upon them they crucified Christ for fear lest the Romans should come and his death was that which brought the Romans in upon them God punishing them with that which they most feared And I pray God said he that this Clamour of venient Romani of which I have given to my knowledge no just cause help not to bring the Romans in here too for the Pope never had such an Harvest in England since the Reformation as he hath now among the Sects and Divisions that are among us Thus he spake above thirty four years ago And not he onely but many other sagacious and wise men when once they saw Faction to grow bold and sturdy See a Piece entituled Fair Warning part 2. did greatly fear that the Protestant Interest would be sadly wounded by it and did as it were by a Prophetick Spirit tell us to this purpose That if ever Popery did return into this Nation it ought to be laid chiefly at the Schismaticks door I know it will not boot us much to charge one another now when we have all great reason to be humbled for our sins But yet it may not be unuseful for us to observe how the Romanist hath abused many silly and head-strong people among us making them his Machines and Instruments to shore up his tottering Cause and to keep it from sinking utterly And this he hath done by two several ways 1. By poysoning them with such Principles as are either the same with his own or much bordering upon them and very like unto them Amidst that variety of strange Opinions which hath prevailed here since men were so imprudent as to forsake the Old way we may finde many which are very neer of Kin to those that are directly Popish Tenents nay which have been the main Pillars to support the Popish Interest So that by the Tares we know what the hand was which scattered the Seed and by the Doctrines we may perceive who was the Author and Father of them and I dare say if we search narrowly into each Sect we may plainly discern the print of the Cloven-foot and easily perceive that the Jesuit hath been there To make this good I shall omitting many particulars of lesser moment which might be instanced in take notice of the most See Lysim Nicanor material points and such chiefly as strike at the very Heart of Government and which are accounted properly and strictly Jesuitical Tenents because the Jesuits were the first though not the last that had the confidence to defend them It has been generally taught by our Sectaries and I take notice of it the rather because this seditious antimonarchical and cursed Doctrine is now strangely revived that the power Buchanan Goodman Gilby Goodwin Bridges Rutherford and a world more which Princes have is derived to them by the People that Kings Princes and Governours have their Authority from their People that the People are better than the King and of greater Authority that the People have right to dispose of the Government at their pleasure that the People have the same power over the King that the King himself hath over any one of his Subjects that the power of making Laws belongeth unto the People that the King is but the Peoples Trustee and like a Master of the Rolls accountable to his Masters for his Trust and that the People may upon occasion remove him out of his Trust and Authority even as men may lawfully recal their Proxies and Letters of Attorney This monstrous Doctrine did cost the best of Kings his Head and the whole Nation its Peace and 't is perfectly a Jesuitical Principle For so Bellarmine and Azorius and several more of that Grew have Bellarm. de Laicis c. 6. asserted That all political power is in the Multitude as in its proper Seat and Subject and that by Divine Right that the Multitude being not able to exercise their power themselves do transfer it upon some one or more that it dependeth upon the consent and courtesie of the Multitude that there be either a King or Consuls or other Magistrates over them and that if there be cause the Multitude may change the Government and turn a Monarchy into an Aristocracy or Democracy as they please The Reason is given by the great Azorius because Azor. Instit Moral Pars 2. l. 11. c. 4. forsooth though the People do transfer their power and give it to the King yet they do not devest themselves wholly of it but do retain it habitually themselves and in certain cases may actually take it from him again and give it to the next of Kin or to any else Any man may see whither this Doctrine tendeth even to the subversion of Government and especially of Monarchy which is equally uneasie both to the Jesuite and the Schismatick Now Father Watson in his Quodlibets jirks the Jesuits for borrowing their Principles of the Scotch Fanaticks and others are of opinion that the Fanaticks borrowed it of the Jesuits Let such as are concerned dispute this out but this is clear that either they infected these or these have infected them for this is their common Principle a Principle which was never known among Christians till these latter days since Hell hath broke loose Again it is still maintain'd and by no mean person in Dr. Owen against Dr. Parker vulgar esteem That the Civil Magistrate hath nothing to do to enjoyn any thing relating to Gods Worship which God himself hath not required and that the Conscience is not bound to observe such Injunctions That though subjection be due unto the Magistrate in things of his proper Cognizance that is in all things necessary to publick Peace and Tranquillity in this p. 90. world though it be the duty of the supream Magistrate to encourage the professors of Religion to protect them from wrong and violence and to secure them in the performance of their duties yet the Church and its Religion and the Worship of God p. 161. observed therein is constituted fixed and regulated by God himself antecedently to the Magistrates duty and power about it so that the Administration of things meerly spiritual in p. 164. the Worship of God is derived immediately from him to the Ministers and Administrators of the Gospel and that the things of the Gospel and the Worship of God are plainly exempted from the Temporal jurisdiction and punishment of p. 170. earthly Princes insomuch that they have no power over the Consciences of men so as to lay their Commands upon them in these spiritual things or to back them with temporal corporal restraints and punishments This is the Principle defended by that Doctor and 't is likely that he was confirmed in it when his Acquaintance Father Whitebread was at Oxford for 't is perfect Jesuitism and a piece of Politick Divinity which has done as much service to the Church of Rome as any other Principle whatsoever For how came they by
that Absolute and Arbitrary Power which they have over mens Consciences but by shaking off the Authority and clipping the Prerogatives of the Civil Magistrates The Jesuits would not have that Empire and unlimited Dominion in the world did Princes interpose and restrain their Exorbitances Therefore this they contend for with all their might That Kings indeed are and Bellarm. de Rom. Pontif. l. 1. c. 7. ought to be the Patrons and Protectors of Religion to defend the Church to punish Blasphemy Sacriledge Heresie c. but yet that the Government of the Church or the Cognizance of Church-matters belongeth not to them no they have no judgement in Ecclesiastical Affairs saith Bellarmine even as Dr. Owen and others say because Civil Peace and Tranquillity is the proper Object of the Magistrates care Divine things are not subject to his Power it belongeth to Ministers not to the Secular Power to meddle with matters in the Church for the Emperour himself is but a Laick and Lay-men have nothing to do in things Sacred saith Azorius agreeably to what Azor. Inst Moral pars 2. l. 10. c. 7. Sectaries do say and he that will be fully satisfied of the harmony between the Jesuits and them in this particular let him read the Survey of the pretended holy Discipline chap. 22 23 24. there it may be seen at large how these good Wits jump Thirdly it has been asserted not by Episcopal but by the Survey p. 267. Presbyt displayed p. 19. Classical Divines That the Presbyters having Power in their hands may make Decrees and that the Prince ought to confirm those Decrees though against his own Conscience and see them executed otherwise he is censurable and to be forced to do it And even thus saith the Jesuit Bellarmine That Bellarm. de Rom. Pontif. l. 5. c. 7. in fine Kings are bound to serve God by defending the Church by punishing Hereticks and Schismaticks and so far he is right But moreover he tells us That the Church may and is obliged to command Kings to do their office and if they are negligent to compel and force them to it by Excommunication and other convenient ways What an unluckie thing it is that our zealous Reformers should be thus Jesuited for 't is but altering Names and instead of the Pope and his Cardinals to put in the Presbyterian and his Lay-Elders and the Doctrine is the very same 4. It needeth no proof that some pretended Protestants have counted it both lawful and just to bring their King to publick Tryal and Judgment But as no President can be anywhere found for that Practice unless you will instance in our Saviour so no warrant can be fetcht for that Doctrine but out of the Writings of the Jesuits So indeed Bellarmine affirms Bellarm. ubi supra That Kings and Princes being Hereticks and Opposers of Religion may be arraigned and judged by the Church and that the Church can exercise a coercive power over the Civil Magistrate by any ways and methods that shall seem necessary And the like is argued by Azorius onely he is so kind to Princes as Inst Moral pars 2. l. 11. to grant that though among the Ethnicks the people have power to take Cognizance of their Kings faults and to judge them when they are notorious either by evidence of Fact or by his own Confession in Court yet the King hath this priviledge and a huge great one it is to be heard before he be condemned and to make his Exceptions in order to his defence But saith he in a Christian State the people have not power to try their Soveraign without instructions and leave obtained first from the Pope who is to judge of his Crimes whether they be such as render the King obnoxious Now all this is agreeable to the Principles both of the Jesuits and the Kirk-men and the rest of that Clan viz. that the King is onely a Son of the Church notwithstanding his Kingship that their power is of Divine Institution whereas the Kings authority is onely by compact with the people and so much inferiour to theirs being onely Fiduciary and upon that score he may be brought to account and tryed and every worthy man in Parliament may for the publick good be thought a fit Peer and Judge of the King saith Milton This puts me in mind what Mr. Oates hath discovered Tenure of Kings p. 24. of that great Oracle Mr. Milton namely that he was a member of a Popish Clubb The thing is credible enough that he was a Jesuit in disguise But this is manifest that they were Jesuitical Doctrines which in 48 did pass in the Pulpits for Divinity and in Westminster-hall for Law and that the infamous Court of Justice did consist of men who were the Sons of the Jesuit who was the Son of the Devil 5. Further yet it is so notorious that it needeth not proof that our rigid Sectaries have held it lawful not onely not to obey wicked Kings whom they call wicked but also to resist them to take arms against them to have no further Buchanan Gilby Goodman regard to them than if they were the most simple Subjects within their Realms to excommunicate them to depose them to un-un-King them to take their Crowns and Thrones from them and to banish or imprison them for according to Buchanan and his whole Tribe the band being broken between the People and De jure regni the King he loseth all his power and authority which he had by compact from the people This is Jesuitism with a witness or else we have been unjust in charging this Doctrine upon the Jesuits Kings and Princes may be deposed saith Bellarmine and no injury is done unto them if they be deposed And he urgeth the Example of Vzzah 2 Chron. 26. and 't is De Rom. Pont. l. 5. c. 8. observable that Mr. Knox himself urged the very same Example to let the world see how handsomely he and his Brethren went hand in hand with the Jesuits in this point also And it must not be omitted that Buchanan defending the Hist of the Reform p. 391. same Principle fetcheth many precedents from the continual Practice of the Scots who did depose their Kings just as the great Cardinal fetcheth many precedents from the continual Practice of the Popes who deposed Emperours though an honest man will say Quot Exempla tot flagitia look how many Examples of this nature may be found so many horrid sins have been committed on both sides Azorius is as positive as can be in this matter and tells us That though Bartolus and Azor. Instit pars 2. l. 10. c. 8. others were of opinion that it belonged to the People to depose Princes yet rather 't was to be said that it is the Popes business However he doth insist upon it that the thing may be done and done justly when a Prince is either forsworn or sacrilegious or
though inconsiderable Piece to your Patronage Every Creature would lay its young in a secure place and so would I mine And though that be enough to excuse me in point of prudence for seeking the best shelter yet my obligations to your Lorship do moreover require me in point of Duty to express my Gratitude in some little measure though I confess 't is much more easie to contract a new debt to your Lordship then to make any tollerable acknowledgement of an old one That God would preserve your Lordship in honor and safety and make your great cares and indeavours successful to the good of this poor Church that is to your Lordships own hearts desire as it ought to be the Prayer of every honest and sincere Protestant so it is especially of him who is Particularly bound to your Lordship in all Observance and Duty EDWARD PELLING Octob. 13th 1679. The General Contents Pag. Â THe Occasion and Scope of this discourse 1. Reasons for observing the Old Way 8. and Objections answered 17. Advantages to be gotten by observing the Old Way 22. The Conformity of the Church of England to the Old Way shewed in its Government 26. The Antiquity of Episcopacy in the Primitive Time cleared and vindicated 27. The Government of Episcopacy in the Apostles Times 33. Objections against it removed 41. The Conformity of our Church in her way of Worship the Antiquity of Set Forms in General 49. among the Jews 50. among the Old Christians 54. and in the Apostles days 62. The Antiquity of the English Liturgy in particular 73. and of its parts 74. The Antiquity of our Rites and Customes 88. of the Cross c. 89. Mischiefs occasioned by forsaking the Old Way 102. It has hindred the Gospel 103. bred Schisms 105. occasioned Atheism 106. served the Interest of Papists 108. Innovators poysoned with Jesuitical Principles 111. and Acted by Jesuites in their Practices 122. The Conclusion 127. The Good Old Way OR A Discourse offered to the Consideration of all True-hearted Protestants c. SInce these fresh Confusions and Distractions have broke in upon us by occasion whereof this our poor Nation like a distemper'd Body is all on a Ferment several bad humours striving to be predominant and all conspiring to stifle that which is indeed the life and safety of the whole I have often thought upon the dangerous condition which the Jews were in under the Reign of good Josiah and upon that excellent Advice which was given them for the prevention of their Ruine Now thus it was For many years backward there had been an unhappy division and breach among the Of-spring of Jacob the Nation was divided into two Bodies the People became two distinct Houses and the Twelve Tribes that came peaceably together out of Egypt were now broken into two great Parties and so srael was against Judah Throne against Throne and Altar against Altar This Rent began under Jeroboam the Son of Nebat who was the Head of the Ten Tribes and caused them to revolt from Rehoboam the Son of Solomon During which unhappy Breach neither party Prospered yet Israel that made the Breach first prosper'd least and was undone first Of twenty Kings that reigned over Israel successively there was scarce one I think we may say not so much as one that served God with an upright and sincere heart and of these Hoshea was the last in whose days Israel for their Transgressions were captivated and brought in subjection to a forein Power Now what was done to the House of Israel was threatned to be done also to the House of Judah because that unnatural Breach had occasioned the growth of Idolatry throughout the whole Land Lo said God I will call all the families of the Kingdoms of the North and they shall come and they shall set every one his throne at the entering of the gates of Jerusalem c. Jer. 1. 15 16. To prevent which great evil if it were possible good Jostah setteth himself withall his heart to reform Religion and to set the Worship of God to rights He burneth all the vessels of Baal pulleth down the Idolatrous Priests breaketh inpieces the Idol which was in the Temple defileth Tophet and the like Acts he did as we read at large in 2 Kings 23. And God was so well pleased with the King 's Zele even when the Reformation of Religion was in his intention and purpose onely that he promis'd him that because his Heart was tender and he humbled himself before him the evils threatned should not befall Jerusalem in his days Thou shalt be gathered into thy grave in peace saith the Lord to his Anointed and thine eyes shall not see the evil which I will bring upon this place 2 Kings 22. 20. Thus far God was gracious to the People of Judah that for good Josiah's sake he determined to defer at least their destruction for a time the King's Life was yet between them and ruin as long as Josiah should live no alteration was to be but things should go with them after a tolerable good sort but when once their King should be taken away they were then to expect nothing but Desolation and a Curse unless they did repent themselves seriously and in time according to Josiah's Example It was at this time that the Prophet Jeremy was inspir'd and sent by Almighty God to tell all the People their Transgressions and to call them to repentance and to acquaint them before hand with their certain doom if they continued in obstinacy and hardness Return saith he ye backsliding children and if ye will return and put away your abominations then shall you not remove out of the Land Circumcise your selves therefore to the Lord and take away the fore-skin of your hearts ye men of Judah wash your hearts from wickedness thar ye may be saved Be instructed O Jerusalem lest the Soul of God depart from thee lest he make thee desolate a land not inhabited These and such as these were the general Lectures which Jeremy preached in the ears of the people But then he goes on to give them more particular Directions he shews them the steps of their Forefathers he bids them tread as the Saints and Servants of God did tread in the days of old he requires them to lay aside their love of Novelty and new-fangled Devices and to go hand in hand all of them unanimously and together in that ancient way which did lead men to Heaven when Religion was in its purity Nothing but this could prevent Jerusalem's Downfall and the whole Nation 's ruin for all those by-paths which their Fancies had hitherto found out or made did lead onely unto Mischief and Destruction there was no way of setting things to rights or of giving them security but to return to that sound good and holy Religion which had been established in the beginning Thus saith the Lord Stand ye in the ways and see and ask for the old paths where the good
persecutes the Church or disturbs the peace of Christians or is an Heretick or Schismatick or is a favourer or a defender of Hereticks and Schismaticks then saith he that Prince must down and if you read Histories you will finde that it has been a common thing for Kings to be dethroned And he instanceth in the Scots that have been Rebels and Traytors from the beginning In uno Scotiae regno multos Reges legimus Lib. 11. c. 5. Nobilium Populi communi consensu è regno pulsos that is In that one Kingdom of Scotland we read of many Kings whose Crowns have been pulled off their heads by the Nobles and Commonalty Ergo the thing is very lawful And truly this is De jure regni pag. 53. Buchanan's own Argument Possum annumerare duodecem aut etiam amplius Reges c. I could says he reckon up twelve Kings of Scotland or more who have been either imprisoned or banisht or slain out-right by their Subjects for their Crimes Truly 't is a fine Honour for that Nation and though it be a most pitiful and scandalous Argument yet 't is remarkable how these two men did jump in their way of arguing there is such an Harmonia Evangelica such a sweet Harmony between these two great Evangelists that it may be questioned whether Buchanan was not a Jesuit or Azorius a Presbyterian 6. The King-killing Doctrine is justly laid at the Jesuits door for 't is his own dear Brat onely some have modestly doubted whether a Prince who is counted a Tyrant may be executed by any private hand till he has been heard and condemned by the judicial Sentence of the Nation But never let this Doctrine be laid at the Jesuits door onely For hath it not been held hath it not been put in practice by many pretended Anti papists in this Island Give me Buchanan for my money who scorns to mince the matter as others do till they have the Power in their hands for speaking of Tyrants and any Prince that pleaseth not them shall be esteem'd a Tyrant If I saith he were to make a Law I would have such men carried De Jure Reg. away into Deserts or drowned in the Sea and I would have such as kill them to be lustily rewarded not by single men but by the whole Commonwealth even as they are publickly rewarded that kill Wolves or Bears or take their Whelps There 's a man to be a Prince's Tutor but the Jesuits were his Tutors first For what brave fellows were Clement and Ravaillac in their estimation and had they liv'd would have been made Cardinals For what is more meritorious with them than to dispatch a King that is their Enemy Did not Ehud kill King Eglon saith Aquinas Did not the Captains kill Queen Athalia saith Bellarmine Yes surely they did but these instances do not reach the Case However some King-killing Protestants have urged these very Examples which were urged by the King-killing Romanists and by this we See Dang Posit B. 2. c. 1. may know what hands they were which cut off K. Charles's head and by whom they were influenced and set on work 7. But how will men answer God for these horrid Villanies Doth not our Saviour say Resist not evil Doth not St. Paul say He that resisteth shall receive to himself damnation And did not the good old Christians in the Primitive times quietly submit to the Emperours though they were Infidels Hereticks Persecutors O saith Buchanan and his Loyal De Jure Reg. p. 50 51. Brethren of the new cut you must consider the condition of those times the Church then was in its Infancy and Christians were low in Fortunes and few in number and void of Arms yet the ancient Fathers tell us the contrary and therefore 't was necessary for St. Paul to advise them to be quiet as if saith he one should now write to the poor Christians under the Turk he would advise them to be quiet because they cannot help it though the Apostle said Ye must needs be subject not onely for Wrath but also for Conscience sake But saith Buchanan if St. Paul lived now in these times he would say otherwise From this shift the Magistrate may observe how dangerous it is to indulge men of these Principles till they grow numerous strong opulent and heady for then Conscience will hang at the hilts of their Swords but that which I observe is that this Evasion is down-right Jesuitism So Cardinal Bellarmine affirm'd That the reason why Christians De Rom. Pont. l. 5. c. 7. did not depose Nero or Diocletian or Julian or Valens and the like wicked Emperours was quia deerant vires Temporales Christianis because they wanted strength And the same Evasion Parsons the Jesuit used in Q. Elizabeth's days but 't was such a pitiful Evasion that Father Watson who then hated the Jesuits was asham'd of it and did largely confute it Quodlibet 9. Art 4. I might take notice of several more Principles yet which have been entertain'd by our Sectaries and as like unto Jesuitical Principles as one Apple is like another As that when they please they can dispense with Oaths though never so lawful and lawfully impos'd such as the Oath of Allegiance Supremacy Canonical Obedience c. these have been swallowed and gone down glib when an unlawful Oath like a Jesuits Vow sticks and is ready to choak them Likewise that they make Obedience to the Civil Magistrate due with certain limitations and conditions viz. if he stick to that Religion which they suppose to be true This is a Jesuitical Principle and so Bellarmine tells us That Princes are received Vbi sup into the Church upon an Express or tacit Compact that they will submit their Scepters unto Christ and defend and preserve the Faith but if once they warp their Subjects are free from their Oaths of Obedience Exactly answerable hereunto was the Tenor of the Scotch Covenant wherein they Solemn League and Covenant Art 3. swore to preserve and defend the Kings Majesties Person and Authority not absolutely but with this limitation and restriction in the preservation and defence they are Bellarmine's very words of the true Religion Let a Prince please them and he shall be their King and so far the rankest Jesuit will be a good Subject but if he be not of their Opinion or for their Interest farewel Loyalty and let the poor Prince look to himself Moreover they thought as the Jesuits do that any Arts of Dissimulation and Equivocation were lawful Of which the late times have afforded us so many pregnant Instances that for twenty years together Hypocrisie seem'd God be merciful unto us to have ran through all proceedings like an Anima Mundi to give life and spirit to every Action But I cannot well omit one very memorable Instance when the House of Commons did solemnly declare on April 9. 1642. That they intended onely a due and necessary Reformation
on the late King Did he say moreover That God himself had eclips'd yea lost the brightest Beam of his Divine Glory that ever shin'd on this lower world if he had not some way or other brought That person to some eminent and preternatural punishment Why to shew by whom those Regicides were acted and whom they gratified and whose Interest they really serv'd we may remember that a Popish Priest mounted on Horse-back at Charing-cross vailed his Hat and flourish'd his Sword saying Now our greatest Enemy is gone And with what joy the news of it was receiv'd by the Romanists abroad and what great hopes they entertain'd of gaining England thereby Dr. Peter du Moulin who was well able to acquaint us hath given Answer to Philanax us a particular Account Have our imprudent Brethren laid all their Irons in the fire to procure a Toleration It was the way which Contzen the Jesuit advis'd That the Romanists in a Protestant Kingdom Subornatio petentium libertatem indulgentiam Contz Pol. 2. c. 18. § 6. Bellarm. in Tort. should suborn some and set them on work to crave Liberty and an Indulgence 'T was that which Cardinal Bellarmine had the confidence to advise K. James That he should grant a Toleration 'T was that which some hundreds of Papists were so greedy of that as Mr. Oates tells us they offered Cromwel that in case he would grant it they would renounce the Interest of the Stuarts such very Loyal good Subjects they were Dedication of his Narrat 'T was that which was once obtain'd by the joynt Interest of some whom our credulous Non-conformists took for their hearty Patrons though it hapned unluckily that one of them at the same time was a Popish Lord. 'T was that which Coleman again laboured for with all imaginable Zeal and by encouragements from the French King's Confessor endeavoured to purchase at any price and with any hazards and which he cajoled our Dissenters whom he plough'd with into fair hopes of In a word 't is that then which nothing can more oblige or gratifie the Romanists and especially the Priests at this juncture and critical point of time Did the Jesuits and their Complices lay a most horrid and devilish Plot here in England And did not an open Rebellion break out in Scotland at the same time And that we may know by whom those Rebels were acted it is notorious that Ireland and other Romish Priests were dispatcht away into the North to prepare them for Tumults and Hamilton a Jesuited Papist was in the Head of the Rebellion and their publick Declaration did smell so strong of Jesuitism for the Act of Supremacy was condemned the Covenants were revived the observation of the 29th of May was disclaimed and the Kings Authority in Ecclesiastical matters was called an Vsurping Power that we have no reason to doubt but that Declaration was drawn by the Jesuits finger Did the Papists here barbarously murder Sir Edmund-bury Godfrey And did not some Kirk-men in Scotland a little after most barbarously murder the Archbishop of St. Andrews Perhaps they themselves did not understand by what hands they were set on work but the Jesuits would greatly triumph were all the Bishops and Episcopal Divines in this Island served after the same manner 'T is endless and I hope unnecessary to reckon up every particular Instance which serveth to shew how the Disciples of Ignatius Loiola have all-along for many years abused our unwary Innovators and employed them as their Tools and unfortunate Instruments to execute those designes of theirs which we are all highly concern'd to oppose And those Instances which I have mentioned already were not intended to exasperate the minds of any Dissenters or to give them offence but rather to do them service as well as our selves For our common Cause and Interest doth lie at the stake and if they will please to consider things without passion and prejudice they will see but little reason for them to account me an Enemy because I have told them the Truth Were not they concern'd as well as others and were not the Interest of the Protestant Religion in open and extream danger I should not have chosen a Subject of this nature because I know how sharp and picquant Truth is especially when it appears in matters of Fact But though I do sincerely profess that for the well-fare of this Church and for the real good of our Dissenters themselves I could be content to offer up my life yet I do not think my self obliged as things stand to conceal my thoughts although I am sure to reap little thanks at the hands of some for divulging them However as I am perswaded that there are many among them who are men of good mindes and honest hearts so I hope that some of them will do themselves and the whole Nation that Right as both to consider that well-meaning men are sometimes easily impos'd upon and also to beware that they be not cheated by Knaves for the future And such I would beseech by all that is sacred and dear unto us that they would lay to heart the perilous condition of the Reformed Religion not in this Kingdom onely but by consequence in all parts of Europe too And have not our unhappy Divisions from the Old way been a sad occasion of this dismal Calamity Could the Jesuits hurt us were we of one minde and unanimous for that good Old way which did lead so many thousands of our Ancestors to Heaven Is it in our establish'd Churches and conformable Congregations that these Hornets do swarm and buzz and threaten us with Death Is it not in separate Meetings that they build their Nests And are they not those deluded people whom they coax and ride and instigate to do their jobs for them besides their own intentions Why since we are not ignorant of the Jesuits wiles methinks Indignation and Scorn and an English Spirit should be enough to keep us from being shamm'd into the Snare and would we but contend for the Ancient Paths it would be impossible for us to be in danger of those Evils which the common Enemy exposeth us unto or to lose that peace which he rifles us of by leading us a side into Avenues which are uncouth and unbeaten My Brethren when first the story of this Jesuitical and damnable Plot found credit in the world it was hoped by charitable and sober persons of the Church of England that you would have taken hold of that opportunity to have laid down your passions and united your selves with us for the common good of the Protestant Religion and when that worthy Magistrate was so basely assassinated there was reason to conclude that one of the Flock being so worried the rest would have ran together presently and been frighted into an Union But since you hold off still since we hear daily from the Press such ugly Reflections upon our Church which is altogether unconcern'd in the Plot onely