to it's Support, in the Pursuance of prefent Councils: I fay, this very Gentleman had different Thoughts concerning Addreffes fome Years ago, when they came in Shoals to Oliver Cromwell, and with great Multitudes of Hands fubjoined to them, from what he now hath.

For, fays he, Those numerous and pretended Applications, as they were but an Artifice to piece up the Protector's broken Power, as far as well it could be, fo they were but falfe Gloffes upon his Power, and Cromwell was too wife to think them other. For being gained by Contrivement and Force, or at least by Importunity, half a Score pitiful Wretches ftiled themselves the People of fuch or such a County, and there was the Total of the Reckoning. *

But we may the lefs wonder at this Change of Judgment in fome Men, as to the Significancy or Infignificancy of Addreffes, if we confider, how much the Opinion of the Papifts is altered from what it was 90 Years ago, as to the Right which the next in the Royal Line hath to inherit the Crown after the Ruling Prince. For whereas we have nothing from them now, but that it is an unpardonable Sin to exclude the Prefumptive Heir, be his Principles what they will, and our Danger from him, in cafe he fucceed, never fo vifible; they fpake another kind of Language towards the End of Queen Elizabeth's Reign, when they forefaw that a Proteftant was likely after her to afcend the Throne; namely, That Succeffion to Government is neither established by the Law of Nature, nor the Law of Revelation, but only by Human Sanctions, which Men may cancel and alter as their Intereft determines them. † For though they tell us now, of the indifpenfible Obligations we are under, of fubmitting quietly, in cafe His Majesty fhould die, to the Duke of York, albeit we cannot but think the Subverfion of our Religion, and the Extirpation of ourselves ready to enfue thereupon; yet they were pleased to tell our Ancestors, that no Free People were under Ties to the next of the Royal Line, but that they ought to put the Scepter into fuch a one's Hand, under whom they might promise themselves to live wich Safety and Honour.

But, we may the more eafily pardon the Papifts for fhifting Principles according to the Pofture which their Affairs ftand in, if we will obferve how the Proteftants of this Age differ from those of the former, in reference to the Duty of fubmitting to, or debarring a Popish Succeffor: For whereas heretofore not only the whole Clergy, but the Nobility and Gentry, Courtiers as well as others, derived their main Arguments against Mary Queen of Scots, from the Danger the Proteftant Religion would be in, if, being in their Power, the were suffered to furvive Queen Elizabeth: It is now come to pass, that many of all Orders and Ranks, who pretend themfelves Proteftants, are not only contented that a Popish Prince may be difpenfed with as to his Religion himself, and live quietly amongst them, but they feem uneafy in having a Proteftant King, and long to have one of Popish Principles to rule over them. † How disagreeable, as to a Popish Succeffor, are the late Addreffes, from the Petitions, Votes and Acts of Parliament, and the Carriage of the whole Kingdom in the 14th, 27th, 28th and 29th Years of Queen Elizabeth? Then an Affociation to revenge the Death of the Queen upon the Papifts, in case she came to an untimely End, was efteemed a Piece of Loyalty, and promoted by the Chief Minifters of State; but now the Abhorring not only an ill framed Paper

See Mr. L'Eftrange's Memento, p. 30. + See Doleman,

See Bowe's Journal.

Paper bearing that Title, but all kinds of Affociations of this Nature and Tendency, if His Majefty fhould fall by Popish Hands, is accounted the Character both of a good Subject, and a true Church-of-England Man. Do we live in the fame Clime that our Ancestors did? or doth the like generous Blood run in our Veins, which did in theirs? Alas, by running counter to the Wifdom of our Fore-fathers, we proclaim ourselves a degenerate Iffue, and are a Reproach to the Memory of them who begot us, and who tranfmitted the Proteftant Religion and English Liberties down to us!

And as all Addreffes of this Nature tend to render the King, who ought to reign in the Hearts of all his People, the Head merely of one Part, and that a very inconfiderable one, if compared with the Bulk of the Nation; fo they only ferve to publish to all the World the Distractions of the Kingdom, and to proclaim in the Face of the Sun the Weakness of the Government. What do the Foreigners fay upon the Perufal of our Gazettes, but that either things are not managed in England according to the Laws of the Conftitution, or that His Majefty of Britain reigns precariously, feeing his Minifters feek to fupport the Tranfactions of State, by courting the Applaufe of a few little Folks, here and there, through the Kingdom? Nor can any fort of Men do the King a greater Differvice, than to adminifter Grounds to our Neighbours Abroad, to entertain fuch Sentiments of us and our Affairs. I tremble to think what the Wifeft among ourselves fay of thefe Proceedings; for tho' all Men acquit His Majesty from any Intentions but what are Gracious as well as Juft; yet, they cannot but judge that fome ill Men are by thefe Addreffes endeavouring to number the People, and to enroll Partifans for fome hidden Design.

But the most fatal Effect and Confequence of these Addreffes, is the depriving the King of that Security, which the Wisdom of the Parliament had pro vided for his Perfon against the Papifts. For, as nothing is fo dear to a true English Parliament, as the Life of their Sovereign; fo the beft Expedient which our late Parliaments could think of to preferve his Majefty from the Dangers which he was expofed unto from the Confpiracies of the Romish Crew, was the propofing an Affociation amongst the Proteftants to revenge his Death. And as they could entertain no Friendship for the King, who advised him to diffolve the Parliament before that Bill was prepared and paft; fo it is apparent, that whofoever Countenanceth the Abhorrence of all Affociations, does what in him lies to leave the King open and naked to the hellish Designs of the Romish Faction.

Nor is it unworthy the ferious Confideration of all Loyal Perfons, how they have both provided against the Revenge of the Nation, and for their own Establishment in Power, in cafe His Majefty fhould be taken off; for as they have excluded all Endeavours of Revenging his Death, by getting every thing Ridiculed and Abborred, that lies in a Subferviency thereunto; fo they have taken care for their own Safety, after the Perpetration of fuch a Villainy, by obtaining all Places Civil and Military to be filled with fuch in whom they may intirely confide. And as it is not long fince the King of Portugal was laid afide, and confined to the Tarcera's; fo it is remarkable, that it was effected without a Blow, and by this more than any thing else, That there were none in publick Employ but who were Zealots for his Brother, that fupplanted him, and flept into his Throne.

។

But

But are fuch as fubfcribe thefe Addreffes fenfible whereabout we are, and how much the Popish Intereft is advanced within these two Years? For, hath not the Duke of York intruded himself into the Adminiftration of Affairs in Scotland, without taking the Oaths which the Laws of that Kingdom do require? Hath he not, at the fame Time that he caused Proteftant Diffenters to be disturbed and apprehended, permitted Mafs to be faid under the fame Roof, or at the next Door? Hath he given any Security to Proteftants there, for their Safety in the Profeffion of the Proteftant Religion, tho' he hath gotten himself excepted from all Tefts that relate to the Preservation or Liberty of it? Are not the Papifts in Lancashire arrived to that Boldness, as to murder his Majefty's Officers in the Discharge of their Duty, and to rescue Recufants out of the Hands of those that had taken them in Execution? Hath not the High Sheriff of Northumberland carried 'Squire Riddel and 'Squire Claverine, and divers other Papifts who were Prifoners for the Popish Plot, to Edinburgh, to kifs the Duke's Hand; and this both in Defiance of all Law, and against his Truft? But it would require a Volume to recount all I know of this Nature; and therefore fhall only add, That they must be prepared to worship the Hoft, and wear Chains, who either promote or fubfcribe the Addreffes which are now carrying on.

I am, SIR,

entirely Your's.

A LIST of ABHORRORS: Or, the Names of fuch Perfons as were lately under Cuftody of the Serjeant at Arms, for ABHORRIN G, and other Mif demeanors.

M prifoned,

AG NA Charta, cap. 29. No Free-man fhall be Taken, or Imor be Dis-feized of his Free-hold, or Liberties, or FreeCustoms, or be Out-lawed, Exiled, or any otherwise Destroyed. Nor we will not pafs upon him, nor condemn him, but by lawful Judgment of his Peers, or by the Law of the Land, &c.

5 Edwardi

5 Edwardi III. cap. 9. Item, It is Enacted, That no Man from henceforth fhall be Attached by any Accufation, nor Fore-judged of Life or Limb, nor his Lands, Tenements, Goods or Chattles feized into the King's Hands against the Form of the Great Charter, and the Law of the Land: That is, according to the Statute 25 Edwardi III. cap. 4. by Indictment or Prefentment of good, and lawful People of the fame Neighbourhood where fuch Deeds be done, in due Manner, or by Procefs made by Writ Original at the Common Law.

28 Edwardi III. cap. 3. Item, That no Man, of what Eftate or Condition that he be, fhall be put out of Land or Tenement, nor Taken, nor Imprisoned, nor Difinherited, nor put to Death without being brought in Answer by due Procefs of the Law.

Fiat Juftitia & Ruat Cælum.

If any Man be diffatisfied with the Coherence of the Contents and the Chapter, let him read the Lord Chief-Juftice Coke's Inftitutes, Part 2. Chap. 9. upon Magna Charta.

This may be Printed to prevent falfe Reports, the Fact and Law being both true.

I do appoint Mr. Benjamin Harris to Print this, that it may appear to all true English Proteftants, that he once Printed Truth.

G. T.

A LETTER from a Perfon of Quality to his Friend, about ABHORRORS and ADDRESSORS, &c.

SIR,

I

1682.

Received your's of the Sixth of January, and find your Bishop and Lord Lieutenant are carrying on very furiously an Addrefs of Abborrence of the Allociation, pretended to be found amongft my Lord Shaftsbury's Papers, and of Ignoramus Juries. I find also you are afraid not to be thought a Loyal Subject, or a good Son of the Church, if you do not join in it: And therefore you are pleased to ask my Judgment whether the Signing of it can be of as much Prejudice to you, as the Refufal evidently will. If I fhall answer you according to the Rule of the Apostle, Let every Man fpeak Truth to his Neighbour, you must expect Plainnefs and Freedom in my Reply, without which you may have Flattery, but cannot poffibly attain Advice. As for your Gentlemen of Quality and Eftate, that you find generally go thefe High-ways, and call it the Support of the Monarchy and the Church; when you confider how many of them have been fecretly converted to the Romish Faith, and remain as

yet

yet Church-Papifts; how many of them gape after Honours and Preferments from the Court; how many the Power and Dominion in their own Country, and the retaining the Office of Deputy-Lieutenant, or Juftice of Peace, does inflave; and how many the fordid and vile Education they have had under the Clergy does corrupt, you will not wonder that the Yeoman and plain Countryman hath kept his Senfes, when the greatest Part of the Nobility and Gentry have loft theirs. Are there fo blind a Generation, as they that do not fee how deeply the Churchmen have repented their departing from Rome? and how fix'd they are in Refolutions and Interefts to return back again upon the first Opportunity. Is it poffible for a Man without the Help of Univerfity Learning to imagine the Proteftant Religion preferved under a Popish Prince, that fhall not only have the Nomination of Bishops in his own Time, but hath had that and moft Church Preferments in his Predeceffor's? Confider when all Places are and fhall be given, and all Honours and Advantages confer'd upon none but his Creatures, how long the diffolute and drunken Part of our Nobility and Gentry will hold out, as Confeffors for the Proteftant Church of England! The Steadiness of these worthy Gentlemen, and the Reliance that Men of Honour or Worth can have upon them, cannot be better demonftrated than by the great Zeal, and true Care of their Religion and Country, exprefs'd by Sir William Portman, Sir Nathaniel Napper, and feveral others of the laft Oxford Parliament, in their vigorous carrying on the Bill against the Duke of York; and yet no fooner fent home into their own Country and diffolved, but they addrefs against themselves, calling themselves little less than Rogues and Traitors, and acknowledging the King's great Justice and Wisdom in fending them packing.

I would ask you, Should a Popish Prince hereafter have a Defire to hang any Man that was too bufy in the Proteftant Caufe, whether he had more to do than to make a beggarly, neceffitous, or bigot Gentleman, Sheriff of that County, and fend down his private Orders to the Lord- Lieutenant, who shall return a Grand Jury of Lieutenants and Enfigns, that shall never find Ignoramus; and a Petty Jury of Serjeants and Corporals, before whom Irish Witneffes may be believed; efpecially if Care be taken that the Lord-Lieutenant be fo good a Churchman as to take his Tutor in the University for Governor of his Affairs and Fortune ever after?

I would only ask you seriously, Whether, without the Experience you have had of this Age, you could have imagined the Gentry thanking the King and addreffing to him for diffolving a Parliament, and acknowledging his Majesty's Goodness in promifing to govern by Parliaments, when, in feveral Years of the greatest Distress and Danger of the Nation, they have been diffolved and prorogued fo often, without their Advice taken? Could you have fupposed a Judge of this Land bringing an Addrefs from Hereford; and Sandars (an eminent Man in the Law) bringing another from himself and his Companions, directly contrary, not only to the Law of the Land, but to the Law of all Nations, common Senfe, and Reafon? They tell you of a Paper called an Affociation, found amongst my Lord Shaftsbury's Papers; this they fet up as a Man of Straw and fight against it; and 'tis refolved that Addreffes fhall go round the Nation to this Purpose. What can this mean but to perfwade the World that the Proteftants have yet a Plot, which hath been attempted fo often by the

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