THERE was never any Design so black and Criminous, but found some persons so Profligate, as to become its Pa­trons; there wanted not an Iscariot for Thirty pieces of Sil­ver, to betray his Master, nor a popular pretence, saving of the State, lest the Romans should come, and take away their Place, and Nation, to put the better colour upon the Murder of our Savi­our: And a nearer Instance will abundantly refresh our Memories, without more than the trouble of remembring Jan. 30. 1648.

The worst Surfeits are taken by the most lushious Fruits, and no Poyson can be so dangerous, as that which has the name of an Antidote written upon the Box. There was never any mischief in State or Kingdom, but the People were first drawn in to believe, that the Projectors were their Friends, and then those Juglers pre-possess them with false apprehensions of things, and undertake to redress all their Grievances. They are prodigal in their fair Promises, and flattering Speeches, like Absalom, when they in­tend the foulest Enterprizes.

Certainly, the happiness of a People consists in Peace, which is the Mother of all desirables of this World, and Peace most certainly depends upon the due Subjection, and Obedience of the People to their Sovereign, and the wise and wholsome establishments of Laws. And therefore they who design to subvert the one, or disturb the other, always represent the Laws uneasie, or the Sovereign unjust, and apply their whole endeavours to create, foment, and increase Mis-understandings between the Prince and his People.

Whoever goes about to divorce these two, whom God hath joyned to­gether, ought to be reputed an Enemy to both, a betrayer of his Country, and a most dangerous Incendiary, a pestilent Fellow, and a mover of Sedition.

Now, as the greatest Artifice is to conceal the Act, so I find the Author of this Libel, by which he pretends to save England, so great a Master in the Talent of deceiving, that he might have been Tutor, as he is, certainly the Scholar, to that old guilded Serpent, who deceived Eve. For he has not planted his Battery against any particular part of the Govern­ment, That would have been too visible, but he has undermined the very Foundation, and has endeavoured to spoil the whole frame, not by open breaking the whole, but by altering the weights, which keep the Move­ment right, and in due order.

He has first violated the greatest Priviledge of the People of England, indeavouring to rob them of that ancient right, liberty and freedom of Election of persons to represent them in Parliament, imposing upon them by the specious way of Advice, Restrictions, Limitations, Rules and Di­rections in their Choice.

Secondly, He has violated the priviledge and honour of the Commons-House in Parliament, who have ever endeavoured to have their Reputa­tion secured by the freedom of the Election of their Members. And I re­member, [Page 2]that even the Commons of that Parliament of November the Third, 1640. who are sufficiently memorable, and possibly, for which this Libeller has a veneration, when some great Lords only writ a Letter Recommendatory about the Election of an inconsiderable Burrough, vo­ted it a high breach of Priviledge: And yet our pert Libeller, or Legion, for any thing I know has had the confidence to write, and for expedition to Print a Letter Recommendatory, and disperse it to all the Counties, and Cities, Burroughs and Corporations of England, thereby to forestal the Elections; One of which Letters, by mistaking his person came to be discovered, and you shall presently see the Tenor of it.

Thirdly, He has by many false, disloyal, not to say traiterous Insinuati­ons, indeavoured to defame His Sacred Majesty, and the established Go­vernment, and to bring a general Odium upon both, thereby to alienate the affections of the People from their natural Liege-Lord, to the impair­ing of his Honour, Justice and Wisdom, the great supporters of his Im­perial Scepter, Crown, and Dignity.

Fourthly, He has indeavoured to heighten the present unhappy mis-un­derstandings, and to possess the People with Fears, Terrors and dismal Ap­prehensions of I know not what Despotick power, Tyranny and Arbitra­ry Government that is coming in upon them, and that their ALL, Lives, Liberties, Religion, and Estates are at Stake, with such fulsomly Rebellious reflections upon the King and Government, as may animate the People by a desperate effort of Sedition to Rebel against their most Gracious Sove­reign.

Fifthly, He has cunningly aspersed, and vilified a great number of His Majesties most Dutiful, and Loyal Subjects of all Orders, and Ranks as Enemies to the Kingdom, Pentioners, Courtiers, romoters of a Popish Interest, and Succession, and defames by whole-Sale many worthy Gentle­men of most approved Loyalty and Fidelity to their King, and sound principles in the Protestant Religion as by Law Established, thereby to in­capacitate them from being Elected to serve their King and Countrey as Members of Parliament; by rendring them suspected, and odious to the Electors: And indeed the whole drift of the Libel, is to prevent such as are of known Integrity to the King, and the Church from coming into the next House of Commons, and to persuade them to choose Men of large Principles as he calls them, which I need not I think explain for he does it himself, as you shall see hereafter.

This is a great and heavy charge, but I will make it out true to a Tittle, and yet shall draw but a few strictures upon a Libel, for which at some times the Author would not only have lost his Ears, but hazarded the Head, that framed it, and let him have a care, Justice, and the Vengeance both of Heaven, and of Kings that have long Arms.

The Letter will make good the first and second Articles, and the Book both them, and all the rest. The Letter was superscribed, and sent by the Post, and has the Post-mark, Feb. 5. stamped upon it, but the Contents to the Surprize of many worthy Gentlemen, to whom they were directed were in Print, as follows,

The Title of the Book is, The certain way to save England, not only now, but in future Ages, by a prudent Choice of Members to serve in the next Par­liament, in a seasonable Address to the Freeholders, and other Electors, Sold by Richard Baldwin in Ball-Court in the Old Baily, price Six pence.

If to Calculate the Nativity of the King, be thought so dangerous a Presumption, as by Law to be adjudged Felony during Q. Elizabeths Life, what may we think of the Crime of this Conjurer, who gives so positive a Judgment of King, Parliament and Kingdom, pronouncing Magisteri­ally the future Fate of England; Upon the Elections (says he) depends the Weal or Woe both of King and Kingdom, not only in this, Vide Co. 3 Inst. f. 6. De vita Prin­cipis inquire­re presertim per astrologos capitale: ne­que hoc solum sed etiam de ea dubitare vel desperare pro crimine Majestatis laesae habitum esse; si indiciis esset aliquibus ea desperatio pa­tefacta. scip. Gentil. lib. 1. de Conjurati­one. but future Ages; But the best on't is, He is but like the rest of that Tribe, who be­ing ignorant of their own Destiny, yet will pretend to Prophesie of other Persons; And I hope England will, when he is either forgotten, or only re­membred for Infamy, see many Wise, Prudent and Loyal Parliaments.

p. 4.He prefaces his Discourse with the popular Theme of the Horrid Popish Plot, upon which he lays a Load, not more than it deserves, but that is not so much to run down the Papists, as to serve a Turn, which afterwards he discovers, and is so hot upon it, that his Patience would not give him leave to tell it out, without a necessary Parenthesis against the Bishops, whom like Traiterous Joab, he Salutes and Stabs at the same time: For, says he, 'the Papists had a Design to remove and deprive all Protestant Bishops, and other Ecclesiastical Persons (and God knows what a number there is of them in this Nation) from their Offices, Benefices and Preferments, One would think this a vindication of the Bishops, and Clergy; but lest he should do them a service, in comes a malitious Parenthesis in a Roman Letter, and with a Romish Design, (and God knows, &c.) Why, Sir and do not you know too? Have you never read Dr. Oates's Depositions, he makes them all Protestant Bishops, but though you and your Party, who may Defame the Kings Evidence, Cum Privilegio, Two years ago would but allow two Protestant Bishops, and one you say is fallen off since; and for the Clergy, they are all Tantivies, and Popishly affected, as you per­suade [Page 4]the People. And the Parenthesis in a different Letter is designed for a Remark upon them, lest some of your Party should mistake you.

But that which surprised me, was the Impudence of the Man, who at the same time when he justly charges those Hellish and Execrable Plotters with the guilt of endeavouring to rob the King of his Royal Crown and Dignity, by malicious, and unadvised speaking, writing, and otherwise, he himself was advisedly doing the same, and with one or two more Ag­gravations, Printing, Publishing, and dispersing this seditious Libel against the King and Kingdom; but because though a man sees all other Mens Faces, but never his own without a Glass, I present him this, which will tell him his Face as well as his Pen hath been in the Ink-pot,

In the next page he addresses himself to the People, and the more to in­timidate them, Pag. 5. thereby to prepare them for his following Impressions, he paints their danger with all the terrible Aspects, which his Art can invent to render it more formidable; and in short, informs them, that their ALL is now in hazard, and that Self-preservation exacts from them not to suffer any, but who he advises them to be Elected into any places of Office or Trust within this Kingdom. Now first I observe, that he never qualifies this principle of Self-preservation, with any Limitation of doing what we lawfully may do in order to the preservation either of our selves or our ALL, and indeed he is a man of large principles, Quicquid libet licet, I suppose is one of them.

Secondly, It is to be observed, that he never tells the People, how solici­tous the King is for their Safety, how he hath done all that possibly he can to secure the Nation, turned out all the Popish Lords out of the House of Peers, disarmed all the Papists throughout England, Married the Lady Mary to a Protestant Prince to secure the Succession, permitted the Law to have its full and free scope against all the Conspirators of what degree soever, hath importuned the Parliament for the vigorous and speedy Tryal, and Prosecution of the Popish Lords, and though he hath not been treated with such deference as a Prince, who never denyed his Subjects any thing but one, might have expected, yet still he continues his care of his People. But not a syllable of this must the People hear, but on the contrary two most malicious Reflections upon the Crown, where he tells them such Members as he is about to advise them to Elect, will [maintain all the Kings just Honours and Prerogatives] this word just, is a suspicious word, It is just such a word as was in the late Solemn League and Covenant, and is to give the People to understand the King hath some Honours and Preroga­tives which are not just. And for fear this Hint should not be powerful enough; he treads upon their Toes again with another happy Parenthesis, and tells them how they will maintain these just Honours; by taking away our great and many (I cannot say how well or ill-grounded) fears and jealousies of Arbitrary Government. Well then, if you cannot say how well or ill-grounded, why do you say it at all? and if you can say, why so squeamish all of a sudden? I tell you Sir, you will run the hazard of be­ing more Knave and Fool, a Knave to say a thing you cannot justifie, and a Fool for so plainly shewing your self a Knave, when it was your great Inte­rest to have passed currant for a Man of superfine Honesty. And I must assure you this flaw in your Credit, and a Crack of your own free volun­tary and uncompelled making, will render your Reputation suspicious in whatever you say hereafter.

Then he passes on to his Qualifications, which if he had left in their Scripture Purity, without the Glossary of an Author in his Margent, who [Page 5]dedicated his Labors the sucking Usurper Richard, quondam Protector, they would have been much better relished by Persons of Loyalty.

To pass by his limping paraphrase upon the first, Men that fear God, i.e. Halt not between two opinions, which yet is not without its design against all those Gentlemen, who are zealous for the present Establishment in the Church, who are ever represented to the People as halting between God and Baal, Popery and Protestantism, and in that sense incapacitated by this Gentleman for Representatives of the Commons of England: His Second Comment is stollen from the late Rebel-Parliament, who are very ill Pat­terns for the People to choose by. Loving Truth, i. e. Such as the King and Kingdom may trust. All they did in the late Rebellion was for the good of the King and Kingdom; they chose into the Parliament all that could be pickt up that had manifested any Animosity against the King or His Government, for the good of the King and Kingdom; they displaced all His Friends under the notion of Evil Counsellors, for the good of the King and Kingdom; and they raised an Army against the King under the Earl of Essex for the good of the King and Kingdom; they fought against him in the Field, and Bullets flew as thick as Hail about His Head for the good of the King and Kingdom, and in fine, they cut off His glorious Head too for the good of the King and Kingdom.

And for the Third, hating Covetousness, he is quite by the Cushion with his i. e. For it clearly intimates that they should chearfully assist their Sovereign with necessary Aids, Subsidies, and Supplies: But he knows what hath gone abroad of late as a State-Maxim If upon any Terms we part with our Money, till we are sure the King is ours, the Nation is betrayed. And yet Cicero a better Orator, I cannot say a greater Common-wealths Man, positively affirms Imperium sine vectigalibus retineri nullo modo potest: which it is to be feared is the true foundation of the fore-recited Maxim.

And because this Adviser, like the Jesuits, doth not think the Scripture a sufficient Rule: He proceeds to lay down Truths and Counsels as plain as possible he can, and by his Recommendatory Letter he would have his Traditions make out the Insuffciency and Obscurity of Old Jethro's Rules, who being a Priest or a Prince, or both, may be thought too much inclining to the Court Party, as I suppose Solomon and St. Peter for the same Reasons are quite omitted, or otherwise those who (Fear God, and Honour the King, and meddle not with such as are given to change, whose Calamity ariseth suddenly, and who knows the Ruin of them both?) might have bid fairly to have been admitted for such Counsellors in whose mul­titude the safety of King and People too consists.

And now this Quack State-Doctor begins to talk learnedly of Critical Days, and times, and I pray consider, says he, this is a Critical Time, upon your well or ill chusing depends your well or ill Being: and you had need to do that well which you do not know, whether ever you may do again. Your Fate may not suffer you to offend twice in this one Parti­cular. Indeed this is an Amazing Paragraph: This Fellow is the very Epi­tome of the Consult of the Jesuits at Wild-House, as Doctor Oats in his Narrative Deposes, That they intended to effect their wicked Plot Pag. 67. by disaffecting the Kings best Friends, and Subjects. First, Charging him with Tyranny and Designs of Oppressing, Governing by the Sword, and without Parliaments. Secondly, By aspersing, Deriding, Exposing, and Declaiming against His Person, Councils and Actions in Parliament, and elsewhere. Nothing but the Impudence of a Plotter, such a one as the [Page 6]Doctor describes, could give the Lye to Majesty. The King assures His People he will meet them in frequent Parliaments, and here comes an Ad­viser to tell the People they do not know, whether they may ever chuse Members for Parliaments again, that their Fate may not suffer them to offend twice in that one Particular; which is only in softer words the bet­ter to deceive the People, to promote the Popish Plot by persuading the Nation they are like to have no more Parliaments.

These two Paragraphs of Doctor Oats which I have mentioned, are in truth the Contents of his whole Book, and the Libel is only an cularge­ment upon these two heads of the Plot: And if that be the way to Save England, God deliver all good Protestants from such Savers and such Salvation. And I desire the Reader to carry these Expositors in his mind, for he shall find him all along indeavouring to traduce either the King or the Government or both; upon which he is so violently bent that he persuades the People to whom for their Edification the Discourse is addressed: That Kings have been their Constant Enemies; for, says he, Liberty and Property were rescued by Inches out of the hands of in­croaching Violence; and this is another of his stabbing parentheses. When in truth the People owe all their Liberties, Franchises, Charters and Im­munities, and even that great one of Commons to represent them in Par­liament, to the Bounty, and Goodness of former Kings, and never any King either did or attempted to deprive the People of the Grants of their Predecessors. Let the Charter of London now publickly Printed and Sold be looked into, and it will shew from William the Conqueror, to His most August Majesty King Charles the Second, what vast favors the Kings of England have con-ferred upon that City, which it is to be hoped will incline them to Loyalty and Gratitude to His Majesty, and to stop their Ears against such Charming Seducers, as this and other Libellers; especi­ally if they remember that the first violaters of their Charter, and the great Charter of England were the late Usurpers, who dethroned and murthered their Lawful King, by the very same popular Arts, the Fears and Jealousies of Evil-Counsellors, and Arbitrary Government.

Consider, saith he, you trust the Parliament with your Estates, Liber­ties, Religion, and Lives. And do the People chuse the Parliament too or only the House of Commons? Are not the King and the Lords Spiri­tual and Temporal to be trusted? A late Libel has indeed said we want a King and a Government that we may trust, &c. And now comes in our Commentator, and obtrudes the word Parliament, as if it only consisted of the Lower House, and the whole trust were in them, as presently after he adds; they have the Interest and Charge of us all upon them. For, saith he, should you be undone in any of these, when it's too late, you may lament, that you are undone by making such a choice as hath undone you by Law. A fair prosecution of the Design and Plot mentioned by Doctor Oats, but that will not satisfie him, the man is for speaking plain Truths and Counsels, and therefore he does it to purpose in the next page. How your Expectations have been frustrated, your hopes blasted, you feel­ingly bewail; Pag. 9. exactly as the Doctor saith, Exposing and Declaiming against His Majesties Person, Counsels, and Actions in Parlliament. For adds he, by what Counsels you have been defeated in the Dissolution of Parliaments, you cannot be ignorant. And upon this, like Gavan at a Quakers Meeting, or Whitebread at a Conventicle, he falls a Canting, of what an excellent spirit was poured upon them in their last Elections; Even such a spirit as fell upon the Jews Exorcists, Acts xix. 16. which in some places inspired the Dissenters [Page 7]with such Fury as to beat, wound, and kill those, who opposed their Choice of such as were in the Opinion of Dissenters, particular Friends to their Opinions and Practices, or had been in Actual Arms against the late King and His present Majesty.

But he proceeds, and I must keep pace with him in his dirty Road, tho we travel to different Quarters: In his second Qualification, They must be men throughly principled in the Protestant Religion; very good! and why could it not be added, as now by Law Established; are the Lawless Protestants the best Protestants, and they who obey the Laws the worst? We must come to distinction then I find, since the very word Portestant admits of Ambiguity. All lay claim to it, Quakers, who are no Christi­ans, and Anabaptists who are very ill ones, and all others by what names soever dignified, or distinguished, will all challenge the Name of Prote­stants; which of these doth he mean, and what Protestant Principles those of the Law Protestants, or Lawless Protestants: We shall not need to go far for a Resolution, They are the large Principles that he means, such as will not sacrifice his Neighbours Property to the frowardness of his own Party in Religion. Now tho this is plainly level'd at such Gentlemen as have in obedience to the Law, and discharge of their Consciences prosecuted Dissenters, not out of frowardness but necessity, as considering what a dangerous influence their pretences of Religion have had upon the State; yet in the next page, to clear his Counsel and Truth, and make it plain, you shall see a double portion of the excellent spirit of Ned Coleman, and of the late Lord Stafford poured upon him, when he tells the People, Pag. 10. That the great Interest of England at this day is to tolerate the tolerable, to bear with the weak, to encourage the conscientious, and to restrain none but such as would restrain all besides themselves. Lo! here Toleration and Persecution both in a breath: The Church of England because by the help of the Secular Laws, she endeavours to restrain men from run­ning to damnation, must be restrained her self: This is so large a Gospel-Principle as I am sure Christ never taught. I would ask this vir quidam, whether he thinks Schism a damnable Sin or not? If not, then he hath neither Principles nor Religion; If he doth believe it so, let him read Doctor Stilling fleet's late Book, which hath sufficiently convinced all Dissenters to be Guilty of Schism. Would it not be great honour then for a Parliament to Establish Iniquity by a Law, and is it then the great In­terest of England, that the People should have an Act of Parliament, to damn themselves by Authority. Sure this is Doctrine and Advice fit for none but Jesuits and Devils to Preach. Good God! What will not some men do, to make a Party?

His Third Qualification is, Men of Courage, who will not be Hector'd out of their Duty by the Frouns and Scouls of Men. Let him be who he will, he deserves a severe Castigation for two things: First, For want of due Respect, and Manners to his Superiors. Secondly, For Charging them with such Actions as they are not Guilty of. Why there is not the littlest Fop about the Town but would think himself affronted with the name of Hector, and yet this piece of Insolence fears not to pin it indefinitely upon the Highest Characters in the Nation.

His Fourth is, Men of Resolution that will stand by and maintain the Power and Priviledges of Parliament (for they are the Heart-string of the Nation) Then Mr. Parenthesis you have broke the Heart-strings of the Nation; for the Fundamental Priviledge of the House of Commons is Freedome of Choice of the Members, of which Fraud and Force are [Page 8]equally destructive, and which both by your Letter and your Book, you have endeavoured to violate.

Fifthly, Men that will prosecute the Plot, and search into the bottom of it. With all my heart; for by Dr. Oats's Narrative, your Worship Sir, and all that are like you will be found there, and the Nation will never be at quiet, till such fellows as you, who lie sculking there be found out, and severely punish'd.

Sixthly, such as will remove and bring to Justice Evil Counsellors. Cor­rupt and Arbitrary Ministers of State, that have been so Industrious to give the King wrong Measures, to turn things out of their Antient and Legal Channel of Administration, and Alienate His Affections from His People. Sure the Man is besides himself, did ever one take such pains to make a silken Cravat for himself? Are you in serious Earnest Sir? Would you have all that endeavour to breed misunderstandings between the King and His People severely punish'd? Then are you in exceeding danger of the Fate of Haman, who built a pair of Gallows of fifty Cubits high for Mordecai; no man I will say that for you, hath taken more pains or indea­voured with more Art to alienate the Affections of the People from the King & vice versa, than you have done, and by your own Law you know what you deserve. As for any other who have done as you say, His Ma­jesty who hates all thoughts of Arbitrary Government, hath told you, He will leave them to the Law, and you should have acquainted the People with that Just and Honourable Resolution of His Majesty, accord­ding to Magna Charta, Nec ibimus super eum nisi per Legale Judicium parium suorum. He will neither displace nor disgrace any Person, but by the Legal Tryal of his Peers, which is the true Legal Channel, and antient Fence against Arbitrary Government.

Seventhly, Men of improvement, That's agreed with him for I am not for picking knots in Rushes.

And now having shewed the positive Qualifications, he comes unto the Negatives: And

First, Not those who with as much Defiance as Error assert the Honou­rable House of Commons began by Rebellion, 49. H. 3. And that they were not till then an Essential or Constituent part of the Legislative Power of the Kingdom. For my part I know none that have done it more or in better terms than this Person in the words just recited. I perceive this Gentleman is a meer whiffler; for without Reflection, It being no dishonour to know the true Original either of things or persons, had he been conversant with Selden, Cambden, or any other Antiquary, he would have found them no vilifiers of the House of Commons, and yet they allow that House no higher a pedigree than H. 3. and Mr. Prinn, who was the most violent Assertor even of the Sovereignty of Parliaments, in his Book which bears that Title, and who ransacked all the Records in the Tower, and in the Cotton Library, and all other places; yet could not raise the water a hairs breadth higher than the spring; and if he could have pro­duced any Evidence of the Commons being a Constituent Part of the Par­liament before Hen. 3. he would not have been sparing to acquaint us with it.

But for his Certain Note, that is so worthy a particular Observation, that such men only aim at the Destruction and Ruin of both, &c. I think it is beyond Aiming, and worthy a particular Observation, That they who cryed up the House of Commons as the Parliament, as I have observed to you this Libeller doth, Pag. 13. where he talks of not considering to [Page 9]chuse a Parliament, making that part the people chuse indefinitely the Parliament, I say they were such as he that voted the Honourable House of Lords useless and dangerous, turned them out of Doors, depriving the Na­tion of their supream Court of Judicature, and setting up the most Arbi­trary and Despotical power under the name of Parliament that England ever saw, thereby ruining the famous Constitution of Parliaments.

Certainly, they are the true Lovers of the Government, who give to every Degree and Order among us their proper due, not diminishing one to augment the other, which is the true healthful Temperament of the Body Politick.

Then he falls into a great fit of Modesty, Pag. 12. he will not with Effrontery conclude, but he tells the people of some that cry up an absolutely abso­lute power in the Prince, that we are all Slaves, or Vassals, that voluntas Regis is Lex Populi; why does he not name them, that they may receive their deserved punishment? if he cannot do it, and I am sure he would if he could, He is the Author, and publisher of this Arbitrary Doctrine, and the disperser of a Defamation of his Sovereign: And if Malice and Art were not mingled in him to perfection, why could he not as well have told the people that his present Majesty says the same as his Royal Father did, that he that will Preach more than he can prove, let him suffer: And cer­tainly had there been as loyal Preaching in Schismatical Conventicles, of which with his large principles he is so great a Patron, and Advocate, as there hath constantly for Twenty years last past been in all the Churches of England, and more particularly in White-hall Chappel, we should have had no need of his Advice to save England.

His second and third Head are Co-incident, Pag. 13, a Declamation against Cakes and Ale, and would you think, that Cakes and Ale, and roast Beef should be such dangerous unqualifying things in an Election? why, I will unfold the Mystery, the zeal of his party, and the underhand bearing their Charges he knows will carry them to Elections; And indeed they dare not offend their Teachers, who have them in as much awe as the Jesuites have their Missioners. But the other party of whom they are afraid, who do not love the Trouble, and the rudeness of their Opponants at Elections, and had rather be minding their Affairs, do by the prevalency of Custom expect to have their Charges defrayed; And methinks this crosses one of his former Qualifications of such as will propagate the Improvement, and Consumption of the Growth of their Countrey; I assure you the Manu­facture of good English Ale, Beef and Bread are strangely help'd off at all Elections, and the good Towns rejoyce as much at a Dissolution in hopes of the Advantages of Elections, as he seems to Lament.

His fourth, is a Satyr against Pensioners; But least that should not hold water, in comes Reputed Pensioners: like Papists and Popishly affected; This sweeps all, how many worthy Gentlemen have their Reputation blasted with this scandal. It is the hardest case in the World sure, that such Loyal Gentlemen as spent their Estates in defence of their King, Countrey, Laws, Liberties and Religion cannot receive the favour of their Prince, but they must be branded with the Infamous name of Pensioners, and Ene­mies to their Countrey. I think indigent persons as unqualified as he does, but I have learnt to distinguish between Indigent by Loyalty, and Indigent by Prodigality, the last I abominate, the first I pity.

But by no means chose a Courtier, or Durante beneplacito Man, and why I pray Sir? It is a Crime to be a Courtier? in former Parliaments those who were Courtiers had the Honour to sit always near Mr. Speakers [Page 10]Chair. And if he were as well acquainted with Parliamentary Records as he pretends to be with Qualifications, he would find many Orders even in 40. and 41. wherein the honourable Gentlemen that sit next the Chair, are desired to represent the Affairs of the House to His Majesty. Cannot a Man serve his King and his Countrey too, are their Interests so opposite as you make People believe? It was never good World since this was Preached for good Doctrine, nor ever will be till this State Heresie is condemned by a Parliament, which I will not despair to live to see; but the wonder to me is to see the Confidence of the Jugler, first to topp upon us that this is no Reflection upon the King, and at the same cast of his hand to slur the old Quick-silver Dy of Coordinacy of Power. The King being One Part of the Government should leave the other free: But the Sophister never tells the People what part he is; but to supply his de­fect, I will from the great Oracle of the Law the Lord Coke inform them, That the King is Caput, Finis, & Principium Parliamenti, the Alpha, and Omega, the Head, the End and Beginning of Parliaments; He is their Foun­tain from whence they spring, and the Sea of Power, into which they run and devolve themselves. As for His Admonition about Non Residents; I believe there are some who live about the Town who will give him little thanks for his Caution, especially the Gentlemen of the Long Robe upon whom this is a sour and severe Reflection.

As few Minors as he can hinder, tho the House of Commons hath for­merly had the Reputation of a great School of Wisdome, which he seems to lessen by this Reflection: And he might have added no bis Pueris if he had pleased, I should not have quarrel'd him for it.

The same I say as to Prodigals and Voluptuous Persons.

No Zealots for a Popish Successor, I am none, nor know any such, and wish he would distinguish between Successor, and Popish Successor, I do not find, that Christ or His Successors the Apostles, were branded for Zealots for Heathen Successors, because they never endeavoured to ex­clude them, but Taught, Commanded and Practised all Obedience to them. And certainly we should have had none but State-Martyrs, if this Doctrin had been known to Tertullian, to Julian the Apostate's Soldiers, or the Pri­mitive Christians. I have learnt to obey, and not dispute the Determi­nations of Kings and Parliaments, and can acquiesce in their definitive Sen­tence. But because this Gentleman hath so recommended Queen Elizabeth in his Postscript, and there as in his whole Libel, with design to reflect upon His Majesty, I will shew him the Pourtraict of that Queens de­meanor in a parallel Case of Succession, by which the People shall see, it is no such Tragical Thing for a Protestant Prince to deny the Importu­nities of a Parliament in the point of Succession.

Whereas Princes words do enter more deeply into Mens ears and minds, Cambd. Eliz. An. 1566. take these things from our Mouth. I that am a lover of the simple Truth, have ever thought you likewise to be ingenious Lovers of the same, But I have been deceived; For I have found that in this Parliament, Dissimulation hath walked up and down masked under the vizard of Liberty, and Succession; of your number, some there are, which have thought that Liberty to dispute of the Succession, and to establish the same, is forthwith, either to be granted or denyed. If we had granted it, these Men had had their desire, and had Triumphed over us. And if we had denyed it, they thought to have moved the hatred of our People against us, which our mortallest Enemies could never yet do. But their wisdom was unseasonable, and their Counsels were hasty, neither did they fore­see the Event. Yet hereby we have easily perceived who incline towards us, [Page 11]and who are adverse unto us. And we see, that your whole House may be divi­ded into four sorts. For some have been Plotters, and Authors, some Actors; which with smooth words have persuaded, some which have consented being se­duced with smooth words, and some which have been silent, admiring such Bold­ness; And these certainly are the more excusable. Do ye think that we neglect your Safety, and security by the Succession? or that we have a will to infringe your Liberty? Be it far from us, we never thought it. But indeed we thought good to call you back, when ye were running into the Pit. Every thing hath its fit season; ye may peradventure after us have a wiser Prince; but a more lo­ving towards you, ye shall never have. For our part, whether we may see such a Parliament again, we know not: But for you, take ye heed, lest you provoke your Princes Patience; nevertheless, of this be assured, that we think very well of most of you, and do imbrace every one of you, with our former kindness, even from our Heart.

But to proceed, Not such, says he, as play the Protestants in design, p. 17. but are indeed disguised Papists. They have industriously fixed the names of Masqueraders, and disguised Papists upon all such Gentlemen as are zealous for the Church of England as now by Law established, both against Pa­pists, and Schismaticks, who according to Dr. Oates his Evidence, were to be assistant to the carrying on the Plot, Ibid. p. 67. by seditious Preachers set up, sent out, maintained and directed what to Preach in their own or other private or publick Conventicles; And 'tis such Masquerade Jesuits as this Libeller, that laugh at the Plot, disgrace, and dis-believe the Kings Evi­dence, in this so evident, and considerable a particular; That if ever Po­pery comes into England, it must come in like the Trojan Horse by him mentioned Milite Plenus, by breaking down the Walls of the Church by Toleration, the Gates being too narrow to let it in.

But he goes on, and is not content to blast a few, but like a Contagion or Pestilence, endeavours to sweep away a whole Nation, with the Impu­dent Brand of Irish understanding, and Tories. A Tory is a Rebel, an Out-law, a Robber, and Murderer, and is a Name and Character that ex­actly fits himself, who is so notorious a Robber of his Prince, and Murderer of the Reputation of so many worthy and innocent Gentlemen as he hath indeavoured to Defame.

Whoever have been Neutrals in the grand Contest between Popery and Protestant Religion, and particularly in that Branch of it before recited, let them be rejected, for I joyn with him in opinion; That they, who are not with the Church of England, and the Government as now by Law established, are against us, and that these only wait the good Hour, when they may safely shew their Teeth, and bite, which now like this Libeller, in Policy they hide with all the Artifice Imaginable.

For his last Qualification of such as have obstructed Parliamentary pro­ceedings, by unseasonable and unreasonable insisting upon un-Parliamentary Priviledges, he must unriddle it, for it is un-understandable by the People, and therefore he might have left it unwrit, unprinted, unpublished, and unrecommended by his Letter which hath another UN in it, viz. To Undo the Nation.

His Conclusion is like his Premisses, Canting, and Cunning, without either Truth or Honesty, p. 18. and so I leave him to the more just Animadversi­on of the Laws, and his Superiors, with this Recommendation that no man hath more artificially endeavoured to ruin the freedome of Elections, more maliciously Calumniated His Majesty and the Government, nor more wickedly laboured to alienate the Affections of the People from their So­veraigns [Page 12]and by Seditious Forgeries to bring all the Calamities of a Civil War and Ruin upon the Nation.

For his Postscript, I could give him some hints of the Courage of Q. Eliz. mentioned by Cambden, Lord Coke, and others, but I am not for making or enlarging Breaches, and I wish he were of the same mind. I will only re­commend to him by way of supplicant what our Law supposes the most ex­cellent Qualification for persons to be Elected Representatives of the Com­mons, for the Preservation of His Majesties Person, the Security of the Protestant Religion, and the Government, which would have spared him all his pains, and carries the stamp of Authority with it; It is the Proem of the Act of Parliament of the Thirteenth of Car. 2. cap. 1. An Act for Preser­vation of His Majesties Person, &c.

Now whether this Libeller doth not fall within the descriptions of this Proem as well as many others have done of late, and whether they will not all come within the compass of the Act in point of Punishment is not my business to determin, I will only recommend to his and all honest mens Consideration a piece of Solomons Wisdom to close with all in English as he hath fronted his with Latin.

These six things doth the Lord hate, yea seven are an abomination to him, a proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood; an heart that deviseth wicked immaginations, feet that be swift in running into mischief, a false witness, that seaketh lyes; and him that soweth discord among Brethren.