to these nations. Whatever we think of this advantage, our enemies certainly judge right of it; they foresee, that if this fettlement prevails, their hopes are at an end, and therefore they are ready to hazard all to disturb and overthrow it: and it seems to have been the main point of the policy of the court of Rome, with refpect to thefe kingdoms, from the earliest times of the Reformation, to fecure themselves against a fucceffion of Proteftant princes. When we have had a profpect of this happiness, then we have been attacked with their utmost fury; Rome has plyed all her engines to prevent this foundation being laid amongst us of lafting peace and fecurity. At other times, when the fucceffion has been doubtful, and the had any hopes of feeing one of her own communion exalted, fhe has moved by gentler steps, and her fury has been abated by the hope of fwaying the fceptre of a fon of her

own.

If we take a short view of this period, it will help not only to convince us of the truth of this obfervation, but also to give us a juft profpect of the fecurity and happiness, which are now prepared for us, if we do not obftinately fhut our eyes against the things which make for our peace.

The Reformation had its first rife here in the days of Henry the Eighth; he went fo far as to throw out the Pope, though at the fame time he zealously maintained Popery. The firft breach happened upon the point of the King's divorce; and though the court of Rome treated it as a matter of law and confcience, and fent it about to their canonifts and divines, yet were they in truth guided by mere po

lític views the Queen was nearly related to the Emperor; and Germany was then in such a state, many of its princes having received the Reformation, that Cæfar's power was never more wanted, nor more courted by Rome. In this difficulty the Pope chose rather to hazard losing the King than the Emperor and the King, impatient of the ill ufage and artificial delays of Rome, took a fhorter way to his divorce, and threw off all fubjection to the Pope. Yet in his days he maintained himself and kingdoms in tolerable peace and quiet: the court of Rome had reafon not to drive to the utmoft extremity; Popery ftill remained in its moft effential parts; a fair inlet fome time or other to a return of the papal power. It was doubtful alfo what iffue the new Queen might have; and the next in appearance was tied not only to Popery, but to the Pope alfo, upon the plenitude of whose power her own legitimacy depended. When the King had a fon born, yet still there were the cafualties of childhood to fupport their hopes, and a profpect of an infancy in the throne, which could not but afford opportunities of practifing on the kingdom for their own advantage. In the young King's time the reformation was pushed with vigour; but alas, his days were few, and Rome had all his time the prospect of a Popish fucceffor, which did not only fupport her hopes, but in some measure abate her fury. When Queen Mary came to the throne, then was the time to fee with what fpirit Popery is to be reftored in these kingdoms: the flames of perfecution were kindled in all parts; the bishops, the clergy, and the people fell promiscuously a facrifice to the

enraged deity of Rome: nay, fo far did the fury of these barbarians extend, that the helpless infant, forced from the mother's womb by the extremity of her torture, was thrown into the flames again, as1 guilty of the parent's herefy, and under the fentence of the holy court, which had condemned the mother without excepting her womb. It would be endless to relate to you the fiery trials of that time, when no age, no fex found mercy; but old and young, men and women were led in triumph to the' ftake, and were forced to feal the confeffion of their faith with their dearest blood; and yet at that time there was a woman in the throne, in herself not cruel, and by the tenderness of her fex inclined to compaffion; she was also obliged to her country, which rescued her from a rebellion, formed in the very beginning of her reign, and placed her on the throne of her ancestors in fpite of oppofition: but' neither the tenderness of her fex, nor her natural compaffion, nor the sense of gratitude, could prevail against a Popish confeffor, who firft mifguided her conscience, and then by her confcience overruled all the fentiments of nature and humanity. If a woman could do all this; if one obliged by her country could be so unnatural in her returns to it, what have we to expect from one, who, if ever he comes, will come with anger and resentment against` his country; who must be set on the throne by the treasure and power of Rome, which must be repaid in the blood of heretics; that is, in the blood of the people of England? But to proceed.

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The main policy of this reign was to fecure fuch a-fucceffion of princes as might for ever dafh the

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hopes of the Reformation in England: and for this purpose the wifeft ftep was taken that human policy could contrive : Spain was the only kingdom of Europe not tainted with herefy, (as the Reformation is called;) its king was young, and bigotted to the fuperftition of Rome, and therefore chofen out as a proper match for the Queen of England; and had that marriage produced heirs according to the hopes of our enemies, England, it is probable, had been at this time as deeply plunged in the darkness of Popery as Spain itself; where fuperftition and idolatry appear in more ghaftly forms than they do even at Rome, where the court of Inquifition fits in the fulleft triumph, and scatters death and deftruction throughout the realm. But the hope of iffue failing, together with the Queen's life, the glorious Princess Elizabeth afcended the throne, and the Reformation began once more to breathe in England. In the beginning of her reign, hopes were conceived by the Popish faction, that she might match with a prince of their communion, and their darling Philip was prevailed on to offer himself. But the Queen was too wife to match with a prince, where the legitimacy of the marriage muft have proved the illegitimacy of her birth; fince she could have had her fifter's husband only in virtue of that power by which her father had his brother's wife. After Philip, feveral others were proposed; but these hopes failing, the Roman Catholics, who had hitherto been permitted to join with the established church, to keep the way open to an eafier reconcilement, were by the power of the Pope entirely feparated. In the Queen's old age, when the thoughts of her

marrying were laid afide, and the hopes of a Popish fucceffor in great measure defeated by the fate of the Queen of Scots, there was an attempt from the fame quarter to fet up a Spanish prince for fucceffor, that they might obtain by birthright what they could not obtain by marriage; and a book full of learning was published by Parfons the Jefuit, to make out the Infanta's title to these crowns; fo well did they understand, that nothing less than the greatest power could be fufficient to introduce the worft religion. By all which steps, through these several reigns, it plainly appears, that the utmost defire of the court of Rome is to have a Popish prince on this throne; they reckon their work done, if once they obtain this point give them but a Popish prince to their heart, they will foon inftruct him what to do with vows and promifes, and coronation oaths; and in fuch a cafe the people likewife would be inftructed to know their own intereft, when it was too late to help themselves.

When James the Firft came to the crown, furrounded by an hopeful iffue of Proteftant princes, the caufe of Popery was at the laft gafp: they faw their downfall if this family ftood, in which there 'was a profpect of a long fucceffion of Proteftant heirs. A defperate cafe requires defperate remedies; here was no room for art and management, and therefore violence was now firft ufed, and the horrid plot of the fifth of November was contrived, which, had it took effect, would have rid them not only of a Proteftant King, but of their greatest fear, the Proteftant heirs.

By what methods they afterwards diftreffed the