A LETTER TO THE KING, When DUKE of YORK, persuading him to return to the Protestant Religion, wherein the chief Errors of the Papists are exposed, and the Tendency of their Doctrines to promote Arbitrary Government, proved.  By an Old Cavalier, and Faithful Son of the Church of England, as established by Law. 
Illustrious Sir!  
WHen I look up to the Greatness of your Quality, and down on my own Meanness, I cannot but tremble to make this Address, so liable to be censured as presumptuous, and obnoxious to variety of Misconstruction. But since my Pen is guided by a Heart filled with profound Loyalty, and Veneration towards all the Royal Family, and a sincere respect, and most passionate, desires for the particular prosperity( Temporal and Eternal) of your Royal Highness, I cannot refrain discharging what I apprehended my Dutys and therefore with good Esther, finding not only my Country, but your Highness also in such apparent( I wish it may not prove inevitable) hazard of Ruin, am resolved to adventure forth, and cast my poor weak Sentiments at your feet; and, If they parish, they perish.  
'Tis generally reported, That you are long since turned Papist, and so far believed, That every day many hundred thousand protestants are melted into Years, and Horror merely on that Consideration, and lament the same, as one of the greatest Calamities that hath happened in our Age, I must do myself so much Justice as to declare, That I am none of those fanatical Spirits, that either raise, or lightly credit Rumours to the prejudice of my Superiors. But besides what has been sworn by persons, whose Evidence none have hitherto been able to invalidate by any substantial Reasons, or Incoherence in their Depositions, Your Highnesses Conduct and Deportment for many years past, your absenting from the public Worship of our Church, Refusing legal Oaths and Tests, your countenancing, retaining an intimate Corrospondency with Roman catholics; and many other Reasons not fit, at least unnecessary here to be mentioned, do all loudly speak it: And for those who would go about to deny it( as some wretched Pamphlet scribblers, and unthinking Health-drinkers have done,) besides the folly of the attempt, they unwarily cast a greater load of Ignominy and dishonour on your Highness, whilst they pretend to vindicate you.  
For is it imaginable, That a Prince of your Generosity and Prudence would so far suffer the Affairs of your Royal Brother to be imbroll'd. His Councils discomposed, all the Protestants in the world swallowed up with Astonishment, and almost despair, your own Honour sullled, your Interest impaired, and these. Three Kingdoms put into a deplorable Distraction, merely upon a false supposition, without rectifying in all this time their mistake by some real Demonstrations to the contrary? If such a Capricio should sway with your Highness; what were it but to render you the worst Subject, the most unkind Brother, the most impolitic Prince, and the maddest, or most monstrous Man in the World?  
I shall therefore take it for granted, and consequently must, tho' with all Humility and a Sorrow inexpressible, direct my Discourse to your Highness as an Apostate from the Protestant Faith; and if I am mistaken, 'tis your Highness has lead not only me, but almost all the World into that Error.  
I am not insensible of my own weakness, and how unfit I am to argue matters of Religion with your Highness, and those subtle Sophisters( the Pest of Europe, and shane of Christianity) which are always croaking about Persons of Quality, whom they have perverted to their Idolatries; being myself but a Lay-Gentleman, of little Learning, and in the course of my Life more conversant with the Sword, than the Pin: And I must wonder with Regret, if none of the Right Reverend Fathers, my Lords the Bishops, or some of our other Learned Divines have not vigorously made Applications to your Highness, even in a public Manner, to regain you to the Protestant Communion: If they have not charged you, as they are God's Ambassadors to show some Reasons, why you have broken the League( your Baptismal vows) with his Church, and joined yourself to the Tents of his Enemies. If they have not adjured you in the Name of our Lord, to show on what offence taken amongst us, and for what Beauties observed In the Church of Rome, you quitted the true Spouse of Christ, to follow the Enchantments of a Strumpet, whose shameless Adulteries have long since caused an utter Divorce between Her and the Blessed Jesus: If they have not solemnly called Heaven and Earth to Record, that they are ready to satisfy all your Scruples, to answer all your Objections; and to show, That it is not through any default in them, for want of Endeavours, nor in our Church for want of Truth, but that your defection must be wilful, as well as unreasonable, whereby to render you either convicted, or inexcusible.  
Nor do I doubt, but several of those Glorious Lights of our Church, may accordingly have discharged without fear of flattery their Functions herein, in private discourses: But certainly a matter of that inestimable Importance, as wherein nor only the Soul of one of the bravest Princes of the Earth, but also the whole Protestant Interest in the World, especially within these Three Nations. Is so deeply and dangerously concerned, might require, since I am sure it deserves a public and General Application: Nor ought any, though the meanest of men, to be blamed for contributing modestly, his help to prevent a distaster of such universal influence: And therefore who knows but that Almighty Providence, who overthrew Jericho's proud Walls of old, not with Battering Engines of war, but with the blast of contemptible Rams-horus, and is often pleased to make use of the weakest Instruments of effect mighty Works; may give a Blessing to these poor unpolished, inartifical Lines, which have nothing but the Power of Truth, and the Honesty of a sincere Intention to recommend them to your Princely Consideration?  
That you were educated in protestant Principles, Is notorious. I beseech your Highnesse therefore to satisfy the World what could induce you to a change. I shal not mention your Royal Grandfather, whose Learned Pen baffled all the Conclave, nor shal I insist on that Curse which he solemnly pronounced on any of his posterity that should turn Papists: I shal only say, Had you not the Example, and the Commands too of a most Indulgent, Pious Prince, your Royal Father, for perseverance therein; who, though barbarously murdered by vile Men, yet continued steadfast, and even with his last breath discharged and cleared the Doctrine of the Reformed Religion from having any share in their Crimes? What Impiety is it, if you should dare to profess your Fathers Blessed Soul to be eternally damned! and yet, if you are a Papist, you can do no less; for you cannot be such without believing, That there is no salvation our of the Pale of the Church, and that there is no Church but that of Rome; and I am confident none can have the Impudence to suggest, that He died in the communion of that Church: What follows then? or how will you answer this Horrid Scandal on his Sacred Memory, when you shall meet his glorified Spirit at the last dreadful Judgment-day? Nor can the keenest Jesuit blunt the edge of this Argument by a Retortion from the Consideration of your Highnesses illustrious Mother: For though Papists are so audacious, as to place the Keys of Heaven at the Pope's Girdle, and uncharitably doom us All to unquenchable flames, not affording us so much as a Room in purgatory: yet Protestants are nor so unchristian( but according to Scripture) leave secret things to God, and allow grains for Education, Prepossessions, Ignorance, &c. which is yet no more a Reason for any man to turn papist, than 'tis for him that stands safe on the shore to leap off into a vessel so rotten and leaky as just ready to sink, upon a presumption that still some of those that are in her may escape the danger: Or to choose an impudent Quack, who boasts he only can cure him, and refuse a Learned physician, who modestly grants he may peradventure be healed by the other, though very improbably; but withal, that 'tis a Million to one, but the patient, under such hands, miscarries; and that in this case, eternally.  
But quitting this Argument, which is only personal, I beseech your Highness to tell us, how you, or any Man of sense can so far forget, not only his Education and Interest, but his very Reason, as to embrace Popery, frightful, detestable, ridiculous popery, that Chaos of Superstition, Idolatry, Error and Imposture, that has no foundation but a cheat, No ends but to gratify pride and avarice; no solid Argument to promote and maintain it, but Impudence and Cruelty.  
Popery, That depends wholly upon nice and poor uncertainties, and unprovable supposals: As 1st. That Peter was Bishop of Rome. 2dly. That He left there one to be Heir of his Graces and Spirit, in a perpetual unfailable Succession; 3dly. That He so bequeathed his Infallibility to his Chair, as that whosoever sue in it, cannot but speak Truth, so that all who sit where he sat, must by some secret Instinct, say as he taught; that what Christ said to him absolutely, without any respect to Rome, must be referred y●… y'd to that place alone, and fulfilled in l●… 4thly. That Linus, Clemens and Cletus the Scholars, and supposed Successors of Peter, must be preferred( in the Headship or the Church) to John the beloved Apostle, then still living. 5thly. That He whose Life is oft times monstruously debauched, his judgement childishly ignorant, cannot yet, when in his Pontifical Chair, possibly err. 6thly. That the Golden Line of this Apostolical Succession, in the confusion of so many long desperate Senisms, shamefully corrupt Usurpations and Intrusions, and confessed Heresies, yet neither was nor can be broken.  
Popery, That teaches Men to worship Stocks and Stones, and painted Clouts, with the same Honour as is due to our Creator; and lest that practise should appear to her simplo Clients too palpably opposite to Gods Law, most sacrilegiously stifles one of the Ten Commendments in their vulgar Catechisms and Prayer-Books.  
Popery, That utterly confounds the true Humanity of Christ, while they give unto it Ten thousand places at once, and yet no place; Flesh, and no Flesh; several Members without distinction; a substance without quantity, and other Accidents, or Substance and Accidents, that cannot be seen, felt, or perceived; so that they make a Monster of their Saviour, or nothing.  
Popery, That utterly overthrows the Perfection of Christ's satisfaction, for if all be not paid, how hath he satisfied? If temporal punishments in purgatory be yet due, how is all paid? And if these must be paid by us, how are they satisfied by him?  
Popery, That hath made more Scriptures than ever the Holy Spirit dictated, or the Ancient Church received; and those which it doth make, Imperiously obtrudes upon the World, and while it thunders out Curses against all that will not add these Books to God's, seems to defy the Curse pronounced by God himself to those that add unto his Word, Rev. 22.18.  
Popery, That erects a Throne in the Conscience to a mere Man, and many times rather a Monster than a Man; and gives him absolute Power to make a sin of that which is none; and to dispense with that which is; to create new Articles of Faith, and to impose them upon Necessity of salvation; to make wicked men Saints, and Saints Gods; for even by the Confession of Papists, lewd and undeserving Men have leaped into their Calendar, yet being once installed there, they have the Honour of Altars, Temples and Invocation; some of them in a style fit only for their Maker.  
Popery, That rob the heart of all sound comfort, whilst it Teacheth us, That we neither can, nor ought to be assured of the Remission of our sins, and of present Grace, & future Salvation, that we can never know whether we have received the true Sacraments of God, because we cannot know the intention of the Minister, without which they are no Sacraments.  
Popery, That racks the Conscience with the needless torture of a necessary shrift, wherein the virtue of an Absolution depends on the fullness of Confession; and that upon Examination, and the sufficiency of Examination is so full of scruples( besides infinite Cases of unresolved doubts in this feigned pennance) that the poor Soul never knows when it is clear.  
Popery, That under pretence of Religion, plays the Bawd to sin, whilst both in practise it tolerats opr●… s, and prefers Fornication, in some cases before honourable Matrimony, and gently blanches over wilful Violations of Gods Law with the favourable title of Venial Crimes.  
Popery, That makes Nature vainly proud, in joining her as co-partner with God in our Justification, Salvation, and idly passing her up with a conceit of her perfection and ability to keep more Laws than God-hath made, whence their Doctrines of Merit and Supererogation, &c.  
Popery, That requires no other Faith to Justification in Christians, than may be found in Devils themselves; who besides a confused Apprehension, can assent to the Truth of Gods revealed Will, and Popery requires no more.  
Popery, That instead of the pure Milk of the Gospel, hath long sell her starved Souls with such idle Legends, as the Reporter can hardly deliver without laughter, nor their Abetters be  told of without shane and disclamation; so that the wiser sort of the World red these Stories on Winter Evenings for sport, which the poor credulous multitude hear in their Churches with devout astonishment.  
Popery, That requires nothing but mere Formality in our Devotion; the work wrought suffices alone in Sacraments, and in prayers; if the number be repeated by root, no matter for the Affection; as if God regarded not the Heart, but the Tongue and Hands, and while he understands us, cared little whether we understand ourselves.  
Popery, That hath been often dyed in the Blood of Princes, that in some cases teaches and allows Rebellion against God's Anointed; and both suborneth Treasons; and excuses, pities, honours and rewards the Actors.  
Popery, That overloads Men's Consciences with heavy burdens of infinite, unnecessary Traditions, far more than ever Moses Commented upon by all the Jewish rabbis; imposing them with no less Authority, and exacting them with more Rigour, than any of the Royal Laws of their Maker.  
Popery, That cozens the vulgar with nothing but shadows of Holiness in Pilgrimages, Processions, Offerings, Holy-Water, Latin Services, Images, Tapers, rich Vestures, garish Altars, Crosses, Censings, and a thousand such like, fit for Children and Fools, robbing them in the mean time of the sound and plain Helps of true Piety and Salvation.  
Popery, That cares not by what wilful Falshods, Equivocations, Perjuries and Abominations it propagates itself, and maintains its credit: And therefore being conscious of her own Villainies, goes about to falsify and deprave Authors, that might give Evidence against her, to outface all ancient Truths, to foist in Gibionitish. Witnesses of their own forging, and leaves nothing unattempted against Heaven and Earth that might advance her Faction, and disable her innocent and just Accusers.  
This, this is the true figure of Popery, through whatever falie optics your Highnes● may have viewed it: This is that for which you are resolved to hazard a Crown of Glory, and three temporal, Diadems to boot; and to which you sacrifice both your own Fortunes, and the Tranquillity of many Millions of Souls.  
What then can the World, that knows the clear light of your Highness Elevated Understanding, imagine can be the Cause of your Revolt? Will they not be apt to conceive, that you have not espoused this Mock Religion purely for its own sake, but for some promised Dowry of an Absolute Monarchy, for Arbitrary power, which she might pretend to bring one day with her to your Embraces? But as this is far below the Justice and Generosity of your Highness; so 〈…〉 unworthy the thoughts of any considerate politician. For suppose any Prince, to whom the British Sceptre may hereafter devolve, intoxicated with the Tinsel Glories of the French Monarch's blustering grandeur, should be so vain, as to hope to subjugate the English Liberties, and destroy the Constitution of the hest Established Government on Earth, by assuming to himself the whole Legislative power, raising Money, and draining his Subjects at pleasure without their common consent in Parliament, &c. and should be so extravagantly enamoured on this fatal Project( fatal I say, because for above five hundred years it has shipwrecked all that coasted that way,) as to be content to shift his Religion, and exchange his Faith and turn Papist, on a presumption, that the same might facilitate and accomplish his enterprise: As hang John, 'tis said, resolved once to embrace Malumetism, rather than not to be revenged of his Barons, claiming their just Liberties Suppose I say all this should be, and that the present Papists, to get their Religion publicly established should comply with his Designs; yet still Is it not most reasonable to believe, That having once gained their Point therein, they or their Posterity, will soon recall to mind their birthrights and privileges due to them as Englishmen; and will they not then be perpetually tugglog and struggling to regain them, whence continual disturbance will ensue, and a standing Army must be kept on foot to support this ill acquired Grandeur? For those Subjects contended with King John and King Henry the third, &c. tho they were Papists, and of the same Religion with those Princes, could not brook it, to be Slaves to their Arbitrary Pleasures in their Civil Rights: Besides, what a waking dream is it for any King that is free from the Roman Yoke, to think to make himself more Absolute by involving himself and his Kingdoms in Thraldom to the Church of Rome; wherein not only the Pope pretends a Right to domineer over him, but every ecclesiastic esteem himself wholly exempt from his Jurisdiction, and all his People will be but half his Subjects, viz. In Temporals, for in Spirituals, and in ordine ad spiritualia( a monstrous Draw-net, that may include almost all the Actions of human Life,) they are wholly to be Conducted by his Holiness and his Subordinate Ministers. How therefore can your Highness, if a Roman catholic, complain of the late successive Houses of Commons for pressing a Bill to exclude you? Is it any Disloyalty to endeavour to preserve the Imperial Crown of England from a Truckling and shameful Servitude to a Foreign Usurper's Power? Or is it any such un-heard of thing to debar a Prince from a Throne, that hath obstinately disabled himself? Certainly, above all men, the Roman catholics ought not to murmur at this; for did not the Pope issue forth a Bill to exclude your Grandfather, King James, unless he would turn Papist? And did not the Romanists, though they acknowledged the Title of of your other Grandfather, Henry the Great, to the French Diadem, yet refuse to pay him any Obedience, because a Protestant, and on that only score fought against him as long as he continued so, and thought it no Rebellion? Your Highness perhaps will say,— What though they did so, true Protestants, and the Church of England do not own such principles? Well then, if the protestant principles be better than those of the Church of Rome, what madness is it in Your Highness to abandon the first, and choose the latter?  
I am a dutiful and hearty Lover of Monarchy, and when established on such an Equi. poised Basis of Wisdom as ours is, shall ever assert it to be the best Form of Government in the World, and most agreeable to the Genius of Englishmen: But that Lineal Descent is so sacred a thing, that the Heir presumptive can for no Default or Crime whatsoever be debarred from the Crown by an Act of Parliament, or public Decree of State, I do not understand; for I am sure the practise in all Ages, both at Home and Abroad in almost every Nation in the Earth, hath run contrary: And as to Right; those that pretend such Succession in all Cases to be Jure Divino, would do well to show in what Texts of Scripture the same is prescribed; till then, they do but talk, not argue; and if a Candidate to the Crown; for any Reasons whatsoever, may without offence to the Law of God or Nature, be Excluded by an Act of King, Lords and Commons; then the Jure divino ship vanishes, and nothing is left to be Considered: But whether such next Heir have done such Acts, or is so qualified, that in prudence it be necessary for the Tranquillity of the public to Exclude him. Now I believe there are but few of the Church of England, but if the Bill had passed the Lords, and His Majesty had given his Royal Assent to it, would have acquiesced therein, and consequently they do not believe the exclusion to be simply unlawful by the Law of God or Nature, for against either of them no human Ordinances ought to prevail.  
But all true Loyalists do not despair, but your Highness may yet prevent all Occasions of such Disputes by opening your eyes; or rather that God( in whose bands are the Hearts of Princes) may irradiate your Royal Understanding, and let you see the horrid Blackness of those Men who have endeavoured to seduce you, and of those Principles to which they would have inveigled you, on purpose to have made your Highness a Property to their Ambition and Avarice, and that under the shadow of your illustrious Name they might one day tyramnize at Pleasure over these Three Kingdoms.  
If Heaven shall be pleased to work such an happy Inclination in your Highness, you shall presently see the whole British Empire echoing with Praises and Acclamations, and instead of murmurs of Seclusion, every good Subject shall erect you a Throne in his heart.  
But the grand difficulty will be to satisfy the prejudiced World of your sincerity herein, for if your Highness( which God forbid) should declare yourself a Protestant only to serve a present turn, and use the Sacred Name of our Religion but as an Engine to advance the design of our bloody Enemies, you would act at once the most dishonourably, and( in the end) most prejudicially to your own Interest, in the World, and must certainly expect the blasts of Heaven, and curses of Earth on all your future proceedings; for hypocrisy is odious to God and Man, nor is there any Monster so abominable to serious Men of both sides as a Church-Papist.  
Your Royal Highness, I hope, will excuse our fears, for we are not ignorant of the Arts and Craft of Rome, that she esteems no means unlawful to obtain her ends. How shall any Oaths be sufficient Tests, when a private dispensation may at once allow the taking, and warrant the breaking of them? Or what signifies the participation of our Sacraments to one that is taught, we have no true Ministers of Christ; if so, no Consecration, consequently nothing but an ordinary Breakfast of common Bread and Wine, and who shall lose the hopes of three Crowns rather than not taste such harmless viands? Not that that I dare Imagine your Highnesses Understanding would suffer you to believe the lawfulness, or your Princely Generosity permit you to practise these lewd dissimulations; yet since such Doctrines are daily taught in the Roman Church, how shall Protestants be assured they have no Influence on your Conduct? I must therefore with all humble freedom assure your Highness, that after so general an Opinion of your Highnesses having been a Roman catholic, though you should go never so duly to Church, receive the Sacrament a thousand times, and rak Oaths all the way from Holy-rood House to St. James's, yet the People would scarce believe the reality of your Conversion, unless withall they see it accompanied with some other Demonstrations. For as Faith without works is dead, so Profession of a Religion, without agreeable endeavours to advance it will be vain. If his Royal Highness, will the People say, be a good Protestant, he will undoubtedly discourage all Papists, the sworn Inveterate Enemies of our Religion, he will not suffer a Popish Priest to approach his Person or Palace. If he have had any intimation of any ill designs, if any have been tampering to reconcile him to Popery( which is no less than Treason) he will presently detect those mischievous Instruments, that they may be brought to condign Punishment, and applaud the Justice that has been done on Coleman, the five Jesuits, Godfray's Murderers, &c. thereby stoping the Mouths of that brazen Tribe who would make the World believe they died innocently. He will declare against all Arbitrary Designs, detest those who by sneaking flatteries would unhing the ancient and most wise Constitution of our Government. He will hearty recommend Parliaments to his Sacred Brother as the wisest and safest Councils, and even thank the late House of Commons for their zeal against him, whilst they apprehended him as an Eenemy to his King, and the Religion and safety of the Kingdom. He will vigorously by his Counsels and surerests oppose the the growing greatness of the French, which at this day threatens all Europe with Chains, and immediately tends not only to the decay of Great Britains Trade and Glory, but also to the diminution, oppression, and( if it lay in human Power) utter subversion of the Reformed Religion throughout the World.  
These and the like Noble Fruits, will the People not unreasonaby expect from your R. H. when ever you shall please to declare yourself a Protestant; which that you may speedily do, not politicly or Superficially, but with that sincerity, as so serious a matter( of infinite more vain than the Three Crowns you are Presumptive Heir to) is the Prayer of all good Men, and particularly of  
Your Royal Highness's 
 Most Humble and 
 Faithful Servant, 
 Philanax Verax.