THE RELIGION Established by Law, asserted to conduce most to the true Interest of Prince and Subject. As it was delivered in a Charge, at the General Quarter Sessions of the Peace, held at the Borough of Newark, for the County of Nottingham, by adjournment for taking the Oaths of Supremacy, etc. July 21th. 1673. According to the late Act of Parliament. By Peniston whaley Esq; I. Esdr. 3.12. Truth overcometh all things. LONDON, Printed for John Place at Furnivals-inn-gate in Holbourn; and Thomas Bassett at the George near Cliffords-Inn in Fleetstreet. 1674. TO THE READER. I Did not intent to have given thee the trouble of an Epistle, very well knowing, that men are not to be persuaded by Argument to like any thing of this nature, that they have an aversion from: But that on Sunday Aug. 24. 1673. a day as famous in our English Calendar, as the French, A Quaker came to discourse with me, There were present at the Discourse the chief Constable of the Hundred, the Parson of the Town, an eminent Physician, besides others. about executing the penal Laws, wherein he had a five shillings concern: I asked him the reason of his opinion, knowing that he had been, a rational Countryman, before he fell into those fopperies; He replied, That he had a call from above, and the words were, Obey the Lord; and from that hour he turned Quaker, and I have reason to believe with as much resolution, as any man of any persuasion in the world; Now I do not see, but it's as good an authority as St. Benet's single Testimony of seeing his Sister Scholasticas soul go to Heaven: Nay it is as good an Authority, and as argumentative as the Independents unintelligible notions about Conversion, Sanctification and Grace; for they arise but from a self-satisfaction within them, as they say, which is no more to be urged to a stranger than my Quakers voice; nor is this the single saying of this Quaker, but if it be inquired, you will have the like account from most of them, and therefore for aught an indifferent person can judge, as good or better authority, witnesss Viva Voce being always of more credit then Here-say evidence, than the many Revelations about the immaculate conception, now made an Article of Faith, Cited by Still. or Bell armin's vision to prove auricular confession, or Urban the 4th. instituting of the Feast of Corpus Christi, in confirmation of Transubstantiation upon the Revelation of a certain woman, or old Simon Stockes Revelation from the Blessed Virgin for the habit of the Carmelites, or as John 19th. instituting the Feast of all Souls 1004 upon the dream of the Abbot Odilo; Ex Becanth. in prol. 4 Lib. Sect. who dreamt that he heard the Devils roar for the Souls taken from them by Masses and Dirges,: By this thou mayst easily see, that most of the many differences betwixt Us, and the Romanists, with the Independents, and their Adherents, are resolved into Revelations, and Fancies, and so of no more Authority to indifferent persons than the Enthusiasms of the Quakers; But the Church of Rome can by no means fall justly under such a censure, considering she is, as we say a true Church, and acknowledged by all to be ancient, and how all along she has been like Zion, a City that is at unity in itself; but that unity will not be much admired when this short Ecclesiastical History of twenty years, commencing 1030 is considered: In the Church sat Benet the ninth twelve years: Benet is deposed, and Silvester the third comes in by Simony, and is expelled by Benet, and he by the people, Ros. Chron. he resigneth to Gregory the sixth; so now three Popes in Rome, all deposed at Sutrium, and Clement the second chosen, who flies into Germany, and is poisoned; Benet again eight months: And is not here a blessed harmony for fifteen years; Then Leo the ninth succeeds five years; but lest I should enlarge my volume to the rate of a Play, and so undo the Stationer, I will only tell thee that I gave it in Charge, because I thought it my duty, and Printed it, because it may from my hands be more indifferently looked on, as one known to have no worldly Advantage by the Church, then from a known or suspected Divine, who will by prejudiced men, which are now too many, be looked upon as partial, and so may have a better effect then ordinary; for though the world generally be Sermon-proof, yet possibly it may not be Charge-proof, and that encouraged me to make this venture. Yet, because of a thing like a text, which like one of your old fashioned Sermons, chimes in every Paragraph, some to discredit it, will according to their scoffing way call it a Preachment; well be it so, it was neither preached in a Church, nor according to the Liturgy, and so consequently a Conventicle, (a name amongst many so sacred, that it apologises like Corban amongst the Jews for omitting the duties of the fifth commandment) and so then there is no great fear of well coming of; but let all conventicles take Example, a thing more revered now than Precepts, and assert the Laws and Religion established as I have done, and it's very probable, they may get a bill of comprehension, and in the mean time his Majesty's Justices, I believe, will be unwilling to disturb them. Gentlemen, THis being a time that the true Sons of our Church might devoutly wish for, but could not Morally few months ago hope so soon to have seen; wherein, as by a Touchstone, gold is distinguished from base metals, the true Protestant Religion from Fanaticism and Popery, it may not be improper to say something to you, by way of Preamble, of Religion; and the rather, because you know there are so many professions, all pretending to an Equal and Apostolical Right. Now to enable you the better to distinguish, I lay this down for a just and true measure of it, That Religion is the best and safest, that most magnifies God, and likewise most advances a peaceable Christian conversation amongst men. I shall not say much of the former at present, considering that all professions equally pretend to it, but make the main subject of my discourse concerning the latter. Our blessed Lord and Saviour left this for a standing rule to his Church: Whatsoever ye would that men should do unto you, even so do to them: By the strict following of which, so much advancing a Peaceable Conversation amongst men, she triumphed o'er the Roman world in less than three hundred years, notwithstanding the opposition of all her Legions. The Professors of Christianity amongst us, may be reduced to five heads: Quaker, Independent, (under which may be comprehended all the Rabble of Sects, as Familists, Anabaptists, Fifth Monarchy men, etc. for Independency is like a Mathematical line, divisibilis in semper divisibilia) Presbyterian, Church of England, and Papist. Now when I have set forth the Principles and Practices of all severally, it will not be hard for a Rational unbyast man to judge which is the safest Religion, that is, which most advances a peaceable conversation amongst men. The Quaker hath a plausible pretence, by his Principles of the unlawfulness either of Swearing or Fight, and his practice accordingly, which, if so, (as he may very well be suspected to have none, considering their being still acted by a light within them) are absolutely inconsistent with Government, and consequently with peace; which will be easily granted when it is considered, that the first moment a man turns Quaker, the King loses a Subject, as to the being useful to him, and every man a Neighbour; for he that will not fight in an honourable and just War, of which no private person is judge, is as dead to his Prince: And likewise, he that will not assert truth, by oath thereto lawfully called in vindication of his Neighbour's Interest, there being no other way to do it by the Constitution of the Law, is worse to him. As for their pretensions to perfection, contrary to Scripture and their own impure practice, I shall leave to the Divines to consider of, and conclude that Quakers are like salt that hath lost its savour, Mar. 5.13. and thenceforth good for nothing but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men: For it is not at all consistent with the prudence of Princes, to connive at, much less to tolerate an opinion that renders the abettors useless, if not worse, to all the ends of Government. The Independent now pretends to a kind of Call or Election into the Pastoral Office, as they term it, by a Company of people who say they are Saints, and that's all the reason we have to believe it. I should wonder how it can come into any man's head to accept of an Office, according to their own opinion, sacred too, upon such a title (but that we see ambitious men will accept of Power upon any terms) it being a principle in Law, Nemo potest plus juris in alium transferre quam ipse habet, None can transfer or give a greater right than he hath. And I think all sober men will grant, that the people, viz. Tom, Dick, and Cis, originally have not such power as to confer Holy Orders. Electo then may be a fit name than Pastor, for those Boanergeses. I have heard of a Garrison that in a high mutiny, turned out the Officers, and chose out of the Commonalty, others into their rooms, by the name of Electoes', to supply their places in martial conduct, who acted their parts stubbornly enough against their General, as fearing to return to a private condition, if not worse. So our pretended Saints have thrown off their Spiritual Governors and Directors, and have done worse than the Idolatrous Israelites; Exod. 32.23. for they so far observed the Decency of Order, as to desire the Highpriest to make them Gods, which should go before them: But ours have of themselves chose their Gods or Electoes', who are not likely to return in haste to the Communion of the Church, and consequently to the condition of Private men, being that they exercise as absolute an Episcopal and Despotical power, over the Estates and Consciences of their respective Congregations or Troops of Bandits, as ever any Pope pretended to, in the days of the greatest Ignorance and Bigotery; it being their design (I suppose) to take the Kingdom from men, and to give it to Jesus Christ; and then the Saints and the secret ones shall work destruction, J. Owen p. 22.165. T. Goodw. P. Nye. Skid. Symson. W. Bridge. Jer. Burrows Apol to the Parliament. as the same Author elegantly hath it. Now what may be the end of that, is not hard to say, when a Club of them have jointly declared: This Principle we carried along with us, not to make our present judgement and practice a binding Law for the future. Now if these be not as slippery Chapmen, by virtue of this, as either the Papists with their Fides non est servanda cum Haereticis, Faith is not to be kept with Heretics; or the Quaker with his Light within, I am much mistaken. Now that something has been said of their Principles, 'tis fit you should know likewise of their Practices; which have been such, as have not at all shamed their Principles: For all our late Civil War and Bloodshed, with the never to be too much deplored Fate of the best of Kings then, or many ages before living, was the result of their most holy Faith, and all justified by following Divine Providence; caryl. and not only so, but they persisted in their Rebellion to the last too, as is evident to all knowing men of that time; nay they were so generally involved in it, that Capua itself was comparatively loyal: Sir W. R. Hist. World. Pun. War. 2. For there were upon a strict scrutiny two found not guilty of Rebellion; but to these Gentlemen the saying of the Psalmist may be applied, There is none that doth good, no not one: And none that is loyal can take the application of that Scripture amiss, that considers, that in the year 1648 a Book was printed and licenced by the then Authority, with this Title, Several Speeches delivered at a Conference concerning power of Parliament to proceed against their King for misgovernment, which is word for word taken out of Parsons the Jesuits book, as the learned Dr. Stillingfleet hath observed; which Book was written under the name of Doleman, as I take it, to invalidate the Scotch succession, and consequently our King's Title to the Crown of England: so harmoniously did the Independent and Jesuit agree against the common enemy; Herode and Pilate were not so unanimous in crucifying the Lord of Glory, as these were; and probably will be again upon occasion, in quenching the light of Israel: And yet a modern Author, Rehear. Trans. that takes himself for no small fool, has the confidence to say, that the Cause, meaning the Rebellion 1642. was too good to be fought for. But it may be presumed by what over acts we see of their Allegiance, that had they the same opportunity again, they would not have so Venerable an opinion of it. It will not now be difficult from what has been said to conclude, that Independent Principles and Practices notwithstanding the unintelligible Jargon that their Sermons and other printed discourses are full of, are far from making any thing towards a peaceable conversation amongst men, and so to be looked on accordingly. Now what severity soever is showed them, must come far short (because the Laws are not strict enough for't) of what they have showed to others: For it passed for Orthodox amongst them, Th. Case. That God would have Judges to show no mercy, when the quarrel was against Religion. The Presbyterians pretend to a constant succession of Holy Orders or Ordination by imposition of hands from the Apostles time, as well as we, but by the Medium of Presbyters, as we of Bishops. They, that is the sober part, Clevel. (for There is a Church as well as Kirke of Scots) wave enthusiasms and such like dreams, and make the Scripture the rule of Faith, as well as of manners; all the difference than lies in the construction of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, which they say signifies a preaching, ruling, and sometimes a lay-elder, and our Divines (and doubtless with more reason) say a Bishop, and such an one, as hath superintendency over Presbyters too; but this having been the subject of the learned pens pro and con, I shall say no more, but that many of them are worthy in their generations, and eminent both for Learning and Piety, and have been instrumental too in the Kings, and consequently the Church's Restauration; let them now come into her bosom, who is always willing to receive them, and reap at least the fruits of those worthy labours, lest the controversy betwixt us and them be decided by a third party, as that of the Mouse and the Frog in the Fable, was to the ruin of both the gladiators: And I hope there may be an expedient found out for it, for I am sure the Church of England is not of the humour of Pope Paul the fourth, Cor. Trid. p. 406. who said, rather than he would lose one jot of his due, he would see the whole world ruined. It cannot be said, that they were ever immediately guilty of any Sovereign Prince's blood, yet they were a little Schoolmen like, too nice in the distinction betwixt the Politic and the Personal capacities of Princes, and did a little too inconsiderately swallow the Vulgar Error of the Kings being one of the three * I humbly propose to those worthy persons of that judgement, whether the making the King an Estate makes him not a power, and where such is, then in reason, all matters are to be decided by majority of suffrages, and how that will lesson Majesty, he is very shallow that cannot discern. Estates, not having a due regard to the ill consequences of both, which naturally are such as must render the assertors of those opinions, liable at least to a suspicion that they have been far from being zealous in every thing that may advance a peaceable conversation amongst men. The next in order is the Church of England, whose Credenda, matters of Faith, are according to the holy Scriptures, and the first four general Councils, and are such as all her opposers (but the buzzardly Quakers) believe, or at least pretend so, to be true and Orthodox; she claims a succession of Bishops from the Apostles, and hath as much authority for it, notwithstanding the Fryer-like tale of the Nags-head-Tavern, as any of the most potent of her adversaries; she directs Prayers to God, according to his command, and not to the uncertain ear of a Creature intercessor; in fine, she believes according as they believed, in the purest primitive times, and directs men's practice accordingly; and though her directions are not so successful perhaps as then (yet then there were immoralities, as may be seen by the irregularities in the infant Church of Corinth, and the impurities amongst the Nicholaitans and filthy Gnostics) it can no more be attributed to her, than the Idolatry of the old Israelttes could be to Moses, who directed them otherways. I shall not use many Arguments, for truth needs not many Champions, but only say, That if Loyalty and Obedience to Lawful Authority, be an argument of a peaceable conversation, the Church of England is to be preferred before all others of our Cognizance; witness her brave and patiented suffering during the almost 20 years of tumult and tyranny, in which her sons asserted their allegiance with so much cheerfulness to the loss of their lives and fortunes, as is not to be paralleled in any age; to whose restless endeavours and constant struggle against the pretended powers, his Majesty's happy return may more justly be attributed then to any other second Cause. Independency itself was not more eminent for Rebellion, than she for Loyalty, which is as inseparable from her, as light from colour; for it's as well known as a Negative can be, that never any of her sons ever made defection, as to that, except one Apostate Bishop (which is the less to be wondered at, considering there was a Judas amongst the twelve) since the Reformation from Rome; and though many did pay obedience to the late powers, yet it was for wrath, not conscience sake. All this considered, it will appear no great wonder, if her sons be still kindly looked on by his Majesty, according to the saying of his Royal Uncle to his Cardinal upon another occasion: There was no reason he should forsake them that loved him, Lust. Ludo. p. 169. to humour the Caprichio's of those that did not love him. So what the Spirit said to the Church of Philadelphia, may I hope without presumption, be applied to that of England: Rev. 3.10. Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the Earth. Now we come to the Church Triumphant, that of Rome, whose Grandeur hath o'er gone all the Churches that ever were; in the pomp and vanity of this wicked world, she professes the well-bred (that is) the Travelling Religion, and thinks, I suppose, that we are as discerning in the point of Religion, as we are in that of , in love with every thing that is Foreign; she would never offer else to impose all her little tricks upon us. The two Pillars or Staves, Zec. 11. v. 7. on which this mighty Machine of Popery is supported, are not Gods staves of beauty and bands, but Supremacy and Infallibility; Pope Boniface the 8th was a great Asserter of the former, when he made it Authentic Law, in these words: We say and define and pronounce, that it is absolutely necessary to salvation, for every humane Creature to be subject to the Bishop of Rome. A new Article of Faith never heard of amongst the Ancient Creeds, Antiquity making out the contrary; Cited by L. Cook Re. 5. For S. Edw. Laws c. 19 delivers this for Law, Rex autem qui vicarius summi Regis est, ad hoc constitutus est, ut Regnum & populum Domini, & super omnia sanctam Ecclesiam regat, & defendat ab inimicis, maleficos autem destruat. By this you may see that the King was owned by the Law then to be God's Vicar or Vicegerent, not foreseeing the proud decree of Boniface. Inter omnes convenit, quod nemo possit appropriare ullam Ecclesiam cui animarum cura incumbit, cum sit res Ecclesiastica, & Ecclesiastica personae approprianda, nisi ille qui jurisdictionem habet Ecclesiasticam; sed Gulielmus primus ex se, sine quovis alio Ecclesiarum curam personis Ecclesiasticis, ut Rex Angliae appropriavit, unde ipsum Ecclesiasticam jurisdictionem habuisse consequitur. It is agreed of all hands, that no man can appropriate any Church with cure of souls, because it is wholly an Ecclesiastical affair, and to be appropriated to an Ecclesiastical person, except one that hath Ecclesiastical jurisdiction; but William the first King of England did do it, from whence it must follow that he had jurisdiction Ecclesiastical. Now if the Kings of England had Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction, as it appears they had, by the exercising of it, notwithstanding the decree of a little Council or Conventicle to the contrary, which decreed that no spiritual person should enter into any Church by any secular person; Con. Mant. where was the Pope's Almighty Power almost, that he pretended to, about that time in every thing? By the ancient Laws of the Church of Rome, the issue born before marriage, is as lawful inheritable, marriage following, as otherways; yet that was never allowed in England for all the Pope's power, as may appear by the Statute of Merton, 20 H. 3. when the Bishops instanted the Lords that they would assent that the Custom of England should conform to that of Rome, in that particular received this for answer, Nolumus Leges Angliae mutare, Cook 5. Rep. we will not change the Laws of England. By this may be seen what a small influence the Popes had even at that time upon our Parliament, notwithstanding the assistance of the Bishops, and mitred Abbots. Yet afterwards P. Inno. 4. occasionally with a great deal of Magisterial Indignation (being very angry that Grosted Bishop of Lincoln, refused a Nephew or nearer Kinsman, Fox p. 407. for a Prebend of that Church) said that the King of England was his Vassal, Mancipium. his Page, his Slave, reflecting I suppose upon that submission that King John, as the Emperor Frederick said in his Letter to Henry the third his son, more like a woman than a man, made to Pandolphus the Legate; yet Edward the first that Heroic Grandchild of that unfortunate Prince, was of another sort of metal, for in his Reign a Subject brought a Bull of Excommunication against another Subject of this Realm, and published it to the Lord Treasurer of England, and this was adjudged Treason by the Ancient Common Law of England, against the King, his Crown and Dignity, for which the offender should have been drawn and hanged; but at the great instance of the Chancellor and the Treasurer, he was only abjured the Realm for ever. Certain Messengers had from the Pope served Process upon an Officer of Chancery then held at York, Vid. le Regist. f. 224. to command him by those Bulls to appear at Rome, & for this contempt the party that served the Process, was committed to York Castle; and at length the King's Majesty, by the entreaty of divers great men of the Realm, was content upon taking bond, that he should answer the said contempt ad proximum Parliamentum nostrum ubicunque illud summoneri contigerit; at our next Parliament, where ever it happens to be assembled or summoned, to deliver him out of Prison. Edward the first presented his Clerk to a Benefice within the Province of York, who was refused by the Archbishop, for that the Pope by way of Provision had conferred it upon another; the King thereupon brought a Quare non admisit, the Bishop pleaded that the Bishop of Rome had long time before provided to the said Church, as one having supreme authority in the Case, and that he durst not, nor had power to put him out; who by the Pope's Bull was in possession: For which high contempt against the King, his Crown and Dignity, in refusing to execute his Sovereign's command, fearing to do it against the Provision; by judgement of the Common Law the Lands of his whole Bishopric were seized into the King's hands, and lost during life: So all these Precedents considered, it is no wonder if that bold Briton who published the Excommunication against Queen Elizabeth in Pius Quintus his time, met with the sinister accident of a Halter. For if it be treason in a Subject to do so against a Subject, as it was adjudged in Edward the first his time, a fortiori, as my Lord Cook says, it is treason for a Subject to do so against his Sovereign: It may very well be asked now, considering these high Practices, and some strict Laws to abate the power of the See of Rome, how the Pope could possibly have so considerable an Interest as we know, or at least believe, he had in Henry the eighth's time. The Statute of Provisors of Benefices of 27 Ed. 3. gives you a reason to that time, in these words, That though the Statute of Ed. 1.25 * Which Statute is not in the printed Statutes, either by negligence, or probably because it was made at Carlisle, the Roll was not transmitted to London. , stands good, yet by sufferance and negligence, it hath been attempted the contrary. The Pope afterwards got ground by the remiss latter end of Edward the third's Reign, and the whole one of Richard the second, who though he made the strict Law of praemunire, yet it did much abate of the strictness of the Common Law before spoken of, which unhappy Prince was deposed and murdered by his Cousin and Vassal Henry of Lancaster, who though the murdered Prince left neither Children nor Friends, yet by reason that the murderer was not next Heir at Law, he was a little uneasy all his Reign; so that he was forced to comply, by reason of the badness of his title, contrary to the humour of his great Father, with the ill designs of the Roman Clergy (who of all are the best at soldering cracked titles) and make bloody Laws against the Lollards under the notion of Heretics; H. 42. c. 15. yet Henry his son, who had no fault but his title, let them know other, I will not say better things, by suppressing the Priory Aliens, which was all that was done to show the Courage of the English Kings in that particular, till H. 8. who was, if you peruse the Chronicles, the first that had leisure to question his Holinesses encroachments upon this Monarchy. Neither was the Supremacy much more ancient abroad, Ros Hist W. Chronolog. for the first that had any thing like it was Boniface the third, to whom Phocas about 606 granted that he should be the head of all Churches; 'twas that Phocas that murdered his Lord and Master Mauritius; and to say the truth, the Popes have arrived to that height they now pretend to by the wickedness of Usurpers, who having no title themselves, made little regard what they gave to others, to countenance their own Rapine; yet this grant was not so authentic as to make the succeeding Popes stand upon their own legs, for the first downright opposer of the Emperor, was Constantine the first, who opposed Phillipicus about Images, and not only so, but for the greater affront, Stilling. Fanat. of the Church of Rome. 362. forbade the public use of the Emperor's Name and Title, his Successors Leo the third and Gregory the second, wrote so after his copy, that they stripped the Emperors of all they had almost in Italy, by absolving the Subjects of their Allegiance, that they fell into Rebellion and destroyed their Provincial Governors. The Popes of that time were encouraged to this insolence by correspondence with Charles Martell, Major of the Palace, who more then probably had some design of usurpation upon the Crown of France, at that time managed by a race of weak Princes, which afterwards Pepin his son executed by the help of Pope Zachary, who understanding his meaning when he sent to know, whether it was not fit for him to bear the name, who did all the business of a King, readily absolved him of his oath to his Lord and Master with all his Nobles and People: Pepin upon this deposed his Master Chilperick, and put him into a Monastery, and by some such way or worse, made sure of the remaining house of Pharamont. By this may easily be seen the danger that attends lawful Sovereign Princes by the exorbitant power of the Pope o'er the consciences of their Subjects. The successors of this Zachary, notwithstanding the succours that Pepin gave them, which needs must be very great, having nothing to adjust his perjury and usurpations but the Pope's supremacy; as on the contrary they had nothing to save themselves from the fury of their justly provoked Liege Lords, but the strictness of that League; yet some of his Successors by reason of the Lombarde power, were not free from trouble; for Pope Leo the third was put into Prison for some enormities, and escaped to Charles into Saxony, who brought him to Rome with an Army to clear himself, where calling a Synod to examine whether the matters were true or no, that he was accused of; the bold Pope took the Chair and jollily determined it, that the Bishop of Rome was above all men, and to be judged by none: But to make Charles amends, he Crowns him and Proelaims him Augustus, and Emperor of the Romans, to which he had the same title as his Father had to the Kingdom of France; and Charles in requital conquered the Lumbards' for him, and bestowed most of those Lands upon him, called now the patrimony of the Church; for which he was, I suppose, Ros. p. 128. Sainted many years after, having no other virtue but that to deserve such a favour; and who knows but that some kind Pope hereafter may canonize the Rump-Parliament, or at least the High-Court of Justice, they having as much right to do what they did, as Charles had to be King of France (for the Father's prosperous treason could never create a title in the Son) or Emperor, and I am sure they did the See of Rome more service than that great Warrior for all his enfeoffing her in those Italian Provinces. And this is the Original of the Pope's greatness, who as long as the Empire continued in the line of Charles out of common policy, if not gratitude, were very mannerly to the Emperors, Hist. Coun. Tren. 835. for they still dated their Bulls, Privileges and Grants, with these formal words, In the Reign of such an Emperor our Lord and Master. But Hildebrand was of another temper to the Germane Emperors, for he forced Henry the Emperor with his Lady and Prince, to attend him three days at the Gates of Cannusium, before he would admit him to his presence; Alexander the third was not much more modest, when he set his foot upon the Emperor Frederick his neck, profanely applying that saying in the Psalms, super Aspidem & Basiliscum ambulabis, & conculcabis Leonem & Draconem. To this submission was the Emperor forced to save the life of his Son, who was lately fallen into his malicious hands by misfortune: But least these Examples should by reason of their Antiquity be objected against, it may not be amiss to give some later instances of their being busybodies in managing of Crowns; Julius the third very briskly told Henry the second of France in the year 1551. Con. Trid. 314 by his Ambassador. Foul. pag. 725. That if he took Parma from him, he would take France from the King; and in the year 1626. urban the eighth sent to forbid his beloved sons the Catholics of England, the taking of the pernicious and unlawful Oath of Allegiance; nay more, the Catholics of Ireland submitted that unhappy Kingdom to the said urban, and after to Pope Inno. the tenth, who bestowed it as a favour upon his dearest Miss Madam Olympia. In the year 1662. Cardinal Barbarino bids the Irish take heed they fall not foul upon some things condemned by holy Church, in adjusting their Loyalty, which they at that time stood in need of, considering the then posture of affairs: But these however, the latter is a private Doctor's opinion, and the Church not at all answerable for it, says the little Priest that leads the silly women captive; for to give them their due, they will never justify any thing but what may conduce to their ends, like them that never tell truth for truth's sake, but because it is fit to be so; they give the best words of any people in the world to bring people into their Communion, but when once in, they'll show you another manner of Countenance, especially where they have a coercive power, you must then believe all their little things upon pain of being delivered up to the secular power, that is to Fire and Faggot, as it was almost in our Grandfather's days: and what fair dealing can we expect from them? when the Author of the History of the Council of Trent gives this Character of the Pope Paul the third, that he was a Prelate endowed with good qualities, C.T. p. 71. but among all his Virtues, he made more esteem of none, than Dissimulation. But to make this more appear, I'll give you a relation of some transactions of the Inquisition related by a Romanist, which clearly make out, that, that Holy Office, as he devoutly terms it, did take upon them (and I'm sure do so still, if they do any thing) the cognizance of things, of which, by their first institution they were not at all appointed Judges; that Office or Court was set up at the instance of Dominick (whose Mother dreamt when she was with Child of him, Martyr. in vit. Dom. that she had a whelp vomiting fire in her womb) to reduce the Waldenses about the year 1205, and afterwards brought into Spain upon the Conquest of Granada by Ferdinand and Isabel Kings of Arragon and Castille, as an expedient of discrimination of Christians from Jews and Moors: But Charles the fifth made other use of it in the Low Countries, for by its help he burnt and otherways destroyed 50000 of his poor Subjects, little thinking that his memory, as well as the persons, of his most inward friends should fall under their lash. The Story lies thus, which for the Novelty I have translated. Amongst all the Reports that had been raised in the world concerning the said Emperor, Vite Don Carlo. viz. Charles the fifth's retreat, the strangest was, that the continual commerce he had with the Germane Protestants inclined him to their opinions, and that he had retired himself only that he might have liberty to end his days in the exercises of piety, conformable to his secret dispositions; it was said he could not forgive himself the ill usage which so many brave Princes of that party, which the chance of war had put into his power, had received from him, their Virtue, which in their greatest unhappiness shamed his fortune, had insensibly raised in his soul some sort of esteem for their opinions; he durst no longer condemn a Religion, to which so great persons thought it their duty to sacrifice all that mankind holds most precious: this esteem appeared by the choice that he made of persons much suspected of Heresy, for his spiritual conduct, C.T. p. 417. called his confessions as Dr. Ca Calla his preacher, the Archbishop of Toledo, and above all Constantius Ponce Bishop of Dross his Director. It hath been since known, that in the Cell in which he died at St Just, was filled of all sides with writings, wrote by his own hand, upon Justification and Grace, which were not much different from the opinion of the novelists; but nothing so much confirmed this Report, as his Will, there were no pious Legacies, nor foundations for prayers, as made it so different from those of the zealous Catholics, that the Inquisition of Spain thought they had reason to be offended at it; they durst not for all that break out before the King's arrival, but that Prince having signalised his first coming into the Country, by the death of all Abettors of the new opinion, the Inquisition becoming bolder by his Example, first attached the Archbishop of Toledo, than the Emperor's Preacher, and at last Constant Ponce; the King suffering them all to be imprisoned, the people looked upon his patience as the excess of his zeal for the true Religion: but all the rest of Europe saw with horror, the Confessor of Charles the fifth the Emperor, in whose arms the Prince had deceased, and who had as it were received that great Soul into his bosom, delivered by the hands of his own Son, to the most cruel and shameful of all punishments. In fine, the Inquisitors in the process, having accused the said persons to have had their hands in the Emperors Will, they had the boldness to condemn them with it to the fire: The King awakened at this Sentence, as with a Clap of Thunder, at first the envy that he bore to the glory of his Father, made him take pleasure in seeing his memory exposed to this affront; but having more maturely considered the consequences of the attempt, he by the safest and securest ways that he could choose, hindered the effects of it, that so he might save the honour of the Holy Office, and make no breach in the Authority of the Tribunal; in short, the Dr. Ca Calla was burnt alive, and with him the Effigies of Constant Ponce, dead some days before in Prison: the King was constrained to suffer the execution, that so he might oblige the Holy Office to consent, that the Arch Bishop of Toledo * C. Tr. ibid. He had notwithstanding, his profits seized on for life, so it's humbly conceived that the vast revenues of that See were the best mediators for that unfortunate Prelate. might appeal to Rome, and that there might be no more speech about the Emperor's last Will & Testament. But they left not there, for taking advantage of the credulousness of that Priest-Peckt Prince Philip the second; they never left imposing upon him that Don Carlo his son was dangerous to his Estate, and intimated too much familiarity with his Mother in Law; so that at length, the Prince, though heir apparent to the Crown, for showing too indiscreet an indignation at that affront to his Grandfather's memory, and some other demonstrations of his ill sentiments of their tyranny, was given up to them, who did him only the favour to give him the choice of his death: the mischief ended not there neither, for the jealous Prince in a manner commanded his Queen, though great with Child, to be poisoned, to expiate the supposed Crime * How far that Office had to do in it, I'll not determine; but it's no great breach of charity to think, that those persons who would not spare the Heir apparent of his Catholic Majesty, would not be very scrupulous in attempting upon Heretical Princes, especially when the Inquisition preferred that barbarous and unnatural murder of Don Carlo, before the obedience of Abraham, and in a Blasphemous Zeal compared the King, all with one voice, to the Eternal Father, who had not spared his own Son for the salvation of mankind; now what sins will not they pass by for the advance of the Papal authority, when so black a crime has got such an extravagant encomium. : There was a design upon the Queen of Navarre and her son, after ward Henry the fourth of France, to seize them when they lived at Pan, by the villainy of one Captain Dominick a Bernois, but by the kindness of the Queen before mentioned, the generosity of Don Carlo concurring, which might be one thing that cost her her life; it was discovered, but what they failed in at that time, their Factors afterwards brought to pass upon one with a knife, and upon the other with poison; by this you may see what they would be at, none must make a Will, except they have a share, or else his memory must be exposed to contempt and scorn; for had the Emperor given according to his quality, a good sum of money for foundations for prayers, as my Author terms it, the Will nor any thing else had been questioned, and the Dr. had escaped Spitchcocking, and though the Inquisition is a stranger in most of the Popish Countries, yet this abates but little of the force of my argument, for who knows not that it is none of the Pope's fault? When † C.T. 405.416. De seres in vita H. 3. Paul the fourth said that it was the principal secret and mystery of the Papacy, and at his last gasp recommended it to the Cardinals, exhorting them to establish it where ever they could; and his Successors have always been ready to show their good will to it, witness the endeavours to introduce it into France, by virtue of the Holy League, under the ministration of that bloody and perfidious Prince the Duke of Guise, and afterwards of his Brother the Duke de Main: How many horrid murders were perpetrated in order to it? but above all, the murder of Henry the third, by a Jacobin Monk at St. Cloud, is most admirable, for in the same room at St. Cloud, where he amongst others had contrived the bloody Massacre at Paris, the greatest piece of villainy and treachery that the world ever knew justified (except that of the Mamertines, upon their hosts at Messana) was slain by a Monk for not being papist enough, Sir W. R. l. 1.270. though he had formerly so signalised it, by an Act so Heroic, that his Holiness thought fit to celebrate, by calling his Cardinals together, to give God thanks for so great a blessing conferred upon the Roman See, and the Christian World. To omit many more notorious practices, it's very principles are inconsistent with Monarchy, for it sets up at the best two Supreams, like Hobbs his two omnipotents, DeCive. which will like them too, be in a continual state of disobedience to each other, which is utterly inconsistent with the ends of Government. Now we have a great deal of reason to submit, which they call reconciling ourselves to the See of Rome, when we consider how the Council of Constance broke the public faith, in burning of John Hus and Hierom of Prague, C. T. and as the Diet at Worms would have done in the case of Luther, had not the Prince Palatine Lewis, used his power as well as reasons against it; and no wonder, when it is considered what Paul the fourth, Decemb. 20.1555. in the Consistory after wards declared, a mongst other things, that it is an article of Faith That the Pope cannot be bound, and much less can bind himself, C.T. 396. and that to say otherwise is manifest heresy, and if any after that should say so, the Inquisition should proceed. I shall not say much of Infallibility, their second Staff or Pillar, because the pretences to it (one would think) cannot be very strong, when you consider that there have been about 30 Schisms in that Church, that is more than one Pope at a time, and Council against Council too in the Case, as that of Basil under Felix the fifth, against Florence under Eugenius the fourth, besides others, and all equally pretending, and I think with equal right too, to Infallibility, which is not much strengthened by the Act of Parliament that declared, 2 R. 2. c. 5. that Vrban was duly chosen Pope, and so ought to be accepted and obeyed. Image worship, I shall wave as being (by an able Champion of our Church, sufficiently proved to be Idolatry, notwithstanding the nice distinctions of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, Stilling. of Idol. and shall speak first of Transubstantiation, as being the greatest, if not the only part of their Religion, that they are content to have the Scriptures extant for, but with what reason we shall briefly examine [〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, this is my body) it is here observable that the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is not the Relative to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, Ham. annot. Mat. 28. bread, but of the neuter gender, and consequently it is not here said, that this bread is my body (the body of Christ) but either indefinitely this, or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, take, eat, this is my body; this taking or eating is, or denotes my body, which is more fully expressed, Luke 22.19. This is my body which is given for you, do this in remembrance or commemoration of me. There are many other arguments made use of thereby this Learned Doctor, to whom I refer those that desire further satisfaction in this point, whereby he does invalidate the literal and carnal meaning of these words so far, as you may as soon prove Extreme Unction by them as Transubstantiation. Now having done with the Scriptural part of it, Acts & Mon. 218. it may not be amiss to tell you, that it is but a Novel, being but established under Pope Nicholas the second, against Berengarius in the Council of Lateran: Yet Hildebrand his Successor had no great faith in it, though so established, when he desired the Church to pray that God would show by miracle whether Berengarius was rightly condemned or no, an argument of his doubting; but after he gave a special one, that he no longer doubted, though I cannot say it was any great argument of Faith, when in a fit of madness he burned the Host, because it did not give an answer concerning the success of Henry the Emperor: But since that doctrine, with a great many other worthy ones, hath been confirmed by the Council of Trent, Con. Tr. Ses. 13. which decreed that Divine honour should be given to the Bread. But no wonder if you consider the Bishop of Quinque Ecclesiae's Letter, an eminent member of the Council, to the Emperor Maximilian the second; What good (says he) could be done in that Council, where Votes were not weighed but numbered; and a little after, They were hireling Bishops, who as Country Bagpipes, C.T. 84. could not speak but as breath was put into them, the holy Ghost had nothing to do in this Assembly. For it consisted of Tituladoe's, Beardless boys, old flatterers, unlearned and simple, Ibid. yet fitted by their impudent boldness; generals of orders, names, nor things ever heard of in the primitive time, but they are the Popes Mamalukes, with whom he doth enslave a great part of the world, and desigus the same to the rest. Now if the point of Transubstantiation, for which divine honour is given to the bread, come to be examined by reason, which is not wholly to be declined in matters of Faith, it will notwithstanding the Fathers of Trent, be found little less than a mere Invention: God Almighty requires a reasonable service of us, 'tis then impious to think that we must wave that faculty, by which we are distinguished from Brutes, in becoming his servants, as all men must, that believe that Doctrine: And though they pretend that the doctrine of the Trinity is as irreconcilable to reason, as the other, and yet not to be disputed; they may as well argue thus, the Doctrine of the Trinity is not to be comprehended by reason, Ergo the Pope is Infallible. St. Peter on the day of Pentecost used other kind of Arguments, when 3000 were converted; for if he had said, Acts 2. from v. 6. instead of God hath made the same Jesus whom ye have crucified both Lord and Christ: that the wafer or piece of bread than shown them, was the same Jesus that not many days before was crucified at Jerusalem, what would a rational man think would have been the sequel, they would have counted him at the best, as they did the Eleven, full of new wine; V 13. nay rather some of the Zealots would have stoned him, as they afterwards did St. Stephen and St. Paul upon a less occasion: Therefore no wonder if the Jesuits so often miscarry amongst the Japanese, a very wise and rational people, when the strongest arguments to induce them to Christianity, consist in carrying a bit of bread in procession and worshipping it. I'll give you one Philosophical argument for all out of Father Gage a late converted Dominican, hoping it may be as lawful for me to have a Bat at the Pope with the Butt end of a Dominican, as it was for Merry Andrew to have one at the Church of England with the Butt end of an Archbishop; Rehearsal transprosed. and that's thus, When Mr. Gage was at Portabello in his return for England from the West Indies, as he was celebrating Mass, and being devout in his memento prayer, Survey of the West Indies. 197. a mouse came and stole away the Wafer, which being recovered from her by the help of some Priests, though half eaten up, was a great motive for him to rub up his Philosophy concerning substance and accident, and so resolved (as any reasonable man would) that what was eaten up by the mouse, was no accident but a real substance, which no Papist will be willing to say was the substance of Christ's body (because of the absurd consequence) Ergo, it must follow it was the sustance of bread, and so no Transubstantiation: Besides it contradicts the Philosophical Axiom, Duo contradictoria non possunt simul & semel de eodem verificari, two contradictions cannot be verified both together, and at the same time, for here in Rome's Judgement, the body of Christ was gnawn and eaten, and in another place it was not gnawn and eaten. To this purpose Father Gage, and rightly too; For nothing is more absurd than this Doctrine, for it implies contradictions, which are reconcilable neither to right reason nor to omnipotency itself, for that can do any thing but lie, that is, act contradictions: They'll tell you of many miracles about it, but the greatest I believe i'th' case is, that men, otherwise of great wisdom and learning, should so much deny their sense and reason, as to believe such a notoriety of contradictions and fopperies: And to complete the absurd consequences of it, Dean Tillot. son. our senses are deceived too in their object, and that at a due distance; and if they be to be imposed upon in these circumstances, all and at the same time, their's an end of all argumentation. To conclude, that opinion is hazardous even according to their own principles, for 'tis decreed under an Anathema, That the Ministers intention is necessary to the essence of Sacraments, C.T. Sess. 7. Can. 11.12. and that the Minister who is in mortal sin giveth not the true Sacrament, and that certainly made the condition of Henry the seventh Emperor, very lamentable, being poisoned by a predicant Friar in the Sacrament, and damned too, for committing Idolatry, in worshipping the elements, for though the Priest might have a right Intention in the consecration, yet no man can excuse him from mortal sin in the Execution of so nefandous an act; but it may be objected that the Pope who was then at enmity with the Emperor directed it, and then the intention was right, and no mortal sin in the Priest neither; and so the good Emperor that was poisoned in the simplicity of his heart, might get to Heaven, especially if the Pope would have put to his helping hand, as he did to Father Garnet the gunpowder man, who died in a worse cause, thought not so much out of the Pope's favour; Fuller's Ch. Hist. l. 10. p. 41. and so the heavenly Crown would make him ample amends for the loss of his Earthly. And here I cannot but admire the great Prudence and Piety of the late Act of Parliament, which I know has been much misconstrued by the malice of some, and weakness of others, who seem to intimate that the Parliament has declared the Sacrament to be mere bread and wine, according to the opinion of the Sacramentaries, which is most contrary both to the words of the Act and the Doctrine of our Church; for the words are these, I do believe that there is not any Transubstantiation in the Sacrament of the Lords Supper, or in the Elements of Bread and Wine, at, or after the Consecration thereof by any person whatsoever; which clears the point to the meanest capacity, that nothing is affirmed, nor nothing denied but Transubstantiation, Not Con-substantiation itself, the known opinion of the Lutheran Churches, although as little believed amongst us as the other; so that it is evident that this Act, penned with all the modesty that became dutiful Sons of our Church, and the wisdom befitting most worthy Patriots, was not intended to define Doctrines, but to distinguish persons. The next point to be examined is Praying to Saints, crept into the Church before, but confirmed by Gregory the Great, An. Dom. 590. which is not only against the command of God, but more then probably lost labour, for the Scripture tells us, that Abraham knows us not, and Israel is ignorant of us, and 'tis rational to believe that they are in as great a state of Bliss, as Tho. Becket, Dominick, St. Francis, or Ignatius Loyola, who was a Gentleman of such behaviour, that a Country Justice, and no Adam Overdo neither, would have whipped for his good breeding, as any body will believe that peruses the life of that glorious Saint, Stilling. Fan. 273. and indeed so it was done by a Spanish Governor, to meliorate his understanding in the Ethiques of putting off his hat to a Magistrate: yet all are solved by miracles, which are such that all the Romances from Grand Cyrus to Tom Thumb put together, compared to them, may pass for Classical history: To omit the 200 miracles wrought by Ignatius after his death, I'll give you a short story out of Father Cressy, Ch. Hist. 195. St. Piran fed ten Irish Kings and their Armies with three Cows; raised dead men and dead pigs to life. Now I wonder what should come into his politic pate, to stuff a book with such Tales as these, in order to the propagating any opinion soever, now Miracles being commonly wrought at the Intercession, or by the merit of some Saint or other, adjust the praying to them; but they being such as are greater than any that the Apostles or our Saviour himself did, and to no purpose commonly, as St. Bennets mending a Sieve by miracle to save two pence, Ex leg. in vita Ben. and throwing the Helve after the Hatchet into the water, miraculously bringing them together again (which either made good or gave occasion for the Proverb) may justly bring them under the suspicion of Romances, not to say worse; many tricks have been done by combination, which have amazed the credulous people, not having the privilege or opportunity, or perhaps skill, for an Inquisition or search, and therefore pass among some devout ones (that have more Faith than reason) for miracles of the first Magnitude: To omit the ancient ones I will give you one of a late date. Friar. Egan. Fran. conv. p. 15. About seven years ago, a Priest nigh Limbrick named William Sackvel had for 50. s. hired a woman to pretend herself a Cripple from her birth, and that she had a Revelation; that if she dipped herself in such a Well, whilst a Priest said Mass by the place, she should be recovered; The Plot thus laid and accordingly executed she comes halting to the Well, but returns out of it perfectly sound, which was a miracle to the people, and got the contriver a great Sum of money, and confirmed many in their Superstition: after some time the woman had some remorse of conscience and came to the Author of this Relation, o confession, in order to absolution, which he would not grant, till an account of the cheat should be given to the Congregation, which she did accordingly. Yet for matter of Fact, against which there's no arguing they will tell you, Mat. Paris 880 Lew. 9 both out of History and by daily experience too, that many have been recovered out of desperate sicknesses by having a piece of the Holy Cross, or some other * But of all relics the most admirable is the Him of the Carpenter Joseph enclosed in a Set of boxes, to be seen at Nints in Britain, the first a Wainscot, within that a Silver box, within that a golden, or guilt box, within that a Crystal box, containing a wooden plain one, visible through the Crystal which contains the Holy Him, and reason enough for so many boxes; for if it should get lose after so many hundred of years' confinement it would be as boisterous as the Liquor so famed by a Poet of our own, when, It bounces, foams, and froths, and flitters As it were troubled with the Squitters. Virg. Travesty l. 1. Relic applied to them and therefore those things are not to be derided: In answer; I will give you the reply of Diagoras of Samothrace to a friend weakly though truly arguing for providence, from the pictures of a great many persons hung up in a certain Temple, that had by prayers escaped Shipwreck; * Pet. Ga●●. in Diog. Laer. an imad. p. 739. Ita fuit, illi enim nunquam picti sunt qui naufragium fecerunt, in marique perierunt: Very likely; for there are no pictures for them who have suffered Shipwreck, and are lost in the Sea; So they generally apply to all sick persons, some relic or other, and if any live, 'tis forsooth by the merit and intercession of some Saint or other, but if the party die, than no story of the Application; Parallel to this the Portugals have a custom, after praying to St. Anthony, to give them a good wind, to attempt, or bind a little Image of the Saints, but commonly upon the Pilot's intercession, who passes his word for the Saint, telling them, he is so honest he will do it without being bound, Travels of Ped della valle into the E. Indies. p. 550. they forbear; A barbarous superstition (says my Author) but yet such as sometimes through the Faith, and simplicity of those that practise it uses to be heard, a very worthy observation and fit for Pope Vrban viij. his Chamberlain of honour: ibid. pag. 218. As the Heathens had their particular Gods, for particular things, as Cuna for Cradles, Hebe for Youth, Morpheus for Sleep, etc. so they with an equal reason, as well as devotion, have their Saints for particulars, as to offices, persons, diseases, callings, Countries, and brute Animals too, as St. Patrick for Ireland, St. Luke for Painters, Sr. Hubert for hunters, St. Gertrude for Rat-catcher's, St. Clare for sore Eyes, St. Roch for Cobblers, St. Iue for Lawyers, St. Gallus for Geese, derogating thereby from the worth and honour of those blessed Saints, as if they could not, and that implys weakness; or, as if they would not, and that implies spite, benignly concern themselves in the general affairs of mankind. One especial Argument they have for the truth of their Religion, especially against us, the many severities, in order to mortification that many of their orders impose upon themselves, but if they would consider, that herein they are quite outdone by the Chinese and other Eastern Idolaters, and that Baal's Priests had no great applause from the Prophet for the like, they would not much press that point: Lucian tells us of strict severities, that the Priests of Hieropolis a Town in Syria were gelded, Now if there was so sharp a ceremony to their admittance into England, It would keep this Land as safe from them, especially the Jesuits, as the flaming Sword did Eden from our Ancestors. Thus have I hinted the most considerable Doctrines of that Church, for Purgatory, Prayers for the dead, Indulgencies, or Pardons for forty thousand years to come sometimes, are but, as indeed many of the rest, the wanton excrescencies of Infallibility which was not in Pope Alex. vi. when he was poisoned by mistaking the cup of Wine, that he and his hopeful Son Caesar Borgia had prepared to poison Cardinal Carnete with. I will now superadd a little of their Principles of morality, which are such as cannot be grateful to Society; for the Jesuits have sound out a way by directing the intention to sanctify the most Flagitious act imaginable, I will not excuse their other orders neither, for a Franciscan lately converted declares thus, F. Egan. I thought it a meritorious action to murder either Prince or Protestant Subject, provided I was commissioned so to do by the Pope: And this cannot be concluded to be a single opinion, when one considers the Assasinations of the two Henrys of France, though Papists; the many attempts upon Queen Elizabeth; the Gunpowder Treason, and the late Rebellion in Ireland, none of which was ever yet by any Public instrument of that Church disavowed Now comparing all what has been said together, it will be easy to determine what Religion makes most for a peaceable conversation, and that I am sure is the true Interest both of Prince and People: Now considering what hath been discoursed on, you will conclude I suppose, that penal Laws about Religion will be given in Charge, which some kind natured man, may perhaps say were made only in terrorem, and therefore not to be strictly executed, but as that is but a weak Argument to defend those Felonies, that are made so by Statute, so ought it not to be of more force here, for the Magistracy is rationably in point of prudence, though there was no other obligation bound to do it: For the Congregations or troops of Dissenters filling every day by reason of the Itching ears of the Populace, especially the Independants may possibly encourage their Ledders by their number (that being the ordinary way to take measures of strength by) to attempt upon the Government, which we have reason to think not impossible, when the attempt of Venner and his complices with that of the Anabaptists, a tribe of the Independents upon Germany, is considered; and all Casuists do agree, it is as lawful to levy war against this King, as it was against his Father, and though something may be pleadded for those Sects, if any such be amongst us, that like the * Bramans', or Banians amongst the East Indians hold it sin to destroy any creature though of never so mischievous a kind, and strictly practise it even in their diet, yet nothing can be said for such, who like the Mahometan Dervices hold it an acceptable service to God, if not meritorious, to destroy any person of an erroneous persuasion, as they count all who are not of their Judgement. And as at the Council of Clermont about the holy War, Holy W. c. 8. l. 1. the whole assembly said, God willeth it, so to encourage you further in your presentments, the Bench says, the King willeth it, which is sufficiently made out, when you consider the Law, for as there is no ordinary way of knowing Gods Will, but by the Scriptures: So the most proper way of knowing the Kings will, especially at this Distance is by his Laws; from whence is that Principle in Law that the King can do no wrong, because he is still presumed to act the Law, which is the only true Standard of wrong and right. 'Tis true it was a maxim amongst the Civilians, Ulpian. when the Government was arbitrary, Quicquid placuit Regi, legis habet vigorem, Whatsoever pleases the King, has the force and vigour of a Law: But such is the happy constitution of our Government, his Majesty's Grace concurring that it may pass for a Maxim in England; Quicquid est lex, Placet Regi, whatsoever is Law pleaseth the King, which his Majesty hath sufficiently evidenced, by not attempting in the least, upon either Religion, or property; The Laws being the King of England's Edicts, by which he reigns more in the hearts of his, than others over the fortunes of their Subjects. You are therefore to present Recusants of all sorts, because disobedient to the Laws, under which we enjoy more happiness than any Nation whatsoever. FINIS.