Ignorant ones (both Speakers and Hearers) to prepare them for a ready compliance, and enter tainment of the change when they fhould bring that great design to its longed for ripenefs and maturity.

And here, before I enter upon the Reign of this unfortunate King,give me leave to Preface an ob fervation made relating to this affair whileft he was Duke of York; which was briefly this. That in thofe Days there was a more than ordinary intimacy between his Royal Highneß and fome of the prime Leaders of the Quakers, and a general Con cord and Agreement betwixt all the Popish Nobility and Gentry, and these their pretended AdverfariesI could give many inftances; but at prefent will confine my felf to two only, which are the more remarkable, in regard thofe Great and Famous Quakers, Mr.Robert Barclay and Mr. William Penn are fo eminently concern'd therein.

As to Mr. Robert Barclay, whileft he was in Scotland, he was the most Noted Quaker in that Kingdom and one who has appear'd in print the most confiderable Scholar of that Party, their ftoutelt Champion, and their greatest and most learned Advocate, (though by the Way Mr. George Kesh hath hewed down that Goliah, and clearly Baffled all his Specious Arguments:) Now betwixt his Royal Highnes and this Barclay there was an observed unufual intimacy in fomuch that he was generally Noted to be one of the Number of his most intimate Minions, and fo continued until, and after his Acceffion to the Throne. Now tho' this I con fefs is no Demonstration that Mr. Barclay was 4 Papift, (for which end I do not urge it) yet, his Majefty's bigottry to the Church of Rome Confidered, together with his little respect for any who were known and open opponents thereof, lays the four

:

lation of a fhrewd fufpicion, that if Mr. Barclay (in that King's opinion) was no open Friend, yet that he was very well affured, that he was no Vexations Adverfary thereunto; for with fuch, his Majefty could endure no fuch both open and fecret familiarity. And for this caufe many worthy Men did conclude that the fentiments of both (as to matters of Religion) did fully agree: tho' the one had the honesty to own and profeß, what the other thought fit for the prefent to diffemble.

And as Mr. Penn may well be efteemed Mr. Barclay's Equal in Learning and Bigottry, fo was he in interest too, with that Great Prince: Who was never denied accefs to his Royal Perfos, nor meanly interested in his favour and encouragements.

So that betwixt these two, Wherefoever the King was, in England or in Scotland, the Quakers never Wanted Advocates, nor their Set Encouragement. Which was no mean cause of their height and increase. And now their numerous Profelytes obferving this, hug themselves under his Government. And (like Men of breeding) return their Acknowledgments in the higheft expreffions of Gratitude, they were able: And now you fhall hear no more of bitter taunts against Popes, Cardinals, &c. nor against the Doctrines of Popery. All is hufh and quiet now, even in the midst of all the Popish publick Superstitions, not fo much as a Dog to Bark, or a Pen to Wag against them (Amongst the Quakers I mean,) who rather appeared highly fatisfied, than in the leaft offended at their p30grefs and advantages.

Nay there was not fo much as one of these Quaking Reformers, that fo much as feemed to be dif gusted, at the appearing progreß of that Religion. Not fo much as one of them that once offer'd to disturb their, or any of their Priests, Jesnizes, Monks,

&c. in any of their Idolatries: nor fo much as to fpeak one Angry word at any time or upon any occafions, unto them; nay, nor any unkind or undervaluing word of them. Tho' then was their time. to fhew their Zeal (if ever they had any) against them.

They knew the Church of England, ftood in open defiance of them; and hazarded all they could, in oppofing them. But the Ignorant, Blind, Inconderate part of that People, took no Notice of all this.

They knew that at the fame time, that our Minifters were in the higheft manner, difheartned, clofetted, brow-beaten, and threatned: and feveral of our Eminent Prelates and Bishops were Imprifoned. Yet at the very fame time, Whitehall was as open for Quakers, as for Papifts: and fome of the prime Speakers of them, had the Kings Ear and Privacy, as well as his own Confeffors. And yet their Blind Followers, took not the notice which they ought of that neither. And if they did, they were then told it was to ferve their particular interefts only.

And now at laft, they all feemed to be well contented with, yea and highly to Approve of the change. They abated not one whit of their Rage against na, but upon all occafions were very fruitful in their Provocations of us. Nay fure Lam, that many of them. Looked upon that change as the dawning of their Day: Nay they could hardly forbear an open Difcovery of their fatisfaction and great joy. Nay many of them did not fcruple openly to prefer them and their Church, as far more regular and holy than us, and ours. A plain Evidence that their silence in other Countreys (where the Powers are Popish) is not without profound reafons to fupport it? Tis Love, not fear, that keeps their mouths flopt fo much, and fo long, from venting any thing that

Looks

Looks like the malice they have to us, against them.. Nor was King James a ftranger thereunto; but very well knew it, and by whom they had been fo long kept up and encouraged amongst us, and therefore was fo regardfull of them.

Nor were they ungrateful for the fame, for many of them fhewed their good will for kis reftauration, and (where they might) freely Difcovered the fame. Not out of any Kindness their. Ignorant ones did bear unto his Perfon as a King, or out of any regard to his Title to the Throne and Kingdom, but out of the Reverence their prime Speakers had infufed into them of his Mild and Gentle Reign and Government, which was the first ftep they advanced to render him defirable to that People.

These were the apprehenfions then, which the Quakers had of the Papists in that Reign. They looked thereon as Halcyonian Days, and on the Pa pifts as their faft Friends and deliverers: and the fimpleft of them all, were poffeffed with a belief that their Church and Doctrines were far more pure and Holy than the Proteftants. And if all this is yet too little for our fatisfaction, let us then advance one step farther and confider,

CHAP. VII.

The Quakers good opinion of the Papists is yet farther, cleared in that as they feek not to have, so they boast not that they have many of them for their Profelytes.

A Mongit all the vaft multitudes which the Quakers have (by their great pains) conN 4

verted

1

verted from a Vitious, Riotous, Profligate, Life, and Converfation (as they brag they have gained from among us) it will be worth our while to en quire now, how many they have therewith converted from Image Worship, Adoration of Angels, Saints, Reliques of Saints, Crucifixes, Confecrated Wafers, and fuch like, in a word how many Popil conberts babe they? Where do they dwell? What are their Names? Search their Registers give us an account of their numbers, when, where, and by whom they were converted. Let us know what kinds of this fifh thefe Spiritual Fishers have caught, and out of whofe ponds they have taken them. Sure all Drunkards, Swearers, Adulterers, Thieves, Murderers, and Profane Perfons; fure I fay all are not Protestants: without doubt fome fuch are to be found among the Roman Catholicks; without doubt Jome of their Communion are altogether as vile, as bafe, as vitious, as debauched and defperately wicked, as any who pretend to be of our Communion. Now what gleanings have the Quakers had out of thefe Popish Fields? What Seelings have they in Luch. Towns and Willages (1 fay not now beyond the Seas, but) in our own Kingdom where Baptis have the greatest part and intereft? Or what Beering boules have they erected in fuch Places? it were eafie to put thefe Zealous Sectaries in mind of fome fuch Villages, at this Day well enough known unto them, to whom they have had the good Nature to vouchsafe an honourable go by, and carried the clono quite over their heads, and caufed it to burft (with fury enough) in the Neighbouring Proteftant hamlets.

Sure all this happens not by meer chance only. Sure enough, there is fomething in the matter, fomething in this curiofity, worthy our moft diligent fearch and enquiry. Can any Man be fo ftu