THE Affairs of this Sublunary World, carry a Resemblance with those of the Air; for as in those Celestial Regions, there is sometimes a Sweet and Harmonious Concord, and Serenity through the whole Hemisphere, and at other times the Face of Heaven is overcast with Frowns, Fogs, and Exhalations, which hover a while in the Air, and at length break into dreadful Fulgura­tions, and raise a kind of War in the Elementary World: So it is in this Inferior Orb, which is Peopl'd with Men compounded of the Elements: Sometimes we have gentle Calms of of Peace and Tranquility, and other times nothing but Wars, Seditions, Heats and Animosities, which like the Plague Infect our Conversations, di­sturb the Body Politick, and put all things out of Order.

And as the Commotions in the Sky are ingendred of Fogs and Mists, drawn out of Fenny and Diseased Commons, and are usually foreshewn by Rowling Clouds, and the Malevo­lent Conjunctions of Erratick Stars; so the Troubles of the World in Gene­ral, and of England in particular, take their Birth and Nourishment from Ill Humours that possess Ambi­tious Minds, and Indigent and Male­contented Men, who Aspire without Desert, Rail without Reason, and would put the Kingdom into a Flame, to warm themselves by the Heat on't: Or by dispersing their causless Fears and Jealousies through the Na­tion, design to Divide and Destroy it.

We are fallen into those Dreggs of Time, wherein Atheism and Irreli­gion, Sedition and Debauchery, seem to divide the World between them; wherein True and unaffected Piety is out of Countenance; wherein all the Sacred Tyes to our Sovereign, are as Loose as our Manners; and in which that Generous Honesty, and Religious Loyalty, which was once the Glory and Character of our Nati­on, is vanish'd into Disobedience and Contempt of our Superiors: For a­mong [Page 2]all the Vicious and Imperti­nent Humours of the Age, as none are more Common, so none are more Equally Lamentable, Dangerous and Rediculous, than Aspersing things Venerable and Sacred, and speaking Evil of Illustrious Persons; and yet that is now Improved to such a Wicked Height, that he is account­ed the Witiest Man, and Stanchest Member of his Party, that dares ca­lumniate Loudest; or else has the Pe­culiar knack in wounding Authority, with Sly, Oblique and Ominous Sug­gestions; that can Stab, and look another way, as if they were wholly Innocent, and unconcern'd in the Mischiefs, that are only of their own contriving.

Now were these mean and scanda­lous Practices, to be found only a­mong a few, from whose weak and crazy Heads better Morals could not be expected, like a slight scratch in the Body, it might be cured by ne­glecting and contemning it; but since the Disease is grown Epidemical, and has intruded into Topping Societies, 'tis time to put a stop to the Gan­green, before the whole Body of the People are Infected, and grow sick of their Prosperity. Next our Duty towards God, it greatly concerns our Peace and Happiness, to Uphold our Loyalty to God's Anointed, and our Obedience to his Government; for our Peace and Safety being wrapt up in the Welfare of the King, and the Prosperity of his Laws, 'tis our Wisdom and Interest to be True to both, and bear a just Abhorrence of all Seditious Members in the Kingdom, who would weaken the Head, to fortify the Body, and would perswade us, that to Traduce and Expose his Majesty, is the way to make his Reign, and our Lives happy; and that the Diminution of his Regal Power and Prerogatives, is the way to support his Grandeur, and make Three Kingdoms Happy.

These are the abominable fallacies, which some Seditious Members of our Body Politick, are putting up­on the Fickle and Injudicious Popu­lace, with design to abase the Mo­narch's Legal Power, and Lodge it in themselves; and therefore 'tis eve­ry honest Man's concern to oppose these wicked Antimonarchial Prin­ciples and Practices, and to con­vince Men by the Truth and Reason of the thing, that the way to be happy our selves, is first to make the King so; and that to obey him Humbly, to Honour him Conscienti­ously, and to Love him Affectionately and Heartily, is both our Duty and Advantage; whereas to cast off that Reverence that he has a Just Right to, to Misconstrue his Actions, to Traduce his Counsels, to suspect his Integrity, and if it were possible to render him Cheap and Insignificant, which is the Course that is now ta­king by our Pseudo Patriots, is to tear our Peace, our Government, and All to pieces, without the help of a Forreign Enemy.

Sure England is the Unhappiest Island in the World, that can ne're be Prosperous and Peaceable, Fortu­nate [Page 3]and Loyal, Safe and Contented at the same time. For no sooner are we on the Borders of a happy Settle­ment, but Ill Accidents or Malicious Inventions, intervene to Cross and Disturb it. No sooner are we in possession of a long desired Peace, but some Seditious Chymaera's, Nick­nam'd the Publick Good, or some cun­ningly staged Fears and Jealousies, Suspicions and feigned Dangers, (which if duly Examin'd, are no­thing but the results of a Spirit of Contradiction, and disobedience to Monarchial Authority) throws us into such violent Concussions and preternatural Heart-burnings, that the Nation, like a Distracted Body, is laying Hands upon it self, and contributing more to its Ruine, by its own Heats and Divisions, than the Swords of our Enemies could effect.

Detestable Jealousy and Suspici­on! How Dismal are thy Products? How Destructive to Christian Chari­ty? How Pernicious to Humane So­cieties? That no Bond is so strong, no Tye so sacred, no Deliverance so obliging, but this deluding Inchan­tress is able to dissolve them.

What shall we say? Sure some strange Fatality, some unusual, un­heard of Giddiness, has seiz'd and Infatuated some Members of the Kingdom, that they should take Pleasure in Affronting their King and Deliverer, and out of an Innate A­version to Monarchy, refuse to do themselves and their Country Right, for no other Reason, but because they thought the King desir'd it. Is not this to Retort his signal Favours with Indignities, to Requite his Love with Jealousies, and to sting him with our Tongues, while he is warm­ing us in his Bosom?

Did he not deliver us from Tyra­ny and Oppression? Has he not Fought our Battles, and procur'd us Peace and Plenty? These Favours one would think, had been enough to oblige a People of any Ingenuity, and for ever Indear'd a Prince to us, who snatch'd us from the brink of Ruine, and with the Hazard of his own Life, preserv'd Ours, and the Kingdom.

Sure tho' we are unable to Requite him, we ought not to Injure him in his Honour, by base Surmises, and Unwarrantable Suspicions, and in­stead of Treating him with the high­est Epithets of Royalty, scarce afford him the Civil usage of a Gentleman; certainly this is Ingratitude in the Abstract, and wants a Name bad e­nough to signify its baseness; and that it may yet appear more Black, and Fright the Seditious from Repea­ting their Crimes, by shewing them a Monster of their own begetting; let us look a little backward, and trace it to its Original.

Our late Inability to Extricate our selves, and our Laws, from a Threatn'd Slavery, and Vassalage to a Homebred and Forreign Tyranny; and to defend our Liberties and Pro­perties, from the Insults and Depre­dations of our own Countrymen and Strangers, made it absolutely neces­sary for us, to Resign our Power in­to [Page 4]the Hands of the Prince of Orange, now our gracious King; who wrought such a Deliverance for the Nation, as ought never to be forgotten, and can never be sufficiently Requited; if we consider both the Matter which was Great, and the Mannner which was kind, and both Extraordinary, and which will be mention'd with Honour by Men of Sence, so long as the Protestant Name shall be remem­bred.

His Majesty came not as the An­tient Romans and Saxons, to Conquer and lead in Triumph after him, our Religion and Laws, our Lives and Liberties; but to Defend, Preserve, and Secure us in them all.

For this end alone he undertook that Dangerous and Chargeable Ex­pedition, which has prov'd as much to our Advantage, as it will be to His Majesty's lasting Reputation.

What he has done, Argues that he was moved by a Higher Principle than any this World can afford; in over­looking his own ease and Securiry, when the Publik Good, and the Con­cerns of Christianity, call'd for his Seasonable Assistance. And

Here I could easily make a Pane­gyric upon his vertues, and equal him to the most famous Graecian and Roman Generals; but I need not set forth his Praises, which do so loud­ly speak for themselves. Nor draw any tedious Parallels betwixt His Majesty, and the Celebrated Hero's of former Ages, since I am herein prevented, by all who have read the [...] and are Ocular Witnesses of what his Prince­ly Goodness, with so much Cou­rage, Mildness, and Prudence, hath done in this; for things succeeded so well under his Conduct, that we all submitted our selves to his Wise Direction, and put our selves un­der his Gracious Protection, as the Tutelar Genius of the Nation: And the Effects of his Enterprize were so strange, so Wonderful, and Surpri­zing, that had we not seen, we should scarce have believed them, which makes the wonder greater, that we should so easily forget them.

As soon as His Majesty Landed, with what Joy, and universal good wishes was the News received? How forward were all sorts af People to Declare for his Highness; How willing were they to lend him a help­ing hand, for accomplishing his great Work? How did we all generally concur, and unanimously agree, to forget our obligation to the late King, and assist his present Majesty, rather than James the Second, against our selves and his own Interest?

Nay, the Army it self, that now some Scurrilous and Trifling Pens have loaded with Opprobrious Names, and Stigmatiz'd with base and Ungenerous Reflections; for doing the best piece of Service that e're was done for England; went over to him, choosing rather to lye under the imputation of Cow­ardize, and Disloyalty (which yet True English Men had rather dye than really deserve) than to be Instrumental in Enslaving their Native Country, and bringing it again under the Yoke

In short, all Orders of Men, Ec­clesiastick, Civil, and Military, had their Eyes fix'd upon his present Majesty, as their great Deliverer, were resolv'd to espouse his Cause, and accordingly when the late King had withdrawn himself. First, put the Regal Administration into his Hands, and soon after by a Univer­sal Consent, set the Imperial Diadem upon his Head. Where may it flourish for many many Years.

Now, who that ever heard the doleful Sighs, and Lamentations of English Protestants, when their Reli­gion was in danger of being lost, and Popery, Idolatry, and Superstition, was setting up as the National mode of Worship could ever imagine, that the English could so soon, and so un­gratefully, forget the benefit of re­storing their Religion, or make any Undecent returns to King William, that accomplish'd it.

Who that ever knew, how in the late Reign our Laws were suspended, our Properties Seized, our Rights and Liberties Invaded, and Prote­stants insulted by furious Papists, could ever think to see the day, that any English Protestant should requite Good with Evil, and indust­riously Slaunder the Footsteps of the Lords Anointed, that heal'd all our Breaches, and restored us to Li­berty.

Who that has ever heard, or read, the humble Remonstrance, and Re­quest, of a Considerable part of the English Clergy, Nobility, Gentry, and Commons, to King William, (when in Holland) to come over and help them: The promises they made of standing by him with their Lives and Fortunes, and how chearfully that great Prince undertook, and al­most miraculously accomplish'd our Deliverance, could believe that the same Prince, should from the same people receive a less Dutiful and Glorious Return, than the Noble Enterprize deserved.

Who, that has ever heard, how unanimously, and freely, the Repre­sentatives of the Nation in the Con­vention at Westminster, offer'd his Highness and his Princess the Crown? How they rejoic'd at their Accep­tance of it, and with what extraor­dinary Solemnity and Satisfaction they were Proclaim'd and Crown'd King and Queen of England, could ever think of seeing any thing that should look like a Diminution of his Royal Authority, or Suspect his Kindness and good Intentions to a Nation, that he had Obliged beyond Expression?

Who could think, that after Acts of Settlement, Recognition of the King's Right, Association for his Safety, and setling a Fund for the War, and a Maintenance of his Royalty, that a sullen, froward and seditious Sort of People should rise up among us, of all Qualities, but of no Religion, or moral Prudence, to beget a misun­derstanding betwixt this glorious King, and these Loyal People, whose mutual Concord and Agreement is the safety of the Kingdom, and the Terror of its Enemies.

However; a few such there were, even in that very Parliament, that had given such ample Demonstrati­ons of their Love and Loyalty. For the Nation having then a War up­on its hands, (for the maintenance of our new Settlement) with a Po­tent Monarch that protected the Person, and espous'd the Quarrel of the late Abdicated King; and that great Supplies were absolutely neces­sary, to enable his Majesty to su­stain the Force of a Kingdom, which by their own Wise Administration, and the Supineness of England in the late Inglorious Reigns, was now grown so Potent, that it required a longer Sword to Resist, than hereto­fore to Conquer it, and in which his Majesty (without flattery) has ac­quir'd more Honour, by checking and controwling the Power of France, than any of his great Predecessors did by subduing it; the Parliaments were oblig'd to lay great Taxes up­on the People, and the Nation be­ing not insensible of the Burden, the Malecontented Jacobites who were always more cunning in embroiling our Affairs, than in advancing their own, took the advantage of it, and in all Companies declared, that the Government must of necessity sink un­der its own Weight, and that our Heavy Taxes by reducing us to ex­tream Poverty, would inevitably prove our Destruction: And never ceas'd declaiming on this popular Subject, and galling the People in their Tender part; in hopes to make 'em weary of a Government, which was represented so burthensom, and to perswade them rather to let in the Deluge, than be at the Expence of maintaining the Banks.

Besides this Party that were for King James, there were others, that were for no King at all, a sort of Re­publicans of the old Stamp, that are for subverting Monarchy it self, to set up an Idol they know not what in the Room on't; and care not what becomes of King, and Parliament, and Kingdom too, so they can grati­fy their own Pride and Peevishness, and advance the Dagon of a Com­mon-Wealth; which is so inconsi­stent with the Humor, Nature, In­terest and Constitution of the Eng­lish People and Government, that they might as well attempt to stem the Tide, or reconcile disagreeing Elements, as think either to court or force them to submit to such a Form; yet however unlikely it was to expect the Peoples compliance, they use their utmost endeavour to promote it, and to this end Mr. Har­rington's Common-Wealth of Oceana, and all Mr. Milton's Antimonarchi­cal Treatises, and that too, which justifies the Murder of Charles the First, and many Discourses of other Authors, as Ludlow's Letters, and Mr. Sidney's Discourse of Govern­ment, all on the same Subject, and tending to promote the Design of Lessening and Reproaching Monarchy, are Reprinted, which, in their Ends and Designs, as well as their Au­thors, are no less Enemies to the Government, their King and Coun­try, [Page 7]than the former, and assist in carrying on Discontents and Divisi­ons among us, being such an odd sort of Men, and so averse to all Kings, that if God should send them one from Heaven, they'd never like him two days together; Nay, if they were in Heaven themselves, 'tis to be fear'd they'd be turn'd out again, for Attempting against the Monar­chical Power of God Almighty. These, I say, are some of the Trou­blers of our Israel, and are no less busy in Traducing the King, than the Rankest Jacobites in England, and greedily swallow down any Defa­mation upon the Court, to disgorge it with a greater mixture of Malice and Slaunder at their next Repub­lican Association. And tho' they are both in extreams, and as oppo­site to the Jacobites in their Princi­ples, as they are to Peace and Loy­alty; yet they both agree in Opi­nion and Practice against King Wil­liam, and his Government, and take the same Methods of Lying and Slaundering, and raising Fears and Jealousies to weaken and destroy it.

The Jacobites said we should ne're have Peace till James the Second was Restor'd; and the Republicans said we should ne're be able to cope with our Enemies, but must sink under them, if we did not put our selves under the Regiment of a Common-Wealth, and Crown our Sov. L. the People. These contradictory Noti­ons were both supported by their Pamphleteers without Doors, and their crafty and dissembling Ambo­dexters Within, who, by Asserting the War was like to be Eternal, and the Nation's Ruin irretrivable, were Tearing the Bowels of our Common Mother, and plunging us into new Confusins, by the united endeavours of those that were for a popish Ar­bitrary King, and those that were for no King at all.

But the never to be forgotten goodness of God, and the great Wis­dom, Invincible Courage, and inflexi­ble Resolution of his Majesty, ha­ving to the great Mortification of the Enemies of the King and Kingdom. The intire Satisfaction of the true Friends of both, and the Admiration of all Men; concluded the War with France, and brought home an Hon­ourable Peace, it confuted all their Ominous predictions, silenc'd their Clamours, shamed their Intrigues, and confounded all the pretended dan­gers, rais'd by our Enemies. And now one would think, we had no­thing to do, but to return our due thanks to God and the King, make our Gratitude and Obedience, as Conspicuous as the benefit was Extra­ordinary; to pay our Debts, Reward our Friends, forgive our Enemies, and under our own Vines and Fig-Trees, solace our selves in a hap­py Peace, and live in Unity and A­mity, and in Peace and Concord a­mong our selves.

These were the things most desi­rable, best becoming Professors of Christianity, sutable to our Obliga­tions, and ought to have been the Endeavours of all in their several [Page 8]Stations. But alass, to shew there is nothing compleatly happy on this side Heaven, How have we frustrated the Designs of God Almighty, whose Goodness and long Suffering should have led us to Repentance, by con­tinuing in our Impieties? How Ill and Ungratefully have we treated his Majesty, who as the Royal Instru­ment in the Hand of God, has pro­cur'd us this, and many other ine­stimable Blessings? And how have we injur'd the whole Community, by dividing into Parties and Fact­ions, and worrying one another by Intestine Seditions? For,

No sooner was there a Dissoluti­on of the former Parliament, and a fresh one convened, but New Mur­murers, under the Names of Old Friends, (though in truth but a com­pound of the other Two) started up amongst us to trouble our Affairs; who, though great Asserters of the late Revolution, seem inclinable e­nough to a second, if their private Sentiments may be collected from their publick Discourses: For from I know not what private Disgusts, and and personal Quarrels and Disa­pointments, they are grown Sowr and uneasie; and to express their Resentments; in all Conversation indeavour to bring our Administra­tion into contempt: To clog the Wheels of the Government that it move slowly, or not at all; and, in short, are against all things which our known and open Enemies are a­gainst, and for all things which they are for and [...] the consequences be as mischievous as they will, they think the more the better; and by these and other Clandestine Popular Arts, Recommend themselves to their Country as great Patriots, for no other reason but that they would Starve, or bind up the hands of the Govern­ment, that it should not be able to support and defend it self. The pro­ceedings against these men, whither in their own Houses or at Clubbs, are of all others the most absur'd and unaccountable, and the Opposition they make against the Government, seems to be the effect of some strange Infatuation. For tho' it should be allowed, as 'tis a standing Maxim a­mong them that the Character of a Pa­triot, without distinction of Times or Persons, is to be always, and in all Ca­ses whatsoever, against the Court; yet they cannot be unsensible, that the Face of Affairs is so alter'd by the late happy Revolution, that the Inte­rest of their Country is the same with that of the Court. However, tho' this was a Government of their own Choosing, Approving and Settling, which methinks should weigh much with all considering Men, that would not be thought guilty of Le­vity, Novelty and Inconstancy; yet the Witchcarft of Parity, Envy and Am­bition gives them such a satisfaction in Crossing the King, Thwarting the Court, and by those Arts rendring themselves Popular, that 'tis the Bu­siness of their Lives to make the King and his Ministers Uneasy, and, if 'twere to be done, Despicable in the eyes of the People. Now

Were these Mischiefs done by the open and profest Enemies of the King and Government, the Crime would be more tolerable: or were they hatch'd by the little Animals that frequent Seditious Coffee-Houses, it would be more pardonable, because their Tongues are no slander; but to see and hear it done by our pretended Friends, Men of Quality and Figure, that are in Eminent Posts in the King­dom, that have a Hand in Publick Affairs, is able to chill and stagger every Sense about one! and what can these scandalous Practices be ascrib'd to, but a deep dy'd Dissimu­lation and Hypocrisy; when we see Men Court and Cringe at Kensington, and rail at Westminster; Hug and Em­brace a Minister in the Painted Cham­ber, and cut his Throat in the Chap­pel; give a Courtier the smoothest Words to his Face, and hang him behind his Back. What can one think, but that they were Tainted in their Original, and are so in Love with Anarchy, that they hate the King, and all that belong to him; and let them pretend what they please, from this Principle you can never Court nor Drive them, for the Moor was born black, and will con­tinue so, in despite of all the Sope i'th'Kingdom. The Snakes will be Hissing and threatning, and if you should cram them with all they can wish, or you can give, they will ne­ver lose their Natures; and of these there are two sorts, and both worth the Knowing, that you may avoid them.

First, the loud and open Talkers; and secondly, the private seditious Whisperers. The first need no parti­cular Description, for the Noise they make, and the Hazard they run of forfeiting their Understandings, to gratifie their Ill Nature, and humour their Faction, is the best Denomina­tion of them. These, though al­ways Declaiming against the Govern­ment, do less harm than the other; for all their Invectives against the King and Court, being usually car­ried as far above Truth, as beyond the Bounds of Decency, they are not like to succeed in their Designs; un­less when they assume a power of Talking away their King's Right, they could take away the Peoples Rea­son also; which can never be done by Men whose Understandings are warp'd with their Interests, and are not Historians of publick Actions, but Lawyers of a Party: For ground­ing all they say upon Idle Tales, Re­ports, and Hearsays, they prove no­thing but their want of Breeding, and better Arguments, and their Ca­lumnies when driven home, will re­coil upon their own Heads: For they that charge others with Crimes they cannot justifie, Indite and Convict themselves of Falsity.

The Private Whisperers are com­monly Men of a superior Quality, such as are ashamed to own their Practices openly, and therefore like Gun-powder in a Vault, do incom­parably the more Mischies for being stifled. For though they take Plea­sure to be always finding Fault, ever [Page 10] Complaining and Murmering, and Cen­suring the wisest Councils, and the uprightest Conduct; yet they still sculk behind the Curtain, and look as Demure and Harmless, as if they had no conceal'd Sting, nor no Gaul was mix'd in their Creation, when they are the greatest Enemies to the King and Government in the World. For though they do not speak di­rectly, and in terms against his Ma­jesty; yet they vent such base Re­flections, and unmannerly Insinuati­ons against him, under double and Abiguous Meanings, as poyson the Ears of their Admirers, and prepare their Tongues to use a greater Li­berty 'Tis from such pernicious Presidents of scandalous Babling and Idle Whispering against Authority, that the Leudness of the Tongue be­comes so epidemical in the Nation, and that the common People, first corrupted by Ill Principles, and then Influenc'd by the Example of Facti­ous Great Ones, are grown to such Ex­cesses in their Pragmatical censuring the Actions of their Superiors, as is unsufferable to the Loyal and Sober part of Mankind; Dangerous to the State, and ple [...]ing to none but Sedi­tious Incendiaries, who play the Body against the Head, with design to de­stroy the whole.

What a strange Liberty is taken in this licentious Age, when every private Person, that thinks he has half a dram of Brains about him, shall Arraign the Actions of their Su­periors. What is this, but blasting the choisest Flowers of the Crown, and shrinking the Imperial Dignity of our English Monarch, into a Doge of Venice? For he is but a Titular and no Real King, whose Sovereign­ty, and Prerogative Royal, is liable to the Popular Scannings and In­fractions of every Proud and Peevish Subject. There is no Tyranny to be compar'd to the Tyranny of a Sedi­tious Multitude, and the condition of our English Kings are very little mended by those, that free them from the Pope's Supremacy in ordine ad bonum spirituale, and subject them to the People, in ordine ad bonum pub­licum: For if General Assemblies for making Laws have but the power of Advising the King, 'tis the highest Insolence in private Persons, to cen­sure and misrepresent him. Are the Kings Prerogatives and Sovereignty the only Rights that may be Inva­ded, and scandalously toss'd from Mouth to Mouth, as if the King that owns them were not Sacred, and exempted from such impertinent Dis­courses? Sure the World is turn'd Topsy Turvy, and Mens Understand­ing grow Downward, or they could never think the Multitude are invested with the highest price of Regality, viz. Judging of the Publick Good, and Controwling all; whose Incapacity, Levity, and Ignorance, renders 'em unfit for any thing of this Nature. Therefore, if any such are found, that by Usurping upon the King's So­vereignty, would plead for such a Priviledge of the Subject, the Cock­atrice ought to be crush'd in the Fgg, their Tongues should be tyed [Page 11]as well as their Hands; nay, the boyling of their Thoughts when they rise so high should be scumm'd, and suppress'd, or all will run into the Fire of Contention.

Though after all, I cannot be so Injurious to the generality of his Majesty's People, as to think they aim at any thing above the Sphere of Dutiful Subjects; for their Zeal and forwardness to venture their Lives in his Majesty's Service, is a manifest contradiction of such a Ca­lumny, and a convincing Evidence of their constant Loyalty and Fide­lity; and my only Design in expo­sing the Principle was to shew, that Kinging the Multitude, is only a Trick to weaken the Monarchy, and is im­ploy'd as a Blind, (by some that in the Course of Affairs, are come to have a share in great Actions) to a­muse the Nation with this Popular, and Taking Theme, while they are laying a Foundation for their own Arbitrary Ends, and uncontrowl­able Authority.

Having therefore acquainted my Reader, that the Government had Three sorts of Enemies, Jacobites, Re­publicans, and Discontended Mur­murers, which under the mask of Friendship were great Underminers of the Government, 'tis now my bu­siness to shew, that according to an old laid Scheme of the Jacobites to de­stroy the Government, to the Three factions already Named, are added another set of Enemies, more danger­ous than all the rest to effect it, which to distinguish from the former, I call The Mixture, New Converts, or Sediti­ous Interpositors, whose designs having been the Work of great Thoughts, and long time. And now, as the last Game is beginning to be plaid among us.

I know it will displease the Repub­licans, to be coupled with the Jacc­bites; our Male-contented Murmur­ing pretended Friends, to be join'd with the other Two; and our New Converts to be Link'd with them all; however, in the cause of my King and Country, that are Harras'd and sawne by this unhappy Mixture of various Interests, combin'd against them, which like Beasts of different Species, and Sexes, shut up together, forget their Natural Emnity, to satisfy their common Lusts, and care not what kind of Monsters are produced be­twixt them, so their Brutal appe­ties are but gratified. I shall not value what they can say, or do, a­gainst me; for as 'tis a Symptom of an ill cause, when it can't bear Examin­ing and that none are so much concer­ned at Reflections, as those that cause them, so an Honest design of indea­vouring the Peace of the Nation, as it don't deferve, so it will not stand in fear of any Mens Displeasure; and therefore I shall proceed to shew, that the Farce now Acting, is but an Inter­lude Revived. That the Actors un­der what disguise or Dress soever they appear, are but Tooles in the hands of the Jacobites, and while they Saty­rize the Monarchy and publick Ma­nagement, are but compounding with the Court at St. Germans, and Re­triving, [Page 12]and Advancing the designs of the Frustrated Faction.

'Twas a smart reply of a Great Man, when acquainted with the Danger that might arise from the great number of Men, crowded into both Houses, that were in the In­terest of King James, he said, There was equal danger from his false Friends, and from them that were for no King at all. And tho' this single obser­vation has Weight enough in it, to preponderate any objection that can be made against it, I hope it will not be taken Ill, to prove by matter of Fact, that the Supposition of there being such a Conjunction, was not groundless, and consequently that the Reflection was a Wise and pru­dent Reprehension, of confining the Whole danger to a Single faction, when there were apparent Instances, that Others were in the same Unnatural Confederacy.

Those Gentlemen that serv'd his Majesty in the Counsells and Ca­bals of his Enemies know, and are able to prove, that the Jacobites had certain standing Rules, and Me­thods, to govern themselves by in all their attempts against his Maje­sty's Government, which were early communicated to his Ministers, and daily observation has shew'd, as they have been bafled in any One, the Next has been taken up with equal heat and Vigour as the former; and now Three of their four Projects encoun­tring continued Disappointments; the last, which gives us so much trouble, and if not prevented will give us More, is now upon the Stage, and great are the expectations of our E­nemies from it.

The Projects prescrib'd to the Jacobites, for the Restoration of their old Masters, were couched under these four heads.

First, To join with the Republicans, and all the Malcontented under every Denomination. This failing, then

Secondly, To Strengthen their Par­ty, by calling in a Forreign Power; and if that was unsuccessful. Then

Thirdly, To do the Work at Once, by Assassinating his Majesties Royal Per­son, and in him the whole Kingdom.

Fourthly, If all the former me­thods were rendred ineffectual, then they should all come into the Govern­ment, take the Oaths, and set up for new Converts. And this I call The Mistery of Iniquity, that is now in working.

The Two first of these projects for the Destruction of the Govern­ment, were a while kept with great Secresy, and practiced with no less caution and fears of Discovery; but as Trees when they have shot their Roots deep in the Earth, and have spread their Branches wide in the Air, every one may confidently affirm, they were of no very late Planting; So by a Wonderful Turn of Providence, the Confederacy be­tween the Seditious of all Names, and Factions with the Jacobites, was fully discover'd. Lawton, Ferguson, and Grosby, proper Tooles for such a Work, were apprehended; and the Lord Preston's Plot, wherein the Ori­ginal Papers, and Letters of the Con­spirators [Page 13]declare there was a Combi­nation to subvert the Government, to Depose, if not Murder, the King and Queen, say, That this Villany was Methodically agreed, and con­cluded, at a Select and for­mal ConferenceVid. Mr. Ashtons Tryal. between Divers Lords and Gentlemen both Whiggs and Tories.

The next contrivance of the Jaco­bites, was the profess'd Murder of the King, and the Invasion of the Kingdom; but Heaven detected the Conspiracy, and the Barbarity of the Action, has so branded the whole Party, with the Scorn, Infamy and Hatred of all English-Men, that they being now asham'd to shew their Fa­ces as Jacobites, take Sanctuary in their last Project, which I told you was, To submit to the Government, to take the Oaths of Fidelity, and set up for Converts, that under shew of Friendship and Sincerity, they might gain an opportuniy to Herd with other seditious Persons, and do more Mis­chief by their seeming complyance, than they were able to effect by their pro­fess'd and open Enmity.

And here I beg not to be miscon­strued, as if I grudg'd at any Man's Conversion to his Duty, or thought it an Injury to the State to have the Love and Service of the whole Com­munity: For 'tis what I heartily wish, and for some Years have em­ploy'd my Pen for; but when I see Men the same in Principle and Pra­ctice, since they became Williamites, as they were when distinguish'd from good Subjects, by the Name of Ja­cobites; you will pardon me for suspecting the sincerity of their Con­version, till they give o're the Trade of perverting their Brethren, and ex­hibite more signal Evidences of their Virtue and Loyalty, then yet they have done since they came among us.

The Sacred Oracles tell us, that by their Works we may know Men, and then what can we think, when we see the whole Gang of Enemies Haunt the Court, for no other end but to Redicule and abuse it! Set up for Patriots, by sowing the Seeds of Sedition! Get themselves to be E­lected Members, that they may have the privilege of affronting their So­vereign, saying, that within Doors, that a modest Man durst not Think without! Contend for a Popular Omnipotency, and liberty to de­stroy all our Franchises; and Lessen the Kings Power to give more than is due to their Own! What (I say) can we think of these Proceedings, but that their coming among us, is like Water into a Ship, not to Suc­cour, but to Sink us; for such things have been acted in days of Yore, and what has been done may be done again, if an Almighty Provi­dence does not prevent it.

That this is the Design to be drea­ded, appears as well by the great­ness of their Numbers, as the na­ture of their Actions; for since the Year when this Commerce began, we have had a greater Addition to our Malecontents, than from the be­ginning of the Revolution to that un­happy [Page 14]Junction. And the Trade of supplying every vacancy in the Com­pany, with Persons of the same Cha­racter, Increasing rather than abate­ing, I wish surcharging the Factory, does not Bankrupt the Nation. That the confluence of our new Sediti­ous Interpositers, does not infect us with our Old Plagues, and that these Upstart Pseudo Patriots, being added to the Number of the Old Jacobites, Republicans and Murmerers we had before, it had not been better for us, rather to have had their Room than their Company. For I fear if a Man might look into some Houses, he would see many such Persons there, as would tempt him to ask the Que­stion in the Gospel, Friends, How? and for what end came you hither, not having on the Wedding Garment of Sincerity and Loyalty.

Men that are Conversant in the Polices of Nations tell us, that tho' 'tis fit and commendable, that there be a Reconciliation betwixt the King and his Quondam Enemies; yet they ought not in respect of the Govern­ment or Themselves, to be admitted into places of Trust, or the Manage­ment of great Affairs; because in despite of Fate, while Men are Men, there will such Jealousies arise, as will clog the Freedom and Confi­dence, that ought to be between them. On the behalf of the Go­vernment 'twill be objected, that too much Credulity encourages an Abuse, and trusting a reconcil'd Enemy, In­vites an Injury; for History is very pregnant with Examples of Men that have had Indempnity for one Fault, and have been taken in Ano­ther with their Pardons in their Poc­kets, before the Ink was scarce dry upon the Parchment; and there­fore we ought not to Confide, where the Experiment is so Dangerous.

On the other part it will be said, That in common Prudence our Se­ditious Interpositors, ought not to desire to be trusted, or intermedle with the Publick, because Men can never Love, where they have given too great cause to Fear, and will al­was Distrust, where they know they have injured, beyond a possibility of Reparation. For tho' the King out of a principle of Vertue and Honour may Forgive, yet their Guilt will not suffer them to believe he can, and that will hurry them upon Oblite rating their former Crimes, by re­peating new Offences; both which, being seriously considered, 'tis an Argumant, that those that Thrust themselves into Business, whom a praevious disposition will not suffer to be just or Hearty in it, they may make themselves Odious to their Superious, by their Haughtiness, and a Restless course of Factious Com­petitions, but never will or can, do their King and Country Service.

But let these things be as they will in the Theory,, and like general Rules be liable to particular Excep­tions, yet 'tis Notorious, that since those that might not have what King they would, have join'd with those that would have None; and since the Name of Jacobites has Walk'd un­der [Page 15] less Offensive Names, or has been Obscur'd, by Mixing in Clubbs and other Meetings, with the Old Enemies of the Kingdom; there has been greater Incroachments upon his Majesties Prerogatives, than ever was before. More Defamatory Speeches and Prints against his Go­vernment, more Fears and Jealousies created, more unjust Suspicions Raised; and less dutiful acknow­ledgments of the Kings care and goodness to his People made at such Assembles, than the King has deser­ved, or becomes English Men in E­minent Stations to be Guilty of.

How have these Seditious Mem­bers we are talking of, Embarras'd all our Affairs, and put a Stop to every Good motion, by endeavour­ing to raise a Misunderstanding be­twixt the King, and his People, and render him Suspected at home; that as the Champion of Christendom, has Meritted, and Received, the Applau­ses, Honour, and Esteem of all the World abroad?

O abominable Ingratitude, Sence­less Deportment, and Unpardonable Retribution, to think that the King would be at such a vast Expence, and Hazard his Life, to pull down the Tyranny of King James, to set up a Despotick Power of his own? What Reason is there to bolt out such Ugly Suggestions, and hint such Spiteful Reflection, against the Kings Person and Government? Has His Majesty given us any Reason to Suspect the commuance of his Goodness; or that he will be less kind in preserving our Rights and Privileges, than he was in Procuring them, when they were almost lost, and setling them so by Law, That it might be Impossible for any to Injure us for the future; No, But the Men that in a Litteral Sence, would turn the World upside down, are come amongst us: Influence Counsels; Preside in Debates; and carry every thing be­fore them: Not by the Force of their Reasons, but by the Strength of their Numbers; not by the Good­ness of what they Advance, but by the Clamours of their Faction: Who while they are setting up themselves, and carry all things into Ataxy and Confusion, Assume a Supremacy, and Infalibility, in all their Determina­tions; and yet would cover all by saying they are His Majesty's most Du­tiful and Loyal Subjects: But how they will reconcile their Words with their Actions, and Printed Pamphlets, is worth our Examining, since all their Notions and Contrivances, look with Malevolent Aspects up­on Monarchy it self, and from that Original Taint, and a Design to pro­mote themselves, raise Undutiful Suggestions against the King in be­ing; who, without doubt, if he had deserved less Love, they would have paid him more Fear and Re­verence.

The Doctrine of Curbing, and Re­straining, the Power of Princes, when the Administration is in good hands; tho' 'twas only Calculated for the Ruine of Mankind; and pleases none but those, who design [Page 16]by such Flagitious Arts, to gain a Power of doing that to others, which they pretend to be afraid of, from such as ne're intend it; yet it was always gloss'd with Specious Preten­ces; and this method is exactly fol­lowed by our Seditious Interpositors of the last Edition, who always ad­vance what may seem pleasing and Popular, enough to Wheedle Men out of their Allegiance; and that is,

Opposing the Sovereignty of the Prince, with an Imaginary Power in the People to controwl and Govern all things at their own Discretion.

Which can be intended for nothing but Mischief; for as in the Common Practice of Mankind, where any So­ciety of Men usurp more than is their own, their Neighbours will take greater care to confine them within their just Limits; so when Subjects are Reaching after Royal Power, by open Affronts, and Unrea­sonable Demands, they instruct the King to lay the faster hold, and more assiduously maintain the Rights of the Crown; for if causless Jea­lousies makes people start from their Obedience, Self-Preservation will also make him Distrust, secure him­self against Unreasonable Suspicions, and even compel him to Exert his Prerogative, when in Scandalous Pamphlets and Clubs, it begins to be disputed, in whom it is Invested, and these mutual Suspicions will cre­ate endless Contentions.

In a Monarchial Government God's Vicegerency ought not to be dele­gated, to any other Head than what is Anointed, not unaccountably scat­ter'd among the Multitude: For as dividing a Power which is only safe by being Intire, derogates from the King's Superiority, so it is destructive to the Peoples Liberty, as it Intoxi­cates them, and makes them stagger from one form of Government to a­nother, till their Divisions, as a pu­nishment of their Fickleness, at last sinks them under an Absolute Monar­chy. And therefore this pretence of Exalting a Popular Power, can have no other end, but to creat Jealou­sies between the Prince and his Sub­jects: For as they cannot digest the false Fears they are decoy'd into, without Undutiful Resentments, so the Prince cannot brook Competitors in Power and Prerogative. Thus the Seditious play the Members a­gainst the Mind, in order to the de­struction of the whole Body.

All Reservations, of an Absolute Power in the People, distinct and divided from the Sovereign, does but nourish a continual Ferment, sup­port divers Interests, fill the Minds of the People with Sedition, Curio­sity and Pride, and furnish Envy and Ambition with plausible disguises for their Malice, and the Exaltation of the Factious that promote them; as was evident among the Romans, where the Unlimited Power of the People was but an Artifice, to conci­liate deluded Subjects to the Tyranny of the Senate.

Blessed be God we have a Prince, that neither does, nor intends to in­fringe our Priviledges, or deprive us [Page 17]of our Rights; and therefore en­tertains no remote Suspicions of his Subjects, from whom he resolves to deserve none; and has given us all the Legal Securities a Parliament could ask for our future Peace and Happiness. Why then should any sort of Men deal so Ill with him, that has dealt so Friendly by us? Why should any Men, though but in Clubs and Coffee-houses, set up a Power in opposition to his Ma­jesty's, that has ne're imploy'd his Power, but to protect and defend us. And yet God Wot, we have such Ill Members among us, that are offended at his Goodness, Surfeit on his Favours, and are so Heart-sick of England's Prosperity, that they use all ways to disturb it! And though the King being a Prince of such Incomparable Clemency, that he easily forgets and forgives the boldest Injuries: And to mollifie their stubborn Tempers, by many Indulgent Concessions, has endea­vour'd to quiet their disorder'd Minds, even to the heights of their own Wishes; yet nothing can pre­vail, but the more his Majesty humours them, the more Exorbitant they grow, and being Case-harden'd against all Obligations of Goodness and Ingenuity, are still in their se­veral Cabals crossing his good In­tensions, misrepresenting his Actions, and upon every Idle Pique, disco­ver their want of Breeding, in making the former Expressions of their Gratitude, the ground of their present Ill treatment of him and in their Savage Rants, take shelter in that mismanner'd Sarcasm, What! Did not we make him King? As if the Thanks for their Deliverance from Tyranny and Oppression, and giving what they could not keep, endow'd them with a Priviledge of saying what comes uppermost, and doing whatsoever they have a mind to, to promote Sedition, in hopes at last the Faction may grow too hard for the Government.

Now there is so little in this Pretence, to support what they would build upon it; that were it not to disabuse the People, whose Names they use against their Wills, and to redeem their Understandings from being Captivated, to such dis­ingenious Interpretations of an Ima­ginary Power residing in them, I should never have given the Malice of Seditious Men, the pleasure of taking notice of what they urge so impertinently and saucily; but for the end abovesaid, I will ingage this Monster of Ingratitude, and shew, though King William is the King of our Choice, which methinks should indear him to us, yet he Governs by a Right, superior to that of a Popular Election, unless you will Exclude God Almighty from his Prerogative, in disposing Crowns and Kingdoms.

'Tis true, King William like all other Princes in the first Ages of the World, came to the Crown (without mentioning his Right of Blood) upon the single account of his [...] [Page 18]but for any Set of Men, to draw from thence a pretence to use him Scurvily, and Treat him as Coursly as if they were his Equals or Su­periors, is Absurd and Rediculous.

No Community whose Consent E­stablishes a Monarch over them, can have power Superior or Equal to that which they have constituted: (provided he does not as the late King and others did, convert his Soveraignty into an Arbitrary Power of Destruction, which in our Case, is not so much as pretended, by the worst of his Majesty's Enemies) For they have Transferr'd the Power they had, by Investing the King with the Sovereignty by a Legal Establishment and Recognition; and after that, 'tis Unreasonable and Con­tradictory to Assert they have it in themselves, unless they will make all Solemn Oaths, and Deliberate Acts, of no Validity. If he be a King he has the Highest Power, and all his Subjects, in Whatsoever Sphere they move are below him, whether Single or Collected. Tho' Englands Constitution be a Mix'd Monarchy, 'tis a Monarchy: And though the Estates in their proper and Distinct Orbs, are Sharers in the Government, yet this makes no equality of Power with the King, for then the Government could not be a Monarchy, more than an Aristo­cracy or Democracy: And therefore Wisely has the Constitution Temper'd this Affair, to prevent Contention and Parity; in Investing the Mo­narch with a Sovereignty so discaset­ly qualify'd, as he may not destroy the Mixture, nor the People with such a Power as might render the Monarchy Titular and Precarious; but that their just measures of Di­stance and Duty, might preserve the Body Politick in Health, Peace and Vigour. Hence it is that the King is call'd our Leige, that is our Law­ful Sovereign, and we his Leige, that is, his Lawful Subjects, and as such, can have no claim above it.

But that which puts an end to this Saucy Taunt and its absurd Con­sequence of Opposing the Power of the People to the King's Supremacy, because their Consent was necessary to his Royal Installation, is what St. Paul urges as the principal Mo­tive to Obedience, viz. That the Apex Potestatis the power of Governing, regularly imploy'd is of Divine In­stitution, the Ordinance of God, not only as permitted by his Providence, but as appointed by his Will: That the Eternal is the Sovereign Pro­prietor of Kingdoms, and though he make use of Men to settle them, according to the Method his Provi­dence directs, yet the Act is Gods, and the King's Authority is from him, by a Superior Character, than what the Populace can pretend to. So though the Estates of the Na­tion did confer the Sovereignty on King William, they were but the Instruments and Agents, for the Power and Right of transferring Kingdoms from one King to ano­ther, as from Saul to David, or from James the Second to King [Page 19] William the Third, comes from God, who is Judge in these Superior Causes, and puts down one King and sets up another, and has such an Interest in disposing Power, that none must pre­tend to but himself. And though Men may chuse the Person, his Power is derived from God, more peculiarly than from the Giddy Mul­titude, for by him Kings Reign, and Princes decree Justice.

And this is more particularly King William's Case, than we shall com­monly meet withal in History. For though King William delivering the Nation from Popery and Slavery, the People were Just, and gave him what he Earn'd; yet 'twas the Power and Goodness of God Al­mighty in enabling him to do the Work which deserv'd a Crown, that pointed him out to the Reward, and as it were Adorn'd his Head with a Glory, and mark'd him out with such an Illustrious Character of Merit to the People, that they could not Miss him in their Choice; but must take him as the King already Chosen by God, by such Pro­vidential Occurrences, that in Com­mon Gratitude to his Majesty, or their own future Safety, they could not overlook him; and now ought to Respect and Honour him as sin­ceerly, as if an immediate Voice from Heaven had plac'd him in the Vacant Throne, and said, This is my Vicegerent. His Power there­fore seems to be the Express De­signation of God Almighty, and ought not to be sully'd by any Ar­tribute below that Original, but Own'd and Rever'd as a Participati­on of the Divine Sovereignty, as was intended by God, when he first for the good of Mankind put them un­der Government; which being the Doctrine of the Bible, destroys all Inferior Competitions, and stops the Mouth of Clamorons and Saucy Up­braiders; unless they will set up for Atheists as well as Anarchists, and by Forestalling us from fearing God, and Honouring the King, by abusing Words, significant in their meaning, would neither leave us a God to Fear, nor a King to Honour.

Another Source of our Discon­tents and Ill Treatments of his Ma­jesty, ariserh from a Scandalous Cu­stom of Censuring the Actions of our Prince, keeping up Calumnies a­gainst the Court, and misrepre­senting the Government, as if it were in Confederacy to destroy the Liberties and Priviledges of the Sub­ject; which English Men are al­ways so Tenacious of, that they too greedily imbibe such false Re­ports, without Examming from what sort of Men they come, or their Design in Publishing them; which if they would give themselves leasure to Scrutinize, they would soon dis­cover 'twas but the Artifice of De­signing Seditious Medlers, to kindle Jealousies, and inflame the Un­thinking Croud into Ill Words, Im­patience, and Distemper, and set them a lingring after more Liberty than they know how to use, to make way for [...]

Publick Good and the Liberty of the Subject, are two Excellent Words, when they are Honestly Used, and Peaceably Intended; but are Tender Points, and Cautiously to be Insisted on, lest Seditious Men make use of it to taint their Al­legiance. And that this is the De­sign now on Foot; will appear by taking a view of the Liberty that is contending for, by the Mix­ture of Various Interests against the Government; and it will soon ap­pear, not to be a Freedom from Arbitrary Impositions, Illegal Ex­actions, and other Ill Effects of a Despotick Power; for these things are not pretended, no, but 'tis a Seditious Belluine Liberty of saying, and doing what they please, that is strugling for. Not the Liberty that our Fore-Fathers fought for, that was bounded by the Laws of Order and Publick Good, but a Liberty of Contention, a Liberty of Publishing Malicious Suggestions, and False Representations of things, that may be serviceable to the Facti­on! A Liberty to Affront the King, to Incroach upon his Prerogative, to Lessen his Power, and Subject the Rights of his Sovereignty, to the Caprichio's of every Angry In­truder into Publick Societies, and a Liberty of Improving and Practi­sing upon Fears and Possibilities, till they have brought us in Vassalage to themselves; whose Hot and Fiery Spirits, acting upon False Suggesti­ons, can have no other Design but to Amuse and Confound us; and therefore the best way to sheild our Selves from the Danger and Delu­sion, is to Judge of the Designs by the Men that promote them; for all the Arts Imploy'd by our known Enemies, though never so Artifi­cially Disguis'd, under the speci­ous Terms of Good Offices to Publick, that are but the Sly Im­positions of Cunning Knaves upon Credulous Fools, to advance their own Party: And for that Reason, when we see Ill Men take up a Fit of Kindness for their Country, and appear better natur'd than consists with their Principles and avow'd Interests, 'tis time to suspect a Fraud, and weigh their Words with their Practices, before we trust them fur­ther than consists with our Safety; for the Men and their Designs can never be parted.

Liberty is the greatest Glory of the People; yet if it be not bound­ed by the Laws of Reason and Dis­cretion, 'tis the greatest Make-bate in the World, and tends directly to the Ruine of every Communi­ty, by the known Rule, That the best things corrupted, become the worst. Liberty perverted into Con­tention for Superiority, in the very Design of the New Mixture, is but Trapannig and Deluding Men into Real Slavery; catching them with Words, and decoying them into Nets and Snares; and instead of put­ting Men upon considering every thing in its Proper place, and one thing with Relation to another, ac­cording to the Reason, Weight and [Page 21] Importance of the Action, before we proceed to Censure, it Indul­ges Intemperate Heates and Hear­says, and by the very Methods, whereby Men think to Assert their Liberties, they are taught by Se­ditious Men to Destroy them, for there is no such thing in the World as Absolute Freedom.

Another cause, why Men are not pleas'd with the Government they live under, but by a continual indea­vour to Subvert the Sovereign power, disturb it with Sedition, is a desire of Immunity from punishment, in such persons whose Crimes have ren­dred them obnoxious to Laws; for it being impossible, as long as Men are Subject to Passions, but such Faults will be Committed, as the Sovereign Power thinks fit to pu­nish; the Persons who have Com­mitted those Fautls, will indubitably seek to avoid the Punishment, by raising a Party able to resist the So­veraign Power. And as Criminals seek to avoid punishment for Crimes already Committed, so those who know they are laying designs to promote themselves, and their Party, which are contrary to Law, and therefore cannot arrive at their Ends, but by invading other Mens Pro­prieties; they will disturb the Go­vernment, that they may find Secu­rity in those Crimes, which for the future they Resolve to Commit; and this they always attempt, by gaining Credit enough with the People, to Impose a Cheat upon them, by making use of the Names of Religion or Liberty, or some o­ther like Specious Pretence to Gull them; and to this End there is a Faction now among us, that to pro­mote Fears and Jealousies, lately bag'd their Pamphlets about the Streets, Abusing the King under the Name of the Court; and upbrading and reviling the last Parliament, as if they had been the worst of Man­kind; but this we thought was only a Liberty, taken in His Majesty's Absence, and the Interval between the Old and New-Parliaments, from whom we were in great Expecta­tions, and hoped that the Kings Return, and their Session, would put an end to these Extravagances, and Unite all People in the true Interest of the Kingdom, and pro­moting the Advantages of a happy Peace, to which their Representa­tives were invited, by His Maje­sty's Most Gracious Speech, fol­lowing.

But, notwitstanding this Royal and Seasonable Advice, so Patheti­cally Adapted toward the Quieting Peoples Minds at Home, the Sore soon broke our again, at their Sedi­tious Clubs, which they frequent both in and out of Parliament, to raise unnatual Heats and Jealousies, and from thence were Artificially Transmitted to Superior Classes, to serve the Base and Ungenerous Ends of Ungrateful People, and putting the Nation into Flames of Discontent and [Page 22]Divisions. These Meetings, as they Influence other Actions, are the Sinks that pollute our Fountains, the Clouds that scatter Storms a­mong us, and here the Men may be found, as well as in other Meetings, from whose primary De­bates and Resolutions, we expect all the succeeding Ills that attend us, from the Bold Strokes at Mo­narchy that are made in other Pla­ces; and as the small Cells in Rome, are said to Contrive and Determine Affairs, before they are brought into the Conclave, and that they who would know what will be done by the Cardinals, must con­sult some of the Minor Fryars; so there is such a Correspondence and Mutual Agreement between these Seditious Clubs and their Brethren, in other Privilege Places in the Kingdom, that he that knows what's Concluded on in one Place, may know what will be done in the other. For these Clubs being com­pos'd of a Mixture of Men, who having sower'd all the generosity of Nature, make it their Business to Calumniate the Best, and Misin­form the Worst of Men; and have to that end, Insinuated themselves so far into the Societies of those, that would be thought Angeli A­gentis in Rebus Humanis, the great Intelligences in Humane Affairs, that they have twisted their Interests to­gether, and they have infused a Per­verse Spirit into some Men, that what one Contrives the other Acts, and what's said of one Meeting may be understood as the Designs of ma­ny Others.

King William having done all that Honest Men could Wish, or Mor­tal Man perform, for the Glory and Safety of England, a Set of Envious Men rose from their several Shades, that had been long in the design of Eclipsing his Glory; and like the Council that was held by the Jews a­gainst our Blessed Saviour, say, What do we do? This Man does many Mira­cles, and if we let him alone, all Men will believe on him; so this late In­termixture of Men, and Interests a­gainst His Majesty and Government, seeing every day fresh Instances of his Goodness, and Arguments of his Growing Glory; in order to their main Design, united their Counsels, saying, What do we do, if we let him alone, all his Subjects will Admire and Love him: For notwithstanding all our former Black Arts to Disguise his Virtues, Blast his Honour, and Les­sen his Authority, we find the Peo­ple see through our Thin Pretences, the King Survives our Scandals, and lives to make us the Common Scorn, and himself the Peoples Darling.

Let us therefore (say they) take his Prerogative a Peg lower, Smite him with our Tongues, Wound him with our Pens, and Publish it through the Land, that he is not sit to be trusted with the Sword: let us raise Fears and Jealousies, call his Soul­diers a Pack of Cut-Throats and Mur­derers by Profession, and act as fu­riously, as if the Calamities we pre­tend to fear were felt already, and [Page 24]from the experience of the Good he has done us, raise a Possibility of his doing as much against us; and by these Ways and Means, we shall turn his Friends out of the House, pack off his Dome­sticks, deprive him of the Peoples Love and Duty, and accomplish our own Wishes, in Restoring our Old Master, or which is as well, Invest our Selves with the Supream Authority.

These were the Pious Resolves at a Club, held I think at the Old Devil, and from thence Trans­mitted further, and order'd to be Printed and Publish'd in several Pam­phlets; which if I prove, it will be sufficient to convince the World, such Designs aginst his Majesty and Government are on Foot; and that there are a Set of People amongst us, that Promote and Indulge them, as Copies fit to Immitate.

And that I may not trouble my Reader in Raking Old Dunghils, and searching into Pamphlets that are scarce or not to be found; I shall take my Rise no Higher, than the Commencement of the Peace, and begin with a Pamphlet, Entituled, A Discourse concerning Militia's, where­in the Author has Insinuated, that his Majesty is not to be trusted with the Power of the Sword, Page, 14, 15. and gives his Reasons for it in these Words.

King William by Blood, Relation and other Tyes, and Common Interests, has the House of Austria, most of the Princes of Germany, and most of the Potentates of the North for his Friends and Allies; and can, whatever Interest he joins with.

And is not this a great Happiness, to have such a Prince King of England, that has so many Powerful Friends, to Assist him against the Common E­nemy. Can our Aliances be too great, can our Helps be too many? who could think 'twas in the Power of En­vy, to make an Ill construction of so great a Blessing, or that any could suck Poyson, from hese additional Flowers to the Crown of England; and yet we see the Clubbers from these Noble Advantages, have con­jur'd up this JealousyBook and Page predict. What security can be gi­ven, he (meaning the King) will not make use of this Power, to sup­press the Liberties of the People?

Ungrateful people! has not the Se­curity been given already, in Deliver­ing the Nation when ready to Sink in­to Ruin, and in consenting to such Laws, as a Parliament propos'd for your safety; and if after that they de­sired more, 'twas for want of asking, if you have it not. Is not the good he has done a sufficient security of His Majesty's Integrity, and a Firm ground for all his Subjects Acquie­scence in his Conduct? Have you any Reason to Distrust Him? Can you think that He that ventur'd his Life to serve you, can have a thought to injure you? Away with these Idle Fancies, and causeless Jealousies, lest you Tempt Men to think, you want a greater Security for your Liberties, than you are fit to be trusted with; and like the Frozen Snake, when you'r warm'd by an over fond Induldence, you sting your Benefa­tor, [Page 25]which among our Modern Nur­murrers and Seditious Interpositors would go near to find indempnity, under the undeterminable name of the Liberty and Privileges of that sort of People, who in Quest of a Popular Omnipotency, pull down all that Opposes it, and chuckle every Facti­on, whose Passion Prejudice and o­ther circumstances contribute most to the carrying on that Design.

Now Representing the King as a Monarch unfit to be Trusted, being the Topping Project, and the founda­tion of all that was to be Rear'd up­on it, in order to facilitate their fu­ture purposes: It was agreed at a Succeeding Club, which as I take it was held at the young Devil, that the forecited Author having a Grain or two of modesty too much, for such a Towering Design, that an Abler Pen at bespattering Kings with in­vented Calumnies, and Suspicions, should draw up their Reasons, and Report their Resolutions on this Sub­ject, while the Clubbers were Idle and Ill natur'd enough to hear the same; and they having lain a while upon the Table in the Club Room afore­said, where Sedition is as common­ly vented, as at the Treason Table in Newgate, or Tom's Coffee-house, out comes their Printed Resolves in Plainer words and more agreeable to the Sence of the Party, under the Title of A Confutation of the Ballancing Letter; in whichPreface and Page the 9th. are these words delivered.

A standing Army is making the Go­vernment Absolute and Arbitrary, and the Nation Slaves. It commands all our Laws, Liberties, and Estates. To put this Power into the Kings Hand, is to lay the whole Nation at his Dis­cretion, and therefore tho we have Ho­nourable Thoughts of the King; yet we don't believe he deserves this Trust, nor can manage it Faithfully. That he has neither Merit nor Capacity, to entitle him to so Intire a Confidence; no, not if he had all the Perfections on Earth, as he has a great many; nay, if he were an Angel he was not fit for this Trust,

Are these the products of your Honourable thoughts of the King? are these the methods you employ to speak your gratitude for his Maje­sties Redeeming you from the slave­ry threatn'd, and possessing you of the Liberty you are making such very Ill Use of; that can like the man in the Fable blow hot and cold, and with the same Mouth disgorge Blessing and Curssing, Commend and Disparage, Ap­plaud and Distrust in the same Breath? are these suggestions the Honourable ways and means you take like your Trick­ing Predecessors of 48, to make him a Glorious King? Blush O Heaven, and let Earth stand Amazed and Tremble! Tell it not in Gath, pub­lish it not in Askelon, lest the whole Nation be Condemn'd, and included in the Guilt of a Few Seditious and Ʋngrateful Members, that having re­ceived the benefit of their Delive­rance from his goodness durst not trust him with an Army to De­fend [Page 26]their Liberties, but would take the Sword from this Prince, and force it upon the People, from whom, if they Govern themselves by the leading Maxims, and Humor now in Vogue and striving to be upper­most; there is more Danger of a Rebellion, than of the Prince's as­suming a Despotick Power!

Sure these Gentlemen's Constitu­tions are over Run with the Scurvy or Atra Bilis, for none see Fantoms and Dread Imaginary Dangers like Hypocondraick Enthusiasts; or else they would ne'er have rais'd such Mean False and Dishonourable Re­flections upon a Prince, whose Me­rits have given him a Name, Su­perior to all the Titles upon Earth; and earn'd him the Intire Trust, and Ʋnalienable Duty of all his Sub­jects.

What? has not King William de­serv'd this Trust? O Impious Ca­lumny, Horrible Slander, Ground­less Suspition, that is daily confuted by Experience, and cold be vended by none but whose Avowed De­signs, are for doing further Mischief! What's become of the Old English Sense of Favours, and Gratitude to Kings that Delivered them from Ty­ranny? Is it all dwindled into Po­pular Caprichio's, and shrunk up into Janisarian Privilegies? Has ex­empting us from the Fears of Jailes, Inquisions and Smithfield Fires, caused these clandestine Reproaches. Has the Restoring our Religion, that ought to be Dearer than our Lives, deserved no better acknowledge­ment? Has the purchase of our Peace, and Liberty to enjoy it with satisfa­ction, merited no more dutiful re­turns than to affront his Majesty with their causeless Fears, retort his Kindness with hated Jealousies, and sully his Candour with vile Sus­picion?

Yes, Replies the Authors of themPage 8. we have Trusted the King with all we had. All the Rights of an English King, as the Imperial Crown, with all Dominions, Jurisdistions, Prerogatives, and Preheminencies there unto belonging: And yet in the con­clusion says, He ought not to be Trusted with the Sword (which he calls a standing Army, tho the o­ther Author calls it as I do) for fear of enslaving the Nation: and in saying that, he might as well have left out all the Rest; for the power of the Sword, which is a very ex­tensive Word, is as much the King's Right, and as firmly Invested in him by Law, as any other of the Appen­dices as the Crown; and since there are so many Lawyers, that are the Leading men in these Clubs, it looks ill they should forget it.

And as to giving the Crown let the Poet answer for me.

Self Preservation is a Principle in Nature never to be dropt, and by the same rule that men suspect, they give cause to be suspected: which is only applicable to those that have rais'd the Mormo's; for all the Leige and Loyal Subjects of England, that are True, and sted­fast to the King upon Rules of Ho­nour, and Conscience, had rather die if occasion should require it, than hear his Majesty Traduced or Suspe­cted. They say His Majesty has deserved more than England has to give: has merited the Intire Con­fidence and Obedience of his People: and that after all the Experience we have had, to grow suspicious of his Good Intentions, is to Revile his Vertues, grow weary of our own happiness, expose our selves to Dan­ger, and Affront the Common Sence of mankind.

But Seditious men seldom do their work by halves, and therefore as if it were not sufficient to Ʋnking his Majesty, they indeavour to Ʋnman him also, by saying He has no capa­city for such a Trust: to which I'll make no answer; for such efforts do not Blast but Brighten, and they that have the confidence to Assert that, will Boggle at nothing, therefore like men that deny first Principles, they are to be confuted with Scorn and Taciturnity: All the World ad­mire the strength of his Judgment, Ability of his Mind, and Dexteri­ty of his Parts, which I dare not undertake to deliniate; for to do it by the common Topicks of compari­rison, would be a Diminution of his Greatness, and to form a just Idea of his Royal Personal Capacities, or venture upon his Character, requi­res a Soul as great as his Own, and it would be a Prophanation in any vulgar Hand to attempt it: Silence and Admiration, best commend things above the Sphere of our Ca­pacities.

Next, to scare People out of their Duties, as 'tis the common practice of all Seditious Conventicles, to ransack Stories for Memorable Acci­dents, and Prodigies, and having cal­culated them for this Meridian, a muse people with a superstitious belief that the same Events must fol­low: So our Author (to the credit of his Learning) tells us from Mr. Knox a lamentable story, to fright both Sexes out of their Allegiance. Viz. Page 13. That in the King­dom of Ceilon there was a King. Strange! and that King had a Standing Army too. Pro­digious! and his Subjects were wont to call him by a name that signified next to God. Horrible and Dan­gerous! and the people were such slaves, that they durst not speak to him in the first Person (Singular Number [Page 28] Preter perfect Tence and Indicative Mood) and say, I did so or so, but Baula­gaut the Limb of a Dog did so. Betray­ers of their Liberties! and if the King ask'd'em how many children they had, they swer'd the limb of a Dog has so many an-Puppy-dogs, and so many Bitch Puppies. Officers and Men that had Places at Court I warrant them! And from this poor crawling Fancy, ridi­culous in its application, and unpar­donable for its Wit, he takes occa­on to fall into a fit of Devotion, and gives God thanks that we were not born Puppy-dogs: and I wonder when his hand was in and his eyes up, he did not prescribe the Remedy to his Majesties Subjects, to bring the King to Reason, and redress all these Mis-managements and Gre­vances, viz. Rebellion; for that he saies cur'd the King of Ceilon, from Preface. at­tempting to make himself the Rickety Head of a Languishing Body.

This story big with an ill design, as silly as it looks, was strangely Admir'd by the Party, and tho cal­culated for nothing but Fools and Fire-sides, furnished them with new matter against the Court, and the whole Faction was so full of that Whim, that it larded all their Dis­courses: and you could hear of no­thing but of Slavery, and Baulau­gautizing, Arbitrary Power and Puppy-dogs. The Lobby, the Pain­ted-Chamber, and Court of Request Rung with the dull Fancy; and those that were not in the Mixture, in the language of our Modern [...] and New Converts, were all Sons of Bitches. Fine language, but this is their way of Arraigning the Faith of Kings and frighting timerous Souls from their Duty.

The Great Point of Slandering the King with Jealousies and Sus­picions being thus far advanced, they re-assume the former debate, about the Power of the Sword, and at a Club held I think at the Rose, or the the Long-dog at Westminster, I am not certain which, the que­stion being put, it was Resolved Nemine Contradicente, and publish'd in a Pamphlet called a Discourse con­cerning Militia'sPage 6. That nothing is so essential to the Liberties of the people, as placing the Power of the Sword in the Hands of the Subjest.

And now you see what this In­ter mixture of Interests would be at, and what their Pretences of Liber­ty amounts to, viz. to tye up the Kings hands, and to Arm their Own with the power of the Sword, and then Good Night Land-Lord. Either we must have one Popish King, or Four Hundred Arbitrary Sovereignes; and of these two evils which is most Eligible, is as great a difficulty to Determine, and therefore I'll return. I wonder when these Gentlemens Pens were in, or their Mouths open in the Club, they did not claim the Crown also; for that would have stopt many a Wide Gap in their Fortunes: and 'tis as essentially neces­sary that they should be both in one [...] [Page 29]a sufficient Power to defend it self: For as times go, and Subjects which have found Protection from their Prince, and have no just grounds to suspect any prejudice from him in their Laws, Liberties, or Estates; yet enter into Diffidence of him, and being led by Passion, False Conse­quences, Envy, or Ambition, indea­vour to Subvert his Government; 'tis essentially necessary for his safety that the Sovereign Prince should be Arm'd with something more than his own Innocency and Integrity, to re­press Seditious, Aspiring, and Unrea­sonable Subjects: But to return from this Digression, let me ask these Gen­tlemen a short Question or two First,

Since things are not ripe enough yet, for the Inter-mixture to tell their Names, appear in their own Dress, and say, if they could wrest the Sword out of the hands of King William they would restore it to the late King James: which tho first in the Intention of giving these distur­bances, must be last in Execution. I would fain know since their are so many Factions among us, and all tho fit for nothing else imagine they are capacitated to Govern, to what sort of people in England, they would commit the Power they are contending for, and whether they have consider'd the Impractica­bleness and Danger of this bafled Pro­ject. Will they commit it to the Papists, to the Church of England-men, the Presbyterians, the Inde­pendents, the Anabaptists, the Fift Monarchists, the Socinians, the Mug­gletonians, or the Quakers; and whether their disappointment would not be equal to their folly. For if they should give it to the Papists, they'd Restore it to King James, and that would displease, as well as expose the Williamites. If they should commit it into the Hands of the stanch Church of England-men, they would be sure to give it again to King William, and that would en­rage the Jacobites and Republicans. If they should give it to the Presby­terians, they'd keep it Themselves and set up a Common-wealth, seise the Kings and the Church Lands, and disoblige the Monarchists and Epis­copal Party. If they give it to the Independants, instead of beating the Sword into Plow-Shares, they'd ham­mer it into bloody Axes. In short the Anabaptists would demean them­selves here, as they did to the Prin­ces of Germany. The Chiliasts would keep it in their own hands till Christ came; and the Socinians would De­throne him from being a King as well as from being a God: the Muggelto­nians would bless none but them­selves with Offices, and Curse all the world besides with Incapcity and Poverty, and the Quakers have been so accustom'd to heave the Glass and Nogging to their Heads, that they'd let the Sword drop out of their hands, and suffer all (like themselves) to run into confusion. And this Game having been once plaid already, till each Vigorous Pretender had sup­planted the other, and at last were found to settle on the [...] [Page 30]Monarchy: Till they can Agree where to place it more beneficially to the conservation of our True Li­berty. 'Tis best to let it remain quiet­ly in the hand where it is.

The Gentleman that published Considerations upon the choice of a Speaker, has told usPage 1.'twas the Observation of the Lord Burleigh, (and he was counted a very Wise man) That England can never be thoroughly ruin'd but by a Parliament, and I believe the Antimonarchical Clubbers, who make such despe­rate stoops at the Regal Power, and would leave his Majesty nothing but an empty Name think so too. For the F's the H's and Others that set up for the vanity of Speaking Long and Impertinently, having talk­ed themselves out of Breath, and the whole Audience out Patience, a­bout where the Power should be placed, the Club came to this Resolution, which is Published in a Virulent Pamphlet, call'd, Considerations upon the State of the Navy Considered. Page 16. That if the Grievances continue, the Commons may at last be forc'd to take the management of the Navy, and De­pendant Offices into their own Hands; by appointing Commissioners of their own, and this seems Rational enough, that those that are at the charge, should super­intend the management of the Affair.

All proceedings have their course and train, and by the Wake men steer, you may easily guess to what Port they are Bound. The Designs of these men by their Working, is to shake our Fundamental Establish­ment, and under the appearance of Liberty, to shrivel his present Majesty into an Emperor of the Moon, and therefore trace those measures in which others of the same kidney were suc­cessful, in hopes of the same Event, and will run from one degree of Wickedness to another, till they have obtained what they aimed at. Their last demand related to the Land Force only, and now to shew they'll ne'er be satisfied with any thing, till they have possessed them­selves of All. The Management of the Navy, and Dependant Offices, must be seis'd into the Parliaments Hands, which being agreed on by all sides to be the Strength of the Kingdom, you may guess how unreasonable they are, and what usage his Majesty must expect. See by what Tricks they in­troduce their Scheme of Subverting the Government: for as if they be­lieved the Lord Burleigh's Notion, what they Lurch from the King, they would bestow upon the Parliament for that end, and no question but with the same design at bottom of it, as their Fore-fathers had in advan­cing the Rump: make them their Tools to ruin the King, and then turn them out of Doors, and erect a Frip­pery of their own. They are ve­ry kind Souls, and would give the Parliament what they Won't accept as they are Wise and Can't accept, while they continue the Character of being his Majesty's most Loyal and Dutiful Subjects, the Com­mons [Page 31]Assembled in Parliament.

This seeming kindness to the Par­liament, is but a Trick of the old Trade, to Lessen the King's Authori­ty; for investing the Parliament with the Supream Authority of Eng­land, is as great an Error, as the design to make them so is mischie­vous, for they must Meet, and Sit, and Act, as Subjects, and under that denomination, 'tis nonsence to call them the Supream Authority. They that would make the Parliament greater than they are, do but ridi­cule their Just Authority; and new minting phrases, to take away their Subordination, is only intended to raise Heats and Animosities in the Kingdom. I know 'tis one piece of Seditious Mens Policy, to repre­sent those that truly love and faith­fully serve his Majesty as if they were Enemies to Parliaments; but herein they act like Pliny's malicious Animals, that had their Poyson in their Tongues, and their Gall in their Ears, and will neither speak nor hear but what sets men at variance. There is no body of men so Uni­versally and Absolutely good, that it can be any harm to wish some of them were better. Nor is it any dis­paragement to mens understandings, to say they are not always Infallible, nor no ill wish that no men would act as if they were so. Our English Par­liaments are the happiest Constitu­tion in the World, and notwithstand­ing all their Faults and Excises which have given great Dissatisfastions to the considering and sober people of England, and have been sometimes very troublesome to the Supream Authority by a peculiar Fondness of their own Notions; yet they are to be had in great Veneration, and will be so by all that understand themselves: Whereas those Sediti­ous men, that would cloath them with a Politicial Omnipotency, and rob the King to enrich the Parliament, are the greatest Enemies to the Constitution.

The reason why the Parliament should take upon them the Executive part of the Government, as their factious Authors would have them, is because they that are at the charge ought to super­intend the Affair, which is a Notion so injurious to our Constitution that it overthrows the Structure, and le­vels all before it. For tho' there are some ill instructed men, that have boldly disputed for a Co-ordi­nate Power in the Parliament; yet till the publication of these resolves no Bayard has been so blind, nor Wretch so impudent (pardon the Expression) as to give them the whole Executive part also. Every Parliamentary Address, and all our Laws speak the contrary. For when according to their duty, they have propos'd what is requisite to be done, they pray his Majesty to take care that it may be Executed, now the Power these men assume, in dele­gating the King's Prerogative to the Parliament, is no less injurious to their Honour, than Prejudicial to the King; for the Inference they suborn to colour the Presumption, is no less than if they had said in plain words, since [Page 32]you have the power of the King's Purse strings: Puzzle his Affairs: Cross all his Politicks: Tire him with trouble­some Tacks: Confound his Ministers with cross purposes: Deny him what you think he desires: Advance whate­ver you think will displease him: Take advantages of the necessities of the Crown and Creditors wanting their Money: Keep the Exchequer Poor, and as the word is, let him know Who and Who's together: and in fine, compell him to buy supplies at the price of his Sove­raignty, and Establish your selves per­petual Dictators, the Power's your own and now's the time to Exert it.

What Barbarous Humours, and Unnatural Presumptions govern these Seditious Clubbers, who would tempt the Parliament to embarrass the King's Affairs, and take the whole Administration of the Government in­to their hands, which is the King's Right by all the Laws of England, and because they have a joint Pri­vilege of granting supplies, would invest them with the Supreme Au­thority of the Nation, to controul and govern all things at their discretion, which is an Error as great as the design to promote or Engross it is Mischievous; for the Parliaments have no such Ʋnlimited Power, and only act in concurrence with the King. For as the King cannot raise Taxes with­out consent of Parliament, so the Par­liament cannot do it without the King. Laws do not take their Obli­ging Force from the Quality of those that Devise them; but from the Regal Power that enlivens them from Dead Letters into speaking Laws. 'Tis the Royal Le Roy Le Veult, the King will have it so, which is the Imperative Sentance that gives ev'ry Law a Being, and is Pronounced in Passing every Act of Parliament. So that these bold Donatives and De­mands, Illegal Suppositions, and Ve­xatious Disputes, are so far from asserting the Peoples Right, as is pre­tended, that they utterly destroy them by unwarrantable Encroachments and Additions, and in the whole are but the froth of Seditious Intermedlers, the Transports of wild desires, and the Gratification of some unreasonable Men, that never did, nor never will do good to England, till they govern them­selves by better Principles, and prove their Conversions real, by more Loyal Practices.

Hitherto I have only shew'd you what the Mixture of various Inte­rests have been Plotting, towards the Accomplishing their Main design of Subverting the Government, and re­ducing the Nation into a State of War and Confusion, which some will think are Crimes too Black to be heard of among Christians; but so degenerate is the Age, and so A­bominably Wicked are this sort of of People, that that which precedes is nothing to the Tragical Scene that that is open'd in the a­forecited PamphletP. 13, 14. viz.

The Government is built upon this Foundation, that Kings are accounta­ble to their Subjects, and that upon Fore­falture, of their own Free Will and Power, they may proceed to a new E­lection, [Page 33]and place one more Righteous upon the Throne.

A Bold and Impudent Assertion, and as far from Truth in the De­sign of our Laws, as light is from darkness, and the Club that vomi­ted up this Position, and the Men that do Comment upon it by their Practices, act like People spotted with the Plague, being Incurable themselves they have yet the pleasure left of Infecting others, which I shall en­deavour to Antidote by shewing that Extraordinary Proceedings are not to be produced as Presidents, but upon the same occasions, for the Laws of England have taken such care of the King, and his Authori­ty, that they have made his Person Sacred, and his Rights Invoilable; but that I suppose which misleads people into that pernicious Error, is Misconstruing the Proceedings a­gainst the late King, which is as full a confutation of that Principle, as can be imagined, if rightly ap­prehended. For that the Honourable Convention might not seem to make Dangerous Presidents to Posterity, give the people a Scandalous Autho­rity, or render the Monarchy of England Precarious, and not worth Acceptance; they Cautiously and Honestly avoided such Pretences, and settled the NationVid. Vote of the Conventi­on, of Jan. 28. 1688. upon the Express Re­nounciation of James the Second, his voluntary with­drawing himself out of the Kingdom, and the Necessity of provi­ding for the Nation when the Throne was Vacant, and therefore would ne­ver depart from the words Abdica­tion and Vacancy of the Throne. So that what the Convintion did upon that Extraordinary Occasion, was when the late King went hence, but shutting the door after him, which the Mixture of Various In­terests are now endeavouring to open, with Pick locks of their own inventing, and I question not, but if they had Power to their Will, they would make use of Betty's also. For, whereas some modester Men build this Popular Notion only, up­on a King's open violation of the Original Contract, converting his So­vereignity into a power of Destru­ction and restrain that also to Cases Apparent, Evident, and Certain, these wretched Men, having none of these things to pretend against King Wil­liam, threaten the Nation with the Dissolution of their Monarchy, for no other cause than the Mismanagements of the Ministery and for that reason only say,Page 14.'tis time to think of ano­ther form of Government, which sums up their Designs in a few words, and calls for a Parliamentary Preventi­on, lest men under the apprehension of the Danger threatned, should be tempted to think that the Evils they neglect they tolerate, which God for­bid!

Having thus discover'd the De­signs of the Mixture, let us look in­to the Causes they Assign to justifie their Practices. And here I incoun­ter such palpable Contradictitions, [Page 34]that would give me more trouble to find out a Method, than Matter to refute them, if I were not obli­ged to them for prescribing one, Fears, Jealousies, and Suspicions, are the unhappy Parents of their Lewd proceedings against his Majesty and Government, and yet almost in the same breath, confess they are secur'd from all apprehensions of Danger during his Reign. So that by their own acknowledgement, their Fears are foolish, their Jealousies caufless, their Suspicion Ʋndeserved, and makes it my task to prove them so, which I shall do very briefly.

'Tis a true, but unhappy Chara­cter of a particular Reigning Fa­ction against Monarchy, that they are so given to Leasing, that though they had truth on their side, yet 'twould never please them, 'till they had dress'd it up, and set off, with all the colours of Folly, Falshood, and Calumny, and in much larger mea­sure must we expect these additions, when all these joyn'd with pre­judice promotes them. What can we think more Ridiculous, than spreading insinuations that the King is not in the Interest of his People, which is such a plain Contradiction, they might as well have said he was divided from himself. For their own Consciences, if they have any, and they would give them leave to speak, must say that in all the Circum­stances of his Majesty's History, he has so Abated his own Grandeur, so bountifully scatter'd his Favours a­mongst us, and so little considered himself, that no King ever did so much, no mortal Man could do more, to convince the World, that as he had no other Intentions in his co­ming hither, than to preserve our Religion, Laws, and Liberties; so it has been his endeavour ever since, by a Just Administration, and even Ballancing all Interests at home, and exposing his dear Life Abroad, to advance the Welfare and Glory of the Nation, as you might have heard from his Royal Mouth, in his most graicous Answer to the Commons, Address'd March 25. 1699.

‘I came hither to restore the An­cient Constitution of this Govern­ment; I have had all possible re­gard to it since my coming, and I am resolved through the course of my my Reign to endeavour to pre­serve it intire in all the parts of it, I have a full confidence in the Affections of my people, and I am well assured they have the same in me, and I will never give them Just Cause to alter their Opini­ons. It shall be my study, to the utmost of my Power, to perform the part of a Just and Good King: and as I will ever be strictly and nicely careful of observing my Promises to my Subjects, so I will not doubt of their Tender Regards to me.’

Let all his Majesties Actions be tryed with the stricktest Scrutiny, and if they be taken as they ought, in coherence with his Great Design of [Page 35] preserving the Honour and safety of the Nation: his whole Life will ap­pear Just and Equitable; but if men will lay their false invented Fears, at the Doors of his Royal Palace, that were begot and nourish'd in their own Houses, and catch here and there a snap, without examining the Reason, Ʋse and End of every Action, which also by the way may not be fit for them to know neither: for every head is not fit to Pry in­to the Closet of Princes. Reasons and Maxims of State, are above their reach, and looking upward will but turn their Brains, and make their Heads Giddy, which are too much afflicted with the Megrim al­ready. I say, if they proceed so clandestinly, they may run into an Eternal circulation of Jealousies, Slander the Best Government in the world, and make Quidlibet ex Quo­libet, find Treason in the Laws, and pick Blaphemy out of the Holy Bible.

Let the King's Enemies if they can, give us one single instance, wherein he has not been Just to the Constitution? What Law has he broken? what Rights of the Peo­ple has he Invaded? what new Pre­tences of Prerogative has he Inven­ted? or wherein has his Majesty stretch'd those that are the known, and allow'd Rights of his Crown, to the prejudice of his Subjects? or what has he omitted that might conduce to their Happiness? Did the King ever stop his Ears to any Reasonable Petition? did he ever deny Justice to the meanest Subject? or refuse shewing mercy where it was needful? No, In his Majesty they have nothing to revil but his Vertues, and were it fit to mingle his Glory with the Jealousies of the Mixture, they could never be so perfectly summ'd up, as in their Op­posites.

How unreasonably do men argue, that would make Jealousies Conje­ctures, Hear says, Fancies, and Re­ports, a ground to raise suspitions upon, against a King, whose Life and Actions confound all such pre­tences: and yet such Brutes are found among us, that notwithstand­ing all his Majesties Bountiful conce­ssions, raise evil surmises, and make Seditious Comments and Ungreatful Returns to his Goodness, for­get their Obligations, by growing weary of their Duty, and would per­swade the world that the King is not in the Interest of his People, because they are in none but their Own.

And now having answered the first Cause they assign as the Rea­son of their Fears, I proceed to the next: which is as Ʋnreasonable and Ridiculous, as the former is false and scandalous, and both confute themselves.

Those Pseudo Patriots that by Im­proving and Practising upon Fears and possibilities, would cover the Affronts and Indignities they put upon his Majesty, confesses there is no danger to be expected during [Page 36]his Reign, and give these substantial Rea­sons for itArgument a­gainst a Standing Army p. 9. Because he is our Moses, and has delivered England from a Captivity, equal to that of the Chil­dren of Israel. A Prince whose Life is so necessary to the Preservation of Europe, that both Protestant and Popish Princes, forgeting their anci­ent Maxims, and innate Animosities, made it their Common Interest to chose him their Patron and Protector: a Prince in whom we know no Vices: but what have been esteemed Vertues in others, viz. His undeserved clemency to his Enemies, and his too much exposing that Life, upon which depends not only our Safety, but the Libertties of all Europe, and the Protestant Religion through the World: and yet to spoyle their kindness, usher in an Inference, that tells the Reader they give no credit to their own Elogies, for after they said, If this most Excellent Prince was as Immortal as his Glorious Acti­ons, we ought in Common Prudence, to abandon all thoughts of self Preser­vation, and wholly rely on his Care and Conduct. They are pleas'd to add what was the mighty Argument of their Party in another Place; that since no Vertue, nor Pitch of Glory, can exempt him from paying the com­mon Debt to Nature, we ought not to Intrust any Power with Him which we don't think proper to be continued to his Successor! A poor shift God Wott to support Ingratitude, and might have been better solv'd by agreeing to be Civil to him during his Life, than by making his Mor­tality an Argument for the exercise of ill manners, promoting Fears and Jealousies, and aspiring after his So­vereignity; for by these Policies the Intermixture Work, that say in effect not this King, but Another King, or a Form of Government that would have no King in Israel, that the Seditious might do what was Right in their own Eyes, act like men of Authority and not as the Scribes; for then they will want no Colla­teral Security for their Privileges, when their Reasons are in their Own Hands, and the Supreme Power placed in that sort of ill natur'd People, whose understandings grow downward, and affront a Good King in Being, because 'tis possible a Bad one may come hereafter, which is an absurdity never equall'd, but by those Members of the same Club, that affirm'd among other Debates and ResolutionsArg. cont. Stand. Army p. 28. that the most likely way of re­storing King James, is maintaining an Army to keep him out: Or a Gentleman that said, the late noise of an Invasion from France, was a trick of the French King's to keep up a Standing Army in England.

To slander his Majesty in his Honour, and the good esteem of his People, not for any thing he has done, or that they fear he will do, but for what possibly another King may do hereafter, is either a senceless or a very malicious way of argu­ing and makes all their Panegyricks [Page 37]on the King, look as if they were form'd from the deepest Malice, and Prejudice, and were only the Arts of the Mixture, under Profession of the greatest Veneration, to diminish the Person they pretend to magni­fie, and to use their own words, is cuting a Mans Throat with a Fea­ther: for tho a preventional Pru­dence in stifling ill consequences in their Causes, and obviating mischiefs in the Bud is very commendable; yet to make a danger Real where it is but Imaginary, to act as if it were in being, that is as far distant as the next Generation, to suspect a King in the Throne, for the fault of a King that may be yet unborn, and from a bear Possibility of Power being ill imploy'd, to Act as if it were so, is but strugling with Fan­toms and Chimara's, and enflaming the People with Senceless and Se­ditious May Be's. A King of Eng­land a Hundred Years hence, may be a Tyrant; must we therefore be Rude and Ʋngrateful to the King in being, whom we confess he nei­ther Has, and believe he never Will do us injury? It may happen in the next Generation, a King by the exercise of a Despotick Power, may deprive the Subjects of their Liberty, must we therefore Ravish the Rights of the Crown from our present Monarch, that by his Va­lour has regain'd, and by his Good­ness preserves them? We may be wrong'd by an Enemy, must we therefore suspect our Best Friends? and because the world must be de­stroied by Fire, must we run with Torches in our hands, and burn our Houses now, in dread of the General Conflagration? Surely none are so mad to grant it! and there­fore to strike People with Dread­ful expectations, of what may hap­pen we know not when, and set up Possibilities, and Contingencies to unravel and perplex present Affairs, smells Rankly of a Desig, and that our new Seditious Interpositors would enslave us, first to their Principles, and then to their Persons, as their Predecessors have once done already.

Our Miseries are Endless if we stand in fear of Possibilities, for as their is nothing we Fear so certain of coming, as 'tis certain that many things we fear will never come, we should hope the best, and not by Treachery, Cowardice and Distrust of Providence, Contrive and Enlarge our own Unhappiness; for this is to Die for fear of Death, and in­gulph our selves into certain Mi­sery, upon invented or ill ground­ed apprehensions.

This Design of Amusing the Peo­ple, with Evils that might happen from a Standing Army, being on Foot, how did the Mixture of In­terests, by pretending to Read his Majesties Thoughts in that affair, draw such unnatural Consequences, and Retort such Disingenious Re­flections upon his suppositious fu­ture Conduct, as was Unsufferable in hearing, and Undutiful in Re­porting; and yet how Coolely, Se­dately, [Page 38]and Wisely, did His Majesty manage himself in that whole af­fair, and Silenc'd all that slaun­dred his Intentions, as if he would Govern by a Standing Army: for tho possibly his Majesty might be of Opinion (as well as thousands of his Subjects of Celebrated Intelects and considerable Fortunes) that as Pub­like matters were then circumstan­tiated, a greater Land Force was necessary than what was talk'd of; yet so great was his desire and in­deavour to allay the Heats, that some men were raising upon that Subject, that he suffer'd the Quiet of his People to prevail upon his Judgment, and as soon as the Bill for Disbanding the Army was Ready for the Royal Assent, he immedi­ately Pass'd it, and to that great Example of Self-Denial, made the following Pathetick to the Parlia­ments Speech. Feb. 1.98.

The House of Commons in an Address were pleas'd to tell the King, that the passing the Act for Disbanding the Army, gave great satisfaction to his Majesties Subjects, and that his compliance with the Pun­tual Execution thereof, would prevent all occasion of Distrust or Jealousie betwen his Majesty and his People: And one would have thought it could not have miss'd that great End. Yet there were a Remnant at several Clubs, that reaching af­ter Sovereign Power, like the Bay of Biscay, are always Tumultuous, let the Wind blow where it will that were more enrag'd and distur­bed [Page 39]at his passing the Bill, than they were before on Pretences He would not: and at several Caballs (to use their own words) said the King had Cross bit them, foyl'd them at their own Weapons, had bro­ken their Measures, and Removed a Pretence, which they hoped would have been a lasting Subject of Complaint, and keeping up the pretended Fears of Arbitrary Government: Insomuch that a Gentleman of no small Fi­gure in Publick Affairs, upon read­ing his Majesties Speech above re­cited, in great Passion Swore G. D. me, 'tis Impossible to circumvent this Gentleman, (meaning the King) He Countermines all Intrigues, and will Govern us in Despight of our Teethes. At othe Clubs some Mem­bers of the Faction raved against the Bill, because it had left Seven Thousand Cut-Throats, yet in Eng­land, whereas there ought not one Red or Blew Coat to have remained on this side of the Water. In hopes I suppose they being disgusted, un­der Resentments of the slight, they would immediately transport them­selves, comply with the Court at St. Germans, and assist them in the Restoration of Popery and Slavery: Or otherwise by leaving the Nation Defenceless, we might have no be­nefit by a Peace, that cost the King­dom so great an expence of Blood and Treasure: For what ever these men Pretend of the Zeal of Eng­lishmen, in the Defence of their Coun­try, and the no need of Swords in times of Peace; they do but Ar­raign their own Politicks: for that Peace which puts people out of a con­dition of Defence in case of a War, must expect a War; and such a State as leaves a People at the Mercy of an Enemy, is worse than a War it self, unless we could perswade our Neigh­bours, to be as Supine and Negli­gent as they would have us be; for otherwise our Sloth and fanci­ed Security is but an Invitation for them to Over-run us, or Cut our Throates while our Hands are ty'd behind us: The Pretence of Rely­ing solely upon our Fleet, Renders our safety as uncertain as the Wind and Weather, for if in time of War, when we had the assistance of a Neighbouring Fleet in Conjunction with our own, besides a Powerful Confederacy by Land, yet found we had enough to do, before we could bring our Enemies to any tolerable terms of Peace, it would be the greatest Folly in the world, to de­pend upon a Single Uncertain help, when we might be subdued before we could put our selves in­to a Posture of Resistance at home, or expect it from abroad. As weak is the pretence of relying upon our Militia, which for Ever will be no­thing but a Ray and Ʋndisciplin'd Multitude, and to Trust to it, is to combat Wolves with Sheep, to let go a Real Security, and Rely up­on an Imaginary one. The Project of making the Militia serviceable on all occasions, is still in the Cloudes; and the Insuperable difficulties they meet with in producing the Miracle, [Page 40]and the Delaies they give us in for­ming the Stratagim, tempt us to think, they are at last fallen into the other Notion, viz. That Re­gular and Disciplin'd Troops are far Superior to the Best and Strongest Mi­litia in the world: that Experience and Discipline makes an Army service­able, and where the security of a Na­tion requires a Marshal Strength, 'tis Ridiculously Impolitick, to Disband the Learned only to teach the Ignorant, and put the Government to the Toyle, and Expence, of making Officers and Soldiers, when we have them made to our hands.

There is nothing but Contradicti­on and an inflexible humour go­verns this sort of People; for after they had lost their vain Fears of Arbitrary Government, in the Cha­racter they themselves give the King, they Shelter under the Danger that might rise from the Army it self; and yet after all the Rude and Ʋn­gentile Language they give both Officers, and Soldiers, yet at last the Power of Truth has forc'd them into this Ingenious confessionArgument a­gainst a Standing Army p. 30. & 31. that what they have said against Standing Armies, they would be understood of such as are In­struments of Tyranny, and their Coun­tries Ruin, and not of our Present Army, which was raised by consent of Parliament, in the Just and Necessa­ry War; and next under God and our great and glorious Deliverer, have, by their Bravery and Conduct, preserved our Liberties and the Protestant Re­ligion through Europe.

There are a sort of Talkers that ought to have good Memories, and these Seditious Bablers, tho they have an Excellent faculty in the Former, they are extremely Defe­ctive in the Latter, for 'twas this very Army, that next to God and our great Deliverer, have by their Bravery, and Conduct, preserved our Liberties, and the Protestant Religion through Europe, that in other PlacesArgument a­gainst a Standing Army. p. 29. they call common Cut Throates and Murder­ers by Profession, and under those Hard Names, move that there may not beAnswer to the Ballancing. Let­ter. One Soldier left in England. 'Tis a great Shame and Pity that the Army han't the Priviledge of bringing Actions of Slander a­gainst the Mixture, for as every in­jur'd Person and Fraternity ought to have Reparations Proportionable to their Sufferings by Slanderous Tongues; so I am very Confident the Free-Holders of England would give them Swinging Damages, where the Agressors confess the Action. Well,

Since then by their own Confession, There is no cause of Fear from the King, nor Danger from the Army, 'tis worth our further enquiry what has rais'd all this Dust to choak us with Jealousies and Suspitions, and after all the Reputation we have gain'd in War would sink us into a [Page 41]dangerous Remisness in time of Peace and upon Remote and Invented fears of danger that will probably never happen, Expose our selves to those which we must certainly look for, as soon as we have put our selves out of a Capacity of Resisting by Disbanding the whole Army, and the Reason I meet with in an In­genious Author, viz. Because a sort of men set up for wonderful Patri­ots, grow Jealous of the Prerogative, and commence Zealots for Publick Liberty, who in the late Reigns, tho' we had not only the Justest Causes of Jealousie, but all the Cer­tainties of Evidence, that Arbitrary Power was Erecting; yet some of them were silent, and others that went into them with as hearty a Zeal for Arbitrariness, as they seem now to put on for Liberty, and in the late War laboured hard to lay us open to Invasion and Con­quest, what they could not compass during the War, are endeavouring to accomplish now, by all the Arts Imaginable, and leave no stone un­turned that may make a step to our Confusion, and their own Advancement; but this affair being determined by the King and Parliament, I shall add no more but my hearty Wishes, that there may never be an unhap­py occasion, by the malice of our Foreign Enemies, or the Treache­ry of the Mixture, to convince us by a Dear bought experience Who were in the Right. However,

Tho' this Matter is at length ac­commodated, as you have heard al­ready, to shew their Envy, Cove­tousness and Ambition is never to be satisfy'd, till themselves be in Of­fice, or all Overturned: they re-as­sume their never-failing Topicks, Arbitrary Officers and Mismanagements, and through the sides of his Mini­sters, wound his Majesty in his Ho­nour, and under the general name, and cry against the Court, reflect upon his Sacred Person, for though they don't explain it in words at length; but hide themselves under Dubious and Abiguous Terms, their meaning is as Intelligible as that its day when the Sun's upon the Meri­dian. None but the King has Pow­er of modelling the Court, or exchan­ging the Ministery, and they might as well say the King was the head Conspirator to Introduce the pretend­ed Slavery, as to say he appoints the Instruments to accomplish it: and how they will reconcile this, either with the Character they are pleased to give them, or the pro­found Respect and Duty they pre­tend to owe him, is past my Un­derstanding.

I am no Advocate for ill Ministers, and they that know Who are such, would do well to tell them so, or apply themselves where the Discove­ry will be Welcome, and Mismanage­ments redress'd, and if they don't take the Legal Method of convict­ing such Offenders, their pretences will by all that understand them­selves be censured, like Sir H. D. C. [Page 42]Petition, to be Frivolous, Vaxatious, and Scandalous. I know they will answer 'tis none of their business: and I must reply, they do ill to Concern themselves with that which is not; for 'tis less every Man's Duty to Rail, than seck to Remedy what they know is Amiss: and if they know it not, they are much more to blame, to make Worthy Mens Reputati­ons, the Subjects of idle and envi­ous Banter, unless they covet the name of Buisie-bodies, or what is worse, Common Slanderers.

There is a Blind side, and Weak part in the Populace, that easily yields to any Assault, which all that low Sedition endeavour to secure to themselves, and that is, they natural­ly love to hear Great Men spoken ill of, and are never better pleas'd than when their Ears are drumm'd with Rancorous Discourses and Malicious Insinuations against their Superiors: which the Mixture knowing, they frequent publick places, and with­out considering their own Quality, and the Port they ought to keep, Associate with all Companies, to Exagerate the Faults and Misfortunes of the Government, which they al­ways do to the height, and make every Mole hill a Mountain, every Gnat a Camel, every slip or stumble a Dangerous Symptom of approach­ing Ruin, and hint them with such a superfetationed. Fears and Jealou­sies, as if the whole frame of Na­ture were dissolving, and the world on the Brink of Rain by the mis­management of those they are plea­sed to call Ignorant and ill design­ing Ministers, and then sigh out Damnation against them, with such hidious Accents, as engages their Auditors to believe and publish them, and by these little Artifices of the Mixture, false Report's are spread, and the King and Court Traduced when there is no Cause or Reason to give them Credit. Hence Ill Constructions are put up­on Ʋsefull and Innocent Actions. Ill Turns are given to Well intended de­signs, and every Trip in the Admi­nistration, is magnified by unjust ag­gravations, without making an Al­lowance for the Difficulties, under which the Ministery for many years have laboured: in maintaing a War by Sea and Land, when our Money was debased, our Credit Sunk, and almost at an Impossibility to retrieve it: besides the Care and Thought, in uniting men of different Parties, different Principles, and Different In­terests, to contribute towards the common Preservation: which no Man knows the trouble of, but those that under-went the Burden of it, which if Impartially weighed, and considered with due regard to the Circumstances of the time and neces­sities of Affairs, it would not only cool the heat of their Enemies, but merit the Applauses and Thanks of those very Men, who are so for­ward to condemn them without considering how much the Govern­is Isseaknect, and the Honour and Re­putation of it Broken, by these ig­norant and ungrateful Ʋnderminers.

No Government on Earth is so compleatly perfect, but something will be amiss in the Administration, and some unhappy occasions of com­plaints will arise; but the ways by which the Seditious Intermixture manage themselves, plainly disco­ver their Designs are not to Recti­fy Disorders, but to countenance their own Clamours against the King and Court, because they are not infal­ble: whereas a modest and sincere Intention for the Publick Good, would first consider how far promo­ting such suggestions would carry them, since if they look back but a few Pages into our History, they will find that the same complaints have already kindled a War, and many a Doleful Tragedy amongst us. 'Tis impossible to know what they mean, by what they say, for they take the measure of good and evil, not from the Nature and Ten­dency of Actions, but from the Characters of Persons, and they are Elected or Reprobated, as the Persons are esteemed for, or against the Party, to which their Natural propensities, or sordid Interests incline them, and being tinged with Malice and Mal­contentedness, they think nothing more their duty than to feed and cherish un­natural Heats and Divisions, till they can blow up the sparks of their Fren­sie into publick Combustions. 'Tis their natural humour to dislike, and as fast as they are able subvert e­very established Government, and 'tis no wonder, for what can Re­strain Mad men from railing at their Keepers, and Governours, and the Laws, which Fetters them up from those Outrages, that they are so eager to act upon their Country.

There is scarce a Crime to be mentioned in reference to the Pub­lic, but they confidently charge it upon the Ministry; but keep the Proof of them in the Clouds, as if the World were obliged to believe malicious Reports, upon the Credit or a spightful hearsay, which have neither Being nor Beginning, Co­lour nor Pretence to justifie them. There is all the reason in the world that Ill Ministers should be punish­ed, and he would be one of the worst of Men, that would either palliate their Fault, or protect their Persons when they are Convicted of what they stand accused; but yet there is no Reason that any man should be scandalized, and suf­fer upon the Naked account of a Running Clamour, that has no o­ther Father, but the malicious In­ventions of those that are strugling for their Places. It is no wonder to hear the greatest Worth Defa­med, the wisest Conduct Suspect­ed, the Profoundest Wisdom slight­ed, and Men of the most Exam­plary Vertue evil spoken of. The en­vious eyes of some Men, will for e­ver be disturb'd for so great a Lustre. The Israelites envied Moses, the Jews scandaliz'd the Blessed Jesus, the Romans suffered Bellisarius to beg a­bout their Streets, that had been thrice their Deliverer, and no soon­er were the Athenian Captains by [Page 44]their Excellent Conduct, Valour, and Success, rais'd in the Esteem for their very Enemies, but they were presently Envy'd, Impovrished, and Proscribed by their own Coun­trymen. The Renowned Caesar's fall was owing as well to the Envy as Malice of Republican Brutus, and Cassius. 'Tis a great piece of Folly to think the worse of any Man for being Envy'd and evil spoken of; for 'tis certain the Wisest and Best Man in the Nation, though others may, shall never escape Censure; therefore heavy Accusations and Crimes of the highest Nature, ought to be well proved, before they are believed, or spread abroad to the Prejudice of great Men in their Lives, Honours, and Estates, for if it be enough to be Accused where shall we find a Man that is In­nocent.

We have heard many unpardo­nable Crimes objected against the Courut, but how rarely do we hear of any proof made against them; and therefore since the Seditious In­terpositors, after all their tedious Searches and Examinations, have not been able to descry the Dangers they pretend to fear; 'tis a suffici­ent Principle of Presumption, that their Jealousies are ill grounded, that they find fault meerly for the sake of finding fault, and like Boys ha­ving blown a Soap-Bubble from a Walnut shell, resolve to keep it up as long as they have breath to fol­low it. Nay, since they exhibit foul and dismal Charges against the Mi­nistry, without referring to any Act of the Ministers to make it good, they prove nothing but that they are Oppressed with Envy, and ill-na­ture; for they are not so Ʋnskill­full at improving the Minutest Pec­cadillo's, that had they been furnish­ed with any shadow of Truth, they would not have smoother'd them, and therefore since they have pro­duced none, the Reader may just­ly conclude they have none to pro­duce. And all undesigning men, not withstanding all the scare Crows that are set up to fright us, may with great satisfaction and quiet, de­pend upon his Majesty's Promise made to the House of CommonsMartis 4. die Aprilis. 1699. in answer to their Address, viz. That He will take the best care he can, that all sorts of mis­managements, and Irregularities shall be Prevented or Redress'd. So that upon the whole matter our Ene­mies crying out against the Govern­ment in general Terms, without be­ing able to produce any thing worth the hearing, to justifie their Noise and Clamours; they prove nothing but their want of Breeding and bet­ter Arguments, and their Calumnies when driven home will recoyl up­on their own Heads; for they that charge others with Crimes they can­not prove, Indict and Convict them­selves of Falsity. and as this Offence may be the Parent of many Di­sturbances, so among our other Real Grievances, it calls for a timely Re­dress, for its infinitely below Autho­rity, [Page 45]to indulge, or neglect a hu­mour that proceeds from nothing but Invincible Pride and Peevishness. However.

Certainly Causes there are, for all these complaints are not made for nothing. There can be no Smoak but there must be some Fire; and therefore to be just to my Reader, and satisfy my Country, I must not smoother them; but in Conscience and Honesty am obli­ged to bring some of them upon the Stage, and shew the Reasons why there are so many complaints against the Court, and the first I encounter is,

That many of the Seditious Mix­ture are under great Disappoint­ments. They want Places of Profit that they may Repair their Tatter'd Fortunes at the Expence of the Public, and Places of Trust, that they may have it in their Power to turn the Scales, if ever the Beam should be­gin to Totter. And shew their Ex­quisite Parts in Doing Nothing, and Ʋndoing All Things. And the Go­vernment being supply'd at present with Able and Experienc'd States­men, and that 'tis too long to go Barefoot, till they can be Recruited with Dead mens Shooes, they would pull them off, and force a way to their Preferment, through the Reputati­ons of the present Ministers, and for that End only, endeavour to make the present Ministers uneasie to themselves, and hateful to o­thers, that they may turn them out, and thrust themselves into their Pla­ces; and this Chicanery they ma­nage with so much Art and Indu­stry, at their several Clubs and Eat­ting-Houses, as if all were going to ruin, unless they be speedily Em­pl [...]y'd, and such Methods observed to Regulate Disorders, as they on­ly can propose. though when their Notions come to be Examin'd, 'tis a Thousand to one, but they are utterly Impracticable, Dangerous in the Use, and Destructive in the End; But the Vulgar not perceiv­ing what's in the cover'd Dish, they run into the same Cry against the Court, and eagerly spend their mouths in the Chase, which their Leaders have started, without knowing what the Game is, how it must be dres­sed, or who must feed upon the Carcass when they have help'd to catch it.

Noise and Nonsence is enough to set all the Idle Tools of the Seditious Mixture a Madding, and therefore having swallowed the Infectious Vehicle, it soon has its Opera­tion, and now they all Applaud the Contrivances and Stratagems of these State Empericks, as the on­ly Physitians that can cure all the Distempers in the Publick Admi­nistration: the only Patriots that can heal our Breaches, and restore to every Factious and Impoverish­ed Zealot, what he has a mind to. And in order to it Railing at the Ministry, is called Liberty and Pro­perty, and Freedom of Speech, and Des­pising Authority, is call'd not fear­ing the face of Men in their Coun­try's [Page 46]Cause: when their Country is no more concerned in their In­vectives and Quarrels against the Court, than they would be for their Country, if 'twere in their Power to serve it. Let these Underminers of the Ministry make what pre­tences they please, self-interest is at the bottom of all their Rares-Shews for Reforming what's Amiss, and the Truth of the matter is, these Gentlemen having their Wants to Lead, and the Devil to Drive, they can find no such Expedient to supply the former, and please the latter, as by changing the Ministry, and thrusting in themselves to accom­plish what they aim at; and there­fore prosecute the design according­ly with uncommon Vigour. See them set round a Table with all their Politicks about them, affecting as Zealous a look as if every Man were a Machivel, and as expert in Re­dressing Grievances, and Prevent­ing Abuses, as Solon, or Lycurgus, and now whatever opens their mouths against the Government, no­thing but the hopes of a Place, can shut them, and that does it effectually. As a late Poet Sings.

The most serious Discourses a­mongst them, and of Weightiest Matters, at last Centre in their wants of Preferment, and begin they where they will, a Place is the end of it. And though they may smo­ther their Desires and Ambitious aims a while, and appear only publick Spirited Patriots; yet their Visor at length drops off, and their de­signs are discover'd, They want an Office, a lively instance whereof I heard but the other day in a Cof­fee-house, where a Diminutive A­nimal of a late, and from a mean Rise, tho' now arriv'd to a great Estate, being heartily railing against the Administration and sighing out his Fears for his dear Country and poor England. A Gentleman smartly Reprimands the Fop, tells him his Family was once regarded as men in the true Interest of the Nation. And tho' his Father's Chair sliding from under him, the sall had swell'd his Spleen, turn'd his Brain, and af­fected his Uncle's by Simpathy: He was sorry to see the Son al­so discover more weakness and Ill nature in the Family, in Cursing and Reviling the Publick Manage­ment and promoting discontents in [Page 47]the Nation. To whom the Up­start replyed, I will, and ought to do it, for the Court has us'd me Barba­rousty, and the Place I was a Can­didate for they have given to ano­ther. In short he Over valued him­self, by aspiring to the degree of a States man, and was angry that a fitter man had the Preserence; and now his disappointment must be call'd a National Greivance and Mis-management. And if you search to the bottom of all our Clamours still the want of a Place is the cause of them.

Some of the Murmurers it's true, are modester or rather subtilter than others; yet all issue at last in­the same thing, and tho' the Poy­son does not break out at the mouth, yet they have their Methods too, and Slander the Administration with their Ears and their Looks, and whilst others Clacks are running accent and confirm their Calum­nies, by Tipping the Wink, Shrug­ging the Shoulders, and shaking the Head so dismally as suggests more Crimes against the Court than the World ever knew, or Arithmetick can number. And if the Stream runs against a Minister they think their Enemy, a familiar Nod, or gratious Smile from his Lordship in Mum­mery confirms all the Slanders which are broach'd at this Cabal, and shall pass them as Confidently, as if they were Mathunatical Demonstrations, when peradventure there is not one true Syllable in all the Clatter.

Others of this Seditious Mixture, make their Wants and Necessities the cause of promoting Discontents and Jealousies, and Raffle for Prefer­ment and Places, for the same Reasons that wise men think should utterly debar them; for Hungry men ought not to be in­vited to scanty Commons, their Debauched Extravagant and vain ex­pences, having consumed their own Estates, there's no reason to Trust them with the Publick Purse, or Offices that may give them an op­portunity of Oppressing the Subject to supply their Necessities, and length­en their own Teathers by defraud­ing other men of their Right of Common. I am not unsensible that it is thought a great piece of Poli­cy in a Prince, to make frequent changes in his Court, and when some have sill'd their Pockets, to give them leisure to spend it; and oblige others of his Subjects with the like Advantages. I will not dispute whither this may prove advantagious to the Crown; but am of Opinion 'tis detremental to the Subject, for the same Reason thatEpitomy of J [...]sephus. p. 488. Tiberius gave to his Friend up­on asking him that que­stion: I seldom, says he change my Governours of Provinces be­cause every new hungry Comer, racks the People by new Exactions, till they have fill'd their Coffers, and then are at quiet. And to this purpose told them, that a poor La­zar having his sores covered with [Page 48] Flies, which he endeavour'd not to drive away from feeding on his Flesh, the Spectators believing it proceeded from his inability to do it, they went near to do that Of­fice for him; but he pray'd them to-let the Flies alone, for having now glutted themselves with my Blood saith he, they don't suck so Greedily, but that I enjoy a little ease; but if you drive them away, fresh flies will light upon my Sores and suck me to Death. Which ap­plyed to Beggarly Pretenders for Em­ployments, puts a Bar to their Impor­tunate Solicitations especially when they take such Indirect courses to obtain what they seek for. Mens Necessities may be great, but good mens Loyalty will surmount their Wants and not put them upon rob­bing the King of his Poeples Du­ty and Affections, to fill their own Bellies; but rather to suffer any thing for his Majesty than cause him in the least to suffer by or for them. They have a great deal to answer for, who by the State-Craft of pressing for Redress of Grei­vances, would amend their own Circumstances, by raising Hurrica­no's in the State, and stirring up such Commotions as sometimes shat­ter the Constitution, and as our own Memoirs can too sadly inform us, often intirely Deface and Over­turn it. When these dangerous In­cendiaries first set out to Awe the Government, what pains do they take to shew themselves disaffected, and hope to get Places by Argu­ments of their Disloyalty, and run against the Court in hopes they will ask their Price, and take them off, by bestowing Preferments upon them. For those Methods being succcess­ful in former Reigns, they revive them in this,

'Tis a Lewd and Unwarrantable step in Politicks, for Seditious In­termedlers to expect to be Gratified by Profitable Employments, for being intolerably Vexatious to the Go­vernment; and by all the shark­ing Ways and Means imaginable, to place themselves at the Helm; for this Cunning is not always Crown'd with Success; but often­times the wild pursuers draw down Ruinous Consequences on their own Heads, by attempting to Rise by such Natorious Acts as call their Fidelities into Question, for if men can be Loyal no longer than they and bribed to their Duties by Prefer­ments, the King leans on Broken [Page 49]Reedes, and cannot be Secure till he has as many Good Places in his Gift, as he has Bad and Hungary Subjects in his Kingdom, and if men would but consider that they have to do with a Prince, that is not to be Hector'd out of his Fa­vours; they would give over throw­ing Obsticles in the way of their own Rising, seeing their is no great Feats to be done in this Reign by such a Fantastical Conduct: whereas the Exercise of Humility, Loyalty and Modesty would melt his Heroick Soul, into such Gracious Considera­tions, as would put him upon con­sidering how he might be still more Beneficial to his People.

The Reigning Sins, Pride, Am­bition, and Atheism, are other Grei­vancies that call aloud for Redress, and the neglect of Suppressing them; are to be reckon'd among our Real Mis-managements, and as the Cause of the Molestations they afflict the State. Envy and Obloquy, spares no body, the most unblemish'd Vertue is not sheilded from their Darts. 'Tis Defined by Cicero, to be Grief conceived in the Mind, at the Good which another man enjoies; and that good Especially, by which the Envious Man receives no inju­ry; but they are Sick because other Men are Well, and the better it is with Another the worse it is with him. When Men have consu­med their own Estates by Idle, and Extavagant Expences, they en­vy those that are grown Rich by their Industry; and this makes them Curious in Enquiring, and Prying into other Mens affairs that they may find something to Lessen them. A Temper so far from being Chri­stian, that there's nothing of Humi­lity but much of the Devil in it. Hence it is that the Ratling of a Courtiers Coach frights them out of their Sences, the sight of a fine Coate, makes 'em ready to tear their own Clothes tho Gayer, and puts them into such a Heate, that nothing but the Promise of a good Place can cool their Envy, or Divert them from De­claiming against the Court, telling Stories of Mis-management, Detracting from their Merits, and making large Additions to their faillings; and if the Court oblige them with some fine thing to play withal, their pretend­ed Consciencious Clamours will sub­mit to their Interests, and then the Court is the Honestest place in Chri­stendom.

Pride and Vanity, are other In­gredients that contribute toward the composition of a Male Content; for they swell the Factions with such good opinions of Themselves, and their Capacities for Publick Employ­ments, that there is a necessity for others to be Turn'd Out, that they may have an Opportunity, to shew their Rare Qualifications: and then the most compendious ways to ob­tain their wishes, are to calumniate the Court, and cut down the Oakes that the Shrubs and Under-wood may flourish; when all is but a grand mi­stake, for neither have the Possessors deserved a Writ of Ease, nor is the [Page 50] Intruder qualified either with Brain or Body for it; but his Pride and Vanity screw'd up hisow Price, and represented him of greater Value than he was. But some lucky hand being so kind, to Plum the depth of his Ʋnderstanding, procur'd his Dismission, and now in Revenge, King, Church, Court, City, Country, must go to Wrack, and suffer all the Reproaches that the Wit and Ma­lice of the Party can Invent.

Haughty and Ambitious Antimo­narchists, are the other Causes of all the Fears and Suspicions that are rais'd in England; for such Elevating their minds above their Ranks, and the end of their Institution, and wearing Venerable Titles; to humor Anbitious Freakes some Popular Mag­got, or Invented Danger to with­draw Subjects from their Allegiance is started and therefore if we would not be chous'd out of our Legal Settlemen; before we imbibe their Delusions, we had need make sharp Enquiries, whether the Specious pretences of their Reformers, don't design to justle out that Univer­sal Repose, which we have en­joyed under his Majesties Govern­ment, and therefore are all equally oblig'd to Promote it. Innovations, which self Intrested Men would In­troduce into the Administration of the Kingdom, have sometimes un­hing dour Regular Constitution; but we rarely hear that they have ever Corroborated the Old, or have enlar­ged the Power of the Kingdom or the advantages of the People. History swells with Examples which Con­firm this Truth. How Unanimous­ly have our Laws sentenc'd all Com­motions, tho Gilded with the sairest. Colours that Art could Invent 'Tis attested by the Experience of of all Ages, that the horrible Evils which Factious Innovators, by rais­ing Fears and Jealousies have brought in amongst us, have been a greater burden tous than any other afflicti­on that could have happen'd. This is and ever will be the necessary concequence of such Indeavours; for if every Sorry Pretender of Grie­vances, should take a Licence to Disobey his Superiors, whensoever he has a mind to deliver himself of a Complaint: then Farewell Society, for no form of Government can Sub­sist on these Extravagant terms, since every one Hurri'd by his Passions, would never want Plausible Rea­sons to ground his Plea of Resisting Authority upon, and by this means our Miseries would be endless.

Our Laws enjoyn us to Obey the Kingas Supreme Head and Governour, and forbid us entiring into any en­gagements, that by the widest Con­structions may seem to clash with our Duty. Now such as by an Im­plicit Surrender, devote themselves to any Person or Embodied Society, which are Superior to them; if that Society have given any signs of Disloyalty, or of Advancing them­selves, the People are in great Dan­ger of being stript of their fidelity to their Leige Lord, when their Leaders who ought to annimate the [Page 51]Allegiance of the Lower Orders of Men; become themselves the first Desertors. 'Tis enough we give Men of Quality the Respect that is Due to them, without being so much their Vassals as to sell that Liberty of ours, of which the King is the only Master of. Not that I blame a Deference paid to great Men, but I would not have their Authori­tative Influence, Hand over Head betray us to comply with their Criminal Passions; 'tis worth the while therefore first to observe as I said before, whether these Re­formers of Abuses themselves are Loyal and Steady in the Interest of their Sovereign, and whither there is not a Snake hidden in the Grass: and that under pretence of recti­fying Disorders and Mis-manage­ments, they have not a Crafty De­sign to Hook us into a Combinati­on that Undermines the Throne of our Prince, for if we get any Light, that they Drive at so Black an At­tempt, we must disdainfully Re­treat from such Perfidious Designs, and Generously sacrifice every Glit­tering Advantage which they have cajol'd us with, to our Duty. And whatsoever Interest starts up, to cleave Inviolably to the King; for as his Side is the Justest, so the Advantages of Sticking to it, well be the most Honourable and Satis­factory.

'Tis only the effect of a Giddy presumption, that Spirits on tumul­tuous Subjects, to Quarrel with the Administration of the State, ima­gining that publick Affairs would Roll more Smoothly, if themselves were in the Ministry, or things were managed by their fanciful Schemes, whereas 'tis their Duty to submit to the Laws, to banish Murmuring, and stifle Opposition, when a Conformity to their Regu­lations are required. But if Abu­ses does insinuate into the Govern­ment, no doubt but we ought to wish they were Reformed, but let no Men undertake it, without a Lawful Commission, and certain Evidence of the Facts: For all ex­trajudicial attempts, and Sinister Ends, tend rather to the Shaking of the Monarchy than Amending its Defects. And after all that State menders pretend to in changing the Ministry, the King is the proper Judge of every Alteration; and tho He should not Agree to such De­mands, as carry a fair Plaufibility of Right for their being Granted, still ought to Acquiesce with Confidence, that his Non-concurrence is for the Real good of his Subjects; and tho the Reasons are behind the Cur­tain to us, they are Evident and De­monstrative to Himself and Council. How happy are we then, that have a King that Caresses his Subjects as his Children, and with an Indifatiga­ble Application Propagates the Wel­fare of all under his Charge? How How Dutiful and Diligent there­fore should all his Subjects be in their several Stations, who Bask un­der that Sun-shine, to smother the Gusts and Ill Designs of the Mix­ture [Page 52] Early, before they become Gloomy Clouds, big with impend­ing ruin to darkin the Lustre of Roy­al Grace.

Here I had the thoughts of Easing my Reader from the Fa­tigue I have given him; but I find my self under a necessity of trailing him a little further, before I can dismiss him with intire satisfaction. For having shewed him that there is a design carrying on at several Cabals, either utterly to deprive his Majesty, or at least to lessen his Au­thority, I must shew him now, that since it could not be done at once as in the Assassination Plot, they are now doing it by Degrees, and as the Wolves would first rob the Sheep of the assistance of their faith­full Allies, that they might become an easie prey to their Devourers; so that that the Mixture might Im­pose upon the King at pleasure, 'twas resolved at another Club, and Pub­lished by one of their Se­critaries in a PamphletPage 7. call'd, An Answer to the Ballancing Letter, That

To preserve the Honour of the Go­vernment: none, or few, who have gain­ful Offices, should be Members of the House of Commons,

Sure the Gentlemen of this Club are Men of great Interest and Cor­respondence, and what they transack in their Club Room, strangely In­fluences other Places; for there is scarce a Page in the whole L [...]bel that has not been the Subject of De­bates and Resolutions in more Emi­nent Ascociations, and then no won­der to see things go at this Rate, and themselves so mightily concern­ed for the Honour of the Nation, which was never further in their thoughts, than to make what earn­ings they could, from their preten­ces of having served the Govern­ment: for some are well known a­mongst them, that now rail at all above and below them, that are not of their Faction, that have had their Hands deeper in the King's Pockets, and have received larger shares of his Bounty, than any men of their Quality in England; and yet are so Ʋngrateful, that they ne­ver afford his Majesty one good word: but upon all Occasions de­tract from his Virtues, Eclipse his Glory, and by all the Power they have lessen his Authority; and in this their Favourite Project aim at nothing less than if it were possible to leave him Friendless also, for un­der that name they would exclude his Officers; which are but the late Kings Politicks Revers'd, and tend no other purpose but to express their Ingratitude.

Every Protestant Getleman in England, under such requisite Qua­lifications as the Law has establish­ed, have a right to be Elected Members of Parliament, and nothing can look with a more Arbitrary Coun­tenance upon the Gentry of England, than a design of this Nature; for it takes away their Birth rights, and sinks their Honour in the Esteem of the Nation, as it distinguishes them [Page 53]as men Ʋnfit to serve their Coun­try, because they have the Honour of serving their King. Is this for the Honour of the Gouernment, to perswade the World, that they that serve the King are not to be trust­ed in the management of Publick Affairs. What a manifest Contra­diction is this to common Sence, that those which other whiles they call the King's Friends, must have a mark set upon them as his greatest Ene­mies: for if they truly love and faithfully serve the King, as I am inclined to think they do, because the Mixture hate them, they will offer no nothing, but what they appre­hend will be of service both to King and Couutry, whose Iuterests can never be divided, but Live and Die together. To think to serve the King by Injuring the Country, is to Discrown their Master and to think to oblige the Nation, by Les­fening the Kings Authority, and im­pairing his Revenue, is to Behead the people, their Interests as I said before are so Interwoven together that one cannot suffer, but the o­ther sensibly feels it; and therefore the Mixture ought to give the Officers some other name, or let them keep their Places. Besides, is it for the Honour of the Govern­ment to Disfranchize the Electors, and ridicule them as ignorant Ani­mals, who don't know who are fit to be their Representatives in Parlia­ment. Is not this Arraigning the Commons to think an Office can cor­rupt them, and byass them from their Duty to their Country? What Dis­ingenious reflections are these upon Gentlemen, and what Heart Burnings will it beget among us? How do they know which way these Offi­cers will Vote, since some Officers Vote as constantly against what they call the Court Party, as if they held their Places by no other Te­nure; Ought not every Member to Vote as his Judgment directs him, without being Censured at e­very Drunken Club for so doing. And why should the Yea's be thought less Judicious and Consciencious than the No's, or the No's than the Yea's, God forbid; for these are but Bones of Dissention thrown among us to set all at squabbling: and that the Seditious may find their own account in fastning Crimes on Men of Ho­nour and Worth, they neither know why, nor wherefore: whose Jug­lings may prove of Dangerous Con­sequence to the State, and to those who are Over reach'd by them.

The Design they manage, in en­deavouring to Exclude all that have Offices under the King out of the House of Commons is plain enough; they are afraid the Kings and Coun­tries Affairs should thrive too well, and therefore would have the House of Commons to be like themselues, all of a Piece, and wholly against the King and Court. I cannot but won­der how they dare make such Re­flections upon the House of Com­mons, as to Insinnuate there are any Parties and Factions among them, by pretending to distinguish who [Page 54]are For and Against the Interest of the King. What a Liberty of Censuring all the rest do they fur­nish Conversation with? When they propose the Turning out some par­ticular Member, under the suppo­sition that they are in the Roy­al Interest, which is Ʋnkind to the Parliament, and Ʋngrateful to the King: and I am only sorry that I am not wholly at Liberty to pursue, and improve the Results of my own thoughts upon that Subject: Tho' they have partly spa­red me the labour in contriving their Schemes so Ill, that they are neither Adapted to perswade the Wise, nor to deceive the Simple, their Intrigves, and the Slanders by which they manage them, being so Open and Barefac'd, that had an Enemy De­signed to expose their Wickedness, he could not have Father'd upon them more unlucky Instances, than what is covered under this Old Trick of Secluding Members, which we hope the Lord's Wisdom and Goodness will prevent, lest the same Club when their designs are Ripe, should think their Lordships also dangerous and useless, and propose it as a Grie­vance to be Redress'd. For what has been done may be done again, and the same cause will produce the same effects to the end of the Chapter.

Which is as evident as Demon­stration can make it, by the next step the Mixture took at a Cabal held, as I take it, at the Old Devil of St. Duustan's, where to Express their Ingratitude to the Height, and shew what sort of Cards were Trumps, when their Spies and Emissaries, and the Agents and Factors which they keep in all corners of the Town, to Fetch and Carry, to Traffick for News, and support the Trade of Promoting Fears and Jealousies, had brought in their straggling Re­ports, they came to these unkind Reso­lutions, and order'd them to be Engross'd, andPamphlet predict. P. 22. and 13. Printed and Published by their former Secretary, viz.

That letting in Aliens, dimi­nishes the strength of the Nation, and therefore the Dutch must be amoved out of the Kingdom, and a Fatal day set for their departure.

Without doubt the Mixture will say these Proceedings are for the Honour of the Government too? To Invite Strangers to our Assistance, and when they have done our Work, and contributed to the Nations De­liverance from Tyranny, and Op­pression; then to Treat them with Unkindness and Ingratitude; which as our case stands in expectation of what may happen, is as Opposite to the Honour and Interest of England, as Light is from Dark­ness.

Certainly the Gentlemen of this Cabal are very loose in their Sen­timents, that find those Aliens, now so great an Eye-sore, that not long since they Caressed with the highest Expressions of Respect, and made such acknowledgments of Obligations to them, that they were never able to Recompence. Pray Gentlemen what have they done to Merit your displeasure? wherein have they mis-behaved themselves to­wards you, that all of a sudden they must be Ship'd off, as a Dangerous People? How long have you been perswaded that they have Dimished the strength of England, were you of this Opinion when they Landed in Torbay, and with their Swords in their hands, asserted your Liberties? Could you have done the Nations work without them? If you could why did you so earnestly request their Assistance, and if you could not, why would you have them used so unkind­ly. For shame give over Affronting the Honour of English men, with such ungrateful Characters and making the Nation Contemptible in the Eyes of all the World, for the sake of a few Male-contented Clubbers, and the next time you employ your Secretaries Pens, let it be to better purpose, and enjoyn them for the Honour of your Club Room to Apologize for the slurs they have put upon the Nation al­ready.

But the Decree of the Cnbal you see is peremptory. Our Dutch friends must march off, and the Reason they give for it is a doughty one, viz Lib. & p. predict. For every Foreigner living in England, say they, we have an Englishman the less. That's strange! since if we had not had their Assistance, our Quota during the War, must have been greater, and conse­quently more Englishmen must have fallen a Sacrifice to Popery and Sla­very, then has done, and therefore we have more Englishmen left alive for having had their Assistance, than in all probability we could have had, if we had wanted them; but this Core against the Dutch lies deep­er than every man's aware of; for these very men that propos'd pack­icking off the Dutch, not long since were as zealous for promoting a Bill of Naturalization for all the French: though the latter Nati­on are our known Enemies, and the Dutch our faithful Allies, and im­bark'd in the same Cause against them. But it seems the Mixture knew what Monarch protected the Abdicated King, whose Restorati­on is a great point among them, tho kept behind the Curtain; and where the Court of St. Germans stood; and therefore were com­pounding with the two Courts, by shewing Kindness to that Nation, and sending away the Duch, who by Inter est as Well as Alliance, [Page 56]were obliged to assist us when occa­sion serve'd against them both. I could urge a great deal more upon this Head, but I know they are up­on the Fret already, for being touc'd in the Gall'd place, and being un­willing to Sour 'em more, or med­dle with a Wasps-Nest, I won't at­tempt to put a Statue of Brass out of Countenance, or hope to Convince or Silence Men of their Complexions.

The Great Reason why the Dutch must Troop off, is still to come, and tho they were always accounted as his Majesties Domestik Servants, and have for many years attended his Royal Person in his Progresses, yet not a Hoof must be left behind: and to enforce this proposal they draw their unanswera­ble Argument from a Hen-Roost Metaphor, and sayPag. 23. Strangers are the nest-Eggs of a Foreign In­vasion. See how these Witty Gen­tlemen tumble in their Pretty Tropes; Rickety Heads, and Arbitrary Power, Obedient Subjects and Puppy-Dogs, Invasions and Nest-Eggs. Tipical, To­pical, Tropical, my Ped is Green. What pleasant sport might a Man make with the Grave Speeches that have been made upon these Heads, but I have no time to loose in Win­nowing chaff, or catching Butterflies: and therefore shall proceed to shew how these Gentlemen forget them­selves, and Say and Ʋnsay to uphold the great Hypothesis of being perfect Enemies to his Majesty. When a Pro­bability of trouble from France, was [...]'d as a reason to keep up such a Number of Troops, as might secure the Nation fro such attempts. Than the Mixture scoffed such obviating Dangers as ridiculous Imaginations. Then we hear of nothing but the great Courage, Zeal, Fidelity, and Ʋn­animosity of the English Nation in case of a French Invasion; but when the talk was hot about the Dutch staying or going, all those Glotious Epithets are shrunk into Meanest of Spirit, and they shew the Nation in such a Co­wiardly Posture, as if they stood all Shivering behend the Door, for fear of—thousand Dutchmen: or that every one of those Nest-Eggs should hatch such a Brood of Shake-Bags as would Beat all the fighting Cocks in England. Thus are we represented as Stout as Lyons, or as Fearful as Hares, as will best agree with the Designs of the Mixture: If the King would have have a Land Force, proportionable to those of our Enemies. Then there were no need of any other Guards than his Hal­berteers; for in case of any Invasion every Individual Man in England would be a Soldier; but if it be thought Reasonable, Civil and Oblig­ing, that the Dutch Guards should Remain in England. Then upstarts Fears and Jealousies, and remon­strate such dismal accidents may follow such an act of Gratitude, as may subject us to a Conquest and make us all Slwoes to Holland. Did ever Men make such Wretched Pretences? 'Tis a sad Symptom that ill designs are Brewing, when such Positive People are driven to such Sceptical and Doubtful Innuendo's [Page 65]and are forc'd to take Sanctuary in Na­ked May Be's, and Thwart and Affront His Majesty upon every Triffling Sug­gestion, arising from Principles of Disloy­alty; so that nothing must be done for him, out of Respect to his Person, or the mighty deliverance he Acheived, till all demands of the Cabals, how unreason­able soever, shall first be fully satisfied. But why should we wonder, 'tis natural for this mixture to be displeas'd with the Grandure and Prosperity of the Court. The height of the Kings felicity, frets their Pround and Envious Minds; and they are never so apt to spy Dangers, and complain of the badness of the Times, as when the Government is like to be most flourishing. They are incurable Male-contents, and in Dread of an Ar­britrary Power, which they say, They have no Reason to suspect; yet are making Encroachments upon the Royal Authority, and lying at Catch for all advantages, and Husbanding all Opportunities, to Abate the Sovereign Prerogative; and to keep the Monarchy low, by Removing his Friends, Empoverishing his Revenue, and being imperious and inexorable in their Impositions; as may be easily Read in their Resolve to expel the Dutch, Pamphl. praedict page. 23. viz. That a Fatal day be set for their Departure.

And Why a Fatal Day! they could not mean it to the Dutch Guards, for they were but going home, from whence they came to our Succour; and there­fore must mean it in respect of us, that 'twould be fatal when we want Friends, to be refused their Assistance. They were pleas'd to call the Dutch, a dead weight upon the Nation, and I wish all others that are so, had bore them Company; and then as we have fewer Enemies, by being well Rid of the latter, and so the Balance wou'd be equal. The Libel has yet some Fragments of History, to give it a greater Currency among the Sedi­tious Intermedlers; but being Nothing to their purpose, I shall not reckon it so much to mine, as to Answer them; for since my whole design was only to ex­pose these Leud Scriblers, I hope I have done it to your Content; and this Af­fair being now Amicably Determin'd by the King and his Parliaments; nothing more ought to be added, but what I shall ever contend for, viz. a Dutiful Obedi­ence to our Superiors.

I have now shew'd you the Reigning Evils of our present Times; give me leave to acquaint you, by what Ways and Means they are rais'd, and continued to breed Disturbances, and then I shall Dis­miss my Reader.

The Spring and Progress of all our Causeless Fears and Jealousies, and the unhappy Consequences that have attend­ed Them, are owing to the more than ordinary Industry, of Seditious Men's Trafficking for News; and Employing a sort of Idle Pedling People, to Range up and down in quest of fresh Intelligence, who importune all they meet, to contri­bute to the Stock of Slaundering the Go­vernment; and if they chance to meet any of their Associates, upon the Fron­tiers of their Respective Walks, they frankly impart what they have gain'd to each other, as Beggars do their Frag­ments: And seditious Clubs are the com­mon places of Rendevous, where they all Unload, and every particular Mem­ber partakes of the Joint Collectons of the whole Society, where a sullen Gran­dee of the Mixture, will give a Guinea for a Tale, that humors his Designs, that will not part with half a Crown to pay a just Debt; and by this means all Reports fly abroad with such winged speed, as may Flush the Party to blazon them in all Quarters of the Town, and Country. And if they get a Story by the end, That [Page 66]looks a little a Squint upon the Court, and yet is not in it self full enough of Remark and Wonder: The Club Vamps it with New Circumstances of their own, Alter, Improve, and Refine it, till they have made it Foul enough to blacken the Ministry. To this end they Vouch it with Grave Nod, and Solemn Face; they will talk Shrewdly and Descant upon it, with a Thousand Pretty Conjectures: They will Whispher in your Ear, some Subtile and Notable observation of Circumstan­ces; and with wise and Politick Forehead, will suspect Impossible Plots upon the Peoples Liberties, Foresee unthought of De­signs in the Court to that purpose, and Foretell strange and Prodigious Events, that must necessarily follow: Till by these and the like Arts, they make every false Report able to walk alone, without the help of Leading-strings, and maintain it self upon its own Credit and Reputation, till the publick Voice Confirms it. And then

You cannot for shame be so Uncivil, to Demur upon the Credibility of the Brute, when it has received such an Au­thoritative Sanction. And yet if you would trace these Streams to their Foun­tain, you might as well seek the Head of Nilus, which tho' it falls with a mighty Torrent, and over-flows Egypt with its swelling Streams; you must at last Derive its Original, as some of the Antients have done, from the Mountains in the Moon. So if a Man would search for the Au­thors of these Malicious, but Fabulous Re­lations, he shall be sure to have them Fa­ther'd upon some very Credible Persons without Names, who had them from John a-Nokes, who had it from John-a-Stiles, who had it from No body. And if you will observe and Examine all Reports, that bear the Stamp of the Intermixture, as Chrysippus did the Oracular Lies of Apollo, you will find as he did, not One in Five Hundred, that are not apparently Forg'd, and Counterfeit; and therefore I shall take my Leave of them in the Word of a late Poet.

A careful Shunning of Imposters, and Make-bates, and leaving them in the Clouds, they have rais'd, is therefore the duty of every good Subject; lest assisting the Seditious in their Vexatious contrivances against the Government, you dash upon the Rocks of Offence, and ruin your pre­sent Pretensions and future hopes. To a­void those dangers, Study to be Quiet, con­tinue your Allegiance to the King, be Obe­dient to your Equals, and Civil to all Men. The practice of these Vertues will procure you Friends, and imprint a belief in Au­thority that you Deserve their Favour, 'twould be the best Security of our Privi­ledges, of Publick Good, and Steddy Govern­ment. For there is in every Vertuous and Heroick Soul, such a sense of his Subjects Love and Duty, that 'twould be an Affront to the Ingenuity of Human Nature, to suppose that a Prince can be severe upon a Willing and Obedient People.