754 1he HISTORY of the PuRITANS. Vot. JI. J Ki11g ways locked, and a centinel plac d near them, to give the alarm, that the a'6es 6 Il. preacher migh t efcape by fome private paffage, with as many of the con- .~ gre~ation as could avoid the informers. But notwithll:andi ng all their precautions, JPies and fa!fe brethren crept in among them in difguife, their affemblies were frequently interrupfed, and great fums of money raifed by fines or compofitions, to the difcouragement of trade and indul1ry and inrichirig the officers of the j};iritual courts. ' Progrefs of Thus were the non-conformifls ground between the papifls on the one popery. hand, and the high church clergy on the other, while the former made their advantage of the latter, concluding, th at when the di!Jenters were de– ftroyed, or thoroughly exafperated, and the clergy divided among them– felves, they {hould be a match for the hierarchy, and capable of ellab– lifhing that religion, they had fo long been aiming to introduce. With this view, fwarms ofjefuits and regular priefls wem fent for from abroad ; jefuitsjchools, and other feminaries, were opened in L ondon and the coun– try ; mafs hovjes were ereCted in the moft confiderable towns; four rotl1an catholic bifhops were confecrated in the royal chapel, and exercifed their functions under the charaCter of vicars apojlolical; their reg ular cler– gy appeared at Whitehall and St. James's in their habits, and were un– wearied in their attempts to feduce the common people. The way to preferment was to Le a catholic, or to declare fir the prerogativg; all ftate affairs being managed by fuch men. An open corref– refpondence was held with Rome, and many pamphlets were difperfcd, to make profelytes to the romifh faith, or at leaft to effeCt a coalition. Multitudes of the . king's fubjeCl:s frequented the popifh chapels, fome changed their prifef!ion; and all men were forbid to fpeak difrefpeCtfully of the king's religion. £lergyforbid At length the eyes of many of the clergy began to be opened , and they to preach ajudged it neceffary to preach ogainjl the popijb dotJrines, that they might gan!ft popery. recover the people who were deferting in numbers, and refcue the proteftant religion, from the danger into which their own follies had brought it, The king being acquainted with this, by the advice of his priefis, fent circular letters to the bifhops, with an order, prohibiting the i'!ferior clergy Burnet, p. from preaching on the controwrted points of religion; which many com674plained of,. though it was no more than king Janzes and Charles 1 had But they done before. However, when their mouths were ftopt in the pulpit, ~rite againjl [ome of the moft learned and zealous, agreed to fight the cotholies with ' 1• their own weapon&, and to publi{h (mall pamphlets for the benefit of the vulgar, in defence of the proteflant doCtrines. When a popil1J pamph– let was in the prefs, they made intereft with the workmen, and got the fheets as they were wrought off, fo that an anfwer was ready, as foon as the pamphlet was publiilied. There was hardly a week, in which fome ferm0n or (mall treatife ag.ainft po:eery, was not Erinted and difperfed a-- mong_
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