Church worse to Dissenters then Jesuites.
Citt.They are yourWill-worship-men, yourPrelates Brats: Take the whole Litter of 'um, and you'l findenever a barrel better Herring. Let me tell thee in LoveBumpkin, these Cursare forty times worse toUsthen theJesuits themselves; for theOneis anOpen Enemy, theOtherlies gnawing like a Canker in ourBowells. And then being train'd up toLatinandGreek, there's no opposing of thePower of Godlinesseto theSophistryofHuman Reason: Beside that, theLawisForus in theOneCase, andAgainstus in theOther.
Bum.Which way shall we go to work then, to deal with this Generation of Men?
Citt.We must joyn theWisdomof theSerpent, to theInnocenceof theDove; and endeavour to compass that bystratagem, which we cannot gain byArgument. But now am I going to open aMisteryto thee, that'sworth——
Bum.Prethee theWorthon'tCitt:For talk is but talk, theWorthis theMain point.
Citt.Why then let me tell theeBumpkin, theMisterythat I am about to disclose to thee, wasworthto our Predecessours not long since, no less thenThree Kingdoms, anda better penny. But I'le seal your Lips up, before I stir one step further.
Bum.Why look yeCitt, may this Drink never go thorough me, if ever blab one Syllable of any thing thou tell'st me as a Secret.
Citt.Hold, hold,Bumkin, andmay it never come up again ifthou do'st; for we'l have no shifting.
Bum. And may it never come up again neither if I do.
The strange agreement of Dissenters.
Citt.Well, I'm satisfy'd, and now give attention; thou seest how unanimously fierce all the several Parties of theProtestant Dissentersare against thePapists. Whence comes thisConjunction, I prethee, of so manyseparate Congregations, that are many of them worse thenPapists, OnetoAnother? There must be in it, eitherConscience, orInterest: If it wereConscience, we should fall foulOneuponAnother, and for matter ofInterest; when thePapistsaredestroy'd, we are but still where we were.
Bum.This is a crotchet, Citt,that did not fall under my Night-Cap.
The scope of that Agreement.
Citt.Be enlighten'd then. It is not the Destruction of those that areReally Papists, that will do our Work; for there's nothing to be got by't. But it must be our business to makethose peoplepass forPapists, that arenotso, but only havePlacesto Lose: such as we our selves, by the removal of them, may be the better for; andThis, Bumpkinmust beour Master-piece.
Bum.I had this very phansy my self, Citt;but it stuck betwixt my Teeth, and would not out.
Citt.You hear now in General, what is to be done; You must be next instructed in the Acts ofRaising,Cherishing, andFomentingsuchOpinions; in what Cases toImprovethem, and where toapplythem.
Who are Popishly affected in the first place.
Bum.I'm perswaded my Masters Brother had this very thing in his Head, though he never made any words on't to me, He had got a List of all the considerable Offices and Employments in the Kingdom: And I remember he was us'd to say, that most of the respectiveOfficerswere eitherCorrupt,orPopishly affected.If they werePublick Ministers;either theKings Councellswerebetray'd,or they put him upon Governing in anArbitrary way,and withoutParliaments:As for theJudgesthere was eitherBribery, Absolute Power,orOppressionlaid to their Charge; and so all the rest were branded forFrauds, Imbezilments,and the like, according to the Quality of their businesse: All theGovernoursofTowns, Castles,andForts,werePopishly Inclin'd;and not to be Trusted. And then allEcclesiasticall Officers,whatsoever, within four or five, were half way atRomealready.
Citt.This is well remembred,Bumpkin; Now 'tis worth abodies while to makethese Bladespasse forPapists, andTraitors, that leaveGood Officesbehinde 'um. Nay, we must not suffer so much as any man, either ofBrains, orFortune(that does not joyn withUs) to passe untainted.
Bum.Thou say'st Right, Citt;for whosoever is notWithus, isAgainstus.
Citt.Thou hast spoken patt to This point,Bumpkin, but yet thou begin'st at the wrong End; For you must first get the skill ofRaising, andImproving a Report, before ye come to theFixingof it: For that's a Nicety not to be medled with, till we come to the taking out of the very Pins, and the Unhinging of the Government; So that theFirst Clamourmust be Level'd point-blank at someKnown, andEminent Papists.
Bum.Well, but what shall weCharge 'um with?
Citt.Why, if we were Once at the bottom ofThis Plot(which, upon my soul,Bumpkin, is a most hideous one) and wantedmatterforAnother, I would charge them with a designe of betraying us to aForeign Enemy.
Bum.As how aForeign Enemypre'thee?
A Heavy Charge.
Citt.As Thus: I would charge 'um with holding an Intelligence with the Emperor ofMorocco, for the Landing offive and thirty thousand Light-horse menuponSalisbury Plain.
Bum.Pre'thee, Citt,don'tRomance.
Nothing Incredible.
Citt.Pre'thee do notBalderno, ye should say; SpeakStatutable English, ye Fool you. Thou think'st perhaps that the people will not believe it: Observe but what I say to thee; let it but be put into theProtestant Domestique, that hisImperiall Majestyis to hold up his hand at theKings Bench-barrfor't, and let me be Dogs-meat if they do not swallow That too. Why pre'thee,Bumkin, we must make 'um believe stranger Things than This, or we shall never do our businesse. They must be made to believe that theKingintends to play theTyrant; that all hisCounsellorsarePensionersto theFrench King; that all hisEnemiesare turn'd hisFriends, o'th sodain, and all hisFriends, hisEnemies; ThatPrelacyisAnti-Christian; all ourClergy-men,Papists, theLiturgytheMasse-Book, and that theTen Commandmentsare to be readbackward.
Bum.Blesse me, Citt,what do I hear?
Popish Ministers may have Orthodox Offices.
Citt.Come, come, Sirrah; y'are under an Oath; and Thisis the plain Truth on'. What is it to Thee and Me, I pre'thee, whether theGreat MinistersbeTrue, orFalse; Or whatReligion, theClergyare of, so long as theirLivingsye Rogue, areOrthodox, and theirOffices well-Affected.
Bum.This does Qualifie, I must confess. But you were saying, that the First Clamour should be levell'd at someKnownandEminent Papists:Now what comes after That, I beseech you?
Citt. You may safely Mark all Their Friends then forPopishly-Affected; and so consequentlyon to allthatLove them, and all thatThey Love. When this Opinion is once started, 'tis an Easy matter, by the help ofInvention, andStory, to improve it; and by this means we shall come, in a short time to secure all theCouncilsof the Nation toour Party, that are chosen bySuffrage. If you were read in History you would finde, that stillas thePapistsset the House on fire, theNon-conformiststook the Opportunity of rosting their own Eggs.
Who are Popishly affected.
Bum.Yes, yes, I understand ye. As for Example now,Onegoes to theLordsin theTower, another (as you were saying)drinks theDukes Health,aThirdprays for theQueen:aFourthPhansiesTwo Plots;aFifthrefuses thePetition,aSixthspeaks well of myLord Chief Justice,or calls theProtestant DomestickaLibel.All these now arePopishly-Affected.
Citt.Save your breathBumpkin, and take all in one word: whosoever will not do as we would have him shall bemadeso.
But now to the matter ofInvention, andStory; I hate the over-hearing of Discourses, in Blinde Allyes, and such ordinaryShams: I'm rather for coming downright to theMan, and to thePoynt; after the way of the Protestant Domestique.
Matters of Moment.
Bum.Ay, ay: There's yourfree Speaker.WellCitt, the King wants such men about him.But pre'thee hear me; Is it certain his Majesty has Lent the King ofFrance Three Millions?
Citt.No, no; some Two and a half; or thereabouts.
Bum.Why, if the King would but make a League now with theSwissto keep theTurkoff, That way;and another with theProtestantsinHungary,to keep off theFrench,the whole world could never hurt us.
Citt.Nay that's true enough, but then thePolelies so damnably betwixtUsand theBaltique.
Bum.I'de not value that a Half-penny, so long as we have theWaldensesto Friend.
Citt.And thenNew-Englandlies so conveniently forProvisions.But what do you think of drawingNova Scotia, andGenevainto theAlliance?
Bum.Ay, but there's no hope of that: so long at the King follows these Counsells.
Citt.Thou art a great Read man I perceive in theInterests of States.
Bum.I have always had a phansy toStows SurveyofLondon,and those kinde of Books.
Citt.But GoodBumpkin, what's thy Opinion of theBishops Votes, in Case ofLife and Death?
Bum.Ay, or in Cases ofHeaven and Helleither. Why as true as thou art a manCitt,we have butthree Protestant Bishopsin the Nation; and I am told they are warping too.
Citt.Prethee why should we look for anyProtestant Bishopsin theKingdom, when there's noProtestant Episcopacyin theWorld? but for all this, we may yet live to see theRuflingof theirLawn sleeves.
Bum.Oh, now I think on't; dist thou ever reade the Story ofMosesand theTen Tables?
Citt.TheTwo Tablesin theMountthou mean'st.
Bum. GadI think 'tis theTwo Tables.I read it in Print t'other day, in a very good Book, that as sure as thou art alive now,the Bishops inHenry the 8th.made theTen Commandments.
Citt.Why that was the reason,Bumpkin, when theLords and Commonsput downBishops, they put down theTen Commandments too; and madeNew onesof theirOwn. And dost not thou take notice that they put down theLords Prayertoo, because 'twas akinn to thePopish Pater-Noster? and then for theCreed, they cast it quite out of theDirectory.
Bum.Now as thou lay'st it down to me, the Case is as clear as Christal. And yet when I'm by my self sometime, I'm so affraid methinks of beingDamn'd.
Citt.What for, ye Fop you?
Bum.Why forSwearing, Lying, Dissembling, Cheating, Betraying, Defaming, and the like.
The Brethren are only for Profitable Sins.
Citt.Put it at worst, do not you know that every man must have hisDosofIniquity? And that what you take out inOne wayyou abate for inanother, as inProfaning, Whoring, Drinking, and so forth. Suppose you should see P O Y S O N set in CapitalLetters, uponseaven Vialsin aLaboratory; 'twere a madness I know, for any man to venture his Life upon 'um, without aTaster. But having before your Eyes so many instances, of men that by drinking of these Poysonous Liquors, out of aConsumptive, half-starv'd, andHeart-brokenCondition, growMerry, Fat, andLusty, would not you venture too? Imagine TheseSevenWatersto be theSeven Deadly Sins, and then make yourApplication.
Bum.Nay, the Case is plain enough, and I cannot see why that should be aPoysontome,that's aPreservativetoAnother:Only our Adversaries twit us with Objections ofLawforsooth, andReligion.
Citt.Wherefore the Discipline of the Late Times sav'd a great deal of puzzle. Mr.PrynnsentHis Clientsto Mr. CaseforReligion; and Mr.Case, in requital, sentHisto Mr.PrynforLaw; which kept up a concord among theWell-affected. But your Lesson in both these Cases, falls into a very Narrow compass.
Bum.Pray'e let it bePlainthat I mayunderstandit; andshortthat I mayRememberit.
Three Positions.
Citt.Keep close only to theseThree Positions: First, that theKingisOneof theThree Estates; Secondly, that theSovereign Poweris in thePeople; andThirdly, that it is better to obeyGod, thenMan. These Fundamentals will serve to guide ye in allmost any dispute upon this Matter, that can occur to you.
Bum.But what becomes of me, if my Adversaries should turn the question another way?
Citt.I'le fortify you there too. And let me tell you that he'l have much ado to keep himself Clear of one of these Two Rocks: Either of Dashing upon thePlott, or upon theLiberty of the Subject. As for Example,
L'Estrange Confuted.
There'sL'Estrange; as wary a Dog perhaps, as ever pist; and yet ye shall see how we have hamper'd Him. I writ the thing my self, ye must know, though it comes out in the Name ofthe Authour of the Weekly Pacquet of Advice fromRome. 'Tis Dedicated toBoth Houses of Parliament; and Design'd just for the 26th. ofJanuary: So that if the Parliament had Set, there would have been means us'd to have had him Question'd for't.
Bum.Gad, I know where y'are now. 'Tis in thePrefaceto theHistory of the Damnable Popish Plott.
Citt.Ay, that's it. I'le give ye First, theWordsin't thatconcernL'Estrange, and you shallThensee theWritingsofHisthat I have reflected upon.
Bum.Oh, 'Tis a devilish witty Thing,Citt;I have seen it. Methinks the Rogue, should hang himself out of the way. I'le go toMans Coffee-houseand see how he Looks on't.
Citt.No, no, Pox on him; he's an Impudent Curr; nothing less than a Pillory will ever put Him out of Countenance. This Toad was inNewgate, I know not how long; and yet he'l take no warning.
Bum.You must consider,Citt,that he writes forMoney; O my Soul, they say, the Bishops have given him five hundred Guynnyes.But pre'theeCitt;hast not thou seenthe Answer to the Appeal, Expounded.
Citt.Yes, but I ha' not read it.
Bum.Why then take it from me,Citt,'tis one of the shrewdestPieces that ever came in Print.L'Estrange,you must know, wrote anAnswerto theAppeal.
Citt.We've a sweet Government the while, that any man should dare to fall foul uponThat Appeal.
Bum.Well, but so it is; andAnotherhas written Notes uponHim:You cann't imagineCitt,how he windes him about's Finger; And calls himFidler, Impudent, Clod-pate;and proves him to be aJesuite,and aPapist,as plain as the Nose of a mans Face: he shews ye how he accuses theKings Evidence;and that he is inBoth Plots,in I know not how many places.
Cittdrawing up Articles.
Citt.I have known the man a great while; and let me tell ye in Private, I am to draw upArticlesagainst him. But I have been so busy about myLord Chief Justices Articles, andOther Articlesagainsta Great Woman, that lay upon my hand, that I could not get leisure; and yet I should have met with him long e're This too, for all That, but that theCommitteeSits so cursedly Late: And then they have cut me out such a deal of work about theSuccession. Well I heard a great Lord say, thatThat History of his deserv'd to be burnt by the hand of the Common Hang-man.
Bum.Bravely sayd,Citt,I Faith: who knows but we two may come to bePillarsof theNation? Thoushalt stand up for theCity,and I for theCountry.
EnterTruemanout of a Closet.
EnterTrueman.
Citt.Trepan'd, by the Lord, in our own way.
Trueman.Nay hold, my Masters; we'l have no flinching. Sit down, ye had best, without putting me to the Trouble of a Constable.
Citt.Why we have said nothing, sir, that we care who hears; but because you seem to be a Civill Gentleman, my Service to you, Sir.
Bum.Ay, Sir; and if you'l be pleased to sit down and Chirp over a Pot of Ale as we do, y're wellcome.
Citt'sFaculty and Employment.
True.Very-good; AndYouare theRepresentative(forsooth) of the City, andYou, of theCountry. Twoof thePillarsof theNation, with a Horse-Pox; A man would not let down his Breeches in a House of Office that had butTwo such Supporters. Do not I know you,Citt, to be a littleGrubstreet-Insect, that but t'other day scribled Handy-dandy for someEighteen-penceaJob,ProandCon, and glad on't too? And now, as it pleases the stars, you are advanc'd from theObort, theMiscarriage, I mean, of aCause-splitter, to aDrawer-upofArticles: and for your skill inCounterfeiting hands, preferr'd to be aSollicitorforFobb'd Petitions: You'l do theBishops bus'nesse, and You'l do theDukes bus'nesse; And who butYou, to tell theKingwhen he shall makeWar, orPeace; callParliaments, andwhomtoCommit, andwhomtolet go? And then in your Fuddle, up comes all; what such a Lord told you, and what you told him; and all this Pudder against your Conscience too, even by your own Confession.
Citt.Y'are very much Mis-inform'd of Me, Sir.
True.Come, I know ye too well to be mistaken in you; and for your part,Bumpkin, I look upon you only as a simple Fellow drawn in.
Bumpkinsaccount of himself.
Bum.Not sosimpleneither, it may be, as you take me for. I was aJustices Clerkin theCountrey,till the bus'nesse of thePetitions;and my Master was an Honest Gentleman too, though he's now put out of Commission: And to shew ye that I am none of yoursimple Fellows (do ye mark)if ye have a minde to dispute uponThree Points,I'm for you.First,theKingisOneof theThree Estates;Secondly,theSovereign Poweris in thePeople.AndThirdly,'Tis better to ObeyGodthenMan.
Citt.Always provided,Bumpkin, that the Gentleman take no advantage of what's spoken in Discourse.
True.No, there's my hand I will not; and now let's fall to work. If the King ofEnglandbeOneof theThree Estates, then theLordsandCommonsaretwo Thirdsof theKing of England.
Bumpkin'sway of Argument.
Bum.Oh pox, you've a minde to put a sham upon the Plot, I perceive.
True.Nay, if y'are thereabouts:—Well; If theSoveraigntybe in thePeople, why does not theLawrun In the Name of ourSovereign Lordsthe People?
Bum.This is a meerJesuitical Trick,to disparage theKings Witnesses;forTheyare part of thePeople.Now do you take up the Cudgels, Citt.
True.Do so, and we'l make it a short business, and let's have no shifting.
The Composition of the Committees.
Now to shew ye that I gave good heed to your Discourse, I'le run over the Heads of it as you deliver'd them. First, forCommittees, andGrand Committees, what are they compounded of, butRepublicans, andSeparatists, a Medly of People disaffected both toChurchandState? This you cannot deny; and that they would not suffer any man otherwise affected, to mingle with them. Now beside thescandal, andIll Exampleof suchIrregular Conventions, whoever considers theirPrinciples, may reasonably conclude upon theirDesigns: For they are wiser, I hope, then to lay their Heads together to destroy themselves.
Citt.But it is hard, ifProtestantsmay not meet as well as Other People.
True.Yes,Protestantsmay meet, but not in the quality ofConspirators, no more thenConspirators, may meet under theCloak, andcolourofProtestants. The intent of theMeetingis matter ofState, and you turn it off, to a point ofReligion.
Citt.But is it not matter ofReligionto joyn in aPetitionfor the meeting of aParliament, to bringMalefactorsto aTryall, and toextirpate Popery?
What Petitions warrantable and what not.
True.Such a Petition as you Instance in, is in the appearance of it, not onlyLawfull, butCommendable; But then it must be promoted byLawfull means, and underDecent Circumstances.'Tis a good thing toPreach, or Catechize, but it is not for aLay-manpresently to pluck theParsonout of theDesk, orPulpit, that he himself may do the Office. It is a Good thing to executeJustice, but yeta private manmust not invade theJudgment-Seat, though it were to passe even the mostRighteous Sentence.
Citt.The King may chuse whether he'lGrantor no; So that without invadingHis Rightwe only claim theLibertyofPresentingtheRequest.
No Petition to be press'd after Prohibition.
True.That may be well enough atFirst; but still, afterOne Refusal, and That with aPublick Interdicton the Neck on't, forbidding the pursuance of it; such aPetitionis not by any means to beRepeated.First, out ofRespecttoRegal Authority:Secondly, as theKingis theSole Judgeof the matter:Thirdly, upon theImportunity, it is not so properlyDesiringof a thing, asTuggingfor it.Fourthly, It tends many ways to the Diminution of his MajestiesHonour, in case it be Obtain'd: For it implys, eitherLevity, orFear; or (to make the best on't) theKingconfers theObligation, and theHeads of the Petitionreceive theThanks. Now adde to all this, thesuborningofSubscriptions, and theInflamingofParties, what can be moreUndutifullorDangerous?
Citt.But do not you find manyHonestandConsiderable menconcern'd in thesePetitions?
The Nation poyson'd with False Principles.
The Injustice of our Common Wealthsmen.
True.Yes, in several of themIdo; and the main reason is This. There's no man underFive and Fifty, at Least, that is able to give any Account, of theDesigne, andEffectsof this way of Petitioning inFortyandForty One, but byHear-say: so that This Nation proceeds mostly upon theMaxims, andPolitiques, which ThatRepublicanHumour deliver'd over to us: But yet let theThing, or theMannerof it be as it will, Those thatdisarm'd, andturn'd backtheKentish PetitionersatLondon-bridg. Those thatWounded, andMurther'dtheSurry-Petitioneresin thePalace Yard, only for desiring aPeace, and in order to thePreservationof hislate Majesty:Those Peoplemethinks, that were so OutrageousAgainst Those Petitions(and Several others of the same kind) should not have the Face now to be soViolent, for This. And whoever examines thepresent Roll, will find theOld Republicansto be theRing-leaders.
Bum. Really,Citt, the man speaks Reason.
The mean ways of promoting their Designs.
True.Consider then theMean waysye have of advancing yourPretensions, byFalshoods, andScandals, to disappoint Honest men ofElections; The use ye make of the mostServile Instruments, to promote your Ends; yourfawning MethodsofPopularitytoward theRabble; your ways of undermining theGovernmentof theCity, as well as of theNation; your worse thenJesuitical Evasionsin matter ofConscience; yourNon-sensical Salvo's, andExpositionsofChristian Liberty; your putting out theChurch of Englands Colours, and calling your selvesProtestants, when you are effectually no better thenAlgerines, andPyratingeven uponChristianity it self; your Beating of the wood, in the History of our mostSeditious Times, to startPresidentsandRecordsin favour of your own Disloyal Purposes. ThePharisaicalDistinguishing of your selves from theProfane(as you are pleas'd to stile all others,) even in yourDresse, Tone, Language, &c. Your UncharitableBitternesse of Spirit; yourlying in waitforBlood; and laying ofSnaresfor theUnwaryand theInnocent; and still vouching anInspirationfor all yourWickednesse; your gathering ofall Windstoward the raising of aStorm; YourUnityinOpposition, and innothing Else: yourClamours, andInvectivesagainstPriests, andJesuits, when it is the Church ofEnglandyet, that feels theLast effectof yourSacrilegious Rage. 'Tis not so much theOfficersof the Church, and State, that arePopishly Affected, but theOfficesThemselves; and Those in the first place (as you chuse yourSinstoo) that are mostBeneficiall. To say nothing of your wildImposturesupon theMultitude.——
Citt.Now you talk ofImpostures, what do you think ofL'Estrange's History of the P L O T, and hisAnswer to the A P P E A L? Whether are Those Pamphlets,Imposturesupon theMultitude, orNot?
True.You were saying e'en now, ThatThe History of the Damnable Popish Plotwas of your Writing; Answer me That Question, First; Was it so, or not?
Citt.No, it was not of my Writing; It was done by aProtestant-Club.
True.Why then let me tell ye, if a man may believe thePrefaceto ThatClub-History, or theNotesupon theAnswer to the Appeal(for I have read them all:)L'Estrange's Pamphletsare great abuses upon thePeople: But if you had the Books about ye, the matter were easily clear'd by comparing them.
Citt.By good luck we have 'um all about us, that can anyway concern this Question. And look ye here now.
Reflexions uponL'Estrange.
First,He calls hisAbridgementof theTryals,TheHistoryof thePlot,without mentioning one word of the Original Contrivance, the Preparatives, manner of Discovery, and other Remarkables essential to aHistory.
2.He omitsStaly'sandReading's Tryals,which yet sure had Relation to thePlot.
3.In hisEpistle,he seems to drown thePopish Plotwith suggestions of anImaginary Oneof theProtestants.
4.The amusing People with such Stories, is notoriously a Part of theGrand Popish Designe.
5.Whereas he tells us, that not oneMaterial Pointis omitted, most Readers cannot finde the substantial part of Mr.BedloesEvidence againstWakeman,(P. 46 of the Tryall) So much as hinted at: Not to mention the gross shuffles, and Omissions inPag. 77,and elsewhere.
6.He charges thePrinted Tryals (in his FREEBORN SUBIECTP. 15.)with manyGross Incoherences,and veryMaterial mistakes;yet Instances butOne,and corrected too, as anErratum.
7.When Our Posterity shall urge these Tryals for proof againstPapists,how easily may the subtle Villains stop their Mouths, by alledging from this Authour thatno heed is to be given to the said Tryals;(being so publickly own'd by a Person of his Note, and Late Qualification) to be guilty of so many, and such veryMaterial Mistakes.
The Fore going Reflections Answer'd.
True.Observe here,First L'Estrangeexpounds hisHistoryin theTitle Page, by restraining it to theChargeandDefenceofthe Persons there mentioned: Beside that he calls it anHistorical Abstract, and aSummary, in hisEpistle.
2.Staleys Trialhad no Relation at all to thePlot, andReadingwas not Try'd for'sLife; and so not within the Compass of his intention exprest in thePreface.
3. TheEpistleacknowledges aDetestable Plot, and aConspiracy: but advisesModeration, and that theRabblemay not dictate Laws toAuthority; forthat Licencewas the Cause of theLate Rebellion.
4. It was more then aStory, theMurtherof theLate King, and theSubversionof the Government, and thesuppressingof theseNecessary Hints, andCautionsis notoriously a part of theGrand Phanatical Design.
5. InL'Estranges HistoryherePag.79 and 80. there's every particular of Mr.BedloesEvidence in SirGeorge Wakemans Tryal, Pag.46. with many other passages over and above: whereas yourDamnable HistoryherePag.295. falls short at least by One Half. And then for theshuffles, andOmissionsreflected upon,Pag.77. seeL'Estranges Words, Pag.88.The Lord Chief Justice(says he)after some Remarkes upon theRomish Principles,summ'd up the Evidence, and gave Directions to the Jury:which is the substance of thePagecited in thePreface. Touching yourElsewhere, it is in plainEnglish, No where.
6. Look ye, here's more Juggling. He says S E V E R A LGross Incoherences, and you have made them M A N Y: and then you have left out theParenthesis, (especially in the Latter of them) which varies the Case too. And I remember again, that theErratumwas supply'd afterL'Estrangehadcorrectedit: And sure it was a Gross one too, to expose aProtestant Gentlemanfor aPapist, Nine timesintwo Pages. I could shew ye several otherMaterial Mistakes, but One shall serve forall. Pag.45. (as I take it) ofIrelands Tryal; which you will finde charg'd upon the Press, inL'Estranges History, Pag.18.
7. Pray'e mark me now:L'EstrangefindesErroursof thePressin theOther TryalsandRectifiesthem, in hisOwn: Now if Posterity shall finde in theRight, that theOtherarewrong, they are in no danger of beingMisledby theOne, in what isCorrectedby theOther: And if they do not read theRight Copyat all, there's no harm done to the Other, but they must take it as they finde it. So that thisRemarkis so far fromDisparagingtheProceedings, that a greater Right can hardly be done toPublick Justiceby aPamphlet. But now let theEpistlespeak for itself.
The Episle to L'Estrange's History of the Plot.
There has not been any point, perhaps, in the whole Tract ofEnglish Story, either so dangerous to be mistaken in, or so difficult, and yet so necessary to be understood, as the Mystery of this detestablePlotnow in Agitation. (A Judgement for our Sins, augmented by our Follies,) But the world is so miserably divided betwixt some that will believe every thing, and others nothing that not onlyTruth, butChristianityit self is almost lost between them; and no place left for Sobriety and Moderation. We are come to govern our selves by Dreams and Imaginations; We make everyCoffee-house Talean Article of our Faith; and from Incredible Fables we raise Invincible Arguments. A man must be fierce and violent to get the Reputation of beingWell-affected; as if the calling of one anotherDamned Heretique, andPopish Dog, were the whole Sum of the Controversie. And what's all this, but the effect of a Popular Licence and Appeal? When every Mercenary Scribler shall take upon him to handle matters of Faith, and State; give Laws to Princes; and every Mechanique sit Judge upon the Government! Were not these the very Circumstances of the lateTimes? When the Religious Jugglers from all Quarters fell in with the Rabble, and managed them, as it were, by a certain sleight of hand: TheRodswere turned intoSerpentson both sides, and the Multitude not able to say, which wasAaron, and which theEnchanter. Let us have a Care of the same Incantation over again, Are we not under the protection of a Lawfull Authority? Nor was there ever any thing more narrowly Sifted, or more vigorously discouraged, then thisConspiracy.Reformationis the proper business ofGovernmentandCouncil, but when it comes to work once at the wrong End, there is nothing to be expected from it, butTumultandConvulsion. A Legal and Effectual provision against the Danger ofRomish PracticesandErrours, will never serve Their Turn, whose Quarrel is barely to theNameofPopery, without understanding the Thing it self. And if there were not aRoman Catholickleft in the three Kingdoms, they would be never the better satisfied, for where they cannot find Popery, they will make it: nay and be troubled too thatthey could notfindit. It is no new thing for a Popular Outcry, in the matter ofReligion, to have aState-Factionin the belly of it. The first late Clamour was againstDownright Popery; and then came onPopishly Affected; (Thatsweeps all.) TheOrder of Bishops,and the Discipline of the Churchtook their Turns next; and the next blow was at theCrownit self; when every Man was made aPapistthat would not play the Knave and the Fool, for Company, with the Common People.
These things duly weighed, and considering the Ground of our present Distempers; the Compiler of this Abridgment reckoned that he could not do his Countrymen a better Office, than (by laying before them the naked state of things) to give them at one view, a Prospect, both of the subject matter of their Apprehensions, and of the Vigilance, Zeal, and needful severity of the Government on their behalf. To which end, he hath here drawn up anHistorical Abstractof the whole matter of Fact concerning those Persons who have hitherto been Tryed for their Lives, either upon thePlotit self, or in Relation to it: opposing Authentick Records to wandring Rumours; and delivering theTruthin all Simplicity. He hath not omitted any one material Point: There is not so much as onePartial Strokein it; not a flourish, nor any thing but a bare and plainCollection, without any Tincture either of Credulity, or Passion. And it is brought into so narrow a Compass too, that it will ease the Readershead, as well as hispurse; by clearing him of the puzzle ofForms, andInterlocutories. that serve only to amuse and mislead a man, by breaking the Order, and confounding the Relative parts of theProceeding.
Having this in Contemplation; and being at the same time possest of a most exactSummaryof all passages here in Question; This Reporter was only to cast an Extract of these Notes into a Method: especially finding, that upon comparing the substance of his own papers, with the most warrantable Prints that have been published; his ownAbstractproved to be not only every jot as Correct, but much more Intelligible, which beingshortandfull; he thought might be useful, and find Credit in the world upon its own account, without need of aVoucher.
L'EstrangesNarrative Justify'd.
His Adversary detected
A Bold and senceless libel
True.You have now the whole matter before you; theEpistle, ye see, justifies it self: And then for theNarrative, I dare undertake he shall yield up the Cause, if you can but produce anyOne Material Point, which he hath eitherFalsify'd,Palliated, orOmitted, in the wholeProceeding. But to be plain with you,Citt, One of theAuthoursofyour Prefaceis aCommon setter,a Forger of Hands,a little spyupon theSwaninFishstreet; aHackny Sollicitoragainst bothChurchandState: You know this to be trueCitt; and that I do not speak upon Guess; so thatCalumny, andFalse Witnessingis the best part of thatAuthours Trade. And then thepretended Historyis a directArraignmentof theGovernment. He takes up theKingandCouncil,Pag.381. reflects upon theJudgesin the veryContents, and elsewhere; he descants upon theDuke of Yorkin opposition to the express sense and declaration of theBench,Pag.145. and has the confidence yet to Dedicate thisGally-mawfryof audaciousslanderstothe Two Houses of Parliament. There is little more in the whole, then what has been eaten and spew'd up again Thirty times over: and the intire work is only aMedlyofRags, andSolacisms, pick'd up out ofRubbish, and most suitably put together.
Citt.You may take his part as ye please, But there's a FamousLecturercharg'd him Publiquely forPopery, in hisAnswerto theAppeal; and for falling upon Dr.Lloyd.
L'Estrangecharg'd as a Papist, by a Certain Lecturer.
True.He did so; but at the same time thatLecturerfound no fault with theAppeal it self; and the best on't is, hisTongue'sno more a slander then hisPen: And whoever reads what he has written concerning theLate King, and theEpiscopal Church, will think never the worse ofL'Estrangefor what he says. Now for theReverend Dean of Bangor, I dare say he neverspake, orthoughtof him, but withVeneration. Let me see the book.
The Ground of his Accusation.
Look, ye here, 'tispag.18. inL'Estrange's Impression, and 'tispag.15. inthis; and here's the Point [Their Loyalty and Good service paid to the King(says theAppealerspeaking of the Papists)was meerly in their own Defence.] Now seeL'Estrange's Replyupon it,If it lies(says he)as aReproachupon them that they did then not serve the King out ofLoyalty;that which theydid,was yet better thennot servinghimat all;and better in a Higher degreestill,thenFighting againsthim. And a little after.It is worth the Observation, that not a man drew his Sword in the opposite Cause who was not aKnown Separatist;and that on the Other side, not oneSchismatickever struck stroke in theKings Quarrell.
And now for your Notes upon his Answer, they are so silly, that it were Ridiculous to Reply upon 'um [who knows(says he)but the Regicides were Papists in disguise,pag.19.] And a deal of such senselesse stuff; enough to turn a bodies Stomach. And if you'd inform your self of his Malice; look ye herepag.4.p.9. andp.33 how he Palliates, if not Justifies, the Late Rebellion, the Murther of the Arch-Bishop of St.Andrews, and the drawing of the Sword against the King.
Briefly, 'tis anInsipid Bawlingpiece ofFoolery, from One end to the Other. And it is not but that I highly approve of yourZealfor the Discovery of thePlot, and Suppressing ofPopery, but we are not yet to Trample uponLaws, andPublique Orders, for the attaining even of those Glorious ends.
But now I think on't; deal freely with me; did you really go to theRegistersye spake of, to furnishNamesfor yourSubscriptions?
Citt.No; That was but aFlourish: but all the Rest weLiterallydid.