A LETTER TO A FRIEND OCCASIONED By the late Reprinting of a JESUITES BOOK ABOUT SUCCESSION TO THE Crown of ENGLAND Pretended to have been written by R. Doleman My Son fear thou the Lord and the King and meddle not with them that are given to change Prov. 24. 21. LONDON Printed for W. Davis and J. Hindmarsh at Amen Corner and at the black Bull in Corn-Hill near the Royal Exchange 1682. THE Apostate Protestant SIR I Received your Present and if I thank you for it 't is purely out of respects to the hand that sent it I mean a Book bearing this Title A Conference about the next Succession to the Crown of England pretended to be written by R. Doleman Yet considering what you write that you was startled and astonish'd to see in it such Horrid and Traiterous Assertions and Principles so destructive not of Monarchy only but of every Form of Government I am apt to mistrust that you parted with it chiefly out of Fear of keeping such a Lewd and Dangerous Companion in your Closet especially since you confess that 't was brought to your hands as it were by stealth being happily seized on by one of his Majesties Officers 'T is a dangerous Book indeed and without doubt is published and handed up and down to serve a Turn in these Ticklish times when some Ambitious men have taken Pepper in the Nose and to be Revenged for their disappointments endeavour to make another strong Pass at our Government and would sain hurl the world into Confusion Since you have lodged the Knave with me I 'le take care that for me he shall not go abroad to do mischief But yet I cannot answer your Commands unless I give you some account both of the Author and the Book As for the Author it was not R. Doleman that is but a Counterfeit but Robert Parsons was his Name a notorious and violent Jesuite in the days of Queen Elizabeth a fellow born at Stockersey in Somerseâ—shire and a Bastard it seems which possibly might be an Omen that afterwards he would own for his Mother that Church which is an Whore and as much as in him lay prefer Bastards to a Crown A man of whom the Papists themselves in those days gave this Character that he was filius populi filius peccati one born to be a Plague to the world restless seditious turbuleuâ— cruel imperious treacherous and in a manner the very Epitome of all wickedness They who knew him and his Dealings at Oxford have told us how seditious wanton and factious this lewd Bastards Conversation was and how for his Libelling and other misdemeanours he was thrust out of Baliol College having been so infamous there being then Master of Arts that they hissed him out with hoo-bubs and rung him out with Bells In those days saith my Author England was made the main chance of Christendom the only Butt Mark and White that was aimed at And indeed such was the strength of the Romanists their Conspiracies so frequent and their endeavours so great for a Successor for their turn that affairs were in a very uncertain and tottering condition so that it was expresly given out That England should be made an Island of Jesuites But to promote the Plot none was more industrious than this Parsons 'T was He chiefly that wrought with Pius Quintus to excommunicate the Queen 'T was He chiefly that stirred up the King of Spain to invade our Country 'T was He chiefly that sollicited her Majesties Subjects to abandon their Allegiance Nay 't was He chiefly that that occasioned those Severities the Government was forced to use upon the Papists For the Secular Priests did acknowledge that her Majesty used them kindly for the space of the first Ten years of her Reign so that their condition was tolerable and in some good quiet It was the Principles and Practices of this Parsons that were so injurious not only to our Religion and our Government but to the Interest even of his own Party too You may take this Character as I find it given and very deservedly by a Popish Priest then living This saith he is that same Parsons whom Pope Prince and Peer with all true English hearts have cause to hate This is he of whom his own General reported that he was more troubled with one English man than with all the rest of his Society This is he of whom Cardinal Alan held this opinion that he was a man very violent and of an unquiet Spirit and of whom Mr. Blackwell now his Darling said that his turbulent and lewd life would be a discredit to the Catholick Cause In short the general conceit of all that ever have throughly conversed with him is this that he is of a furious passionate hot cholerick exorbitant working humour busie headed and full of Ambition Envy Pride Rancour Malice and Revenge Whereunto through his latter Machiavilian Practices may be added that he is a most diabolical unnatural and barbarous butcherly fellow unworthy the Name nay cursed be the hour wherein he had the Name of a Priest nay of a Religious Person nay of a Temporal Lay-man Jesuit nay of a Catholick nay of a Christian nay of a Humane Creature but of a Beast or a Devil a violater of all Laws a contemner of all Authority a stain of Humanity an Impostume of all corruption a corrupter of all Honesty and a Monopoly of all mischief This was the man Sir whose Book you sent me and had I never look'd into the Book yet considering who and what the Author of it was I could not but blush and be ashamed to think that any in our days especially Pretenders to the Protestant Religion should be such Enemies to Truth to Religion and to Common Honesty as to bring such a wicked mans Issue to light again and to dress it and set it out afresh for a Tool What good can the indifferent world conceive of them who of all Principles espouse the Principles of the Jesuits who are the worst of Papists and of them do especially Admire and Recommend to our reading the Writings of this Parsons who was one of the worst of all Jesuites As touching the Book it self Sir there are divers things which are worthy your observation and which may be of good use to you and to every man in these times who is a zealous impartial and honest-hearted Protestant First That it is so full of Principles that are apparently false pestilent and scandalous that in Queen Elizabeths days when it was first Printed it did not only exasperate our English Government but did likewise give such offence to the very Popish Faction that several of them wrote Books on purpose in confutation of this Counterfeit Doleman so ashamed they were of it Nay Parsons himself finding his Party so offended and himself so rated and condemned upon the coming out of this Book though he was shameless enough endeavoured nevertheless to
contrary while they wanted strength and if this be not a scandal thrown upon the Catholick Church a reproach cast upon Religion and an horrible reflection made upon the very Founder and Author of it I know not what is And since this Person hath been pleased thus to disparage Christianity and to ridicule the Doctrine of the Cross by Drolling with the Doctrine of Passive Obedience I do not at all wonder that he hâ—th taken the confidence also to fall so foul upon Dr. Hicks as to bring both his Integrity and his Learning into Question 1. First his Integrity For he plainly intimates his suspition that when the Doctor in his Sermon on the 30th of January Preached the Doctrine of Passive Obâ—dience he might have a secret design to wheedle men out of their Lives that he taught such Doctrine as is fit to turn a Nation into shambles and enough to tempt and invite Tyranny and Cruelty into the World pag. 88. Nay he declareth his fears that this Doctrine was calculated and fitted on purpose for the use of a Popish Successor and to make us an easier prey to the Bloody Papists pag. 89. In such times as these when it may soon cost any man his Life to lye under the displeasure of the Rabble could this Author have any but a Black and Malicious design in thus exposing a worthy Person to their Hatred and Fury Dr. Hicks is better known than to be suspected by any but ill men and yet I do not see what Reason even such men can have to suspect his Integrity for that Sermon For is not the purport of the day enough to excuse and justifie him Or could a man Preach upon the point of Passive Obedience more seasonably than on that day If you please to consult the Office appointed for that day you will find that the Epistle ordered to be read contains and inculcates that very Doctrine and I wonder how it should escapâ— this Authors Observation if he useth to be at Church on the Anniversary of the Kings Martyrdom The Doctors business was to Preach submission to our lawful Governours This every Clergy-man ought to do and every honest Clergy-man will do that loves and regards his Flock and is careful to give them wholsom food and to keep them from the Bane for it seems the Sermon was Preacht a year before in his own â—arish where he Resides Now could the Doctor pursue this good Design better than by shewing what the Doctrine and Practice of Christ himself was as to this matter and how agreeable thereunto the Doctrine and Practice of the Primitive Christians was Since therefore that Blessed Prince was Resisted and Murder'd by men whose Principles and Practices were of a far different nature and utterly inconsistent with Christianity how could the Doctor chuse unless he would have been a Tergiversator but take notice thereof and shew the difference by making a Comparison And why should this be construed as a Design to serve the turn of a Popish Successor Surely the Doctor had no need to look so far For I am bound to believe upon this Authors Principle what some would be doing even now had they but opportunity and Power They have plainly shewn their Teeth and we may read the West-Country-Proverb on their Grinns Chud eat Cheese an chad it But whatever these are for the Ministers of the Gospel ought to be for Obedience and Peace and I wish that the Câ—nstitution of our present times were such as that they might think it an Unnecessary and Impertinent thing to preach against Resisting even a Protestant Prince 2. Besides this he is pleased to disparage the Doctors Learning as if he were better versed in the Dissenters Sayings than in the Histories of England and had been beholdâ—n to the Dissenters Sayings for a great part of his Sermon Truly I think this Gentleman may well forgive the injury if he be abused with this complement that he may compare with the Doctor for his Readings But I am apt to think that what Books soever he hath been poring into he hath not read at least not considered some of the Doctors For in the Dedication of that Controverted Sermon he tells that excellent good man the prâ—sent Lord Mayor that he had made it a year ago before the Dissenters Sayings came abroad and that since he had made that Discourse New Collections had been made meaning those Sayings but saith he I have added very little contenting my self with what I had before provided out of their Originals He seems to have mentioned the Dissenters Sayings not upon his own account as having been beholden to those Collections himself but rather for the Readers sake to direct him where he might find many more of the same nature with his own Besides Dr. Hicks his several Citations in his Peculium Dei which was not only framed but Printed before the Dissenters Sayings do sufficiently shew that the Doctor had no need to consult them Into the bargain there was Printed about three years ago a very Useful Book which I would recommend to you whereof Dr. Hicks is on all hands taken to have been the Author 't is called The Spirit of Popery c. And the Animadversions up and down in thâ—t Book upon the Speeches of Kid and King give abundant Evidence that the Doctor had been long conversant with the Phanatical Originals and the Histories which give an account of them I believe the Author of the Dissenters Sayings will not think himself dishonoured should it be said that this Book furnisht him with some Materials But suppose which is common among Writers that Dr. Hicks had borrowed some Hints from Mr. L' Estrange and that Mr. L' Estrange had borrowed others of Dr. Hicks yet this is no more than for one honest man to borrow of another and that is far more Reputable than for a true Protestant to borrow of a true Jesuit and then to be ashamed of his Creditor and Friend For the Doctor had justly Arraigned the Author of the History of Succession for having stoln his Pamphlet out of Doleman the Book which you sent me and which the Doctor in his Sermon calls The most pestilent and dangerous piece that ever was written against this Government p. 28 Julian took snuff at this that a seditious Pamphleteer was discovered to have been trading with a wretched Jesuit And yet he confesseth it to be possible to write an History of the Succession without borrowing from Doleman p. 60. Very good And why then did not that Pamphleteer do it Why was he so Ill-advised as to be beholden to a Jesuit at all Or why was he so Immodest as to borrow his whole stock Or why was he so disingenuous as not to own his Benefactor in whose Book he had run a Tick thus Or why was he so Impudent as to pretend that this Pamphlet was written by a Protestant hand when 't was taken out of the Closet of Father Parsons All that
shift and wash his hands of it as if he had not been the Author of it though 't was notorious that he was Secondly 't is to be noted that in the fatal year 1648 when that blessed Martyr King Charles the First was so barbarously Murdered the several Articles brought in charge against him were all grounded upon Principles taken out of this Jesuites Book nay a great part of the very Book it self so much as served the turn of those cursed Regicides was Reprinted under another counterfeit Title viz. Several Speeches delivered at a Conference concerning the power of Parliaments to proceed against their Kings for misgovernment They were forced to be beholden to this Jesuite for Principles to defend that Unnatural War and that Unjust Sentence For could the Protestant Religion which they pretended to maintain have born them out it is not credible they would have brought upon themselves so much Infamy by raising up a Jesuites Ghost to speak for them The sending of that Book abroad did clearly demonstrate what they and their designs were And I would sain know whether an unprejudiced man will not conclude that there is some ugly design on foot now when this very Book is brought upon the Stage again For you must observe in the next place that the Present you sent me is the very same Book now lately Printed the Third time the very same Book that was first intended to tear the Government into pieces and to turn this Land into a field of Bloud the same Book that laid the foundations of the late Rebellion the very same Book â—hat served to bring the best of Kings to the Scaffold the very same Book that helped them to justifie that villanous and most horrid Fact And what can we gather hence but that some extraordinary Intrigue is in hand which needeth the help of this old Jesuit again There are so many Knaves in the world already that men need not fetch Father Parsons from the dead only for a shew And the world is so abundantly stockt with Books that Doleman would not have been Re-printed for nothing For be pleased to observe too what the state of Affairs was then in the days of Queen Elizabeth when this Book was published first under that Title A zealous and wise Protestant Monarch was then Reigning but she being not likely to have any Issue the discourses of men were as they are now about the Succession James King of Scotland was the next Heir by Bloud but his Religion did not please the Jesuits For this reason they laid their Noddles together to defeat him of the Crown if it were possible and that matchless man at mischief Father Parsons wrote among other Books this which he called by the name of Doleman wherein he indeavoured to persuade the World that all Monarchies are de jure Elective and that Proximity of Bloud was not sufficient to intitle any man to the Imperial Crown of England without the Peoples Choice Approbation and Consent which by reason of the Numbers Interest and Policy of the Papists then he did hope would never be given to King James As the ground of all this he had the confidence to place the Plenitude of power and all Absolute Soveraignty in the hands of the People so that according to his Principle owned in this Doleman the Commonwealth may Lawfully and at their pleasure fore-close and hinder the next Heir if on the account of his Religion or in any other Respect they judg him unfit to Succeed nay that they may without sin Depose and Destroy a Prince though actually vested and possest of the Throne if in the administration of the Government he answer not that Trust which was reposed in him by his Lords and Masters the People In fine He told the Queens Subjects that the Descent and Disposal of the Crown did depend wholly upon their pleasure and that they had an unlimited power at any time to determine upon this or that form of Government and might alter it when they thought fit and chuse whether they would have a King or no and turn the Monarchy into an Aristocracy or Democracy as they saw occasion and judged it best By these Popular Principles this Jesuit and the rest hoped to serve these Ends either to prevent the Succession of the King of Scots which was the first and Grand design or in case he should Succeed to prepare a ready way to Ruine him and indeed to ruine his Family too and to subvert his Government if they did not answer the expectations of the Church of Rome Nor did they fail of their ends in every particular For though King James came peaceably to the Crown yet these Principles did work so powerfully that they laid Barrels and Trains of Gunpowder under the Parliament House and afterwards made stirs in the Parliament it self and in Forty One raised a Bloudy and Unnatural Rebellion and in the end changed the Government into a Republick and caused the Monarch and the Monarchy to be cut off together Haec Ithacus voluit these were the natural effects of this Book called Doleman which some now have thought convenient and necessary for their Turns to set out again in a new and more polish'd Edition These things being observed touching the Author and of the Design in Printing and Reprinting of this Book I cannot fancy my self to have paid you all those Respects which are due from me till I take a few steps further and shew you a little first what Use hath been made of this Book and these Dolemanian Principles of late and then what those Reasons are on which these Principles are founded For affairs are Uncertain now as they were when these Principles came first into the world The Book is admirably well Calculated for our Meridian otherwise it might have lain still in the dark and no more regarded than an Almanack out of date Methinks I see in it some of Lilly's Prognosticks or Hopes at least of some change of weather and therefore 't is necessary that to preserve our Peace and good Government we look a little into the Nature and Strength of the aforesaid Principles And the rather because I see they are very Pleasant and Taking with the People their bare Popularity though they have no Reason or Sense is enough to recommend them to the favour and kind embraces of the Vulgar who love dearly to be medling with Government and cannot but be Tickled at Heart when they are told that they have a Soveraign Power in them which they did not dream of that they can Make and Unmake Kings that Crowns and Scepters lie at their Worships feet that Princes must make court to them for Succession and that they can if they will bar them out and come like the Tribunes of the People of Rome with an uncontroulable Veto These are fine and delicate Doctrines and beyond the Fawnings of some others who tell us to please us that we have power to chuse all
our Bishops though I confess we may think it fitting that we should have power in both points as well as in one and as the world goes Kings and Bishops way well expect to fare alike But in good earnest Sir I am grieved at Heart and 't is enough to raise the Indignation of every Honest man to find that so many among us do inconsiderately not to say maliciously run altogether upon this Jesuits Principles and that in these times when we are all so afraid of Popery that one would think we should be most especially afraid of Jesuitism Yet if you please to give your self the trouble to peruse those seditious Pamphlets which have been published of late you will find what I note to be true that generally they borrow large portions out of this most wicked Libel written by a most wicked Wretch on purpose to ruine the interest of the Protestant Cause Nay that the Authors of them have so exactly followed the Scope the Tenents the Arguments the Examples and the very Phrase many times that we may well believe they had old Doleman open before them as they were writing I shall give you Proof and Instances of this by and by In the mean while we may conclude that these men were not so straightned as to be Constrained to do this For they might have been abundantly furnished with Anti-Monarchical and Republican Principles out of other Authors such as Ficklerus Stephanus Junius Brutus Knox 〈◊〉 and some more of that Age who were main good Friends to the Jesuits in this point But because Fa. Parsons hath made great Improvements of those Principles which others had vended a little before and because his great design was to bar all Succession to the Crown of England by Natural Descent and Inheritance and to that end hath used all the most plausible Arguments and because all this is serviceable to the Designs of some Now who consider more what is Expedient than what is Just therefore they do willingly chuse to make this Author though a Jesuit their Guide and do take all their Measures from this Libel rather than others How they will answer this to God to their own Consciences and to the sober World I do not know but that the Truth of what I say may be manifest I shall instance in some of the Principal Pamphlets which have been written of late And I shall begin with that which hath made the greatest Noise viz. the History of Succession which the Author saith is Collected out of the Records and the most Authentick Historians But had he said Collected out of Doleman he had spoken a more Ingenuous Truth than perhaps he hath told us in the whole Book besides For though he hath adorned his Margin with divâ—rs Quotations out of Records and Authors which I suppose he consulted to conceal his Theft or to put a fair Colour upon it at least yet the Matter is taken out of that Authentick Historian Doleman However he came by the Fringe and the Lace 't was his Friend honest Fa Parsons that furnish'd him with the Stuff I do not intend to examine the Candour the Sincerity or the Logick of this Collector because it is a thing besides my Purpose and for the consideration of those things I refer you Sir to that Learned and Solid Answer called The great Point of Succession discussed c. and to that excellent Tract entituled Religion and Loyalty supporting each other For my business is only to shew matter of Fact that this Collector hath filch'd his Pamphlet out of that Jesuit who to cheat the world gave himself the Surname of Doleman In this blessed History we are to consider first the Design Secondly the Principles of the Author And thirdly the Examples he useth to serve his Ends. Iâ— Now the Design is to prove that the Government of England is not a setled Hereditary Monarchy that Succession is not Title enough to make the next Heir King but that the Election of him ought to be before his Coronation that the Succession is wholly under the Controul of Parliament and that they can limit it and subject it to Conditions and alter the Course of it as they please Now this is the very Sum of the First and the sixth Chapter in Doleman Part. 1. For in the first Chapter he tells us That Succession to Government by nearness of Bloud is not by Law of Nature or Divine but only by Humane and Positive Laws of every particular Commonwealth and consequently may upâ—n just causes be altered by the same pag. 1. And in the sixth Chapter he affirms That though Priority and Propinquity of Bloud in Succession is greatly to be honoured regarded and preferred in all affairs of Dignity and Principality yet are we not so absolutely and peremptorily bound thereunto always but that upon just and urgent occasions that course may be altered and broken pag. 104. He founds Regal Power in Succession and Election both pag. 105. And being to answer that Question What interest a Prince hath by Secession alone to any Crown before he be Crowned or Admitted by the Commonwealth He saith That an Heir Apparent before his Coronation and Admission by the Realm hath the same and no more interest to the Kingdom which the King of Romans or Caesar hath to the German Empire after his Election and before he be Crowned and to use a more familiar Example to to Englishmen as the Mayor of London hath to the Mayoralty after he is chosen and before he be admitted or have taken his Oath For as this man in rigour is not truly Mayor nor hath his Jurisdiction before his Oath and Admission nor the other is properly Emperour before he be Crowned so is not an Heir Apparent truly King though his Predecessor be dead until he be Crowned and admitted by the Commonwealth pag. 106. In fine He is Positive that Heirs Apparent are not true Kings until their Coronation how just soever their Title of Succession otherwise be and so that no Allegiance is due unto them before they be Crowned pag. 108. To make these things out is the Grand Design of Father Parsons and his Plagiary the Author of this History of Succession And though you well know that all this is contrary to the Laws of our Realm which recognize all Succession to this Crown to be by Inheritance and allow of no Interregnum but say that the King never dieth because the next Heir is actually King that very minute after the breath of his Predecessor is gone yet you see how closely this Collector hath followed the steps of Doleman all our Laws to the contrary notwithstanding II. As touching this Collectors Principles 1. He is clearly of opinion That the Commonwealth hath Power to change the direct order of Succession for otherwise the Government would want power to defend it self by making such alterations as the variety of Accidents in several Ages may make absolutely necessary p. 15. That
and had not Strength Power and Force enough to cope with their Governours Indeed I do not remember to have met with this Tenent in Doleman but you may find it in another Book written by Parsons which he called Philopater though I have it not by me at present to refer you to the particular place I confess too that it was not Parsons single conceit for that notorious and swinging Jâ—suite Cardinal Bellarmine saith That if Christians in the Primitive times did not Depose Nero and Diocletian and Julian the Apostate and Valens the Arian and the like it was because the Christians had not strength enough In like manner another Jesuite Azorius giving a Reason why the Antient Popes dealt not roughly with Princes â—â—ith It was because they wanted strength I own too that Buchanan spake at the same rate in his Book de jure regni apud Scotos and whether Buchanan did borrow this Notion of the Jesuites or the Jesuites borrowed it of Buchanan others are concern'd to dispute it out This is evidentâ— that it is a Jesuitical Notion and I will add a Notion which others even of the Popish Clergy did detest when it was first broached as being utterly against the constant sense of the whole Catholick Church Yet the late angry Author of Julian the Apostate confidently runs upon this very Notion For speaking of the submission of Christians under Julian he saith What would men have a few Defenceless Christians do when they had lost all their strength and so many of their Numbers p. 94. Have they never heard a West-Country man say Chud eat Cheese an Chad it By applying which Boorish Proverb to his Purpose our Author doth seem to intimate that if the Primitive Christians had had Strength and Numbers sufficient Rebellion would have been as welcom to them as their very Food and that they would as gladly have resisted as they would have relieved their Hunger but it seems they wanted Cheese and could not do what they had a mind and stomach to do A most Monstrous expression from the Pen of a Christian of a Protestant of a Clergy-man For first nothing can be more false because it is notorious that Julians own Army consisted for the most part of Christians if their Religion and Consciences would have given them leave could soon have done the Emperors work when their Swords were in their hands and Julian was at the Head of them in the Field In those days the Numbers of Pagans were inconsiderable in comparison For Christianity gained ground every day at such a strange rate that before Julians time St. Cyprian tells us the Heathens were Overmatcht by Christians for said he to the Proconsul of Africa None of us resisteth when he is apprehended nor revengeth himself against your Unjust Violence although the men of our side be Numerous and more than enough to revenge themselves And before St. Cyprian Tertullian boasted of the great Numbers and Strength of Christians Of which to omit other pregnant instances that passage in his Apologetick is a clear Demonstration For saith he to the Emperor Had we Christians a mind to do like Enemies could we want Numbers or Armies such Foreigners as we are accounted we have filled all that belongs to you your Cities Islands Castles Towns Camps Tribes your Palace Senate Courts we have left your Temples only to your selves We who are thus willingly killed what War were we not fit not ready for but that by our Religion it is permitted us rather to be killed than to slay We could have fought against you even without the help of Arms and without being actual Rebels only by standing out and holding off from your Assistance out of spight for being severed from your Fellowships and Societies for so I understand those words solius divortii invidia These Testimonies alone do plainly shew the horrible falshood of that Jesuitical Notion which this Author hath entertained and is pleased to revive And were this all it would not be so much But I add secondly that 't is a pretence which casteth such a Disgrace such a reproach such a scandal upon Christianity and the Christian Church that you can hardly find any thing to compare with it unless it be the lewdness of a certain virulent scribler that pretending to write a Church-History hath Calumniated the Christian Bishops as if they had been a Race of the most Blood-thirsty and wicked men in the world what would not a Celsus or a Porphyry or Julian have given for a Clergy-man in those days who would have given it under his hand that Christians were a sort of men that wanted only strength and opportunity to be Rebels such a man would have done most remaâ—kable service to all sorts of Infidels and Blasphemers For then they would have had some Reason and Authority for such Diâ—bolical suggâ—stions as these 1. That when Christ said to his Disciples Render to Caesar the things which are Caesars he was nevertheless Caesars Enemy being supposed to mean T'ill you can help your selves and can be able by force of Arms to be revenged upon the Emperor 2. That when the Apostles commanded Christians to Honour the King to Obey Magistrates to be Subject to the Higher Powers and that not only for Wrath but also for Conscience-sake yet nevertheless they Disseâ—bled and plaid the Hypocrites being supposed to mean that Christiâ—ns should be Civil to the Government for the present and till time served and for fear only and that they should be subject till thâ—y were â—ble to Rebel and that they should be damned for resisting unless they could resist to some purpose 3. Whereas the Ancient Christians universally acknowledged that the Emperor was the Vicegerent and Minister of God himself that he was inferiour to God alone and that Julian himself reigned by Gods Authority as well as Constantine the Pagans would have lookt upon all these Professions to have been gross falsifications and lies had a Church-man but insinuated how that it was the sense of the Church that they could lawfully Fore-close or Dethrone Princes when they had Power and nothing could have served more â—ffectually to render Christians odious and Christianity it self Abominable 4. Whereas the simplicity of Religion was so much Preached up and the simplicity of its Professors was so much admired that ' â—was the great Honour of the Church in those days they would have been hated as meer Parasites and Hypocrites should they have doubled in this particular and the Heathens would have scoff'd and steer'd at their Profession of Loyalâ—y as this Author doth at the Doctrine touching Prayers and Tears pag. 30. as a piece of Quackery and Mountebank-craft I doubt not but all those in this Age who have no kindness for Religion will make a great use of this Authors insinuations and hereafter upon his credit believe that the Primitive Christians were in their hearts so many Cut-throats and Rebels whatever they pretended to the
Julian saith to it is That 't is impossible to write an History of the Succession without having a great many passages which Doleman has got into his Book ibid. But by his good leave 't is possible to write one History without stealing out of another 'T is possible to imitate a Book without Transcribing it 'T is possible to observe another mans Method without running upon his Principles 'T is possible to treat of his Matter without using his Fancy and to pursue his Design without using his Phrase This is as possible as 't is possible for me to follow a Leader though I do not tread in his very steps But let an indiffâ—rent person compared Doleman with the History of Succession and he will find such an exact agreement not only between the Method Matter and Scope of them both but also between the Principles Expressions Arguments Instancâ—s and the like in bâ—th that though the world be full of Histories yet you shall not find any two that do so exactly jump together as Doleman and the History of Succession do unless they be Abridgments or Transcripts So that a man may well say that the Pamphleteer had a design not to write a new piece but new Vamp an old one and to put a damned Jâ—suit into such a new Dress that he might appear in the world like a true Protestant All these things considered duly I may Infer that since there is now adays such Fresh Trading and Trucking with the Jesuits it is high time for every honest man in this Kingdom to make a Pause and consider seriously whose hands we are in c. p. 27. It is high time for all the honest men in the Kingdom to consider whose hands we are in And I am glad that you begin to consider what a sort of men these are who out of a pretended zeal for the Protestant Cause take such an extravagant course as they do What is there no way to prevent Popery but by planting Jesuitism Is this the way to uphold the Church of England to fetch Shoars and Buttresses from the Church of Rome Have we not good store of wholsom Lews on our side Is not the Genius of the Nation so set against Popery that they may as soon be persuaded to turn Turks Is not our Church so firmly Establisht that if we be but Faithful to Her it is impossible for that Scarlet Whore with whom so many Princes have committed Forniâ—ation ever to have again Joynture or Dower in this Kingdom Besides and above all this are we not sure that the good hand of God will be over us if we be but careful to commit our selves to him in well-doing But 't is observable that these men in all their Writings take so little notice of the Providence of God that a sober man may Reasonably suspect that God is not in all their thoughts They begin at the wrong end and thinking that all must be done by Humane Arts and Policy even rake Hell and scum the Devil as if that were an effectual course to preserve the true Religion and Church of God Setting aside the Romish Faith and the Vow of blind Obedience tell me wherein these men differ from the Disciples of Ignatius Loyola Why only these are Popish and they Protestant Jesuits Of all Sects and Religions saith Father Watson the Jesuit and the Puritan come nearest and are fittest to be coupled like Dogs and Cats together And so he goes on comparing them and making both of them equally alike for their Hypocrisie for their Conspiracies for their Schismatical humour for their malice against Bishops for their Insolence and Disobedience to Government for their violation of Oaths for their Commonwealth-opinions for their Tyranny and Usurping a Power over Princes for their Conforming to the Laws sometimes to serve a Turn for their Dispensing with one another in case of Occasional Communion and Occasional Perjury c. He instanceth in no less than twenty four points a full Double Jury if that would do any good by which if you try both Factions you will find that as they came into the world much about a time so they have been sworn Brethren from the Womb. But he abuseth the old moderate Puritans for 't was only some Rigid men among them that were so Ill-natured so Imperious and such Thorns and Goads in their Governours sides However one Faction has hither so shifted it self into another that the old Puritan that was peaceable and fair-conditioned is quite gone out of the world he has been long ago lost in the Presbyterian and the Presbyterian too is upon the matter lost in the Independent and all of them are so lost in the Jesuit that if you go to unkennel the Fox 't is an even Lay whether you hunt a Jesuit or a Whig What an odd thing is this that men should turn Jesuits for fear of being Papists As I am an honest man 't is matter of great Astonishment to me and a most horrid scandal to Religion that people should pretend such zeal for the Protestant Faith and yet infect themselves with such Jesuitical Principles We Rusticks are wont when we plant an Orchard to observe this Rule generally to graft a better sort of fruit upon a worse as we use to graft an Apple upon a Crab. Hâ—d these men taken this course and have studied Melioration as our term of Art is they would not have grafted the Jesuit upon the Protestant but the Protestant upon the Jâ—suit Then they would have â—hewn their good Husbandry and good Fruit would have come of their Labours But they do not go according to the Rule And then they say they act according to their Consciences Now Consâ—ience if it be Right and Honest observe the Laws of the great Husbandman But when men overlook the directions of God and act according to their Humours or according to the Humours or seeming Interest of a Party then Conscience makes mâ—d work and proves a meer Ignoramus for it ever grafteth the Crab way Hence it cometh to pass that there is such a Dâ—mnâ—ble deal of sowre fruit among us as hath set the teeth of all honest men in the Kingdom on edge For when once men are Jesuited they will never stick at any manner of wickedness Lying Libelling Sedition Dishonesty Dâ—faming of Government Disobedience to Laws Obstruction of Justice Hypocrisie Perjury and I know not how many Vices more they have now lost the name of Sins and are made the Honourable Characters of somâ— who are pleased by a figure to call themselves True Protestants For you may easily observe that mens Scruples now lie one way only viz. about Ceremonies and little things pertaining to Order and Decency in the Church but there is little or no scruple about Immorality they Protest against Conformity but not against Knavâ—ry They will condemn Kneeling at the Sacrament as a damnable sin and yet be guilty of it themselves to serve an End And I cannot but