good Emperour that was poison'd in the simplicity of his heart, might get to Heaven, especially if the Pope would have put to his helping hand, as he did to Father Garnet the gunpowder man, who died in a worse cause, thought not so much out of the Popes favour;Fullers Ch. Hist. l. 10. p. 41. and so the heavenly Crown would make him ample amends for the loss of his Earthly.

And here I cannot but admire the great Prudence and Piety of the late Act of Parliament, which I know has been much misconstrued by the malice of some, and weakness of others, who seem to intimate that the Parlia­ment has declared the Sacrament to be meer bread and wine, according to the opinion of the Sacramentaries, which is most contrary both to the words of the Act and the Doctrine of our Church; for the words are these, I do believe that there is not any Transubstantiati­on in the Sacrament of the Lords Supper, or in the Elements of Bread and Wine, at, or after the Consecration thereof by any person whatsoever; which clears the point to the meanest capacity, that nothing is affirmed, nor nothing denied but Transubstantiation, Not Con-substantiation it self, the known opinion of the Lutheran Churches, although as little believed amongst us as the other; so that it is evident that this Act, pen'd with all the modesty that became dutiful Sons of our Church, and the wisdom be­fitting most worthy Patriots, was not intended to define Doctrines, but to distinguish persons.

The next point to be examined is Praying to Saints, crept into the Church before, but confirmed by Gregory the Great, An. Dom. 590. which is not only against the command of God, but more then probably lost labour, for the Scripture tells us, that Abraham knows us not, and Isra­el is ignorant of us, and 'tis rational to believe that they are in as great a state of Bliss, as Tho. Becket, Dominick, St. Francis, or Ignatius Loyola, who was a Gentleman of such behaviour, that a Country Justice, and no Adam Overdoe neither, would have whipt for his good breeding, as any body will believe that peruses the life of that glorious Saint, Stilling. Fan. 273. and indeed so it was done by a Spanish Governor, to meliorate his understanding in the Ethiques of putting off his hat to a Magistrate: yet all are solved by miracles, which are such that all the Romances from Grand Cyrus to [Page 25]Tom Thumb put together, compared to them, may pass for Classical history: To omit the 200 miracles wrought by Ignatius after his death, I'le give you a short story out of Father Cressy, Ch. Hist. 195. St. Piran fed ten Irish Kings and their Armies with three Cows; raised dead men and dead pigs to life.

Now I wonder what should come into his politique pate, to stuff a book with such Tales as these, in order to the propagating any opinion soever, now Miracles being commonly wrought at the Intercession, or by the merit of some Saint or other, adjust the praying to them; but they being such as are greater then any that the Apostles or our Saviour himself did, and to no purpose commonly, as St. Bennets mending a Sieve by miracle to save two pence,Ex leg. in vi­ta Ben. and throwing the Helve after the Hatchet into the water, miraculously bringing them together a­gain (which either made good or gave occasion for the Proverb) may justly bring them under the suspition of Romances, not to say worse; many tricks have been done by combination, which have amazed the credulous peo­ple, not having the priviledge or opportunity, or perhaps skill, for an Inquisition or search, and therefore pass among some devout ones (that have more Faith then rea­son) for miracles of the first Magnitude: To omit the an­tient ones I will give you one of a late date.Frier. Egan. Fran. conv. p. 15. ‘About se­ven years ago, a Priest nigh Limbrick named William Sack­vel had for 50. s. hired a woman to pretend her self a Criple from her birth, and that she had a Revelation; that if she dipt her self in such a Well, whilst a Priest said Mass by the place, she should be recovered; The Plot thus laid and according­ly executed she comes halting to the Well, but returns out of it perfectly sound, which was a miracle to the people, and got the contriver a great Sum of mony, and confirmed many in their Superstition: after some time the woman had some remorse of conscience and came to the Author of this Relati­on, o confession, in order to absolution, which he would not [Page 26]grant, till an accompt of the cheat should be given to the Congregation, which she did accordingly.’

Yet for matter of Fact, against which there's no argu­ing they will tell you,Mat. Paris 880 Lew. 9. both out of History and by daily ex­perience too, that many have been recovered out of des­perate sicknesses by having a piece of the Holy Cross, or some otherBut of all reliques the most admira­ble is the Hem of the Carpenter Joseph inclosed in a Set of boxes, to be seen at Nints in Britany, the first a Wain­scot, within that a Silver box, with­in that a golden, or guilt box, within that a Chrystal box, conteining a wooden plain one, visible through the Chrystal which conteins the Holy Hem, and reason enough for so ma­ny boxes; for if it should get loose after so many hundred of years con­finement it would be as boistrous as the Liquor so fam'd by a Poet of our own, when, It bounces, foams, and froths, and flittersAs it were troubled with the Squitters. Virg. Travesty l. 1. Relique applyed to them and therefore those things are not to be derided: In answer; I will give you the reply of Diagoras of Samothrace to a friend weakly though truly arguing for providence, from the pictures of a great many persons hung up in a cer­tain Temple, that had by prayers esca­ped Ship-wrack;Pet. Ga [...]. in Diog. Laer. an imad. p. 739. Ita fuit, illi enim nun­quam picti sunt qui naufragium fecerunt, in marique perierunt: Very likely; for there are no pictures for them who have suffred Shipwrack, and are lost in the Sea; So they generally apply to all sick persons, some relique or other, and if any live, 'tis forsooth by the merit and intercession of some Saint or other, but if the party dye, then no story of the Application; Paralel to this the Portugals have a custom, after praying to St. Anthony, to give them a good wind, to attempt, or bind a little Image of the Saints, but commonly upon the Pilot's intercession, who passes his word for the Saint, telling them, he is so honest he will do it without being bound, Travels of Ped della val­le into the E. Indies. p. 550. they forbear; A barbarous superstition (says my Author) but yet such as some­times through the Faith, and simplicity of those that practise it uses to be heard, a very worthy observation and fit for Pope Ʋrban viii. his Chamberlain of honor:ibid. pag. 218. As the Hea­thens had their particular Gods, for particular things, as Cuna for Cradles, Hebe for Youth, Morpheus for Sleep, &c. [Page 27]so they with an equal reason, as well as devotion, have their Saints for particulars, as to offices, persons, diseases, callings, Countrys, and brute Animals too, as St. Patrick for Ireland, St. Luke for Painters, Sr. Hubert for hunters, St. Gertrude for Rat-catchers, St. Clare for sore Eyes, St. Roch for Coblers, St. Iue for Lawyers, St. Gallus for Geese, derogating thereby from the worth and honor of those blessed Saints, as if they could not, and that implys weak­ness; or, as if they would not, and that implies spight, be­nignly concern themselves in the general affairs of man­kind.

One especial Argument they have for the truth of their Religion, especially against us, the many severities, in order to mortification that many of their orders impose upon themselves, but if they would consider, that here­in they are quite out-done by the Chinese and other Ea­stern Idolaters, and that Baals Priests had no great applause from the Prophet for the like, they would not much press that point: Lucian tells us of strict severities, that the Priests of Hieropolis a Town in Syria were guelded, Now if there was so sharp a ceremony to their admittance into England, It would keep this Land as safe from them, es­pecially the Jesuits, as the flaming Sword did Eden from our Ancestors.

Thus have I hinted the most considerable Doctrines of that Church, for Purgatory, Prayers for the dead, Indulgen­cies, or Pardons for forty thousand years to come sometimes, are but, as indeed many of the rest, the wanton excres­cencies of Infallibility which was not in Pope Alex. vi. when he was poysoned by mistaking the cup of Wine, that he and his hopeful Son Caesar Borgia had prepared to poyson Cardinal Carnete with. I will now superadd a little of their Principles of morality, which are such as cannot be grateful to Society; for the Jesuits have sound out a way by directing the intention to sanctify the most [Page 28] Flagitious act imaginable, I will not excuse their other orders neither, for a Franciscan lately converted declares thus,F. Egan. I thought it a meritorious action to murder either Prince or Protestant Subject, provided I was commissioned so to do by the Pope: And this cannot be concluded to be a single opinion, when one considers the Assasinations of the two Henrys of France, though Papists; the many at­tempts upon Queen Elizabeth; the Gun-powder Treason, and the late Rebellion in Ireland, none of which was ever yet by any Publique instrument of that Church disavow'd Now comparing all what has been sayd together, it will be easy to determin what Religion makes most for a peaceable conversation, and that I am sure is the true Interest both of Prince and People: Now considering what hath been discourst on, you will conclude I suppose, that penal Laws about Religion will be given in Charg, which some kind natur'd man, may perhaps say were made only in terro­rem, and therefore not to be strictly executed, but as that is but a weak Argument to defend those Felonies, that are made so by Statute, so ought it not to be of more force here, for the Magistracy is rationably in point of pru­dence, though there was no other obligation bound to do it: For the Congregations or troupes of Dissenters fil­ling every day by reason of the Itching ears of the Popu­lace, especially the Independants may possibly encourage their Ledders by their number (that being the ordinary way to take measures of strength by) to attempt upon the Government, which we have reason to think not im­possible, when the attempt of Venner and his complices with that of the Anabaptists, a tribe of the Independents upon Germany, is considered; and all Casuists do agree, it is as lawful to levy war against this King, as it was a­gainst his Father, and though something may be plead­ded for those Sects, if any such be amongst us, that like the * Bramans, or Banians amongst the East Indians hold [Page 29]it sin to destroy any creature though of never so mischie­vous a kind, and strictly practise it even in their diet, yet nothing can be said for such, who like the Mahometan Dervices hold it an acceptable service to God, if not me­ritorious, to destroy any person of an erroneous perswasi­on, as they count all who are not of their Judg­ment.

And as at the Council of Clermont about the holy War,Holy W. c. 8. l. 1. the whole assembly said, God willeth it, so to encourage you further in your presentments, the Bench says, the King willeth it, which is sufficiently made out, when you consi­der the Law, for as there is no ordinary way of knowing Gods Will, but by the Scriptures: So the most proper way of knowing the Kings will, especially at this Distance is by his Laws; from whence is that Principle in Law that the King can do no wrong, because he is still presumed to act the Law, which is the only true Standard of wrong and right. 'Tis true it was a maxime amongst the Civilians, Ulpian. when the Government was arbitrary, Quicquid placuit Re­gi, legis habet vigorem, Whatsoever pleases the King, has the force and vigor of a Law: But such is the happy constitution of our Government, his Majesties Grace con­curring that it may pass for a Maxime in England; Quic­quid est lex, Placet Regi, whatsoever is Law pleaseth the King, which his Majesty hath sufficiently evidenced, by not attempting in the least, upon either Religion, or pro­perty; The Laws being the King of Englands Edicts, by which he reigns more in the hearts of his, then others o­ver the fortunes of their Subjects.

You are therefore to present Recusants of all sorts, because disobedient to the Laws, under which we enjoy more happiness than any Nation whatsoever.