Tormentors would conftrain one to think that they
were Brutes, nay incarnate Devils, and not Men endued
with the Sympathies of human Nature, that could be
guilty of fuch Outrage, and Fury. No Ties, no Ob-
ligations of Affinity, or Confanguinity, no Bonds of
long Friendship, and clofe Acquaintance, could reftrain
them from imbruing their Hands, in the Blood of their
Relations, and Friends. The wicked Governours of
their Church, thofe Pricfts of Baal, and not of God,
bid them go, and deftroy; and they in cold Blood put
to Death thofe, of whofe Life, and Prefervation, they
ought to have been Guardians, and Protectors. The
like Scene was going to have been acted upon them
again in the Reign of James the II, had not God
wonderfully interpofed, both for our Safety, and their
Deliverance, by reducing thefe happy Iflands under
the Obedience of King William.
To come

nearer Home: Many and various have been the Perfe-
cutions that the Inhabitants of this Land have fuffered,
for the Sake of God, and a good Confcience, in oppo-
fing the monstrous, irrational, idolatrous, and unchrif
tian Doctrines, and Practices of the Church of Rome.
But not to speak of the Wickliffites, and Multitudes of
others, that fuffered before the Reformation; all our
Hiftorians give us a frightful Account of the bloody
Perfecutions, that furious Bonner, and Gardiner (r) exerci-
fed upon the Proteftants, in the deteftable and wicked
Reign of Q. Mary. When it was abfolutely forbid by
Proclamation, to pray for the poor, fuffering, afflicted,

(r) Two Popish Bishops of London and Winchester.

and

H

and tormented Proteftants; or even, when they were tied to the Stake, to fay fo much as God help them. Which fhewed plainly, that it was not fo much the Converfion, as Deftruction of thofe they called Hereticks, that thefe Blood-Hounds defired. In that fhort Reign, there were Eight Hundred put to the moft cruel Kinds of Death, for their Religion; amongst whom, were five venerable Fathers of our Church, and Compilers of our excellent Liturgy. (s) But God be praised, the Candle of that wicked Queen was foon put out; and then the Flames of Perfecution ceased to Rage.

THE Time would fail me to fpeak of all the Pardons that were granted, and the Rewards that were offered by the Pope's Bulls, to affaffinate Queen Elizabeth, that Bulwark of the Reformation, and her Proteftant Succeffors; and to maffacre, deftroy, and extirpate Hereticks out of this Land.

C

BUT

(s) See Burnet's Hift. Reform. Tom. 2. P. 304. and Rap. Hift. Vol. 2d. P. 48. Note 6th. Where he obferves with Mr. Collier, That to deftroy People for Points of meer Speculation, and which have no ill Effect on Practice, and civil Government, feems very remote from the Spirit of Christianity. Supp fing Truth on the perfecuting Side, yet to burn a Man, because he will not belie his Confcience, and turn Hypocrite, is ftrangely unaccountable.Men can't believe what they pleafe. Their Un terftandings are not all of a Size. Things don't ftand in the fame Light, and ftrike with the fame Force on every Body. Bendes, if the Roman Catholicks believ'd the Reformed, fuch notorious Hereticks: If they believ'd they would be fo ill-received in the ctaer World, why did they not use them gentlier in this? Why did they hurry them to eternal Deltruction, before their Time? We may justly affirm, that fuch Wisdom as this, diot proceed from above, but was earthly, Collier's Eccl. Hift. Tom. 2d. P.

fenfual, and devilish.

397.

BUT there is no Inftance in Hiftory, fo bloody, and execrable, as that intended Destruction by the Gunpow der Treafon, in King James the ift's Reign.

WHEN it was refolved amongst the chief of the Confpirators, that it was religious Juftice, to put this horrid Plot in Execution; nay, that Juftice was thirfty of Revenge, even upon the fame Perfons, and in the fame Place, where the Laws for abolishing Popery, and confirming the Reformed. Religon, were made. BUT that they might have fome Shew, & Plea, for fo deteftable a Plot, pregnant of Ideas, frightful, and naturally fhocking to Confcience; They moved, that the Lavfulness of it, might be determined by their Priefts. Accordingly, it was refolved by three Jefuits, (t) to be juft, and lawful. Excellent Cafuifts indeed! Who, by their Apoftolical Power, did abfolve the Actors, and commend the Fact, fince it was against excommunicated Hereticks. And in Pursuance of this flagitious Refolution, they had provided every Thing neceffary, to effect their horrid Defign: Gunpowder, Combustibles of every Kind, and all other Inftruments of Death, were ready. And at a Diftance, the Confpirators, untouched with any Remorfe for the Crime, that was going to be committed, fat looking on; cafting Lots upon the Estates, and Offices of all honeft Proteftants; and impatiently waiting to hear the Explofion of that Terrible Blow, which was defigned to deftroy the King, the Lords Spiritual, and Temporal, and Commons, affembled:

(t) Henry Garnett, Ofwald Tefmond, and John Gerrard.

Thus the Pillars,

affembled in Parliament. (u) both of Church, and State, the Life, and Soul of this Kingdom, and even of the Proteftant Interest in all Europe, were defigned to be the firft, and immediate fufferers, in this execrable TRAGEDY. But I fhall not purfue it to the fatal Catastrophe ; the meanest amongst us, may eafily imagine, what a black, and difmal Night, muft have fucceeded.

BUT Thanks be to God, the King, the Realm, the Records, our Church, our Religion, and Liberties, which were all defigned to be razed, at oné exterminating Blaft, were all preferved in Safety.

THIS Event, as it fhewed their bloody, and malicious Rage against us, fo it fet forth the unbounded, and infinite Good nefs of God, who fuffered us not in our greatest Danger, to fall a Prey unto their Teeth ; the Snare was broken by his Omnifcient Goodness, and we, in the Perfons of our Forefathers, were delivered.

BUT to haften, according to my Promife, to lay before you briefly, the black, and melancholy Scene of Things, under the Popish Government of James the II.

THAT infatuated, and bigoted Prince, notwithstanding his repeated Declarations, both to the Lords of the Privy-Council, before he was proclaimed, and to his firft Parliament, that he would make it his Endeavour,

to

(u) See the Particulars of this horrible Plot in Rap. Hift. Vol. 2d, P. 170. Fawke's Confeff. Winter's Confeff. State Tryals. Difcourfe of the Treafon.

to preferve the Government, both in Church, and State, as it was then eftablished; notwithstanding his Coronation-Oath; and that natural Obligation he lay under, of supporting his People, both in their Religion, and Liberty; yet, if not timely prevented by the Interpofition of divine Providence, had deprived them of both, and immerted them in Popery, and arbitrary Govern

ment.

England, then a Thing fhe had been a Stranger to, for many Years, had publick Feftival Days to treat a Popifb Nuncio. (w) In thofe unhappy Days, there was clofeting, to destroy the Election of a free Parliament, in Order to abolish the Penal Laws, and Teft: And by the fame Method, feveral of the Judges were prevailed on, to give it as their Opinion, that the King had a Power to difpence with the Laws. (x) Armies were raifed, with Popish foreign Forces, in time of Peace, to keep the Land in Awe; (y) & Popish Recufants advanced to the highest Stations, both in Church, and State, and the Proteftant Nobles, and Gentry, discountenanced. (z) Cruel Jefferies was fent, with a mercilefs Commiffion into the Weft, to try thofe unhappy Proteftants, that had taken

up

(w) Ferdinando Dadda, domeftick Prelate to his Holiness, was appointed Nuncio on this Occafion; who made his publick Entry into Windfor, with great Pomp, and Magnificence, preceded by a Crofs-Bearer, and a Train of Priefs, and Monks in their proper Habits. July 3, 1687. See Rapin, Welwood. and Echard.

(x) See Bp. Burnet's Hiftory of his own Times. Vol. 1. P. 668 Rap. Vol. 2. P. 755.

() See Dr. Welwood, P. 188.

(2) Rapin Vol. 1. P. 759. Ech. 3d. P. 528.