The Project for Repealing the Penal Laws and Tests, with the Honourable Means used to effect it. Being a Preface to a Treatise concerning the Penal Laws and Tests.  
IT is now some years since the noble Enterprise of Removing the Penal Laws and Tests, has been carried on by incredible Vigour and Application; and yet to the great Grief of the Catholic Undertakers, the Success does not hitherto seem to answer the measure of their Diligence or Expectation. All sorts of Men, and all kinds of Arguments have been tried, and yet it is scarce to be perceived that the Cause is any thing advanced. The Church of England Men had the Honour of the first Solicitation; and the Nobility and Gentry of that Communion, in consideration of Former Services, such as the Western Action, etc. had the offer of engrossing to themselves the sole Merit and Glory of Betraying their Religion and Country: the Court Arguments of Honour and Profit, heretofore accounted irresistible, were not wanting on this occasion. But this had no other Effect than the innumerable Vacancies of Civil and Military Employments that fell upon those stiff Gentlemen as a Judgement for their refusal. And some, whose whole Subsistence depended upon the Court, chose rather to be deprived of all, and to be reduced from some of the chief Places of the Kingdom, to the utmost hardships of Life, than to join in this warlike Enterprise against the Laws. The Clergy who now seem to be in a state of Reprobation, were smiled upon as long as the Court had any hopes of them, and offered this great grace of ruining their own Church: and to encourage them to this pious Work, Preferments were promised; and because none of any Reputation could be gained, the Blackguard of the Church is called up Stairs, and admitted to the Closet, and Dunghills are raked for Vermin to stink Men out of the Church. Saul was in great distress, when for want of a Prophet, he put his Questions to the Devil; for my part I cannot but look upon it as direct Necromancy to consult Bishop Talgol, since by the smell of the Carrion, it must be concluded to be more than four days dead; and it is not doubted by Men curious in secret Sciences, but that the Devil has somewhere or other robbed a Gibbet to furnish this apparition of a Prelate.  
When the Nobility and Clergy declined this Romantic Adventure against the Laws, a Press goes forth upon the Commonalty; in Corporations this was the Word, Give up the Penal Laws or your Charter, and Mr. Alderman, lay aside the Test or your Fur-Gown. Nay this diligence descended so low, and grew so minute, that a blind Alehouse could not escape the Questions; Why should any one enjoy a Royal Licence to draw Ale, that would not stand by the Prerogative and Dispensing Power? Yet after all, the success of this admirable negotiation was so unsatisfactory, that B. H. swore to his Landlord at Winchester, That the Disobedience of his Brethren of the Blue Apron had brought upon them the Proclamation against Debauchery. Nay, so great was the Condescension, as not to pass by the very Goals: Where  
Trusted, because it was against their principle to keep their Faith with Heretics. Dear Friend William, how shall we reconcile these things with the new Expedient? How is it that sweet and bitter proceed from the some Fountain? And since these Lights lead different ways, for God's sake tell us which we shall follow.  
Many other Writers of lesser Note, showed their good Will and Learning upon this great Subject, and gave the Penal Laws such hard Names, as Draconica, Cannibal, Bloodsucking, Sanguinary, Barbarous, Inhuman, etc. that a Sergeant of the last Call is said to be so far transported, as to tear all those Acts out of his Statute-Book, when he had first of all-desired a Friend to show him which they were. But of all that have signallized themselves by their opposition to the Penal Laws and Tests, commend me to the Reverend Judges, who in these Circuits have done wonders, and astonished all the Kingdom. The Achievements of these Knights Errants, deserve a particular Relation, and I hope they themselves will please so far to comply with the public Curiosity, as to permit their several Charges to be printed, and by this means make some amends for the disappointment of the World, which has waited so long in vain for the Bishop's Trial: In the mean time who can pass by Alibone the Wise, who in his Charge recommended to the Country the Belief of Transubstantiation, and what is almost as repugnant to common sense, he maintained that the Bishop's Petition was a Libel: It was kindly done of a Popish Judge to take the pains to recommend Protestant Bishops to the Esteem of the Country, by expressing his Indignation against them in so high a measure; surely every Protestant would be apt to believe that those Bishops had given some notable Check to the progress of Popery, that should occasion this pretended Judge to be so much enraged. After the Bishops, he fell unmercifully upon the Laws, and said many things against them of as much weight as his Commission; but some of the Gentlemen present thought all this Harangue very impertinent; for they were of opinion, that his sitting upon that Bench, took away the Laws more effectually than all the Reasons he could allege against them. What shall we do now the Laws and Judges are so desperately fallen out? When the Laws are against the Judges, what wonder is it if the Judges are against the Laws? Tyburn had of old the Right and the good Fortune of ending such Controversies by silencing the Judges, and I do not despair but this may expire together the Revilers of our Laws under the same fatal Tree, which without imputation of Superstition, I may I hope, thus accost in Verse: 
Old Reverend Tripos, Guardian of the Law,  
Sacred to Justice, Treason's greatest awe:  
Do thou decide the Nations weighty Cause,  
And judge between the Judges and the Laws.  
So shall no guiltless Blood thy Timber e'er pollute,  
And righteous Laws shall vouch all thou shalt execute.   
FINIS.