sacre, in the year 1641, about thirty-seven years since, in which above three-hundred thousand Protestants were murdered in the kingdom of Ireland, without regard to age or sex, should be em. ployed either in the English army or navy; but more scandalous is it, that St. James's should bo their head quarters, and the park turned into an Irish walk. What do so many Irish Papists, Teigs,│ and rebels, do swarming there? No good to be sure; their parts, courage, and skill, can invite no man of any worth to entertain them; it must only be their ignorance, and cowardly cruelty, which makes them instruments of mischief, and fit to be used by those that love foul play. But, that poor dissenting Protestants should be daily molested and pillaged, for the sake of their peaceable consciences, whilst Teagues, and Irish rebels, go by whole droves under the nose of king and duke, in their royal park, and walks of pleasure, is al. most insupportable. Is this to maintain the Protestant religion, and discountenance Popery? Ex pede Herculem.

3. For God's sake, call for the plot; look thoroughly and strictly into it; fear, nor favour no man, fiat justitia, but fear God; do what you do, as in his presence, to whom you must render an ac. count; it is the great action of your life, discharge your trust, and quit yourselves now like men. This has been the perpetual troubler of our Protestant Israel; as you would see God with comfort, and secure your posterity from civil and spiritual tyranny, slip not this opportunity God has so wonderfully cast into your hands; be not found despisers of his providence, neither be you careless, or fearful of improving it; now or never: Had they you on this lock, and at this advantage, you nor yours should never see day more. What once you could not have so well done, they have now made easy and necessary for you to do; and, what before you scarcely might do, is now become your duty. Be not cheated by a sacrifice; let not the lives of two or three plotters be the ransom of the rest, or your satisfaction; it is not blood, but security, prospect, future safety, an eternal prevention of the like miseries for the future; otherwise, we shall only sit down with the peace and joy of fools, and fat ourselves sacrifices with more security against their next slaughter. Therefore,

4. Raise the trained-bands, and let them be put not so much as into the hands of men popishly affected; for those men that would pull off the vizard, in case Popery prevailed; that otherwise keep their credit by not discovering themselves, are the most dangerous to be trusted; I fear Popery thus entering, more than any other way. Examine the counties well, for some of base principles are intrusted.

5. Let there be power given to raise auxiliaries, that such honest Protestant gentlemen, as are willing, at their own charges, voluntarily to serve their country, by raising troops or companies, or serv. ing in them, may be permitted and encouraged so to do.

6. Let every Protestant family be well armed, and every Popish family be utterly disarmed; they have tried our usage of arms with ease, we theirs with cruelty enough.

7. Let there be an act, with a strict penalty, that, after such a

day, no gun-smith shall sell guns or pistols; cutlers, swords or daggers; and dry-salters, gunpowder or bullets, without license of the aldermen of the wards in London, or some chief officer, if in any other corporation; and that the person so buying them shall, before the said officer, subscribe a sufficient test against Popery, but, more especially, that no Papist be suffered to make or sell any such implements of war.

8. That care be taken to prevent fraudulent conveyances of estates by Papists, to escape the law, where they have done mischief; for this is to cheat the government, and invalidate the law.

9. That it shall be treason for any Papist to entertain a priest, jesuit, or seminary in their house, because mortal enemies, by prin ciple and practice, to the civil government. Consider of the Swedish law, or some other way to clear the land of all of them; let us buy them out to be safe.

10. That in all schools, particularly in universities, care be taken to educate youth in a just abhorrence of Romish principles, espe cially the jesuit's immoral morals, shewing the inconsistency thereof with human nature, reason, and society, as well as pure and meek christianity, of which there has been great neglect.

11. That our youth be not suffered to travel abroad, but between twelve and sixteen, and that under the conduct of approved Protestants; for the present way of education is chiefly in pleasure and looseness, which makes way for atheism or Popery, no religion or false religion.

12. That speedy care be taken to release all oppressed Protestants in this kingdom; and, since the Papists mark all Protestants out for one fate, and esteem them one body of hereticks, that they may be as one body of protestancy against that common enemy. This is the language of God's present providence; those, that withstand it, are such as love Rome better than London; every Protestant, dissenter or not, has the same thing to say against popery. Agree then so far, and let a general negative creed be concluded upon, and from thence let some general positive truths be considered of, in order to a better understanding among them. For this pur pose, let there be a select assembly of some out of all persuasions, in which these two proposals may be duly weighed, that whosoever believe, and own what shall be therein contained, shall be reputed and protected as true Protestants.

Lastly, and more especially, let all the laws in force against immo. rality be speedily and effectually executed. It is sin, which is the disease and shame of the nation; we have forgotten God, and cast his law behind us, and we deserve not this beginning of deliverance. Our pleasures have been our gods, and to them we bow, and have little or no religion at heart; therefore it is that iniquity abounds, and in that variety too, and to such a degree, as no kingdom can pa.. rallel. Blush, Ŏ heavens, and be astonished, O earth! A people loved of God, and so often saved by his wonderful providences, are become the Tyre and Sidon, the Sodom and Gomorrah of the world. Let us repent in dust and ashes; let us turn to God, from the bot

tom of our hearts, with the fervent love and good works of our mar. tyred ancestors; or their life, doctrine, and death will rise up in judgment against us, and God will yet suffer their and our enemies to swallow us up quick. And be assured, as looseness and debauchery were designed by the Papists, as a state-trick, to dispose the minds of the people to receive, or at least suffer Popery, that, to say true, cannot live with better company; so the discouragement of it, and cherishing of all virtuous persons, with a serious and hearty prosecution of the fore-mentioned proposals, will stop, and in time wear it out of the kingdom; for Popery fears nothing more than light, inquiry, and sober living. Hear us, we beseech you, for Jesus Christ's sake; take heart, we will never leave you, do not you leave us; provide for the king, provide for the people; for God alone knows, when we lie down, if we shall ever rise, or, when we go forth, if we shall ever return. Remember the massacre of Paris, in which so many thousands fell, and, with them, that brave admiral, Coligni: Infamy enough, one would think, to shame the party, did they know such a thing; but, instead of that, it was meritorious, yea, it is a subject of triumph: Look into the Vatican at Rome, and, among the other rare feats performed by christian kings against infidels, this massacre of Paris, now about an hundred years old, is to be found; and so careful was the designer to do it to the life, that he has not omitted to shew us, how the noble admiral was flung dead out of the window into the street, to be used as people use cats and dogs in Protestant countries, but good enough for an heretick, whom the worse they use, the better they are. But, to shew they own the plot, and glory in the action, for fear one not read in the story should take Coligni for Jezabel, they have gallantly explained the action upon the piece, and writ his name at large.

But there is a cruelty nearer home, no less barbarous, the Irish massacre, in 1641; nay, it exceeded, First, in number; there were above three-hundred thousand murdered. Next, in that no age or sex was spared; and, lastly, in the manner of it. It was general throughout the kingdom; and, as they were more savage, so more cruel; they spared not either sick, or lying-in women; they killed poor infants, and innocent children, tossing some upon their swords, skeens, and other instruments of cruelty; flinging others into rivers, and, taking several by the legs, dashed their brains out against walls or rocks. O Lord God, avenge this innocent blood; it still cries. But, that these actors of this tragedy, or their bloody-minded offspring, should swarm in England, be pensioners here, as if they were the old soldiers of the queen, men of eighty-eight, cripples of loyalty, laid up for their good services, and St. James's their hospi tal, this scandalises us. We think them the worst cattle of their country, and pray, that there may be an exchange, that you would prohibit their importation, instead of more useful beasts. For the bloody massacre of Piedmont, you have it at large described by Sir Samuel Morland.

But we must never forget the horrid murder of Henry the Third and of Henry the Fourth of France, our king's renowned grandfather

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And would to God our king would consider, that all his humanity to them can never secure him from their stroke; they were both better Catholicks, and yet both assassinated: The first a bred Papist, yet because he would not murder all the Hugonots or Protestants of his kingdom, and his known best subjects, they did as much for him: The last was their convert, all they seemed to desire of him, and all they can expect from our king, yet how did they use him? They did twice assassinate him, and the last time killed him. curity then can any prince promise to himself from men, that make What senot the profession of the same religion a protection to them that own it, but upon humours or suspicions of their own, or to introduce another person or family, more immediately under their influ ence, and disposed to their turn, will make no scruple of killing him? What slaves are kings with such men, and under such a religion? Let not the mildness of our prince be thus abused; shew yourselves his great and best council in this conjuncture, and deliver him from these men of ingratitude: Men that will never be contented, but with that which they must not have; of such qualifications, that what may be esteemed ambition, revenge, or, interest, in all other parties, is a settled principle with them. This their greatest doctors, tell us, and to excite men in the pursuit of it, they declare all such acts more than ordinarily meritorious. But what hold can we have of such men, that have no conscience? This conclusion looks hard, and besides their practice, for if that were always to cast the scale, it would go hard with many Protestants too; it is their avowed doctrine, they glory in it, and make it our reproach to have thing. I say, that Papists have no conscience, or no use of conany such science in their religion, which is the same thing; for what is conscience, but the judgment a man makes in himself of religious matters, according to the knowledge given him of God; but this is out of doors with them, it is heresy; authority rules them, not truth; as if a man were to be credited for his age, not for his reason. Conscience is a domestick and private judge, dangerous to the chair, -the Pope; for it rather hinders than helps subjection; the less there be of it, the sooner men turn captives to their mysteries: So that putting out the eyes of our mind, and a blind before our understanding, best fit us for Popish religion; as if religion had not so great an enemy as reason; nor faith as knowledge. It is strange, that a man cannot be a Papist, without renouncing the only distinction of a man from a beast: Therefore it is, we pray to be secured from Papists, because at best they unman us, and are not their own men. It is true, as Protestants do not always live up to their good principles, neither do Papists to their bad ones: Breeding, good humour, generosity, and a better principle they know not of, may byass some of them to worthy things, but this is not according to their principles; for if they will be true to them, they must abandon choice, and obey their superior, right or wrong, and every immorality he commands is duty, upon damnation; the more contrary to their ́reason, and averse to their nature, the greater the merit. Hesitation

VOL. IX.

Сс

is weakness; dissent, schism; opposition, heresy; the consequence, burning.

From this religion, O Lord God, deliver us; O king and par. liament, protect us: It is your duty to God, and your obligation to the people. We beseech you, excuse us, and take all in good part; our fears are great, we fear justly, and our desires reasonable; re member our dreadful fires, consider this horrid plot, and think upon poor, yet worthy, Sir Edmundbury Godfry; let not God's provi dence, and his blood, rise up in judgment against you; God of his great mercy animate you by his power, and direct you by his wisdom, that the succession of his deliverances, from Queen Elisabeth's days, may not be forgotten, nor his present mercy slighted; let us do our duty, and God will give us that blessing, which will yet make England a glorious kingdom, the joy of her friends, and terror of her enemies, which is the fervent and constant prayers of yours, &c.

THE

CHANCELLOR'S EXAMINATION,

AND

PREPARATION FOR A TRIAL.

Printed for W. Cademan, 1689. Folio, containing two pages.

As the long imprisonment of George, Lord Jefferies, the High Chancellor of England, has given him ample leisure for a full and serious consideration of his state, his examination of his fatal circumstances, and preparation for his trial, with all other necessary and due reflexions, previous as well to the appearance not only before so great a tribunal here, but also a greater and more terrible one to come, have induced him to this timely provision of his last Will and Testament.

IN the name of ambition, the only God of our setting up and

worshiping, together with cruelty, treachery, perjury, pride, insolence, &c. his ever-adored angels and archangels, cloven-footed, or otherwise. Amen.

I George, sometimes Lord, but always Jefferies, being in intire bodily health (my once great heart, at present dwindled to the diminutive dimensions of a French bean, only excepted) and in sound and perfect memory of high commissions, quo warranto's, regulations, dispensations, pillorisations, floggations, gibbetations, barbarity, butchery, tyranny, together with the bonds and ties of right, justice, equity, law, and gospel; as also those of liberty, property, Magna