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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
B21152	The increase of popery in England, since the reformation made by King Henry VIII shewing the great encouragement that priests, Jesuits, and other promoter of that bloudy religion have had from persons of power and authority, the discouragements and notorious hardships, even to silencing, and banishment from cities and corporations, that have been the portion of many able and faithful Protestant ministers, that have eminently opposed it : with an essay towards what may possibly befall the Churches of Christ from the hellish contrivances and damnable plots of Romish emissaries : with a faithful extract out of the most authentick records of the most memorable things referring to the reformation, viz. Henry VIII, his reasons given in his proclamation for taking away the Popes usurped power, his protestation against the pope, his injunctions to his clergy, Bishop St[e]phen Gardener's oath or protestation, and his reasons against the Popessupremacy in England and the publick agreement of the whole clergy of England, as confirmed and ratified in the book called the Bishops book, published in the year 1534 / by .. William Dell ...	Darrell, William, 1651-1721.	1681 (1681)	Wing D923	53,277	58

to the King yielding and rendering unto him onely the Style of Supreme Head next under Christ of the Church of England all other Service Subjection and Obedience to be given to any other forein Potentate which should be prejudicial to the Kings Highness in this behalf being excluded and that both frankly and freely of their own voluntary motion and also upon the faith and fidelity of their Priesthood as by their own words and handwriting may appear in form as hereunder followeth The Oath of Stephen Gardener Bishop of Winchester made to King Henry VIII EGO Stephanus Wintoniensis Episcopus pure sponte The Oath of Stephen Gardener to the King absolute in verbo Pontificio profiteor ac spondeo illustrissimae vestrae Regiae Majestati singulari ac summo Domino meo Patrono Henrico Dei gratia Angliae Franciae Regi Fidei Defensori Domino Hiberniae atque in terris Ecclesiae Anglicanae Supremo immediate sub Christo Capiti quod posthac nulli externo Imperatori Regi Principi aut Praelato nec Romano Pontifiei quem Papam vocant fidelitatem obedientiam c. Translated into English thus I Stephen Bishop of Winchester do purely of mine own voluntary accord and absolutely in the word of a Bishop profess and promise to your Princely Majesty my singular and chief Lord and Patron Henry the Eighth by the grace of God King of England and of France Defender of the Faith Lord of Ireland and in earth of the Church of England Supreme Head immediately under Christ That from this day forward I shall swear promise give or cause to be given to no forein Potentate Emperour King Prince or Prelate nor yet to the Bishop of Rome whom they call Pope any Oath or Fealty directly or indirectly either by word or writing but at all times and in every case and condition I shall observe hold and maintain to all effects and intents the quarrel and cause of your Royal Majesty and your Successors and to the uttermost of my power shall defend the same against all manner of persons whomsoever I shall know or suspect to be Adversaries to your Majesty or to your Successors and shall give my faith truth and obedience syncerely and with my very heart onely to your Royal Majesty as to my Supreme Prince I profess the Papacy of Rome not to be ordained of God by holy Scripture Stephen Gardener abrenounceth the Pope but constantly do affirm and openly declare and shall declare it to be set up onely by Man and shall cause diligently other men likewise to publish the same Neither shall I enter any Treaty with any person or persons either privily or apertly or shall consent thereto that the Bishop of Rome shall have or exercise here any Authority or Iurisdiction or is to be restored to any Iurisdiction hereafter Furthermore that the said Bishop of Rome now being or any that shall succ●ed him hereafter in the said See is not to be called Pope nor Supreme Bishop or Vniversal Bishop nor most holy Lord but onely ought to be called Bishop of Rome and Fellow Brother as the old manner of the most ancient Bishops hath been This I shall to my power openly maintain and defend And I shall firmly observe and cause to be observed of other to the uttermost of my cunning wit and power all such Laws and Acts of this Realm how and whatsoever as have been enacted and established for the extirpation and suppression of the Papacy and of the Authority and Iurisdiction of the said Bishop of Rome Neither shall I appeal hereafter to the said Bishop of Rome nor ever consent to any person that shall appeal to him neither shall I attempt prosecute or follow any Suit in the Court of Rome for any cause of right or justice to be had or shall make answer to any Plea or Action nor shall take upon me the person and office either of the Plaintiff or Defendent in the said Court And if the said Bishop by his Messenger or by his Letters shall make any means or signification unto me of any matter whatsoeuer it be I shall with all speed and diligence make declaration and advertisement thereof or cause the same to be signified either to your Princely Majesty or to some of your secret Council or to your Successors or any of their privy Council Neither shall I send or cause to be sent at any time any writing or messenger to the said Bishop or to his Court without the knowledge or consent of your Majesty or your Successors willing me to send writing or messenger unto him Neither shall I procure or give counsel to any person to procure Bulls Briefs or Rescripts whatsoever either for me or for any other from the said Bishop of Rome or his Court. And if any such shall be procured against my will and knowledge either in general or in special or else howsoever they shall be granted unto them I shall utter and disclose the same and not consent thereunto nor use them in any case and shall cause them to be brought to your Majesty or your Successors Furthermore for the confirmation hereof I give my faith and truth by firm promise and in the faith of a Bishop that against this my foresaid Profession and Promise made I shall defend my self by no Dispensation Exception nor any remedy or cautel of Law or Example during this my natural life And if heretofore I have done or made any Protestation in prejudice of this my Profession and Promise here made the same I do revoke at this present and for ever hereafter and here utterly do renounce by these presents Whereunto I have subscribed and underwritten the name both of my self and of my Bishoprick with my proper hand and thereto also have put to my Seal in perpetual and undoubted testimony of the premisses Given the tenth day of February Anno 1534 and of our Sovereign Lord King Henry the eight twenty six Stephanus Wintoniensis The same Bishop of Winchester's Reasons against the Pope's Supremacy MOreover the said Gardener in the forenamed Book De vera Obedientia what Constancy he pretendeth Steph. Wint. a Lutheran in his Book De vera obedientia what Arguments he inferreth how earnestly and pithily he disputeth on the Kings side against the Vsurped State of the Bishop of Romes Authority by the words of his Book it may appear whereof a brief Collection here followeth IN the process of his foresaid Book The Sword of the Church how far it extendeth he alledging the old distinction of the Papists wherein they give to the Prince the Regiment of things Temporal and to the Church of things Spiritual comparing the one to the greater Light the other to the lesser Light he confuteth and derideth the same distinction declaring the Sword of the Church to extend no further than to Teaching and Excommunication and referreth all preheminence to the Sword of the Prince alledging for this the

second Psalm And now you Kings be wise Psal 2. and be learned ye that judge the earth c. Also the example of Salomon who being a King 2 Par. 28. according to his Fathers appointment ordained the Offices of the Priests in their Ministeries and Levites in their Order Exod. 32. that they might give thanks and minister before the Priests after the order of every day and Porters in their divisions gate by gate And speaking more of the said Salomon he saith 1 Reg. 22. For so commanded the Man of God neither did the Priests nor Levites omit any thing of all that he had commanded c. Besides this he alledgeth also the example of King Ezechias 2 Paralyp 28. He alledgeth moreover the example and fact of Justinian which made Laws touching the Faith Bishops Clerks Hereticks and such other Aaron saith he obeyed Moses Salomon gave sentence upon Abiathar the High Priest 1 Macch. 10. 1 Macch. 14. Alexander the King in the first of Macchabees writeth thus to Jonathas Now have we made thee this day the High Priest of thy people c. So did Demetrius to Simon Then coming to the words of Christ spoken to Peter Matthew 16. Matth. 16. upon which words the Pope pretendeth to build all his Authority to this he answereth That if Christ by those words had limited to Peter any such special state or preheminence above all Princes then were it not true that is written Coepit Jesus docere facere forasmuch as the words of Christ should then be contrary to his own facts and example who in all his life never usurped either in himself any such domination above Princes shewing himself rather subject unto Princes nor yet did ever permit to his Apostles any such example of ambition to be seen but rather rebuked them for seeking any manner of Majority amongst them The Kings Style and Title approved by Steph. Wint. And where he reasoneth of the Kings Style and Title being called the King of England and of France Defender of the Faith Lord of Ireland and Supreme Head in earth of the Church of England immediately under Christ c. thus he addeth his mind and censure saying That he seeth no cause in this Title why any man should be offended that the King is called the Head of the Church of England rather than of the Realm of England and addeth his reason thereunto saying If the Prince and King of England be the Head of his Kingdom that is of all Englishmen that be his Subjects is there any cause why the same English Subjects should not be subject to the same Head likewise in this respect because they are Christians that is to say for the title of Godliness as though that God which is the cause of all Obedience should now be the cause of Rebellion At length thus he concludeth with an Exclamation saying To say saith he that a King is the Head of a Kingdom and not of the Church what an absurd and a foolish saying is this The King is as well the Head of the Church as of his Kingdom And further adding for example the subjection of the Servant and Wife If the Servant saith he be subject to his Master or Wife to her Husband being Infidels doth their Conversion afterward or name of Christians make them less Subjects than they were before As Religion therefore doth not alter the Authority of the Master over the Servant nor of the Husband over the Wife no more saith he doth it between the Prince and Subjects Paul making no exception nor distinction of Subjection save onely of that which belongeth to God willeth all men to obey their Princes and what Princes Those Princes which bear the sword And although we are bound by the Scripture to obey our Bishops and Spiritual Pastors of the Church yet that obedience diminisheth nothing the chief and head Authority that ought to be given to the Prince no more than the obedience of the Servant to his Master or of the Wife to her Husband exempteth them from Subjection due to their Superiour Powers And herewithall he inferreth a principle of the Law A Rule of the Law Divers Iurisdictions saith he proceeding from one person do not marry nor hinder themselves but rather do confirm and fortifie one another Again whereas the Bishop of Rome under the name of Peter doth appropriate to himself the highest place in the Church for that he is the Successor of Peter Thereunto he answereth in one word but in that one word he answereth enough and to the full I would saith he he were Wenchesters with that the Pope were Peters Successor for so in very deed he might well exceed and pass all Kings and Princes if not in preheminency of Dignity yet in admiration and excellency of Virtue in which kind of superiority the Lord Christ would his Apostles and Ministers to go before all Kings and Emperours in the whole world After this in prosecuting the Argument of Peters Confession he argueth thus and saith Argument The Prerogative was given to him which confessed Flesh and Bloud in Peter did not confess Christ Ergo the Prerogative was not given to the Flesh and Bloud of Pet●r that as flesh and bloud did not reveal to Peter that Confession so neither was that Prerogative given to the flesh and bloud of Peter but to the better part that is to the spirit of Peter which is to mean in respect of the spiritual Confession of Peter and not in respect of any carnal place or person c. Item If the Scholar ought not to be above the Master how then could either Peter take that upon him which Christ his Master so constantly did refuse Or how can the Bishop of Rome now claim that by Succession whereof no example is to be found either in the Head or his Predecessor before him For so we read in Eusebius both of Peter James and John that they did arrogate no such Primacy unto them but were content that James surnamed Justus should be the Bishop of the Apostles And as for the name and signification of the word Primatus i. Primacy Pr●matus or Primacy what it signifieth if it be taken for the first nomination or the first place given so he granteth that Peter had the preferment of the first name and place in the order of the Apostles but it followeth not that with this Primacy he had also a Kingdom given He saith Confirm thy Brethren but not thy Subjects And though he were bid of the Lord to confirm his Brethren yet was he not bid to exercise an Impery upon his Brethren for so were they not his Brethren but his Subjects Primus Primatus i. Primacy meaneth as much as the first standing in Vocation and is the name of Vertue and not of Power That Peter was Primus that is first or chief in the number of them which confessed Christ it is not

them thou didst frequent the Solemn Assemblies of the Saints with the Multitude of them that kept right Holy-Day The Out-casts of Christ were wont to dwell with thee and thou wast a Covert to them from the face of the Spoiler Many Fatherless Children had harbour and succour in thee and thou wast a Husband to the Widows It was thy Meat and Drink to feed the hungry and to cloath the naked and to visit the Prisoners of Jesus Christ Thou wast as the Vine-tree amongst the Trees of the Forest Verily a Noble Vine But why hast thou so suddenly turned into the Degenerate Plant of a Strange Vine Why of a right Seed did you so easily become strange Children whose Mouth talketh Vanity and your Right Hand is a Right Hand of Falshood Why didst thou join thy self with the Wicked and help the Ungodly Why didst thou love them that hate the Lord and didst turn thy heart and hand against them that love the Lord Thou didst reject his Ministers thou didst persecute his People thou didst hunt the steps of the Righteous that they could not go in thy Streets thou didst hawll to Prison the Assemblies of the Saints and didst make havock of the Church of Christ till there was no remedy For when the Lord saw this he was angry for he looked for Grapes from you and you brought forth wild Grapes he looked for Judgment from you but behold Oppression for Righteousness but behold a Cry Wh●refore he bent his Bow against thee like an Enemy He stood with his Right Hand like an Adversary He sent a Fire into the midst of thee that could not be quenched and it hath devoured thee and brought thee to Ashes on the Earth in the sight of all them that beheld thee He hath swallowed up thy Habitations he hath thrown down in his Wrath your pleasant Dwellings your stately and beautiful Buildings He sent into thee treacherous Dealers to deal treacherously with thee and Spoilers to spoil thee whilst thou wast become a silly Dove without heart He hath brought upon thee the days that have not come on thee since thou wast a City He hath stained the Pride of thy Glory and brought into contempt all thy Honourable Persons they that did feed delicately were left desolate in the Streets they that were brought up in Silks and Scarlet embraced Dunghils they that dwelt in well built Houses were glad to shelter themselves in Booths and to crowd their heads in desolate places they are come down from their Glory to sit in Dust For thy filthiness was found in thy Skirts therefore thou wast brought down wonderfully How are thy Merchandise of Gold and Silver and Precious Stones and of Pearl and of fine Linnen and Purple and Silk thy broidered Works thy Chests of rich Apparel thy Spices and Odors thy Vessels of precious Wood of Brass and Iron and Marble thy Wine and Oil thy stately Buildings and beautiful Structures of many Generations how in three or four days are they all brought to nothing London the Glory of the Kingdom the Beauty of England's Excellency is become as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah and is now at present a place for doleful Creatures for Owls to dwell in and for Satyrs to dance in and for Wild Beasts to cry among the desolate Houses and Dragons in their Dwellings For thou art swept with the Besom of Destruction and the Line of Emptiness is stretched out upon thee because thou didst reject the Word of the Lord and knewest not the day of thy Visitation How art thou brought down which wast inhabited by Seafaring Men the renowned City which wast strong at Sea and thy Inhabitants did cause terrour to all Nations All that knew thee formerly are astonisht at thee thou art become a Terror to them that see thee and they that hear of thee are pained for thee I was bowed down at the hearing of it I was dismayed at the seeing of it O Lord b●hold my affliction for the Enemy hath magnified himself see and consider for I am become Vile Our Enemies say This this is the Day we have looked for we have found it we have seen it This Day shall do that which the Fifth of November could not do now shall we see our desire upon them for the Strength of the Protestant Interest is broken we have broken the Head of it and now shall we rase it to the very foundation of it But O Lord thou hast seen my wrong judge thou my Cause Thou hast seen all their Vengeance and all their imaginations against me thou knowest the Contrivers the Abettors the Incouragers the Actors the Favourers of this Hellish Mischief and all those that rejoice in it Give unto them All Sorrow of Heart thy Curse unto them Persecute and destroy them in Anger from under the Heavens of the Lord. And let all the People say Amen But now I must shake hands with thee O London in thy Dust and Ashes for there is hope in this thy End And I must turn my self back again to England the Land of my Nativity and take up a Lamentation for it O England what Nation was like unto thee from the Rising of the Sun to the Setting thereof thou wast a People satisfied with favour and full with the Blessings of the Lord but art now suddenly become a poor and peeled People meeted out and trodden down Thou art smitten with a perpetual stroke in anger by a heavy hand thou art oppressed spoyled and crushed in pieces evermore and there is no man to save thee For God hath remembred our Iniquities against us and set our sins in the light of his Countenance For by Lying and Swearing and Oppressing and Slaying and Drink●ng and Whoring and Blaspheming c. the Land is defiled under the Inhabitants thereof We have forsaken the Laws of God changed the Ordinances of Christ and broken the Everlasting Covenant and therefore hath the Curse devoured us Our Labours yield us no Profit our Plowing Sowing and Reaping eats up the Husband-Man our Trade is every where decayed our Gold and Silver are exhausted and drained away our Estates are impoverisht and wasted the Abundance we had gotten and laid up is departed our Exactions and Taxes are heavy upon us so that we eat our Bread with sorrow and drink with sighing for they have found out our Riches as a Nest and as one gathereth Eggs that are left so have they gathered the Substance of the Nation and there was none that durst move the Wing or open the Mouth to the People We are brought so low that we have forgotten Prosperity but we daily mourn and fade away for we are filled with bitterness and made drunk with Wormwood For our Wise Counsellors are become Fools Understanding is perished from them our Princes are rebellious and Companions of Thieves they are Riotous Persons that eat not for Strength but for Drunkenness Our Counsellors take Counsel but not of God but against him our Judges

An Advertisement AT the earnest request of some Friends I have been prevailed with to publish this small Treatise which had been sooner done had it not been seized in the Press in the Year 1667 by which the Reader will easily see what a prospect the Author then had of the Miseries we now groan under and with what Zeal he then earnestly laboured to open the eyes of Englishmen against the cursed Plots and Contrivances of the bloud-thirsty Papists M. D. June 18. 1681. THE INCREASE OF Popery in England Since the Reformation made by King Henry VIII SHEWING The great encouragement that Priests Jesuits and other Promoter of that bloudy Religion have had from Persons of Power and Authority The Discouragements and notorious Hardships even to Silencing and Banishment from Cities and Corporations that have been the portion of many able and faithful Protestant Ministers that have eminently opposed it With an Essay towards what may possibly befall the Churches of Christ from the Hellish Contrivances and Damnable Plots of Romish Emissaries With a faithful Extract out of the most Authentick Records of the most memorable things referring to the Reformation viz. King Henry VIII his Reasons given in his Proclamation for taking away the Popes Usurped Power His Protestation against the Pope His Injunctions to his Clergy Bishop St phen Gardener's Oath or Protestation and his Reasons against the Popes Supremacy in England And the publick Agreement of the whole Clergy of England as confirmed and ratified in the Book called The Bishops Book published in the Year 1534. Intended to be published in the Year 1667 but seized at the Press by R.L.S. and others By the late Reverend William Dell sometime Rector of Yelden in Bedfordshire LONDON Printed for Richard Janeway 1681. THE PREFACE FOrasmuch as the great and sudden growth of Popery in these three Nations especially in England which hath now for a long time through the Merciful Goodness of God flourished and been happy in the True Reformed Protestant Religion is now sufficiently manifest to all who have not either blinded their own Eies or been blinded by Satan And forasmuch as the means whereby this great Misery and Mystery of Iniquity hath been brought thus far to this dreadful and unhappy success are also as fully manifest to wit First The great Countenance and Incouragement that this Heretical and Bloudy Religion hath had from Persons of Power and Authority together with all the detestable Professors and Promoters thereof Papists Priests and Jesuites who have their daily Councils and Cabals in the Highest Places to promote this great Design of the Devil and of his First-Born on Earth the Pope even to set up the old Damnable Superstition and Doctrine of that Man of Sin whom the Weekly Pamphleteer terms very devoutly His Holiness and yet is no other indeed and truth than His Wickedness the Old Enemy of Christ and his true Christians and Followers the Son of Perdition the Angel of the Bottomless Pit the Destroyer and Murderer of Souls and Bodies the impudent Agent of Hell upon Earth the Devils chief Servant and Factor for his Kingdom of Darkness the Monster of Monsters who hath abused abased and vassalized all Christian Princes made himself superiour to them yea their very Lord and Master even in their own Dominions who hath inforced all their People not only by his frivolous Excommunications but also by Fire and Faggot by Imprisonments Tortures and all manner of exquisite Cruelties which are the only Weapons of his Warfare to bow down to this Beast and to own him as God sitting in the Temple of God not only directly against God but most Proudly and Insolently above him Who hath pilled and polled them of all their Money and Riches which is the only Fish this great Fisher of Rome fishes for who hath disturbed interdicted disordered wasted and overturned whole Empires Kingdoms and Nations at his Wicked Pleasure and hath been no other through all Ages than Satans eminent Vicegerent upon Earth This this prodigious and unparalell'd Wretch must now in the midst of three Protestant Nations be publickly stiled His Holiness forsooth who only is holy as Satan is holy for it may truly be said of him above any other He is of his Father the Devil and of his works he doth I say the countenancing of this Damnable Religion and of this abominable Sect and of the chief H ad of it the Pope is one great cause of the new Increase of this Catholique Her●si● amongst us Secondly Another cause is The open and notorious discountenancing discouraging silencing displacing and banishing from the Chief Cities and Towns in England all the ab e faithful and godly Ministers of Jesus Christ Who being the diligent painful and sincere Teachers of his true Doctrine set forth in his Gospel for the salvation of Souls and for the reducing the lost Sheep to the fold of the true Shepherd were the greatest and strongest Bulwark against Popery in the Nation For His Wickedness i. e. the Pope and his Wicked Followers knew well enough that Popery could never t●ke root again and prosper in these Nations if these Mens Mouths were open They knew well enough that their dark Doctrine and Kingdom could never prevail where the clear light of the Gospel shines And therefore they used their chief Artifices and Satanical Subtilties to seduce the Secular Authority to run on their Errand and to do their Drudgery even to Suppress Imprison and Banish Thes● upon slight and forged Pretences and in their stead to foist in a number of ignorant unlearned loose worldly profane and debauched Priests in every City Town and Parish Men generally who neither understand the Law nor the Gospel neither know God nor Themselves nor are endued with any sound and serious knowledge of any th ng that so these keeping away the Light of the Knowledge of the Truth from the people they poor Souls might walk in darkn ss and not know whither they go though they should be led into Popery again which is the Open Broad Way to Hell Thirdly Another Cause is The letting loose the reins to all mann●r of Ungodliness and Unrighteousn ss whatsoever that Men not onely without controul but with countenance may be as wicked as they can be in the World may Whore commit Adultery Revel Drink Swear Blaspheme Reproach the Holy Word of God Vilifie his Ministers Abuse and Persecute his People in the greatest freedom the Devil can give whereby Hell is let loose upon Earth and the Smoak of the Bottomless Pit that is Sin and Wickedness of all Sorts and Sizes hath filled and darkened the Nation and Men are gone to the highest extent of Wickedness that can be practised on Earth that if they would be worse they must go to Hell in Hell And that which hath had a Stretched-out Arm to bring about this Kingdom of the Devil amongst Men is the frequent acting and frequenting of Stage-Plays wherein the most Holy and Dreadful Name

of God is prostituted to the Abuse and Contempt of every base Villain where the Preaching of the Word and Prayer the Highest and most Sacred Ordinances of God are scorned and jeered in the presence of great Persons where all Vice and Wickedness and Filthiness are made familiar and pl●asant to the People These are the Nurs●ries of Hell and the Seed-plots of Damnation whereby most of our greatest Persons and of the Gentry are corrupted and rendred wholly useless for any worthy or noble employment in the Commonwealth they being through their influence become bruitish and without understanding worse than the Beasts that perish and viler than the Earth For the Pope knows that as Christ gathers his Kingdom here in the world of the Elect and Faithful so his Wickedness must gather his Kingdom out of th●m that perish who have made shipwrack of Faith and good Consci●nce and are throughly practised to commit all inquity with gr●ediness And now when Men are brought to this sad pass that they are of no Religion at all but are very Atheists so that they can mock at the Name of God and at his Holy Word and most Blessed Spirit then are they become sit Subjects to receive Antichrists Religion which can please them with Organs and Anthems and with Vain-Shews Ceremonies and May-Games and thereby can stifle their unquiet Consciences and He by his false Pardons and Indulgences can yet drive them more headlong into Sin bearing them in hand in the mean time that though his favour which also is to be procured by Money though they commit all these abominations they are notwithstanding in a fair way to Heaven By which Catholique Cheat of his he destroys innumerable Souls of those whom God in his just Judgment because they received not the Truth of the Gospel in the love of it hath given up to his strong delusions to believe his Lyes By these Three Means besides others things are brought to that pass that Popery is become the onely safe and thriving way and thousands of People whose Names are not Written in the Book of Life seeing safety favour and preferments attend it run headlong to it and greedily take Antichrists Mark in their Forehead and in their right hand for the sake of present security and profit not considering their latter end Yea they are become so thorough and hearty in this their new Undertaking for the Catholique Cause that through the help they have received by Money and Arms together with their strong Incouragements from Rome which is the chief Wheel in this Motion they are now ready at a Day and an Hour when the Watch-Word shall be given that I may use their own word of Mystery To begin their Heats that is to rise up and destroy all that are or are called Protestants of what Degree Condition or Sex soever by Fire and Sword and other Methods of Destruction and not to leave any of their Persons or so much as their Names if it may be to survive in this Nation This is like to be their first attempt and had been put in Execution before this if the Lord himself whose Eyes behold the Nations had not most graciously disappointed them And their second Design which stands behind the Curtain is like the first to wit if that succeed then afterwards to destroy all the English Bloud against which they have the greatest Antipathy and to plant this Land with French and other Foreigners that so they may throughly restore it to its former Popish Splendor to the great Satisfaction of all Popish Christendom Wherefore if it be possible and if it be the good Pleasure of the Lord to put a Stop and Oh that it might be a full Point and Period to these Bold Intrusions of Popery and to all the Cruel Designs in the Breast of it it was thought meet for the common utility of all Protestants and Englishmen to represent afresh unto them the Memorable Acts of Henry the VIII King of England for the extirpating the Pope and his Cursed Religion out of his Dominion And what He saw so great cause to reject and cast out as Abominable and Intollerable upon such unanswerable grounds as He expresseth sure no man that is in his right Wits and of a sound Judgment hath any just ground to endeavour to bring in again And this thou thy self whoever thou art that art either in the right Faith of a Christian or in the right Wits of a Man wilt judge if thou shalt wisely and impartially r●ad and observe what followeth King Henry VIII his Proclamation for the Abolishing the Usurped Power of the Pope as it is recorded in Fox his Book of Martyrs Fol. 335. Vol. 2. TRusty and Well-beloved We greet you well The Kings Proclam●tion against the Pope And whereas not onely upon good and just and vertuous grounds and respects edified upon the Laws of holy Scripture dy due consultation deliberation advisement and consent as well of all other our Nobles and Commons Temporal as also Spiritual assembled in our high Court of Parliament and by Authority of the same we have by good and wholsom Laws and Statutes made for this purpose extirped abolished separated and secluded out of this our Realm the Abuses of the Bishop of Rome his Authority and Iurisdiction of long time usurped as well upon us and our Realm as upon all other Kings and Princes and their Realms like as they themselves have confessed and affirmed but also for as much as our said Nobles and Commons both Spiritual and Temporal assembled in our high Court of Parliament have upon good lawful and vertuous grounds and for the publick weal of this our Realm by one whole Assent granted annexed knit and united to the Crown Imperial of the same the Title Dignity The Style of Supreme Head annexed to the Crown of England and Style of Supreme Head or Governour in earth immediately under God of the Church of England as we be and undoubtedly have hitherto been Which Title and Style both the Bishops and Elergy of this our Realm have not onely in Convocation assembled consented recognized and approved lawfully and justly to appertain unto us but also by Word Oath Profession and Writing under their Signs and Seals have confessed ratified corroborated and confirmed the same utterly renouncing all other Oaths and Obedience to any other forein Potentates and all forein Iurisdictions and Powers as well of the said Bishop of Rome as of all other whatsoever they be as by their said Professions and Writings corroborated with the Subscription of their Names and Appension of their Seals more plainly appeareth We let you to wit that calling to our remembrance the Power Charge and Commission given unto us of Almighty God and upon a vehment love and affection toward our loving and faithful Subjects perceiving right well what great rest quietness and tranquillity of Conscience and manifold other commodities might insurge and arise unto them if that the said Bishops

and other of the Clergy of this our Realm should set forth declare and preach to them the true and syncere Word of God and without all manner colour dissimulation and hypocrisie manifest and publish the great and innumerable Enormities and Abuses which the said Bishop of Rome as well in the Title and Style as also in Authority and Iurisdiction of long time unlawfully and unjustly hath usurped upon us and our Progenitors and also other Christian Princes have therefore addressed our Letters unto the Bishop of the Diocefe straitly charging and commanding him in the same that not onely he in his own proper person shall declare teach and preach unto the People forthwith upon the receipt of our said Letters unto him directed every Sunday and other high Feasts through the year the true mere and syncere Word of God and that the same Title Style and Iurisdiction of Supreme Head appertaineth onely to our Crown and Dignity Royal. Likewise as the said Bishop and all other the Bishops of our Realm have by Oath affirmed and confirmed by Subscription of their Names and setting to their Seals but also give warning monition and charge to all manner Abbats Priors Deans Archdeacons Provosts Parsons Vicars Curats and all other Ecclesiastical Persons within his said Diocese as well to teach preach publish and declare in all manner Churches our aforesaid just Title Style and Iurisdiction every Sunday and high Feast through the year and further to monish and command all other Schoolmasters within his said Diocese to instruct and teach the same unto the Children committed unto them as also to cause all-manner Prayers Orisons Rubricks Canons of Mass-books and all other Books in the Churches wherein the said Bishop of Rome is named or his presumptuous and proud Pomp and Authority preferred utterly to be abolished eradicate and razed out and his Name and Memory to be never more except to his contumely and reproach rememb●ed The Popes Name and Memo●y aboli●●ed but perpetually suppressed and obscured And finally to desist and leave out all such Articles as be in the general Sentence which is usual●y accustomed to be read four times in the year and do tend to the glory and advancement of the Bishop of Rome his Name Title and Iurisdiction Whereupon we esteeming and reputing you to be of such singular and vehment zeal and affection toward the glory of Almighty God and of so faithful loving and obedient heart towards us as you will not onely do and accomplish with all power wisdom diligence and labour whatsoever should or might be to the preferment and setting forward of Gods Word but also practise study and endeavour your self with all your policy wit power and good will to amplifie defend and maintain all such Interest Right Title Style Iurisdiction and Authority as is in any wise appertaining unto us our Dignity and Prerogative and Crown Imperial of this our Realm have thought good and expedient not onely to signifie unto you by these our Letters the particularities of the Charge Monition and Commandment given by us unto the said Bishop as before is specified but also to require and straitly charge and command you upon pain of your Allegeance and as you shall avoid our high Indignation and Displeasure at your utmost peril laying apart all vain affections respects or other carnal considerations and setting onely before your eyes the mirror of truth the glory of God the dignity of your Sovereign Lord and King and the great concord and unity and inestimable profit and utility that sha●l by the due execution of the premisses ensue to your self and all other faithful and loving Subjects ye make or cause to be made diligent search and wait and especially in every place of your Shirewick whether the said Bishop do truly and syncerely and without all manner cloke colour or dissimulation execute and accomplish our will and commandment as is aforesaid And in case ye shall hear perceive and approvably understand and know that the said Bishop or any other Ecclesiastical Person within his Diocese do omit and leave undone any part or parcel of the premisses or else in the execution and setting forth of the same do coldly and feignedly use any manner sinister addition wrong interpretation or painted colour then we straitly charge and command you that forthwith upon any such default negligence or dissimulation of the said Bishop or any other Ecclesiastical Person of his Diocese contrary to the true tenour meaning and effect of the said Charge by us to him appointed aforesaid ye do make indelayedly and with all speed and diligence declaration and advertisement to us and our Council of the said default and of the behaviour manner and fashion of the same And forasmuch as we upon singular trust and assured confidence which we have in you and for the special love and zeal we suppose and think ye bear toward us and the publick and common Wealth Vnity and Tranquillity of this our Realm have specially elected and chosen you among so many for this purpose and have reputed you such men as unto whose wisdom discretion truth and fidelity we might commit a matter of such great weight moment and importance as whereupon the Vnity and Tranquillity of our Realm doth consist If ye should contrary to our expectation and trust which we have in you and against your duty and Allegeance towards us neglect or omit to do with all your diligence and wisdom whatsoever shall be in your power for the due performance of our mind and pleasure to you before declared in this behalf or halt or stumble at any part or specialty of the same be ye assured that we like a Prince of Iustice will so extremely punish you for the same that all the World besides shall take by you example and beware contrary to their Aliegeance to disobey the lawful Commandment of their Sovereign Lord and Prince in such things as by the faithful execution whereof ye shall not onely advance the Honour of Almighty God and set forth the Majesty and Imperial Dignity of your Sovereign Lord but also bring an inestimable weal profit and commodity unity and tranquillity to all the common State of this our Realm whereunto both by the Laws of God Nature and Man ye be utterly bound Given under our Signet at our Palace of Westminster the 9. day of June Furthermore that no man shall cavil or surmise this fatal fall and ruine of the Pope to have come rashly upon the Kings own partial affection or by any sensual temerity of a few and not by the grave and advised Iudgment Approbation and Consent generally and publickly as well of the Nobles and Commons Temporal as also upon substantial grounds and the very strength of truth by the discussion and consultation of the Spiritual and most Learned Persons in this Realm It shall be requisite moreover to these premisses to adjoyn the words and testimonies also of the Bishops own oaths and profession made

by degrees all to pieces as they have fretted a great deal of it already And what English-man or Protestant is there that wi● not s● with us in these necessary Desires which if they be not granted farewel all Good Days from England for our time And now to conclude all I shall only leave two or three Sovereign Antidotes with my dear Country-Men to preserve them from the noysome Contagion and Plague of Popery 1. Consider with Trembling that none are given up to this Damnable Delusion but those whose Names are not Written in the Lambs Book of Life as the Spirit of God affirms Rev. 13.8 saying And all that dwell upon Earth shall worship him i. e. the Beast or Antichrist of Rome whose Names are not writt●n in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the Foundation of the World And what Person would carry such a Worm in his Conscience continually for the whole World and all the Kingdoms and Gl●●y of it as to know and certainly to understand that his Name is not written in the Book of Life nor can ever be put in for all the Writings in that Book are from Eternity and no new thing can be inserted in it And therefore let Men say what they will they are none of Gods Elect who close in with this False and H●●●tical Religion after the Gospel hath been Preached to them and they have been instructed in it For to depart from the known Truth to known Error is not a Sin of Ignorance but of Malice and this is the Sin unto Death for which there is no Remission Wherefore let every one that would attain to any comfortable Assurance that his Name is Written in the Book of Life flee from Popery 2. They that Apostatise to this False Religion are a surely to be Damn'd as if they were in Hell already This is a hard saying but a True One as it is evident in that of Paul 2 Thes 2. where speaking of Antichrist that Wicked One whose coming is after the working of Satan with all Pow●r and Signs and Lying Wonders and with all deceiveableness of Unrighteousness in them that perish because they received not the love of the Truth that they might be saved He adds And for this cause God shall send th●m strong Delusions that they should b●lieve a Lye that they All may be Damn'd that b●lieve not the Truth but have pleasure in Unright●ousness This sort of People God gives them up to believe a Lye the Grand Lye of Popery for this whole Religion is nothing else but one continued Lye from the beginning to the end of it to the intent that they should all Perish and be Damn'd This is the Word of God against all wilful Papists and it cannot be made void John also testifies Rev. 14.9 that an Angel Proclaimed with a loud voice saying If any Man Worship the Beast and his Image and receive his Mark in his Forehead or in his hand the same shall drink of the Wine of the Wrath of God which is poured out without mixture into the Cup of his Indignation and he shall be tormented with Fire and Brimstone in the presence of the holy Angels and in the presence of the Lamb and the Smoak of their Torment asc●ndeth up for ever and ever and they have no rest Day nor Night which Worship the Beast and his Image and whosoever receiveth the Mark of his Name In which Scripture you may see with open face the sad end of all the Popish Generation which is to be tormented for ever and ever Wherefore out of very Malice they have been are and will be our Tormentors here when they get opportunity because the Devil is to be their Tormentor in Hell for ever Wherefore who ever would avoid the Torments of Hell let him fly from Popery 3. Lastly Antichrist is now in his Old Age and draws near his End yea is drawing his last breath He is very shortly to be utterly destroyed with the Spirit of Christs Mouth and the Brightness of his coming And what Wise-Man yea what Man of common reason would join himself to Antichrist for one hour yea for one quarter or minute of his hour If Men might have reigned with him many years and have enjoyed his Delicacies for a long Season then might it have been a strong inducement to a carnal heart who seeks his Portion only in this life to have closed in with him but now to do it when his Destruction draws near what extream Folly and Madness must it needs be Who would venture a Board that Ship which is just a sinking or become a Subject in that Kingdom which is just ready to be rooted up and confident I am through God that after Antichrist and his Brood of Serpents have play'd a few more of their old cruel Pranks anew in England both He and They will become so utterly odious to All that their Name shall be no more remembred among us but with highest Contempt and Indignation and that for ever And let the Lord say Amen and all his People AND now O Lord to whom should we look our Eies are only unto thee And we beseech thee to look down from Heaven the Habitation of thy Holiness and of thy Glory upon us and upon our present Sad and almost Desperate Condition and stretch forth thy Holy Arm to maintain Thine Own Good Cause which thine Enemies scorn and deride and laugh at among themselves and to help afflicted Righteousness and thine own poor People who are brought very low so that their belly cleaveth even to the dust Indeed Vain is the Help of Man and our Enemies say There is no help for us in God But yet we know there is help in thee and that thy help is never in vain For thou canst do the greatest Things by the smallest Means yea thou canst do the greatest Things without all Means For thou spakest and the World was made thou didst command and it stood fast Therefore our Eies are unto thee O Lord and we do believe that thou canst do all things and can so do them that none can resist thee Is any thing too hard for the Lord shall we call thy Power in Question who didst prepare a safe passage for thy People through the mighty Waters and didst cause them to walk on dry ground through the depths of the Sea Take therefore thy great Power and come and Reign in the midst of these thy greatest Enemies till thou make them All thy Footstool and till thou hast put down all Rule Authority and Power which lifts up its Head and stretcheth forth its Arm against thee O Lord and thy Holy and Blessed Gospel and thine Anointed Oh cause Iniquity to stop its Mouth and Wickedness to hide its face again Let Violence no more be heard in our Land nor Wasting and Destruction within our Borders let the cause of the Fatherless and of the Widows be justly judged Let thy Prisoners be loosed and thine oppressed be eased let them be helped who have no helper Make way with thy strong Arm for thy own Labourers to continue to come to thy Harvest-Work for thy Harvest we trust is very great in England And therefore O Thou into whose hands all Things are delivered of the Father and all Power in Heaven and Earth is given and who by this Greatest and Highest Authority of Thine hast commanded thy Ministers to go and teach all Nations after thou didst send them Oh do thou make way for them to teach this Unworthy Nation before the Coming of the Son of Man that through their ministring thy Word thy Church may awake and rouze up it self and put off its filthy Raiment and may be restored to the Brightness of its first rising when it was full of faith and love and all Graces and Gifts of the Holy Ghost without any mixture of Antichristian Errors that all thy People may strive together for the Faith of the Gospel and not quarrel any longer about empty Forms but may with One Mind and with One Mouth confess the Truth as it is in Jesus and then shall all Kings bow down before thee and all Nations that serve Thee they shall sing forth the Honour of thy Name and make thy Praise Glorious Amen FINIS