THE holy Scripture of Truth tells usJob 36.15. That God opens the Ear by Oppression; and it would be a very great mercy to England, if God would be graciously pleased to open the Ears of all true Protestants in this Nation by the Cry of Oppression, and cause them to hear his voiceMich. 6.8, 9. Zeph. 1.14, 15, 16. In Romes Master-piece ordered by a Committee of the House of Commons in Parliament the first day of August, 1643. to be Printed; you have a particular Discovery of the Popish Plot and Trea­son against the late King, Kingdom, and Protestant Religion, and to raise the Scotish Wars, p. 13-26. and the Observations thereon, p. 30-35.

In the King's Proclamation for Banishing the Papists ten miles from London, dated Octob. 30. 1678. He calls the then Popish Conspiracy, A bloody traiterous Design of Popish Recusants against His Royal Person, the Government, and the Protestant Religion.

And in a Vote of the House of Commons, approved by the House of Lords at a Conference, Novemb. 1. 1678.—Resolved, &c. That this House is of Opinion, that there hath been, and still is a damnable and hellish Plot contrived, and carried on by Popish Recusants for Assassinating and Murdering the King; and for subverting the Government; and rooting out, and destroying the Protestant Religion.

By this threefold Authentique Testimonies it doth undeniably appear, that there hath been, and still is a most cunning, strong, execrable Conspiracy contrived at Rome: And for many years together most vigorously pursued in England with all industry, policy, and subtilty, by many active and po­tent Confederates of all sorts, to subvert the Government, to re-establish Popery, and to destroy the Protestant Religion. Therefore it greatly concerns all true Protestants to consider seriously, what they ought to do at this juncture of Time, in a pious, peaceable, and righteous way, against Popery, and all Popish Recusants in England.

I am not ignorant that several Expedients have been, and are proposed to accomplish a firm Union, and mutual Agreement amongst all Protestants (though otherwise of different Perswasions) against our Common Adversaries the Papists, but they have not proved Effectual to that End: Yet there is (at least in my Opinion) a Medium, which, if we Protestants could all agree in the Know­ledge and Practice of, would certainly conduce very much unto the full accomplishment of this sweet, lovely, and innocent thing, called Union and mutual Agreement among all true Protestants.

That Medium, which I intend, and humbly offer, consists of two general and principal parts, viz. first, That Royal Law of our LORD Jesus Christ;Matth 22.39. Thou shalt love thy Neighbour as thy self. Secondly, That fundamental Law of this our Nation, called Magna-Charta, with its Anathema, administred in Westminster Hall the third day of May, 1253. at the Restoring and Confirmation of the same Magna-Charta, the King, Lords and Commons being present, and consenting to the same Anathema; the words are these, We Excommunicate, Accurse, and from the Benefit of the holy Church Sequester all, that secretly or openly, by Deed, Word, or Councel, do make Statutes, or observe them being made; or that bring in Customs, or that keep them being brought in against the said Liberties of Magna-Charta, the Writers, Law-makers, Councellors, and the Executors of them, and all those that shall presume to Judge against them.

That we Protestants may agree in the Knowledge and Practice of that Law of our Soveraign Lord Jesus, Mat. 22.39. Thou shalt love thy Neighbour as thy self; we must understand, 1. That every true Protestant (in England especially) is our Neighbour. 2. That to love him (as our selves) is to pity and compassionate him, to help and succour him, to relieve and preserve him, when he is wrong­ed, injured, unjustly oppressed, and in danger to be destroyed; yea and by all lawful waies and means to preserve his Life, Liberty and Estate from the illegal Violence and Oppression of any person or persons whatsoever.

And the lawful waies and means, which all true Protestants may and ought to use in this case, are these, viz. first, They ought to make fervent and constant Prayer to Almighty God for the Protestants, their Cause, Lives and Liberties, against the Papists, and all their Adherents, that seek to destroy them, as before is evidently declared: And herein all true Protestants ought to be unanimous, as the [Page 2]Church was, Ast. 12.1-5. But prayer was made by the Church unto God for him without ceasing, and verse 12. And Psal. 83. throughout. Keep not thou silence, O God, hold not thy peace, and be not still, O God. For in, thine enemies make a tumult: and they that hate thee have lift up the head. They have taken crafty counsel against thy people, and cousulted against thy hid­den ones. They have laid, Conte, and let us cut them off from being a Nation; that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance. For they have consulted together with one consent: they are confederate against thee. The Tabernacles of Edom, and the Ishmaelites: of Moab, and the Hagarens. Gebal, and Ammon, and Ammalek: the Philistines with the Inha­bitants of Tyre. Assur also is joyned with them: they have holpen the children of Lot. Selah. Go unto them as to the Midianites, as to Sisera, as to Jabin at the brook of Kison. Which pe­rished at Endor, they became as dung for the Earth. Make their Nobles like Oreb, and like Zeeb: yea, all their Princes as Zebah, and as Zalmunna: Who said, let us take to our selves the Houses of God in possession. O my God, make them like a wheel: as the stubble be­fore the wind. As the fire burneth a wood: and as the flame setteth the mountains on fire: So persecute them with thy tempest, and make them afraid with thy storm. Fill their faces with shame, that they may seek thy Name, O Lord. Let them be confounded and troubled for ever: yea, let them be put to shame, and perish. That men may know that thou whose name alone is IEHOVAH, art the most High over all the Earth. Yea fast­ing and prayer in this Case, as Esther, Mordecai, and the Jews did, when Haman the Kings Favorite, and his Confederates ha [...] Plotted their Destruction, Aesth. 4.3.16. Secondly, All Protestants as one Man ought every Man to arm himself, that they might be ready to defend themselves, when the blood­thirsty Papists (Who have Conspired to burn their houses and Massacre their Persons, and so destroy the Pro­testant Religion) shall attempt their Hellish Plot; as Nehemiah, the Nobles, the Elders, the Rulers, and all the Jews did generally, yea every one had his sword guirded by his side; the Labourer, and they that bear burdens had weapons for their defence. Read Nehem. 4.7. When Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabians, the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites, v. 8. Conspired all of them together to come and to fight against Jerusalem, and v. 12. And be upon them, v. 11. And the Adversaries said, They shall not know, neither see, will we come in the midst among them, and slay them, &c. Thirdly, The Protestants being provided with Arms for their own defence, may and ought to Petition the King for their lives, and to pray his Majesty and his Councellors for an Edict unto Lieutenants, and the De­puties, and Rulers or Governours of their respective Provinces, Countries, Cities, Towns-corporate, &c. Wherein the King & his Councellors may be desired to grant unto the Protestants in all his Dominions (especially in England) to gather themselves together, and to stand for their Life, to destroy, to slay, and to cause to perish all the Power of the Papists, that shall assault them. As Esther and Mordecai did in their case and danger, which is Recorded in the Book Esther, Chap. 7.1.2.3. Chap. 8.9, 10, 11.

And touching the second Part of the Medium propounded, viz. the Magna-Charta of England, which fundamental Law of the Land of our Nativity will justify all true Protestants of this Nation, in our due obedience to that Royal law of our Lord Jesus Christ afore-mentioned, viz. Thou shalt love thy Neighbour as thy self. For I beseech all true Protestants to Consider we hold by one com­mon Tenure all the outward Liberties, Priviledges, and Interests, that we have in our lives, estates, and all other Proprieties that we have, and the best Security that English men have for the hold­ing thereof, is the fundamental Law of the Land: And therefore if this grand Security be violated in any one English-mans just Case, every Mans Life, Liberty, Priviledg, Interest and Propriety is invaded by that particular violation, as well as his to whom the violation is done: And my legal and just Defending his Right, as my own, is, to love my Neighbour as my self.

Yea, the security of our Lives, Freedoms, and Liberties, is so firm by Magna-Charta, and the fundamental Laws of the Land, that though Dudley and Empson had a Law of King, Lords and Commands to justifie them, yet notwithstanding they were condemned and executed, and the Act it self judged and declared illegal. And it will be a difficult Task for any one to give a clear and true Instance of any Persons, or Person, (except in time of war by which Justice may be ob­structed) that ever brake the Fundamental Laws of England, but sooner or later it cost him his Life for the Breach he made upon them. Nor is any thing more frequent in our English Annals, than the cutting off Offenders, for but endeavouring to Subvert the Fundamentals Laws of this Nation.

Now to conclude it doth behave all true Christians to lay aside all our differences, and agree in this harmless Medium propounded for Unity and Safety of all true Protestants, and the Protestant Religion, against all the Hellish Plots, Confederacies, Treacheries and Designs of the Papists.