A COUNTERPLOT Against POPERY.  
Suggested By way of short considerations, touching the necessity and usefulness of some agents, to correspond betwixt the Protestant Churches, in matters of public Edification.  
NOLI ALTUM SAPERE  
LONDON: Printed, Anno Domini, 1642.   

Short CONSIDERATIONS Touching The necessity and usefulness of some Agents, to correspond betwixt the protestant Churches in matters of public Edification.  
IT is certain that since the Council of Trent, Papists have taken up a joint resolution to overthrow all Protestant states and Religion, either by open war, or policy, as occasion shall be offered. Of this Council the Pope is head, and to compass his ends, the Princes of his Faction, and all the Orders of his Clergy are set a work: amongst the rest the Jesuits are the chief Agents, who although they be at variance in divers particulars with others, yet in this they, and all the rest unanimously conspire, & with a great deal of Emulation strive to go before one another.  
2. It is known, that this purpose and aim is the chief matter of all their Cabinet Counsels, and that in all their public Treatise with Protestants, all of them by the instigation and suggestion of the Pope's instruments, they labour to gain ground upon us, and to this effect many special consultations have been held at Rome by the Cardinals; and in all other places by the Bishops and Jesuits.  
3. By their constant and joint conspiracy in prosecuting of this purpose, they have wasted many flourishing Churches, and made them quite desolate, they have diminished the strength of many, and they have laid dangerous plots to subvert and trouble those that are yet in any good case.  
4. Their proceed are not taken to heart by the Protestants, neither is there any course observed to countermine their intentions; for which cause they are like to prevail more and more. Chiefly, because the manifold divisions of Protestants which distract an I divide their intentions, and whereby they not only neglect those Machinations, but also help unto their own overthrow, whiles they persecute one another.  
5. It is not possible as yet to unite the Protestant Counsels in this, that their Temporal heads should jointly aim at the overthrow of Papistry, and combine themselves together, in some constant course, to oppose it by their power, and correspondency; which on the other side is long ago effected.  
6. Therefore seeing the outward, and public means cannot yet be improved because of the Reasons of State, and the differences of Religions, and opinions amongst Protestants, it is worthy of consideration, whether or no any other means might not be set a work, which in a more spiritual manner might countermine their proceed.  
7. This means I conceive to be such, as might be able with the assistance of God, powerfully to support the truth of the Gospel, and by little and little join the intentions of the Protestants to correspond one with another in matters of mutual edification, and in the communion of certain duties, whereby the scandals which occasion the judgements of God, and their insensible overthrow be taken out of the way in due time.  
8. The means to support powerfully the truth of the Gospel is, 1. to gain the common consent of all Protestants to make a Fundamental Confession of their Christian Religion, wherein they all shall agree, that by this means their Schisms may be taken out of the way. 2. To procure that a body of practical Divinity may be compiled, and fitted to the capacity of learned and unlearned, that all things belonging to godliness and a good conscience, may be contained in it, and so be received by all parties without dispute, and become a means of public edification in the Universities and Pulpits.  
9 The means to gain the Fundamental Confession, and to procure the body of practical Divinity, are not difficult, but may easily be attained by few Agents, who might make it their work to solicit the chief Divines, and ablest men of all the Churches to correspond together to this effect. For if there were Agents maintained for Fundamental Confession, thence peace and unity would arise, and if the practice of Piety were propagated, and urged, by this means the scandals would cease, and the Communion of Saints would be more and more entertained for mutual edification.  
10. Both these works are already set upon by some, and consented unto by all, so that nothing is further requisite, then to continue by the agency of of some fit correspondents betwixt the Churches, the motion till it come to perfection, whereby (God willing) not only the inward divisions of Protestants will come to an end, but also the truth of the Gospel will break forth most invincibly to convince the consciences of Papists, who think that in the Protestant Churches there is neither Christianity, Unity, nor Piety, but mere Heresy, division, and profane licentiousness.  
11. For seeing it is certain that Babylon will not fall by might or by power, but by the Spirit of the Lord of Hosts, Zach. 4.6. it seemeth that the only means to set the Spirit of God a work in the hearts of his Servants, and to give him some occasion to enter into the consciences of the Papists, is first to labour to unite the faithful Preachers of the Gospel into a holy Communion, to perfect these most spiritual objects. And 2. to propose, by common consent in the name of all Protestants, the irrefragable truth of Christian Doctrine, and the undeniable duties of righteousness and holiness, to convince the consciences of such Papists, as are not wilfully and Atheistically blind, that we maintain not such abominable errors as they father upon us, but that our Religion is the only saving means of Salvation.  
12. The necessity and usefulness of these two works may be showed in this, that they will prove the only means of joining the intentions of Protestants in one spiritual purpose, which is most of all others material in the furthering of the Gospel. 2. Of taking away public scandals and offences which we give one unto another, and which Papists and Sects (not without some fair pretence) take at us all. 3. Of confirming saving truths. 4. Of propagating godliness, and beating down impiety, superstition and ignorance, which by this means must needs fall to the ground as Dagon did before the Ark of the Covenant.  
13. And indeed it may be wondered at, that hitherto among so many endeavours, for the good of the common cause in Religion, and in so great plenty of spiritual and temporal means, where so many well affected professors wish so earnestly for the prosperity of Zion, that this means hath not been seriously thought upon and advanced, seeing it is the only safe, laudable, commendable and infallible way to countermine the malicious practices of Papists, that seek our overthrow with more diligence than we do provide for our own safety, and their conversion.  
Now if there were but some hope to find a competent maintenance for the planting of a Seminary, (as it may be called) of a few Agents that apply their studies wholly to these enterprises, the means of bringing them to pass might be made so plain that none should be able to doubt thereof, and besides this, there might be other matters jointly intended by them, for the advancement of public peace and all kind of solid Learning; which by themselves might deserve a peculiar Agency, if men knew the worth and consequence of them, or were zealous to further good works of a public nature, for the love of God and a good Conscience.   
FINIS.