THE Author foreseeing that our late Peace was not like to continue long, and considering the Great Advantage of a Good Cause in all Differences, out of great Concern for the Good of his Country, has for some years been indea­vouring, in the best manner he could, that ours might be made such, both in respect of Religion, and of Civil Right, while the Peace continued.

As to Matters of Religion, he knew very well long since how In­defensible a Cause we have, and was indeavouring that that might be regularly brought to the Consideration and Cognizance of a Proper Ju­dicature, that is, of a National Synod, or a Convocation of the Clergy.

He observ'd two great Mischiefs in it: One that by how much the worse our Cause is, so much the better is that of our Adversaries against us; whereas was ours but rectified, as it ought to be, it would make that of our Adversaries utterly Indefensable. and necessitate them to mend theirs too; and then that part of the Difference would cease: and besides we should by the same means be freed from the other Mis­chief too; which is so great, that it hath been the principal Occasion of all the Confusions and Scandals both of the former Civil War, and of the late Revolution. For wicked crafty designing Men of no Re­ligion, or any real Virtue, under pretence of concern for Religion, [Page]abused the People with most wicked contrived Lies and Calumnies, till, running themselves into a desperate Case, they run all into those Excesses, which have been the greatest Shame and Dishonour to this Nation, that the Subtile Spirits of , Achitophel and Balaam, or the Devil himself could devise. But the Consideration of these matters of Religion, belonging properly to the Clergy, and such as are in Authority, what is written for that purpose is reserved to be communica­ted to them, and but few others.

As to what is here published concerning Civil Right, the Author at the time of the Peace concluded, had not so much as any suspicion of the Secret Practices, which have since been brought to his Knowledge by such degrees and means, as seem to have been ordered by some Special Divine Providence, without any inquiry by him, except for his farther Satisfaction afterwards. But as he came to the Knowledge of them, he constantly gave notice from first to last, of what he obser­ved or understood, to such in Authority, as he thought most proper; and at last by A Petition and Demand of Right and Justice, as one of the Commons of England, on behalf of himself and the rest, in a Letter to his Representative in the last House of Commons. And since there was so little regard to either by those Gentlemen, he conceives it so great an Injury to all the Commons of England, their Principals, as obligeth him in Duty to the God of Truths and Righte­ousness, to his Prince, and to his Country, to acquaint them a little farther with the Case; that they may consider of farther Special In­structions to their respective Representatives.

It is what was at first intended only for Part of a General Preface to things lately written for the Service of the Church and Kingdom of England; but upon farther Consideration is thought, fit to be pub­lished alone: as followeth.

I COME now to the other part of our Case, concerning CIVIL RIGHT: of which I have already declar'd my Thoughts, as I found, from first to last, as far as was proper for me to do. The Paper intituled, The Fidelity of a Loyal Subject, was sent to King William 10 June, before he went into Holland, and to divers of the Lords of the Privy Council, and Members of Parliament. And all that part of this Collection, intituled, A Message of Peace, was sent to those Lords, and to the Speaker of the House of Commons, and some others, a little before King William's Fast. That concerning the Birth of the Prince of Wales, is part of that, and was also sold alone. And that in the third, intituled, A Petition and Demand of Right, &c. after it had been sent to the Member to whom it was directed, with both our Names at length, and to the Speaker and other Members, was publickly sold at the Exchange and Westmin­ster, &c.

In these and the rest is sufficient Matter of Fact set out, and such as neither was, nor could be denied, and had it been question'd, I was ready to have appear'd, and declar'd upon what Grounds I writ it. Taking that therefore for granted, I am to consider the Justice of our Cause, in respect of the Pre­tended Prince of Wales, as he is stiled, not only in the Addresses of the Abused People, but in the Speech of King William to his last Parliament, wherein he abused not only Him, but them, and himself too; and even in the Declaration of War, since his Death. For I meddle not with the Common Cause of the Confederates; which whatever it be, I think not much advantaged by that Addition.

That King James the Second was Lawful Successor of King Charles the Second, and rightful King of these three Kingdoms and the Territories thereunto belonging, is out of all question with all Men of Sobriety and Conscience.

And that there were those things done by his Authority, which were great Violations of the Rights of the Subjects, is like­wise out of all question.

But 1st. by whose Advice those things were done, which ought in the first place to have been inquired into, (whether by Po­pish Counsels, or Protestant Treachery, and Conspiracy with Fugitive Rebels and Traitors) was never yet made any question; no small Argument that Truth was not their Interest, who might have done it, if they pleased.

And 2dly, that by the Known Laws of this Land, the King in such Cases is not to be questoned, but his Evil Counsellors, by Com­plaint and Remonstrance to him: especially not till he refuse to do Right, maintain and protect them against Right, and so make himself a party with them against the true Constitution of the Government, is, if not asserted, yet admitted and sup­posed, in all the Proceedings in the late Civil War, while any thing of Law was regarded. But the quite contrary in this Case hath been done; the King driven and excluded from the Throne, and the Traytors received and harbour'd.

And 3dly, Whether to take up Arms against their King upon any pretence whatever, tho' doubtful with many, yet with many was out of all doubt, that it was unlawful, by reason of the Publick Declarations of the Nobility, Gentry, Citizens, Bur­gesses, Civil Officers, and of the Loyal Clergy, according to three several Acts of Parliament: But to do it upon Pretence grounded upon Treachery, is without all doubt, not only un­lawful, but abominable with all Men, who have any sense of Conscience or Religion, of Honour, Justice, or of Common Honesty. And yet hath this been done in this Case.

4thly, Of the Matters alledg'd against King James, there was one, concerning the Birth of the Prince of Wales, which had it been true, had been sufficient to have justified all that was done against him: but being false, and not only false, but a contriv'd Calumny, is as great a Demonstration of the Wickedness of them.

5thly, And this, having been alledged by the Prince of Orange in his Declaration, and referred to the Examination of a Free Parliament; the question in effect was, Whether King James or himself was the Impostor? And his neglect of that Examination, when it was in his Power, notwithstanding all the Occasions for it, was a manifest Injury to King James, and Evidence of it against himself.

6thly, All these Injuries to King James, by Treacherous Coun­sels, by such abominable Lies and Calumnies, by driving him out of his Kingdom upon such false and wicked Pretences, and refusal of Justice in all these particulars, all contrary to the Fidelity and Allegiance sworn to him, and his Lawful Successors, was the Introduction to that which Crown'd all; that which came in course to be read for the first Lesson, while I was writing this, Hos. 8. Where God complains, Israel hath cast off [Page 5]the thing that is good; the Enemy shall pursue him: They have set up Kings, but not by me; they have made Princes, and I knew it not: I mean the Act of Setlement.

7thly, This Act is not only an Addition to all the precedent Injuries, but a farther Proof and Confirmation of the Iniquity of them: For the Convention being Conscious, that all the other Pretences were as insufficient in Law, as deficient in Truth, were forc'd to strain their Wits, as well as their Consciences, to find out some other more plausible; which at last was a very lame one in the bottom, only made more passable with the abused prejudic'd People, by new Adopted Terms of Abdication and Vacancy of the Throne. For Abdication is a voluntary Act, without intent to reassume, or return to what is forsaken. But King James, from the Experience he had of the Usage of his Father, and of the Attempts against his Brother and him­self, by desperate Factions, had just Cause of Fear; and besides, was perswaded by the Prince, under Pretence of Kindness, to withdraw from the Fury of the People; and did actually re­turn again as soon, and as far as he could.

8thly, To all these Injuries done to King James, that is no small Addition, which is done to his Son, to Exclude him, to Attaint him, and to Abjure him; and for no other Cause or Pretence, but his Education in a Religion different from this, which I have shewed to be so faulty before; and which brings forth such Fruits, as I am considering now; and which is so little regarded by such as make it their Pretence, as to be used by them for no other purpose. But as this is a great Addition to all these; so all these are to be taken into the Account of the Injuries done to the Son, as the Ground of them.

And now by all this, I think it very apparent to all, who have any sense of Justice or Honesty in them, how monstrous­ly unjust a Cause this is among Men: but to understand more fully how wicked it is in the Sight of God, there is more yet to be considered.

It was not King James alone, and his Son, and Family, who were greatly injur'd by these things, but also the People of this Nation, and of all the three Kingdoms, tho' this most of any. Which, tho' it may seem strange, by reason of their free Con­currence, yet it is never the less true, if they were abused and imposed upon in it.

Two things there were, which were much cry'd up, and by which the People were most incensed against the King; One, That he and the Queen had agreed to impose a Supposititious Child upon the Nation: The other, That the Bishops were sent to the Tower for that purpose, that the Business might be the better manag'd in their Absence. But the first was not only false, but a most Devillish contriv'd Calumny, as I have sufficiently shewed in my Papers, and could say more if there was occasion; and that it was contriv'd contrary to certain Knowledge. And the other not only an improbable Suggestion; for, what could their Ab­sence avail, when so many others were present? But the very depth of Satan, and a treacherous Practice, whereby the poor King himself was imposed upon contrary to his own Mind, that they might not be present at the Labour, and Witnesses to it, and that the Belief of that Lie and Calumny might be thereby confirm'd. So that by both these they were most wickedly abused and imposed upon; and the English being naturally a plain down-right resolute People, and abomina­ting Tricks and Cheats, but especially to be so abused as they were made believe, this made them so ready to receive him as their Deliverer, who was in Truth the Principal in the Abuse and Imposture put upon them. Their Concurrence therefore in fact, in what they were themselves abused, is not to be im­puted to them as their reasonable and deliberate Act.

But the Business was undoubtedly manag'd by Conspiracy be­tween some Fugitives at the Hague, upon Monmouth's Defeat (who 'tis said was betray'd into that Undertaking, by such as made their Advantage of it) and their Treacherous Correspon­dents in King James's Court: with whom many others of like Loose Principles struck in afterward for Preferment, and com­posed the desperate wicked Faction, which being hardened with the Success of so great Wickedness, cast off all regard to Reli­gion, Morality, and Common Honesty, and have run things to such Madness and Extravagances. But their great Support being now remov'd, 'tis to be hop'd we may come at last to more Sober Counsels: and that all these Injuries shall be righted as soon as may be. For, besides the Indignities done to the Royal Family, those to the People are very considerable. For they have been injured in their Honour and Reputation, by the Abuses put upon them; in their Religion, by the Scandals [Page 7]brought upon it; in their Estates by the vast Expenses they have been at, and all consum'd in foreign Parts, to the advantage of our pretended Friends, but secret Corrivals, and in the vast Debts contracted; in their Peace by an Unjust and Wicked Occasion of an endless War intailed upon these Nations; and in their Souls by manifold Sins and Wickedness, and strong Temptations to greater; as if the Spirits of Achitophel and Ba­laam were come amongst us. By the Mischiefs to the Nation, as well as to the Royal Family, may be perceiv'd what Interest has been promoted, and what Vipers we have had in our Bowels.

But since it hath pleased God to give us an English Heart again upon the Throne, and one so obliged by the Laws of Nature, of God, and of the Land, and sensible, I hope, of these great Obligations, we may hope to see the true English Spirit again reviv'd in the People, with a just Resentment of the Abuses, and some Reparation for the Dishonour and Injuries done unto them: and to learn by dear bought Experience to beware of such Factions at home, and of Foreigners abroad; to value those, who are true to the Principles they honestly own; and beware of those, who have either none at all, or such as are uncertain what they are, or certainly very bad: and to see Truth and Righteousness again restored amongst us, after such Experience of the unhappy Consequences of Wicked Policies, and the in­direct Practices of Lies, Calumnies, and all Iniquity.

And our Hopes may be not a little encouraged by the Easiness of our Work, if it be duly consider'd: For as the ways of Falshood, Treachery, and Iniquity, are always not only unhappy in the End, but indirect, rugged and dangerous in the passage; so the Ways of Truth and Righteousness are not only happy in the End, but direct, plain, easy, and pleasant Paths. We need nothing but true English Spirits, among the Commons, and true Christian Spirits among the Clergy, and a Religious Observance of the Coronation Oath upon the Throne, and that it be indeed a Throne of Righteousness, and not of Iniquity.

But it must be remember'd that the True English Spirit is not only a Spirit of Honesty and Generosity, but a Spirit of true and sincere Religion at the bottom: And if we have such a Spirit return again into St. Stephen's Chappel, we shall not only have the Honour of the Nation restored by eminent Demonstrations that it was only a prevalent Faction, by which all the Dishonour [Page 8]and Mischiefs have been brought upon us; but the Honour of God in the first place restored in Truth and Sincerity in that Sacred place, by proper Demonstrations that it was not only a Prevalent but an Impious and Hypocritical Faction that did it. Of which we have had sufficient Divine Admonitions in the Answers to those two Formal Fasts; that upon the Address of that short-liv'd Parliament, and that upon the Princely Consideration, and Religious Disposition of King William, if they be well consider'd.

And it must be remember'd also, that the true Christian Spirit is a true English Spirit, in the perfection of all its most excellent Qualities. And therefore unless the Cranmerian, Tem­porizing, Treacherous Spirit be cast out of the Jerusalem Cham­ber, or at least out of Hen. 7. Chapel, the casting out the Factious, Impious, and Hypocritical Spirit, out of the Com­mons alone, cannot bring our Work to its due Perfection: and if we have both those true Spirits in Unity upon the Throne, we shall see those Cursed Roots of Perjury and all Wickedness planted in this Nation by Hen. 8. and his Daughter, utterly exter­pated, and the kindly Plants of Truth, Righteousness, and true Piety, abounding in the pleasant Fruits of Peace and Happi­ness, revived and flourish again amongst us: Which is the on­ly aim of all my Labours, which have been opposed with so much Wickedness and Madness, notwithstanding the plain honest Design, and Sound effectual Expedients proposed in them.

THESE things having been laid before the Lower House of Convocation, and the House of Commons, it is fit they should be consider'd by the Clergy of the several Diocesses and Ʋniversities, and by the Commons of the several Counties, Cities and Burroughs before those Assemblies meet again, or as soon as may be: And none but Factious Spirits can be against it.