Religion in Discipline and Ceremonies so they have likewise observed it in Doctrine First they will bring in the Arminian Doctrine and the Cassandrian-Grotian Divinity and then they know that down-right Popish Doctrine will easily follow Let the Serpent but winde in his head he will soon work in his whole body Let Arminianism but obtain Countenance and Licence in the Kingdome our Universities Schools Pulpits Presses will soon be filled with Popish Doctrines Witness the publishing of so many points of Popery one after another especially those two which you may frequently meet with in the Books of Dr. Hammond Dr. Bramhall now Primate of Ireland and Dr. Jeremy Tayler now a Bishop in that Kingdome and of other High Prelatists namely That the Pope is not Antichrist And that the Church of Rome is a true Visible Church Altae sic surgunt maenia Romae Thus according to the Rule of their Masters the Jesuits they seek to re-establish Rome by degrees here in England and to do it so as wee may not know nor see So much for Contzâ—ns first Rule II. Rule propounded by the Jesuit His second Rule is this To press the examples and practises of some eminent men as a good means to draw on the rest And is not this Rule likewise well observed by our Prelatical men They dazle the eyes of the meaner and less judicious people with the practices of some noble and learned persons If any begin to startle or be troubled at the matter and cannot swallow down the Service-book and Popish Ceremonies and observations they presently answer My Lord Bishop doth thus and thus and my Lords Grace of Canterbury doth thus and thus The Knights of the most noble order of the Garter-bow versus Altare towards the Altar at their Instalment His Majesties Chappel is thus and thus adorned many honourable Lords do observe these Orders and Ceremonies A. C. Speech 〈◊〉 Star-Chamb p. 47. The learned Doctors of the Universities are conformable thereunto Such a zealous Minister is Re-ordained by a Diocessan Bishop and now reads the Service-book Such a strict Professor is present when the Service-book is read and the Ceremonies practised And what will you be wiser than so many noble persons so many reverend Prelates so many learned Doctors so many eminent famous Preachers and Professors By these and the like pretences they cast a mist before the peoples eyes and so dazle them that they cannot or will not see that Jesuitical design that is carried on for Altering Religion III. Rule of the Jesuit His third Rule is this That Arch-hereticks and such as are teachers of Heresie must be banished the Common-wealth at once if it may safely be done but if not by degreâ—s It is easie to know who are the Jesuits Arch-hereticks whom they would have banished even the most active orthodox conscientious Protestants the Calvinists as they call them who have eyes in their heads to discern and discover their Antichristian designs and will not be gulled by their sleights as the ignorant people are For the extirpating and rooting out of these the Jesuit prescribes a method of twelve or thirteen steps Contz Poll. l. 2. c. 18 sect 6. for which I refer the Reader to the Book it self such as will not Bow they must Break such as will not comply with the Popish Design must be crushed According to this Rule the Prelates have acted By them the Puritan Preachers have been counted the Arch-hereticks and teachers of Heresie in England though they teach nothing but what is consonant to Scripture and the publick Doctrine of the Church yet they are the teachers of Heresie And being too many to root out at once it must be done by degrees The Puritan party must be divided one from another and then they may be more easily suppressed It may be done with more case and less noise And therfore first they did cast all those out of the Minister that were not punctual and full Conformists to the old Ceremonies This was the practise of Prelats Next because there was a company of conformable Puritans as themselves stiled them they procured an Edict for Recreations upon the Lords day and this must be published by Ministers that such as could stand under the Ceremonies though groaning under that burthen might fall and be broken in peeces under this And yet because some men suspected of Puritanisme might have a latitude here beyond their brethren they had a third Engine and that was the enjoyning now Ceremonies and Adorations that if any could swallow the Book yet they might discover and cast them out by straining here To this they added a fourth Prayers and Proclamations to be read against the Anti-prelatical party in Scotland And their last and greatest Engine which was like the Powder-plot against the godly Ministry of the Nation to blow up the Relicks of them at once was the Oath for Episcopacy the Oath Etcaetera By these successive Stratagems they made account utterly to extirpate those Arch-hereticks As it was sometimes said to Elijah Him that escapeth the sword of Hazael shall Jehu slay and him that escapeth the sword of Jehu shall Elisha slay 1 King 19. So had they said Him that escapeth the dint of the Ceremonies shall the Book of Sports slay and him that escapeth the Book of Sports shall the new Injunctions slay and him that escapeth the new Injunctions shall the Proclamations slay and him that escapeth the Proclamations shall the Oath slay And this by degrees and pauses that they shall neither know nor see till we slay them and cause the work to cease If one snare do not intangle them another shall If one Engine do not batter down this party another shall The Prelates have variety of means and engines to ruine conscientious Ministers and Professors IV. Rule of the Jesuit The fourth Rule is this That those which are adversaries to the true Religion which with him is Popery be put by their Dignities places and offices and not trusted with power or publick Imployment I think none is such a stranger in England but from his own knowledge can witness this The bestowing of all Offices the collating of Benefices the election of Masters and Fellows of Colledges in both Vniversities who have had the over-ruling hand in them all the power of Mandamus but the Prelats and their faction and whom were they conferred upon usually but upon men infamous for and impudent in Arminian and Popish opinions protested Arminianisme and bold-faced Popery hath been the onely speedy way to Church preferment These have been and are still confided in as to publick trust and imployment whilst the soundest and most zealous Protestants are discountenanced by our high Prelatists whose practice suits well with the Jesuites Rule V. Rule of the Jesuit His fifth Rule is To make the Protestant Religion odious by laying load upon such tenents as are most subject to harshest constructions and rendring the persons of those who maintain them
THE English Prelates Practizing the Methods and RULES OF THE JESUITS FOR Enervating and altering the Protestant Reformed Religion in ENGLAND and Reducing the People to POPERY Plainly Demonstrated by a Reverend and godly Divine Take heed to thy self that thou bee not snared by following them after that they bee destroyed from before thee and that thou inquire not after their gods saying how did these Nations serve their gods Even so will I do likewise Deut. 12.30 Though thou Israel play the Harlot yet let not Judah offend and come not yee unto Gilgal neither go yee up to Bethaven c. Hos 4.15 Printed in the Year 1661. The English Prelates practising the Methods and Rules of the Jesuits for enervating and altering the Protestant reformed Religion in England and reducing the people to Popery Quest HOw doth it appear that the English Prelates do design the alteration of Religion amongst us here in England Answ As face answers to face in a 〈◊〉 so the practices of the Prelates in England do symbo … with the Rules and methods of the Jesuits who hope to accomplish that by sleight of hand which they cannot effect by force and down-right Blows Adam Contzen a Jesuit of Mentz and a great Politician Contzen Politie lib. 2. cap. 18. in his second Book of Politicks hath laid a Plot for the cheating of a people of the true reformed Religion which should bee dearer to them than ten thousand worlds by sleight of hand and the serving in of Popery again upon them by art of Legerdemaine that they shall neither know nor see who hurts them till they be utterly ruined Neh. 4.11 The Method for accomplishing of this which certainly is one of Satans methods he laies down in certain Rules in his sore-mentioned Book of Politicks Let English-men and Protestants observe how exactly the late and present Prelates of England have moved and acted according to those Rules and then judge of their designs I. Rule The Jesuits first Rule is this To proceed as Musicians Do in tuning their Instruments who proceed gradually straining their strings with a gentle hand and setting them up by little and little Or as Physicians do in curing diseases who abate noxious humours by degrees and pauses This Rule hath been diligently observed and practised amongst us both for the destructive and adstructive way for the destruction of the true Religion and the advancing of the false The English Prelates though some of them are more violent and hot-headed than others have learned this policy to proceed by degrees and pauses 1. And first for the Destruction of the true Religion and cating out the vitals and power of godliness though that be their great design yet as to the execution of it they must go warily and gradually to work It would make too great a noise now that so much Gospel-light is broke forth to suspend all the Orthodox Powerful Preachers in the Land at once and therefore they will proceed by degrees And first suspend all Lecturers who boggle at the Service-book and P … Ceremonies then after a little pause put down all Lect … as an order of Vagrants not to be tolerated in the Chuâ—â—â— Some of our zealous Bishops have already presumed to suppress divers choice profitable Lectures When this is done they will forbid all faithful Ministers to preach in their own Parish Churches upon week-daies the Jesuits and Prelates being both bitter enemies to sound and powerful Preaching Next they will inhibit Preaching upon the Lords Day in the afternoon under pretence of advancing Catechizing by that means and yet within a little while after all Catechistical exposition shall bee inhibited by these Soul-destroyers and able men tyed to the bare words of the Primmer-Catechism Nay have they not forbidden all praying save in the words of the Canon and are they not of the same spirit still to wit enemies to the Spirit of God both in Preaching and Prayer What can any ingenious man think the design of all this should be but to rob us of true Evangelical Preaching and Praying and thereby at length of the Gospel and True Religion Onely these men will do it by degrees for fear of noise and Tumult they will do it so as we shall neither know nor see 2. And then for the Adstructive way the Rebuilding of the Romish Babel among us do they not proceed by the same steps as if the Jesuits and they were animated by one soul First They rigidly urge the practice of the old Ceremonies beyond the intention either of Law or Canon yea they bring in an Idolatrous fardel of new Popish Superstitions without warrant either of Law or Canon but their own paper Injunctions imposing them on Ministers and People but yet by pauses and degrees The Communion-Table must be first railed in Soon after it must be set in an Altar-posture Then all must be compelled to come and kneel before it or not receive the Sacrament Then it must be cried up as the Sanctum Sanctorum the place of Gods chief residence upon earth the seat and throne of Gods Majesty And upon this Consideration all mens faces in prayer must be turned towards it Men may yea must say some adore and bow before it c. What I pray you should the design of all this bee but after the Altar to bring in the Popish Sacrifice and with their woodden worship the Breaden God Onely they will do it by degrees They will reconcile us to Rome by degrees and in a cunning way that wee may neither know nor see Secondly I may further add their making null and void the Ordination of so many godly Ministers who were ordained by Presbyters alone without a Diocessan Bishop and their ascribing more virtue to the Popish Antichristian Orders of the Church of Rome than to Ordination by Protestant Presbyters for Popish Priests when they turn Protestants are not re-ordained By this means our English Prelates do undermine and supplant all the reformed Churches in France Holland Scotland c. where they have no Diocessan Bishops to ordain Ministers and if their Ministers bee not lawfully called then they have no true Churches Baptism Ordinances c. And will not this think you contribute much to the rebuilding of Babel amongst us and reconciling of England to Rome whither at length men will be forced to go for a lawful Ordination according to these mens Popish principles and practices for if Ordination by Presbyters qua Presbyters be held unlawful which yet the most learned and judicious of the Protestant Bishops have proved to be lawful and therefore not to be iterated then we must have recourse to the Pope and Church of Rome for a lawful ordination from whom as from the fountain our Lordly Diocessans derive their exorbitant Ecclesiastical Power and Jurisdiction over the Ministers and Flock of Christ and not from the Scriptures nor the Church of Christ Again as the Prelates have practised the Jesuits Rule for altering
contemptible In this our Prelates have not been sparing Quot plaustra convitiâ—rum have they powred out upon some Doctrines of our Religion specially the points of Grace The Pulpits of Italy and Rome never spit more Gall and Venome against the Protestant Doctrines of Election Free-grace Justification by faith perseverance touching Antichrist and the Exp sitions of the Protestants on Daniel and the Revelation and in a word against all those Doctrines wherein we do in a special manner differ from and are at an irreconcileable enmity with the Church of Rome N ver did the Popish B shops and Doctors as Eecius Cocleus Stapleton Harding Bellarmine the rayling Rhemists sweat more to exaggerate the seeming absurdities which carnal prejudiced men would draw from our Doctrine than many of the English Prelatical Clergy have done And as for the persons of the most famous reformed Divines as Calvin Beza Pareus Whitaker Reynolds Perkins It is well enough known how they have been and are to this day sleighted and aspersed by this sort of men VI. Rule The Jesuits sixth Rule is To foment the quarrels that are among the Protestants and strengthen that party that is neerest a compliance with Rome And the wretched Jesuit hath the unhappiness to prescribe one thing as the proper means of Englands Cure For who saith hee * Quis enim non facile puriâ—anos in Angli a â—edigat in ordiâ—em si Episcopoâ—um approbatioâ—em ab iis exâ—orqueat Contz ubi supra paragraph 9. might not easily reduce the Puritans of England into Order you know what the Jesuits reducing into Order is if hee could extort from them an Approbation of the Bishops And had not the Prelates attempted and almost effected this They had made us their Slaves before and were they not about to make us swear we would be so for ever Certainly though nothing but Episcopacy floated in the surface of that Oath yet Popery was in the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the c of it or reducing the Puritans of England into Order sensu Pentificio And do they not to this day frequently speak for yea strenuously indeavour after and contend for a general Conformity of all sorts and sexes to the Prelatical Government service-Service-book and Ceremonies yea higher than was formerly attempted none must buy or sell unless hee receive the mark of the Beast not onely England and Ireland but Scotland and the forein Isles must bow or break before this Idol Our Prelates therefore have well observed this Rule of the Jesuit VII Rule His seventh Rule is this That all private Conventicles and publick Meetings must bee forbidden As for private Conventicles you all know that to meet together to pray or to confer which with them is a Conventicle is peccatum irremissibile a man may at a better rate almost answer any thing than such a Meeting The terrible Canons of our Prelates are mounted higher and more deeply charged against this commendable practice of Christians than against Drunkenness Swearing Adultery Sabbath-breaking and the greatest abominations Nor would the restless spirits of these persecuting Prelates be quiet till they had got all such meetings utterly suppressed men may meet together at Cock-fighting Horse-coursing Stage-playes to swear and bee drunk and unclean but they must not meet to pray and confer together of the Scriptures no not in those places and Parishes where the Ministers are no better than dumb Idols Behold here the Tyranny of our Prelates And then for publick meetings the antient laudable exercise of Prophecy I mean not in that sense the word is lately taken for private spirits to interprer Scripture But prophesying by men in office peculiarly gifted and called to that work these must bee banished ejected silenced the publick and most frequented Lectures blasted publick fasts by consent of Ministers which had of long time been used in many parts of the Kingdome are become piacular a Sermon at next Church the forbidden fruit when they had none at home or worse than none The Prelates have been and still are very diligent to suppress holy Assemblies under the notion of Conventicles and seditious meetings whilst they keep up their Cathedrals and Popish service VIII Rule propounded by the Jesuit The eighth means to reduce us to Popery is By severity of Laws and punishments to compel the obstinate unto duty and yet the rigor of the Law must be slowly drawn out and not against all but onely such as be most dangerous Now what severity not onely ad summum Jus to the highest Apex of the Law but even supra Jus beyond the extent and rigor of the Law hath been used to such as stood in the way of their great design let the walls of their High Commission Court speak and if that Babell were once raised up again in England which the Lord in mercy prevent not onely the ordinary people but the Gentry of this Nation if they do but cross the ambitious designs of these men should drink deep of their cruelty and rigor Our Chronicles report that when our Fore-fathers demolished the Abbies they found in their Walls and Vaults and Ponds heaps of skulls and bones the Monuments of their smothered cruelties I doubt not but the Abolishers of that High Commission have found as manifest evidence of their cruel practices heaps of the blood of Innocents whose skin hath been flead from off them Mâ—c 3. and their bones broken and they and their families chopped in peeces as flesh for the Caldron And this fruit they reaped of their severity mannaged with this Art which the Jesuit promised That though compulsory Reformation could do no good upon old standers * Itaque reforâ—atio quae provâ—ctos non adâ—uvat atatem tamen puerilem Catholicam raddet Contzen yet it would render the younger sort Catholicks IX Rule of the Jesuit The ninth means and as hee saith of all the rest most effectual is That such as are in authority and have the publick mannagement of Ecclesiastical Affairs do religiously practise and maintain Integrity of life and purity of manners The Reformation of Religion that is the introducing of Popery into a Reformed Church will go on very slowly and prove very difficult unless the Prelates and Doctors shall outshine the whole Common-wealth not onely in innocency but in reputation and fame of integrity Now though this Rule be far from the practice of most of the servants followers and adherents of the Prelates who for the most part are prophane Atheistical and debauched persons in whom there is little appearance of morality and less of Religion yet some of the Grand Masters of this faction do counterfeit much devotion and piety in their outward Garb looks gestures conversation Or else it were not possible for them at any time to obtain so far upon the hearts of Prince and Parliament whose Interests do thwart the ambitious designs of the Prelates as to leave the disposing of all Church Affairs wholly unto them If