hatred of the English People anger'd the Governours of the Church and State and obliged them to enact Laws against them to restrain them from that Liberty which a great part of them never knew how to use with moderation and discretion in this Land Their Proceedings and Attempts are not only disconsonant with the peaceable temper and blessed Rules of Christs Religion but so barbarous and inhuman that we may justly wonder what spirit of madness possesseth their Souls what cruel Devil prompts them to such Actions and makes them forget all sense of Humanity The settlement of their Religion which is their ordinary pretence to excuse their Tragedies may blind the Consciences of Fools but Men of any reason may perceive a Human not a Divine End of their Villanies The Pope and Court of Rome whose Agents the Jesuits are care as little for the Salvation of English Souls as it seems they do for their Bodies Were this Island a barren and a fruitless place they would never take the pains to seek to subdue this Nation but they are longing to finger again the Peter-pence the Annates the First fruits the Revenues and dispose of the sat Benefices of this Land This is their aim and end To come to it they set all Engines a work and dread not to spil Rivers of innocent Blood But did but the English Subjects that are Papists and so forward and zealous to promote their Catholick Cause know the weight and unsufferable burden of the Pope's Keys did they but call to mind the Tyranny and baseness of the former Popes in England and the Groans of our English Nation when Popery had the Command they would never be such Fools to sacrifice their lives to bring their Native Country to so great a Bondage which our Forefathers could never bear Is it not a madness for them that have a good King of their own and a lawful Authority appointed by God over them to strive to murder him and all his Generation and set up a Pope an Italian a Stranger who never intends to Reign amongst us in Person but to govern us by his Cardinals and proud Legats and who will give to them the least share of their Country when in his hands Is it not a strange madness for Natives of England to seek to inthrall their Country to a Forreign Power and the pleasure of an Enemy Have they no other way to exercise their undaunted Courages but by massacring their Brethren and Kinsfolks for the Lust and benefit of Imperious Italians or Frenchmen Must Religion be the Cloak for this Villany and Madness God whose Power and Providence have preserv'd this Church and our Princes from barbarous designs of Roman Murderers will I hope defend the Person and Life of our Pious Gracious Merciful and Christian King from all Popish Conspiracies I pray God to awaken all Christian Princes into a sense of the Popish Usurpations that they may shake off all the Fetters of this Italian Thraldom the Bolts and Chains of the Popes Bondage There is an old Prophecy amongst the Papists which I have heard from some of their Doctors in the Schools That an English-man shall take the City of Rome dissolve the Roman Church and put a period to the Papacy It is certain from the 17th and 18th Chapters of the Revelations that there is a time when God will bring that proud City to ruine and treat her in the same manner as she hath treated other Nations who knows but God may raise up some brave Soul that may endeavour to free the World and all Nations from so great a Plague and set at liberty so many Christian Princes that scarce dare think of delivering themselves for fear of a Ravailack a Stab or a Cup of Poyson who knows but that Providence may pitch upon and Commission a Native of this Land to punish Rome for her Murders Burnings and Villanies committed by her Emissaries in our Cities more than in any under the Sun I am certain this agrees with the methods of Gods proceedings in the World as well as with his holy Word for in former Ages the overthrow of Empires have been commonly brought to pass by those Nations who have been most afflicted and distressed by them in the times of their prosperity In the mean while as our good King hath been and is yet vigilant and careful to protect us our Religion and Country from ruine and destruction and he neglects no labour spares no cost declines no trouble nor pains for the general good of his People for their safety honour and interest I think we are obliged by all the reason of the World to make him some Returns to assist him in so pious a work as the Establishment of Religion and the security of the English Nation and to demean our selves as thankful and dutiful Subjects I shall not here mind you of the Commands of God nor heap together passages of Scripture that tell us that we must be subject to the Powers because there is no Power but of God that they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation that we must obey for Conscience sake that we must love honour and respect him as Gods Vicegerent c. I shall only mind my Reader what the present posture of Affairs in relation to our own good and his Majesties vigilancy and care in providing for our safety require from us and what present Obligations we lye under to perform those things which both our Interest and Duty demand from us This Hellish Conspiracy of the Papists that hath now at last awaken'd us into a sense of our great danger hath been many years contriving and designing as the Design was privately and subtilly laid it was to be carried on with vigour and would handly have wanted the assistance of forreign Princes and Armies If the first Train had taken fire this Church and State had been infallibly blown up and cast into a Civil War God hath been merciful to us in the discovery and prevention of it But the Persons chiefly concerned and the vast Treasures heap'd together for the carrying on of the Popish Designs are not like to sit and remain idle after this disappointment our proceedings and the Execution of the Instruments will in all probability oblige them to take other measures to carry on their wicked purposes with more secresie than before our Divisions and unreconcileableness give them no small advantage and incouragement to make fresh Attempts which God of his Mercy frustrate However our Nation is not yet out of danger by the death of a few Malefactors we have Enemies both at home and abroad that watch for and endeavour our destruction His Majesty you see hath imployed his utmost endeavour for our safety security and happiness and is yet resolved to imploy all his power to defend and protect us and our Religion from all Popish Designs It concerns us not to be idle but in our several places to contribute to our own happiness and
Prince have been pardoned suffered to enjoy their Estates in peace protected by his Laws and many of ability preferr'd and imployed Though these kindnesses have been done to private Persons and Families and they have chiefly reap'd the benefit of his Majesties gracious Disposition the whole Kingdom is thereby obliged to his Majesty because in the forgiveness of such Offenders he hath had an Eye to the Publick good peace and satisfaction of all his Subjects rather than to his just Resentment Moses was a Meek Man yet how many hundreds and thousands were made Examples of his Justice and Gods Wrath for their Rebellions few or none pardoned Constantine the Great the first Christian Emperour's Name is sacred in the memories of men he forgave his Enemies advanced Religion incouraged Piety yet he imbrued his Fatherly hands in the blood of his own Son and Heir Crispus upon the suspition of a Rebellion Theodosius the Emperour was a brave and an excellent Prince yet the Inhabitants of Antioch complain of the promiscuous killing of their Citizens in the Emperours rage Justinian the Law-giver of the World could not give Laws to his own passions nor save Bellisanius and Narses his two great Generals from the cruel hands of his Empress Theodora I might run over all the Histories of former times from the beginning of the World to this day and mention to you the noblest the rarest and most merciful Princes in forreign Nations and in this yet I dare affirm and do offer my self to prove from a certain knowledge of the Histories of the World that I may say I have perus'd that there was never any King or Soveraign Prince neither in England nor elsewhere who hath been so gracious so compassionate and merciful to his People as our King Charles neither hath any Reign been more free from shedding of blood never any Government more mild and happy never any Prince less ruled by violence and interest nor more govern'd than himself by that Sacred Maxim of his Royal Father The setled Laws of these Kingdoms are the most excellent Rules a King can govern by Where are the Widows and Orphans amongst us that can complain of the unjust murder of their Relations Where is the Family ruined by the Confiscation of its Estate and Patrimony Where can we meet with any particular instance of his Majesties over-ruling the ordinary course of Law and Justice Henry the VIII and our former Kings would sometimes give place to wrath anger and revenge and their Wills sometimes took the place of Laws But where can we meet with any such Example in our days Where is there a person either Condemned or Executed or deprived of an Estate by our Princes Command alone Many have received their Lives and Estates from him which had been forfeited by Law but to this very day none ever lost either Lives or Fortunes to gratifie his Majesties will and pleasure even in this late wicked Plot against his Royal Person he hath not punish'd any man but by course of Law Is not this a happiness for all the English Subjects for Poor and Rich to live under such a reasonable Government and gracious a Governour and where Law and Equity Justice and Conscience sway the Scepter where Power and the Regal Authority are never used but in vindication and for the execution of righteous Laws though the Papists never intended to observe any measures of Reason Conscience or Humanity with his Majesties Person and People but in a secret and private way intended to fill the Land with Assassinations and Murders nevertheless he observes a Legal Method and proceeds against them by such means as are justifiable before God and Man His Majesty delivers them over to a Court of Judicature to have a fair Tryal for their Lives he suffers them to answer for themselves and leaves them to an impartial Judge and Jury In forreign Nations such Enemies of the Publick Safety would have been pull'd in pieces as the De Witts cut down and mangled by the rude Rabble as Sejanus at Rome and the Assassins of the Prince of Orange and of Henry the III. of France and many others They would not have had the patience to see them alive who had resolved upon so cruel a design as to murder the King and his People without cause But the World sees the moderation of our English Natures the Excellency of the Principles of our Religion and the Justice of our King who is willing to make his most desperate Enemies sensible of it in their own persons without any passion which hath never carried him to act against them but in a regular way And though some of them had forfeited their Estates by Law and it had been but a piece of Justice to reduce their Posterity to poverty who intended to make so many poor Families in this Land yet to the Eternal praise of his Majesty be it spoken he hath not attempted to take ought of their Estates but hath restored since his Restauration to the Children of many Rebels Traytors and Regicides the Patrimonies belonging to their Fore-fathers it is therefore a most unreasonable Aspersion and a wicked Slander proceeding from the Shop of Ignatius and his bloody Jesuits to report any thing amiss of his Majesties most Excellent Government As Mr. Oats hath very well taken notice it hath been the design of those Troublers of Peace to make us stand in fear of an Arbitrary Government and to fasten upon his Majesty and his proceedings the most abusive Lyes but let any man run over the passages of his good Reign he shall have no cause to suspect what there is not the least colour to believe The suspitions and jealousies in relation to Religion are as plainly scandalous and unlikely it is sufficiently known how zealous his Majesty hath always been in the profession of the true Protestant Religion from his Infancy It was the Advice of his Royal Father Above all I would have you as I hope you are already well grounded and setled in your Religion the best Profession of which I have ever esteem'd that of the Church of England In this I charge you to persevere as coming nearest to Gods Word for Doctrine and to the Primitive Examples for Government According to this direction our King hath behaved himself so that neither fear favour nor interest could ever draw him from this Religion In his Banishment his Majesty alone knows the greatness of his Tryals and we and all the World the constancy of his mind Here the whole World might have seen the Religion of King Charles the II. Neither the love nor glory of a Crown nor the honours of the World nor the advantages of Life could prevail upon him to waver in the least from that excellent Religion and Faith for which the King his Father spilt his blood and which Christ and his Apostles have recommended to us or to accept of the Popish Superstitions And since his Majesties return to his Honour
and Dignity which may be look'd upon as a Reward of his Fidelity as a glorious and honourable acknowledgment of Divine Providence of our Prince's faithfulness to the Profession of the true Protestant Religion and a Testimonial from God himself of his reality in his Faith sufficiently evidenced to all the World by the wonderful Circumstances of his happy Restauration I say since his Majesties return how many plain and undoubted Testimonies hath he given us of his sincerity in the Protestant Profession and Resolution to maintain it in his Kingdoms against all Dissenters and Opposers His Royal Father left him this Charge I do require and intreat you as your Father and you King that you never suffer your Heart to receive the least check against or disaffection from the true Religion establish'd in the Church of England I tell you I have tried it and after much search and many disputes have concluded it to be the best in the World not only in the Community as Christian but also in the special Notion as reformed c. Therefore as soon as he was settled by the advice of his Loyal Parliament he restored the Orders and Government of the Church of England which in the approved judgment of the King his Father is the best in the World because it is the most conformable in Doctrine and Practice to Christ his holy Apostles and and the Primitive Church as he expresly declares And to secure this most excellent Religion the better by removing all the causes of dissention and Obstacles that seem'd to hinder such as had received contrary principles from embracing it the Kings Majesty yielded to an amendment of certain things which gave offence What could have been desired more from generous and a gracious Prince than was then granted in complyance with the peoples weakness and mistakes The Nation was then through the disorders that had been in Church and State split into many pieces and sad divisions Mens judgments were possessed with unreconcileable Prejudices and strange Principles in opposition to the Church of England which they would not nor could not speedily overcome It was therefore judged convenient to grant them time and yet to establish those Law as might both declare to the World His Majesties constancy in the true Protestant Religion and direct them that were Dissenters to embrace it Examine but the Royal proclamations and the Acts of Parliament and see what they say and it will plainly appear that the Kings Majesty never had any design since his Coronation nor before but to settle protect favour and maintain according to his Royal Promise the true Protestant Religion of the Church of England as it was establish'd in Queen Elizabeth's King James's and his Martyred Father's days And if not withstanding out of his royal goodness and wisdom the Laws against Papists were not always strictly put in Execution it was because the necessities of the Kingdom and the good of the Publick did so require it for the preservation of Peace and the better settlement of the Truth Fire and Sword are not always seasonable against Dissenters in Religion It belongs to a King to mitigate his Laws and suit them to Times and Cases He is not always bound to observe them in all their rigour and exactness neither doth such proceedings consist with the general good and happiness of a Kingdom though the surious zeal of inconsiderate Subjects may sometimes wish for the contrary But as in distempered Bodies the Physician doth not always observe the same Rules of his Art nor apply the same Remedies but changeth and altereth them according to the Diet Humour Pulse Country Air and other Circumstances of the Patient So it becomes a wife Prince to handle the Distempers of Church and State in such a manner as may answer the universal good the chief end of Government and prevent the increase of the Disease It is therefore a grand presumption for every petty Fellow and ignorant Mechanick to exclaim against his Superiours Actions in such a case when he is not capable to understand the great Reasons of Sate that govern them Besides the Papists did scemingly express their Duty and Allegiance to the King out of a design as it is now supposed by some when he was in his Banishment when many Protestants were unable to do him service but with their Prayers and Wishes After his happy return could he do any thing less than grant them some freedom under his good Government for which many of them had taken up Arms against Rebellion It was but just whiles they confined their Religion within their own Breasts and professed to live as peaceable Subjects and quiet in their Offices and Estates that they should reap some of the Fruits and taste of the sweetness of that Reign for which many of them had ventur'd their Lives and Fortunes As they had a share in the sufferings it was but just that they should have also a share in the happiness that succeeded As they have been concerned in his Majesties Calamity Reason and Conscience obliged him at first to suffer them to have an Interest in his Restauration and happiness This is sufficient to justifie our Kings gracious Proceedings towards the Papists from all jealousie and suspicion and to make it appear that his Grants and Allowances proceeded not from any approbation of the Popish Idolatries and Superstitions but from a Principle of Justice not from an allowance of their Religion and Abominations but of their Persons and faithfulness to him in his distress which had obliged him in requital to shew them some favour And not only to them his Majesty hath given several Expressions of Royal goodness but also to all Dissenters from the Religion of the Church of England Though the Laws are severe against Conventicles and Conventiclers whiles they are peaceable and not mutinous though their Practices are of ill consequence and not agreeable with Law yet so great is his condescention as to suffer them in their way without disturbing their Meetings according to this Christian Speech which hath been often heard from his Majesty I will never trouble any for his Conscience but let no Man trouble nor disturb my Government If the Papists had not plotted the Nations ruine and agreed together to murder both Prince and People they might have yet continued freely in the enjoyment of their Religion and of as much priviledge as they could reasonably desire under the Government of so favourable a Monarch No person would have dream'd to disturb them in their Privacies and secret Devotions They might have lived and died without any fear of the Execution of the Laws in the fruition of their Estates and Places with as much liberty as the Protestants themselves We all began to look upon them with kindness to esteem them as our Brethren and good Countrymen and to favour them in many respects But how strangely have we been mistaken and deceived let the World judge However this is our comfort
to Religion and the Publick safety for they are like Sampson's Foxes they spread the Fire every where in this Field of England they borrow from beyond the Seas that subtilty which together with the courage and strength of Resolution natural to our Nation renders them the most fiery and desperate Enemies of our Religion and Government and carries them to the boldest Attempts against the Lives of our Kings and Princes Of this number were Pool Campian Garnet Piercy Catesby and others of the same Principles To prevent such Evils for the time to come and hinder our English Gentry from Popish and Jesuitical Infection the Kings Majesty sent out his Proclamation on the 8th of January to command home all such young persons as are in forreign Seminaries and their Parents or Guardians to send for them speedily promising his gracious Pardon for their former offence if they return according to his Majesties Order forbidding for the future any such persons to be sent into those Forreign Schools of Papists and their Parents and Guardians to send them any relief Besides his Majesty declares in this Proclamation That he expects due obedience to this Command and that such as shall disobey shall be punish'd according to Law as well as deserve his high displeasure Here are several Proclamations in which all the ways and methods that can be imagined to prevent the growth the machinations and wicked designs of Popery are carefully observed All that may or can conduce to the settlement and security of the Protestant Religion and the present Government is established and commanded The Papists are banished from Court disarmed in the Country confin'd to their Dwellings bound to their good behaviour their Children are commanded away from Popish Schools their Priests and Jesuits are sought for and imprisoned penalties and rewards are promised and threatned for to encourage the Execution of the Laws What greater Testimony of his Majesties Sincerity to our Religion and care of our Welfare can we wish for What means more effectual could be employed for that good purpose What other Orders and Commands can we imagin seasonable and sit to secure our selves from Papists or Popery But if these Commands and Proclamations have not met with an exact obedience in all respects and in all parts of the Land I suppose it is the fault of some private Officers who prefer their Obligations to and intimacy with Papists to the performance of their Princes Orders and a due obedience to his Commands I am perswaded no reasonable people can justly desire from a good King greater assurances of his reality in the Protestant Profession and of his resolution to maintain it than we have always had In his Majesties most gracious Speech on the 9th of Novemb. to the Lords and Commons when his Majesty went to thank them for their care of his safety and preservation in these times of danger he assures them That he studies as much their preservation and promiseth to joyn with them in all the ways and means that may establish a firm security of the Protestant Religion according to their hearts desire In his time his Majesty tells them that they need not sear but for the time to come he promiseth to concur with them readily in all Bills and Acts which they will present for the security of their Persons and Religion and desires them to think of some more effectual means for the Conviction of Popish Recusants In the conclusion his Majesty declares That he is ready to do any thing that may give comfort and satisfaction to all his dutiful and Loyal Subjects In these words his Majesty's Royal Sincerity and candour in Religion appears as clear as the Sun in its splendour and no reasonable Person can desire greater Evidences of his care of his peoples safety of his resolution to maintain the Protestant Profession and to keep Popery out of this Land than his Majesty hath lately given us Likewise at the Prorogation of the last Parliament his Majesty was pleased to tell them That he would immediately enter upon disbanding the Army and that he would let all the World see that there was nothing that he intended but for the good of the Kingdom and for the safety of Religion That he would prosecute this Plot and find out who were the Instruments in it And in the Conclusion his Majesty promis'd That he would take all the care that lay in his Power for the security of Religion and the maintenance of it as it is now established To the same purpose his Majesty declares in his gracious Speech to both houses of Parliament lately assembled That for the publick good and satisfaction of all his Subjects he had done many great things Again in order to our safety his Majesty in that Speech offers to confirm any new Law which they shall think seasonable or necessary for the securing of the Kingdom against Popery and assures them That with his life his Majesty will defend the protestant Religion and the Laws of this Kingdom By these Gracious Words and Promises this wife and Loyal Parliament is encouraged to act in order for their own security as vigoously as they can What now can any Prince say or do more in such a case as this He hath endeavoured to secure Religion from Domestick Plots and Forreign Attempts He hath set all Engines at work and made it his whole and chief business to provide for our good welfare security and the happiness of the Kingdom according to the pious and Religious Examples of the Royal Martyr his Majesties Father and of King James his Grand-father under whose Governments these Kingdoms and true Religion have long flourished in Peace and would never possibly have been so much disturbed with Wars Tumults and Civil Dissentions had it not been for the Jesuits that thrust themselves amongst us King James was sensible of their dangerous proceedings therefore he enacted against them most wholesome and just Laws which caused them to attempt often upon his Sacred Life For our late Royal Martyr we know by whom he was condemned to dye before that Arch-Traytor and Usurper Oliver and his Butchers brought him to his Tryal The most noble Family of the Stuarts it seems is not sit for their unjust and superstitious purposes they have been the nursing Fathers of Gods true Church amongst us they have defended Religion against their Idolatries with their Swords Pens and Blood their noble and generous minds cannot stoop to acknowledge any other Superiour but God they will not yield to their cruel purposes therefore these wicked Traytors have alwayes laboured to cut off that most Religious Family There can be no greater Testimony of our King being a true Protestant than this that the Pope and his Papists have declared him to be their Enemy and have sought to destroy him who is God's Anointed and the best of princes By these wicked Designs and restless endeavours the Papists have from time to time drawn upon themselves the
AN ANTIDOTE AGAINST THE PRESENT FEARS AND JEALOUSIES OF THE NATION By an Impartial Hand With Approbation LONDON Printed by R. E. at the Seven Stars in Ave-Mary-Lane 1679. AN ANTIDOTE c. VVHen I consider the present Condition of this Nation the seditious endeavours of our Enemies of all sorts the slanderous Reports in City and Country and the strange Jealousies which men of corrupt and wicked designs foment to the great disquieting of our minds and to the prejudice of the Religious and unspotted Intentions of a most Gracious King I judge it not unseasonable to offer to the Publick these few Lines as well to prevent the mischiefs of discontent and seditious fears as to encourage all persons to those duties and that Loyal behaviour which our Heavenly Profession and our Worldly Interest require from us and the rather I have been perswaded to this attempt because there are such numbers every where of men of divers Principles and Designs busily employed in undermining the Nations Tranquility by labouring to alienate the Peoples Affections from their Superiours by aspersing his wisest Proceedings and Actions and by spreading abroad the dangerous Seeds of Distrust Suspicions and Rebellion chiefly in this juncture of time since the Discovery of the Popish Plot now that Mens minds are apt to take ill impressions the Malice of some is unsufferable in divulging the greatest Improbabilities which nevertheless have ill Effects and Consequences attending them It is not long since we have smarted under the woeful Sequels of such Unchristian Practices which should oblige all men of reason to be cautious how they entertain and give encouragement to any thing that may lessen the Reverence to Government or divert us from our Duty for let the Idolaters of Liberty say what they will a Kingdom can never flourish whiles Authority is dis-respected and a Government is never safe when People give themselves the liberty to cast all manner of abuses upon the lawful Governours The contempt of Laws is the next door to Rebellion and the Slanders fastened unjustly upon those that execute them are near a-kin to Murder and Assassination If the tongue wounds the Name the Hand will scarce spare the Person if opportunity were offered and the rather we should take heed how we entertain or are instrumental in spreading abroad ill Reports of the Sacred Persons of our Governours or of their Government because we see confirmed to us that this is the Method which their Enemies and ours observe to bring us to our ruine That we may therefore better secure our selves from such dreadful Calamities hereafter and now from the wicked impressions of disaffected Persons that we may quiet the Clamours and Fears of jealous Souls and encourage men to a right esteem and respect of our truly Religious King and to the duties that tend to his preservation and ours from the Fury and Malice of our irreconcileable Enemies I shall first give my Reader a short Narrative of several Instances observable in our Princes Reign of his love to his People of his gracious Disposition and of his sincerity and care in the preservation of the Protestant Religion 2. I shall examine what Duties our own interest and the present condition of the Nation in relation to our Enemies abroad and at home require from us Never any Prince hath suffered more from Rebellious Subjects than ours never any more disobliged and more cruelly handled By the late Civil Wars he was driven out of all his Inheritance forced to seek for shelter in Forreign Nations after that he had seen his Royal Father barbarously murthered his Nobles and faithful Servants massacred his Friends and Relations persecuted and their Estates sequestred and yet never any more merciful to his greatest Enemies When God was pleased to restore his Sacred Majesty to his Throne and Kingdoms and with him Religion and Peace how gracious hath he shewn himself to his fiercest Persecutors He hath not diminish'd any thing of their Estates who endeavour'd to take all from him He hath not attempted upon their Lives who labour'd to deprive him of his Nay in all his Majesties Actings in relation to publick or private concerns since his happy Restauration we may all take notice of his rare and Christian disposition and of his constant endeavours to oblige the Nation At his first appearance upon the Throne of England of his own accord he granted a General Act of Oblivion to silence all our fears to stop the mouth of our Jealousies to prevent the active mallice of some men to secure our lives and fortunes to heal up all National Wounds which had been bleeding too long and settle that Peace and Tranquillity which we have enjoyed at home ever since His just resentment might have taken notice of those who had enriched themselves with the Plunder of his people and the Spoils of his Imperial Crown The laws of Retalliation would have justified the Sequestration of the Sequestrator's ill-gotten Goods but his majesty's Wisdom and Goodness smothered all his Displeasures in a gracious Pardon and gave to the peace and quietness of hâ—â— People those Estates and Riches which he might have justly and lawfully taken to himself by a due Execution of Justice He was content to lose the great advantages which Divine Providence put into his hands out of a special regard to the good of the Nation and in Imitation of his Royal Father that couragious Martyr act in this occasion more like a good Christian than like a powerful King Amongst all the Princes mentioned in holy or prophane Literature I find none so gracious so merciful and so ready to forgive offences as ours hath been I find none more provok'd by the Cruelty and Rebellion of his Subjects and none so willing to spare the lives of Offenders Augustus the Emperour in whose peaceable Reign the Prince of Peace the Lord Jesus was born was dignified by the Roman Senate with this Honourable Title The Father of the People because he was of an admirable disposition But we all know how cruel his Triumvirate was and the beginning of his Empire was stained with the blood of the Noblest Families of Rome Vlpius Trajanus was an excellent Prince not guilty of the extravagancies of his Predecessors and yet he could not pardon the offences of his Subjects without a bloody Compensation His Successor Adrianus was so merciful that he offered his Diadem to a Noble Traytor who had harbour'd the ignoble thought of murdering his Prince yet in several occasions he gave liberty to his Passion and Revenge to spill the blood of the guilty Likewise amongst the people of God who more Religious and devout than David a Man after Gods own Heart yet his Vengeance would not suffer the gray hairs of Joah and Shimei to go down in peace to their Graves though the latter had acted against him but with his Tongue whereas many of this Nation whose Hands and Tongues if not their Hearts have been acting against our merciful
that their malice and bloody designs intended against us were causeless and without any provocation on our parts Neither his sacred Majesty nor any of his people did ever before give them any distaste but in harmless Disputes in which they had as much freedom to answer as any Protestant Divine But when this hellish Plot broke out to our great amazement it cannot be judged unreasonable if they are restrained by Authority and the ancient Laws revived against these new Traytors that offer for Religion to rise in Arms against their King and Country It cannot be thought unreasonable if their Leaders and the Chieftains of their Rebellion be secured that they may not put in practice those Inhuman purposes unto which they had encouraged their silly Proselites It cannot be thought unjust if Governours and People require from them security for their good behaviour for the time to come and such Oaths as may oblige them to a peaceable Behaviour if any such there be that hath that good influence upon their wide Consciences and licentious Principles His Majesties care to prevent the mischiefs which they intended against us our Religion and Nation hath been answerable to and no less than his favour and goodness to them before Truth this Conspiracy is so hainous that at the first Relation it may not seem strange if a good Prince who is as much perswaded of his peoples Affection for him as he knows his love and mindfulness of their welfare and safety could not easily believe it it being so unlikely an Attempt that Posterity may look upon this Plot as some in our days do upon the Gun-Powder-Treason as upon a Romantick Story or a Politick Invention or a State Trick and give no more credit to it than to the Histories of Grand Cirus or of Guy of Warwick or of Amadis de Gaule In a matter of so great a moment it did become a Prince of Reason Judgment and Wisdom to weigh the Testimonies examin the Circumstances and consider all particulars before he ought to pass a determinate Sentence in this Case But now the Evidences are as plain as the Sun now that it appears that this Barbarity was really harboured in the breasts of some of the Popish Party now that we see their Malice and Cruelty written with the indelible Characters of the innocent Blood of an eminent Magistrate and Martyr whose only Crime was that he knew theirs and their horrid Proceedings now that we see by his unexpected Murder what our King and People were to receive from the merciless hands of these men who can deny it Certainly God hath infatuated their Wicked Counsels for the good of our People Nation and Religion and suffered their furious Zeal to begin one Tragedy which they intended should have acted many more But by this Cruel Murder they have given us a clearer Prospect of their Diabolical Designs and allarm'd us all in defence of our Persons King and Country against such future Inhumanities They have hereby listed up the Mask and shewn to all the Nation the fearful Features of their disguised Religion and declared to us all what Mallice and Cruelty governs them what Wickedness they would commit if Power and Authority were in their hands O Barbarous Impiety could you offer to strike at a Breast full of tenderness and affection for your persons Could you attempt upon a life upon which depends all our lives and fortunes Your Inhumanity is the more inexcusable and not to be parallell'd amongst the Turks and worst of Infidels whose Principles suffer them not to be wicked to their Benefactors This Circumspection of our merciful Prince deserves our Eternal Praises rather than the Abuses of disaffected people Why should the Papists plot against his life for being our Friend This is an Injustice guilty of the most grievous folly and palpable mistakes proceeding from Ignorance and the not observing the great care that his Majesty hath taken to discover and prevent all the mischiefs intended against us and his Government for upon the first Discovery of the Plot his Majesty gave speedy Orders to his privy Council to proceed in the Examination of this great business According to his Royal Commands they sate regularly twice every Week to sift out the matter and when they found the truth of it by undoubted Circumstances they sent to apprehend divers of the Conspirators examin'd them severally to sift out the matter afterwards they committed others to Custody using in this and all other Proceedings all the Care and Secresie immaginable All persons chiefly concerned or suspected were sought for and as many as were found were sent to Prison to be tryed according to the Order of Law It is true our people laid not violent hands upon them We did not tear them in pieces as they went about nor dis-member them upon bare suspicions of Treason We did not mangle their Bodies nor exercise our rage upon these bloody men The Proceedings of our King and Council were agreeable with the Rules of Humanity Reason and Equity The Malefactors were secured and delivered over into the hands of Justice to be treated according to the Laws of the Land They had fair Tryals for their lives men of Conscience and Worth judged them Guilty by most undeniable Testimonies They had liberty to answer for themselves and to defend their own Cause They were heard with patience and Christian moderation and there was nothing acted against them but was suitable to Christs precepts and his Holy Gospel If all the Proceedings be observed we shall find nothing more reasonable nothing more Christian and just than the Actions of our King and Superiours in this Case They are sufficiently justified from all suspicions of Cruelty on one hand and from all neglect or carlesness on the other Can the Papists now find fault if they are abridged in some respects from that liberty which they intended to abuse in so wicked a Plot Can they blame our Governours for seeking so carefully to preserve themselves the King's Majesty his Dignity Government and Religion from their Inhumanities And on the other side to satisfie all the English Subjects let us observe the care and diligence of his Majesty and of our Governours to secure the nations peace from Popery and the Conspirators After the Plot was fully discovered his Majesty re-inforced his Guards and gave liberty to the Trained-Bands to stand up in their own defence Care was also taken to secure and seize upon all suspected persons About this time the Papists thought to have smothered the noise of the Plot in the Death and Blood of a diligent Inquirer into their proceedings Sir Edmundbury Godfrey whom they inhumanely murdered When he was missing divers Reports were raised and Slanders fastened upon him They that were guilty of this black Crime endeavoured to make us believe the greatest Improbabilities That he hadkill'd himself c. But the manner of his lying with all the Circumstances convinc'd the Coroner and Jury assisted by
preservation to give our assisting hand to our Religious Prince in so blessed a work as the settlement of our Religion and Government chiefly in these particulars which I shall recommend to the perusal and practice of all sincere Protestants First Let every one of us in our several Places and Callings watch with diligence over our Enemies designs and motions at home and abroad and in all occurrences that we may justly suspect let us carefully give Intelligence to Authority take heed of concealing out of friendship or fear resolutions and actions that are ominous to Prince or people They that are abroad in forreign Courts have a great advantage to learn all Transactions and understand the designments of great Revolutions for such weighty matters can never be so secretly intended but they must be discovered to many whose hands and assistances are needful to further and advance them Secondly Let us all return to his Majesty the Tribute of sincere and Loyal affections out of a sense of his care of our welfare The Crown of it self is heavy our Enemies render it heavier by their daily Conspiracies let us not who are true Subjects add more weight and trouble to the Crown of our good King by unreasonable jealousies and unreasonable fears and murmurings but in our several Spheres and according to our Abilities let us alleviate as much as in us lies his Majesties Burden And by all dutiful expressions of our love and respects discover to him our sensibleness of his continual care of our safety and welfare 3. Take heed we discredit not his Authority vilifie his Person or dishonour his Government by any wicked and slanderous Reports of our own or others invention for this kind of Ingratitude which his Majesty never deserv'd from the Hands of his Protestant Subjects nor any others will breed ill blood amongst the People and afflict the Heart of a good Prince 4. Let us Protestants be so sensible of our danger and good as to reunite again in the Profession of one Religion and in the publick worship of our God that our Enemies seeing that their often repeated malice hath caus'd us to stick and unite closer together may be discouraged from all future attempts of this kind and never be advantag'd through our Divisions 5. Let us as well for the honour of our Protestant Profession and for the credit of our Nation as to prevent the Judgments of God threatened upon us for our Sins abstain from all National Sins and such Crimes as deserve the severity of Gods Justice and have heretofore involved Kingdoms in dismal Calamities Chiefly let the Ministers of the Gospel look carefully to themselves and their behaviour that they may not give occasion of scandal by their Lives And they whose Actions are look'd upon as Examples should take heed how they countenance those disorders and Breaches of Gods Divine Laws which his Justice hath been oblig'd to punish severely in other Nations heretofore 6. Let such Magistrates and Justices as are intrusted with the execution of the Laws and his Majesties Royal Commands be vigorous resolute and speedy in the performance of their Duties and aim all their Actions at the publick welfare the honour of their Prince the safety of Religion and Government As their Enemies and ours want not resolution to put in practice the boldest Attempts methinks our Noble and brave Officers cannot want courage to oppose them 7. Let every one be true trusty and faithful in the mannagement of those Publick Concerns that are put into our hands Treachery seldom proves faithful and beneficial to the Traytors It was the Custom of a Turkish Emperour to hang up a Traytor with the Rewards promised for his Treason And we all know the Story of that Roman Virgin who was killed and buried under the heavy weight of that which was in the Enemies lest hand but of all Treasons none more dangerous to the Authors than those which expose their Native Country to the Power and Malice of desperate and Forreign Enemies 8. Take heed of raising or encreasing the Peoples jealousies and needless fears by incouraging idle Rumours It is good to foresee an approaching danger for that will prepare us to receive it but it is dangerous to be too timerous and suspect a Mischief where really there is none and men are commonly disheartened by flying Tales which are wont to breed much mischief in a Government 9. Remember your Places Callings and Capacities and act accordingly without presuming to meddle with or advise Authority in matters that are either above our reach or concern us not immediately 10. Let us not be sparing of our Purses and Estates when the publick safety the honour of our God the safety of our Souls and Religion the Lives and Fortunes of our Children are in danger but as our Enemies are ready to sacrifice their Lives and Fortunes for the promotion of their blind Superstition and our Ruin let us express no less liberality and generosity for our own safety and the defence of our Christian Profession It is better to give a small Portion of our Estates than to lose all Mahomet the Turkish Emperour wonder'd at the parcimony of the Grecians of Constantinople at the taking of that Imperial City for though it was full of Plunder and Gold they chose rather to suffer the Turks to carry all away than to assist their Emperour with Monies to pay his discontented and hired Souldiers Lastly in regard all our endeavours the Prince's vigilancy and the peoples disposition are in vain without a blessing from the God of Heaven let us all by our constant and Religious Prayers strive unanimously to obtain it from God let us beseech his Divine Goodness to watch over us still by his Divine Providence to discover the wicked Machinations of all our bloody Enemies to defend the person and sacred life of our good King to grant him a long continuance amongst us to direct his Councils bless his Armies and preserve our Religion and Government from all future Conspiracies If we could be perswaded to a careful practice of all these Advices and Duties there might be reasonable hopes of securing our selves and Nation from all Papists and Popery We are so much the more engaged to observe them because not only our gratitude to our Prince calls upon us to joyn with him in promoting our own good but also the safety of our Religion is highly concerned for false Religions men have undergone all manner of dangers and difficulties how much the rather should we take care for the preservation of the true Religion of that Religion which Christ and his Apostles recommend to us without which neither we nor our posterity can reasonably expect either safety or salvation besides our lives and fortunes are aimed at by these Popish Plots Thousands of Families will be utterly undone if they can obtain their ends No Mercy nor Compassion will be shewn to such Hereticks as they judge us to be The whole Nation will swim in Blood and we must expect all the Cruelties and Torments to be exercised upon us that Hell and the Devil can suggest and not only our lives will be sacrificed but also the lives of our Wives and of our innocent Children and every where ruine and calamity misery and woe will appear amongst us if we secure not our selves in time Where is that national Soul which this cannot move and oblige to a timely prâ—â—â—â—ntion of Popish Designs of such dreadful Consequences In a word the honour of our God is highly concern'd To him we owe our Wives Children Fortunes Lives and Estates we must part with all for the glory of our Great Maker and Redeemer Suffer not this glory to be stain'd with Popish Superstitions in this Nation What a dishonour will it be if through our weakness neglect parcimony or otherwise the Pope brings in again into this Land his unsufferable Tyranny Ignorance and filthy Abominations To conclude I pray God so to direct his Most Excellent Majesty his Councils and Resolutions so to prosper his Pious and Religious Endeavours and so to stir up all his good Subjects to the defence of their Laws Liberties and Religion that they may all joyn unanimously with him together and always defeat the proud purposes of the Popish Party and that none of them may be more wanting to their own good than his Sacred Majesty will be to the Safety and Security of the Religion and Peace of his Kingdoms FINIS