TO THE Queen-Mother.

IT cannot be doubted but your Majesty has of late been a great Sufferer, in being forced to hear frequent and loud Triumphs for a supposed Victory, which, by a Court-Ser∣mon, scarce an hour long, the English Pro∣testant Page  [unnumbered] Church at one blow, and without any resistance, pretends to have a gained over the Catholick.

But your sufferings were much more en∣creased, when you saw the immediatly follow∣ing effects of that and several other Sermons of the like stile, which, by concert, at the same time proclaimed distruction to that very Christianity, which first expelled Paganism out of our Nation.

Your Majesty has oftentimes heretofore been wakened and affrighted with such A∣larmes: But then the Trumpets were blown by men whose Profession and Religion obli∣ged them to renounce all humanity towards us, and all respect to Monarchy. Whereas this last unexpected blast proceeded from those, who, even but yesterday, promised us, as a re∣ward for our common sufferings, a security from those our common Enemies, whose ma∣lice and rage we only apprehended.

God forbid we should be astonish'd, as if some strange thing hapned to us, to see our Religion persecuted: It is impossible it should be otherwise, because the great Enemy of Truth and Charity wil never be reconciled to live at peace with either. Yet when we see so Page  [unnumbered] wonderful and so sudden a change in formerly professed Friends, when not only the hands, but the voice of Jacob, are become the voice and hands of E•au: And when we, examin∣ing our selves, can neither find nor suspect any demerit to provoke our Protestant Friends a∣gainst us; nor so much as imagin, what ad∣vantage they can gain by our ruine, but rather an apparent harm to themselves: This being a Case of suffering, for the entertaining which we have no Pattern to prepare us, and for mitigating which, all rational means are uneffectual, we cannot forbid our selves a lit∣tle to wonder at it: Yet this great Blessing we may reap from it, that thereby we are even forced to our own happiness, by having recourse for comfort and deliverance to God onely, who, when the World goes farthest from us, Himself approaches nearest to us, and looking fixedly on him, we shall discover, by his Divine Light, how our unexampled ingratitudes have extorted from him unexampled pu∣nishments.

So many years of oppressions, and such vicis∣situdes in them, have not diminished, much less changed the constancy of our affections to Creatures; we have passionately loved the Page  [unnumbered] World, even when it was bitter to us; When God called us to mourning and penitential humiliations, we dissembled the taking notice of it: In the midst of persecutions we conten∣ded in pride and vain jollities with our Op∣pressors: Yet now we see how mercifully God deals with us, lest our former miseries should prove beginnings of eternal ones, he has brought upon us these new and unfore-seen af∣flictions, for a last Tryal whether his mighty hand can humble us, or no. He has seen that the fideli•y we perform'd to our Temporal Governors, and the charitable assistance we afforded to our fellow suffring Brethren we perhaps expected should be recompensed by them in this life. Therefore he will have us continue the same Duties more cordially, now that we know and see that himself on∣ly must be our reward. Our complaints and prayers (which are so far from mitigating, that they rather incense some spirits against us) he will force us to addresse to himself one∣ly; which if we do as we ought, and mend our lives under his correction, we shal certain∣ly pacify him, and, when he sees it for our good, conciliate men to us also; since for this last, which onely can be doub•ed, we have no Page  [unnumbered] lesse engagement than that of his own Word: When the waies of a man please our Lord,* he will convert even his Enemies to him.

Madam, these reflections I can with much more assurance represent to your Majesties consideration, because, though hitherto the too common in sensibility of Catholicks to God's Visitations, has been much aggravated by our neglect to follow so Christian an example of humiliation, penitential austerities, contempt of worldly vanities, and delight in solitary retraits to converse with God, as your Ma∣jesty has afforded; yet it is now at last to be hoped, that in the present dispersion of Ca∣tholic Pastors, if your Majesty could joyn your Authority with your Example, they both together would prove forcible means to invite all Catholics to a serious compunction for their former miscarriages, to an acknowledg∣ment, not only of the justice, but even merci∣fulness of our Lord's Visitations, to a willing∣ness in suffring for him, and an expectation of deliverance onely from him.

Never certainly did our Nation, nor per∣haps any other afford two Catholic Courts such perfect Schools of Piety, in which there are two such Mistresses, of most peculiarly Page  [unnumbered] Christian, though seldom found to be court∣ly, vertues; such are Humility, Mortifica∣tion, Penance, zeal for true Religion, e∣quanimity in Suffrings, assiduous and un∣wearied Devotions, &c. But in a Genera∣tion so perverse as this, it must be somwhat more then Example, that can render these vertues fashionable abroad also. Insensible, vain, tepid, and negligent Catholics must see themselvs reprehended by the severity of your Majesties looks, and if need be, condem∣ned by your charitable reproofs. Bravery and curiosity of Attires, precious time mispent in vain Conversations and Visits, magnificence in entertainments, dissolution in dancing, &c. are justly to be esteem'd crimes unpardonable in those upon whom the hand of our Lord lies so heavy.

There is no joy now seasonable, nor indeed excusable among Catholics, but a Joy in suffring for truth and fidelity; For we never had, till now, so comfortable a refreshment to our afflictions. It is now made evident that •ur only fault is that which is our greatest glory. We are threatned more severely then ever, whilst we are declared most innocent. In former Edicts for execution of Laws the Page  [unnumbered] principal motives were a care for safety of his Majesties Person, and the security of the State and Government; Withdrawing of Subjects from their natural Allegiance; contriving of Seditious and Treasonable practises; maintaining of rebellious princi∣ples, &c. were formerly our pretended crimes. Such was the stile in which the late desolating Parliament represented to our most Excellent King of glorious memory, a necessity of persecuting and destroying his most faithful Catholic Subjects, when, God knowes, both His safety and security of the Government was at the same time in design, and shortly after in effect, destroy'd only by the Representers themselves.

But now Treason is left out of our charge: Nor is there any apprehension of the least dan∣ger from us to his Majesties Person or the State: Nay, so publickly and constantly have we asserted the innocence of our Religion in the Point of fidelity to Princes, and such un∣questioned proofs thereof have we given by our actions, that the Honorable Peers of this very Parliament were in an immediate pre∣paration of mind to antiquate all the Sangui∣nary Laws against us: God Almighty Page  [unnumbered] give repentance and pardon to the unhappy obstructors of that grace.

Yet for all our innocence, Preachers must be satisfied: They cry aloud their fears of the increase of Popery; when as, for one new-professed Catholic, who forsakes their Churches, hundreds of all other Sects relin∣quish both their Churches and Allegiance too. They impute as a Crime to us, what all other Sects impute to them, and themselves glory in, that we receive our Ordinations from Rome, that is, that we are not a separa∣ted Sect, but members of the true Catholic Church. For if there be indeed a Catholic Church, Ordinations must be derived into particular Countries from a Common Prin∣ciple and Fountain, otherwise the Cement of Union and Subordination is dissolved.

But what esteem our former Princes had of this pretended Crime, will appear by a late example given by his Majesty of happy memory;* He had graciously reprieved a Priest condemned at the Old Bayly. Hereupon the Commons in the late unhappy Parliament A. D. 1640. by Mr. Glyn, request the Lords to joyn in a Petition to his Majesty, to be in∣formed who should dare to be instrumen∣tal Page  [unnumbered] in retarding Justice in the face of the Parliament: To which the King by the Lord Privy Seal (28 January) tels them the cause of the reprieve was, because the man was found guilty, as being a Priest only; up∣on which account neither King Iames, nor Queen Elizabeth ever exercised the penal Lawes. Notwithstanding, his Maje∣sty left the Prisoner to their wills, to live or dye, according to their Votes; and thereby he escaped; for even they had not the courage to say, Let this mans blood be upon us and our Children.

This, MADAM, is our condition: A condition, though, according to the World's estimation, to be bewailed, yet if we look up to Heaven, it is a condition to be triumphed in. Now we are sure a reward in Heaven expects us, since we are thus recompenced upon Earth. It becomes us all therefore, bending the Knees of our Hearts, to give infinite thanks to our gracious God, since it is now e∣vidently and confessedly for him onely, and the Catholic verities revealed by him, for the unity of his Mystical Body and the religious fear we have of being guilty of Schi•m, that we do, and shall hereafter suffer.

Page  [unnumbered] This, Madam, is now our onely crime, and this I am now actually committing, and am so far from being asham'd [except only of the imperfect manner of executing it] that I have assumed the boldness to desire and hope your Majesties approbation and defence both of the crime and criminal Person: it is our whole common Faith, delivered by God to the Church, that both at Court, and all over the Nation, has been publickly traduced; some Doctrins have been char∣ged to be contrary to the honour and safety of the State; others to be Doctrins of De∣vils; all of them to be Novelties and usur∣pations; our whole Catholic Church is made to pass for a Sect, a separated Schis∣matical congregation; But from what other Church, neither can our Accuser tell, nor any one imagin.

Perhaps the present temper of the Times, and delay of an Adversary appearing, had en∣couraged the Preacher to think his Sermon un-answerable, not for any weight in his proofs, but, because it may be in his power to reply with an Instrument sharper than his Pen. Notwithstanding, as Prudence did justly restrain that impetuosity, which zeal to Page  [unnumbered] Gods truth might move in the hearts of Ca∣tholics to retort this Cartel of Defiance, which he has published against His Church: so to remain utterly silent after so many re∣impressions of that Sermon in several forms and after such diligent Translations of it into forraign Languages, after that in∣credible avidity with which so many thousand Copies of it have been snatched out of the hands of the Readers, and from the Stalls of the Sellers, this would be a confession of our own guilt, and a distrust in our Cause, as pub∣lick as his challenge and provocation has been, this would be indeed to be ashamed of Christ and his truth before men.

For this reason, shutting my eyes to all ex∣ternal frights or discouragements, I presumed to undertake an Answer to his Allegations, hoping that some others of my Brethren would do it with greater efficacy and fruit, than I dare promise to this imperfect work: And ha∣ving this resolution, I took the boldness to in∣scribe your Majesties Name in the Front, being assured that nothing could be more ac∣ceptable, nor a greater refreshment to your most tenderly Christian heart, (which bears an equal share in this our common oppression) Page  [unnumbered] then to see that Faith, which you valew above Crowns, at least not betray'd, and, truly I confidently hope, demonstrated to remain un∣prejudiced by any thing alledged in that Ser∣mon. With this perswasion, I most humbly beg leave to cast at your Majesties feet both my self and Work, which, as it was under∣taken, not upon my own single judgment, so that it may not appear in public, without your Majesties approbation and protection, is the most humble Suit and only Petition of,