YOurs I receiv'd, and to my no small admiration, find that you still continue to stuff your Letters with the old Common place Dis­courses of Fears and Jealousies, and of the Dangers we are in at present; but not content with this, you are pleas'd to give me a most Tragical Description of our future condition; How our Church is to be destroy'd, Protestants set together by the Ears, whilst our Popish Ene­mies shall stand by, clap us on the back, spit in our mouths, and hearten us on to cut one anothers Throats: Who (as you say) when they shall be cloy'd with the Sport, will take the Sword out of our Hands, finish the Work we have so bravely begun, by dispatching those that remain; or at least, reducing them to submit to that heavy Yoak, which we see our Miserable Brethren of France groan under at this day.

These things set off with the advantages of your Popular Air and Stile, some Weeks ago, might perhaps have made a deep Impression, not on­ly in the thick Skulls of your Country Neighbours, but likewise in the Minds of those that are more conversant in the World; certain it is, that something of that Nature did startle many, that in all outward appear­ance, seem'd to be much clearer sighted than our common Pretenders to Politicks. Nor indeed were they much to be blam'd, who cou'd scarce perswade themselves that our Church was design'd to be maintain'd in its Ancient Splendor, when such undue Methods were taken to extinguish the most eminent Lights within it. What hopes had we of enjoying our former Peace and Tranquillity, when we saw every little Canting Pam­phleteer not only suffer'd, but encouraged, nay hired, to foment our Ani­mosities, to widen our breaches with their scurrilous Libels, and by im­pudent Forgeries, endeavour to exasperate the Rabble against their Su­periors; whilst in the mean time our Dissenting Brethren without, instead of joyning with us against the Common Enemy, were allur'd with Pensions to pursue their petty Quarrels with all the Rancour imaginable; and our dangerous Assenting Brethren tempted with Preferments to betray us from within. Who cou'd imagine that our Government was safe, when we saw all those Prudent Laws which our Wise Ancestors were a making [Page 2] for above these hundred years, ready to be blown away at one blast? What Person cou'd be secure of his Birth-right, or Body Politick of its Rights and Priviledges, considering the havock that was lately made in our Corporations and Universities? These Considerations, I say, some small time ago, were able, no doubt, to Conjure up again the Old Devil of Fears and Jealousies, which perhaps, had things remain'd in the same Condition, all the Eloquence of our State Orators could never have been able to lay. But now to use the Learned Expression of a late Dull Philo­sophical Scribler, Cessante Causa tollitur Effectum. His Majesty has by one Act render'd the Malice of our Enemies as impotent as their Arguments; he has made all our Fears to vanish; he has secur'd our Rights, Laws, and Religion; in a word, he has as it were re-establish'd the Church of England. It is this insurmountable Bulwark that must be first undermin'd, before any attempts can be made, with the least success, upon our Reli­gion and Government: But whilst it stands firm and unshaken, as we have now all the Reason in the World to believe it ever will, in vain torment we our selves with Jealousies, in vain do the Factious Male-Contents suggest to us their Chimerical Dangers of Popery, and its inse­parable Concomitants, Tyranny and Slavery: And I don't doubt, but I shall be able in the following Discourse, to make it clearly evident, That all Insinuations of that Nature, are at this time of the Day, altogether as groundless, as the spreaders thereof shew themselves the most ingrate­ful of Men towards his Sacred Majesty.

I suppose, by the Liberty I have already taken, you will not suspect that I would go about to Banter you with the Shams of an Occurrencer, or endeavour to wheedle you into a destructive security, by the base and detestable Artifices of the French Politicians, who at that very Instant of time, when the Revocation of the Edict of Nantes was drawing up, gave out several Declarations, in which they made the most solemn Pro­testations that it should be kept inviolable. No, I shall discover my thoughts to you with the Sincerity of a Protestant, and that Freedom of Speech which is the Inborn Right of an Englishman. I shall Impartially weigh, to the best of my Capacity, all those Reasons which make this Phantom of Popery appear so terrible to us, and don't at all doubt but that I shall easily make it evident that it is but a vain Shadow, and that we are so well sprinkled with Holy Water, that it has no power to approach to hurt us.

Now in the first place, I suppose you'll agree with me, that before Popery can gain any ground upon us here in England, it must first take possession of, and strongly fortifie it self in the Noddles of a great part of the Rabble, it is from hence that the Booted-Apostles must be rais'd, This must be the Seminary to furnish us with Missionaries, to Convert such as have any Brains in their Heads, which as Dear Joy says very well, must [Page 3] certainly be first beaten out, before there be any room for Popery. Let us see therefore, whether it be seazible for our Romish Friends to gain such a Party amongst us, as thereby to entertain any hopes of effecting their Designs.

If we consider the good old Popery in its pure Naturals, we shall find it to be such a hideous Monster, as the most Ignorant and Stupid amongst us, will be so far from being enamour'd with, that the most effectual way to create in them an irreconcileable aversion to it, is to let them but have a view of it. But its Holy Mother, the Church, you'll say has been a long time a Tricking up this sweet Babe of hers: The Damm has been above these Hundred and Fifty years a licking her Cubb into some more agree­able Shape, it is confess'd; and instead of a shapeless innocent Lump (I mean in Comparison of what it is at present) has produc'd a most Ra­venous Beast of Prey, one Paw of which, is certainly more terrible to us than its whole Body was to our Forefathers. Let us cast our eyes a little upon our Neighbouring Kingdom of France, where, as it is confess'd by all, that above any place in Europe the most Refin'd Popery is establish'd; (for as for Spain, it does for the most part jogg on after the old rate still; and in Ita­ly, that's an Article of Faith one Post Day, which is Damnable Heresie ano­ther.) If we look into France, I say, and behold with what barbarous cruelty they use the poor Protestants there, what unheard of Torments they make 'em endure, we shall find that Hanging, Burning, and Cutting of Throats, is but Plain Work, in comparison of the more exquisite Inventions of those Modern Executioners. Now if these be the Effects of Refin'd Popery, I leave you to determine what Stomach People can have to fall in love with our Super-Refiners.

But you'll object perhaps, that whatever concerns France, is wholly Forreign to us; and that the greatest part of our Nation is not to be mov'd with any thing but what we our selves see acted, or at least remem­ber done. As to the former part of this objection, I answer that the same Causes must necessarily produce the same Effects; We see that our Con­verters brought over their Doctrine along with them from France, a little mended I must confess according to their poor Abillities: They pursued the same Methods to propagate it as the French did before they took off the Mask, and had not his Majesty been Graciously pleas'd to stop their Proceedings, there is no doubt but that their Endeavours wou'd not have been wanting to imitate to the Life, if not to improve the Original.

As to the second part of the objection, I will suppose it at present to be true; that most men here are wholly ignorant of the Affairs of their Brethren abroad: Yet have they learn't from the Actions and Writings of the Propagators themselves, enough to make them for ever detest that Religion, which suggests to her Followers such treacherous means, as [Page 4] they have used to introduce it: To prove which I need only put you in mind of some of their brave exploits for which they will never be for­gotten in England; and from hence you may easily imagin how mightily they are like to prevail amongst us.

You cannot but remember how in his late Majesties Reign, the greatest part of those Persons who had distinguisht themselves for their Loyalty to their Prince, and Affection to their Church, seeing a most Powerful Party of the Nation furiously enrag'd against the whole Canaille of these Miscreants, took compassion on their sufferings, and without over-curiously examining their Case, but judging by themselves that it was im­possible for Animals in Human shape to be guilty of what they were ac­cus'd, snatch't them out of the fire, tho' they burnt their own hands by the bargain; stood in the Gap betwixt them and Death, and abandon'd themselves to the Fury of the incens'd Multitude, to preserve these Wretches. Now after such signal obligations one might reasonably ex­pect some small signs of Gratitude from them to their Protectors; But they that did so knew them not; and they that had unwarily Nourisht them in their Bosoms, soon found what a Generation of Vipers they had to deal with: Who as soon as they were warm fell a Hissing and Spitting their Venom at their Benefactors. Surely we might have hop'd for at least that Favour at their hands which the Cyclops gave to Ulysses, to be the last objects of their outragious Malice: But these more Savage Monsters of Ingratitude scorn'd to follow the steps of any in their Villanies, and were resolv'd to become an Original themselves never to be imitated.

But I will yet suppose that there are many Englishmen, who out of the abundance of their Charity, will absolve these good Fathers of what has been hitherto said, and lay all the fault at the door of Holy Church. The C. of E. they'll say was the greatest obstacle to the Introduction of Popery, she therefore must be destroy'd, let the means to bring it about be never so Infamous: Their Religion dispenses with all those petty toys call'd Honour, Conscience, and Morality, whensoever her own advancement is con­cern'd. Well, granting these to be the Principles they suck'd from the Breasts of their Holy Mother, yet a Man would think they might have the sense to conceal them from us Hereticks, or the Common People at least; the most part of which are not so very conversant with the Casuists, as to have their stomachs prepar'd to digest so crude a Doctrine. But if we take a short view of their late Actions, we shall find it to be a matter of Con­troversie, whether they have not shown themselves not only to the Dis­cerning part of Mankind, but even to those of the meanest Capacity, to be greater Fools than Villains.

This is a bold Assertion, I confess, especially in a matter where the Reverend Fathers the Jesuits are concern'd: But I'll appeal to any one [Page 5] whether it be possible for a more stupendious piece of Folly to enter into the thoughts of Man, than that which our Wise and Politick Missionaries were guilty of, when they had the Confidence to maintain, not in a Corner, but in the Face of the whole World, such Forgeries, which there was not a Boy, whose Memory serv'd him for five years, but might discover, and at the same time give the Good Fathers the Lye in their Teeth. Who would blush for these men, when he sees in their Writings the Church of England accus'd of all the Extravagancies of some fiery Dissenting Zealots in the late Plot time: The Church of England men, not excepting the Bishops themselves, represented as the Contrivers, Promoters, and Managers of the Bill of Exclusion: Nay, and one that had never known any thing of our concerns, would guess by their Libels that the whole Church had been resolv'd into a Camp in the time of Monmouth's Invasion, and that all her Members had sworn to live and dye with the Rebel; when at the same time, I need not tell you how notorious it is to all that have ever heard any thing of our late Transactions, that it was for the Heighth of their Loyalty to their late Soveraign, their Zeal for His present Majesties Service, in opposing the Bill before, and the quelling of the last and dy­ing efforts of his Enemies, since his coming to the Crown, that was the great occasion of all those Heats and Animosities, which our Common Adversaries (whose preservation was not the least ingredient towards the enflaming of them) have endeavour'd since to make so great an advantage of. But shall we be angry with these Ingenuous men who have thus Re­presented us? By no means; let them alone and have Rope, and (as the Proverb says) they'll hang themselves. They can do us no greater Ser­vice than continue to rail at us; the best Arguments in the World to make People detest and abhor them, are their own elaborate Writings: For can you think it possible that any Idiots should be so senslless as to believe these Persons in the Stories they tell, of some Hundreds of years standing, when they find so many gross Impostures in reports they make of things that were done, as it were, but Yesterday?

I cannot therefore help smiling, to see you so serious in bringing forth one of your main Reasons for your Fear of Popery; and that is forsooth the profound Politicks, which the Managers of that Party have been al­ways so famous for. Not many years ago we might perhaps have ap­prehended something from them of that Nature, whilst we are still pre­judic'd in their Favour; by all the Histories of the last age, whereby we learn that in those days they never acted any of their more eminent Vil­lanies, till their Plots were so laid that they cou'd scarce fail of success, and apparent advantages to the Cause.

It was only upon such well grounded Designs that they rais'd Rebel­lions, and Murthered Princes and others in their Persons and Reputati­ons; [Page 6] It was for the Advancement of the Catholick Church, that they contriv'd, and carried on the Holy League in France; against Henry the 3d, and his Majesties Grandfather Henry the 4th, and to secure it, Mur­thered them both. It was to put this Nation into perpetual Confusion that they endeavour'd to blow up his Majesties other Grandfather King James the first, together with the best part of the Nobility and Gentry. They Encouraged and assisted the Scotch Rebels against his Father K. Charles the first, that they might set us Hereticks a cutting one anothers Throats: It was to reduce the Low Countries to the Obedience of the Holy See that the Prince of Orange was Assassinated. It was to create an abhor­rence in the minds of people against Heresy, that they Banter'd the Poor Ignorant Spaniards, and made them believe that Englishmen ever since the Reformation were shap'd like Dragons; and reported all about the World that the Devil was run away with Luther alive.

But, as there are certain Periods of time for the Rise and Fall of all o­ther Arts and Sciences, so it is no wonder if we find a sensible Decay in the once so flourshing Politiques of the Religious Society; It is manifest to all men what wretched Bunglers our Present Aukward Pretenders to them have shew'd themselves. For tho' it cannot be denied that they, Poor Souls, have always discover'd a willing mind to imitate the most Notorious of their Predecessors in their most execrable Crimes; nay, and I dare say that for them, they are so well become Conscience proof, that as far as the promoting of any Mischief goes, their weak endeavours shall never be wanting to surpass them if it were possible. Yet if one shoud enquire how the Catholick Cause has thriv'd under their hands; he'l soon find that instead of Effecting any of those Glorious Enterprises which their Brave Ancestors by executing, have render'd their Names deservedly Infamous, to all succeeding Ages; they with all the Bustle and Clutter they have made in the World, have gain'd nothing but the Odium of all Mankind; without being guilty of any thing that look'd like a design, or at least but such as has been so poorly laid, that the most short-sighted might be able to look through with half an Eye; they have expos'd the Weakness of their Cause to the Contempt of Wise men, and its Deformi­ties to the scorn and detestation of all others. These things being certain­ly true, as I am able further to prove, if you or any one shall make the least doubt of them, I must beg pardon of the Reverend Fathers of the Mission, if I entertain so mean an Opinion of them, as to think that their Common Sense is at last vanish't, as well as their Honesty and Learning.

By mentioning their Learning, I find I had almost forgot that to be one of the weighty reasons of your Fears; which I cannot but wonder to see you lay so great a stress upon at this time of the Day. Time was indeed when we entertained a very Favourable opinion of their Learning, of [Page 7] which they, especially the Jesuits, have made such Noisy Brags all over Europe; a while ago we thought it was in the power of their Elaborate Eloquence to lead Captive some silly Women; Ay, and that they could by pure dint of Sophistry, confound the addle brains of some Crazy-men too. But now the Good Fathers have by indefatigable Industry, and all the success imaginable laboured to undeceive the World in this point, and let us, who expected such mighty things from them, know that we were much mistaken in thinking that they, Poor Men, were in the least guilty of any thing that looks like a Scholar.

I can't advise you, my Friend, to a more infallible Remedy to cure your Ignorance in this point, nor inflict a more severe Pennance upon you for it, than to desire you to read some of their Writings; and if you are not then fully convinc'd, beyond all contradiction, by undeniable Arguments of their own, that they are as perfectly endued with all the Dullness, Stupidity, and Duncery as is possible for Pedants, that have receiv'd any tincture of Let­ters, to be, I'll be content to give up the Cause. But lest your Mortification shou'd be too great, in toyling your self by turning over that great and nauseous. Dunghil which the Rabble of their Writers have made; to deal as gently with you as I can, I shall (letting alone their most Incom­parable Preachers,) only recommend to your perusal a brace of their Cock Controvertists, and such I'll assure you as are leading men among the Jesuits too, and when you are become a little acquainted with them, you may easily guess what the Poor Under-pullers are.

The two mighty Heroes I mean, are the Profound Sabran, and the Accurate Pulton. Now were it possible for the Fable to be true, of the Mountains being with Child, lying in, and being brought to Bed of a Mouse, (O how will the little Curs snarl at me here for my Nonsense) and I were invited to the Labour as Gossip, I am sure the whole Comedy wou'd not force a greater laughter from me, then I find my self inclin'd to, when I seriously think of these men, when I consider with my self what a cou­ple of Tools they have here sent us over from beyond Sea, to perswade three Nations out of their Senses.

When you first set your eyes upon the Great Sabran, you'll find him look so big, that Captain Hackum himself, with his truss'd up Whiskers, does not carry half the terror in his Countenance: But, alas, when he comes to enter the Lists, you'll see his Learned Adversary Mr. G. put him to such miserable shifts, by tracing his Thefts, discovering his For­geries, and Baffling him when he makes but the least offer of an Argument to defend himself withal, that even you will pity him; I am sure I did as far as the great Esteem and Affection I bear for the whole Party wou'd permit me.

But yet, not to defraud the Father of his due praise, I cannot forbear [Page 8] doing him Justice, by taking notice of a very notable Stratagem of his. (You may wonder perhaps, after what has been said to hear that any such thing shou'd proceed from him) but a Stratagem I do assure you it was, and such a one as had it but hit, would have smelt not a little of the Genuin Spirit of an Ancient Jesuit. When his Antagonist, like another Peleus, had Maul'd this our Proteus, first in the form of Sabran, then in the likeness of Natalis Alexander, and batter'd him under the Shapes of so many supposititious Fathers, he was resolv'd at last to appear as fierce as a Lion, (a Smithfield one) and up starts he in the figure of a Non-Con-Parson, and falls a bleating most terribly at his Adversary. But that Jilting Baggage Fortune, which loves to thwart all Wise undertakings, brought our Sly Man under the same Misfortune as she did a more subtil Animal of the same species, who had cloathed himself with the Lions Skin, and was discover'd by his long ears. For to confess the truth, he manag'd the Intrigue so clumsily, that the subtil Mr. G. presently spies out the Jesuit un­der the borrow'd Cloak, strips him of his Disguise, and exposes him to the laughter of all men.

But now to help a poor lame Dog over the Stile, and wipe off the scandal that might be cast upon the Holy Church, out comes another Reverend Father of the Society; who with Hands and Eyes, as it were, lifted up to Heaven, solemnly declares that they never have been tampering with Dissenters, never appear in Jumps and little Bands, but abhor, renounce, and detest, all manner of Dissimulation and Disguisements, in what ever concerns Religion.

But to say nothing of the R. Dr. Sh. whom I will not dishonor by bringing him into competition with this Varlet, I must beg Mr. G's pardon for keeping him in such bad company all this while: What shall we do then for one to match this our Dreadful Cham­pion? Truly we shall be at a great loss, for the Footman has so often foil'd, tript him up, and laid him on his Back, that henceforward, even Porters and Cobblers will think it a Disgrace to be put into the Ring against him.

But tho' the Unfortunate Sabran has been thus stript of his Learning, Politicks, and Common Sense; yet his Philosophy will never forsake him; there's none, I'm sure, that can deny him to be perfectly endued but more especially about the Forehead) with all the Apathy of a most accomplish'd Stoick; for notwithstanding all his Disgraces, he has still the Cou­rage to live, and in England too, the Scene of his Follies.

The Judicious Mr. Pulton, may perhaps take it ill that I have been so long a coming to him, but it is very probable that I shall some other time take an occasion of staying with him a little longer than he desires. I am a little out of breath at present, and therefore shall only tell him that I have read some of his Works, with as little prejudice as it is possible for one to entertain, that has the least knowledge of Popery; and all the punishment I would desire should be inflicted on the overgrown Grammarian, for all the Nonsensical Ribaldry wherewith he has pester'd the World, is, That he were put a little while under old Busbys lash, he would then find, that did he use no better Arguments in a Declamation, than he does for his Religion, he'd receive more stripes then Choerilus, for betraying his Cause.

But to conclude, Sir, I doubt not but that by this time you perceive how despicable a thing this once so terrible a Bugbear is, you see what small reason we have to be afraid, where no occasion of Fear is; If that party ever had any advantage over us, it proceeded from our own timerous Apprehensions of them. But they have now been so kind as to let us know that all their Plots and Contrivances against us, ought to be so little the objects of our Dread that they are beneath even our Contempt and Scorn. Our safety, as it is inseparable from that of the C. of E. so it is now together with it establisht upon so solid a Basis, that it is im­possible for all the Southern blasts to shake it. His Majesty has at last so effectually secured us in the enjoyment of our Religion and Laws, by restoring to the Church such Prelats as are Infer [...]our to none of those of the Primitive times, to the State, such of the Nobility and Gentry, whose Integrity and Honour are Proof against the strongest Temptations. Let us not therefore show our selves unworthy of such Great Favours from our King, and Injurious to those Worthy Persons, to whom he has entrusted our Welfare, by continuing to entertain our Ground­less Suspicions. We have now nothing to Fear, but the Dismal Effects of Popular Fears. Let us therefore endeavour as much as in us lyes, to Allay them, lest we run our selves in­to greater Dangers than those we seem to Apprehend.