The Declaration was read, and then Hee proceeded thus:

I Am now to discover the Root of Master SMARTS Persecu­tion.

Your Lordships have heard of a great De­signe to bring in Po­pery; you have heard of Armies of Souldi­ers, and particular­ly of the Popish Irish Armie, the burthen and Complaint of the Commons. But there is another Armie not so much spoken of, and that is an Army of Priests: for since Altars came in (so they de­light to bee called,) it is a saying of Gregory the Great, that when Antichrist comes, Prae­paratus est excercitus Sacerdotum: there is an Army of Priests ready to receive him; this is [Page 3]fulfilled in our time; for certainty this Ar­my of Priests doth many wayes advance the designe and plot of Popery. A first is by the subversion of our Lawes, and Government: our Lawes and Popery cannot stand together; but either Popery must overthrow our Lawes, or our Lawes must overthrow Popery: but to overthrow our Lawes, they must overthrow Parliaments; and to overthrow Parliaments, they must overthrow propertie; they must bring the Subjects goods to be arbitrarily dis­posed, that so there may be no need of Parli­aments; this hath been done by Dr. MAYN­WARING (whom we find wanting yet not in the seats, but in the Barr of the Lords House) and the like by Dr. BEALE: and I thinke it was the Intention of the late Cannons.

A second way, by which this Armie of Priests advanceth the Popish Designe, is the way of Treatie. This hath beene acted both by writings and conference; Sancta Clara him­selfe saith, Doctissimi corum quibuscunque egi; so it seems they have had conferences together; And Sancta Clara on his part, labours to bring the Articles of our Church to Popery; and some of our side strive to meete him in that way: wee have a testimonie that the great Arch-Priest himselfe hath said; It were no hard mat­ter to make a reconciliation, if a wise man had the handling of it. But I verily beleeve that as [Page 4]the State of Papacie stands, a farre wiser man then he cannot reconcile Us, without the losse of our Religion. For the Pope being fastened to his Errors, even by his Chaire of Inerrabi­litie, he sits still unmoved, and so we cannot meete, except wee come wholly to him. A man standing in a Boat tied to a Rock, when he drawes the rope, doth not draw the Rock to the Boat; but the Boat to the Rock. And Sancta Clara doth (in this somwhat honestly) confesse it: for he saith that he dealt in this way of Treatie, not to draw the Church to the Protestants: but the Protestants to the Church.

A third way is a way of violence, this vio­lence they exercise partly by Secular Armes, and partly by Priestly Armes, which they call Spirituall: for Secular Armes, wee have their owne confession, that the late warre was Bel­lum Episcopale; and wee have the Papists con­fession, that it was Bellum Papale: for in their motives, they say, that the Warre concernes them not only as Subjects, but as Catholikes, for so they falsly call themselves: and if it be so, then Bel­lum Episcopale, is also Bellum Papale: in the E­piscopall Warre, the Papall cause is advanced: For the Spirituall Armes, thus they come to execution.

When a great Man is comming, his Sump­ters, his Furniture, his Provisions goe before: [Page 5]the Popes Furniture, Altars and Copes, Pictures and Images are come before; (and if wee be­leeve Dr. COSSENS) the very substance of the Masse; a certaine signe that the Pope was not farre off. Now these fore-runners being come, if any man resist them, Fire comes out of the Brambles and devoures the Cedars of Lebanon: the Army of the Priests falls upon him with their Armes of Suspension, Seque­stration, Excommunication, Degradation, and Deprivation. And by these Armes hath Mr. SMART beene oppressed and undone. Hee falls upon their Superstitions and Inno­vations, and they fall upon him with their Armes, they beate him downe, yea they pull him up by the rootes, taking away all his meanes of maintenance and living; yet they leave him life to feele his miseries: Ita fori­unt, ut diu se sentiat mori; there is no crueltie to Priestly crueltie; these are they that did put our very Saviour to death: the Calling is Reverend, but the Corruption of it most pernicious; Corruptio optimi pessima: I know no reason of this change, except it bee that of the Apostle: Because when they knew God, they did not worship him as GOD, but made a God of the World, placing the excellencie of Priest-hood in Worldly pompe and Great­nesse and gave the glory of the invisible GOD to Pictures, Images and Altars: therefore [Page 6]God gave them up to vile affections, to be im­placable, unmercifull, and without naturall affection. But whatsoever the cause is of their Corruption; certainly their Armes have fal­len heavy upon Mr. SMART, and Priestly cru­eltie hath cast him into a long miserie, from which hee could get no release by any Priestly mercie.

And now it is prayed, that as these Delin­quents by the cruel oppressions of M. SMART have advanced the Cause of Poperie; so they may in such a degree of justice bee punished, that in them Priestly cruelty and the very cause of Popery may appeare to be punished and sup­pressed, and that Mr. SMART suffering for the Cause of Protestancie may be so repaired, that in him pious Constancie, and the very Cause of Protestancie may appeare to be righ­ted and repaired.