ANSWER To a Late Scandalous Libel MADE ON THE Ld. Arch-B. of C. And the Bishop of Heref.
By way of Dialogue.
NEighbour, I am sorry that I now a-days can never see you at Church, or at Sacrament, I remember the time when you was a constant man.
Hold there Sir, I must borrow one of Roger or Harry's Distinctions, I was constant at Church, but not a constant man of the Church; and I was unwilling that any Advantage should be taken against me by those little Officers employed for persecuting honest Dissenters.
And in troth I think thou wert in the right on't, when Whiggs were uppermost the Church of- England-men could scarce preserve the Crown or themselves, then I cryd out against Popery, and tis well known that I then writ the Pacquet of Advice from Rome, and gave severe glances on the Church of England too, [Page 2] as not much better, and a-gad, I would have invented any. Lye to scandalize that Party, and take with the Rabble (whom I then studyed most to please) but in good sooth I had so much True Matter from Rome that I stood in no want for Invention. But now having made a Truce against the Common Enemy, I have some of the other Party furnishes me with such admirable reasons, which by example of Bays I make my own Ey, and Ey Gad too, I emprove 'em.
Hark y'e Neighbour, is not this the Saucie, Scandalous Fellow, who writ that ridiculous Libel against the Arch-Bishop of Canterbury, and the Bishop of Hereford, which he calls a Dialogue.
This may be him, for I have heard it was done by a bold hand, and I'll assure ye I do not know such a notable Man in the three Kingdoms for drawing a thing to the Life, and between you and I, he is one of the best Friends we have for endeavouring the raking away those impious Laws for Payment of Tythes, and for enforcing af mens Consciences against their Interests and Inclinations; But I must beg yo'r Pardon if I desire him and your self to be better Acquainted.
I thank ye for yo'r Civility, but I believe men of a Loyal Disposition will not sure with his Temper.
O Sir, now he is all over Loyal— Mr. Care, Pray be Acquainted with this Honest Gentleman, I have given your Character to him.
Sir, before I become Acquainted with ye, you must Answer a plain Question.
Sir any honest Question I shall readily give an Answer to; but I hope, the sence I have of things, being plainly discoursed, shall not be informed of, or mis-represented in another place.
'Tis true, I have been a Writer in all times, for the prevailing Side, but I have written so much against Parators, In formers, and yo'r Church of England Constables, Justices of Peace, the persecuting Judges, and other Presenters, and Persecutors, that I cannot now in a Court of Justice expect to be believ'd, tho' I should become an Evidence, or sourvey Informer, but pray Sir, keep within Compass, for I must hear nothing against the Government.
No, No, God forbid (Sir) nothing against the Government, nothing against Obedience, or for Liberty of Conscience otherwise then is granted to us, according to Law.
Why Mr. C. I understand ye commit Scandalum Magnatum, and would frighten the Lawyers out of their Reading and Senses, and give your Advice as frankly in publick Affairs as a Privy Councellor. Is this according to Law?
Sir, Pray Sir, I demanded the first Question, which if you will not hear; Your Servant Sir. Will you—
Oh! Sir, I see what you would beat, No. But pray, Sir, Who gave ye the power of Interrogating any his Majesties Subjects about Laws or Government? What Commission have ye? or is it for the sake of Medling, Gain, or Necessity, as you venture at Scribling? Come, Sir, The Thief may through Necessity, or for some Booty, Rob; but unless the Government be very Merciful, he must hang for it afterwards. I'le tell thee, I was at the Temple with my Lawyer, and before him lay that Impudent. False, Militious, ignorant Dialogue, Hawk'd about on Saturday last, fixing on the Greatest Prelate and Peer of this Nation, ridiculous Reasons for not Reading the King's Declaration; He assur'd me that it was not only an Offence inquirable and punishable by the Government; But that (according to Modern Presidents) his Grace and Lordship, might bring their Actions at the Common Law, and recover more Damage against thee, than all thy Factious Crew would ever give for the purchase of thy Life, or their Liberties, otherwise than by Magna Charta and the King's Royal Protection, they ought to enjoy.
Neighbour! But pray, of what Religion and Temper of Mind was the Man, I fear some Notorious Man against Blessed, Simple, and Pure Conscience?
Truly I saw a late Poem in his Study, of Mr. Dryden's on the Prince; where I observ'd in fol. 8. the 10. and 11. lines, speaking of his Baptismal Drops.
What he meant, I leave to you, but I hope he intended only such Consciences as thine: For in truth I always look'd on thee as a Hypocrite, and so I find thee, and so I fear shall leave thee:
Sir, I know you not, Sir, I'le warrant you Sir, he and you were, worthy Sir, both of a Church, a National Church, Sir, a Loyal obedient Church, Sir; and if we knew him, Sir, We should make him repent, Sir; And so Farewell Sir. Your Servant, Sir. Your Servant, Sir. We fear you not, Sir, Actions, Damages, Fines, &c. Sir. This Lawyer would fain be a Judge, a Recorder, or some such thing, Sir. I'le warrant he never was so Loyal, nor you, Sir, if you be of the Church as you call it, to stand by the King, but to preserve your self, and to persecute, as I have several ways in sundry of my Occurrences notably written,
I'le tell thee, that he is what I am, and that we both were always Loyal Church-men as by the Loyal Addresses we Sign'd to before thy Occurrences came in Vogue, and a little after thy Pacquets were out of fashion, and by such Rogues as thee, called Papists in Masquerade. We were not only alwaies Loyal, but one of our Fathers was Sequestred, decimated, and dyed in Prison for the sake of the Blessed Martyr, the Father of our present Sovereign (whom God long preserve) and his Grand-Father in York-shire raised two Troops of Horse at his own Charge, under the Lord Hopton, and was killed in Actual Service, before the Surrender of Oxford. My Father dyed also upon that Account. And We have been stiff to our Duty on all Occasions, without any regard to our Interests, against Exclusioners, who would have turn'd the World upside down, destroyed the Late Good, and this present Merciful King; set up a Monmouth or a Shaftsbury, divided amongst 'em all our Estates, and trampled on the whole Hierarchy of the Legally Established and un-impeach'd, un-blemished, Loyal and True Christian Church of England.