Advice to all Parties,

HE that gives his Advice before it is ask'd, expects no Fee for his Counſel; and ſo the Author of theſe Sheets ſtands clear from the Scandal of Bribery.

If the Gifts of the Spirit qualify a Man for Teaching his Neighbours; by the ſame Rule, if any Man knows more than another, he may tell him his Mind, and then every one is free to do what he pleaſes.

The Author, tho' he is no profeſs'd States-man, may paſs for a gifted Brother that way: If he ſays nothing to the purpoſe, yet hear him; and if he ſays any thing that is to the purpoſe, hear him, and no more.

Whatever the World may ſay of him, they cannot imagine him to be ſuch a Fool, as to think he ſhall pleaſe every Body. What ſuits the Wiſe Man, won't pleaſe the Fool: If the Honeſt-man is contented, the Knaves will murmur: Peace won't pleaſe the Soldier, nor Plenty the Farmer: Truth will pleaſe the Wiſe-man; and he that cannot diſcern it, is a Fool worth no Body's Notice.

The World is made up of a Conjunction of Contraries, and the Har⯑mony is the more Admirable: So the Times dilcover a Conjunction of oppoſite Parties, which if they can be brought to keep the Peace, the U⯑nion wou'd be ſomething wonderful.

Before we come to talk with the Gentlemen concern'd, 'will be needful to ſeparate the Parties Sheep and Goats, Birds of a Feather; ſet every Sort by themſelves, with their Characters and Deſcriptions, that all Peo⯑ple may look out and know them, and look in and know which ſort they belong to.

We are at preſent the moſt divided Nation in Europe, the Jeſt of all the World. The Polanders are Fools to us: We have among us, as ſome have obſerv'd, three or four and thirty ſorts of Religions, and twelve or thirteen Severals in Politicks. In Religion, here are Chriſtians and Jews, Papiſts and Proteſtants, Heathens, Pagans, Idolaters, and Atheiſts, worſe than any of them, Deiſts, Anti-Deiſts, Socinians, Arminians, Pelagians, Gnoſticks, Donatiſts, Adamites, Sweet-ſingers, Enthuſiaſts, Families of Love, Arians, Antinomians, Free-willers, Seventh-day Men, Univerſal Redemption⯑ers, Aſgelites, Quietiſts, Lutherans, Calviniſts, Hugonots, Church of England Men of ſeveral Sorts, Puritans, Presbyterians, Independants, Anabaptiſts, Quakers, Fifth-Monarchy-Men, and the D [...] and all [...]. If but one Sort of theſe are in the right, God knows which Sort that is, and the Lord have Mercy on all the reſt. If all Sorts may be in the right, than [4] 'tis no Matter what Sort a Man's of, and there's no need of any Strife about the Matter.

In Matters of Politicks, the numerous Kinds have obtain'd the Sir-names of Court-party and Country-party, Tories, Whigs, Trimmers, Loyaliſt, Royaliſt, Commonwealths-men, Williamites, Jacobites, High Church, Low Church, and No Church, Non-Jurants or Church-Diſſenters, Church Whigs, and abundance of other Sorts, which the Cuſtom of the Times have been pleas'd to give Titles to.

But when all theſe Names are made uſe of, with many more, by way of Contempt upon one another, to ſhew our Want of Good-nature, as well as Want of Manners; the real unhappy Differences of this Nation ſeem to lie among the Parties at Court that lately had the Miniſtry, and thoſe that have it now; between the Furioſo's in the Church, who are for carrying all before them, and the Moderate Men in the Church, who are for Peace joyn'd with the Diſſenters, who are for the Liberty they enjoy being preſerved.

To theſe Gentlemen the following Advice is directed: If they think 'tis good, they'll accept the Hint, or come under the Claſs of Solomon's Fools, that hate Inſtruction: If they contemn it, they ought to ſhew a Reaſon for it, or elſe they are in Solomon's Reach again; He that judges of a Matter before he hears it, 'tis Folly and Shame unto him.

Temerity in Politicks, is certainly the moſt impolitick thing in the World. Too much Haſte may do Harm, but ſeldom does Good; and and one would think, the late Reign of King James might be a Memento mori to all the Sons of Jehu either in Church or State.

He is certainly the Friend of ſuch men, who adviſes them to check their Career before they go too far; becauſe ſuch Tempers always run on to their own Confuſion as well as other People's.

But, to tell who I mean without going far about, There's a ſort of People among us, who, after their Tears of Joy for the Death of King Willi⯑am were dry'd up, began to be comforted very early with the Halcyon Days of Queen Ann; and, as if they had made their Conditions with her before Hand, they gave a Looſe to their Paſſions, and diſcover their Satis⯑faction, in the Country Coffee-Houſes, in Terms like theſe:—Well Boys! Now we ſhall have brave Times again. Brave Times! ſays his ho⯑neſt Neighbour, who was melancholly ſtill for the Nation's Lois; Why what's the Matter? Matter! why, we have got a Church of England Queen, and all theſe damn'd Phanaticks will go down again. We'll have them all turn'd out now. We'll have no more Canting within the Noiſe of our Church Bells, no Tub-Preaching, no Barn-meeting, no Whiggiſh Juſtices now, that a poor Man can't get a Cup of Beer in his Crown of a Sunday after Sermon, but his Neighbour ſhall be plaguing him with the Stocks: And if he happen to ſwear an Oath, or ſo, to be teaz'd with Informers, that a Man can't take a Glaſs of Wine after Sermon, but he ſhall be Fin'd and Expos'd for it; here has been ſuch [5] a [...]plutter with your Reformation of Manners and your Dutch Government: We have an Engliſh Queen, and a true Church of England Queen, and down you go: We'll have your Meeting-Houſes about your Ears quickly.

That this is Matter of Fact, that this was the Diſcourſe not in the Mouths of here and there a Fool, but of a whole Party, I'll at any time ſet my Name to the Charge; And I ſuppoſe no Body need put me upon the Proof.

Nor was Her Majeſty's Declaration to her Council, or Speeches to the Parliament, or Her Anſwers to the Diſſenters Addreſſes, of any Weight with theſe ſort of People; tho' Her Majeſty took ex⯑ceeding Care, on all Occaſions, to make all Her Subjects eaſy, by giving them Aſſurances, Firſt, That She would be a Religious Ob⯑ſerver of Her Royal Word; And then giving Her Royal Word, that She would Maintain the Toleration, and give Her Protection to the Diſ⯑ſenters.

Let me tell thoſe Gentlemen, that they are guilty of two Crimes; Firſt, great Indiſcretion, in ſhewing their Teeth, before the Muzzle which the Laws have put upon them is taken off, and that they have no Power to bite. Secondly, So much want of Manners and Reſpect, that ſhou'd the Author write half ſo much Satyr upon the Queen in this Book, 'tis to be thought he wou'd write himſelf into Newgate, and very well he wou'd deſerve it.

What can the Engliſh of ſuch Language be other than this; That the Queen made ſuch Promiſes of Protection to the Diſſenters, and continuing the Toleration, only to quiet their Minds at Her firſt Acceſſion, and 'till She is Settled in the Throne, or perhaps 'till the War abroad is over; but She does not deſign to keep her Promiſe with th [...]m, but they ſhall all be ſuppreſs'd as ſoon as Op⯑portunity offers? And truly Gentlemen, Her Majeſty is very much be⯑holden to you.

The ſhort Advice the Author thinks fit to give ſuch People, is, to hold their Tongues, and have more Manners than affront the Queen at ſo Im⯑pudent a Rate; and ſince they have ſhown their good Will, let them be quiet till their [...] comes, [...] Her Majeſty being inform'd of their rude⯑neſs, ſhou'd think fit to give the Nation a further Aſſurance of Her Juſt⯑neſs to Her Promiſes, by puniſhing them for their raiſing a Scandal upon her Veracity.

A ſecond ſort of People, which the Author pretends to give Advice to, are ſuch, as upon the Queen's Diſſolving Her firſt Parliament, and Calling a New one, pretended to tell us what brave things that approaching Par⯑liament would do for them.

We have now gotten a Church-Parliament, a Loyal Church-of-England Parliament, ſay they, and now we will do your Buſineſs, and this Parliament ſhall [...] us all to Rights again. Now, we'll diſmount the Two [6] Bulwarks of Whiggiſh Hopes; for this Parliament ſhall repeal the [...] of Toleration, and the Settlement of the Crown: They ſhall leave the Engliſh Throne to be, as it always was, Hereditary, and let Right Line and Deſcent take place; that Engliſh Loyalty may flouriſh, and the Pre⯑rogatives of Princes be no more invaded, nor the Nation be govern'd by Dutch-Men and Foreigners.

I believe no Body will diſpute with me the Truth of Fact, that this was the Talk, not of a Single Perſon, or of a few, but of a Party, their Common, their Table, their Coffee-Houſe Diſcourſe.

How to comment upon ſuch Inſolence, I hardly know: This is an Ini⯑quity to be puniſhed by the Judge.—And if the Houſe of Commons did not take Cogniſance of ſuch People, it was, becauſe they reſtrained their Reſentment of ſuch Affronts more than any Houſe of Commons ever did before them.

As to the laſt Parliament, the Author has no Buſineſs to ſay any thing of their Religion: But, I think, all our Parliaments have been Church-Parliaments; nor is there any Doubt but they always will be ſo. But what ſort of Doings is this with Parliaments, if they are to be anticipa⯑ted, led by a Party, and told before-hand what they ſhall do.

If this ſort of People conferr'd with the Members, and concerted with them before-hand, what ſhould, or ſhould not, be done; if ſo, we had then ſuch a Parliament as never was before.

But if theſe Gentlemen did this only to inflame Parties, only to let us ſee what they would have done, what Deſign they were driving at, 'tis time for the Nation to open their Eyes, and Examine who they are.

The Act of Settlement is the Foundation on which the Nation ſtands: 'Tis the Sacred Pillar of the preſent Goverment, and on it may be very well plac'd the Scotch Motto, Nemo me Impune Laceſſit: 'Tis the Sanctum Sanctorum, near which no Man may approach, without a Blaſt from the Breath of the whole Community: This is the Ark of our Iſrael, before which the Dagon of the Jure Divino Men is fallen, with his Head and his Hands knock'd off: 'Tis the Pedeſtal of the Engliſh Throne; which if it be remov'd, the whole Column of the Government ſinks, and the Capital, which is the preſent Queen, muſt fall with it: Her preſent Majeſty can have no Right to the Crown, if King James left a Son, but by the Act of Settlement.

Now, 'tis worthy of Remark, that the Gentlemen who talk of repeal⯑ing the Act of Settlement, don't do it barely becauſe the Crown is not thereby limited to their liking: But they are for repealing it as a thing not legal in its own Nature; they would have the Parliament diſown the Right of Limiting the Crown, and acknowledge a Right of Succeſſion Jure Divino, That Kings of all Religions or Principles, muſt be ſubmitted to, if they come of the Race; That the Right Line muſt ſucceed, and 'tis not in the Power of the People of England, either Collectively or Repreſentative⯑ly, [7] to queſtion their Princes, or to oppoſe their Oppreſſive unjuſt Proceed⯑ings.—The latent Conſequences of this will come in at the laſt; viz. That the late Revolution was an Act of Rebellion againſt God and the King; That it was a Violence offered to God's Vicegerent, againſt Juſtice and Allegiance; That King William was an Invader of another Man's Right, an Uſurper, and a Tyrant; and ſo we are all a-comming, Gentle⯑men, to the old Point againſt Paſſive Obedience, Non-Reſiſtance, Diſpenſing Power, and all the Abſurdities and ridiculous Contradictions of the late Reigns come into Play again, and we have ſpent thirteen Years War, a Maſs of Engliſh Money, and a Sea of Engliſh Blood to a fine purpoſe.

This is one Deſign, in ſtriking at the Act of Settlement; another is to ſupplant the Houſe of Hanover, becauſe, forſooth, they don't like them. They are aſhamed to own what they would have; but the Caſe is ſo plain, that it needs no Comment. A late Author has publiſhed the Life of King James; and, taking no Notice of this Act, ſays, "King James died, and left one Son, and two Daughters. Now, what is the Language of this Party? If we muſt ſubmit to the Queen's reigning before her Brother, becauſe ſhe is Crown'd, and has Poſſeſſion, we can't help it; but we are next Oars, and there is no reaſon to expell the reſt of his Family; Here is a Son and a Daughter; we may have them home, make Proteſtants of them, and never run up into Germany for an old Woman, and her Dutch Progeny to Reign over us.

Here is the plain Engliſh of the Deſign, a Deſign, which aims at the Root and Fundamental Part of our Conſtitution; And tho' there is no great Danger of the thing, yet 'tis plain they puſh at it with all their Might.

As to this Act of Settlement: Firſt, The Queen who Reigns by Virtue of ſuch a Settlement, has not once, but ſeveral times given Her Royal Pro⯑miſe to maintain it: So that if ever ſuch an unhappy Time ſhou'd come, that a Parliament ſhou'd offer to diſannul it, we have Her Majeſties Ho⯑nour, which we truſt will never forſake her, to have recourſe to as a Check to the fatal Miſchief: And if both Queen and Parliament ſhou'd be ſo miſtaken, and ſo much Blindneſs from above ſhou'd in Judgment to them be their Portion; the Native Original Right of the People of Eng⯑land, as the Fountain of Power and Government, will come up, and give a Negative to the Execution. What will any new Settlements of the Crown, that may be made, amount to, if the People of England, who have an undoubted Right to the Government themſelves, ſhou'd contra⯑dict them at the Time they wou'd Enter upon the Poſſeſſion, with this general Negative, We will not have this Man to Reign over us.

The Safety of the Engliſh Nation, reſts in, and depends upon them⯑ſelves. The People of England are a Security to the People of England, for a Preſervation of all their own Eſſential Right; and among the reſt, this is the chief, to be govern'd by Princes of their own Nomination, and Laws of [] their own making. No Prince can Reign here, but by the Conſent of the People; and by no Laws, but ſuch as become Laws by the Conſent of the People: It has been in vain attempted to bug-bare the Nation into Ville⯑nage and Vaſſalage; but the Liberties of England has always been like the Stone in the Goſpel, whoſoever has fallen againſt them, has been broken to pieces; and on whomſoever they have fallen, has been groun'd to Powder.

The Engliſh Nation has not many more Liberties than they had before; but they know them better than they did.

We know now, that our Princes are circumſcrib'd by the Laws and Con⯑ſtitutions of the Nation, are oblig'd to Govern juſtly, and perform the Sti⯑pulation of Government declar'd in two Acts of Parliament: We know, that if they Iſſue out illegal Commands, 'tis no Treaſon to diſobey. If a Prince ſhould Levy Money by Arbitrary Authority, any Free-holder may refuſe to Pay it, and be guilty of no Crime: If 'tis Levied by Force, he may oppoſe it with Force, and yet be no Rebel.

We know the very Parliament themſelves can't diſpence with the Law, but in a Parliamentary Way: No Law can ceaſe to be a Law, till repeal⯑ed by the ſame Power that made it; and nothing can have the Force of a Law in England, but what has the People's Conſent in Parliament.

The Power of Parliament, and how far the Members are accountable to their Principals, is not for me to determine; but this I venture to ſay, that without Doubt a Member of Parliament is to have ſome Regard, in Honour, to the Inclination of the People he ſerves, at leaſt, not to act what he knows is contrary to their Deſire.

'Tis plain, that the Act of Settlement is the moſt Valuable thing in the Government, as the Security we have againſt future Slavery: 'Tis the Account we are to give to our Children of our Care for their Safety: 'Tis the Bulwark of the Nation againſt Popery and Tyrany; and none but the Enemies of our Liberties can wiſh to ſee it Repeal'd. 'Tis our double Security; Firſt as it is an Acknowledgment of the People's Power to limit the Crown; and Secondly, as it has effectually declared the Right of the Subject, their Liberties, and juſt Priviledes, under ſuch as ſhall Reign hereafter.

Some have thought, that the Party in a certain Houſe, who made it their buſineſs to limit, thwart, and affront the late King William, particu⯑larly as to the Matter of the Army, and afterwards the Grants of Lands in Ireland, while they carried on their private Pique at the King, involun⯑tarily and unwarily ſet their Hands to the Peoples Liberties, and made ſuch Declarations of the Rights of the Subject, as they wou'd be glad to have now undone if they could; if they were led into this by another Party, they were trick'd with a Vengeance: But a Learned Gentleman, who was formerly a great Jure Divino Man, was pleas'd to ſay of it with an Oath, We are going to make our ſelves all Kings, only to croſs one King.

[9] But let the Deſign ha' been what it will, the People's Liberties were Recognized by ſome Gentlemen; who, if it ſhould ha' been told them formerly, that they ſhould ha' done ſo and ſo, wou'd ha' anſwer'd with the Aſſyrian Captain; Is thy Servant a Dog, that he ſhould do theſe things?

To theſe, and all the Gentlemen of that Party, who aim at altering the Act of Settlement, our Advice is ſhort, Have a Care, Gentlemen, what you do: Methinks you ſhould not have the Face to expect, or the Impudence to deſire the Queen to break her Word, the Parliament-Men to Act con⯑trary to the Intereſt and Inclination of the People that choſe them, a Pa⯑piſt ſet upon the Throne, a rupudiated Impoſtor Acknowledged, an Ab⯑jur'd Race receiv'd. 'Tis true, all Acts of Parliament may, as Acts, be repeal'd by Parliament; but ſome things are in their own Nature to be continued; this can't be repeal'd; if the Queen ſhou'd break her Word, which 'tis baſe to ſuppoſe, even if the Parliament ſhou'd conſent: Who ſhall abſolve us of an Abjuration Oath? Who ſhall reconcile the Nation to a French and Popiſh Prince? The meaning is only Confuſion and Diſtra⯑ction, and the End will certainly be the deſtruction of all that ſhall ever at⯑tempt it; and therefore I think it as kind a piece of Counſel as can be gi⯑ven; Gentlemen, have a Care; for you will certainly miſcarry in the At⯑tempt. Popery and Slavery will never go down with this Nation: Pope⯑ry is ſo formidable a thing, that the very Name of it wou'd ſet the whole Nation in an Uproar: Thoſe that do not underſtand it, hate it by Traditi⯑on; and I believe there is a hundred thouſand plain Country-Fellows in England, wou'd ſpend their Blood againſt Popery, that do not know whether it be a Man or a Horſe.

Let ſuch People therefore have a Care, the People of England provok'd, are not eaſily appeas'd: Let them remember the Conſternation they were in 16 Years ago, when the Reſentment of the People of England hung o⯑ver the Heads of a whole Party: And let them reſt aſſur'd,

The Act of Settlement, and Limitation of the Crown, with the Recog⯑nition of the Peoples Rights, are the very things the War, the Revoluti⯑on, and the Diſmiſſion of King James were made for: Theſe were the Port the whole Nation ſteer'd for, and this Nation will never part with them. Now, they are ſafe, they can never have any Tyrant, but by their own Con⯑ſent, and if they are Slaves again, they muſt do it themſelves, and no body will pity them.

The next ſort of People, to whom theſe Sheets are directed, by way of Caution or Advice, are, Firſt, The late Miniſtry.

To you, Gentlemen, the Author directs himſelf without any thing of Satyr; which, conſidering how you treated him, you might reaſonably expect; but ſtating your Caſe as it really is, refers you to your ſelves, to reflect upon the profound Policy of your Ways.

Her Majeſty taking you for wiſe Men, as well as honeſt Men, com⯑committed to your Conduct the guiding of her Affairs: War abroad, [10] Peace at home, Her Majeſty's Glory, the Nation's Happineſs, were all in your Power: You had what Solomon calls a Price put into your Hands, and Solomon, not I, ſhall tell you what you ought to be thought, for not making ſuch Improvement of it, as God and the Nation expected from you.

That you were the honeſt Men the Queen expected you to be, let the Anſwers you gave to the Propoſals for relieving the Camiſars, the Expedi⯑tion to Cadiz, the Management of the Victualing-Office, the Army and Navy, in too many Particulars to be innumerated here, ſpeak for you, if they can; the Forfeiture of your Honour and Word on ſundry Occaſions, the Conniv'd Correſpondencies with the Enemy, and the like, let them an⯑ſwer for the Matter: That your Conſummate Wiſdom deceiv'd her Ma⯑jeſty, whoſe Goodneſs had Entertain'd better Thoughts of you, than your Merit gave Reaſon for, will too plainly appear in the weak Attempts made to cover the farther Diſhoneſty of your Deſigns in puſhing this Nation in⯑to all manner of Feuds, Heats, Animoſities, and Strife of Parties, to the no ſmall Confuſion of the Publick Affairs, and hazarding the Publick Peace.

How you would have extricated her Majeſty and this Nation out of the Labyrints of Error, and the Impolicies you were driving the Publick Affairs into, we thank her Majeſty's Prudence that ſhe did not think fit to expect, not thinking it ſafe to run the riſque of calling you Fools at the Price of ſome Miſchiefs too groſs to be born with, and too late to be remedied.

It is ſufficient, that her Majeſty, finding both the Diſhoneſty and Folly of your Management, and foreſeeing the precipiece on which you had brought the Public Affairs, had both the Wiſdom and the Courage to take the Reins out of your Hands before you had quite over-turn'd the Chariot of the State, and before you had hurried both us and your ſelves into Gulfs of irretrievable Confuſions.

The humble Advice of the Author of theſe Sheets to you, is, To ſit down and be quiet, thank God on your Knees, Night and Day, that you had a mild, a merciful, and a gentle Miſtreſs, that let you fall ſoftly, and did not tye the Weight of the Law to your Heels, which would have ſunk you to the Bottom of that Gulf, in which falſe Favourites have generally fallen in all Ages of the World.

Thank God and the Queen, That Her Majeſty did not give you time to ruia your ſelves, but took the Knife out of your Hand, before you did that Miſchief with it that muſt at laſt have fallen with a double Weight on your own Heads.

Mad-men and Fools are always taken care of by their Friends, miſchie⯑vous Weapons taken from them; and if they are not peaceably diſpos'd, are frequently lock'd up from any Capacity of injuring themſelves or others.

Her Majeſty could never have anſwer'd it to her own known Prudence and Judgment, to have committed the Power of your own Ruin, and the Nation's Diſturbance, any longer to you: For when once the State-Frenzy appear'd, and all the fatal Plague-Tokens of Lunacy and National Diſtra⯑ction [11] broke out in your Behaviour, the Queen as a true Nurſing Mother to you, gave you a Receſs from Public Employment, that you might have time to ſhave your Underſtandings, diſcipline your Tempers, and put your poli⯑tick Capacities under a Courſe of State Phyſick, might recover your Senſes a little, and, if poſſible, with Time and Reflections, come to your ſelves again.

How kind has her Majeſty been to you Gentlemen! that when you had abſolutely hang'd your ſelves in the State-Nooſe, had actually tied the Rope of Cauſes and Conſequences about your Necks, and had you gone on but a few moments more, muſt have been hamper'd irretrievably, and been quite ſtrangl'd with the Extenſion of your own Politicks; at once the kind hand of your Sovereign cut you down before your breath was quite gone, brought you to Life again, and delivered you from thoſe dangerous Wilderneſſes and Mazes of State-Affairs; the Conduct of which you never underſtood, and has now given you the Happineſs of a calm Receſs, and fair Warning not to meddle any more with Things out of your Sphere.

Keep the Anniverſary of your Deliverance, Gentlemen, and let it never be forgotten: Remember it with Thankfulneſs to the Queen, to the Glory of her Majeſty's Lenity and Tenderneſs, and think ſometimes how impoſſible it had been but that the Miſchiefs and Diſtractions you were puſhing this Na⯑tion upon, muſt have ended in Committing you the Inſtruments of it to the Hands of that Juſtice which ſome of you, by the unexpected Happineſs of Revolution-Clemency, had the good Fortune to eſcape from once before.

My third Advice is to the Church of England.

Poſſibly the Clergy may diſdain to be advis'd, at leaſt by me, as Perſons whoſe Province it is, to give, not receive Admonition: But none ought to refuſe Advice, but he that has never been miſtaken; and I hope, Gentlemen, you will not pretend to be the Men. You have now your Day, as Aſhton ſaid lately, every Body has. The Queen has declared her ſelf of your Side, and that tho' others ſhall have her Protection, you ſhall have her Favour.

The humble Advice to you, Gentlemen, is, Firſt, To Deſerve it. Se⯑condly, Be contented with it.

Deſerve it by being Faithful to her, and to your Native Country; for 'tis a moſt certain Truth, no Man can be a Faithful Subject to the Queen, who is not intirely in the Intereſt of his Native Country.

By this I mean (for I deſire to be underſtood) No Man can be a Faithful Subject to the preſent Queen, and deſerve her Favour, who deſigns or de⯑ſires to overthrow the Peace of the Nation ſhe Governs, to overthrow the Foundation on which it ſtands, that wou'd endeavour to bring in a Popiſh Race to Reign over us, and conſequently involve the Nation in Blood and Confuſion. 'Tis not enough to ſay they deſign no Alteration during the Queen's Life, but to keep out Foreigners: There is nothing ſo Foreign to this Nation as Popery. The Church of England were the Men which threw it out; and how it can be, that the Church of England Men ſhou'd run a Venture of its returning, is paſt my Underſtanding.

[12] 'Tis true, every thing that is done by the Members of the Church of England, is not done by the Church; a lame Shift lately made uſe of by a certain Gentleman, to throw off the Scandal of Paſſive-Obedience.

But, with ſubmiſſion to that Gentleman, he might have anſwer'd the Author of the New Teſt of the Church's Loyalty better than ſo, or he had as good have ſaid nothing: For, I think, in Arguing, we may take the Principles of a Church from the Writings of her Doctors, who are the Ex⯑plainers of them, as well as from her Confeſſion of Faith: Now he owns that the Doctors of the Church have Preached ſuch a Doctrine; if it be a Doctrine not agreeable to the Canon, then they ought to have been reprov'd by the Dioceſan, and Puniſhed by Suſpenſion, or otherwiſe. But however, 'tis ſufficient to the Argument and therefore the Diſtinction was needleſs, that whether it is an Article of the Church's Faith or no, 'tis a Doctrine was Preach'd by the Learned Doctors of the Church, univerſally received by the Members of the Church, defended openly, profeſs'd and acknowledg'd by thoſe Gentlemen that have been, and are ſtill eſteem'd Fathers and Pillars of the Church, and this is ſufficient to the Point.

Now, in this reſpect, what is done by the Members of the Church of Eng⯑land, and none elſe, is in the Senſe of the Argument done by the Church, tho' it be not a publick Act of Convocation, or an Act of Delegates from the Church.

In this Senſe the Church of England Depoſed K. James, and yet they ne⯑ver made an Act of Convocation for it, but 'twas the Church of England part of the Nation did it; and thus I am to be underſtood here, without putting any one to the Trouble of Exerciſing his Logick upon the Point.

In this Senſe too I deſire to be underſtood of the Church of England in all I ſhall ſay of 'em, or to 'em: I am not Diſcuſſing their Articles of Faith, I like them very well, and wiſh they wou'd ſtick cloſe to them themſelves; nor am I ſingling out their Clergy to Reproach them with their Immorali⯑ties, of which, perhaps, there may be cauſe enough, aye, and in other Clergy too; but I'm directing my diſcourſe to the whole Body of this Nation, who call themſelves of the Church of England, and 'tis to them I ſay, that who⯑ever goes about to Introduce a Popiſh Succeſſion to the Crown of this Pro⯑teſtant Nation, whoſoever deſigns to reſtore the Abdicated Line of the late King, can't deſerve the Favour which her Majeſty has promis'd them, and which, I can't but ſuppoſe, ſhe promis'd them with a Sub-Intelligitur of their Faithfulneſs to her and the Nation.

The Proteſtant Succeſſion is the Foundation on which her Majeſty and the Nation now ſtands, and without which they cannon ſtand; of which may be ſaid, without Prophaneneſs, as is ſaid of the Goſpel, other Foundati⯑on can no Man lay than that which is laid.

2. As I would adviſe the Church of England to deſerve this Favour of their Prince, ſo I adviſe them to be contented with it.

It ſeems a Manifeſt Affront to the Queen's Declaration that when ſhe has promis'd them her Favour, and the Diſſenters her Protection, they ſhou'd [13] not be contented with the Firſt, without depriving tother of the Laſt. What ſhall we ſay? that while the Queen declares ſhe will protect her Diſſenting Subjects in their Liberty of Worſhip, it ſhall be hindred from the Pulpit, and afterwards from the Collegiate Preſs at Oxford, that 'tis the Duty of all true Chur. of England Men to Erect a Flag of Defiance againſt the Diſſenters, or Phanaticks, till they are Rooted from off the Face of the Land: Why, what's the matter Gentlemen? won't you let the Queen keep her Word with them? ſhe has promiſed upon her Royal Word to preſerve the Tolera⯑tion, and you declare ſhe ſhall not. This is very ſcoundrel uſage of her Ma⯑jeſty, and a ſorry return for the Favour ſhe has promis'd you. I queſtion not but you will come in with the Shift juſt now mentioned, That this is not an Act of the Church of England; but Gentlemen as you ought to be aſham'd of it, let us ſee you Correct it, or elſe we ſuppoſe your tacit acknowledg⯑ments is an Aſſent.

Here are in England, by a modeſt Eſtimation, above two Millions of Diſſenters; I would fain ask the hotteſt headed Church of England Man in Town, what he wou'd have done with them?

Hang'd, all Hang'd, ſays furioſo, Ay, Sir, if you cou'd fight as well as talk, it may be you might do it; But they won't be Hang'd, and how will you make them? 'twas try'd once, and nothing was got by it but Blows, and that Two for One.

Suppoſe you would Baniſh them, and Suppoſe they wou'd go, 'twou'd Ruin you all to part with them. See what a Condition Spain brought it ſelf to, by ſending 170000 Families of Mareſcoes away.

They're not only Numerous but Wealthy, your Trade wou'd remove with 'em, they'd carry with 'em ſo much of your Caſh and Wealth, you'd be in a worſe Caſe than the Iſraelites left the Egyptian Ladies in, without their Jewels.

I cannot ſee the Policy of the Church of England Men in ſuppreſſing the Diſſenters; 'tis certainly more for the Nations Good to Unite all Parties; there can be but one thing in it; Convert them they can't; I never read of any Converſion brought about by Perſecution but in France, and what are New Converts turn'd to? only to ſubmit for Fear.

Now without pretending to Propheſy, I may ſay, the Diſſenters in Eng⯑land are not to be brought to that, the only thing that remains, is, they wou'd have the reſtraint of the Law taken off, that they may be looſe upon them to harraſs and plunder them, this is what is aim'd at.

Well Gentlemen, when you have this Liberty you dare not put it in Pra⯑ctice further than the Law will give you leave; if you do, the Law gives them leave to reſiſt you, and in either, there is half your own Party will be againſt you; Nay, thoſe who are properly the Ch. of England will be a⯑gainſt it, all the Men of Honour, Conſcience, Charity and Mercy will be a⯑gainſt harraſſing and dragging their Neighbours about for Points of Conſci⯑ence: Nay, the Mob of your own Party will ſtone your Informers; and who are you that are left, if the other ſhou'd ſtand Neuter? can you Force the [14] Queen to break her Word? are ye able to fright her into it? and if you cou'd, when you have driven all the Nation into Confuſion, can you defend your ſelves againſt the Laws and the Party.

To what purpoſe than is all this Huffing, is it not only that you want to be Plundring your Neighbours? Why, if you are for Plunder, take Arms a God's Name, and go and Plunder the French.—But I ask Pardon, I forgot your Principles, you are for Plunder without Fighting.

The farther Confirmation of this Advice, is drawn from the plain Conviction, which the powerful Arguments of Peace, Temper and Mo⯑deration have forc'd on the Minds of Men.

You now ſee Gentlemen, the Queen, the Head of your own Church, the Biſhops, a numerous part of your own Body, the Men of the Gown, they are all convinc'd.

'Tis impoſſible for Wiſe Men to reſiſt Demonſtration, the conſequence of things has brought, I had almoſt ſaid, all the Wiſe Men of the Church, and I would to God it were true, to ſee the abſolute neceſſity of Peace, to ſee that a Union of Parties is the only ſtep to this Nations Settlement, that a Receſs from Party Rage, and healing the Wounds of the State, is the only Method to prevent the Nations falling into Convulſions, Feavers, Calenturs, and Death.

And why, Gentlemen, will you ſtand out? it were to be wiſh'd you would a little conſider how is it poſſible you can Erect your own Judg⯑ments againſt a whole Nation, the Queen, the Nobility, Thouſands of your beſt Pariſhoners, born, bred in, and ever true to the Church, are con⯑vinc'd, and will you not be mov'd to Examine the Caſe.

What proſpect of Injury or Miſchief can you ſee in Peace? what da⯑mage can accrue to the Church or State, to put but a Negative upon your Zeal, and not ſuffer it to out-run the Law, or Fight with your knowledge.

As you Love the Church, your Prince, and your Country, liſten to Peace, liſten to the Voice of the Nation, and of the Queen, and the Voice of Rea⯑ſon, and the Nature of the things, all concur to call upon you to Unite with your Brethren, and no more let ſmall things divide us, no more let our E⯑nemies beat us with our own Hands, and deſtroy us by our own Aſſiſtance.

If you will not give Ear to this Cordial Advice, give the Author leave to determine two Things, which without any pretence to the Spirit of Propheſy, he thinks he may preſume to aſſure you of.

1. This Nation, whoſe Eyes are now open to their own Safety and Deliverance, will do the Work without you, the People of England, aided by the Laws, encouraged by the Nobility, the principal Gentry, a great Bo⯑dy of the Clergy, and back'd by the Queen, joining in this mighty work, this glorious attempt to eſtabliſh a Party Peace, will do the work without you.

2. You will fix this Eternal Brand of Infamy on the Engliſh Clergy, that they were the principal Oppoſers of the Nation's Peace; that in Contempt [15] of the Bleſſed healing and heavenly Spirit of Peace, in ſpight of the Roy⯑al Exhortations and Invitations of their Sovereign in Defiance of the no⯑ble Example of their Brethren, they, even they only, are at this Day the wideners of our Breaches, the Encouragers of Diviſions, and the daily prompters of the Ignorant People to abhor their Brethren, to hate their Neighbours, and to keep up the unnatural Diviſions of this Nation.

A bleſſed Memorandum this will be to the Honour and Glory of our In⯑feriour Clergy, to remain to Poſterity, when our Children ſhall ſay, We had been a happy Nation, if the Clergy of the Church had not hindred the general Peace in 1705, when the Queen, the Nobility, the Gentry, nay, and the very Biſhops offer'd to join in a happy Union, when they all invited them to it; when all Circumſtances concurr'd to make them eaſy, and when the want of it let in Slavery and Bondage upon our Fathers, and entailed it upon us their Poſtery.

To the moderate Gentlemen of the Church, the Author of this ſees but little Occaſion to ſpeak; the whole need not the Phyſicians; he that is in the right Way needs no Guide. Peace has brought ſome Scandal upon you, but 'tis from ſuch Mouths whoſe Breath is all Scandal, and whoſe Throaths is an open Sepulchre.

Purſue, Gentlemen, with the ſame Courage and Candor, the ſame happy Reſolutions, and ſucceſsful Meaſures you have begun; how eaſy is the Work of Peace in England, when by wiſe Hands, back with the Encou⯑ragement of Power, it is once ſet on foot.

Go on, Gentlemen, with Succeſs; Peace is always the firſt Act of wiſe Counſels: What Confuſions have our State Mountebanks runs us into? Our N [...]ms, our S [...]mours, H [...]s, B [...]ms, Gra [...]ls, Ro [...]rs, and the Rabble of Jehu's Polititians? whither were they hurrying this Nation by Civil Confuſions, while, at the ſame time, we were involv'd in a cruel, a formi⯑dable, and threatning War abroad?

You have reſcued the Nation; God Almighty, by infuſing Principles of Peace, Moderation, Union, and Temper into the Heads and Hearts of the Queen and you, has ſav'd us from the Ruin contriv'd for us by the Devil, and unwarily propogated to treat them with Charity, by our own Impolitick and thoughleſs Managers.

The Diſſenters are another Branch of thoſe who this Author, with ſub⯑miſſion to their politicks, thinks may accept of ſome Advice, tho' per⯑haps they may be of another Opinion.

However, whether they will hear or forbear, he takes the Freedom to ſpeak to them, tho' in general, only referring a further Explication of his Meaning to another place.

You have always, and above all Parties, pretended to peace: Now ſhew the reality of your Deſign.

You are divided in ſome Steps which you think needful from the Church; let the Spirit of Charity remain, and divide no farther than you really know to be needful.

[16] In Matters of Religion, enjoying your Liberty, be content with it, and ſtudy to let there be no more Difference between you and the Church, than there really is.

We are all Chriſtians, all Proteſtants, all Engliſhmen, let us be all Bre⯑thren, and act like ſuch on all Occaſions.

The Church of England and the Diſſenters have but one Intereſt, one Foundation, and but one End: The Moderate Church-Men, and the cha⯑ritable Diſſenter, are the ſame Denomination of Chriſtians, and all the Difference which now lookt at near the Eye ſhows large, if view'd at the diſtance of Heaven ſhows not it ſelf; neither will Catholick Chriſtianity, in that Realm of Light, appear in any Party-colour'd Garment.

In Civil Affairs, 'tis your Intereſt, your Safety, and your Glory, that the Government ſhould be in the Church of England, and even this is a Se⯑curity to the Diſſenters againſt all that Clamour rais'd at them, of their pulling down the Church. The Diſſenters cannot wiſh the Downfal of the Church of England Governments, without proving themſelves Lunatick, and all the Senſe of their own Intereſt muſt forſake them.

In all Occaſions therefore, with all poſſible chearfulneſs, join with the Men of Peace of the Church; carefully chooſe them to repreſent you; bold⯑ly reſcue them from the Scandals and Calumnies of their own Clamouring high Party, and heartily aſſiſt them upon all Occaſions in their honeſt and juſt Endeavours for the Nation's Security.

What if every body you ſuſpect or diſlike is not turn'd out, or every body you like put in? What if Her Majeſty is willing to try ſome Men longer than others, and give Knaves an Opportunity to turn honeſt? what if the Revolution of England from Mad-men and Fools in the Miniſtry, to honeſt and wiſe Men, be acted like the Moderation we recommend, with Temper, ſedately, gradually, and with due Conſideration to Circumſtances: Being once fully ſatisfy'd with the ſincere Reſolution of the Queen and Miniſtry, to purſue the Nation's Peace, acquieſce in Her Majeſties Methods: Her Deſigns being ſo juſt, fear not but the Methods will be as judicious. Our Saviour's Redemption was all compleat, tho' he did not Anſwer the haſty Expectation of the Diſciples, who thought he muſt needs juſt then reſtore the Kingdom of Iſrael.

The Queen has ſufficiently declar'd Her glorious Reſolution for Peace; pray let us leave Her Majeſty to Her own Methods: It is not two Year ago ſince we we ſhould have thought our ſelves happy with what we now ſee; let us look on our preſent Liberty and Peace with Satisfaction, and wait with Joy and Pleaſure for the Remainder, which in its Time and Seaſon we have great Reaſon to hope will be perfected, to the Settlement of that laſting Calm in theſe Nations, which Good Men have ſo long pray'd for: