and that the Law looks upon fuch a Refcription as 1686. 1586. The Jefuits to advance their grand Defign of eftablishing Popery, continually reprefented to His Majefty the great Progrefs the King of France had lately made in the Converfion of his Proteftant Subjects, by the infallible Arguments of his Military Mitionaries, and made him fenfible how precarious his Difpenfing Power would be, unless it had a ftronger Support than the Opinion of his Judges in Weftwinster-Hall. The King, who, as I have faid before, was eafily led into any Project that feem'd to fecure him the Poffeffion of his airy MiCamp on ftrefs, Defpotick Authority, affembled * all his Hounflow- Troops to the namber of Fourteen or Fifteen ThouHeath, fand Men, on Hounslow Heath, and caus'd a ChapJune1686. pel to be erected at his Head-Quarters, where Mafs Ad was publickly faid every Day. Tho' this fmall Army confified, for the inoft part, of Proteftants, there being but few Roman Catholick Officers of Diftinction, fuch as the Duke of Berwick, the Earl of Dunbarton, the Lords Dover and Mongommery, CoIonel Richard Hamilton, Lieutenant-Colonel Sackvile, &c. Nevertheless it gave no finall Jealoufie to a People who were never us'd to fee Encampments in time of Peace, and who confider'd how fome of their Neighbours had loft their Liberties, by fuffering their Princes to keep up Standing Forces. Many were atraid, left the Proteftants in the King's Army fhould join with the Romanists in advancing the Popith Caufe, it being the Principles, as well as Duty of Soldiers, blindly to execute the Commands of their Leaders. To prevent which, Mr. Samuel Jobufon, a learned Divine, who upon feveral other Occafions had fignaliz'd his Zeal against Arbitrary Government, addrefs'd to them the following Advice. Gentlemen, John: "Ext to the Duty we owe to God, which ought to be the principal Care of Men of he co your Profeflion, which carry your Lives in your 66 Hands, and often look Death in the Face, is the Service of your native Country, wherein drew your first Breaths, and breath a free 66 English i English Air. Now I defire you to confider how 1686. you will comply with thefe two main Points, by engaging in the prefent Service. Is it in the "Name of God for his Service, that you have "join'd your felves with Papifts? Who indeed muft fight for the Mafs-Book, but will burn the "Bible, and who feek to extirpate the Proteftant Religion with your Swords. because they cannot do it with their own? And will you be aiding ແ and affifting to fet up Mafs-Houfes, to erect that "Kingdom of Darknefs and Defolation amongft us, and to train up all our Children to Popery? "How can you do thefe things, and call your felves Proteftants? દ What Service can you do your Country, by "being under the Command of French and Irish Papifts, and by bringing the Nation under a Foreign Yoke? Will you help them to make for"cible Entry into the Houfes of your Countrymen, "under the Name of Quartering, contrary to Mag 66 .. na Charta, and Petition of Right? Will you be σε aiding and affifting to all the Murders and Outrages which they fhall commit by their void &C Commiflions, which were declar'd illegal, and fufficiently blafted by both Houses of Parliament, "if there had been any need of it; for it was ve ry well known before, that a Papift cannot have a Commiffion, but by Law is utterly difabled "and difarm'd? Will you exchange your Birthright of English Laws and Liberties, for Martial 66 and Club-Law; and help to deftroy all others, only at laft to be eaten up your felves? If I know you well, as you are Englishmen, you hate and "fcorn thofe things. Therefore be not unequally yoked with Idolatrous and Bloody Papifts: Be CC valiant for the Truth, and fhew your felves Men. "The fame Confiderations are likewife humbly offer'd to all English Seamen, who have been the "Bulwark of this Nation against Popery and SlaCG very ever fince 1588. ' ૯૮ દ The Tendency of this Addrefs was too fatal to the King's Defigns to be left unpunish'd ; and there F 3 1686. therefore Mr. Johnson being try'd for this high Mifdemeanour, was fentenc'd by the Court of * Nov. 16. King's-Bench, Sir Edw. Herbert being Chief Juftice, to fland Three times in the Pillory, and to be whipt from Newgate to Tyburn, which was fevereNov. 20. ly executed upon him after he had been † degraded from performing his Office as Minifter of the Gofpel, by the Bifhops of Durham, Rochester and Peterborough, appointed Commiffioners to exercise all manner of Ecclefiaftical Jurifdiction during the Sufpenfion of the Bishop of London. This feafonable Advice began to fow the Seeds of that Defection which happen'd Two Years after in the King's Army. It appear'd a little while after how fondly King James was poffefs'd with his Defign of reconciling his Proteftant Subjects to the Church of Rome. Over and above the Tie of Affinity, and the grateful Remembrance of Services paft, His Maje fty ever had a particular Affection and Efteem for the Earl of Rochester, his Brother-in-law, on whom therefore he beftow'd the important and beneficial Place of Lord High-Treasurer of England upon his firft Advancement to the Throne; but yet nothing was able to maintain the Earl in his Poft, but the changing his Religion, and embracing the King's, which, by this time, was become the only Step to Preferment. My Lord Rochefter being prefs'd and fatigued by the King's Solicitations, told His Majefty, that to let him fee 'twas not through any Prejudice of Education or Obftinacy that he perfever'd in his Religion, he confented to hear Conference fome Proteftant Divines difpute with his Popish between Two Priefts, and promis d to fide with the Conquerors. Protefiant Thereupon the King appointed a Conference to be Divines, held at White-Hall, at which His Majefty, the And Two Earl of Rochefter, and feveral Perfons of Diftinction, allifted. The Proteftant Champions were Dr, Stilling flect, a Man of univerfal Literature, and Dr. Jane, a Perfon of deep Learning, but chiefly famous for Polemick Divinity; Two Benedictine Monks food up for the Popish Caufe, and the Subject of their Difpute was, The Role of Faith, and the proper Judge Benedi &tines. * R -ter Judge in Controverfie. This Conference was long 1682 and tedious, as it always happens where Debates are manag'd with Strength of Reasoning on one fide, and Obftinate Ignorance on the other; but at laft the Romish Sticklers were forc'd to leave the Field to their Antagonists; whereupon the Earl of Rochefter openly declar'd, that the Victory the Proteftant Divines had gain'd, made no Alteration in his Mind, being beforehand convinc'd of the Truth of his Religion, and firmly refolv'd never to forfake it. His Majefty going off abruptly was heard to fay, He never faw a bad Cause fo ivell, nor a The Earl of good one fo ill maintain'd. Not many Days after the furrenders King fent to the Earl for his Commiflion of High- bis CamTreasurer, which he prefently refign'd; and miffion. which was beftow'd on the Lords Bellafis and Jan. 5. Dover, two Roman Catholicks, and on the Lord 1687. Godolphin, Sir John Earnly, and Sir Stephen Fox. To alleviate his Difgrace, His Majefty affign'd him an Annuity of Five Thousand Pounds upon the Poft-Office, which fo engag'd the Earl, that he afterwards went over to Holland to take care of the King's Intereft there, and give a fair Intérpretation of his Defigns. Several other Proteftants of Diftinction were clofeted upon account of their Religion, and turn'd out of their Employments for not complying with His Majefties Defire. In fhort, the King acted in fo defpotick a manner, and Popery made fo rapid a Progrefs, that fome of the Roman Catholicks complain'd of the violent Methods, and unpolitical Conduct of the leading Men of their Party: And as the ftill Sea is generally obferv'd to be the Fore-runner of a Storm, the wifeft and moft difcerning amongst 'em began to fufpect fome fudden Change from the quiet and moderate Behaviour of the Proteftants. The Governing Party about King James were Embassie to fo çager to make a Shew of their Chymerical Tro- Rome. phies, that towards the latter end of the Year 1686. the Earl of Castlemain was dispatch'd to Rome in Quality of Extraordinary Ambaffador, where he made his publick Entry with a magnificent * Jan. Train, and moft fplendid Equipage. His Infru 1687. F 4 ctions |