were afterwards committed in her reign, how many excellent bishops and martyrs were burnt at the ftake, how many others were imprifon'd, fin'd, and tortur'd, or fled their country, and this florishing ifland became a scene of defolation and a field of blood! And in like manner King James the fecond upon his acceffion declared in council (which declaration was printed and difperfed amongst the people) that he would preferve the government in church and ftate as it was established by law; nay he would always take care to defend and support the church of England. And what he faid to his council, he repeated again in his fpeech to the Parlament, and in the very fame words, the better to evidence to You, fays he, that I spoke them not by chance, and confequently that you may firmly rely upon a promise fo folemnly made. And yet how this promise 1 promife fo folemnly made and his coronation oath were obferved by him, no body need be told; all the world fufficiently knows and remembers. And can any of his pretended defcendants give us ftronger affurances than thefe? or are they more to be depended upon, and better to be trufted? they who have been bred up in the very bofom of Rome, and confequently are more bigotted and devoted to it, and under ftronger obligations to promote it's interefts: they who can never fucceed here without the fupport and affiftance of our inveterate and implacable enemies, and confequently if they fucceed muft eftablish the arbitrary government of France or Spain, as well as the corrupt and cruel religion of Rome! We may frame fome judgment of their intentions and purposes by their adherents, who are nothing but a wicked wicked crew of robbers and plunderers, or if of any religion Scotch and Irish papists. Every Englishman and proteftant muft abhor fuch an unnatural confpiracy and rebellion; the wifeft and moft moderate of the Papifts themselves cannot approve it; it can be favor'd only by the most defperate bigots of that religion among ourselves, and foreign popish fervants and others, of whom it is matter of loud and general complaint that there is fo great a number in the nation, and those chiefly in the best and greatest families. God give us grace and wisdom that we may fee the things which belong unto our peace before they are hid from our eyes! And furely you will not need any other admonition; it will be fufficient to admonish you in the words of St. Peter: Ye therefore, 2 Pet. iii. beloved, seeing ye know these things 17, 18. before, beware left ye also being led away |