The character of a papist in masquerade, supported by authority and experience in answer to The character of a popish successor / by Roger L'Estrange.

THe Character of a Popish Successor were an excellent Piece in the kinde, if it had not too much Sublimate in it; For I have heard of some people, that, with only holding their Noses over it, but one quarter of an hour, have run stark mad upon't: And when This Fume has once taken the Brain, there's nothing in the world, but the Powder of Experience, (the Remembrance of things past) to set a man Right again. The Truth of it is, the Au∣thour has made the Figure of his Successour too Frightful, and enor∣mous; Sawcer-ey'd and Cloven ••ooted; and when he has painted the Monster as black on the One side, as Ink and Words can make him; he finishes his Master-Piece with a Paradox, on the Other; (Fol. 4.) by the Supposal of a most Excellent Person, and yet ma∣king him the greater Devil for his Virtues.

His Fortitude (he says) makes him only the more Daring in the Cause of Rome; his Justice makes it a Point of Conscience to deliver us up to the Pope; his Temperance, in the Government of his Passions, makes him the more close and steady; and his Prudence crowns the Work, by the assistance it gives him in the Menage of his Policies and Conduct: And so he goes on. Wbat booss it (says he) in a Popish Heir, to say, he's the Truest Friend, the Greatest of Hero, s, the best of Masters, the Justest Judge, or the Honestest of Men? All meer treacherous Quicksands for a people to repose the least glimpse of Safety in, or build the least hopes upon.

This is fairly push'd, I must confess, but 'tis only a cast of his Rhetorique: For every body knows, that all Christian Princes thus Qualify'd, and under Articles of Treaty and Agreement, keep touch, even with Infidels; nay, and Infidels with Christians.

Before I go any further, let me recommend to the Reader, one Remarque, as a thing worthy of his Attention: He cuts all the way upon the Successor, as presupposing him to be a Papist, and conse∣quently `Dangerous, and Insufferable, by reason of That Perswasion. And very magisterialy he gives us his own bare word for the dangers of that Perswasion. Why does he not rather tell us in express and particular Terms, These and These are the Principles of the Church of Rome? and then make his Inference, from those Principles to

the Dangers that attend them; and so leave the unbyass'd part of the world to judge of the Congruity and Proportion betwixt such Cau∣ses and such Effects? For His dilating himself thus at random upon his Character, and striking so point-blank at the Rescinding of the Succession, makes men apt to imagine, that his Pique may be rather to the Person, then the Religion.

It will behove me, in this place, to inform the Reader, that I do not charge him for not producing the dangerous Principles of the Papists; as if I thought there were no Instances of that Quality to be given: (For I am better acquainted with their Ecclesiastical Politiques, then so.) But the true Intent of my Quaere upon that Objection, was to shew the Authours Prudence in reserving himself upon those Parti∣culars: For if he had said, Behold! Th••se are the Positions of the Church of Rome, and they are not to be endur'd in any Government; I should have ask'd him presently, How comes it then that you your self, under the Colour of Rooting out Popery One way, are Planting it An∣other; and Erecting the very same Pestilent Positions that you condemn▪ Insomuch, that while you would be thought zealous to Abolish the Name of Popery, you are no lesse zealous▪ to Establish the Doctrine of it; Whereof, at leisure.

The suddain bolting out of this Phantôme from behinde the Han∣ging, may so far serve a present turn, as to startle, and surprise the undiscerning Vulgar: Yet, when, upon Second▪ and Recollect∣ed thoughts, this Mormo shall come to be examin'd, and taken to pieces; the very multitude themselves, that were affrighted at the Apparition, will be asham'd of the Imposture. The thing that I would say, is this; that the Truth is somewhat too much Hyperbo∣liz'd, in a Declamatory Torrent of Words, and Exuberance of Phansy, without any one Concluding and Convincing Period. If Apollo had been of Counsell with the Authour, he would have ad∣vis'd him to the Moderating of his Character, as he does Olaus Mag∣nus, in Boccalini, to moderate the Greatness of his Northern Eagles, that prey'd upon Elephants; as being a very Extraordinary thing for a Bird to trusse an Elephant, and fly away with him. (which is, perhaps, the more Venial Excess of the two.) It is one of the great∣est Indignities that can be put upon the simplicity of a Just Truth, the dawbing of it with Embrodery and Flourish, and the over-doing of it. If Little Epictetus had been at his Elbow, he would have minded him, that some things are in our our own Power, and others are not so; and that the subject matter of his Discourse being wholly out of His Cognizance, he might have done well to have left the

business of the Succession to the Ordering of Gods Providence.

This is a Subject (I know) that whoever touches upon it, treads upon Burning Coals; and there must be great Caution, as well as Innocence, to carry a man through this Ordeal: For who shall dare to Dispute the danger of a Popish Successor? But so far am I from un∣dertaking that Province, that I'le compound the matter with him beforehand; and take all his suppositions of Difficulties and Haz∣zards in the Case, for Granted. But then I must distinguish betwixt the unhappy circumstance of being under the Allegeance of a Prince of that Perswasion, who is actually in the Possession and Exercise of his Power, and the remote Possibility only of that Danger; and a Possibility too of such a condition, as a thousand things may inter∣vene, to prevent it: As the Contingences of Issue, Survivorship, &c. and at the Worst, this dismal apprehension amounts, at last, but to the Contemplation of a Prince of That Communion, in a Parenthe∣sis, betwixt a Predecessor, and a Successor, of the Reformed Religion.

Not but that I am as much against the Principles, and Practises of the Church of Rome, wherein the Church of England hath de∣p••rted from that Communion, as any man living, that keeps himself within the compass of Christian Charity, Humanity, and good Manners. And so far, I shall heartily joyn with the Compiler of the Character, by a previous Concession of the Inconveniences (as I have said alrea∣dy) that may arrive, by reason of that Religion. But then I must take this Consideration along with me.

That First; there are many Dreadfull Dangers, which we cannot avoid, but by incurring Greater. As the Leaping of a Garret-win∣dow, when the Fire has taken the Stair-Case; which is only a pru∣dent Election (under a Calamitous Necessity) of the less evil of the Two. Now the same Action, which would have been a madness Without that necessity, becomes an Act of Prudence, With it; the great danger of the Leap being warranted by the greater danger of the Fire: And there must likewise precede a Deliberation upon the difficulties Both ways, to justifie the Resolution: For otherwise at the best, a man does well but by chance. Now it would have been fair play, in the Character-writer, if he had candidly Ballanc'd the mat∣ter, and told us, This is the danger One way, and That Another.

Secondly, It happens, many times, that we have no other Choice before us, but either to suffer the Highest Degree of Misery, that can befall us in this world; or else, to Prostitute our Souls, for the saving of our Skins, and Fortunes. Now under such an Exigent as This, let the Prospect of things be never so Terrible, we are to

oppose, the Duties of Christians, of Subjects, and of Honest men, to all hazzards whatsoever; and patiently to endure whatever we cannot, with Conscience, and Honour, either Resist, or De∣cline: according to the Practise of the Primitive Martyrs, who witnessed their Profession with their Bloud, as Christians; and Submit∣ted, as Loyal Subjects, without Resistance. So that we are not to go∣vern our selves by a Naked Speculation of the Perils that we are to encounter, and the Means of avoiding them; without enquiring into the Consistency of those means with the Measures of Conscience and Duty. But there is one Main point yet behind; which is in effect the very Hinge of the Controversie. And this is it. If there shall be any thing sound in this Character of a Popish Successour, that shall ei∣ther operate upon the Legal Constitution of the English Monarchy, or Reflect Personally upon the Honour, or Justice of his Majesty now in Being; the Pretext of the Succession will be look't upon only as a Stal∣king-Horse to Countenance an approach to some further Design: In which Case, the Question will not be any longer the Religion of a Suc∣cessour, but the very Right it self of Kingly-Power. And here I must expound my self once again; that I Speak only to the Anonymus Character of a Popish Successour, without the least Reference to any Publique, and Authoritative Debates, or Counsels. And so I shall pro∣ceed, (in the First place) to the Character of a Papist in Masquerade.

The Church of England, and the Members of it, are beset with two Sorts of Papists; the One, bare-Fac'd, the Other dress'd up in several shapes of Disguise: And we pass for Heretiques, on the One hand; and Papists in Masquerade, on the Other. By this Opposite Conjunction of two Interests, (which, (however Divided in Name, and Pretense) are yet United against us in a Common Principle of Contradiction and Aversion:) The Church of England is both Weaken'd, and Defam'd; the Glory of the Reformation blasted; and the great Support of the truly Apostolical Cause, Vndermined. Betwixt These Two Enemies, our Persecuted Church is crush'd almost to Pieces; and well-nigh brought to the Agony of her Last Convulsions. And this Calamity is not wrought so much by the Bare-fac'd Papists, that march Pub∣liquely under the Popes Banner, owning their Cause, and making their Attacks in View; not so much by Th••se, (I say) as by the Papists in Masquerade, that work under-ground, like Moles; and, fall in upon our Quarters, under the Semblance of Friends, with our own Word and Colours. It has been a great part of the businesse of the Presse, to set forth the Bare-fac'd Papist to the Life, and to affect us

with a Just Indignation for the Principles of the Jesuites: So that I shall not cloy the Reader with Redun••ances; especially since the Composer of the Character has been pleas'd to Harangue so copiously upon that Subject: But rather apply my self to the Counter-Part of these Jesuits; and to obviate the Practises of our False Friends, as well as of our Profess'd Enemies.

The Kings Witnesses have abundantly manifested to the World, the Restless Endeavours of Rome, and its Emissaryes, for the Subver∣sion of our Religion, and Government; and how far they contributed to the Rebellion of Forty One; and to the carrying of it forward thorough all the Succeeding changes, and Revolutions, even to the bringing of his Sacred Majesty to the Scaffold. They have further also Deposed to the Contrivances of the same Party, for the prose∣cuting of the same Design upon the Person of his Sacred Majesty that now is; and upon our Government and Religion, as by Law esta∣blish'd: And laid open to the world, both the Method of their Pro∣ceedings, by masquing themselves under the Appearance of Presby∣terians, Independents, Quakers, Millenaryes, and the like; as also the very Names of several of their Missionaryes, that have been ex∣presly employ'd upon the disposing of the People to Tumult and Se∣dition.

This is so certain a Truth, that it will not bear a Dispute; beside that it stands with Reason too; for they do all cover themselves un∣der an Alias; and a Presbyterian, an Independent, &c. alias a Papist, Sounds every jot as well, as Captain Williams, alias Captain Bed∣loe. I am not willing to charge my Paper, in a Case so Clear, and Confess'd, with unnecessary Instances: Wherefore I shall con∣tent my self with only Two out of many. (the Former out of Ra∣villac Redivivus (Pag. 41.) If Father Brown the Jesuit, (says the Author) that Preach'd so many years among the Field-Conven••iclers in Scotland, had Penn'd Mitchel's Justification of himself, upon his Exe∣cution, for an Attempt upon the Person of the Arch-Bishop of St. An∣drews, it could not have savour'd stronger of the Society of Jesus, or be∣come such an Authour better then it doth. This same Brown ••oasted up∣on his Death-bed, at Ingeston briggs, that he had Preached as Down∣right Popery in the Field Conventicles, as ever he had Preach'd in Rome it self. The Other Instance is, of one Faithfull Commin, a Dominican Frier in the 9th. of Q••een Elizabeth; who was a Person ge∣nerally reputed a Zealous Protestant, and much admir'd and follow'd by the People, for his seeming Piety; but more particularly, for inveighing in his

Pulpit against Pius Quintus Then Pope. He was accused upon Oath; be∣fore the Queen and Councill for an Impostor, and a Sower of Sedition; and Arch Bishop Parker took his Examination, (Foxes and Fire-brands, Pa. 7.) Commin insisting much upon his Bitterness exprest against the Pope, for his Justification. He got out of England afterwards by a Trick; and, with one Farewell Sermon, 130 l. for a Viaticum. Not long after, he was clapt up at Rome for Reviling the Pope, and the Catholique Church. But he Pleaded for himself, that he had done his Holiness, and the Church considerable Service; for, by Preaching against Set-Forms of Prayer, and calling the English Prayers, English Masse, he put them upon the Humour of Extemporary Prayer; which took so much with the People, that they were come to hate the Church of England as much as the Church it self hated the Mass. Whereupon, the Pope gave him a Reward of Two Thousand Duccats for his Pains.

The matter of Fact is sufficiently clear'd, and the Practise too No∣torious to be deny'd; As to the Influence that these Papists have (un∣der the notion of Dissenting Protestants) upon the Unity of the Church, and the Peace of the State. But the Craft (as they say) lyes in the Catching of them: For the Test of Oaths will never do the Business, as we have found by their Swearing to so many Contrary, and Inconsistent Purposes, and Interests, throughout the whole Course of our Late Troubles.

So that we have no other way left that I can Imagine, of knowing a Disguised Jesuit from one that calls himself a Dissenting Protestant, but by comparing their Principles; which would infinitely con∣duce to the Credit, and Advantage of the Conscientious sort of the Divided Party. And without such a Test of Discrimination the Project of Uniting Dissenters seems to be utterly Impracti∣cable; unless to the Extream Hazzard of Authorizing the most pernicious sort of Popery, and Incorporating a Jesuitical Leaven into our very Constitution; according to the Method which Mr. Coleman himself had projected, as the most probable Expedient for the In∣troducing of Popery into this Kingdom. The Removal of this Dif∣ficulty will open a way to a General Accomodation; to the Com∣mon Security both of our Religion, and Government. And this is on∣ly to be done by applying the Maxims of those that we suspect here for Jesuits, to the Standard of those Detestable Principles which we so much abominate in the Church of Rome. And where ever we find any Party, of what Denomination soever, that pretends either to Erect an Interest, or to support a Claim, upon the same Founda∣tion; it is but matter of Common Equity, to presume, and to con∣clude

that Party to be acted and directed by a Jesuitical Spirit. These Positions I shall Confront with a Counter-Part; of which further in its proper place. But in my way to't, I shall now pass to the Cha∣racter it self.