Venom that lay hid in thofe indulgent Declarations, 1687. and plainly faw, that though the King had granted a general Toleration to his Subjects, yet the Papifts only were defign'd to receive the Benefit of it: and Effects of that all the Places of Truft, both Civil and Milita- the Decla ry, would foon devolve into their Hands. And as ration with the fudden Favours we receive from an inveterate terians the Presby Enemy are always Sufpicious, they likewife difcover'd that the Reafon of this feeming Kindness from the Court, was only because their Efforts to engage the Church of England in their Siniftrous Deigns had prov'd ineffectual. Then reflecting on this Fundamental Maxim of the Roman Catholicks, That they are not bound to keep Faith with Hereticks, but may use all manner of Equivocations and Retractations either to Convert or Exterminate them; left they fhould be Acceffary to their own Ruin, they held Private Conferences with the Epifcopal Party, about the moft Proper Means to difpel the Storm that threatned them both; to this end, a Reconcilement in Point of Religious Worthip was chiefly thought Neceffary; and fome Presbyterian Teachers preft it fo much in their Pulpits, that the Diffenters of Canterbury, Rochester, and fome other Places in Kent, declared they were ready to join in Communion with the Church of Eng→ land.

On the other hand, the Church of England faw prefently through this Jefuitical Contrivance, and dreaded the Confequences; they look'd upon it as æ juft Judgment from Heaven, for the Rigour they had exercis'd against the Non-conformilts in King Charles Hd's Time; they began to blame the overftrain'd and undifcreet Zeal of fome of their Ambiti ous Prelates; which had reduc'd the Diffenters, both in England, Scotland, and Ireland, to the Neceflity, not only of accepting of, but even of fuing for this general Indulgence; in fhort, they were now made fenfible that thofe who put them upon executing the Penal Laws, did but make them Properties to hinder the Diffenters from Uniting with the Church of England, and play them against one another, that their Divifions might add Strength to the Pa

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1687. pifts to deftroy them both. Thus by the Liberty of Confcience King James loft his Epifcopal Party, who had fet the Crown upon his Head, without winning the Presbyterians, that had endeavour'd to exclude him; and both Church-men and Diffenters perceiving their Common Danger, forgot, at leaft fufpended their old Animofities, and join'd Councils to prevent their imminent Ruin.

But in the mean Time the King's Declaration did in fome Measure answer the Ends for which it was publish'd, and scarce a Day past without fome Proteftant or other being reconcil'd to the Church of Rome. And indeed if we confider the Frailties of Humane Nature, and how powerfully the Luft of Honours and Riches rules over Mankind, how could it prove otherwife? 'Tis true the King had declar'd that he would advance to Employments thofe Perfons only, whofe Worth and Affection fhould recommend them to his Fayour, without any Regard to their Religion; but yet who could be fo little difcerning as not to perceive that to be of the King's Religion was the molt diftinguishing Merit, and the fureft way to Preferment? Therefore thofe who were already in Employments, and whofe Confciences were not over-nice, went to Mafs to avoid Difgrace; and others of the fame Stamp, who gap'd after Places, did not fcruple to Sacrifice their Religion to their Ambition; when those who had nothing but Zeal, Loyalty, and Affection to plead for them, were either turn'd out, if in Place, or if out of Place, left unregarded.

The Truth of all this is abundantly confirm'd by Examples: My Lord S- whether to Serve his vaft Ambition by promoting another Prince's Defign, or only to Gratine a Predominant Paffion that daily exhaulted his Purfe, Profeft himself a Roman Ca Proteftants thalick, and by that Means preferv'd the Afcenturn'd out dant, which his Cunning and Superior Genius of Employ gave him over Father Perre's, and the large fhare he had in the King's Confidence and Favours though in the Year 1680. he had warmly tickled for the Bill of Exclufion, and was therefore turn'd

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out of his Place of Secretary of State to Charles 1687II. Whereas the Earls of Clarendon and Rochester, the King's Brothers-in-Law, and who had fignaliz'd their Loyalty and Affection to his Majefty, by a continued Courfe of Important Services, particularly in the ticklish Affair of the Popish Plot and Bill of Exclufion, were remov'd from their Employments, meerly upon account of their Zeal for the Proteftant Religion, and Roman Catholicks advanc'd in their Rooms. Some will have it, that the Earl of S-- a zealous Competitor, not to fay an irreconcileable Enemy of the Earl of Rochefter, undermin'd both him and his Brother the Earl of Clarendon, to get them out of the King's Favour. But ftill it's certain, that the Pretence of his Infinuations againft them, and the King's main Reafon for laying them afide, was their ftanding up for the Proteftant Intereft. The fame happen'd not long after to the Earl of Shr---bury, who refufing to return within the Pale of the Koman Catholick Church, from which he had ftray'd (as the Papifts phras'd it) ever fince Oates's Plot, was turn'd out of his Commiffion of Colonel of Horfe, and his Regiment beftow'd on Richard Hamilton.

Addrefs,

May 28th.

As the Papifts were chiefly intended to reap the Fruits of the Liberty of Confcience, fo they were not wanting to acknowledge the King's Favour. The Lord Arundel of Wardour, (made lately * March Lord Privy-Seal in the Room of the Earl of Cla- 11th, 1689. rendon) the Marquis of Powis, the Lord Bellafis, and feveral other Perfons of Quality prefented an The Papifts Addrefs to His Majefty, in behalf of themselves and the rest of the Roman Catholicks of this Kingdom; wherein They teftified their Thankfulness to Almighty God, and His Majesty, for fo happy an Expedient, for the Eafe and Comfort of all his Subjects and though they were thought not to defire the least Eafe or Good to thofe that differ'd from them in Opinion yet they did not only Rejoice in the Univerfality of His Majefties Bounty, but that it flow'd from a Prince of their own Religion. And now 'twas high Time for the Jefuits to fet up Seminaries, in order to caufe unwary Proteftant Youths to imbibe the

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Popish Religion, under the fair Pretence of inftructing them in Humane Learning. Accordingly they open'd their Schools in feveral Places in The Jefuits School in England, particularly in London, in the ancient Roythe Savoy, al Palace call'd the Savoy; which gave Occafion to May the Dr. Tennifon, (then Rector of St. Martin's, and now 25th, 1687. Archbishop of Canterbury) a Perfon of Exemplary Piety and Charity, to erect his Free-School at St.Martin's St. Martin's, adorn'd with a Choice Library, in Free-School. Oppofition to that Jefuitical Colledge.

Not long after Dr. Tennifon met with an OpportuDr. Tenni- nity of Signalizing his Learning and Zeal in the Defon's Con- fence of the Proteftant Religion, which the Jefuits ference with by fubtle Arts, and unfair Practices, endeavour'd to Mr.Pulton, undermine. The Dr. being inform'd that an ApprenJefuit.

tice of his Parith was departing from the Church of England, having been at Mafs two Months before, defir'd the Matter and his Apprentice to come into his Clofet, where he ask'd the Youth, what Reafons could induce him to leave fo good a Church? After much Importunity he faid, that Mr. Pulton, Rector of the Jefuits School in the Savoy, had perfuaded him by his Arguments; and being further ask'd, what thofe Arguments were? He answered, Mr. Pulton had fhew'd him in Luther's Works, that Luther held fometimes three, and fometimes feven Sacraments; and added, that Luther was diffuaded from going to Mafs by the Devil; and that ever fince the Pretended Reformed had proceeded upon the Word of the Devil. The Doctor fhew'd him how frivolous that Story and Argument was; and told him that he believ'd Mr. Pulton would not juftifie this way of reafoning before him. The Boy had been fo tamSeptember per'd with, that that very Day he had been with 29th,1687. the Doctor, he had the Confidence to turn upon him the Story about Luther and the Devil, which was told by the Jefuit. His Mafter carried the Boy to Dr. Horneck, ftill hoping to work Good upon him; but his Perverfenefs was fo apparent to the Doctor, notwithstanding all the things of Moment he could fay, that he perceiv'd him past present Cure. Great Boaft was made in the

Neighbourhood about Mr. Pulton, and Wagers of- 1687. fer'd by the Papifts, that Dr. Tennison would not engage in a free Difpute with him; tho' there was little Reafon for that boafting, the Doctor having already in vain expected the coming of two Priefts at a Place and Time appointed. That Doctor knew indeed that Conferences of this Nature feldom produce any other Effect, than to furnish fuch People as are either already feduc'd, or inclin❜d to be fo, with a Pretence of faying, That upon what they heard they were converted; yet being made fenfible by a Friend, that if Mr. Pulton was not met, the Romanifts would give it out, that no Proteftant was able to confute him, it was agreed on all fides that there fhould be a Meeting. * Sept. 29. The main Point which the Jefuit propos'd to be 1687. debated, was, The Rule of Faith; but the Inconfiftence of Luther about the Sacraments, and his pretended Colloquy with the Devil, being that on which the Boy's Convertion was grounded, the Doctor thought fit to clear that Matter firft; and faid to Mr. Pulton, that the Proteftant Church depended not upon Luther, but Chrift; that Luther was indeed an excellent Infirument of God, but had his Failings like other Men, as was fufficiently prov'd in a Book lately publish'd at Oxford, entituled, The Spirit of Martin Luther; that if Luther had faid any where, there were Three Sacraments, he had faid no more than Pafchafius Radbertus, who was the Inventor of Tranfubftantiation; that admitting the Story, Luther after the Monkith way had put the Spiritual Conflict into the Form of a Colloquy; and that he might well fufpect a Device in the Devil when he diffuaded him from the Mafs; for the Devil might think the Piety of Luther would be apt to move him for that Reafon to go the rather to Maís, because he had forbidden him. He added, that one of the firftDiffuatives from the Mafs, which made Impreflion upon Luther, was that having been at Rome, and faid Mass there, and heard it faid, He took Notice of the Prophaneness of the Mats-Priefts, and overheard the very Courtezans jeeringly faying, that

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