The Diary Of John Evelyn Vol-2

JOHN EVELYN

sheet, on both sides written, in the late King's own
hand, several arguments opposite to the doctrine of the
Church of England, charging her with heresy, novelty,
and the fanaticism of other Protestants, the chief whereof
was, as I remember, our refusing to acknowledge the pri-
macy and infallibility of the Church of Rome; how impos-
sible it was that so many ages should never dispute it, till
of late; how unlikely our Savior would leave his Church
without a visible Head and guide to resort to, during his
absence; with the like usual topic; so well penned as to
the discourse as did by no means seem to me to have been
put together by the late King yet written all with his own
hand, blotted and interlined, so as, if indeed it was not given
him by some priest, they might be such arguments and
reasons as had been inculcated from time to time, and
here recollected; and, in the conclusion, showing his
looking on the Protestant religion (and by name the
Church of England) to be without foundation, and con-
sequently false and unsafe. When his Majesty had shown
him these originals, he was pleased to lend him the
copies of these two papers, attested at the bottom in four
or five lines under his own hand.

These were the papers I saw and read. This nice and
curious passage I thought fit to set down. Though all
the arguments and objections were altogether weak, and
have a thousand times been answered by our divines;
they are such as their priests insinuate among their prose-
lytes, as if nothing were Catholic but the Church of Rome,
no salvation out of that, no reformation sufferable, bot-
toming all their errors on St Peter's successors' uner-
ring dictatorship, but proving nothing with any reason,
or taking notice of any objection which could be made
against it. Here all was taken for granted, and upon it
a resolution and preference implied.

I was heartily sorry to see all this, though it was no
other than was to be suspected, by his late Majesty's too
great indifference, neglect, and course of life, that he had
been perverted, and for secular respects only professed
to be of another belief, and thereby giving great advan-
tage to our adversaries, both the Court and generally the
youth and great persons of the nation becoming dissolute and
highly profane. God was incensed to make his reign very
troublesome and unprosperous, by wars, plagues, fires,hat they pretended to do. J* ^ that he could do none of Worcester he would have no further com-