which made them believe, that their very religion was persecuted by the Church of England. Queen Elisabeth, finding and well knowing what notable uses might be made of the French, Dutch, and Walloons, who, in the time of King Edward the Sixth, transplanted themselves into England, enlarged their privileges by new concessions; drawing by this means great numbers over, and suffering them to enjoy the exercise of the reformed religion after their own manner. And so they had churches in Norwich, Canterbury, and other places, as well as in London; whereby the wealth of those places marvellously increased. The same charters of liberty were continued to them, during the peaceable reign of King James, and in the beginning of this King's reign. Some few years before these troubles, when the power of church-men grew more transcendent, and indeed the faculties and understandings of lay-counsellors more dull, lazy, and unactive, upon pretence that the French, Dutch, and Walloons exceeded the liberties which were granted to them, and that, under the notion of foreigners, many English separated from the church, the council-board connived at, whilst the bishops did some acts of restraint,with which these congregations grew generally discontented, and thought the liberty of their consciences to be taken from them; which caused in London much complaining of this kind, but much more in the diocess of Norwich, where Dr. Wren, the bishop there, passionately and warmly proceeded against them; so that many Jeft the kingdom, to the lessening the wealthy manufacture there of kerseys and narrow cloths.---And whereas in all former times, the ambassadors, and all foreign ministers of state, employed from England, into any parts where the reformed religion was exercised, frequented their churches, gave all possible countenance to their profession, and particularly the ambassador Lieger at Paris, had diligently and constantly frequented the church at Charenton, and held a fair intercourse with those of that religion throughout the kingdom, by which they had still received advantage. The contrary to this was now with great industry practised, and some advertisements, if not instructions, given to the ambassador there, to forbear any extraordinary commerce, with the men of that profession. And the Lord Scudamore, who was the last ordinary ambas sador there, before the beginning of this parliament, not only declined going to Charenton, but furnished his own chapel with such ornaments ag gave great offence and umbrage to those of the reformation there, who had not'seen the like. Besides that, he was careful to publish upon all occasions, that the Church of England looked not on the Hugonots as a part of their communion: Which was likewise too much and too industriously discoursed at home.---They of the Church of England, who committed the greatest errors this way, had undoubtedly not the least thoughts of making alterations in it, towards the countenancing of popery, as has been uncharitably conceived; but unskilfully believed, that the total declining the interest of that party, where it exceeded the necessary bounds of reformation, would make this Church of England looked upon with more reverence. And so the Church of England, not giving the same countenance to those of the religion in foreign parts, which it had formerly done, no sooner was discerned to be under a cloud at home, but those of the religion abroad were glad of the occasion, to

publish their malice against her, and to enter into the same conspiracy against the crown, without which they could have done little hurt to the church.

Many tender lovers of their faith and country, says Dr. Kennet might well deplore the unhappiness of that alliance, with France, which gave no small occasion to the calamity and the curse of this day; for it was from thence, that did arise the apprehensions and fears of popery: Popery that irreconcileable enemy, not only to our reformed faith and worship, but to our civil rights, liberties, and properties, to our estabished laws, and to our settled constitution. It was for this wise and good reason, that our first reformers would never bear with any express toleration of popery, nor with any long connivance at it. That excellent young Josiah, King Edward VI, would not dispense with his own sister to have publick mass in her own family. Queen Elisabeth indulged then no longer than while there were some hopes to reclaim them. Her next successor, King James, was a champion against popery, and strenuously opposed it, both as a wise governor, and a learned writer; and this gave peace and happiness to the greatest part of his administra tion. But, when toward the decline of it, he fell into a treaty for a match with Spain, and, during that treaty, did in a manner suspend the laws against the papists, and gave his subjects an occasion to believe, that one article of that match was to be a toleration of popery, this gave such universal jealousy and discontent to his people, and the parfiaments of them, that it threatened apparent danger; and, if that treaty had not broke off, and thereby cased the minds of people, we know not what might have been in the end thereof. For certainly his royal son, the martyr of this day, might justly impute many of his troubles to these fears and jealousies of popery. And they really began with the French alliance, where one article was to have a publick chapel, and priests and mass for the queen and her houshold. This gave an opportunity of open resort to all papists, foreigners and natives; this gave shelter and protection to swarms of Jesuits and other emissaries from Rome; this gained an interest at court for pardons and for patents of profit and preferment to the leading Roman Catholicks; this brought over one or two Nuncio's from the pope, to attend upon the Queen. In short, this did give countenance to popery; and therefore did cast a damp and dread upon many sincere protestants; and did put them into such terrible apprehensions of the Romans coming to take away their place and nation, that this strength of fear too much began the civil war, and helped to carry it forward to the innocent and sacred blood shed upon this day."

In all these, Dr. Kennet speaks with the most authentick and faithful historians: The jesuits, seminary priests, and other recusants, says † H. L'Estrange, presuming protection, by reason of the late match, contracted so much insolence, that at Winchester, and many other places, they frequently passed through the churches in time of divine service, houting and ho-lo-ing, not only to the disturbance of that duty, but

• Dr. Kennet's Sermon, page 11, 12, 13, 14. + Annals of King [Charles's Reign, in the year 1625, page 19.

scorn of our religion; yea, and one popish lord, when the King was at chapel, was heard to prate on purpose louder, in a gallery adjoining, than the chaplain prayed, whereat the King was so moved, that he sent this message to him: Either let him come and do as we do, or else I will make him prate farther off."'

In the year 1627, a notable discovery was made of a college of jesuits at Clerkenwell, of which the same author gives us this account. The first information was given by one Crosse, a messenger to Secretary Coke, whereupon he sent the sheriff to attack them; who, coming with a formidable power, found all the holy foxes retired, and sneaked away; but, after long search, their place of security was found out, it being a lobby behind a new brick-wall wainscotted over; which, being demoJished, they were presently unkennelled, to the number of ten. They found also divers letters from the pope to them, impowering them to erect this college, under the name of Domus Probationis (but it proved Reprobationis) Sancti Ignatii; and their books of accounts, whereby it appeared they had five-hundred pounds per annum contribution from their benefactors, and had purchased four-hundred and fifty pounds, per annum.'

Among their papers, says † Mr. Rushworth, was found a copy of a letter written to their father rector at Brussels, discovering their designs upon this state; of which I shall transcribe these remarkable passages: 'Let not the damp of astonishment seize upon your ardent and zealous souls, in the apprehending the sudden calling of a parliament: we have uot opposed, but rather furthered it. You must know, the council is engaged to assist the King by way of prerogative, in case the parliamentary way should fail. You shall see this parliament will resemble the pelican, which takes a pleasure to dig out with her beak her own bowels. The election of knights and burgesses has been in such confusion of apparent faction, as that which we were wont to procure heretofore, with much art and industry (when the Spanish match was in treaty) now breaks out naturally, as a botch or boil, and spits and spews out its own rancour and venom. That great statesman, the Count of Gundomar, had but one principal means to further his great and good designs, which was to set on King James, that none but the puritan faction, which plotted nothing but anarchy, and his confusion, were averse to this most happy alliance and union. We steered on the same course, and have made great use of this anarchical election, and have prejudicated and anticipated the great one, that none but the King's enemies, and his, are chosen of this parliament. We have now many strings to our bow, and have strongly fortified our faction, and have added two bulwarks more. Now we have planted that sovereign drug Arminianism, which we hope will purge the protestants from their heresy. The materials, which build up our bulwark, are the projectors and beggars of all ranks and qualities: Howsoever, both these factions co-operate to destroy the parliament, and to introduce a new species and form of government, which is oligarchy. These serve as direct mediums and instruments to our end, which is the universal

Page 75, +Rushworth's Collections, part I. page 474

catholick monarchy. Our foundation must be mutation, and mutation will cause a relaxation, which will serve as so many violent diseases, to the speedy destruction of our perpetual and insufferable anguish of body. The arminians and projectors affect mutation: This we second, and inforce by probable arguments. In the first place, we take into consideration the King's honour, and present necessity; and we shew how the King may free himself of his ward, as Lewis the Eleventh did. As for his great splendour and lustre he may raise a vast revenue, and not be beholden to his subjects, which is by way of imposition of excise. Then our church catholicks proceed to shew the means how to settle this excise, which must be by a mercenary army of horse and foot. For the horse we have made that sure; they shall be foreigners and Germans, who will eat up the King's revenues, and spoil the country, though they should be well paid. In forming the excise, the country is most likely to rise; if the mercenary army subjugate the country, then the soldiers and projectors shall be paid out of the confiscations; if the country be too hard for the soldiers, then they must consequently mutiny, which is equally advantageous to us; our superlative design is, to work the protestants as well as the Roman catholicks to welcome in a conqueror.

All this is confirmed by the testimony of the Earl of Clarendon: The papists, says that illustrious historian, who had for many years enjoyed a great calm, grew unthrifty managers of their prosperity: They appeared more publickly; entertained and forced conference more avowedly, than had been known before. They were known not only secret authors, but open promoters of the most grievous projects. The priests had forgot their former modesty and fear, and were as willing to be known, as listened to: Insomuch as a jesuit at Paris, designing for England, had the impudence to visit the ambassador there, and offering his service, acquainted him with his intended journey, as if there had been no laws for his reception. And, shamefully to countenance the whole party, an agent from Rome resided at London in great state. They had publickly collected money to a considerable sum, to be by the Queen presented, as a free gift from his catholick subjects to the King, towards carrying on the war against the Scots, which drew upon them the rage of that nation. In a word, they behaved themselves so, as if they had been suborned by the Scots, to destroy their own religion.'

Let us now listen to a foreign + historian, who has published his revolutions of England, with the particular approbation of the late King James, and who, being a jesuit, cannot be suspected of partiality to the protestants. The Scots, says he, finding themselves so strongly supported, had no sooner received an answer from the court, than there arose a thousand confused voices, crying out that all was lost; that the King, not contented with having taken away from the two nations both their liberties and goods, designed to lay a yoke on their consciences, and make an absolute change in religion. These complaints had not moved the generality of people, nor rendered the government sufficiently odious, according to the wishes of the discon

History of the Rebellion, part T. book II.

+Father D'Orleans, his Revolutions of Eng land. Vol. III. pag. 29.

tented, had it not been insinuated besides, that the King made great advances to popery, and resolved to make his subjects embrace it. Nothing was more false than this report. Charles was a protestant by inclination, and never loved the Roman catholicks; but that very report, tho' false, had such appearances of truth, as made it easily believed. We must do the Queen the justice to say, that she had, during all her life, a true zeal for the restoration of the catholick faith in England, and for the honour of the King her husband: but it cannot be denied, that sometimes she practised that zeal with somewhat more imperiousness, than the time allowed. Acted by that spirit, which results from the blood of those absolute monarchs, of whom their subjects require no other reason for their commands, than their will, she did not sufficiently consider, that she reigned in a country, where the most solid reasons are not always able to make the people follow the opinion of those who govern them. So limited an authority, and which must be managed with art, was looked on by the Queen as a slavery, from which she used all her endeavours to free the King her husband and herself. Therefore, without much regarding the nicety of the nation, she had constantly near her a nuncio from the pope, of whose character and functions none at court were ignorant. She entertained an open correspondence with the popish lords; she loudly, and sometimes roughly, made herself a party in any thing wherein the Roman church was concerned; and having with her a great number of ecclesiasticks, who had been restored to her by the peace, and who, some of them, had more piety than prudence, she had frequent disputes with the most zealous protestants, wherein the King, who loved her tenderly, indulged her humour, and even took her part, when she desired it of him. This conduct of Charles, in relation to his Queen, had already made him suspected of not being too good a protestant, whatever he did to appear such, when the zeal he shewed for the undertaking of Archbishop Laud, viz. the introducing the English liturgy in Scotland, increasing that suspicion, gave occasion to his enemies to publish, that he was a Roman catholick, and that, in concert with that prelate, he made it his business to reconcile England to the see of Rome. The conduct of Laud was such as made these suspicions probable: for tho' every body agrees now, that, like the King his master, he was a zealous stickler for the protestant sect, yet there was then reason not to think so of him, by the fondness that prelate had for ceremonies; by the advice he gave to young students, to read the fathers, rather than the protestant divines; by his denial to admit the decisions of the synod of Dort; and much more than all this, by the conduct of the Earl of Strafford,lord-lieutenant of Ireland,his intimate friend, and confident of all his designs. That prelate had procured him the government of Ireland, in hopes he should second his projects; and that Lord wisely foreseeing that Laud would raise all the presbyterians against the King, raised an army in that island, to maintain the royal authority; and though he was a protestant, as well as his master and friend, he had done the Roman cathclicks the honour to believe them better affected to their prince, than the rest: and therefore had composed his army of them.'