THE VISIONS OF Government WHEREIN The Antimonarchical Principles and Practices of all Fanatical Commonwealths-men and Jesuitical Politicians are discovered confuted and exposed By EDWARD PETTIT M. A. and Author of the Visions of Purgatory and Thorough Reformations Morosophi Moriones pessimi LONDON Printed by B. W. for Edward Vize at the Sign of the Bishop's Head over against the Royal Exchange in Cornhill M DC LXXXIV TO THE High Potent and Noble PRINCE JAMES Duke Marquess and Earl of ORMOND in ENGLAND and IRELAND Earl of Ossery and Brecknock Viscount Thurles Baron of Arclo and Lanthony Lord Licutenant General and General Governour of His Majesties Kingdom of Ireland Lord of the Regalities and Liberties of the County of Tipperary Lord Chancellour of the famous Vniversities of Oxford and Dublin Lord High Steward of His Majesties Houshold One of His Majesties most Honourable Privy Council in England Scotland and Ireland and Knight of the Most Noble Order of the GARTER May it it please Your Grace I Humbly presume to take this opportunity of congratulating the late Deliverance of your Grace's Noble Son his Excellency the Earl of Arran under whose Care and Conduct the flourishing Kingdom of Ireland injoyces both Peace and Plenty at this day and I hope Your Grace will be pleas'd to accept of these honest labours of my Pen in defence of that Monarchy which you have so long assisted with your Counsels so often vindicated with Your Sword My Lord There never was a wiser Government never a more Gracious Sovereign never a more faithful Subject than Your self All your Princely Vertues will make Your Grace an Illustrious Pattern to the Ages to come who cannot be parallel'd by any that are past He that compar'd Your Grace to Barzillai did it because among all David's Worthies there was none that for Greatness Fidelity and long Experience might compare with You and yet You as far exceed his recorded Merits as the Irish Seas do the little River of Jordan May the ever-living God make Your Grace as far excel him in length of daies by adding to Your Illustrious Life those which in his Divine Wisdom he has been pleas'd to take from Your Right Honourable Father and from Your Noble Son the late Earl of Ossery and thus make up to us our loss here upon Earth and Yours with a late but glorious Immortality with them in Heaven This is the hearty Prayer of all that Fear God and Honour the King and in particular of Your Grace's most humble and obedient Servant EDWARD PETTIT THE CONTENTS VISION I. THe Introduction The Ghost of S. Jerom a Native of Hungary after a relation of the present State of that Kingdom condemns their Rebellion from the Doctrine and practice of the Christians of his time The Grand Confederacy against Christian Religion and Government discovered in a Dialogue betwixt the Ghosts of the late Vizier Cuperlee a General of the Jesuits and the Earl of Shaftsbury The reason why the Fanaticks of England lament the defeat of the Turks A parallel in some new Remarques betwixt them Whether was the more Unchristian to wish the success of the Turkish Arms before Vienna or of the Moors before Tangier The impious and foolish conceit of preventing Arbitrary Government under the Protection of the Grand Seignior p. 1 VISION II. THe miserable state of the Christians under the Turks the happy condition of the people of England Good Government the reason of it The Malecontens described and exposed The Argument that converted and confirmed a Jew in the Christian Faith He confutes and condemns the Fanaticks for their Rebellious Murmurings and Practices He proves Monarchy to be of Divine Institution and the best of Governments The Monarchy of England the best in the World The design of Hobbs's Leviathan and of Nevil's Plato Redivivus they are both in the extremes and both exploded The Ghosts of Hobbs Machiavel and some other modern Politicians quarrel about Preheminence Lucifer not able to decide the Controversie referrs it to Bradshaw He determines for Richard Baxter upon the account of that Maxim that Dominion is founded in Grace The Folly of it discovered in his Book intituled A Holy Commonwealth and the Villany of it in the Practices of the late Commonwealth of England p. 45 VISION III. THe monstrous Loyalty of the Fanaticks Their several Ridiculous Policies the growth and design of the late Hellish Conspiracy The two fundamental Principles of the Good Old Cause First That All Civil Authority is deriv'd Originally from the People The extreme villany and folly of this Proposition throughly examined and by a Civiliz'd Cannibal condemn'd The Second That Birthright and Proximity of Blood give no Title to Rule or Government and that It is lawful to preclude the next Heir from his Right of Succession to the Crown The great impiety and folly of this Proposition fully discovered and condemned by an Indian of New England The Authors and Abetters of them both exposed The great Wisdom and Goodness of our present Gracious Sovereign in securing to this Monarchy the right and lineal descent of the Crown p. 147 VISION IV. THe wicked Policy of raising a mean or evil opinion of the Sovereign in the minds of the Subjects The trivial and unreasonable occasions of such an opinion a pleasant instance thereof in the Case of the Salique Law it is condemned by an Hermaphrodite Better that the Sovereignty should be in one Woman than in five hundred men The Sovereignty of England in a single Person The Heresie of the Whiggish Lawyers Those that 〈◊〉 of the Antiquity of Parliamentes and those that vilifie them are Commonwealths men and enemies both of King and Parliament The Characters of several Commonwealths-men good advice to them A Panegyrick upon the King the Duke the Royal Family and all the True-hearted Nobility Gentry Clergy and Commonalty of this Realm an hearty Prayer for them p. 217 Books Printed for and are to be sold by Edward Vize at the Bishop's Head over against the Royal Exchange in Cornhill A Discourse of Prayer Wherein this great Duty is stated so as to oppose some Principles and Practices of Papists and Fanaticks as they are contrary to the Publick Forms of the Church of England established by her Ecclesiastical Canons and confirmed by Acts of Parliament A Discourse concerning the Tryal of Spirits Wherein Inquity is made into Mens Pretences to Inspiration for publishing Doctrines in the Name of God beyond the Rules of the Sacred Scriptures In opposition to some Principles and Practices of Papists and Fanaticks as they contradict the Doctrines of the Church of England defined in her Articles of Religion established by her Ecclesiastical Canons and confirmed by Acts of Parliament A Spittle Sermon Preach'd In Saint Brides Parish Church on Wednesday in Easter Week being the Second Day of April 1684. Before the Right Honourable the Lord Mayor the Court of Aldermen and the Sheriffs of the now Protestant and Loyal City of London These three
quality to reduce this Ancient Monarchy into a Democracy in order to which He imploys the whole stock of his malice to scoff and burlesque all the Sacred Orders of the Church as the ready way to ruine the State The truth is says he page 98. I could wish there had never been any Clergy the purity of Christian Religion as also the good and Orderly Government of the World had been much better provided for And so says Mr. Harrington An ounce of wisdom is worth a pound of Clergy Ocean p. 223. And Ministers of all others least understand Political Principles And then having vilisied Monarchy as the worst of Governments and the Corruption of all others He very Dogmatically proclaims the State of Venice to be the Perfectest pattern of Government now existent And so did Mr. Harrington in his Venetian Ballott To gain Authority and success to his Politick frame He recommended to this Nation he Caresses the People with the same unlimited and transcendent power which Doleman is most graciously pleas'd to bestow upon them by which they are inabled to change and depose their Princes at their Leisure and alter and model the Government at their pleasure to prompt them to this with his Father the Devil and Doleman He slights the Plea of Monarchs Divine right makes the King a sharer with and Trustee of the People and looks upon it as a pretence that they have their power from God And after all with an impudence only proper to himself He would cully the King out of his Prerogatives with the rusty Complement of giving him more Ease and of making him more Glorious These and other wicked and ridiculous Positions destructive both of King and People make up the Politicks of this filthy Dreamer who has more of Pythagoras his Ass than of Plato ' s Spirit in him If the Devil said I be in him I will make him come out of him if I can And with that I march't up to him You Sir said I that have so industriously laboured to change and new model our Government did like a Politician indeed to conjure up the Ghost of an Athenian a sort of sickle giddy headed people that felt more fatal Changes and Revolutions than any Nation under the Sun So like our present Fanaticks * Acts 17. â—1 That they spent their Time in nothing else but either to tell or to hear some new thing But Sir when you were scraping in the rubbish of their City for the Ghost of Plato you had done well if you had brought along with you the Statua of Jupiter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which they erected to deter men from being perjur'd Hence 't is that one of their Poets wondring that such persons escap't when the Oak is sometimes thunder-struck said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that the Oak is not for sworn Hence it was that they termed a righteous person 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a perjurious signified a wicked man insomuch that I meet but one among them fit to make a Foreman of a true Protestant Ignoramus Jury and that was Lysander who was so infamous for that saying of his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That we ought to cheat Children with Cock all 's but Enemies with Oaths Now since your Friends at home are grown so scandalous for breaking the Third and Ninth Commandments which were given by Moses who was a King among the righteous You cannot tell how far such a Statua might deter them because set up by a Religious Commonwealth But you have brought nothing with you from thence but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Brazen face And 't is with this Brazen face you have the confidence to appear in defence of your many-headed Democracy to vilisie the present Establisht Government in despight of the Fundamental Laws of this Kingdom and when you have done as I am told to appear in Westminster Hall at a time when one a very little worse than your self received Sentence of Death for High Treason And if the Platonick Year were true a man might easily guess your fate every Revolution of Saturn But to the purpose Greece is not able to contain your Politicks but you whip over into Italy and as the Painters of that Country use sometimes to summon the fairest Courtesans together and draw a Beautiful face for the Blessed Virgin Mary from the slagrancies of Harlots So from the Charming Constitutions of Rome in its Youth and Venice in its old Age would you model us a pure sound and glorious Government I would so replied Nevil For in the most turbulent Times of that Commonwealth and Factions between the Nobility and People Rome was much more full of vertuous and Heroick Citizens than ever it was under Aurelius or Anteninus p. 43. But said I are there not as many vertuous and Heroick Persons under King Charles the Second in England But now I think of it the late Shaftsbuty's Conspiracy would have left us as few had it taken effect as Catalines would in Rome And I believe that such a Protestant as you are who will allow of no Priests but those of Mars esteem a few Heathen Philosophers before all the Ministers of the Gospel He was a Conjurer like your self that was ravisht with the love of Tully for writing against Transubstantiation in his third Book de Natura deorum Cum Fruges Cererem vinum Liberum dicimus genere nos quidem sermonis utimur usit ato sed ecquemtam amentem esse put as qui illud quo vescatur Deum credat esse When we call Corn Ceres and Wine Bacchus we only use a customary way of Speech but whom do you think so mad as to believe that with which he is sed to be a God And just such a true Protestant Politick Antiquarian is the Authour of Plato Redivivus and just such a formidable enemy to Popery But Sir if Ancient Governments do not please you said he because out of Fashion What think you of the Venetian I declare it to be the best in the World at this day Indeed said I the Venetians I confess have not been altogether so Pope-ridden as some others have and their Dukes may marry the Adriatick Sea without a Licence from the Bishop of Rome but I hope you believe it cannot be done without the Rites and Ceremonies of the Church of Rome And that the Pope has a great deal less Jurisdiction in England if ever you took the Oaths of Allegiance and Supremacy But you have lost your English Conscience and no body values your Protestant Policy For is not the King of England much better than a Duke of Venice Is not the Succession in the right Line as Authentick from Scripture as good by experience as Ballotting Is not the King of England by the Grace of God greater and better than a Duke of Venice by the vertue of Hocus Pocus He is greater said he but that greatness is not better either for himself or
a Glass of Wine with you but that I have extraordinary business with yonder Gentleman at present But pray meet me to morrow about three of the Clock at the With all my heart replyed Seignior Christiano and then took his leave of him Turning again to me That Jesuit said he entertain'd me very civilly at Rome but I don't like his company in London Why Sir said I is he a Jesuit He is so replyed he I remember him a great deal better than Oates does Don John That those Sir said I who receive moneys from the French Agents should exclaim against French Pensioners that a Jesuit should cry down Popery is no more news than that an old Bawd should inveigh against Fornication that a Libertine should struggle for Toleration may be because in the height of his Politicks he may fancy that the letting loose the Lyons in the Tower or three or four thousand Bears would most properly conduce to the good of the Subject But I wonder that the people of England should be cajol'd into Fears Discontents and Mutinies by such an unreasonable and ridiculous distinction as of the Court and Countrey Party For have the Courtiers no Estates No Interests in the Countrey Have not they Liberties and Priviledges appertaining to them as well as the rest of His Majesties Subjects Are they not as fit for His service who have been abroad and have learn'd the experience in Foreign Countreys and know their Designs and Policies are they not as fit for his Great Council as if they had only strutted after a Pack of Dogs or walkt up to the knees in Puppy in their own Grounds all the dayes of their lives I do not speak this to reproach any Countrey Gentleman No Nation in the World has more or better qualified for all Honourable employments than this of England has in every County but I speak it against those who object against any Gentleman though every way well qualified only because forsooth he is a Courtier as if a man could not be a Good Subject and a Good Patriot at the same time and in the same place Why any body should fear that they should be instrumental to the Bringing in of Popery I cannot tell But I am sure a man may observe more Devotion in the Kings and Dukes Chappels than in any other Churches or Chappels in England But of all the men living they have the most reason to be against Tyranny if there was the least reason to fear it For search the Histories of all Ages and you will find that under Tyrants none of the Subjects were more in danger than those who immediately attended upon their persons What a miserable condition were the very Cronies of Alexander Nero Domitian c. in The Officers of the Grand Seignior's Seraglio at this day though fine and gay are the veriest Slaves of the Turkish Empire and a Bustling English Countrey Fellow would sooner chuse to dangle on a Gibbet than to stand sixt and starcht in such a posture of silence and mortification as they are forc'd to do many hours together Why then is this unreasonable this silly distinction 'T is they replyed Seignior Christiano who make a difference between the King and his People that make this distinction they who would destroy the King and his Government alwayes begin with his Council and his Court. This is but the repeated practice of these restless and Diabolical Politicians and according to the methods and growth of the late Rebellion you may trace them in all the waies that directly led to the last Hellish Conspiracy No Vermin that were ever run down ever left such a stink behind them all the way for these twenty years we have had the second part to the same tune of Lying Libelling Reviling Swearing Forswearing Caballing Canting and Covenanting So that I do not wonder that you in your * Visions of Thorough Reformation p. 230. last Book that was Printed before the discovery of their Hellish Conspiracy should so positively foretel their Doom who had so diligently observ'd their practices I do not reply'd I pretend to be either a Prophet or a Poet but when his Majesties Declaration was read I was startled to find them playing the same Game over again so exactly that a Body can scarce distinguish their Conspiracy in 83. from their Villany in 62. which they then confest and for which some of them were executed for the ends and design were the same and that too was managed by a Council of Six as I have observ'd in that Book I alwaies fear'd that they would grow desperate and certainly concluded that they would never be quiet until they had again either ruin'd the Government or themselves Yet the particulars which the King has declar'd to all his Loving Subjects and which they themselves have confest and acknowledged more waies than one are so astonishing that I tremble to think that ever it should enter into the hearts of men to destroy so excellent a Prince so wise and just a Government by such Barbarous and bloody means as would make the most wretched slaves afraid to think of Attempting against the most cruel and Tyrannical Moors and Infidels and most of all amazing is it to consider that men of Honour Estates and good Education as they say they had should ingage themselves in so unnatural and barbarous a Conspiracy for Gods sake how shall we wipe off that huge scandal that is brought upon the English Nation before all mankind upon Christianity before Infidels and Vnbelievers upon the Reformation before Papists by this unnatural and cruel Treachery There 's a question indeed reply'd Seignior Christiano for a Politician to ask I can carry you to several people in this Town that can do it in the twinkling of a Cows Thumb How is that said I Why the Fanaticks lay it upon the Church of England they say that most of the Conspirators were Conformists Well! they confess then said I that there was a Conspiracy but I say that they that were ingag'd in it were no more of the Church of England than those who cut off King Charles his Head are of the Church Triumphant He that rebels against his Sovereign is no more a Member of the Church of England let him go to Church as oft as he will than those Jews were of Christs Mystical Body who oft came to him and throng'd him and yet at last denied and Crucified him But Sir that I may by any means be somewhat instrumental to the preventing men from running into such dangerous Courses for the future Pray let me know some of those Principles by the which they at first are insensibly wheedled and drawn into these fatal practices for the present The truth is Sir reply'd he the first and last Movers to these Enormities let them pretend what they will are the Devils of Pride Ambition and Covetousness But because 't is the trick of such Politicians to puzzle the understandings of men