THE CHARACTER OF A Turbulent, Pragmatical JESUIT AND FACTIOUS Romish Priest.  
Licenced, October 15. 1678.  
LONDON▪ Printed for Langley Curtis, in Goat-Court on Ludgate-hill. 1678.   

The Character of a Turbulent Pragmatical Jesuit.  
A Turbulent Pragmatical JESUIT, is the Bell-wether of the Roman Shepherds Flock; a most trusty Janisary to the Triple-Crown. A zealous Hector for Popery, that wherever he comes, plays the Devil for Gods-sake. An Ecclesiastical Granadier to scatter the Wildfire of Contention; or, a Religious Flambeau to put Kingdoms into a Combustion; so through-paced a Catholic, that he has left off to be a Christian, and instead of the Evangelical Duties, Peace, Obedience, and Love, recommends Rebellion, Treason and Murder, as the best expedients to promote Holy Church. The distinguishing Badge of other Papists is Superstition, but of him Sedition and Subtlety, not Ignorance the Mother of his Devotion.  
He usurps the Title of JESUIT, just as their Popes are observed to have chosen Surnames, exactly contrary to their Tempers; as, the most Hatchet-faced Formosus, the most profane Pius, the most cruel Clemens, etc. For certainly, never did any more interfere with the steps of the Blessed Jesus, than those that blasphemously call themselves his Companions or SOCIETY. He disclaimed his Kingdom to be of this World; but their whole endeavours aim no farther. Riches, Dominion, Pomp and Glory, are the Butts they shoot at; and if ever they appear Heavenly, by tampering with Affairs of State, they mix Heaven and Earth together, to bring all into Confusion. Let them magnify the Travels of their Saint Xaverius, and boast the Multitude of Heathens they have converted; look narrowly into that intrigue, and you'll find it only an Hucksterly Charity of mercenary Pedlars, rather than a free offer of glad tidings. They did but Traffic to the Indies, to Barter Religion for Gold; never cared for Preaching to Beggarly Nations, but always carried the sound of Christianity to Regions that had rich Mines or precious Quarries, to make advantageous Returns. Not to mention their Cruelties, in Baptising far greater numbers in Blood than Water, and making the Gospel odious to those dark Souls, by their perfidious and Traitorous Practices; for which, the King of Japan long ago, and the Emperor of China since, banished them their Territories, choosing rather to relapse into honest Paganism, than entertain Truth sullied by such Knavish Impostors.  
He owes his Original to Ignatius Loyala a Spanish Soldier, about the year 1540 and though found out long since the invention of the Cannon, has not done less mischief than that Butchering Engine. Luther had now broke the Ice, and the Dawn of revived Learning having opened men's Eyes to see through the grosser Cheats of Ignorant Monks; the Pope had no other play, but to cherish this Society, who having devoted themselves by a particular Vow to his Interests, employed all their excellent parts and skill in the Sciences, (wherein their diligence soon rendered them famous) to bolster up his tottering Usurpations. The better to effect this, laughing at the Nasty Austerities of their more Melancholy Religionists, they applied themselves to the Politics, and a sociable kind of life; to understand not only Languages and Arts, but Passions, Humours, Prejudices, and (as they speak in Courts) Blind-sides, in one word, Persons. Thus they became false Keys, to open Princes Cabinets, and pry into their Counsels, by their oily Tongues, and pliable Behaviour; insinuating themselves into the affections of the unwary, as gently, as malevolent Stars dart their influence, or blasting Mildews slide into the bosom of a flower. In his Seminary, he acts the part of a Fox; abroad, a Spaniel; but in the Inquisition, a Lion Rampant. The Mask which in Spain or Italy he wears on his Heart, in Countries he calls Heretical he puts upon his Face; varying shapes oftener, than a Strumpet shifts her Lodgings; now a Courtier, to morrow a Soldier, than a Cobbler, by and by a Weaver; a Gallant amongst the Ladies, an Atheist with the Wits, and a Quaker when he assembles with Friends at the Bull-and-Mouth.  
He regards the other duller Litters of Cloister'd Cubs, with an eye of Contempt, and devours or eats them out of Credit (if planted near them) as fast as a Pike does the smaller fry in a Fishpond. Indeed his College is always furnished with some one Professor in every Faculty, excellently accomplished; and the whole Society consists of select persons, either of extraordinary natural and acquired parts, great Birth, Alliance, and Interests abroad, or Heirs to large Fortunes; and the former, ever govern the two latter, well knowing how to make use of such Tools for their main designs, which are Aggrandizing the Court of Rome, spreading Popish Doctrines, wheadling in of Proselytes, destroying, weakening, or dividing Protestants, and heaping up wealth to their own Seminaries. Hence not only the Reformed, but the Dominicans, Franciscans, and other Catholic Brotherhoods, apprehending the growing greatness of this Leviathan-Order; nay, his Holiness himself, in the traverse of the business, is but their Vassal, and apt (like Conjurers) to dread these busy Imps, which himself first raised to Mischief others. Nor has it been the least skill and prudence of the Conclave, for the last Age, to keep out any of this Fraternity from mounting the Infallible Chair, left they should Entail the Popedom on its Members, and rifle the Nests of the Monks, to enrich their own Hives. And if their own Tribe be thus jealous of them, what sentiments others ought to have for them, will not be difficult to determine by any that has read their detestable Writings and Positions, of Deposing and Murdering Excommunicated Princes, absolving Subjects from their Allegiance, Faith not to be kept with Heretics, etc.  
As for the common Popish Priest, though oft he has not so much Learning, yet he puts in hard for an equal share of Malignity, being a Ghostly Factor to Retail out his Holiness' braided Wares; a kind of Spiritual Kidnapper for Souls: One might take him for a Conjurer; for he uses an unknown Tongue, transacts most of his Business in Hugger-mugger, comes in secretly, and crawls up and down in Corners like a Serpent, and with a few frightful words, as Heresy, Purgatory, Catholic Cause, Infallibility, and the like, Transforms people as he lists, and Jilts them first of their Wits, and next of their Money: For though he pretends 'tis in pure kindness to your Soul, yet still the Plot is upon your Purse; and therefore where he meets with a fat Convert, he sticks to him as close as Ivy to the Oak; and for the same reason too, viz. to suck out Sap for his own Support and Maintenance. Thus he switches and spurs an honest Gentleman, or devout Lady, through thick and thin, till the poor Soul look as lean and wretchedly, as if ridden Seven years by a Nightmare. The Reins he manages them with, are Confession and Absolution, whereby he becomes Master of their Secrets; and if they will not place as he would have them, on goes the Snaffle of a severe Penance, to make them more easily ruled.  
He makes a perpetual Din of true Religion, and the Catholic Faith; but 'tis Restitution of all the old Abbey-lands that his finger's itch for; and if ever he get into the Saddle, 'tis will if his quondam Patrons may be admitted to hold the stirrup. In the mean time he sometimes makes use of them, as blind men of their staves, to thrust them into Plashes and Sloughs, before they'll tread themselves; and run them against Posts, to save knocking their own heads. When any Combustible matter is to be fired; these cunning Petardiers ram it into the hollow Cranium of some zealous or desperate Votary, and having inflamed the Fuzee of his Tongue, shoot him against Government, not caring though he breaks himself into a Thousand pieces: For though the Jesuit has outdone them in the Theory of Rebellion and Treason, the Monks preceded him long in the Practical part. Was it not a Monk that Poisoned our King John? was it not Bernardinus a Friar Mendicant, that Anno 1313. poisoned the Emperor H. the 7th with the Consecrated Host? A Crime that might seem to dispute a shape of Gild with that of the Proto-Rebels, the fallen Angels: For surely for a Priest▪ to poison his God (as they hold it to be) thereby to murder his Prince, was such an exquisite piece of wickedness, that all the Wit of Hell could never screw any to an higher pitch. Was it not Clement a Jacobin Friar, that murdered Henry the Third of France with a Sanctified Knife, to whose praise Pope Sextus Quintus dedicated a Panegytical Oraration? And for us nearer home, hear what a Reverend Prelate asserts — This we may observe (says he) That no Treason was ever attempted, 
Dr. Carlton, Bishop of Chichester, in his Book I● itu●ed, A Thankful Remembrance of God's Mercy. Printed Anno 1630. page 246.  without a Romish Priest. The Treasons attempted in England, have that proper and peculiar Mark, to have a Priest in the Practice.  
Yet no doubt such kind of Romish Emissaries will still tell us they quit their Seminaries, and come hither, hazarding their lives merely for our Soul's health: That they love us entirely, and desire nothing but our Salvation: and a thousand other endearing Expressions.— But Good words butter no Parsueps. All these sugared Compliments will but put discreet men in mind of that Fable of the Birds and Fowler: The Fowler in a cold morning caught good store of them, and still nipped them on the head and put them up: His eyes in the mean time watering with the sharpness of the Air; See, said one of the Fowls, how the good man pities us, he weeps to see us taken. Ah, said the other, look not to his Eyes, but to his Hands, there you shall see what pity we find from him. Or at least may remember us of St. Chrysostom's sure Rule, to discern a Wolf from a Sheep: 'Tis possible (says he) for the Wolf to cloth himself with the Sheep's Skin, so as that cannot descry him; and to imitate the Sheep's Voice, so as that shall not betray him, but look to his Chaps, and they cannot deceive you: For you shall not find either Grass in the Wolf's mouth, nor Blood in the Sheep's. Let us never be so rash, or fond credulous, as to mistake one for the other.  
FINIS.