I Received yours, in Print by the Penny-Poſt and expected the date from Ruff. Abbey, and not from New-Market, but I underſtand your Lordſhip hath given your Agents in this Town the Lye, and not retired to your Country-houſe, upon the Dukes coming; but have rather Poſted down to New-market, with the new Hoſanna, of O Duke live for ever; which was ſome years ſince O King live for even. I find your Lordſhip is no good Judg of Styles, for I can aſure you the Letter was not the Earl of S—'s, and therefore you do ill to take this occaſion of railing at him, unleſs you are reſolved to ſave charges, and do that in your own Perſon, which others are ſo unſucceſsfully hir'd to. It is a notorious falſe Teſtimony to ſay that Earl was raiſed from a mean Fortune, when 'tis well known his father in 1630 long before the troubles had a revenue between 8 and 9000 l. per annum: And I have heard him often ſay, he would yield himſelf to be the worſt man alive, if he in the Kings ſervice got his maintainance, or did lay up above half his Paternal Revenue; and I think ſo able a man may be allowed at leaſt to be maintain'd in ſo great imployments, Neither do I underſtand that malicious hint of merited ſeverity, it was never applied to any man that had one of the chief hands in reſtoring a Prince to his Kingdom; as I know he had, & without whoſe courage & dexterity, ſome men, the moſt highly rewarded; had done otherwiſe then they did; therefore I have heard him ſay often that the Act of Oblivion was an Act of the Kings Honour and Juſtice, but not of his Mercy; it being a Treaty, and Agreement, much more ſacred then any Act of Parliament can be, and I muſt tell your Lorſhip, and your Friends the Papiſts; that if you conſider what Promiſes, Declarations, and Engagements the Diſſenting Proteſtants had both of his Majeſty, his Lords, and his Biſhops, at the time of his coming over; and how they have been ſince uſed, and with what ſubmiſſion and Loyalty they have carri'd themſelves; you will not find a Parallel Inſtance.

But your Lordſhips buſineſs is, to keep your Hounds in full cry, againſt the pretended Aſſociation, for ſince you cannot find one really in being; a red-herring from your own Kitching, muſt he hunted and trailed through the Kingdom, to make a noiſe.

The malice is more then the wit in the matter. You have broken down your Gates in the Chace, and made ſo many—Gaps in your own hedges, that your Cattle are broke out and come to the Pound; and what ſort of Beaſt you trade in will be diſcovered. 'Tis an Impudence beyond the Jeſuites, to ſay that nothing was more exactly prov'd, nothing more unqueſtionable and free from diſputes, then that the Aſſociation was ſeized in the Earls Cloſet; Gwyn himſelf neither does nor dare poſitively ſwear it, and 'tis Judged in that great caſe of Monſieur Fouquet, that a man is not anſwerable for Papers ſeiz'd, when he is refu'd to deliver them upon Inventory. Fonquets enemies were not more bloudy and inveterate than the Earls, nor the concern of State againſt him higher: And yet the Law of Nature and Reaſon, can never Subject a man to ſo unreaſonable a danger. Beſides was it ever heard that any man was queſtioned for a looſe paper without any hand to it, found in his Study, that cannot be proved to this day, nor ever will, that he ever ſaw, read, or conferred with any about it, Neither is it to be proved notwithſtanding all this Popiſh Clamour and Abhorrours that ever any one man did ever ſign, or Act upon it; or any thing like it. But your Lordſhip is very plain in the matter, and would have the Parliament men in the houſe of Commons who promoted the Aſſociation; have their heads advanced to the houſe top. I do not doubt but your Lordſhip and your friends the Papiſts (whoſe Religion you have lately taken up, and mean to uſe while it is convenient) are of that mind; but 'tis for ſome other Votes they then made of declaring Enemies to the King and Kingdom, for otherwiſe your Lordſhip and ſome of your friends, are as much guilty, as any of the houſe of Commons, of the Aſſociation. It being to be proved that the Aſſociation, and the baniſhing the Duke for ever, was your Lorſhips propoſition in the Lords houſe in the laſt Weſtminſter Parliament. The firſt utterly diſliked by the Earl of Shaftsbury as no expedient they could truſt in, ſince your Lordſhip and others of your make, could not be kept from being in the head of it. But thoſe eminent and worthy perſons of the Earl of Shaftsbury's Jury muſt be railed at, at any rate: Yet where your Lordſhip found that two of the Jury ſhould ſay, This is the ſame with that which we ſaw produced and promoted in the houſe of Commons, I cannot tell, I am ſure there is no ſuch expreſſions in the Proceedings at the Old-Baily, Publiſht by Authority: But between the Veracity of a condemn'd Jeſuite in Newgate, and that of a Statesman, mark'd 〈◊〉 by a Vote of the Houſe of Commons for an Enemy to the King and Kingdom, I ſee here is no great ods. Your Lordſhip hath great reaſon to be angry; for I confeſs they ſpoild the beſt deſign was ever laid, by a damn'd Popiſh Party. The Government according to Law, with the help of Iriſh witneſſes, and well choſen Juries, ſhould have delivered you from all the honeſt worthy and conſiderable Proteſtants of England, for 'tis plainly confeſt by your Lordſhip how far you meant to go: 'tis a thouſand pities that the City Charter were not gone, and that your Lorſhip, and your fellows might not have the naming of Sheriffs for London and Middleſex, as well as the reſt of the Kingdom, and then 'tis plain what Juſtice we ſhould have for our Lives and Fortunes: The Maſters of the Companies would then be hanged with the Journey-men. And Sheriff Pilkimon's conſcientious Surry Jury would be found at every Aſſizes; eight Hundred Pound damages given to ſuch a fellow, that proved not a Penny damage received or poſſible to be received by it. But ſince your Lorſhip and your friends have had ſo good a deſign ſpoiled, I cannot blame you to be angry; but I would very fain gueſs what you would next be at, or whether your patience will hold out till the City Charter be taken away, which I aſſure my ſelf will be long before it be done; I fear you will reſort to back the Pattern in the mount: and follow the Preſident of your bloudy Predeceſſors, the Gueſes in France, cut our throats and condemn us after; ſince we will not quietly be condemned firſt and hanged after; I am ſure this is the next ſtep can reaſonably be expected from men of your Conſcience, and from the Principles and Intereſt you are carrying on: Neither let any one blame me for minding you of it, for I know it hath been long in your mind and often in your debates, and therefore I thought it more neceſſary to warn others of what you are moſt likely to do. And ſince you talk ſo much of the Duke of Yorks Loyalty and Love to his Prince, I pray God preſerve the King and keep him out of your bloudy hands.—

I beg to know to what purpoſe your Lordſhip recites that my Lord S—y was Lord Chancellor, do you quarrel at any of his decrees or actions then, or wherein did he not execute that Office as a great and good man ſhould, and what doth your Lordſhip mean by the certain ſtrict Teſt for the diſcovery of Popery, oppoſed by that Lord in Parliament, the Teſt that was paſſed againſt Popery (which every Officer is obleig'd to take) is notoriouſly known was principally promoted by him: If your Lorſhip mean the other bill of the Teſt which he oppoſed, 'tis the ſame with what the Duke of York hath paſſed lately in Scotland, and is a great ſtep to the Deſtruction of the Proteſtant Religion. The truth is, there are ſo many of theſe downright Popiſh touches in your Paper, that I ſometimes doubt whether it be your Lordſhips or no, Since you are but a Papiſt of two years ſtanding, and yet they ſay young Proſelites are the fierceſt; But this Paper muſt come from a Papiſt, or Voted Enemy to the King and Kingdom, ſince you tell us, that you would have the days of Diſſolving the two laſt Parliaments kept Feſtival, Anniverſarily, in Commemoration of your deliverance from thoſe great and apparent dangers, wherewith you were encompaſſed, whilſt they were in Seſſion. None but ſuch fellows and their Faction being then in danger: But I find your Lordſhip extream angry at the word Faction; ſince you will pleaſe to have it, that your worthy Abhorrors and Addreſſors are not a Faction, but the total of the Kings Subjects, who conſcienciouſly reſpect their own duty and the general welfare. Pray my Lord let us examine this excellent poſition of your Lordſhips ſetting aſide your heat and railing. Does your Lordſhip think that the choice of Sheriffs, the great care in returning ſelect men for grand Juries; The arts that were uſ'd to draw many of them into theſe Abhorrences, are not well known to all the Nation We never doubt but you have choiſe of Gentlemen to make Sheriffs fit for your turn, and they have Rogues to make under Sheriffs in every County; Neither is it doubted that ſeventeen or eightteen men may be found in moſt Countys, for your turn; although in ſome (and thoſe great Countries) you could not find above thirteen, and in ſeveral other Countries you have failed abſolutely, and yet all this will not ſpeak your Party the hundredth part of the Nation. Hath your Lordſhip found out another way to make a diſtinction between the ſence of the Nation, and that of a dangerous Party; than that of the Houſe of Commons? will you tell me that a Parliament choſen againſt all the oppoſition, induſtry, power, and mony of the Court; is not the ſence of the greateſt part of the Nation? Will your Lordſhip affirm, that this is a Faction and your Lordſhip, the Papiſts the Duke of York, and his Creatures, are the only Loyal Subjects to the King and Government. And what ſort of People theſe make up, may be gueſs'd by what you profeſs your ſelves for: A Government infinitely worſe than that in Turkey; wherein the Law ſhall be of no other uſe, but as a mask to the Princes worſt actions and Tyranny. Our Religion, Eſtates, Lives, and Liberties, Subjected to the moſt Arbitrary will of the Prince, who being a man is as capable and lyable to be extreamly ill as any other, beſides what Law you allow to this King (who is an excellent Prince) as your King, muſt be allowed to the next, though he be the worſt in nature: And yet you will find out away that by naming, Judges, Sheriffs and Juries, all things ſhall certainly go as the Court and great men order; 'tis already ſo compleat in Scotland, where the Proverb is ſhow me the man and I will tell you the cauſe. This is away that no ſober, or honeſt men were ever for in any Country. The zeal of your Lordſhips to preſerve your greatneſs, of your Duke to get a Crown, and of the Papiſts to introduce their Religion, hath outgone by many ſteps, all that ever went before you.

I acknowledg it the Kings Prerogative, to call Parliaments, but Edw. the 3d. tels us he was ſworn by his Coronation Oath to provide remedy in Parliament upon great Emergencis. And our Laws have been very careful to fix the frequency of them: And 'tis that onely Court that can keep all the reſt uſeful to the King and People: they are brave ſpirits indeed, and bleſt with a Popiſh Toriſh humility, or rather ſtupid folly, if not wicked villanous deſignes, that are unconcerned when a Parliament ſhould be called, and leave it to the Prince, whether he pleaſe to have any or no. The Law hath given us a right (nay 'tis our chiefeſt Birthright, and without which we have nothing left us, but are meer ſlaves) to Parliaments within ſuch a diſtance of time: The Prince hath the Prerogative of appointing the day; and diſſolving when the buſineſs is done, but the Prince is oblieged that we have Parliaments within our time, and continued ſo as may be of effect to provide remedys for the Emergent evils. His prerogative of appointing the day ought not to deprive us of our right of having them in ſuch a time, Neither ought his Power to diſſolve them render them uſeleſs to us.

I am heartily ſorry your Lordſhip is ſo ill inſtructed in the Proteſtant Religion, that you ask what it is, but you profeſs that your ſelf, and your fellow Addreſſors, Abhorrors are zealous for the Religion by Law eſtabliſhed in the Church of England, ſo then you do not know the Proteſtant Religion; but Religion by Law eſtabliſhed you are well acquainted with. what ſecurity will your Lordſhip give, that when your Army is compleated, and your Militia. Abhorrers and Addreſſors muſter'd, that you will not tell us, that the Religion eſtabliſhed by Law in the Church of England, is the Old Popiſh Religions ſetled by Magna Charta, which is not repealable by any future Act. For this good old cauſe, your Lordſhip and friends at Court, hath nurſt up the King of France to this height, he is now in Chriſtendom, and all Europe is abundantly in your debt for it: Qantum Religio potuit ſuadere malorum.

I own my ſelf a friend to the Diſſenting Proteſtants! until your Lordſhip can find out an infallible decider of points of Faith.—I can give men leave to differ from me in opinion, whilſt they live ſoberly and honeſtly by me.—There are none I know ſo inconſiſtent with Government as the Papiſt; who owns a forreign Juriſdiction, and diſolves all natural Religion to introduce his own.—And though your Lordſhip is pleaſed, to add the word Rebel to the name Proteſtant; yet it will agree much better with the Papiſts, whoſe Religion is Rebellion; and 'tis impoſſible to find one true ſubject of them in the World, (to any but the Pope) if they beleive their own Religion.

I find your Lordſhip is very kind to Court Converts, and would paſs over the blackneſs of all their former tranſactions; and you have great reaſon, ſince you are ſo lately one your ſelf: but be not deluded, the Papiſts think not as you think; they never forgive paſt offences.—Argile cannot be forgiven the being his Fathers ſon.—Nor the Duke of Lauderdale will not be forgiven the having brought the Covenant into England—Twedale will find hereafter that 'twill be remembred he ſat in Olivers Parliaments. And I ſhould tell your Lordſhip, that you will ſuffer hereafter by a halter of the Duke of Yorks providing; but that my skill in Aſtrology hath told me, a Garter of your own uſeing ſhall prevent it. The jealous Churchmen that Govern the Popiſh Intereſt never forgives, eſpecially men capable of thinking and judging other things, then they would have them.

Your Lordſhip is extreamly out, when you tell us the Aſſociations in Queen Elizabeths time, were entred into with her conſent and privity; when the Queen her ſelf, in her ſpeech to the Parliament, in the twenty eight year of her Reign: Did proteſt before God, that ſhe never heard or thought of ſuch matter, being wholly ignorant of it till a great number of hands, with many obligations were ſhown her at Hampton Court, ſigned and ſubſcribed with the hands and ſeales of the greateſt in this Land.—But you are pleaſed to call the ſeveral Parliaments, that about that time. ſo extreamly oppoſed the Succeſſion of Mary, Queen of Scots, a Puritan Gang, and have found out a Clergy, Nobility, and Gentry in the Clouds, that were of another opinion, no queſtion there were ſome and great ſtore of Papiſts in thoſe days, but I am ſure the Parliament were violently againſt her ſucceſſion, as appears in the Rolls: Nay, and againſt her life too; for it was then daily experienced, that the Queen was not ſafe, whilſt the head of ſo deſperate and bloudy a Religion as the Papiſts was in being—

Pray, My Lord let me ask you freely is not this the very Caſe now? 'twas the Opinion of our Parliaments, and the truth appears every day more and more. Can your Lordſhip make a difference between the Caſe of Queen Elizabeth, and her Popiſh Succeſſor, Mary Queen of Scots; (which your ſelf have ſo wiſely inſtanced in and brought upon the Stage) and the preſent Caſe of our King, and the Duke of York, Hath the Papiſts appeared leſs bloudy in their Deſignes ſince that time? Have they leſs Paſſion for introducing their Religion? did the Queen of Scots diſcover more ambition for the Crown of England than our Duke hath? ſhe was a Priſoner in the Queens hands and in cuſtody, and had not the tenth part of the opportunity the Duke hath, whoſe friends and creatures, poſſeſs all the Governments and Commandments of Sea and Land, fill the Courts and Councils, ſo eaſy and unwary (pardon me if I ſo ſay) hath our King been. But the D—of Y—s Loyalty is not to be diſputed? Though I remember the time when he got the Fleet from his Brother the Prince, and ſwore it to himſelf: And I appeal to the King, whether he knows not of ſeveral attempts were made, to ſet up the D. of York before his coming over and the Tranſactions in the Dukes name, of the D. of B—m, and Collonel Banfield for the reſtoring the Duke to the Crown, and not the Elder Brother, are ſuffciently to be proved. We are all witneſſes of the Kings marriage by the Dukes Father in Law, to a Lady of great birth, but ſuch as the Spaniſh Embaſſador then undertook to prove could have no Children: and immediately upon this marriage, the Duke (as if ſure of this matter) ſets up with Guards, the Princes Lodgings at Court, and ſeat in Parliament, And all the Eſtabliſhment of his houſe exactly ſuitable to the Prince of Wales: His unparallel'd love to his Prince, appeares in all this, and in nothing more then the civil treatment the King at this hour receives from him and his party, the throngs that tend the one, whilſt the King walkes the ſtreets with two or three Pages of his backſtayrs: Our King is the firſt inſtance that was ſo willing to ſettle indubitably the Tytle of his Preſumptive Heir; and to ſtrengthen his Power gives it up all to his Succeſſor: But he goes far that never turns, eſpecially in ſuch perilous and unſafe ways, Our King is not only an excellent well bred Gentleman, but a man of great abilities and courage, three things his brother wants: Whenever the King will think of his own intereſt he will not want hundreds of thouſands to dye at his feet: multitudes would adore him that hate and fear the Religion and temper of his Brother. Pray God bleſs the King, and give him yet more and more the Spirit of diſcerning his Intereſt and friends, and the courage to deliver himſelf from the hands of ſuch unworthy baſe Traytors, as we have reaſon to fear he is now encompaſſed with. Shall ever be the hearty Prayers of,