and 'it's a wonder they have not done it, fince they have not fuck at any thing whereby they might attain it: And if we alfo confider how manyfair Opportunities they have had, we may conclude, that God Almighty has wonderfully preserved him, and may he always have him in his keeping.

But notwithstanding all this, fome do take upon them to fay, That there is no Popith, but a Presbyterian Plot; I doubt there are too many who account it Loyalty to oppose every thing that the late Parliaments have done, and though there be never so much Reafon in the thing, yet if the Parliament had a hand in it, it is a fufficient ground to them to traduce it. But though they are refolved to think amiß of what the Parliament has done, yet in the point of the Popish Plot they may allow the Parliament to be in the right, fince His Majesty is of the fame opinion, for he that fhall oppofe his Judgment against the Opinion of King and Parliament, muft needs tax them with a great deal of rashneß and hafte in their Declaration, or else profefs himself to be a Man of a very extraordinary Understanding and Obfervation, that can see further into the matter than the King and Parliament. If there be any man that is acquainted with this Mystery that is hid from the Eyes of King and Parliament, it is, no doubt, a Duty incumbent upon him to reveal the Secret to his King and Country, that they may no longer continue to harbour an ill Opinion of them who are not blame worthy.

He that can believe that there is no Popish but a Presbyterian Plot, muft alfo believe, that both the Papifts and Presbyterians have now changed their former Principles and Practices.

The

The Principles of the Papifts are incomparably laid open by the Bishop of Lincoln, by which every man may see how dangerous and destructive they are to all Civil Governments. And the Church of Rome holds it to be lawful to promote their In tereft by any way or means, though never fo contrary to the Word of God and Common Morality or Honesty. Accordingly it has been their Practice, which produced the Parifian Maffacre, where so many Proteftants were barbarously murdered in one night. And in K. James's time the Powder Trea fon, when the King and both Houses of Parliament were to have been blown up, and the reft of the Proteftants were to have tafted of the fame Cup. And in the late King's time, the Massacre in Ireland, where of Two hundred Thoufand Proteftants that fell into their Hands, not one escaped, and all thofe perish'd in one Month. And the fame measure we must have had, if their Plot had not been difcover'd, by which they had defigned to turn the whole Land into a Butchers Shambles. I don't mention thefe Particulars as all the Inftances of their barbarous practices, I only give you thefesas Examples of what they do elfewhere, for in all places where they have endeavour'd to establish or propagate the Romish Doctrine and Superstition, it has been carried on by Blood and Cruelty, which proves it to be a falfe Religion, for this is contrary to the Precept and Example of our Saviour and his Apo fles, who had recourfe to no fuch things when they propagated the Christian Faith, but to ftrong Reafon and evident Truths; for, it is not the way to convince Men of the Truth by Hardships and Severities, for by fuch Methods we can only hope to make Hypocrites, but not to gain Profelites:

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and

and befides, it is an undervaluing of the Almighty Power of God, as if he stood in need of fuch affi ftances to establish his Truth.'

But the Presbyterians are not of fuch Principler, they are willing to affift the Government against the Papifts, for they have no other Intereft, and therefore I cannot believe them to be like the foolish Woman, that pulls down her House with her Hands And if we should believe, that their Principles enclined them to practise against the King and Government, I doubt it would caft a Reflection upon that which we would be loth to hear ill fpoken of; for as they differ from us only in fome Indifferent Ceremonies, but agree with us in Doctrines and Fundamentals, therefore their Interest is the same, and accordingly will their Inclinations carry them. Their Practice proves them to be true to their King, and firm to the Government, for when the Popish Subjects have rebelled against their King, they have always ftuck to their Prince, and that too in Popish Countries: Examples hereof there are very many, and the prefent French King on this fcore owes a great deal to them of the Reformed Religion; for when his Popish Subjects rebelled, and would have fet up another in his room, they stuck to him, and setled him in the Throne. It was the Presbyterians who were chiefly inftrumental in his Majesty's Restauration, whilft others, who called themselves The Royal Party fate ftill to fee the Game play'd, and when they faw which way the Scales would turn, were ready to applaud the Vidor, let it fall to which fide it would: And His Majesty was fo fenfible that the Presbyterians were chiefly inftrumental in that Work, that he declared himself in favour of them in these words:

From

WE

From Breda, April 14. 1660.

E do declare a Liberty to tender Confciences, and that no Man fhall be difquieted or called in question for Differences of Opinion in Matters of Religion, which do not disturb the Peace of the Kingdom; and that we shall be ready to confent to such an Act of Parliament, as upon mature deliberation Shall be offered to us, for the full granting that Indulgence.

This is not fo very long fince, that it can in probability be imagined that they should now be fo clean altered to the contrary, as to practise against the King and Government.

I don't wonder that there is a noise of a Presbyterian Plot, but it is fome cause of admiration to me, that so many seem to believe it.

I can't tell what Information others may have met with, whereby they are prevailed upon to believe it, but all that I can understand, that has given ground for fuch a Sufpicion, is, the Accufations against Colledge and my Lord Shaftsbury, which methinks is too flender a proof to charge fo many Thousands with a Confpiracy against the King and Government: for in the Tryals both of Colledge and my Lord Shaftsbury, it was not fo much as attempted to prove a Plot in general; though at Colledge's Tryal it was urged, That that Method would be the more regular proceeding; but in both the Tryals the Evidence was levell'd against them chiefly, without fetching in fuch numbers as are neceffary to make it a Plot of the Presbyterians. I fhall not fay any thing, whether the Evidence against both or either fwore true, or not, nor of the

Im

Improbabilities of fome of them, but this, I think? I may fay, That the things chiefly infifted on against either of them, were only Indiscretions committed by them: furely then it will be very fevere, to charge fo great a part of the Nation with a Plot, because my Lord Shaftsbury and Colledge had overshot themselves, if all were true that was worn against them.

It is no new thing for the Papifts to put Shamplots upon others, and the Papifts are never nearer to execute a Plot of their own, than when there is the moft noife and bustle about fome other People, for nothing can give them fo great Security and Certainty to execute any Plot or Defign, as when they amufe the Government with the Fear and Danger of other People; and accordingly have they acted all-along: The Parifian Massacre was performed with the greater Certainty, by pretending that the Hugonots had a defign to feize the King. In all the Attempts that were made upon Queen Elizabeth, if any of them had taken effect, it was to have been charged upon the Puritans, as they were called.

The Gun-powder Plot, if it had fucceeded, the Proteftants were to have born the odium of it.

And if their prefent Confpiracy had not been prevented by an opportune difcovery, it must have been caft upon the Diffenters, and thence the Papifts would have taken occafion to murder Thousands of Proteftants. And though they were defeated at that time, yet they quickly after attempted it again in Mrs. Celier's Meal-tub Plot; and though that had no better fuccefs than the former, yet I hope it is no breach of Charity to conclude, that this noife of a Presbyterian Plot is a Contrivance of the

Papists,