A Turbulent Pragmatical JESUITE, is the Bell-weather of the Roman Shepherds Flock; a moſt truſty Janizary to the Triple-Crown. A zealous Hector for Popery, that wherever he comes, plays the Devil for Gods-ſake. An Eccleſiaſtical Granadier to ſcatter the Wild • fire of Contention; or, a Religious Flambeau to put Kingdomes into a Combuſtion; ſo through-pac'd a Catholick, that he has left off to be a Chriſtian, and inſtead of the Evangelical Duties, Peace, Obedience, and Love, recommends Rebellion, Treaſon and Murder, as the beſt expedients to promote Holy Church. The diſtinguiſhing Badge of other Papiſts is Superſtition, but of him Sedition and Subtlety, not Ignorance the Mother of his Devotion.

He uſurps the Title of JESUITE, juſt as their Popes are obſerved to have choſen Sirnames, exactly contrary to their Tempers; as, the moſt Hatchet-fac'd Formoſus, the moſt prophane Pius, the moſt cruel Clemens, &c. For certainly, never did any more interfere with the ſteps of the Bleſſed Jeſus, than thoſe that blaſphemouſly call themſelves his Companions or SOCIETY. He diſclaimed his Kingdome to be of this World; but their whole endeavors aim no farther. Riches, Dominion, Pomp and Glory, are the Butts they ſhoot at; and if ever they appear Heavenly, by tampering with Affairs of State, they mix Heaven and Earth together, to bring all into Confuſion. Let them magnifie the Travels of their Saint Xaverius, and boaſt the Multitude of Heathens they have converted; look narrowly into that intrigue, and you'll find it only an Huckſterly Charity of mercenary Pedlars, rather than a free offer of glad tidings. They did but Traffick to the Indies, to Barter Religion for Gold; never car'd for Preaching to Beggarly Nations, but always carried the ſound of Chriſtianity to Regions that had rich Mines or precious Quarries, to make advantagious Returns. Not to mention their Cruelties, in Baptizing far greater numbers in Blood than Water, and making the Goſpel odious to thoſe dark Souls, by their perfidious and Traiterous Practiſes; for which, the King of Japan long ago, and the Emperor of China ſince, baniſht them their Territories, chooſing rather to relapſe into honeſt Paganiſm, than entertain Truth ſullied by ſuch Knaviſh Impoſtors.

He owes his Original to Ignatius Loyala a Spaniſh Souldier, about the year 1540. and though found out long ſince the invention of the Cannon, has not done leſs miſchief than that Butchering Engine. Luther had now broke the Ice, and the Dawn of reviv'd Learning having open'd mens Eyes to ſee through the groſſer Cheats of Ignorant Monks; the Pope had no other play, but to cheriſh this Society, who having devoted themſelves by a particular Vow to his Intereſts, employ'd all their excellent parts and skill in the Sciences, (wherein their diligence ſoon rendred them famous) to bolſter up his tottering Ʋſurpations. The better to effect this, laughing at the Naſty Auſterities of their more Melancholly Religioniſts, they applied themſelves to the Politicks, and a ſociable kind of life; to underſtand not only Languages and Arts, but Paſſions, Humours, Prejudices, and (as they ſpeak in Courts) Blind-ſides, in one word, Perſons. Thus they became falſe Keys, to open Princes Cabinets, and pry into their Councels, by their oily Tongues, and plyable Behaviour; inſinuating themſelves into the affections of the unwary, as gently, as malevolent Stars dart their influence, or blaſting Mildews ſlide into the boſom of a flower. In his Seminary, he acts the part of a Fox; abroad, a Spaniel; but in the Inquiſition, a Lion Rampant. The Mask which in Spain or Italy he wears on his Heart, in Countreys he calls Heretical he puts upon his Face; varying ſhapes oftner, than a Strumpet ſhifts her Lodgings; now a Courtier, to morrow a Souldier, then a Cobler, by and by a Weaver; a Gallant amongſt the Ladies, an Atheiſt with the Wits, and a Quaker when he aſſembles with Friends at the Bulland-Mouth.

He regards the other duller Litters of Cloiſter'd Cubbs, with an eye of Contempt, and devours or eats them out of Credit (if planted neer them) as faſt as a Pike does the ſmaller fry in a Fiſh-pond. Indeed his Colledge is always furniſht with ſome one Profeſſor in every Faculty, excellently accompliſht; and the whole Society conſiſts of ſelect perſons, either of extraordinary natural and acquired parts, great Birth, Alliance, and Intereſts abroad, or Heirs to large Fortunes; and the former, ever govern the two latter, well knowing how to make uſe of ſuch Tools for their main deſigns, which are Aggrandizing the Court of Rome, ſpreading Popiſh Doctrines, wheadling in of Proſelytes, deſtroying, weakning, or dividing Proteſtants, and heaping up wealth to their own Seminaries. Hence not only the Reformed, but the Dominicans, Franciſcans, and other Catholick Brotherhoods, apprehending the growing greatneſs of this Leviathan-Order; nay, his Holineſs himſelf, in the traverſe of the buſineſs, is but their Vaſſal, and apt (like Conjurers) to dread theſe buſie Imps, which himſelf firſt raiſed to Miſchief others. Nor has it been the leaſt skill and prudence of the Conclave, for the laſt Age, to keep out any of this Fraternity from mounting the Infallible Chair, left they ſhould Intail the Popedome on its Members, and rifle the Neſts of the Monks, to enrich their own Hives. And if their own Tribe be thus jealous of them, what ſentiments others ought to have for them, will not be difficult to determine by any that has read their deteſtable Writings and Poſitions, of Depoſing and Murdering Excommunicated Princes, abſolving Subjects from their Allegiance, Faith not to be kept with Hereticks, &c.

As for the common Popiſh Prieſt, though oft he has not ſo much Learning, yet he puts in hard for an equal ſhare of Malignity, being a Ghoſtly Factor to Retail out his Holineſs's braided Wares; a kind of Spiritual Kidnapper for Souls: One might take him for a Conjurer; for he uſes an unknown Tongue, tranſacts moſt of his Buſineſs in Hugger-mugger, comes in ſecretly, and crawls up and down in Corners like a Serpent, and with a few frightful words, as Hereſie, Purgatory, Catholick Cauſe, Infallibility, and the like, Transforms people as he liſts, and Jilts them firſt of their Wits, and next of their Money: For though he pretends 'tis in pure kindneſs to your Soul, yet ſtill the Plot is upon your Purſe; and therefore where he meets with a fat Convert, he ſticks to him as cloſe as Ivie to the Oak; and for the ſame reaſon too, viz. to ſuck out Sap for his own Support and Maintainance. Thus he ſwitches and ſpurs an honeſt Gentleman, or devout Lady, through thick and thin, till the poor Soul look as lean and wretchedly, as if ridden Seven years by a Night-mare. The Reins he manages them with, are Confeſſion and Abſolution, whereby he becomes Maſter of their Secrets; and if they will not pace as he would have them, on goes the Snaffle of a ſevere Penance, to make them more eaſily rul'd.

He makes a perpetual Din of true Religion, and the Catholick Faith; but 'tis Reſtitution of all the old Abbeylands that his fingers itch for; and if ever he get into the Saddle, 'tis will if his quondam Patrons may be admitted to hold the ſtirrop. In the mean time he ſometimes makes uſe of them, as blind men of their ſtaves, to thruſt them into Plaſhes and Sloughs, before they'll tread themſelves; and run them againſt Poſts, to ſave knocking their own heads. When any Combuſtible matter is to be fired; theſe cunning Petardiers ram it into the hollow Cranium of ſome zealous or deſperate Votary, and having enflam'd the Fuzee of his Tongue, ſhoot him againſt Government, not caring though he breaks himſelf into a Thouſand pieces: For though the Jeſuite has out-done them in the Theory of Rebellion and Treaſon, the Monks preceded him long in the Practical part. Was it not a Monk that Poyſon'd our King John? was it not Bernardinus a Fryar Mendicant, that Anno 1313. poyſon'd the Emperour H. the 7th with the Conſecrated Hoſt? A Crime that might ſeem to diſpute a ſhape of Guilt with that of the Proto-Rebels, the faln Angels: For ſurely for a Prieſt▪ to poyſon his God (as they hold it to be) thereby to murder his Prince, was ſuch an exquiſite piece of wickedneſs, that all the Wit of Hell could never ſcrue any to an higher pitch. Was it not Clement a Jacobin Fryar, that murdered Henry the Third of France with a Sanctified Knife, to whoſe praiſe Pope Sextus Quintus dedicated a Panegytical Oraration? And for us nearer home, hear what a Reverend Prelate aſſerts—This we may obſerve (ſays he) That no Treaſon was ever attempted, Dr. Carlton, Biſhop of Chicheſter, in his Book I • itu • ed, A Thankful Remembrance of Gods Mercy. Printed Anno 1630. page 246. without a Romiſh Prieſt. The Treaſons attempted in England, have that proper and peculiar Mark, to have a Prieſt in the Practice.

Yet no doubt ſuch kind of Romiſh Emiſſaries will ſtill tell us they quit their Seminaries, and come hither, hazarding their lives meerly for our Souls health: That they love us intirely, and deſire nothing but our Salvation: and a thouſand other endearing Expreſſions.—But Good words butter no Parſueps. All theſe ſugared Complements will but put diſcreet men in mind of that Fable of the Birds and Fowler: The Fowler in a cold morning caught good ſtore of them, and ſtill nipt them on the head and put them up: His eyes in the mean time watering with the ſharpneſs of the Air; See, ſaid one of the Fowls, how the good man pities us, he weeps to ſee us taken. Ah, ſaid the other, look not to his Eyes, but to his Hands, there you ſhall ſee what pity we finde from him. Or at leaſt may remember us of St. Chryſoſtomes ſure Rule, to diſcern a Wolf from a Sheep: 'Tis poſſible (ſays he) for the Wolf to clothe himſelf with the Sheeps Skin, ſo as that cannot deſcry him; and to imitate the Sheeps Voice, ſo as that ſhall not betray him, but look to his Chaps, and they cannot deceive you: For you ſhall not finde either Graſs in the Wolfs mouth, nor Blood in the Sheeps. Let us never be ſo raſh, or fondly credulous, as to miſtake one for the other.