during the administration of that wicked minister the earl of Oxford.
The catholicks of this kingdom humbly hope, that they have at least as fair a title, as any of their brother dissenters, to the appellation of protestants. They have always protested against the selling, dethroning, or murdering their kings; against the usurpations and avarice of the court of Rome; against deism, atheism, socinianism, quakerism, muggletonianism, fanaticism, brownism, as well as against all Jews, Turks, infidels, and hereticks. Whereas the title of protestants assumed by the whole herd of dissenters (except ourselves) depends entirely upon their protesting against archbishops, bishops, deans and chapters, with their revenues; and the whole hierarchy; which are the very expressions used in the solemn league and covenant[1], where the word popery is only mentioned ad invidiam; because the catholicks agree with the episcopal church in those fundamentals.
Although the catholicks cannot deny, that in the great rebellion against king Charles I, more soldiers of their religion were in the parliament army, than in his majesty's troops; and that many Jesuits and friars went about, in the disguise of presbyterian and independent ministers, to preach up rebellion, as the best historians of those times inform us; yet
- ↑ A solemn league and covenant entered into between the Scots and English fanaticks in the rebellion against king Charles I, 1643, by which they solemnly engaged among other things, "to endeavour the extirpation of prelacy, that is, church government, by archbishops, bishops, deans, archdeacons, and all other episcopal officers depending on that hierarchy."
