a Nobleman of Provence of the Reformed Religion who had been successful in Oliver's time in an Embassy for the Protestants his Name was Monsieur Roux or the Marquiss de Marsilli came over to K. C. to desire his Mediation with the French King and perswade him to be more favourable to the Hugonot Party He applied himself to the then D. of Y. who under the Disguise of a Church-of England-man received the Sacrament with his Brother at Whitehall He promised him all Favour Protection and Kindness but instead of that betrayed the poor Man and his Errand to Colbert the French Embassador who was placed behind the Hangings in the Duke's Chamber with others to hear the Complaints of the French Churches which were so far from making any Impression upon the Court of England that this their Envoy being here threatned to be killed his Estate confiscated to the French King he retreated towards Switzerland and in the Dukedom of Burgundy was violently taken by the French King's Appointment carried to Paris and there broken upon the Wheel by the Procurement of the late King then Duke of York Pray open your Eyes ye blind and bewitched Adorers of K. J. so zealous for his Restoration and see by this Man's Fate what we may reasonably expect from K. James's Faith and Kindness And do ye judg this to be your Duty and justifiable to restore him to that Power which he hath already abused and stained with innocent Blood more than once and will infallibly abuse it again to your Destruction and the Destruction of our Religion and Kingdom How ungrateful are you for God's great Mercy in delivering of us from such a Prince Was it St. Peter's Duty to return into Herod's Fetters when freed by an Angel Was it justifiable in the Israelites to go back into Egypt when delivered from Pharaoh's Bondage by the Power of Heaven And is it justifiable in you to restore an idolatrous Prince to a Throne from which he is excluded by the Hand of God and by the Approbation of the best of the Nation Into what Calamities had we been brought if he had had Power to proceed as he began What unthankful Wretches are ye for this great Mercy both to God and our present King who hazarded all for your Advantage and Safety And what is it your Duty to restore the late King by basely murdering of such an obliging Prince The End that you propose to your selves is abominable and the Means worse And can such a black Treason aggravated by such hainous Circumstances be justifiable and your Duty Never exclaim against the Gunpowder-Traitors nor Ravaillacs nor the Clements This Act or Design of the Jacobites is more devilish and a Crime of a deeper Die than theirs ever was Neither did they justify their Murders and wicked Purposes with the Pretences of Duty as you do 4. The fourth Principle appears as horrid as the former and bespeaks you to have neither Reason nor Christianity nor the Sense of Duty or of Interest in you that to murder our present King introduce Popery with K. James and assist foreign Forces to invade us is the Cause of God and true Religion Was there ever any such Perswasion entertained by Men Did ever any judg that the Overthrow of their Religion was their Duty that the Destruction of God's Interest in the World and the Promotion of the Deâ—iâ—'s was a Cause that God did approve of that the Ruine of their native Country by foreign Forces was God's Cause and agreeable with Law and Equity Codrus King of Athens offered himself to Death to save his City from the Enemies Power Themistocles poisoned himself that his Country might not be invaded by the Persians And all the moral Heathens look'd upon it as their Dutâ— to sacrifice themselves to drive off a foreign Power from their native Soil And do you think it your Daty to deliver your Country and Relations into the Hands of the French Miserable Wretches What do you meat What Advantage do ye propose to your selves The Duke of Mantua in 1588 told a Papist and English Commander that his Sword knew no Difference between a Protestant and a Papiâ—â— And that Italian General who was inâ—ited into Mantua by the Guelfs and had a Gate betrayed by them into his Hands when he plundered without Exception both Factions they complained of his false Dealing but he returned them this Answer That their Persons indeed were Guelfs … d Friends but their Riches Goods and Estates were Gibeâ—â—â—â—â— and of the contrary F … The same Treatment you must expect from your French Friends when they come in with K. James You must expect to lose your Liberties and Estates with your Country to be transported and treated at the Pleasure of the Conqueror and you to be look'd upon as the basest of Men by those whom you design to assist to invade us 5. For the fifth Principle it is so ridiculous and so full of Contradiction as well as the rest that I leave it to the Examination of the sober Reader to pass tâ— the sixth That this Nation is guilty of Rebellion and Perjury by the late Revolution for this is the Meaning of that Clause of Sir J. F's Prayer Deliver this Nation from the Guilt of Rebellion Blood and Perjury Wicked and uncharitable Souls I would have you know that such of us as have complied with and sworn to support the present Government are far from being guilty either of Rebellion to K. James or the Crime of Perjury for whilst he continued with us and was our Governour none more obedient and faithful to him than we were and tho he acted so directly contrary â—â— his Coronation-Oath to his repeated Protestation before the Council of supporting the Church of England and maintaining our Liberties and Laws yet we who are truly Members of the Church of England thought it our Daty to be quiet and yield unto him all lawful Obedience never plotted against his Government as you do against this but patiently waited for the Salvation of God which was brought to pass by his mighty Power But is our Compliance with this viable Act of divine Providence a Rebellion against K. James It is a Madness for you to charge us with it We should be Rebels to the publick Interest and Safety of the Kingdom we should be guilty of the highest Ingratitude to our good God we should be unworthy of his former Care and Mercy as well as unthankful to his Agent and Minister if we did not assist and help the present King with our uttermost Endeavours But how can you fasten upon us the odd Crime of Perjury for our Oath of Fidelity unto K. William whose Person and Government we are resolved to maintain and pray for being thereunto bound by all the Obligations of Reason Religion and Conscience and shall not be frighted from our Duty by your wicked and uncharitable Censures But â—ray who is most guilty of Perjury some of you who know that you are in the Interests of the late King and yet have sworn as Sir W. P. did to be faithful to King William and nevertheless plot and conspire against his Person and Government This is Dissimulation Hypocrisy and Perjury with a witness This is to act against all Conscience and Morality And dare such People pretend themselves to be Members of the Church of England a Church so excellent in its Constitution so agreeable with primitive Christianity hating all Blood Treason Hypocrisy and Baseness tho for the Advancement of the greatest Good and the Promotion of the best Cause A Church that practiseth and recommends the Rules of Charity to all Men Humility Patience Meekness and Moderation A Church that never was stained with the Blood of Princes tho desperate Enemies nor with Conspiracy and Rebellion but obligeth its Members to be obedient peaceable and useful under the Governments appointed by God You therefore my Fellow-Subjects who are really Disciples and Members of such a Church withdraw your selves from the Tents and Society of these wicked Men of these deluded and bloody Jacobites Let us unanimously associate in the Defence of our Government and King whom God preserve from Enemies at home and abroad and send him Victory and Success Amen M. I London Printed by J. D. for Jonathan Robinson at the Golden Lion in St. Paul ' Church-yard MDCXCVI
An ANTIDOTE against the Infection of the Jacobites occasioned by the last Papers of Sir John Friend Sir William Parkins Mr. Cranburne c. who pretend to die in the Communion of the Church of England By a Minister of the Church of England OUR Nation hath as much Reason to take heed of the wicked Principles of these deluded and Jacobite Martyrs as to abhor their barbarous and abominable Designs and Practices and the rather because they are recommended to the Publick by that Consideration that Men commonly have for the last Expressions of Persons departing to another State who in that Moment are not suspected of Hypocrisy or to conceal the real Sentiments of their Mind when they are to appear before a God of Sincerity and Truth But we find by old and late Experience that some Men will continue in the Justincation of their greatest Villanies at the Hour of Death and proclaim at the Gallows a Vindication of the worst of Crimes Lest therefore the devilish Mistakes and Delusions of these Traitors should have any Influence upon the Living I suppose some Considerations may be seasonable to be recommended to the Publick to prevent the Mischiefs of a farther Infection and to oblige us all that are true English-men and of the Church of England to be steady and faithful to the Cause of God and our holy Religion in opposition to the Madness of their Diabolical Principles It may seem very strange at the reading of their Papers That Members of our excellent Communion instructed in the blessed Rules of Christianity acquainted with the Transactions and Passages of former Years of English Blood of Estates and Birth should be so much misled by a strong Spirit of Delusion as to believe the Restoration of a Popish King a declared Enemy of their Religion Laws and Liberties and that by the French Tyrannical Power to be their Duty and agreeable with the Laws of our Kingdom or to believe and publickly to own the treacherous and base Murdering of an anointed and crowned Head in Possession of the Government nay such an one who spends himself and Estate and exposes his Person for the Preservation of our Religion and Peace and thereby to involve their Native Country in Blood and Ruine to be the Cause of God and true Religion Certainly Men must be divested of all Reason as well as Humanity to suffer themselves to be carried away to such apparent Wickedness Certainly there is an invincible Spirit of Malice and Error that possesseth this separate Party that hath divided it self from our Church and Communion and as I have taken notice looks upon the rest with a strong Aversion being deceived by the foolish Doctrines cried up and encouraged by the sinister Designs of the former Reigns and which leads them thus blindfolded to such terrible Mischiefs Never Principles more abominable than these which are expressed in these Papers were ever publish'd by Papists Turks Infidels or the worst of Men Never any more pernicious to the publick Safety either of Church or State No wonder if such Men make no Conscience of Assassinations Parricides Murders and delivering their Nation and Kindred to the base Tyranny of a foreign Power who are perswaded that God and Religion and the Laws of the Realm do engage them to all this Villany Pray let every one judg of these Jacobite Principles which are to be gathered from the Papers and Actions of these Traitors I shall reduce them to these six or seven 1. That Subjects are always bound to Duty and Allegiance to a Prince tho departed to our Enemies and in an active War to inslave and ruine his Subjects and Country 2. That no foreign nor domestick Power can alienate our Allegiance The Meaning in relation to us is That no Obedience nor Allegiance is to be paid to our present King that protects us tho the Laws and the publick Interest require it 3. That it is justifiable and their Duty to endeavour to restore the late King by Assassinations Cruelty and the visible Destruction of their Kindred and Nation 4. That to murder our present King introduce Popery with King James and assist foreign Forces to invade us is the Cause of God and true Religion 5. That the Loyalty of the Church of England doth oblige its Members to sacrifice all Interests of God Religion Laws and Liberties Kindred and Nation to the Pleasure Dominion and Advancement of one Man tho a sworn Enemy to its Profession 6. That this Nation is guilty of Rebellion and Perjury in the late Revolution 7. That Hypocrisy Dissimulation the Concealment of this Cause of God and the taking of an Oath of Fidelity to the present Government is practicable and may consist with a constant persisting and remaining in the real Interests of the late King These are the Bedlam-Principles which obliged these Men to such desperate Attempts and hardned them against the Danger of assassinating a Prince in the middle of his Guards This is the Belief of the Jacobite Party which makes them plot against the present Government uneasy and restless until they draw upon themselves and us utter Ruine and the Calamities of an intestine War In answer to the first It is generally allowed and owned by Men of Reason and Conscience of all Nations that the Duties of a King and his Subjects are Relatives that the latter supposeth the former that the Obligations of natural Allegiance and of our former Oaths are conditional and temporary and are not binding for ever and that in diâ—â—rs Cases Subjects are freed from their Allegiance to their lawful Sovereign particularly in this Case where a King hath acted contrary to his Coronation-Oath to overthrow the Fundamental Laws and Constitutions of the Government endeavoured the Subversion of Religion the Worship of God and to introduce the Abominations of Idolatry where a King hath endeavoured tâ— enslave his Subjects to his tyrannical Will forcing his Judges to subscribe to such Articles as were designed to disannul all Order and Equity amongst us and chiefly in this case when he is departed to our sworn Enemies and is in an active War assisting them with his Counsel Troops and Associates and is so far from protecting our Persons and Estates that he breathes nothing but Vengeance against us and our Religion Witness his Words to one of his Courtiers at Dublin when a faithful Protestant Jacobâ—â—e was recommended to his Service that he hated the Name of a Protestant and chiefly a Protestant of the Church of England Pray consider what Protection and Favour the Professors of our Religion are to expect from him who already hath been so false and ungrateful to the Members of the Church of England In his Brother's time they would not suâ—â—er the Bill of Exclusion to pass they put the Crown upon his Head they supported his Interest against the Duke of Monmouth they were constant and faithful to him tho of another Perswasion But in requital of all their good Offices he hath
rewarded them with Frowns and Scorn with Imprisonment of their Bishops with the violent Invasion of the Rights of their Colleges with the Discountenance of their Persons and with Threats of greater Mischiefs And since his Exile he is grown more fierce and unreconcileable to the Members of our Church tho never so sincere to his Cause Witness the unhappy Fates of Sir James Montgomery Madam Ashton and many more whose Loss of Estates and Country for his sake could not perswade this bigotted Prince to shew them the least Favour or to admit them to his Service without a publick Abjuration of their God and Religion Never any Romish or Heathen Persecutor was ever more resolved to destroy our Church and the sincere Professors of it Never any bore a greater Antipathy and was more violent against us than is the late King James and does our former Obligations to him as Subjects bind us to cast away our selves and the whole Nation to his merciless Fury and oblige us to a constant Allegiance to such an one to an open Enemy What Methods have other Nations taken in such a case When Sigismund King of Sweden a Papist Prince succeeded to the Crown he swore to maintain the Laws and Religion of the Country but when he began to impose and bring in the Romish Superstitions the States of the Realm banished him and chose in his stead Duke Charles his Cousin the Father of Gustavns Adolphus who warred against him and the Poles his Subjects and never would admit him again The French Nation would never receive Henry 4. as their lawful King but were resolved to elect another until their Laws and Religion were secured from a Change by an Abjuration of that Prince's former Profession and a publick Compliance with that which was generally professed in the Country The whole Kingdom and all Men in it are concerned by the Laws of God and Nature in the Preservation of themselves from Ruine and Destruction And Government was not intended for the Advantage only of the Prince and to gratify his Lust and Pleasure but for the Benefit of the whole Society that are to look to themselves when a Prince designs to betray them to the Power and Tyranny of their Enemies no Man by any Obligations of former Loyalty and Allegiance being bound to destroy himself much less the Body of a Kingdom And there is a greater Duty that we owe to the publick Community that we belong to than to any particular Member tho the Head And all our natural Obligations to a Prince tho confirmed by Oaths are always in reference to the Good Peace Happiness and Prosperity of the Body Politick unto which the Prince himself ought as divers have done in former Ages to sacrifice himself and Fortune 2. That no foreign nor domestick Power can alienate our Allegiance The Meaning in relation to us is That no Obedience nor Allegiance is to be paid to our present King that protects us tho the Laws and the publick Interest require it That our Governours could not lawfully demand that Security from us to swear to bear true Faith and Allegiance to K. W. and Q. M. Certainly the Government as it is now established ought in reason to secure it self from the Designs of ill Men and no Method more moderate nor Oath more favourable could be contrived than that which was imposed upon us whatever Construction is given to it by these Zealots for the Rights of the late K. J. it obliging us to nothing but a quiet and peaceable Behaviour and ties our Tongues and Hands that they might not plot and conspire against the Government of this present King And is there any thing more reasonable than this Law Shall such Men live amongst us Shall they enjoy the favourable Countenance of the Government Shall they be protected in their Lives and Estates and shall they be allowed at the same time to endeavour the Ruine of King and Kingdom I cannot in so short a Compass examine what Allegiance is due to the Kings of England how much we are bound in Duty to such a King who hath forsaken us and joined himself to our Enemies what Power is in our Parliaments to require a new Oath of Allegiance Whether it may not be as lawful for the Chieftains of our Politick Body to alienate our Allegiance from him who hath alienated all Duty and Kindness from us and whose Religion forbids him to keep any Faith with us Hereticks but binds him to destroy us with Fire and Sword I know some will say that Men by Religion don 't forseit their natural Rights and that K. J. was thereby intituled to our Allegiance and had a natural Right to govern us Grant this and a great deal more but now that he ceaseth to govern and protect us and instead of being our King he is become a desperate Enemy shall our former Allegiance to him hinder us from seeking to be sheltered by another The Self-Preservation of a Kingdom is a natural Law that puts a great Difference between the Rights of a private Man and that of a publick Person whose Right to our Allegiance is not to be allowed to overthrow and ruine a whole Kingdom 3. That it is justifiable and their Duty to endeavour to restore the late King c. This is affirmed in relation to this grievous Plot of assassinating K. W. of inviting over a foreign Power c. to vindicate the Justice of the horrid Treason in the Eyes of our English World Pray let considerate Men take notice how unchristian and barbarous is this Principle Pray let them see the bloody Disposition of these furious and Apostate Members of the Church of England how unreasonable and cruel are their Tempers The Restoration of King James in the Eyes of the sober Part of the Nation is look'd upon as one of the greatest Mischiefs that can befal us and our Christian World in this juncture of Affairs and must needs be followed either by an universal Apostacy from the Reformed Religion together with the Loss of the Liberties of Europe or an universal Persecution and Oppression of all honest and good Men who will be forced to yield to the Pleasure of the French Tyrant and the Romish Cruelty It is a Folly to think otherwise of the Conjunction of the Forces of these three Kingdoms with the Power of Frame Besides it hath been long ago resolved by K. L. and K. J. to drive on this wicked Design together When K. J. withdrew to Brussels in his Brother's time he passed from thence to Paris incognito and was admitted to a long Consultation and secret Council where the hastening of the Death of K. C. was resolved who was a Bar to their base Purposes and immediately followed the violent Persecution of the French Protestants And the Jesuits were so confident of Success that they published to the World that within 20 Years not one would be found in Europe to own the Protestant Name Some Years before