MEeting the other day with Father Walsh his Dedicatory Address of a large , and , I suppose , an Elaborate Book , in which he hath set forth all the Encroachments of the Popes , successively in a manner from Hildebrand , upon the Monarchs of Christendome , together with a short Narrative of all the Irish , and English Treasonable , as well as Unfortunate Practises , about setting up the Papal Power , from Henry the Eighth's time until the last Rebellion of Ireland : Together with an account of the Oath , by printing the Oath it self ( a thing I must confess I am beholden to him for ) which , he saies , is the strictest that could be sworn or penn'd , especially , P. 54. Which Oath all their Reverend Lordships of that Communion on course take . P. 16. and so on to p. 23. Aestimant Papam esse unum Deum qui habet potestatem omnem in coelo & terrâ . Joh . Gers . being the Pope himself is the onely Interpreter thereof ; As likewise an account of the grand Positions of Popery , which are such as must render the Abettors to be a sort of Bigots , like the Zealous at last amongst the Jews , not fit to be Members of any Humane , much less Christian Society : for he brings it amongst the rest of the Positions , that the Pope is Dominus Deus Noster , Our Lord God , and so stiled by the Glossatour of his own Canon Law , with many incongruities of theirs ( that is , of them that are given up to the Pope ) to all ends of Civil Government , which Positions he has divided into Eighteen Paragraphs , too many to particularize . Which labour of his seems to be popular enough at this time . For in making the Popes wicked , he hath far o'redone John Fox himself , nay the Zeal of the Rabble , on a Gun-powder day , may pass for Devotion comparatively to his descriptions . And which is more , after this specious preamble he concludes as plausibly as he begun ; for he directs the Catholics ( by which , I suppose , he means them we call Papists ) to address without any procrastination to his Majesty , p. 103. and Both Houses of Parliament so , as shall convince all Protestants whatsoever , that they have at last , ingenuously bid an eternal Adieu to all those new Positions , which , not disown'd , might continue th●ir jealousie of them ; by which means , the Gentleman hopes to see the Penal Laws first repealed , and then immediately the great work of Reconciliation . P. 104. and to this end p. 94. This I conceive is the great scope , and design , of his three or four years contrivement .

Now give me leave , Noble Sir , according to my wonted freedome , to give you an account of my Animadversions upon the Premisses .

The Devil as cunning as he is , they say , can never disguise himself so , but he shall be discovered by his Cloven foot , or some other little Criterion ; so the Father discovers , in his very Title Page , more of the old leaven than is fit at this time for his design , or suits with the Sugar-Candy words , in the fourth Appendage , p. 83. of breaking down the wall of Partition , &c. By the direction of his Letter to the Catholicks of England , Ireland , &c. All men will grant , I suppose , that by Catholicks , he means onely Christians of the Roman perswasion , otherwaies his labours had as little design , as they deserve success . That being then so ; he very charitably takes it for granted , That the Church of England , from whose Sons he hopes such great favours , is no part of the Catholick Church and so not much better than Heathens ; otherwise he would not have treated the Papists there by the name of Catholicks , p. 73. when in other places he can call them Roman Catholicks . The latter Title being as much void of common sense , under that great Man's correction , as the former is of Christian charity .

Having now done with the Title Page , I beg your pardon a little to say something of the Gentleman , and his great and healing design . Good man , he was persecuted a long time by the Pope with Censures , Precepts , P. 74. Monitories , Denunciations , Affixions , Decrees , and what not , for meer Loyalty , he mist his preferment , P. 68. was imprisoned in a Forreign Country , as far as Spain , upon some such account as he intimates . To all which I only say , That Zopirus was worse used by Darius his Master ; you know what followed , the Babylonians trusted him upon that account , and he betray'd them ; for Darius and he understood one another all the while , as 't is possibly others may do . I 'le only ask the Good man this Question , What was he in Prison in Spain for ? It must be either for ill Manners , or Religion : For the former I am sure hee 'l not own , and none e're came out for the latter , without the powerful solicitation of some Embassadour , which I do not hear he stood in need of ; but there can be no counterfeit in this , He has been so long in persecution , as he saies , has wrote a Book of three or four years study ; and yet that all this may be practic'd 't is very possible , if you consider that the third and last opportunity of red integration was lost 1666 , P. 80. by not signing the loyal Remonstrance or Formulary , at Dublin , as he saies , which may be was neglected or slighted out of either the fore-sight , or accident of the fatal fire in London , immediately succeeding the most terrible Pestilence that ever was : so this famous City lying , with the Nation , under those terrible Judgments , of Fire , War , and Pestilence , that Party might then morally hope there would never be opportunity of putting any strict Test upon them , considering the supposed ruine of this City , and the potency of the Enemy , the Dutch , and French being Leagu'd in a War against us , which they expected more from a great deal than hapned , and possibly soon after that time our Author might go about the large Book the Stationer talks on , knowing that if the projects fail'd , which by some were then design'd , as thanks be to God , and the Industry of you , and your Fellow Members , they have almost to miracle ; then his Address , as the last effort , might do their business as well as if they had bin white Boyes all along , and by his fine Harangue , stuft now and then with misapply'd Scripture , and some passionate Adjurations to his Country-men , by all civil and religious Tyes , p. 94. to submit to his Formular , or Recognition , by that means to endear the Parliament to break down the partition wall , as he calls it , by letting them into immunities , which they at present are destitute of . But Sir , remember you have heard of one Squire Sinon , a crafty Knave , who made as many pious pretences to King Priam , to break down the Wall to let in the Trojan Horse , and then you know what followed . Another Argument that all may be practice , is this : Why does not he , seeing the Pope is so naughty a man , and all have in a manner been so , since Hildebrand , as he intimates often in his Book , reconcile himself to our Church by renouncing his Order , and other fopperies , founded solely upon the Popes Authority , without any ground in Scripture , or Four first General Councels ; as , praying to Saints , Purgatory , Transubstantiation , Communion in one kind , and the like ? For certainly no man that is satisfied of the Popes fallibility in definitions of Faith , as he saies he is , can forbear to give himself that satisfaction as to conform to the dictates of right reason . Another Argument he proposes , and that he thinks a strong one , That , conditionally , the Laws may be taken off so , P. 79. as they , viz. the Priests , might live in their native Country , and so by degrees serve themselves and their Friends into all preferments , above five hundred English Priests , besides more of Irish , should declare by a Publick Instrument under their hands , as amply , and as clearly against all the new Doctrines , and all vain Pretences of Rome , as he has done , and shall be ready to renew that assurance as oft as shall be required . In Answer to this , I 'le remind you of a Story : A Scotch Lord , and an English Gentleman , were contending about the bigness of a Park ; the Lord said that he had a Park had five hundred Dear of Antler in it ; the Gentleman made a kind of wonder at it : Sbread , quoth the Scot , do you not believe me ? Yes , saies the English man , but my wonder arises to think what a world of Raskals there must be . The story applies it self : For if we have so many well principled Priests , there are sholes of the rest ; and can you forbear , Noble Sir , to be instrumental in performing this good Man's request , seeing he promises you such plenty of excellent Company . I remember a passage in a certain French Authour , which is called the Conversation , not much amiss to this purpose : A Mareschal of France invited a certain Friend to dinner , to maintain Discourse against half a dozen Scholers ; Who certainly , saies he , are passable Company if they understood Common sense . Examine all his Arguments at leasure , and you will find that they are grounded upon a self-end , or worldly-account as well as Religious ; for he conjures them , viz. the Papists , by all the designs they have of their own , P. 94. and their Posterities living comfortably in this world , to make this Recognition , P. 95. thereby to take away that grand Rock of Scandal ( meaning their constant Rebellion ) that thereby they may have the better opportunity , I suppose , to bring us into their Communion ; that is , to invade all that we count dear to us , our Religion and Property : the latter being as inconsistent with Popery , as our Bodies are with everlasting burnings . In answer , I 'le give you some Politicks from self-love too : You may remember who , in a manner , engrost all the preferments before this late Test , and what impossibility is there , that they shall not again , if you take away the wall of Partition : that Party being like the Children of this world , wiser in their generation than others ; viz. industrious in preserving , and preferring one another , whereas others do not so much regard such carnal practices perhaps .

I must confess they have one Argument which I wonder is not made use of , though he does of many weaker : That the English Papists were generally for the King , not any one Arming against him , and this so true that Malice it self cannot object against it ; but yet withal , you cannot but remember , that they were beaten into the Kings Garrisons , to preserve themselves from the Rabble ; but they were so frighted with the terrour , and noise of War , that they would never be got into any thing like it again , for if any body can make out , that there were three ingaged in any plot for this Kings Service : you may safely , I think , grant their desires , whereas the restless endeavours , and constant struglings against the Government , by the Sons of our Church , tired out the Usurpations , L. K. Sp. p. 19. as a great Person hath candidly observed , and therefore they are the fittest Objects of Yours , and the Kingdoms kindness , or marks of favour .

One thing I had like to have omitted , very well worth taking notice of , though the Father be so particular in giving a List of all the Popish Treasons all ●●●g , as if they had been an Inventory of Goods to be priz'd , yet he omits Father Watsons : This Watson you must know was a healing man like himself , wrote against the Jesuites , and what not ; yet upon King James's coming into England , for want of a little skill in Law He plead 〈◇〉 u●●n his Tryal that the King was not C ●wn'd , and some Treason : but that Maxime of the Kings never dying , took him off . , as well ●s Obedience to his Majesty , fell into a Conspiracy , and was hang'd , drawn , and quarter'd at Winchester ; which shews they cannot forbear that old trade of Trencher making , but like Cats upon opportunity will be Cats still .

One observation of his I cannot omit , speaking of the Penal Statutes : Do not we perceive , saies he , that they are with-held at present from execution , by a very small and weak thred , not only of one life that is mortal , but even of one will alone , that yet may be altered of a sudden upon many occasions , p. 11. which may happen when least expected ? But I hope you have so much Logick amongst you , to make the Argumentative to serve our Religion by stricter Laws , as he does to induce the Papists to make a hollow Recognition .

One thing more I have to hint to you . The most extravagant Princes that ever sway'd this Scepter , nay Henry the Eighth himself , whose Will like a torrent bore down all before it , never upon State account , entrencht so far upon Magna Charta , as to force Confessions by Torture : yet , and even after the Popes Supremacy was abrogated , the Rack was used in order to the extorting of Confession about Religion , by the zealous assertours , of the six Articles to a person of Quality , Mr. Kyme , after the Pope's restoring Cutbert , Symson , and others . the Lord Chancellour Wriothesley , and Sir John Baker , playing the Torturers themselves , so dangerous is that Religion , by whomsoever managed to our Laws and Liberties .

Now in Conclusion of all , you after Thirteen years sitting , and Loyally , as became you , asserting our Laws , both as to Religion , and Property , which is all our concerns in this world : You , Noble Sir , after all this will not , I hope , be whedled out of all by an Irish Priest , and this is the earnest desire of ,