would be sooner drawn off from them than any of that Nation would fall off to Rome Some things are objected against him in relation to the Doctrine and Devotion of the Church as That the Church of Rome was held to be a true Church That the Pope hath a primacy over other Bishops That it appertains to him to call General Councils That Altars might be erected That he was not willing the Pope should be called Antichrist or that every raw Preacher should trouble his people with Popish Controversies Some of which were false Insinuations and others vain and frivolous In the Liturgies of Henry the 8th and Edward the 6th was this Expression From the Tyranny of the Bishop of Rome and all his detestable Enormities Good Lord c. Which words were expunged in the first of Queen Elizabeth lest they should affright the Catholicks from coming to our Churches on which ground the Archbishop finding in a Book of Prayer for the fifth of November not confirmed by Law these passages Root out the Babylonish and Antichristian Sect which say of Jerusalem Down with it c. And again Cut off those workers of iniquity whose Religion is Rebellion and whose Faith is Faction He made these small alterations In the first thus Root out the Babylonish and Antichristian Sect of them which say c. In the second thus Cut off those workers of iniquity who turn Religion into Rebellion c. Against which some being conscious it was intended against them made Objections Which the Archbishop did onely to avoid the giving of causeless offences to the Romish Party Which doubtless he endeavoured with all his skill to suppress And besides his learned Disputations against them he procured a Canon to be pass'd in the Convocation For suppressing the further growth of Popery and reducing Papists to Church and issued very strict and effectual Orders for the execution thereof But it was the method whether of the Jesuits or Puritans or both to defame them most for Papists who acted most successfully against them as did this Bishop and Bishop Bramhall A passage or two in the Archbishop's Speech at his death may satisfie all sober Readers I pray God says he the clamours of venient Romani of which I have given no cause help not to bring them in Concerning the King I shall be bold to say He hath been much traduced for bringing in of Popery but on my Conscience of which I shall give God a very present account I know him to be as free from this charge as any man living and I hold him to be as sound a Protestant according to the Religion by Law established as any man in this Kingdom and that he will venture his life as far and as freely for it And I think I do or should know both his affection to Religion and his grounds for it as fully as any man in England For my self I was born and baptized in the Church of England and the Religion by Law established in that I have ever since lived and in that I come now to die This is no time to dissemble with God least of all in matters of Religion and therefore I desire it may be remembred I have always lived in the Protestant Religion established in England and in that I come now to die What clamours and slanders I have endured for labouring a Vniformity in the external Service of God according to the Doctrine and Discipline of the Church all men know and I have abundantly felt We have observed the Principles of Jesuits and Fanaticks wherein they agree and have joyntly acted against the Government in Church and State for the ruine of both and how like Janus his head they did not onely look backward to the Justification of the Murther of the old King but forward to prevent the Restauration of his present Majesty And hitherto their Practices have been according It remains now that we consider what these Factions have practised to hinder that happy Restauration by Gods miraculous providence and the wise conduct of the noble General Monk now established What the Popish Party did to hinder him from coming to his Fathers Throne hath been partly discovered already I shall now shew what the Fanaticks did And will begin with the Scots who called him home first to vex and torment him with their unrighteous dealings and temptations between hopes and fears and affronted him with unsufferable Reproaches for the sins of his Father and Grandfather as well as his own insomuch that he often attempted to leave them fearing as it came to pass that they would at last betray him What provocations he met with in private may be guessed at by their publick actions The Thursday before the Coronation was seâ— apart as a Solemn day of Humiliation for the sins of the Royal Family and Robert Douglas in the Coronation-Sermon told the King That his Grandfather King James remembred not the kindness of them who had held the Crown upon his head yea he persecuted faithful Ministers he never rested till he had undone Presbyterial Government and Kirk-Assemblies setting up Bishops and bringing in Ceremonies and laid the foundation whereon his Son our late King diâ— build much mischief in Religion all the days of his life p. 73. And p. 52. he tells our Soveraign to his face That a King abusing his power to the overthrow of Religion Laws and Liberties which are the Fundamentals of that Covenant may be controuled and opposed and if he set himself to overthrow all these by Arms they who have the power as the Estates of the Land may and ought to resist by Arms because he doth by that opposition break the very Bonds and overthrow the Essentials of this Contract and Covenant This may serve says he to justifie the proceedings of this Kingdom against the late King who in a hostile way set himself to overthrow Religion Parliaments Laws and Liberties Thus was the Scotish Crown lined with Thorns and the King had Gall and Vinegar given him to drink instead of the Royal Vnction of which he says p. 34. The Bishops behoved to perform this Right and the King behoved to be sworn to them but now by the blessing of God Popery and Prelacy are removed let the anointing of Kings with Oyl go to the door with them and let them never come in again So that although the Scots Army were overthrown at Worcester yet his Majesty escaping with safety and liberty by a wonderful Providence he was as the event now shews a very great Gainer by that Loss And as to his Majesties return into England it is very evident that they had not forgotten their old Doctrine of binding their Kings in Chains and therefore they endeavoured to lay such Conditions and Fetters on the King as neither his Father could nor He would be able to bear As soon as ever the General 's intent to bring home the King was known there were frequent and zealous Applications made That
his dying Speech he says He went armed to Oxford to defend himself in case the Papists should make any attempt by way of Massacre or Invasion and that he came thither to live and die with the Parliament if the Papists and their Party as was sworn and feared they would had offered to destroy the Parliament And generally all that died as Conspirators endeavoured to perswade the People that they fell as a Sacrifice to Popery and died Martyrs for the Old Cause which hath been no other than the opposing of Monarchy and the established Religion under the odious names of Popery and Tyranny when they have had no more sense of true Religion and Obedience than the Ribbons intended to be worn in their Hats that could onely declare No Popery no Tyranny but was intended to distinguish a Party for cutting of Throats Thus I have shewn the Intrigues between the Papists and Fanaticks to destroy the established Church and Government of the English Nation than which there is none in the world setled upon better foundations for Piety Liberty and Moderation nor hath any had more signal tokens of God's Almighty Providence and wonderful Blessings We may truly say in the words of David concerning his enemies Many a time have they assaulted us from our youth up but they have not prevailed against us We have been like a City besieged by two potent enemies and while one Party hath attacked us on one side the other hath taken advantage to storm us on the other and though they never could agree among themselves yet they alway conspire both in Principles and Practices to destroy the established Government both of Church and State And it is not to be wondered if it be so for the future seeing thus it hath been not onely with us from the time of the Reformation but ever since the Gospel was preached it hath had many enemies confederate against it For of a truth saith St. Peter Acts 4.27 against thy holy Child Jesus whom thou hast anointed both Herod and Pontius Pilate with the Gentiles and the people of Israel have been associated or gathered together From these Premises I do earnestly recommend to the Reason and Consciences of my dear Country-men that have any love to the Protestant Religion these following Conclusions I. That the Papists have ever since the Reformation endeavoured to raise up Sects and Differences among Protestants by disguised Emissaries among the Zealous and Well-meaning people to seduce them to Separation II. That they look on these Practices as the most effectual means to bring back the people to the Romish Religion III. That for this purpose they have been industrious to deprave the Government of our Kings and Bishops as Tyrannical the Liturgie as Popish and extolling Extemporary Prayers as Spiritual incouraging an unlicensed Ministry and preaching up Liberty of Conscience and that it is to be obtained and maintained by the Sword And that all persons who preach and practise such things do really and effectually propagate the designes of the Papists and ever have had and shall have encouragement from them IV. That it is manifest that our late horrid Wars Rapine and the Murther of our Royal Martyr and Banishment of our Soveraign were effected by the contrivance of the Papists and Fanaticks in conjunction V. That the Commotions and Rebellions in Scotland ever since 1639 sprung from the same Counsel and Conduct and that the Papists in hopes of effecting our ruine will not cease to carry on the like designes so long as our Divisions give them the like opportunities VI. That the pretences of some men to the true Protestant Religion are but vain while they practise such Rapine Oppression and Bloudshed as the very Pagans and Infidels do abhor VII That Obstinate Dissenters are before God and men guilty of all the real danger of Popery's prevailing in these Nations on the ruine of the established Protestant Religion VIII That the Church of England is the greatest Enemy that the Papists have according to their own Apprehensions and declared Judgment and consequently wholly innocent of any Designes Compliances or Approaches to the Church of Rome seeing it still persists in the same Doctrine Discipline and Worship for which the Martyrs in Queen Mary's days laid down their lives IX That those of the Communion of the Church of England ever since the Reformation have given proof of their fidelity to the Crown and opposition to Popery as well as Heresie Schism and Rebellion which hath procured them equal hatred and opposition from the Papists and Fanaticks X. That the Providence of Almighty God hath wonderfully appeared in preserving the established Church and Government from the many violent and subtile Attempts and Conspiracies of the several Factions XI That they who pretend Religion to countenance Faction and Rebellion do least regard it and generally do destroy that which they pretend to build up XII That Covenants and Associations without and against the will of the Prince do end in Confusion and Bloudshed XIII That common people are easily seduced with fair pretences of Liberty and redress of Grievances by such as neither intend nor are able to effect it XIV That there hath not been a Succession of four such Princes lineally descended for eminency in Religion Peaceableness and Clemency in any Age or Nation since our Saviours time as among us And therefore the Murmurings Seditions Conspiracies and Rebellions of Subjects are the more to be condemned and all unlawful endeavours to break the Line of such a Succession is to intrench on God's Prerogative and to distrust his Mercy who as old Brithwold said will take care for the Succession XV. That generally Conspirators and Traytors whether they succeed or not live and die impenitently and if so that they procure to themselves damnation Rom. 13. XVI That to murmur resist and rebel against such a Government as by God and our Laws is established in Church and State is to resist the Ordinance of God to disgrace and betray our Religion and to bring upon our selves both temporal and eternal destruction XVII Lastly That all the Outcrys made by the Fanaticks since the discovery of the Popish Plot have been directed chiefly to the ruine of the Established Government both in Church and State as if they favoured that Perswasion and as if none but themselves were enemies to Popery whose separation from the Church established in the judgment of the wisest even of their own Party is most like to bring it in and nothing more like to keep it out than Obedience to the King and Conforming to the Church as it is now established Thus Baxter in his Preface to the Defence of the Cure p. 17. Our Division gratifieth the Papists and greatly hazardeth the Protestant Religion and that more than most of you seem to believe or regard speaking to the Separatists And by that separation Popery saith he will get so great advantage as may hazard us all and we may lose that which the several Parties do contend about Defence of the Cure Introduction p. 52. Two way especially Popery will grow out of our Divisions First By the odium and scorn of our Disagreements Inconsistency and multiplied Sects they will perswade people that we must come for Vnity to them or else run mad and crumble into dust and individuals thousands have been drawn to Popery or confirmed in it by this Argument already And I am perswaded that all the Arguments else in Bellarmine and all other Books have not done so much to make Papists in England as the multitude of Sects among our selves Yea some Professors of Religious strictness of great esteem for Godliness have turned Papists themselves when they were giddy and wearied with turnings and when they had run from Sect to Sect and found no consistency in any Secondly Either the Papists by increasing the Divisions would make them be accounted seditious rebellious and dangerous to the publick peace or else when so many Parties are constrained to beg and wait for Liberty the Papists may not be shut out alone but have Toleration with the rest And shall they saith Mr. Baxter use our hands to do their work and pull their freedom out of the fire We have already unspeakably served them both in this and in abating the Odium of the Gunpowder-plot ana their other Treasons Insurrections and Spanish Invasion And in Sacrilegious Desertion p. 103 104. We are indangered by Divisions principally because the self-conceited part of Religious people would not be ruled by their Pastors but would rule them you have made more Papists than ever you or we are like to recover Nothing is considerable that any Papist hath to say till he cometh to your Case and saith Doth not Experience tell you that without Papal unity and force this people will never be ruled or united It is you that tempt them to use Fire and Faggot that will not be ruled and must you that should be our Comfort become our Shame and break our hearts and make men Papists by your temptations Wo to the world because of offences and woe to some by whom they come But a much wiser and better man than Mr. Baxter hath demonstrated the same thing Preface to his Sermons Sect. 18. Three ways saith he our dissenting Brethren though not intentionally and purposely yet really and eventually have been the great Promoters of the Roman interest among us 1. By putting to their helping hand to the pulling down of Episcopacy and it is very well known to many what rejoycing that Vote brought to the Romish Party how even in Rome they sung their Io Paeans on the tidings thereof and said triumphantly Now the day is ours now is the fatal Blow given to the Protestant Religion in England 2. By opposing the interest of Rome with more violence than reason 3. By frequent mistaking the Question but especiallly through the necessity of some false principle or other which having once imbibed they think themselves bound to maintain whatever becomes of the common Cause of our Reformation which may suffer as much through some mens folly and indiscretion who pretend to be the most zealous Protestants as by all the arts and designes of our open enemies for many a man when he thought most to make it sure hath quite marred a good business by over-doing it FINIS
to maintain it against all the Arguments of Papists and Fanaticks whereby it will also appear how impotent and malicious their Accusations have been in that they have declaimed most vehemently against those as Papists that have most learnedly and successfully defended the established Church against Popery and Fanaticism which have been equally pernicious to it Insomuch that if any loyal Clergie-man or other hath in a time of need written for Loyalty or Conformity they have been marked out for Papists which is a plain Argument that the Popery and Tyranny which they decry is Christian Loyalty and Conformity And to manifest to all sober men how little of good nature as well as of Christian Piety and Charity these men have I have given many undeniable instances of their acting on the same Principles and in the like Practices as the most dangerous Papists sometimes in actual confederacy with them for the ruine of the Government For however they seem opposite to each other they are agreed to do the Government a mischief and Duo quum faciunt idem non sunt Duo They that agree in Treason are all Traytors Facinus quos inquinat aequat And of this take the following instance On October 3. 1643. there was a Letter sent from Dublin to a Member of the House of Commons which shews by what example they acted as followeth There was a Fryar taken the last Expedition into Conaught about whom was found a Collection of all your Votes Ordinances and Declarations carefully marked with short marginal Notes out of which he composed a large Manuscript intituled An Apology of the Catholicks of Ireland or a Justification of their defensive Arms for the preservation of their Religion the maintenance of his Majesties Rights and Prerogatives the natural and just defence of their Lives and Estates and the Liberty of their Country by the practice of the State of England and the Judgment and Authority of both Houses of Parliament It was penned with so little variation of Language that the name of Ireland being changed for England and the chief Actors there for those under the Parliament your own Clerk would scarce know it from one of your own Declarations All that they do is for the good of the King and Kingdom he is intrusted with all for the good of the People if he dischargeth not his trust but is advised by evil Counsellors and persons they cannot confide in 't is their duty to see this Trust discharged according to the condition and true intent thereof That they saw their Religion and Liberty in danger of extirpation and therefore had reason to put themselves in a posture of Defence but are ready to lay down their Arms as soon as the great Offices of the Kingdom are put into such hands as they can confide in c. Mutato nomine de te Anglia narratur There is lately printed an excellent Treatise vindicating the Church of England from the imputation of Popery in Doctrine Worship and Discipline to which I refer my Reader as to those points That which I designe is to vindicate our Governours in Church and State principally those who have been most accused from the like Aspersions and to retort the calumny of their Accusers by shewing their Harmony and Intrigues with the Papists both in Principles and Practices that the mouth of such Slanderers may be stopped The following Collections may serve to convince all well-affected persons that both the Papists and Fanaticks how contrary soever to each other are well agreed to attempt the Ruine of our Church as it is now established the Papists under the pretence that we are Hereticks and the Fanaticks that we are Papists but the true reason is that the Papists may regain those Profits and Dignities which for a long time they usurped in this Nation which was the most fruitful Garden that ever the Pope claimed as belonging to his Palace and the Fanaticks that they may retrieve their former sacrilegious Purchases of Crown and Church-lands and divide them among themselves Of the first we have this evidence That the Pope fills up the places of our Bishops Deans and other Dignitaries to encourage his Emissaries of which we have this Specimen in print BISHOPS CANTERBURY Cardinal Howard YORK Perrot Superior of Secular Priests LONDON Corker President of Benedictine Monks WINCHESTER White alias Whitebread DURHAM Strange late Provincial of Jesuits SALISBURY Dr. Godden NORWICH Nappier a Franciscan ELI Vincent Provincial of Dominican Monks EXETER Wolfe one of the Sorbone PETERBOROUGH Gifford a Dominican Fryar LINCOLN Sir Jo. Warner Baronet a Jesuit CHICHESTER Morgan a Jesuit BATH and WELLS Dr. Armstrong a Franciscan CARLISLE Wilmot alias Quarterman CHESTER Thimbleby a Secular Priest HEREFORD Sir Tho. Preston a Jesuit BRISTOL Mundson a Dominican OXFORD Williams Rector of Watton in Flanders St. DAVIDS Belson a Secular Priest St. ASAPH Jones a Secular Priest BANGOR Joseph David Kemash a Dominican ABBOTS WESTMINSTER Dr. Seldon a Benedictine Monk SION-HOUSE Skinner a Benedictine Monk DEANS CANTERBURY Belton a Sorbonist St. PAULS Libourne a Secular Secretary to Cardinal Howard WINDSOR Howard with twelve Benedictine Canons CHICHESTER Morgan a Secular WINTON Dr. Watkinson President of the English Colledge at Lisbone Many other Dignities are by the Popes Bull disposed of to Foreigners but these being of our Kings Dominions have been many of them diligent Promoters of our Wars that they might kill and take possession Judge now what temptation our present Bishops have to bring in Popery when the coming in of that will turn them out of their Dignities and Livelihoods if not out of the World too as in the Marian days And that the Fanaticks aim at the same end is demonstrable not onely from the unlimited power which some of their Ministers exercised over their Brethren far beyond any of the Bishops but their dividing the most profitable Benefices among themselves sequestring those loyal Clergie-men that were legally possessed of them As also from a late Proposal of Baxter Humfrys and Lob in the name of other Nonconformists who would still retain the name of Bishops so they might have the power and profit for they would have some chosen out of the several Parties of Presbyterians Independents and Anabaptists onely they desire that the Bishops should be declared Ecclesiastical Officers under the King acting Circa Sacra onely by vertue of his Commission and Authority upon which account if any of the eminent among the Nonconformists were chosen Bishops they could not refuse it as they say And indeed at the time of making this Proposal these wise men like the wise Ladies of Sisera's Mother had divided the Spoil to every man a prey of two or three Dignities besides the Garments of divers colours Judg. 5.30 Now I desire all rational men to consider that as it is a great folly and meer fascination in some to serve the lusts of those that are the Slaves of him that stiles himself the Servum Servorum Domini so it
is no less to serve the lusts of such as are the Servi Servorum Diaboli under what pretence soever It is well known how impetuously both these Factions have attempted to ruine the established Church and despairing to do it by Reason and Argument they endeavour to do it by wicked Arts and Arms or bloudy Assassinations One Engine that hath had a perpetual motion to this end hath been the great Clamour against our Governours in Church and State as being Antichristian and Popishly affected Thus our martyred King and Archbishop and generally all the Bishops in those days with other chief Ministers of State were condemned as Papists though the Lye were so gross as to carry its confutation with it they all dying in that Faith and Profession both for Doctrine Discipline and worship in which the Martyrs in Queen Mary's days died which holy Faith also died with them And now again the Church is accused as having made many steps towards Popery the King is accused as a Favourer of it and all except three or four Bishops are declared to be Popishly affected the Clergy are Popish Clergie-men and Dr. Stilling fleet among others a Projector for Rome Whereas those very men that have set this Engine on work do improve the same methods as the Papists have prescribed to ruine us that is by dividing us and seeking to raise Wars and Confusions among us In which how mutually and brotherly they have assisted each other is the designe of this Collection to shew and thereby to silence this Obloquy And 1. I shall shew their Harmony and Agreement in such Principles as tend to War and Confusion And 2. Their joynt practices to effect the same For unless the Popes Bull do plow with the Geneva Heifers they can never turn up the foundations of Sion Now to evince this I shall not rake together the unclean and poysonous Maximes of Mariana Sayer Bellarmine Scribanius Gretserus Becanus Suarez c. nor compare them with the dangerous Positions of Knox Bucanan Goodman and others mentioned by Bishop Bancroft the congratulatory Epistle of Lisymachus Nicanor to his Covenanting Brethren in Scotland but content my self and I hope satisfie my Reader with the two following Instances The first is one Thomas White a Romish Emissary who by many Books written in the time of the Vsurpation sought to debauch the Nation especially by one printed in the year 1652 called The Grounds of Obedience and Government with this abused Maxime in the Title-page Salus Populi Suprema lex esto which was applied in a mistaken sence to very ill purposes by the Fanaticks In this Book like a Priest of Mars he scatters these Fire-brands enough to set any Kingdom on fire and composed it in a small Tract like so many hand-Granado's fitted for every mans fingers These are his Positions First That the Magistrate by his miscarriages abdicates himself from being a Magistrate and proveth a Robber instead of a Defender which last word he writes with a great D to shew whom he meant Secondly That by the evil management or insufficiency of Governours it is remitted to the force of nature to provide for our selves and that we are not bound by any promise made to our Governours p. 123 124. Thirdly if the Magistrate have truly deserved to be dispossessed or if it be rationally doubted that he hath deserved it and be actually out of possession a Subject hath no obligation to hazard for his restitution but rather to hinder it for since it is the common good that both the Magistrate and the Subject are to aim at it is the common harm to admit again of such a Magistrate and every one is bound to his power to resist him p. 133. if he be innocent and wrong-fully deposed nay let us adde one that hath governed well and deserved much of the Commonwealth yet is he totally dispossessed and in these circumstances it were better for the common good to stay as they are than to venture the restoring of him because of the publick hazard And the dispossessed Prince is obliged absolutely to renounce all right and claim to Government and if he doth not he is worse than an Infidel p. 135 136. If the People by any circumstance be devolved to the state of Anarchy their Promise made to their expelled Governour binds no more p. 122. Fourthly That when the Peoples Good stands on the Possessors side then clearly he begins and then the People think themselves well and they manifestly consent to the present Government for who can assure they shall be better by return of the dispossessed Party Surely by the common presumption the Gainer is like to defend them better than the Loser You may see by this leading man how industrious the Papists were to hinder the Restauration of Charles the Second as well as to procure the Destruction of Charles the First Now that the Fanaticks ran parallel with the Papists in these Traiterous Positions I shall shew from a Book printed Anno 1658 by Mr. Richard Baxter called The Holy Commonwealth in which he sets down the three Qualifications as of necessity to the being of Soveraign power First so much understanding secondly so much strength or executive power by his interest in the people or others as are necessary to the ends of Government P. 130. From whence he deduceth three Corollaries 1. When Providence depriveth a man of his understanding and intellectual capacity and that statedly to his ordinary temper it maketh him uncapable of Government though not of the name Thes 135. 2. If God permits Princes to turn so wicked as to be uncapable of governing so as is consistent with the ends of Government it makes him an uncapable Subject of the power and so deposeth him 3. If Providence statedly disable him that was a Soveraign from the executing of the Law it makes him an uncapable Subject of the power and so deposeth him Thes 137. To which he adds Though it is possible and likely that the guilt is or may be theirs who have disabled the Ruler by deserting him yet he is dismissed from the charge of Government and particular innocent Members are disobliged from being governed by him if the Governour be justly dispossessed as by a lawful War which Mr. Baxter declares the War against King Charles the First was in which he loseth his right especially if he violate the Constitution and enter into a Military state against the People and by them be conquered they are not obliged to restore him unless there be some special obligation upon them besides their Allegiance Thes 145. If the person dispossessed though it were unjustly do afterwards become incapable of Government it is not the duty of his Subjects to seek his Restitution Thes 146. If an Army of Neighbours Inhabitants or whoever do though injuriously expel the Soveraign and resolve to ruine the Commonwealth rather than he shall be restored and if the Commonwealth may prosper without his restoration it is the
to change Government it was lawful for the Catholicks to work that change for the advancing and securing the Catholick Cause in England by making away the King whom there was no hope to turn from his Heresie This was answered affirmatively after which the same persons went to Rome where the same Question being propounded and debated it was concluded by the Pope That it was both lawful and expedient for the Catholicks to promote that alteration of State c. When that horrid Parricide had taken effect the Pope commanded all the Papers about that Question to be gathered and burnt In obedience to which Order a Roman Catholick in Paris was demanded a Copy which he had of these Papers but the Gentleman who had time to consider and detest the wickedness of that Project refused to give it and shewed it to a Protestant friend of his relating to him the whole carriage of this Negotiation with great abhorrency of the Practices of the Jesuits And when these Jesuits returned from Rome they brought many more after them to help on the same Work which at last they effected to their great joy The Roman Priest and Confessor is known who when he saw the fatal stroak given to our holy King and Martyr flourished with his Sword and said Now the greatest Enemy that we had in the world is gone A Protestant Lady living in Paris was perswaded by a Jesuit to turn Catholick when the dismal news of the King's Murther came to Paris this Lady as all other good Subjects was deeply afflicted with it and when this Jesuite came to see her and found her melted in Tears for that Disaster he told her with a smiling countenance That she had no reason to lament but rejoyce rather seeing the Catholicks were rid of their greatest Enemy and that Cause was much furthered by his death Upon which the Lady in great anger put him down the stairs saying If that be your Religion I have done with you for ever and God hath given her grace to make her words good hitherto Many intelligent Travellers can tell of the great joy among the English Convents and Seminaries about the Kings death as having overcome their Enemy and done their main work for their settlement in England of which they made themselves so sure that the Benedictines were in great care that the Jesuits should not get their Land and the English Nuns were contending who should be Abbasses in England An understanding Gentleman visiting the Fryars in Dunkirk put them on the discourse of the King's death and to pump out their sence about it said That the Jesuits had laboured very much to compass that work To which they answered That the Jesuits would ingross to themselves the glory of all great and good works and of this among others whereas they had laboured as diligently and effectually for it as they So that both the Jesuits and Seculars had laboured to bring the King to death and the Army of Fanaticks were their Instruments to put it in execution Monsieur de Bourdeaux the French Embassadour being resident in London when General Monk had gotten the power of the City and the affections of the People earnestly desired to interest the King of France and Cardinal Mazarine in the Revolution of Government and made way for an Address to the General by his Brother-in-law Clergis to whom he imparted that Cardinal Mazarine would be glad to have the honour of his friendship and assist him faithfully in all his Enterprizes and that the General might be more confident of the Cardinal he assured him that Oliver Cromwel kept so strict a League with him that he did not assume the Government without his privity and was directed step by step by him in the progress of that action and therefore if he resolved on that course he should not onely have the Cardinals friendship and counsel in the attempt but a safe Retreat and honourable Support in France if he sailed in it But Mr. Clergis assured him that the General did not intend to take the Government upon him but to submit all to the determination of the next Parliament The King being in the Territories of the King of Spain when the General was minded to declare for him Sir Jo. Greenvil was dispatched by the General to his Majesty to desire him to depart out of the King of Spain's Dominions to Breda or some other place under the Government of the States of the Vnited Provinces for that he had certain intelligence he would be detained by the King of Spain's Ministers if he stayed in his Dominions Upon which Advice within two or three days he went to Breda where he continued till he was invited to his Kingdoms There was found in the Study of Francis Young after his death a Paper containing Advices given to him by Seignior Bellarini concerning the best way of managing the Popish interest in England upon the Kings Restauration The first Advice is to make the obstruction of Settlement their great designe especially upon the fundamental Constitutions of the Kingdom whereunto if things should fall they would be more firm than ever Secondly To remove the Jealousies raised by Prynne Baxter c. of their designe upon the late Factions and to set up the prosperous way of fears and jealousies of the King and Bishops Thirdly To make it appear under-hand how neer the Doctrine Worship and Discipline of the Church of England comes to us at how little distance their Common-prayer is from our Mass and that the wisest and ablest men of that Way are so moderate that they would willingly come over to us or at least meet us half way hereby the most stayed men will become more odious and others will run out of all Religion for fear of Popery Fourthly That there be an Indulgence promoted by the Factious and seconded by You. Fifthly That the Trade and Treasure of the Nation may be engrossed between themselves and other discontented Parties Sixthly That the Bishops and Ministers of the Church of England be aspersed as either worldly and careless on one hand or so factious that it were well they were removed All these Directions will appear to have been followed precisely by both Parties The Grandees of the Committee at Derby-house and the Army sollicite the detaining of the Prince in France and delaying his Journy for England lest he should trouble the yet-unsetled Kingdom of the Saints To negotiate which they have an Agent lying Lieger with Cardinal Mazarine who is so well supplied with Money and so open-handed that it hath been heard from Mazarine's own mouth that all the Money the Queen and Prince had cost the Crown of France came out of the Parliaments Purse with a good advantage It is likewise said Mazarine had an Agent here to drive on the interest of France in England Hist of Independ 2 part p. 112. And it is known that Cromwel's interest with France when the present King fled thither after
was such another Fast as those that were kept in the days of their Q Mary of which she was wont to say That she was as much afraid of a Fast of the Ministers as of an Army of Souldiers And yet if you will believe themselves or some Advocates of theirs nearer home there are not a more innocent peaceable and harmless people in the world as the Author of Naphtali said of the Rebellion of Pentland hills There hath not been in Britain such a company of men in Arms for the Covenant and Cause of God for sound Judgment true Piety Integrity and fervent Zeal and undaunted Courage But all this Zeal and Courage was still directed against the King and the established Government and Worship of God For in the year 1679. the Convention of Estates gave the King a Tax of 30000 l. to maintain a Regiment of Foot three Companies of Dragoons and three Troops of Horse to suppress the Field-Conventicles which met in Arms against which their Leaders preached saying It was given by the enemies of Christ to drive him out of his Kingdom and it would be as great a fin to pay it as it was in Judas to betray Christ and that now was the time to try them whether they would have Christ for their King or no. And the same Ruffians that murdered the Archbishop did several times lay wait for the Collectors of this Tax and they so perplexed the peoples Consciences that a Servant of the Earl of Dondonald fell distracted through trouble of mind for having assisted his Master in laying the Tax on Renscot This is that little Sister for whom the Noble Peer pleaded that having no Breasts she might like the Amazons have liberty to take up Arms and once more enter our Nation and rent us in pieces as formerly And it were easie to shew from the Writings of some of our own Nation that the same Principles have been preached to the people of this Land who have greedily swallowed and digested the same and think themselves under the same obligation of Covenant as those barbarous people Dr. Lake in a Sermon before the Lord Mayor says That discoursing some Rebels that were then in Goal in Scotland who did openly avow the Rebellion and refused to pray for the King He told them they were variously reported to be Jesuits or Jesuitically affected or to be Fifth-Monarchy-men wild arrant Fanaticks They told him they were neither one nor other but true Presbyterians according to the Covenant He replying That we had Presbyterians in our own Kingdom who yet did not obstinately maintain such King-deposing and murthering Doctrines They told him he did not understand them for they believed the same Doctrines but onely wanted Power and Courage to act them And at their execution they desired the people to take notice That they died true Presbyterians according to the Covenant It is another Artifice of these People agreeable to the practice of the Papists that they keep their People in ignorance and under the power of an implicit Faith and blind Obedience as the Papists do and bring them up in strong prejudices against their Governors Some have been so mad as to baptize their Children into the National Covenant which they are not ashamed to compare with The Covenant of Grace Mr. Alexander Gibson Clerk of his Majesties Privy-Council certified May 13. 1678. that one David Ferguson taken at a Field-Conventicle being asked why he kept not to his Parish-Church answered That he had sworn the Covenant whereby he was obliged not to hear Bishops Deans or Curats and that others being asked why they kept Conventicles answered To hear Gods truth and being demanded what that was they answered They could not tell And upon examination they could not say the Creed the Lords Prayer or ten Commandments Mr. Jo. Dickson preached to them That all the Bishops and their Clergie never did nor ever will convert one Soul They believe without farther enquiry being forbid to read the Books written for Obedience and Conformity that Episcopacy is Antichristian and Presbytery is Christs own institution They hold with the Papists That the actions of their Kirk and Teachers in Field-Conventicles and armed and fighting men is not Rebellion because the Presbytery is not subject to the Secular Power That the Subjects may enter into Solemn Leagues and Covenants without and against the Prince That Kings may be excommunicate and deposed which some of them have practised against his present Majesty That not the King in some cases but the Kirk have power to convocate and dissolve Assemblies and that they may make Laws without the King That Salvation is not to be had but in their Communion They injoyn new Articles of belief as That Episcopacy is an Antichristian Order and so are the Church-Festivals and Ceremonies That the Oath of Supremacy is an unlawful Oath and the People are absolved from it That the Power of the King is originally in the People and that there is a mutual obligation between them and if the King perform not his part the People are free from performing theirs That for the good of the Kirk and Gods Cause they may rebel against their Prince That the Prince nor any Secular Power can silence or deprive a Minister who is subject to none but Christ That Passive Obedience to the unjust commands of a Prince is as great a sin as Active Obedience to the same That a private person may kill a Magistrate by impulse of the Spirit after the Example of Phinees to deliver the Kirk from Oppression That it is lawful to kill Protestant Bishops and their Curates as enemies to true Godliness and such as would bring the Kirk to a slavish dependance on the King James Mitchel who was executed for attempting the murther of the Archbishop said in his dying Speech They are all blessed that shall take the proud Prelates and dash their brains against the stones as afterward some Ruffians did by the Archbishop These are their Principles and all these they have practised when they had opportunities They come little behind the Papists for equivocation and persisting in falsehood where they think their lives or the good of the Kirk concerned Jo. King being charged for bearing Arms against the King in the late Rebellion denied it until one that apprehended him swore that he had both Sword and Pistols To which he answered he did it not in an hostile manner which was a Jesuitical Equivocation He bore testimony against that woful Supremacy so much applauded and universally owned of such of whom better things might be expected as usurping on Christs Royal Authority spoiling him of his Royal Crown Scepter Sword and Royal Robe by taking those Princely Ornaments to invest a man whose breath is in his nostrils And both Kid and King bore their Testimonies against the Oath of Allegiance and Bond of Peace of which to satisfie the Reader I give him a Copy I A. B. for testification of my faithful