IT is reported, that the Athenians finding a boy pick­ing out the eies of birds, caused him to be put to death, supposing this petty cruelty an infallible omen of his proving a tyrant, when of riper years. I could wish that this device were put in execution against Jesuits and Popish emissaries, whose boldnesse attempts so high, as not only to seduce this Nation in Peccadilloes, and suckling Heresies, but strikes even at the two eies of religi­on, Magistracie and Ministrie, Government and Religion; A sad omen that their aims and highest expectations are to enslave us to their damnable desires. To make a recapitula­tion of their former essaies to subvert religion, by removing those from places of trust by dagges, daggers, and poison, who have engaged their power to the utmost in the defence of the reformed religion for the good of their countrie, were but to light a candle to the Sun; their very Calendars blush [Page 2] to see so many Traitors canonized for Saints. And it may justly be feared that in time this plague of Poperie arising from Antichristian Rome, will spread its infection farther than ever the victorious arms of their mother Citie did, even at that time when she was stiled the Mistresse of the world, which to preven [...] is whol [...]y and primarily incumbent upon you, to whom the divine Providence hath, as to Vicege­rents, resigned the reigns of government. And know, that if the power he hath lent you, be not emploied by you to the reformation or confusion of the enemies of Religion, and by censequence this enemie of God, who ha [...]h commanded a strict walking therein, he will make you memorable exam­ples of treachetie to Religion, and apostacie from pietie to all eternitie. Neither can any sober man impute those cala­mities (of which of late we have deeply tasted) to any other cause than the toleration of Schisms, Heresies, and damnable errours, which of late daies hath been permi [...]ted amongst us; and I am confid [...]nt that the noxious clemencie of our Ancestours hath wronged the Devil of his due, by delaying or revoking those lega, proceedings, which by the law of this Nation have, or ought to have been made against Here­ticks; and especi [...]lly the chief of them, Emissaries, and Se­minary Priests: which like the Egyptian Frogs and Grashop­pers, do now adayes swarm in England, Scotland, and Ire­land. For certainly, if any may be thought disturbers & brea­ers of the publick peace, none more guiltie thereof than Je­suites, than whose damnable maximes none more destru­ctive thereto. Some few of which I shall instance in, and by the f [...]o [...] of Hercules you may guesse the bulk of his whole bodie.

• 1. That Kings may impose a tribute as just, according to a probable opinion, and that the people may refuse to pay it, as being unjust, [...]ccording to another probable opinion, and by consequence the same thing may be lawfull and unlaw­ [...]ll at the same time.
• 2. That subjects do not sin when they refuse without any [Page 3] reason alleged to submit to a law, whereof there hath been legal Proclamation made by the Prince.
• 3. That Clergy-men are not subject to secular Princes, and that they are not obliged to any obedience to their lawes, even though those lawes are not any wayes contrary to the State Ecclesiastical.
• 4. That a man outlawed by a temporal Prince may not be killed out of his territories, but that he who is proscribed or excommunicated by the Pope may be killed in any part of the world, because his jurisdiction extends over all.
• 5. That it is lawfull, as well in judgment as out of judg­ment, to swear with a mental reservation, without any re­gard had to the intention of him who obliges a man to swear.
• 6. That it is sometimes allowable, and that so as a man shall not be guilty of any mortal sin, to kill an adverse par­ty, or to defame him by charging him with crimes he is no way guilty of.
• 7. That it is lawfull for an Ecclesiastick or Religious man of any order, to kill a detractor, who threatens to discover notorious crimes of him or his Religion, when there is no other way to prevent it.
• 8. That it is lawfull for any man to kill any one of what degree soever, that is excommunicated by the Pope.

Now what damnable consequences may be inferred from these devillish maximes, and what horrible murthers and outrages have upon these principles been perpetrated, no age but can produce multitudes of examples; no Nation whi­ther these pestilential Jesuits ever came, but hath sufficient­ly felt the lash and smart of their inhumane butcheries. Wit­nesse [Page 4] the Low-Countries, France, Spain, the West Indies, and (not to be tedious in a matter so plain) even this our na­tive Country can produce lively, though not living monuments of their devillish Cruelty. To free us from the slavish, at­tempts of these Spiritual Egyptians, no way safer or speedier than to make a way for the reformed Religion through the Red Sea of their bloud, to that flourishing estate which it once enjoyed under our Ancestors of happy memory. To the effecting of which, I humbly conceive these following proposals effectually tend.

• 1. That all those penal Statutes which have been made against Pope [...]y, Jesuits, and Papists, and have for a long time layn do [...]m [...]nt, may be now put into speedy and severe exe­cution to the intent [...] and purposes for which they were cre­ated.
• 2. That none Popishly affected be imployed in any place though of the smallest trust.
• 3. To appoint in every County according to the large­nesse thereof, a certain number o [...] pious and well-affected men, and them to authorize to make strict inquiry and search after such persons, inhabitants, as are popishly affe­cted, and to that end do commonly harbour and conceal in their houses Jesuites, and Seminary Priests, and them to summon before the Judges of the Assizes in their se­veral circuits, to answer such things as shall be objected against them.
• 4. That such persons as cannot give a lawfull account of their absence from Church, may be dealt with according to the Statute in that case provided, the money so raised being im­ployed to set the poor of the County on work.
• 5. That no meetings may be made or assembled on week [...]aies or Sabbath daies, but in such places as are or have been lawfully consecrated, appointed, and set apart for [Page 5] the worship of God, as being unwarrantable by the Scri­ptures, or Laws of this Nation.
• 6. That none be suffered to rrade or work as apprentices, journey-men, or otherwise within England, or the domini­ons thereunto belonging, but such as are natives thereof, and lawfully bound to their respective Master, or have served the full time of their apprentiships here in England or the dominions thereunto belonging, unlesse the servants of Merchants, who are imploied as Factours here. Because there are many Jesuits that do exercise manual occupations in this land under the habit and notion of Laymen, more subtilly and safely seducing others.
• 7. That in the respective ports, havens, harbours, and bayes of this Commonwealth, and the dominions thereunto belonging, an account may be taken by the supreme officer and officers of the said place, of such persons, who as passin­gers are imported or exported, and the occasion either of the ingresse or egresse of the said persons into or out of this Com­mo [...] wealth, or the dominions thereunto belonging, and that [...] search and enquirie may be made into the commo­dities they import, to prevent the bringing in of popish books.
• 8. That a set number of able Divines be authorized to read over and license such books brought into this Nation as they shall judge not destructive to the peace thereof, whe­ther the said books be originally written in English, or trans­lated into English, and to read over, and according as they think fit to allow or disallow all such books as shall be writ­ten in England, or the dominions thereunto belonging, in the aforesaid Language, or translated thereunto, to be printed, and a penalty inflicted on the offenders in the cases afore­said.