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 preserveth Her self, and maketh Her Inter­est strong and powerful: and preserveth Her self from ruine, without which, She could not have continued to this Day, or bin 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 ingage & 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 blood cometh. On one Door you shall have Excommunications, throw­ing Souls and Bodyes to Hell: on another Door, a Jubilee; or full Discharge of all Villanies, Murthers, Fornication, Drunkenness, Swearing, Forswearing, Poysoning; in a word, all manner of [Page 2]Sin, Lendness, 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 carnall Policy: For the more growth sin hath among them, that more the Church Increaseth in Riches, for that all punishment upon the matter, and pardons, are Pecuniary. The wayes they have to ravish all sorts of affections, as I sayd 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 find what to seed 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 Martiall Spirits; as the Orders of Knights, that of Rhodes, St. John of Jerusalem, those now of Malta, that of the Kinghts of St. Morris, and St. Lazare amongst the Savoyards, established by Pope Alexander the fourth, 1644. the Knights of the Order of the Dogg and Cock in France: The first were to weare a Coller full of Staggs-Heads, with the Image of a Dogg to hang thereon, to sig­nifie fidelity; these followed Philip the first, King of France in his Warrs: Those of the Cock, signified watchfulnesse, 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 Navarr; The Order of Knights of St. Mary in Jerusalem, of Sr. John of Accon, and of St. Thomas, of St. Saviour in Arragon, Knights of Mount-joy in Syria, King of Portingal, or men at Arms, St. James of Spain: 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 Metalld [Page 3]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 Passe-times and Jollities; What contra­ry-wise, the Austere mind in Discipline and Rigor; What Love, ei [...]her 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 lawlesse condition: In sum, what­soever the heart of Man can desire, he is fitted with, in the Store­house of the Church of Rome's Politicks; for himself to persue, 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 Hu­mors of the Members, it enjoyeth the more quiet in it self, and becometh able to oppose and disturbe the Reformed Churches; They have two other strings to their Bow; Besides, this aforemen­tioned, which is, indeed the chief. The first is their Mira­cles.

The second, is, their keeping the Laiety in Ignorance.

For their miracles: the number 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, convayed by small tinn-Pipes at a great distance, begot the admiration in the People, and an Implicit faith of all these wonders. A subtill Jesuit shall make his abode five or six years more or lesse, 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 Guzmonds Art of raising an artificial Leprosie, now used among some Beggars, to move Compassion in the Charitable. When he is well known, he shall [Page 4]come and implore the ayd 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 nea [...]; 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 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 Saint Winifrid, or the like precious Saint; 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 Patient's good opinion of the Physitian or means is more then half the cure. The Polititians 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 maketh their cure more certain and easie. That cure of the King's evil here in England, granted by the Pope, as a gift peculiar, to the Kings and Queens of England, had indeed no other vertue then what was extracted from the opinion of the Patient, created by the Majesty of the King, the Solemnities and Circumstances that attended the man­ner of the cure; therefore I allow that report to be true, that the blood of the Late King, saved upon an Handkercher, or other piece of linnen being dipt therein, hath cured that distemper of the King's Evil. It is known to Physitians, 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 dye 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 dye 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 [Page 5]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 a Corn or Hay-Stacks, when Stackt too moyst or wet; it doth not fire, because of heat and dryth, but it fireth because too moyst 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 himself to the Devil; who was not onely the wickedest of Men, but also the wickedest of Pope's: 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 practise 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 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 Vowes, and betook themselves to de­fend the Supremacy of the Church of Rome to be above general Councils and Princes, by principles and practises of policy, or rather Devilish circumventing cunning; for they Value not the way or means, by which they attain to the accomplishing of [Page 6]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 Order's Practise, 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 continuall 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, unlesse 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 saies, 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 poynt, though but briefly; which they, since they have become Hereticks, are grown somewhat subtill 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. I recited his whole Aphorism, as to that par­ticular, [Page 7]that the Reader may perceive the Order and Working of these Politicians; who lay their Designs deep: they study Men, their Minds, Objects, Causes, and their Effects, and the Effects of Ef­fects, ad Infinitum: They this day have lulled this Nation into so many several Lethargies and Sleeps; wherein, Those of this perswasi­on dream, they only are in the truth, and all others in Errours; So those of another, do the like of the former, and the like of others.

And thus the Jesuit hath divided us, by his observing the several Humours of the English Nation; As to the People that are super­stitiously given, there is the Episcopal; those that are more Au­stere, as the Presbyterian; those that are more pure, as the Inde­pendent, or seperate Churches; the Anabaptists, as holy and se­lect, and as Persons set a part from the World, by their Submission to that Ordinance of Baptism, at years of Discretion: The Diffe­rence is not much material, yet the Jesuit maketh use of these Di­stinctions, to carry on his design, by promoting of every one of them, and by keeping them at an eeven 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 Mind 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 an the Quaker; more loser Princi­ples on the Familists and Ranters; merrier and pretty-conceited Devotions amongst the Rosicrucians, and Psalterists, or Haliluja­ists, or Singers; so of many others: I do not say, that the Jesuit was the Creatour or Institutor of the former, that is of the Episco­pal, Presbyterian, or Independent; but he sometimes must make use of Truth, and the waies 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 the 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 Belze­bub 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 Jesuit doth not promote, or cast himself under, those forms that are true, or near the Truth, to any other end than to pro­duce [Page 8]those contrary Effects, before premised, viz. to divide and subdivide, to render the Churches lesse 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 practise of Thomas Ramsy, of the order of Jesus, who joyned with a ga­thered Church at Hexam, in the North of England, under this pretence, hat he was a Jew, and gave himself this name, Joseph Ben Israel; his particular Instructions was to insinuate the Doctrine of Free-Will, the which he did accomplish, and carryed on with a High hand, untill he was discovered, detected, and cast into pri­son: One then in the same Prison, the Gate-House-Westminster, that got more than ordinary advantages of Familiarity, obtained of him the Discovery of many rare secrets in the Policy of the Jesuits practise, some of which are these; The waies that they practise in their Seminaries, to bring up youth, and temper them fit for the intended Imployments, they put them upon; 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 of that per­swasion he casteth himself into: and, to put him in 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 deed 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 behove all that truly fear God, or have any true sincere Religion in their breast, to detest and decline the thought of con­demning this forme, or that; in regard Religion doth not lye in forms, but in the powerful practise of all holinesse, and godly Conversation; and therefore consent to some Natural Harmony, or forme necessarie to the Truth for liberty of conscience, that [Page 9]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 & unstable run out of one form to 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 principl'd in Religi­on, are ready to be led away captive by poisonous 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 Truth of which was experimented upon one Hunt, who, in the year 1653, in January, being committed to the Gate-house Prison, Westminster, for his strange Prophecies of the Stuart's coming again to the Crown; that he was sent of God, to perswade old Cromwell to resign his new-assumed Autho­rity of Protector-ship. Some of the Prisoners there had a design to try whether they could not impose some Revelation upon this poor deluded Person, who pretended so much to Re­velation and Prophecy; (observe, that he was one of those who, as the Apostle saith, are given over to believe Lye [...]). At that time there were three Jesuits, one of which was Ramsey aforementioned, who aided in the undertaking. The first par [...]t acted was to write a Letter in Hebrew, which was written by Ramsey, the Prophet Hunt being gone to bed before. The Keeper locks him up, the Keeper left the Letter upon a Table in the Room, being folded up in an unusual form, with this Superscription; To the Servant of the most high, PAUL HUNT: Next morning divers o [...] the Pri­soners rise just at the time of unlocking, and walk in the Ga [...]lery [...] into which Prophet Hunt's Chamber-door opened, [...] of the Excellent Musick and singing they heard about [...] [Page 10]the Clock that Morning, every one praised it above measure, and affirmed the Voyces to excell humane Voyces, and the Musick to excell Humane Art, and also alleadged that it was about the Prophet's Lodging: they all spake loud enough, that he should hear what they discoursed of. So after a little time, two or three entered the Prophet's Chamber, and recited what every one discoursed of: the Prophet, immediately said, That he did hear Musick, but he was cast in a deep sleep, and what the mind of God was in it, he knew not, but he should wait his good pleasure there­in. So one of the Company casting his eye upon the Table, espi­ed the Letter, askt the Prophet what Letter that was, folded up in so unusual a form. Every one stood at a distance from the Table, to free him from suspecting any of the Company, to bring it, or lay it there; The Prophet thereupon repaireth to the Table, and taketh it up, and readeth the Superscription as aforementioned; he expressing extraordinary joy and gladnesse, openeth it, and in it was written in the Hebrew. An Order of Church-Government, as also an Order of Civil-Government: withall, a Charge to him upon pain of the displeasure of the most High, that he should go or write to the then new­made Protector, and require him to surrender his Government to Prince Charles, with many other things. Out of hand he demanded of the Keeper to open the Prison, that he might go and deliver the Message of the Lord to the then Usurper O. C. Who refused to let him go. He consulted with some of the Prison­ers what to do. One of them replyed that the Command did ex­presly require him to go or send, which implyed, he might write; the which he did & stuft three or four Sheets so full of Invectives, that had he sent it to (but the Prisoners were so careful, that they prevented the delivery of the Letter) old Oliver, he would have hanged him without all peradventure. They fained an an­swer, and persued the design much further to the admiration of many worthy Gentlemen, (State Prisoners there at that time), who saw in part what might be effected in things of that nature, upon the mindes of such persons that are given up to de­lusions.

The Art of the Jesuits in this particular, is manifest. Another way which serveth them to great purpose, is, the loosening of People from principles; and when effected, distill Notions to pur­sue after the discovery of new Lights, and instead of meeting with that which is Light, they close with what suteth to their cor­rupt Mindes or Ends: The Inferiour sort of every perswasion, when the Jesuit hath distilled his poyson 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 Heads of the factions, to exercise a kind of Domination, which is delightful to mankind: so that the Jesuite doth no more then first distilt Poysonous Notions, 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 error, 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 a like to the Jesuit, for that the end of his design is, Dividing. When he hath devided and cast a Nation into many and various Forms, he hath accomplished and arrived to his End; then, if he can Procure, Forment, or Stirr up Dissatisfaction and Jealousies betwixt the Interests, there he keep­eth them in continual ebbing & flowing; and naturally every per­swasion will incline some to one Interest of State, some to another: As for example, the Episcopal doth naturally encline to a Monar­chy, the Presbytery doth also encline to a Monarchy, but that is ac­cidentall; for the Presbytery is well suited, as to its form, for a Commonwealth; but here, when it started from the Interest of the Common-wealth, it was necessitated, because it was suspected by the then Supream Power, therefore it ad­heared to the Interest of Charles Stuart, and espoused his Quar­rel. The Independent, naturally incline to a Commonwealth. The fifth Monarchy to an Oligarchy; that is to say, a Select com­pany of Men to Govern, so and so qualified.

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 [Page 12]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 lesse formidable against the Church of Rome, but also bringeth an evil Report upon the Pro­testant Religion; disuniteth the affections of the professors there­of, and causeth Jealousies, Heart-burnings, and Animosities, one against the other; and taketh them off from the Power of Religi­on, to defend paultry forms and distinctions: and, that which is worst of all, thereby increaseth so many distinct and different Interests of State, as there are considerable perswasions in a Commonwealth that Cherisheth Religion, as is in part shewed before. When a perswasion is grown up to be considerable, it giveth 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, and sometimes arive to the top of Supreamacy thereby.

But of all Perswasions, Opinions, or notions, that of the En­thusiast is the most dangerous and inconvenient to a Common-wealth; for when that the Jesuit hath infused that Opinion, (That, what ever is given into their hearts after praying or seeking to God, must needs be the mind of God, and pursued with all vigour and earnestnesse to the death,) they then do nothing but roul out of one Change into another; and out of one thing into another; and a State or Power having gotten once out from the Center or Basis of true Interest, by such wicked prin­ciples, they shall never return nor take Sanctuary at Settlement and Safety; before utter ruine and destruction: as is plainly demonstra­ble in these few Lines following that is to say; A State or Power having once repaired to extraordinary means, to accomplish this or that Design; if they have successe in it, immediately they con­clude God hath done it for them; and so repaire to one extraor­dinary [Page 13]Undertaking after another, so often as they have opportuni­ty, and conclude into be righteous, so often as they have successe: which may as well and justly be concluded by him that robbeth or killeth on the High way if he were in a Capacity strong enough to protect himself from Justice, he would seem righteous; and, in stead of being Hanged by the Judge, he would execute the Judge. The Error that such People, States, or Powers, are in, is, that they were Principles and Rules, and Act neither by Principles nor Rules: but prop [...]und to themselves the Object or End; that is no say; what they would have or desire; then they seek God; af­terwards consult; and if by consultation it be found attainable, then it is the mind of God; if not, the contrary. God is to be sought in all undertakings; nay, it is an underlable Duty: but, in seeking Him; respect is to be had to the Justice of what we seek for: Now, in this. Man is very subject to be led out of the way of Truth, for, he is very apt to conclude that what he would have, is just: the desire or affection is passion, and passion doth Cloud the Judgment; and that which is true in one holdeth proporti­onably true in more then one, being united by one Inte­rest.

Now, if the Judgment be so Clouded by private affection, and a State or Power be led by such Principles; What wickednesse shall not they 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 find opportunity to attempt the accomplishing or the attaining to their desire? Miserable is that Nation that hath such a Prince or Power, Civil, or Military; that are poysoned with such Opinions: such Powers, are ridd by the Jesuit: who, will ride them, not onely out of breath, but at last to death: The World is mistaken, when they apprehend that the Jesuit worketh immediately in Councels to produce Turns and Changes of State; No, but he worketh by remote Causes, such as are here before premised; than 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 applyeth matter sutable to the Humor, and most apt to be received by the several perswasions [Page 14]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 behoveth all Christian States to endeavour to for­tifie themselves with a consistence. Those that cannot attain to a consistency (England is much to be feared that it cannot arive to that happinesse,) are in a miserable condition: When a State hath arrived to consistency, its Form and Order, is a barr to the Jesuits operations. Those States that are divided have no means to stay themselves from falling down the precipice of inevitable ruine, but to settle the form of Government amongst them, with respect to all Interests as Men. The exclusion of any Interest is dangerous. For their different Interests as Christians, the Supream Magistracy ought to be an equal A bitrator, and ought to protect them equal­ly; But here, care is to be had, that the Supream Power (if in a Commonwealth) be not lodg'd in one Interest. If it be, al­though that Interest do permitt freedom of exercise to different perswasions, by that liberty of conscience cannot be long preser­ved; for if the Supream Power be lodg'd in one Interest, it naturally will fortifie if self by such reasons of State, that it will sever it self from the Interest of the Publick. Therefore, Liberty of conscience to the several perswasions must be preserved by divi­ding or distributing the Power equally; else those that are exclu­ded will become Enemies to that which is intrusted with, or assumeth, the Power: and those which have it, shall never hold it with security or Peace, for the Jesuit will still he practising by his remote applications, to divide and widen the different Interests or perswasions, that the product will be nothing lesse; or else, then Josling one another out of Power, and the weakest will alwayes adhear or apply themselves, to that where it can expect Sanctuary and Protection. That this general Rule, and all other good Means must be used to prevent the workings of the Jesuit, is of absolute necessity. The different Perswasions and Interests, are to unite, to prevent them of matter, to work upon an unsettled and divided Commonwealth, ought to be settled at once upon such principles and Basis, that there may be sufficient provision for all things, to the satisfaction of all Interests, that none of them should have place [Page 15]left to desire any other constitution: If the Founders of a Com­wealth cannot hitt that mark, their undertaking herein will be obortive, and the Commonwealth shall do nothing but reel from one uncertainty to another. The Jesuit doth not onely operate by distilling Notions in Religion, but also in affairs of State; as for Example, in the Case of our Controversies with the Late King: The King, He Offendeth the People; the Parliament thereupon make Warr with Him, because they see that the discontents of the People will bear them out, and inable them so to do; the which discontents were, no doubt, heightned very much by the Jesuit. When the Warr was Ended, the King being beheaded, 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 ariving to a consistency, lest it should be too firm and heavy for him to move: for a Commonwealth that hath Ro­tation or annual Election, the Jesuit is at a losse to practise upon, for that at every Change of Persons in Government, he is to seek how to fasten his Correspondency, and other advantages to carry-on his designes with. Also it is his designe to endeavour the altering of a Commonwealth 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 designe than other, but that he may alwayes practise Changes: by which means a Protestant State is exercised with strugling Interests within it self, so that it shall be lesse formidable and dangerous to the Catholike States.

That these things are not conjectures or taken up by supposition onely, or that these and such other Rules and Practises they fol­low, is plainly demonstrable by Adam Contzen the Jesuit, in his Politicks, Chap. 16.17, 18.