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 plâ—asant to the People These are the Nursâ—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 thâ—m that perish who have made shipwrack of Faith and good Consciâ—nce and are throughly practised to commit all inquity with grâ—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 râ—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 Proclamâ—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
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 Herâ—siâ— 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 tâ—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 Thesâ— 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 mannâ—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
he be be he Bishop of Rome or of any other City Province or Diocese do presume to take upon him Authority or Iurisdiction in causes or matters which appertain unto Kings and the civil powers and their Courts and will maintain or think that he may so do by the Authority of Christ and his Gospel although the Kings and Princes would not permit and suffer him so to do no doubt that Bishop is not worthy to be called a Bishop but rather a Tyrant The Bishop os Rone judged to be a Tyrant and Usurper and as Vsurper of other mens rights contrary to the Law of God and is worthy to be reputed none otherwise than he that goeth about to subvert the Kingdom of Christ For the Kingdom of Christ in his Church is a spiritual and not a carnal Kingdom of the world that is to say the very Kingdom that Christ by himself or by his Apostles and Disciples sought here in this world was to bring all Nations from the carnal Kingdom of the Prince of darkness unto the light of his spiritual Kingdom and so himself to reign in the hearts of the people by grace faith hope and charity And therefore â—ith Christ did never seek nor exercise any worldly Kingdom or Dominion in this world but rather refusing and flying from the same did leave the said worldly Governance of Kingdoms Realms and Nations to be governed by Princes and Potentates in like manner as he did find them and commanded also his Apostles and Disciples to do the semblable as it was said before whatsoever Priest or Bishop will arrogate or presume to take upon him any such Authority and will pretend the Authority of the Gospel for his defence therein he doth nothing else but in a manner as you would say crowneth Christ again with a Crown of Thorn and traduceth and bringeth him forth again with his Mantle of Purple upon his back to be mocked and scorned of the world as the Iews did to their own damnation This Doctrine was subscribed and allowed by the witness and testimony of these Bishops and other Learned Men whose Names hereunder follow as appeareth in the Bishops Book before named TESTES Testimonies of Biâ—hops and Doctors of England against the Pope Thomas Cantuariensis Edouardus Eboracensis Johannes Londonensis Cuthbertus Dunelmensis Stephanus Wâ—ntonlensis Robertus Carliolensis Johannes Exoniensis Johannes Lincolniensis Johannes Bathoniensis Rolandus Coventr Lichfield Thomas Eliensis Nicolaus Sarum Johannes Bangor Edouardus Herefordiensis Hugo Wigorniensis Johannes Roffensis Richardus Cicestrensis Gulielmus Menevensis Robertus Assavensis Robertus Landavensis Guilielmus Norwicensis Richardus Wolman Archidiacon Sudbur Guilielmus Knight Archidiacon Richmond Johannes Bell Archidiacon Gloucester Edmundus Bonner Archidiacon Leicester Gulielmus Skippe Archidiacon Dorset Nicolaus Heth Archidiacon Stafford Cuthbertus Marshall Archidiacon Nottingham Richardus Curten Archidiacon Oxon. Guilielmus Glife Galfridus Dounes Robertus Oking Radulphus Bradford Richardus Smith Simon Matthew Johannes Pâ—in Guilielmus Buckmaster Guilielmus May Nicolaus Wotton Richardus Cox Johannes Edmunds Thomas Robertson Johannes Baker Thomas Barret Johannes Hase Johannes Tyson These were Doctors of Divinity and both Laws A Protestation in the name of the King and the whole Council and Clergy of England why they refuse to come to the Popes Council at his call SEeing that the Bishop of Rome calleth Learned Men from all parts conducting them by great rewards The Kings Protestation why he sends not to the Popes Council making as many of them Cardinals as he thinketh most mâ—et and most ready to defend Frauds and Vntruths we could not but with much anxiety cast with our selves what so great a preparance of Wits should mean As chance was we guessed even as it followed We have been so long acquainted with Romish Subtilties and Popish Deceits The Popes craft espied that we well and easily judged the Bishop of Rome to intend an Assembly of his Adherents and men sworn to think all his Lusts to be Laws we were not deceived Paul the Bishop of Rome hath called a Council to the which he knew well either few or none of the Christian Princes could come both the time that he indicted it and also the place where he appointed it to be might assure him of this But whither wander not these Popish Bulls whither wander they not astray What King is not cited and summoned by a proud Minister and Servant of Kings to come to bolster up Errors Frauds Deceits and Vntruths and to set forth this feigned General Council For who will not think that Paul the Bishop of Rome goeth sooner about to make men believe that he pretendeth a General Council than that he desireth one indeed No who can less desire it than they that do despair of their Cause except they be Iudges and give sentence themselves against their Adversaries The King not bound to come at the Popes call We which very sore against our will at any time leave off the procurement of the Realm any common weal need neither to come our selves nor yet to send any Procurators thither no nor yet to make our Excuse for either of both For who can accuse us that we come not at his call which hath no Authority to call us But for a season let us as a sort of Blindlings do grant that he may call us and that he hath Authority so to do yet we pray you may not all men see what availeth it to come to this Council Who be they that have place in the Popes Council where ye shall have no place except yâ— be known both willing to oppress truth and also ready tâ— confirm and stablish Errors Do not all men perceive 〈◊〉 as we with what integrity fidelity and religion these men go about to discuss matters in controversie that take them in hand in so troublesom a time as this is Is it not plain what fruit the Commonweal of Christendom may look for there The place of the Council not indifferent whereas Mantua is chosen the place to keep his Council in Is there any Prince not being of Italy yea is there any of Italy Prince or other dissenting from the Pope that dareth come to this Assembly and to this place If there come none that dare speak for trodden truth none that will venture his life is it marvel if the Bishop of Rome being Iudge No reason that the Pope should be Judge in his own cause no man repining no man gainsaying the Defenders of the Papacy obtain that Popish Authority now quailling and almost fasten to be set up again Is this the way to help things afflict to redress troubled Religion to lift up oppressed truth Shall men this way know whether the Roman Bishops which in very deed are The Bishop of Rom in learning and life far under other Bishops if ye look upon either their Doctrine or Life far under other Bishops ought to be made like their Fellows that
is to be Pastors in their own Diocese and so to use no other power or else whether they may make Laws not onely unto other Bishops but also to Kings and Emperours O boldness meet to be beaten down with force and not not to be convinced with Arguments Can either Paul that now Lordeth or any of his earnestly go about if they alone or at the least without any Adversary be thâ—â— in a corner assembled together to heal the Sicknesses to take away the Errors to pluck down the Abuses that now are crept into the Church and there be bolstered up by such Councils as now is like to be at Mantua Paul the Pope proleth for his own profit Is it very like that these which prole for nothing but profit will right gladly pull down all such things as thâ—â—â— Forefathers made onely for the increase of Money Whâ—â—â— as their Forefathers when their Honour Power anâ—â—macy was called into question would either in despighâ—â—f Gods Law maintain their Dignity or to say better their intolerable Pride Is it like that these will not tread in their steps and make naughty new Canons whereby they may defend old evil Decrees Howbeit what need we to care either what they have done or what they intend to do hereafter England taketh her leave of the Pope for ever forasmuch as England hath taken her leave of Popish Crafts for ever never to be deluded with them hereafter Roman Bishops have nothing to do with English People the one doth not traffick with the other at least though they will have to do with us yet we will none of their merchandise none of their stuff we will receive them of our council no more England refuseth the Popes Merchandise We have sought our hurt and bought our loss a great while too long Surely their Decrees either touching things set up or put down shall have none other place with us than all Bishops Decrees have that is if we like them we admit them if we do not we refuse them But lest peradventure men shall think us to follow our senses too much and that we moved by small or no just causes forsake the Authority Censures Decrees and Popish Counsels we thought it best here to shew our mind to the whole world Wherefore we protest before God and all men that we embrace profess and will ever so do the right and holy Doctrine of Christ All the Articles of his Faith no jot omitted be all so dear unto us that we should much sooner stand in jeopardy of our Realm than to see any point of Christs Religion in jeopardy with us England goeth not from the unity of Faith although it goeth from the Pope We protest that we never went from the unity of his Faith neither that we will depart an inch from it No we will much sooner lose our Lives than any Article of our Belief shall decay in England We which in all this cause seek nothing but the glory of God the profit and quietness of the World The Faith of England Catholick England ready to send to any General Council where truth may be advanced protest that we can suffer Deceivers no longer We never refused to come to a General Council no we promise all our labour study and fidelity to the setting up of trodden Truth and troubled Religion in their place again and to do all that shall lie in us to finish such Controversies as have a great while too long vexed Christendom Onely we will all Christian men be admonished that we can suffer no longer that they be esteemed willing to take away Errors which indeed by all the ways their Wits will serve them go about this alone that no man under pain of Death may speak against any Error or Abuse We would have a Council we desire it yea and crave nothing so oft of God as that we may have one But yet we will that it be such as Christian men ought to have that is frank and free where every man without fear may say his mind We desire that it be an holy Council What a true General Council ought to be where every man may go about to set up Godliness and not apply all their study to oppressing of Truth We will it be General that is to say kept at such time and in such place that every man which seeketh the glory of God may be present and there frankly utter his mind Conditions of a true General Council For when it shall seem General either when no man that dissenteth from the Bishop of Rome is compelled to be from it or when they that be present are not letted by any just terror to say boldly what they truly think for who would not gladly come to such a Council except it be the Pope his Cardinals and Popish Rishops On the other side who is so foolish whereas the chief point that is to be handled in this Council is the Popes own Cause Power and Primacy to grant that the Pope should reign should be Iudge should be President of the Council If he which indeed can never think himself able to defend his Cause before any other Iudge The Pope would be Judge in his own cause be evermore made his own Iudge and so Controversies not decided but Errors set up what can be devised in the Commonwealth of Christendom more hurtful to the truth than General Councils The Pope hath no power to summon Councils And here to touch somewhat their impudent Arrogancy By what Law Power or honest Title take they upon them to call Kings to summon Princes to appear where their Bulls command them In time past all Councils were appointed by the Authority Consent and Commandment of the Emperour Kings and Princes why now taketh the Bishop of Rome this upon him Some will say It is more likely that Bishops will more tender the cause of Religion gladlier have Errors taken away than Emperours Kings and Princes The world hath good experience of them and every man seeth how faithfully they have handled religious matters Is there any man that doth not see how vertuously Paul now goeth about by this occasion to set up his Tyranny again The Pope how he can watch his time Is it not like that he that chooseth such a time as this is to keep a Council much intendeth the redress of things that now are amiss that he seeketh the restoring of Religion that now calleth a Council the Emperour and the French King two Princes of great power so bent to Wars that neither they nor any other Christian Prince can in a manner do any thing but look for the end of this long War Go too go t o Bishop of Rome occasion long wish'd for offereth her self unto you take her she openeth a Window for your Frauds to creep in at call your Cardinals your own Creatures shew them that this is a jolly time to deceive Princes in O
Fools O wicked men may we not justly so call you Are ye not Fools which being long suspected not onely of Princes but of all Christian People in a manner that in no case you could be brought to a General Council plainly shew the whole world that by these your Conciliables your Hutter-mutter in corners you take away all hope of lawful Catholick and General Council Are you not wicked which so hate Truth Truth mâ—y be pressed â—â— cannot be oppressed that except she be utterly banished ye will never cease to vex her The living God is alive neither Truth his Dearling he being alive can be called to so great shame contumely and injury or if it may be called to all these yet can it come to none of them Who is he that grievously lamenteth not men to be of such shameful boldness The Pope Enemy to Christ to shew apertly that they be Enemies unto Christ himself On the other side who will not be glad to see such men as foolish as they be wicked The World is not now in a light suspicion as it hath been hitherto that you intend no reformation of Errors but every man seeth before his eyes your deceits your wicked minds The Popes hatred against the truth your immortal hatred that ye bear against the Truth Every man seeth how many miserable Tragedies your pretence of an Vnity and Concord hath brought into Christendom They see your fair face of Peace hath served Sedition and troubled almost all Christian Realms The Pope troubler of all Christian Realms They see ye never oppugn Religion more than when ye will seem most to defend it They be sorry to see that great Wits a long season have spent their whole strength in defence of Deceits Reason to put his whole power to the promoting of Pride and Vngodliness Vertues to serve Vices Holiness to be slave to Hypocrisie Prudence to Subtilty Iustice to Tyranny They be glad that Scripture now fighteth for it self and not against it self They be glad that God is not compelled to be against God Christ against Christ They be glad that Subtilty hath done no more hurt to Religion in time past than now Constancy doth do good to Truth The Popes marks whereat he shooteth They see the Marks that ye have shot at in all your Councils past to be Lucre Money Gains they see you sought your Profit yea though it were joyn'd with the Slaughter of Truth They see ye would ever that sooner injury should be done to the Gospel than that your Authority that is to say arrogant Impudency should in any point be diminished And we pray you The Popes craft in stealing a General Council what may Paul the Bishop of Rome seem now to go about which seeing all Princes occupied in great affairs would steal as he calleth it a General Council What other thing than hereby to have some excuse to refuse a General Council hereafter when time and place much better for the handling of matters of Religion shall be given unto Princes of Christendom He will think he may then do as Princes now do he will think it lawful not to come then because Princes now come not We pray God that we ever brawl not one with another in Religion and whereas Dissention is amongst us yet for our parts we do say that we as much as men may defend the better part and be in the right way We pray God that the world may enjoy peace and tranquillity and that then we may have both time and place to settle Religion For except first Princes agree and so War laid aside seek peace he loseth his labour that seeketh a General Council If the Bishop of Rome may keep his Council while they thus be together will not there be made many pretty Decrees If they which would come if they had leisure be absent and we which though we safely might come will not lose any part of our right trow you in all our absence that the Bishop of Rome will not handle his Profit and Primacy well The time and plâ—ce presently picked of the Pope Paul how can any of ours not refuse to come to Mantua through so many perils a City so far set from England so nigh your Friends Kinsmen and Adherents Is he not unworthy of Life that where he may tarry at home will pass through so many Ieopardies of Life Can he which cometh to Cremona a City not far from Mantua be safe if he be taken not to be the Bishop of Romes Friend What an Heretick is among the Papists that is as the common sort of deceived people doth interpret an Heretick And if there come to Mantua such a number as would furnish a General Council may not Mantua séem too little to receive so many Guests Put these two together all the way from England to Mantua is full of just perils and yet if ye escape all those the very place wâ—ere the Council is kept is more to be suspected than all the way Do ye not know all Civil Laws to compel no man to come to any place where he shall be in jeopardy of his Life all the way We have no safe conduct to pass and return by the Dominions of other Princes And if we had a safe conduct yet should not we be charged with rashness that where just terror might have dissuaded us from such a journey The way to Mantua long and dangerous we committed our selves to such perils Surely he that the time being as it is things standing as they do will go from England to Mantua may be careless if he lack not wit sure of his arrival or return from thence he cannot be For who doth not know how oft the Bishops of Rome have plaid false parts with them that in such matters have trusted to their safe conduct How oft have they caused by their Perfidie such men to be slain The falshood of Popes no new thing as they have promised by their Faith before that they should both come safe and go safe These be no news Popes to be false Popes to keep no promise neither with God nor Man Popes contrary to their oaths to defile their cruel hands with honest mens bloud But we tarry too long in things that as well touch all men as us We will these now laid apart turn our Oration unto such things as privately touch both us King Henry the Eighth and all Englishmen Is it unknown to any man what mind Paul the Bishop of Rome beareth to us King Henry the Eighth to us his Nobility to us his Graces Bishops and to us all his Graces Subjects for the pulling down of his usurped Power and proud Primacy for expelling of his usurped Iurisdiction and for delivering of our Realm from his grievous bondage and pollage Who seeth not him even enflamed with hatred against us The hatred of the Pâ—pe against England and the flames to be much greater
than he can now keep them in He is an open Enemy he dissembleth no longer provoking all men by all the means that he can to endamage us and our Country These three years he hath been occupied in no one thing so much as how he might stir up the Commons of England and corrupting some with Money some with Dignities We let pass what Letters he hath written to Christian Princes with how great fervent study he hath exhorted them to set upon us The good Vicar of Christ by his doing sheweth how he understands the words of Christ he thinketh he playeth Christ's part well when he may say as Christ did Non veni pacem mittere in terram The Pope bringeth not peace but the sword to the earth otherwise than Christ did sed gladium I come not to make peace in earth but to send swords about and not such swords as Christ would his to be armed withall but such as cruel Manquellers abuse in the slaughter of their Neighbours We marvel little though they vex'd other Princes oft seeing they recompence our favour shewed to them with contumelies our benefits with injuries We will not rehearse here how many our Benefits bestowed upon Roman Bishops be lost Benefits cast away upon the Pope God be with such ungrate Carles unworthy to be numbered amongst men Certes such that a man may well doubt whether God or Man hath better cause to hate them But that we have learned to owe good will even to them that immortally hate us what could we wish them so evil but they have deserved much worse We wish them this hurt alone that God send them a better mind God be thanked we have made all their seditious intents sooner to shew their great malice towards us than to do us much hurt yea they have well taught us evermore to take good heed to our Enemies Vndoubtedly it were good going to Mantua and to leave their Whelps among the Lambs of our Flock When we be weary of our Wealth we will even do then as they would have us now do No no as long as we shall see his heart so good towards us we trust upon his warning we shall well provide to withstand his cruel malice No let him now spend his deceits when they can hurt none but such as would deceive and are deceived They have by sundry ways made us privy how much we be bound to them It went nigh their hearts to see the judgment of July of Clement the seventh of Paul the third nothing to be regarded with us They be afraid if we should sustain no hurt because we justly rejected their Primacy that other Princes would begin to do likewise The Popes Curses not feared in England and to shake from their shoulders the heavy burthens that they so long have born against Scripture all right and reason They be sorry to see the way stopped that now their Tyranny Avarice and Pride can have no passage into England which was wont to walk to triumph to toss to trouble all men They can scarce suffer Privileges that is to say Licence to spoil our Citizens given them by our Forefathers and brought in by errorfull Custom to be taken from them They think it unlawful that we require things lawful of them that will be under no Laws They think we do them wrong because we will not suffer them to do us wrong any longer They see their Merchandize to be banished The Popes Trumpery dispaâ—â—ned out of England to be forbidden they see that we will buy no longer Chalk for Cheese They see that they have lost a fair fleece vengeable sorry that they can dispatch no more Pardons Dispensations Totquots with the rest of their baggage and trumpery England is no more a Babe there is no man here but now he knoweth that they do foolishly that give Gold for Lead Gold given for Lead more weight of that than they receive of this they pass not though Peter and Pauls Faces be graven in the Lead to make Fools fain No we be sorry that they should abuse holy Saints Visages to the beguiling of the world Surely except God take away our right wits not onely his Authority shall be driven out for ever but his Name also shall be forgotten in England God grant We will from henceforth ask counsel from him and his when we list to be deceived when we covet to be in error when we desire to offend God Truth and Honesty If a man may guess the whole work by the foundation The Popes foundation to all deceits where Deceits beginneth the work can any other than Deceits be builded upon this foundation What can you look for in this Mantuan Council other than the oppression of Truth and true Religion If there be any thing well done think as every man doth Bishops of Rome to be accustomed to do a few things well that many evil may the better be taken at their hands The Pope doth a few things well that many evils may the bet er proceed They when they list can yield some part of their right they are content that some of their Decrees some of their Errors and Abuses be reprehended but they are never more to be feared than when they shew themselves most gentle For if they grant a few they ask many if they leave a little they will be sure of a great deal Scarce a man may know how to handle himself that he take no hurt at their hands yea when they bless him which seldom do good but for an intent to do evil Certainly come who so will to these Shops of Deceits to these Fairs of Frauds we will lose no part of our right in coming at his call The Pope ought to be called and not to call that ought to be called and not to call We will neither come at Mantua nor send thither for this matter c. And so the King proceeding in the said his Protestation declareth moreover how the Pope after he had summoned his Council first to be kept at Mantua The Pope again proâ—â—gâ—es his Council the three and twentieth day of May An. 1537 shortly after directed out another Bull to prorogate the same Council to the moneth of November pretending for his excuse that the Duke of Mantua would not suffer him to keep any Council there unless he maintained a number of Warriours for defence of the Town And therefore in his later Buâ—l he prorogueth this Assembly commanding Patriarchs Archbishops Bishos Abbats and other of the Spiritualty by the vertue of Obedience and under pain of Cursing to be present but sheweth no place at all where he would be nor whither they should come And in very deed no great matter though no place were named for as good a Council no where to be called as where it could not be and as well no place served him that intended no Council as all places And to say truth
vincula next coming provide a Book of the whole Bible both in Latin and also in English and lay the same in the Quire for every man that will to look and read thereon and shall discourage no man from the reading of any part of the Bible either in Latin or English but rather to comfort exhort and monish every man to read the same as the very Word of God and the spiritual food of mans Soul whereby they may the better know their Duties to God to their Sovereign Lord the King and their Neighbour ever gently and charitably exhorting them that using a sober and modest behaviour in the reading and inquisition of the true sense of the same they do in no wise stiffly or eagerly contend or strive one with another about the same but refer the declaration of those places that be in controversie to the judgment of them that be better learned Priests not to haunt Ale-houses Also the said Dean Parsons Vicars Curats and other Priests shall in no wise at any unlawful time nor for any other cause than for their honest necessity haunt or resort to any Taverns or Alehouses and after their Dinner and Supper they shall not give themselves to drinking or riot spending their time idly by day or by night at Tables or Cards playing or any other unlawful Game but at such times as they shall have such leisure they shall read or hear somewhat of holy Scripture or shall occupy themselves with some honest Exercise and that they always do those things that appertain to good congruence and honesty with profit of the Commonweal having always in mind that they ought to excell all other in purity of life and should be example to all other to live well and Christianly Furthermore Parsons not resident to pay the 40th part to their Parishes because the goods of the Church are called the goods of the Poor and in these days nothing is less seen than the Poor to be sustained with the same all Parsons Vicars Prebendaries and other beneficed men within this Deanry not being resident upon their Benefices which may dispend yearly twenty pounds or above either within this Deanry or elsewhere shall distribute hereafter yearly amongst their poor Parishioners or other Inhabitants there in the presence of the Churchwardens or some other honest men of the Parish the fortieth part of the Fruits and Revenues of their said Benefices lest they be worthily noted of Ingratitude which reserving so many parts to themselves cannot vouchsafe to impart the fortieth portion thereof amongst the poor people of that Parish that is so fruitful and profitable unto them And to the intent that learned men may hereafter spring the more for the executing of the said premisses Every beneficed man worth 100 l. to find a Scholar at the University every Parson Vicar Clerk or beneficed man within this Deanry yearly to spend in Benefices or other Promotions of the Church an hundred pounds shall give competent Exhibition to one Scholar and for as many hundred pounds more as he may dispend to so many Scholars more shall give like Exhibition in the Vniversity of Oxford or Cambridge or some Grammar School which after they have profited in good Learning may be Partners of their Patrons Cure and Charge as well in Preaching as otherwise in the execution of their Offices or may when need shall be otherwise profit the Commonwealth with their counsel and wisdom Also that all Parsons Vicars and Clerks Beneficed men to maintain their Mansions having Churches Chapels or Mansions within this Deanry shall bestow yearly hereafter upon the same Mansions or Chancels of their Churches being in decay the fifth part of those their Benefices till they shall be fully repaired and the same so repaired they shall always keep and maintain in good estate All which and singular Injunctions shall be inviolably observed of the said Dean Parsons Vicars Curats Stipendaries and other Clerks and beneficed men under pain of Suspension and Sequestration of the Fruits of their Benefices untill they have done their duties according to these Injunctions Postscript CHristian Reader Who hast perused and well weighed this Protestation thou dost see therein the Frauds Pride Avarice Treacheries Cruelties Enmity to God and Christ and his Truth and People with many other notorious Enormities of the Pope and his Shaveling Priests and Clergy clearly and openly discovered detected detested and renounced by so great a King He pronounces them to be open Enemies to Christ himself and to carry in their Breasts an immortal Hatred to his Truth He Proclaimeth to all Christian Princes and Peoble the miserable Tragedies which under pretence of Unity and Concord they have brought into Christendom and that they have troubled all Christian Realms with Seditions under plausible pretences of Peace That in all their Councils and Actings touching Religion the only Marks they have shot at was Lucre Money and Gains yea that they sought their own Profit with the Slaughter of the Truth and were infinitely more willing that the greatest Injury should be done to the Gospel than that their Authority that is to say their Arrogant Impudence should suffer the least Diminution That their usual practice is to defile their cruel Hands with honest Mens Bloud and that contrary to their Oaths He further declares That this holy Vicar was so inflamed with Hatred against the King and Kingdom for pulling down his Usurped Power and Proud Primacy for expelling his Usurped Jurisdiction for rejecting his False and Heretical Doctrine and delivering this Realm from his grievous Bondage and Polage that He sought by all ways to endamage both King and People and by Enemies at Home and Princes Abroad to stir up Troubles and Commotions Upon which sufficient Grounds and for which just Causes he thus resolves saying Surely except God take away our right Wits not only his Authority to wit the Popes shall be driven out for Ever but his Name also shall shortly be forgotten in England And again We will ha' the Pope and his Adherents to understand that which we have oft said and now say and ever will say He nor His hath no Authority or Jurisdiction in England That which he hath usurped against Gods Law and extorted by Violence We by good right take from him again And He exhorts all Christian Princes to favour and follow his Godly and Just Proceedings Thus did God of his Infinite Goodness raise up this Great and Wise King to root out the Pope's Usurped Authority and False Religion also in a great measure out of England and the Lord grant that these Intolerable and Unsupportable Evils may be kept out of it for ever For without doubt that Curse of God which Joshua pronounced against him that should Rebuild Jericho which was destroyed by the Word and Power of God according as it is written Joshua 6.26 And Joshua adjured them at that time saying Cursed be the Man before the Lord that riseth up
abhor true Judgment and pervert all Equity they turn Judgment into Gall and the fruit of Righteousness into Hemlock they justifie the Wicked for a Reward and take away the righteousness of the Righteous from him Our Priests of all Titles and Degrees are like roaring Lions in the midst of us ravening the Prey they rob the Purses of Men they imprison their Bodies they devour their Souls they live in Rioting and Drunkenness they commit Adultery and speak Lyes they strengthen the hands of Evil Doers that none doth return from his Wickedness Our People are foolish and unwise a company of treacherous Men that ly in wait for precious Souls they are perverse Children who have forsaken the Law of the Lord and have said to the Holy One of Israel Depart from us Wherefore we are become a base Kingdom because we have rejected all righteousness yea the basest of Kingdoms because we have Apostatized from the Truth Of a Pleasant and Joyful Land we are become a Land of Trouble and Anguish where is the Young and Old Lion the Viper and fiery flying Serpent We are become a Mingled People Strangers devour us in our presence they devour our Strength they swallow up our Riches they eat up our Bread yea they destroy us our Cities and Towns and there is none to reprove them We who were the chief of Nations the Princess of Provinces who when we spake there was trembling to the ends of the Earth are now become weak and contemptible because our Rock hath sold us and the Lord hath shut us up Therefore the Pomp of our Strength hath ceased and our Spirit fails in the midst of us So that we are shamefully brought down by the least and lowest of the Nations who have subdued our Naval Power taken burnt and spoiled our Royal Ships the Wall and Bulwark of our Nation fought us in our own Bowels triumphed over us in our own River blocked up the Passage of our chief City stopped all intercourse of Trade made a Spoil of our Riches and a Prey of our Merchandise hindred and deprived us of all our pleasant things bereaved us of several of our Rich and Advantageous Plantations brought us down to their feet humbly to beg their favour and have made us a Reproach a Proverb and a Hissing to all Nations O England who shall bewail thee What Lamentations shall we take up for thee Oh that thou wert sensible of thy Stroke and couldst bewail thy self for thou hast sinned grievously therefore art thou cast out of the Mountain of the Lord thou art cast to the ground and laid before Kings and Nations that they may behold thee This is the end of the Children of Pride for they that exalt themselves shall be made Low And therefore talk no more so exceeding proudly let not Arrogance come out of your Mouth again for God is a God of Judgment and by him actions are weighed The Adversaries of the Lord shall be broken in pieces out of Heaven shall he thunder upon them and therefore let not the Rebellious exalt themselves Thus have I rehearsed the Evils we ly under and now I shall represent some of the Great and Deadly Dangers that we are in And one is to have the Nation quite overrun with Popery and to have the Popes Throne of Iniquity new erected amongst us And are there not swarms of Priests and Jesuits earnestly at work to bring this to pass they having emptied their Popish Cloysters and Monasteriâ—s from beyond Sea into England to promote their Catholique Design here And they knowing who stands at their right hand have done it with great boldness and with too great success For they have perverted not only very many of the Common People but some Nobility also and many Gentry And they have two great Engines to advance their design to wit on the one hand Safety on the other Danger on the one hand Promotion on the other Destruction on the one hand Life on the other Death with the one of them they allure with the other they terrifie with the one they draw whom they can with the other they drive whom they cannot draw And these Engines are of that force that thereby they have conquered many weak sinful and unstable Souls yea and have prevailed with some Persons of Honour and Quality to send their Sons to Monasteries and their Daughters to Nunneries beyond Sea to be trained up in their Damnable Religion there till better provision can be made for them here of which they now are in full hopes And now think with your selves and consider well O my Dear Protestant Country-Men how could you endure to see the Pope Worshipped here again in England for a God on Earth to see him set his proud Foot on the Neck of your King to see your King a Tributary to the Pope and to stand or fall at his base pleasure how could you indure to be forced to acknowledge his sinful and foolish Decrees to be equal to the Holy Word of God and to own his little Wafer or piece of Bread for the very Natural Body and Bloud of Christ which was crucified and shed on the Cross how could you indure to have your throats stretched so wide as to swallow down only this one Abomination of his which is more vast and rude than the first Chaos how could you indure to see new Roods erected in every Parish Church and to bow your selves down and worship Stocks and Stones Crucifixes and Images instead of the True and Living God how could you frame your selves to Auricular Confession and to rehearse or enumerate all your sins in a Priests Ear who himself stands in need of Forgiveness more than you being a greater Sinner how could you indure that their lusty Priests should defile your Wives and Daughters they being prohibited Wives of their own and so should drive again a General Trade of Whoredom in the Nation as they have been wont to do formerly how could you submit your selves to their Popish Pennance and to travel their Popish Pilgrimages to their feigned Saints and ridiculous Reliques how could you bear the severity of their Ecclesiastical Courts and Censures and to be pronounced Heretiques by those who are themselves the greatest Heretiques in the World how could You Noblemen and Gentlemen who have your Estates or part of them in Abbey and Church-Lands as they were called be content to have them taken away from You and your Posterity and given back again to maintain Abbots Monks Friers Nuns and such kind of Popish Vermin and Locusts which if once admitted will eat up again every green thing in the Land And let me tell you that all these Estates of yours they do not only promise to themselves but verily expect them Yea farther how could you indure to have your loving Husbands taken from your Heads and your dear Wives torn out of your Bosoms your sweet Children dragg'd out of your Houses your near Relations and friendly Neighbours
hawlled and hurried into Prisons and Dungeons and there to be wracked starved tormented and at last if they live to it to be put alive into the flames of Fire there to be burnt and consumed to Ashes and that only because they sincerely cleave to Christ and his Gospel and will not adhere to Antichrist nor receive his Mark nor do his Hellish Drudgery how could you indure to see this cruel Beast of Rome to play Rex here in England again and though he be the First-Born of the Devil yet to set himself up above all that is called God and Worshipped And yet you are now in more danger to see all these things come to pass because you received not the truth in the love of it whilst you enjoyed it than your Predecessors have been this Hundred Years they having now gotten both Wind and Tide with them even Opportunity and Incouragement Wherefore a Great Man concluded That now certainly the Papists would do their Work they were in so fair a way But he reckoned without his Hoast And lest my Protestant Country-Men should be too much discouraged in this apparent and approaching Danger I will furnish you with one Rich Cordial out of the Words of Henry the VIII which he directed to the Papists in his days in his foregoing Declaration against them where he saith Are you not wicked which so hate the Truth that except she be utterly banished ye will never cease to vex her The Living God is alive neither can Truth his Darling He being alive be called to so great shame contumely and injury as you would have her and if she may be called to all these yet can she come to none of them Who is he that grievously lamenteth not Men to be come to such Shameless Boldness to shew apertly that they be Enemies to Christ himself on the other side who would not be glad to see such Men as foolish as they be Wicked For they work a deceitful Work and by all their cunning Craftiness Mysterious and Industrious Actings they only dig the Pit into which they must fall themselves and contrive the ruine that must be their own Portion Your Second Danger is to have the most Cruel and Inhumane Massacre executed upon you that ever yet was committed in the World by the Consecrated Hands and Weapons of the Papists And this Glorious Service of theirs is designed upon the English Protestants for the singular Promotion of the Catholique Cause which hath its way usually prepared into all Nations by Fire and Sword The Wrath of the Papists is so kindled against you and they are so thoroughly set on fire from Hell that they are ready to break forth into their greatest flames and to endeavour the Destruction of All at Once It is well known how well they are Hors'd and Arm'd and how they train their Troops against the Bloudy Day intended It is well known how well they are furnish'd with Money intended for other purposes It is well known what numbers of French Men are brought into the bowels of the English and many Noblemen and Gentlemen are so pleased with the Children of those Strangers that they have French Servants Papists to attend them whom they have well Mounted and Armed enough to make a little Army of themselves And this they do that their strength may be hidden till opportunity shall serve to make it appear It is well known that the chief Places of Strength and many Chief Commands are in the hands of Papists And now they become so numerous and having such power what is there wanting but a convenient Opportunity to fulfil all that is in their Hearts upon Secure Unarmed Unprepared People and to dispatch their work in few days and especially upon thee O London who art their chiefest Eye-Sore O England except the Lord prevent it thy Calamity is near at the very Door and thou mayst expect every day now Peace is made Abroad when these will unsheath and draw their Swords upon you here at Home and you must be charg'd in the Kings Name for so they will abuse it to stand still and to hold forth your Throats to Murderers You cannot forget the dreadful Massacre at Paris nor that late more dreadful and bloudy Massacre of the English Protestants in Ireland when more than a Hundred Thousand Innocent Persons Men Women and Children were in a very short time with the greatest Cruelties and Torments that ever were heard of murdered by them and what Authority they pretended for it But they have treasured up in their minds the fulness of all Cruelties for you English-men They have discovered something of their Kindness and good Pleasure to you in their firing the City of London which they have left as an Everlasting Monument of their Treachery and Villany to England and of their hatred to English Protestants and let this most notorious fact of theirs be engraven in great Characters on the Gates and Walls and Chief Places of your City when it shall be built again that all Posterity when they shall see New London may know and consider what Persons and what Religion burnt the Old They have also often attempted the firing of Southwark and of the remaining parts of the City for nothing but the utter ruine of it will satisfie them And when the kindling of some of these later flames was related to a Great Person they laughing said Now the Game is begun again for they make but a May game of consuming all And yet Fire only will not satisfie them it is bloud must follow or they are never the near It is you O English Protestants whose lives they thirst after and they can neither eat nor drink comfortably nor sleep quietly till they be filled with this Venison And therefore of you it may be truly said Your lives are in jeopardy every hour Yet for all this let us not despond nor cast away our Confidence saying Our hope is cut off and we are perished for he that sits in Heaven laughs them to scorn even the Lord hath them in Derision and though we hold our peace he will speak to them in his Wrath and vex them in his sore displeasure He will make his Arrows drunk with their bloud and his Sword shall devour their flesh from the beginning of Revenges upon the Enemy Rejoice O ye Nations with his Paople for he will avâ—nge the Bloud of his Servants and will render Vâ—ng ance to his Adversaries and will be mâ—rciful to his Land and to his People Thirdly Another of your Dangers which also is one of the greatest is your own Heedlesness and strange Security in the midst of such thick Clouds and Storms which have encompassed us round able to awaken even dead Men. How stupid and sottish were you at the burning of your City when you saw with your own eies your Houseâ— your Substance your Riches all consuming together in those furious flames before your faces yet how insensible were you of your
by degrees all to pieces as they have fretted a great deal of it already And what English-man or Protestant is there that wiâ— not sâ— 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 writtâ—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 Glâ—â—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 Hâ—â—â—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 Powâ—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 thâ—m strong Delusions that they should bâ—lieve a Lye that they All may be Damn'd that bâ—lieve not the Truth but have pleasure in Unrightâ—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 ascâ—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
deplorable condition how regardless of that heavy hand of God how insensible of the Treachery and Cruelty of Men who did not only begin those â—â—â—mes but also continue them in the Progress they had appointed for tâ—em Had you the Brains or Hearts of Men to suffer those Incendiaries who were taken in the very Act to be rescued from Justice and released to carry on their Villany again surely you were so Sottish that had not the Lord been the more merciful to you your Lives and Houses had perished together as it was designed Moreover how insensible have you been of the Popish Plot and intended Massacre as if those good Men had been but in Jest when a Regiment of Papists was brought up to secure the Protâ—stants and a company of Wolves to guard the Flock and when some of their own Pens and Lips reveal their minds why should you yet be so ignorant of it who are wholly concerned in it Wherefore as your Lives hitherto have been dear to God so let them now also be dear to your selves and do not you say Pâ—ace Peace when the Papists intend and prepare Dâ—struction Destruction but let that be verified of you which Henry VIII saith of his time to wit The World is not now in so light a suspicion of you Papists as it hath been hitherto but every Man seeth before his Eies your deceits your Wicked Minds your Immortal Hatred against the Truth and the Professors af it every Man sees how many miserable Tragedies your pretence of an Unity and Concord hath brought into Christendom They see your fair face of Peace hath served Sedition and troubled almost all Christian Realms And therefore seeing they were so quick-sighted who lived above an hundred and thirty years ago to see and foresee the Treacheries and Cruelties of the Papists let not us who live so many years after and have had far greater experience of them be altogether blind and see nothing at all in the clear Noon-shine of their Doings Wherefore let all be admonished that after the desired Tidings of Peace they be not so eagerly addicted to the rebuilding their Houses and regaining their Trade and prosecuting their Worldly Affairs and Concernments whilst yet they are uncertain of the enjoyment of any thing that they become careless and regardless how it fares with the Church of Christ and his Gospel which is the very light and life of our Souls as well as the foundation of all our outward comforts or how active and watchful the Brood of Antichrist which lurks amongst us becomes that they may deprive us of our Religion and Lives and so be as greedy Birds that are scratching for food whilst the Net is spreading over them to catch them at unawares for what will it profit you to win Estates and to lose your Lives your Lives are better than your Estates and your Estates are but for the comfort of your Lives And if the Enemy take away your Lives whose shall your Estates be they shall even become a reward to the Murderers Awaken therefore O Protestants and English Men out of your deep and dangerous Security and stand upon your feet like Men Ye dead men live again and I will humbly and faithfully advise you as I am able out of very love in a few things 1. My First Advice is that you believe none of their pretended fairness and kindness to you seeing their hearts are wholly against you and their hatred to you is immortal even the hatred of the Devil in the Hearts of Men which is a certain fire of Hell which goes not out by Day or by Night But know for certain when they promise fair they are not to perform any thing but the quite contrary when they seem to kiss you they intend to kill you when they suffer you to be quite 't is that they may bring the greater Trouble upon you when they retreat from the exercise of their fierceness 't is that they return upon you with the greater Fury when you shall less think of it for their whole Trade is Deceit and Violence Though Satan transform himself into an Angel of Light yet still is he is the Prince of Darkness and these his Followers are exactly like him both to deceive and to destroy they will change their Colours like Proteus to deceive you but they will never change their cruel Minds but they that will be deceived let them be deceived 2. My Second Advice is that none either Plot or Attempt any thing against the present Power but that all stand still in their Place and Calling like Wisemen with their Eies in their Head quietly waiting for the Salvation of God For no Mans Hands can help him in this Matter but our strength is to sit still We can no more change Kingdoms and Governments in the World than we can alter the Course of the Sun or Moon in the Heavens but it is the Great God that must do these great things It is the most High God that reigns in the Kingdom of Men and gives them to whomsoever he will And when his time is come the set and full time and the most High shall utter his Voice his instruments shall be at his foot ready to do his work even to execute the Vengeance written and all his mighty Providences shall concur to bring about the Council of his Will Wherefore remember that Mans rashness carrys ruin in it but Patience perfects both Gods Works and Mans. In Patience possess your Souls Wherefore all that we would do if we might be heard by those that are instructed to help at this needful Time is only to desire for the Glory of God and the Nations good and their own these three things 1. That the dear and precious Gospel of our Lord and Saviour may be permitted publiquely to be Preached again in the Purity and Power of it and that the faithful Teachers may be restored to their Ministry throughout the whole Nation For when Jesus Christ who hath all Power in Heaven and Earth given into his hands hath commanded his Ministers to go and teach in all Nations How can you Worldly Powers who have but a little Power in this Nation answer it to him when you forbid that to be done which he hath so solemnly commanded He that hath all Power in Heaven and Earth hath commanded his Ministers to teach his Gospel and dare you who have but a little power on Earth and none at all in Heaven forbid them If you do not repent of and amend this our Evils it had been better for you that you had never been born 2. Our second desire is That all Popish Commanders may be Disbanded and put out of all Office and Trust in a Protestant Nation and that all Papists through England may be disarmed seeing they are not armed for us but against us 3. That all French and Outlandish Men may be banished for they are but Moths in our English Garment to fret it