THere was a Time (in the Year 1680.) when this Illustrious Prince, James Duke of York, seem'd to the morose, and ruder sort of People, to lie under a Cloud; And the Factious, at that Time, seem'd to Eclipse His Glory: And then to assert His Royal Highness to be a [Page 2] good Subject to His Majesty, and that there were no reasonable Arguments ever brought to prove him a Papist, was all one to them, as to have affirmed, That the Pope was In­fallible, or that the Real Presence was in the Elements of Bread and Wine after Consecration, and as little it would have been believed.

Yet some there were, even in that Time, (whereof one was my intimate Acquaintance) that had the Courage, and the Honesty, to justify the Dukes Loyalty, and to beat back all the Arguments then used to prove Him a Roman Catholick.

I shall therefore take his method, and in­troduce my Discourse with those Reasona­ble Arguments that make most to my pur­pose, and cannot without impudence be deny'd.

For, What can be more Demonstrably [Page 3] plain to prove the Duke a Protestant, than the Words of the Act of Parliament, 25 Car. 2. To throw Popish Recusants out of all Offices, and Places of Trust, and to Displace them from the Household, Service or Imploy­ment of His Majesty, or of His Royal Highness, the Duke of York.

Is here not the King, and His Brother, wisely considered by this Act? does it not fence them about, and guard them from Jesuitical approaches, that might slyly insi­nuate themselves into Courts and Imploy­ments, without a Test? Now, since God and Nature has provided so well for Us, as to give Us so wise a King, and so Illustrious a Prince; Both springing from the Loyns of that Most Glorious Martyr, Charles the First, our Late King, who dyed for the Protestant Religion: Can we exercise our jealousies over again, and dodge with the [Page 4] Government with pitiful scruples, and Wrestings of such generous expressions, and Confidence the then Parliament had of the Duke, at the Time of making that Act? Against so plain an Exception of His Per­son, the direct words of which can never al­low him to be in the penalty of that Law; though, at that Time, the Duke might see occasion to lay down several of His great Offices, which might make some sort of Men conjecture it was done for that end and purpose; As if it were not sufficient to belie one Prince to His Grave, but we must endeavour a Second time to do so in his Issue; And as if the malice of one Age were not enough to make a Nation misera­ble, but that it must be Intailed upon their Posterity, to render it utterly destroy'd in the next.

Were it not that the Eyes of the great­est [Page 5] part of the Nation are opened by these, and the like Observations, twere probable, we might once more suffer under the like Circumstances: But, thanks be to God, who has put it in the Heart of our King, to guide us in the ways of Peace, and to bear with the Infirmities of those who have been grie­vously infected with Anti-Monarchick, and Destructive Principles.

And, What can the Parliament mean, when they made an Act in the Thirtieth Year of Car. 2d. To disable every Person from Sitting in the House of Parliament, that would not take the Test? To make a Proviso, That it should not extend to the Duke of York; were it not that they valeued him as a Person of that Honour, and Generosity that they could do no less than distinguish him from the rest of His Majesties Subjects, especially since He is so neerly Related to [Page 6] the Crown, has so well deserved of the King, and has been so often thankt for His good Services by themselves: This is so plain, and the Character of a Papist fixt up­on the Duke so malicious, that it needs no Vindication, were it not to undeceive a Ge­neration of Men whose Fathers having suck'd in the Poyson of Rebellion in the Last Age, have made it their utmost en­deavour, to introduce it in this.

Can any thing give us more Assurance of His Royal Highness, than the Words of the best of Kings, who in a Speech to His Parliament on the 6th. of March, in the 31 Year of His Reign, told Them, He had Commanded His Brother to absent Him­self from Him, because He would not leave the most malicious Men room to say, He had not removed all Causes, which could be pre­tended to influence Him towards Popish Coun­cels. [Page 7] Is here not a Reflection on the King himself by the most malicious, which the King is pleased to take▪ Notice of? And, when He Commands His Brothers Absence, is it not to stop the mouths of the malici­ous? And, their spiteful calling of the Duke, PAPIST, Or His inclining the King to­wards Popish Councels, call'd by His Ma­jesty, any thing else than a Pretence? what then shall be said to such malicious preten­ders, if even Their own Request granted, though never so unreasonable, will not give them satisfaction? it behoves therefore His Majesty's good Subjects, to be more unani­mous, and Hearty to one another, that so it may break the Hearts of all Malicious Pretenders, who, under the mask of Liberty, Property, and Religion, endeavour the De­struction, and Ruine of the King, and King­dome: who can hence forward be so blind, [Page 8] and sottish, to credit a correspondence be­tween the Pope, and the Duke of York, for the bringing in of the Roman Catholick Reli­gion, as has been pretended? And, who can, for the time to come, imagine Letters and Intreagues of that nature, when the ut­most of the Design that has hitherto ap­peared, supposing those Letters to be the Duke's, can reach no farther than a Civil Behaviour, which is due to the Turk, Mo­gul, or King of Morocco? We are obliged to Trade in those Countrys; yet we can­not, with safety and security, without a Correspondence: And, who are so proper to transact such Affairs, as the prime Mi­nisters of State?

From what has been said, 'tis Monstrous to raise a Belief of the Duke's Recusancy, from the King's Speech, which clearly explains its self; or from the afore-recited Acts of [Page 9] Parliament, which many would interpret to the prejudice of His Royal Highness, though the Nemine Contradicente of the House of Com­mons, on Sunday April 1679. does even then credit its own Report, with no other Reasons than what may seem to the Judici­ous Reader, to be here fully Answer'd: And it must the rather be thought so, when the Triple Vote of the House of Commons was afterwards incountred with the Opinion of the House of Lords, who rejected the Bill against the Duke, because They were not so satisfied.

Now having deliver'd to you the Glori­ous condition of a Happy Favourite, seated on the Right Hand of Majesty, as well by His own Merit, as His Princes choice; who was Honoured and esteemed by good Men, and was a Terrour only to the Bad:

Let Us trace Him from White-Hall, dri­ven [Page 10] by the Impetuosity of his Enemies, from the Presence of the King, and luster of a Court, into a solitary Banishment: Let us observe Him leaving our shoare, and rendring himself to the unconstant Ocean, which is not yet so unsettled, as the Land from which He parted: And, though many Waves lifted up their Voices against Him: yet, by the greater number, let us consider Him (though among Enemies) Wafted into a Safe Harbour: For, being a Noble Foe, He could Fear no danger in His Misfortunes, when in His Triumphs He could not insult over His Adversaries amongst Forreigners, His Cardinal Vertues (so much slighted by Us) made Him more Honoured, than He was Here, with the Addition of His Guards, and Dignities: There, amongst the most zealous Papist, He was lookt upon as an in­jured Protestant Prince, bearing the Figure [Page 11] of His Father's goodness and constancy: There, He propagated Our Protestant Do­ctrine, whilst Here He was falsely surmised to endeavour its Destruction: Whilst He was There, with those who would have been glad of any Opportunity to affront our Nation, He manifested so much Duty and Loyalty, so much Love and Respect for His King and Country; That He made faithful Friends and Ally's, of Those that might otherwise have been our Mortal Ene­mies, and would have trampled upon our Religion, and made Their will Their Law: So that the malice of a Banishment intend­ed by his Adversaries, could not prevent the Charactar of a Peace-maker, a worthy Patriot, a grand Polititian, a Friend (as well as Brother) to the King, a Joseph, a Preser­ver of those that dispitefully used Him, and Trayterously sought his Ruine.

[Page 12]Thus are the false Achitophels mistaken, and, against their Wills, are saved from the danger they would avoid by Him, whom They intended to destroy.

But now, it is Time to consider of His Return: Our Vigilant King sitting at the Helm; and carefully watching every Mo­tion of the Government, found it necessa­ry so prudent a States-man should not al­ways lie under Hatches: He no sooner spake, than all who Loved the King had Their Eyes upon the shoare, and Their Dayly Prayers for the Duke were, That the Seas and Winds might render His Voy­age pleasant and delightful; and that each gentle Gale might direct Him into the Har­bour of our Hearts and Armes, that we might deliver Him safe into the Embraces of his King and Brother.

Behold Him come, His Sailes fill'd with [Page 13] Honour and Renown; Though surly Ne­reus, dreading His own Overthrow, had laid an Ambush behind a Mountainous Wave, to encounter Him: But He was not to be overcome in those Seas, on which He had Victoriously rode High Admiral: To Him, Neptune must Bow, though armed with His Trident, and mounted on the Leviathan.

And one would guess, 'twas in pursu­ance of this League Marine, that he so late­ly sent in his High and Mighty Flouds to in­vade the Low Countrys, lest himself should be again controuled by that dreadful Power he never could withstand.

Therefore in vain do you strive, you hand­ful of discontented Common-wealths-men, in vain do you set yourselves against this Hero, you shall be forced to contribute to his Greatness, whom all the World admires, [Page 14] even your Meritorious sufferings shall add to his Glory.

And now (Kind Reader) take one view more, and then farewel: Behold the King like Solomon, in the mid'st of the Multitude of his Councellors, consulting the safety of himself, and of his Kingdoms, dispencing his gentle Influences every where, and like a Deity, warming the coldest corners of the Land: And then cast your Eyes on a Rebellious, and stiff-necked Nation, such as Israel was of Old, wanton with ease and plenty, froward and discontented; Who would never serve their God, but on­ly as they pleased, nor obey their Prince in any of his just Commands. And after this prospect Review our Hero, whose Vertues are a Task for the whole World to imitate. And see him in Obedience to his Kings Commands, making an easy Progress into [Page 15] the Hearts of these untameable People; though the way that leads to their Hearts, as well to as their Country, is naturally Sub­ject to many difficulties: See him Settling, Confirming, and giving a Lustre to that Religion that here we would exclude him from, together with his Birth-right, and make him wander for a God, as well as for a Country.

Behold him incouraging the Kings Loy­al and good Subjects, and reducing the un­settled minds of a discontented Party into their due Obedience.

Thus, our High Commissioner has God and the King, Religion, and Loyalty to justify his proceedings; whilst those who Damn him, with their pretended God with Us, are like to suffer Heavens Vengeance for their Presumption, if God gives them not the Grace of Repentance.

[Page 16]Now, from these and several other Rea­sons that may be given, I hope there is none that will be so foolish, or obstinately wicked, as to persist in the Opinion of the Duke's separating himself from the Interest of the King, and Kingdom, after so many instances to evince the contrary: But if any sort of Men can be so Crazy, or Mad, to continue in so palpable an error; the World must conclude them busy bodies, and Med­lers in what they have nothing to do; Common-wealths-men, Trayterous Asso­ciators, and such as would disturb the pre­sent Government, and for a livelyhood would wish our Waters as much disturbed, or more then the Hollanders were, by their late Inundation: And whilst these Incendia­ries remain, Faction cannot be thought strange, or Rebellion quite out of Fashion.

Especially, when His Royal Highness, [Page 17] King's only Brother, shall be Assassinated in Effigie, for want of a fitter opportunity to exercise their Malice upon His Person: Tis against the Duke they lay their Seige, a­gainst the Duke they ingage a Party: But the Government is not so unwary, as not to provide against their dangerous ap­proaches, knowing their Squint-Eyed Re­venge carries with it a Malicious intent a­gainst the Person of His Sacred Majesty.

But to conclude, were I to give my O­pinion what remedy might best serve to Cure this Kings-Evil, it should be to be Touch'd, were it not so Universal that it would prove the greater evil of the two, in bringing a Consumption upon the Kings Exchequer, which none can so well remedy, as a Loyal, Grateful Parliament, by making a bountiful return to their most Gracious King and Governor: I shall say no more, [Page 18] who am but a Wellwisher to the King, and Kingdom: Only, may Heaven preserve His Majesty, and this Government, as now Establish'd; And may His Majesty have a long and happy Reign; And when He has finished His Days, may his Memory be re­nowned to future Ages, as His Clemency and Goodness has been manifested to Us, and the rest of the World, in This.

I Am sensible, whatever you hold of the Infallibility of the Pope, that you, who are of that Perswasion are not Infallible; otherways, you would not have insinuated an Opinion of the Duke of Yorks being a Pa­pist amongst the King's Leige People, and at last, suffer your selves to be mistaken; Notwithstanding, at that time, you had drawn so great a Party of the King's Sub­jects [Page 20] into your confederacy. It was a Malevo­lent Conjunction, and had an ill Aspect on the Government; and render'd it unstable, and tottering, even in the Opinion of those who guided the great Affairs of State under His Majesty. It was therefore your very good Luck to lay hold on the Horns of the Altar, to seek the Mercy of the King, whom you have highly offended; such Mercy, and such Goodness, you could never expect in any other Age: The Ju­stice of the Kingdome cry'd alowd for Ven­geance against your Plots, and Designs a­gainst the Life of the King, His Royal Bro­ther, and Friends: Yet, you see, those ve­ry Lives which were Trayterously intended to be taken away, are now interposing be­tween you and Danger: and the Second Person in the Kingdom, is here Mediating with the King of England, to remember [Page 21] Mercy in Justice, and to spare those who have no reason to expect any Favour, since They have so highly offended: Therefore May it now happen to you, as when our Saviour gave that Kind Admonition to His Criminal: Go, Sin no more, lest a worse thing happen to you. For in vain you perswade the Ignorant and simple People, that our Prin­ces are Papists, and our Ministry and Gen­try Popishly Affected: When their Pious Resolutions, as well as Interest, are never to return again to the slavery of the Papal-See, upon any Opportunity whatsoever. Therefore let me advise you as a Friend, joyn not with those Dissenters, which your selves have made; Assist not in their Meet­ings; fill not their Congregations, neither Reconcile them to Rome, nor draw them from their Allegiance; but suffer them ra­ther, with your selves, to be converted to [Page 22] the Communion of the Church of England, and to the Government of the King, Re­nouncing all Forreign Powers, and Ju­risdictions, which may alianate your Affecti­ons and Obligations to our present Govern­ment, as by Law Establish'd, either in Church, or State.

This is the Way, walk in it; and those who bold out to the end, shall be Happy.