A DIALOGUE, &c

PRAY Sir, are you the Author of the Ob⯑ſervator?

Suppoſe it Sir, what then?

Nay don't be angry, are you the reputed Author? A. Come off you Taught me in one of your Papers about Mr. F.

And what then?

Why I wanted a little Civil Diſcourſe with you.

If it be Civil, as you ſay, you are Welcome, but you begin but odly.

My Queſtions may be blunt, but you are not bound to Anſwer them, but let that be as you like 'em.

Firſt, Pray who do you reckon is the Author of this Deviliſh Book, call'd, The Shorteſt Way?

I ſhall Anſwer moſt of your Queſtions with a Queſtion, I believe, and begin with you here.

Do you think my Name is Mr. Bellamy, that you take me for an Informer? read the Gazett, there you have the Man with the Sharp Chin, and a Dutch Noſe.

Ay, but Sir, we begin to doubt that is not the true Author, that he has been only made the Tool of ſome other party, who now they find the World Exaſpera⯑ted at it, have ſlipt out of the Nooſe, and left him in it; we begin to be afraid the thing is a Reality, and there is ſuch a deſign on foot.

Your Anſwer, like Parſon Jacobs Text, ought to be taken a pieces and Explain'd.

1. If you are not ſure he is the Author, you Diſſen⯑ters have done him a great deal of wrong, for you have rail'd at him more than all the reſt of the World, and charg'd him with more Crimes than 'tis well poſſible for one Man to be Guilty of.

2. And yet by ſuppoſing him not to be the Author, you ſuppoſe him to be very Honeſt to his friends, that he bears all this without diſcovering them.

3 As for your fears of a real deſign, to put the Shorteſt way in practice upon you, no Queſtion there are abundance of People in the World, who would be glad there was not one of you left; I believe no body doubts it.

Pray who do you think they are?

Sir your Humble Servant; no Bellamy, I tell you not I Sir; If I were in a Plot with the Devil, I'le never turn Evidence, beſides Sir, I have no mind to have my Noſe and Chin deſcrib'd, but if you pleaſe I'le Anſwer you Negatively, who I believe are not concern'd in it.

That may be ſome ſatisfaction, Sir.

Not the Queen, Sir, not the Parliament, not the Council, not the Army, not the Miniſters of State, not the Government.

Thou art a ſafe Man, thoul't never go to Newgate for Negatives.

No Sir, nor for Poſitives neither, if I can help it; but you have had your will at Catechiſing, and I ought to have my turn, let me ask you a few Queſtions too.

You are welcome.

Pray why are you Diſſenters Angry at the Book call'd The Shorteſt Way, 'Tis a little Myſterious, Sir, that the Church Men are Affronted becauſe t'was Writ againſt them, and the Diſſenters are Affronted becauſe tis Wrote againſt them too, I don't well underſtand it, 'ne ſort muſt be Fools, that's certain.

I don't care whether I underſtand it or no, he is a Rogue, a Villain, and I wiſh the Government had him, if I knew where he was, I'd deliver him up and abate them the 50 l.

Spoken like a Diſſenter truly, ſo that I find you are Angry at him becauſe you don't underſtand him, and the Government becauſe they do.

You are ſo ſharp upon me, I do underſtand a a little too, I underſtand he meddl'd with that he had nothing to do with, and he is the Man they ſay who has been the occaſion of all this Perſecution which is com⯑ing upon us, by railing at Occaſional Conformity.

If he expos'd you for Occaſional Conformity, 'tis what you ought to have rectifi'd your ſelves, that you need not have been expos'd for it; and in that he was your Friend; for had you took the hint and exploded the Practice, there had been no need of an Act of Parliament to force you to it.

But what had he to do with that?

Nay, What had Mr. How to do to meddle with it afterward, I'll aſſure you his Name is down in my Pocket Book, and when any Man in England defends a cauſe worſe, I'll put his Name out, and put t'others Name in: But pray Sir, why do you call this bring⯑ilng Perſecution upon you; do you ſuppoſe the Occaſio⯑nal Bill will be a Perſecution?

Without doubt it will.

What ſort of Perſecution can you call it? it can't be a Perſecution for Conſcience ſake.

Why ſo Sir?

Why, pray Sir, ſuppoſe one of your Brethren Diſſenters, who can go to the Meeting to Day, and to the Church to Morrow; take the Sacrament to Day, ſit⯑ting, and to Morrow to get a good place, go to Church, and take it kneeling, wipe his Mouth and go home to [6] Dinner, and ſo to the Meeting again; ſuppoſe this Gen⯑leman ſhould be put up for Sherriff, or Lord Mayor, can this Man pretend Conſcience not to Conform? I tell you Sir, Mr. How muſt make a better Anſwer to the matter before I can be convinc'd, you may call it Per⯑ſecution but it can never be for Conſcience ſake.

Perſecution is Perſecution, let it be for what ſake it will, every man ought to be at liberty.

Ay that is true, [...] am for Liberty for every man to ſerve God as is moſt agreeable to his Conſcience: But this is not ſerving God at all: beſides Sir, I could eaſily make it appear, this Act is for your advantage, if ye were a ſort of People were to be convinc'd.

Pray, how Sir?

Why Sir, it will purge you of all your half in half Profeſſors. That's one thing; then it will put all thoſe Gentlemen into a capacity of being in pla⯑ces and Parliaments, who tho' by this Act they are ſepa⯑rated from you, and rejoin'd to the Church becauſe they can conform, will ſtill be friends to your Intereſt in all Publick Concerns; and therefore had I been to word the Bill ſo as to have done moſt harm, it ſhou'd have excluded all that ever were Diſſenters, and have forc'd you to continue ſo, and not have accepted your return to the Church without a publick Repentance.

Well, well, you may perſwade us 'tis for our ad⯑vantage, but we don't like it, and therefore we hate him for medling with it; for what had he to do with it?

About as much as you and I have to do with him, if a man meddles with what does not concern him, that's his Fault, and if we who really have nothing to do with him, meddle with him, that is our Fault, let the Govern⯑ment alone with him, have you nothing elſe to talk on?

Why all the Town has talkt of him as wellas we.

Yes, and reckon'd up all his Faults, all the [7] ſins that ever he committed in his Life, and abundance more; be the man who he will, and what he will, I don't ſee but the beſt of us would be loth all the Faults we have ſhould be reckon'd up and writ in our Fore-heads, as his are.

Oh, he has been a moſt wicked Wretch.

You force a man to be an Advocate for One he has no kindneſs for; a wicked wretch you ſay; why what has he been a Thief, a Murderer?

No no, I don't mean that way.

What has he been a Clipper or Coyner?

No no, nor that neither.

Has he been a Whoremaſter or a Drunkard, or a Swearer?

No, I can't ſay ſo neither, but he broke and can't pay his Debts.

If you had ſaid he had broke and won't pay his Debts, you had ſaid more to the purpoſe.

But I muſt do one piece of Juſtice to the man, though I love him no better than you do, that is this: That meeting a Gentleman in a Coffee-Houſe, where I and every body elſe was railing at him, the Gentlemen took us up with this ſhort Speech.

Gentlemen, ſaid he, I know this D Foe as well as any of you, and I was one of his Creditors, and I compounded with him, and diſcharg'd him fully; and ſeveral years afterward he ſent for me, and tho' he was clearly diſcharg'd, he paid me all the Remainder of his Debt voluntarily, and of his own accord: and he told me, that as faſt as God ſhould enable him he Intended to do ſo with every body; when he had done, he deſir'd me to ſet my hand to a Paper to acknowledg it, which I readily did, and found a great many Names to the Paper, before me, and I think my ſelf bound to own it, tho' I am no Friend to the Book he has wrote, [8] no more than you. What do you think of this ſtory?

Think of it, I do'nt believe it!

I can't help that, nor I care not whether you do or no, but I aſſure you after I heard it, I never rail'd at him any more.

Ay, but I'll rail at him for all that.

You Diſſenters are in ſomething like Caſe with the Phariſees; when the Queſtion was put to them by our Saviour about Johns Baptiſm; whether it was from Heaven or of Men. If a man ſhould ask you of the Shorteſt way, was it wrote for you or againſt you? If you ſhould ſay for us, you would be askt why then are you ſo mad with the Author? And if you ſhould ſay againſt you, the People would laugh at you; for all men but you ſee into it, and that a Diſſenter wrote it; you muſt ſay therefore, we cannot tell, and conſequently, that you rail at the Author for you can't tell what.

But we don't count him a Diſſenter.

He has all the marks of a Diſſenter upon him, but mant of Brains.

Why are we ſo empty of Brains pray?

There's reaſon for it, God has given you Equiva⯑lents.

I don't underſtand you.

That's a further Teſtimony of your being a Diſſenter; why if you will have it, take it, I ſay, God Almighty would have ſeem'd unkind to you, if he had not given you a great deal of Grace? For he has given you but little Wit.

Well, I hope they'l take him ſtill, I ſhould be glad to ſee him hang'd for it, I am ſure he deſerves it; I heard one met him a little while ago, wou'd I had been there.

Alone, do you mean Sir, or to have helpt the other?

Any how, ſo I could but have taken him.

'Twas in Hackney Fields, was it not?

Yes, I think ſo.

Ay, and they ſay 'twas one of your own Party too, and one that wou'd fain have got the 50 l. but that he drew upon him frighted him out of his Wits, and made him down of his Knees and ſwear that if ever he met him again, he ſhould ſhut his eyes till he was half a mile off him.

I don't think he's ſuch a fighting Fellow.

Do you know him?

No not I.

So I thought by your Charity and good Nature; I know him not neither, but the man has the Govern⯑ment upon his Back already, and if they take him they'l avenge your Quarrel for you. Let him alone, 'tis In⯑generous, as I ſaid before in print, to triumph over a man in his Affliction: 'twas but a little while ago he wrote a Book that pleas'd you, and then you cry'd him up as much as now you cry him down.

What Book pray?

Why the New Teſt of Church of England Loy⯑alty.

Did he write that Book?

I told you I was no Informer, go ask Mr. Bellamy;

why truly that was a good thing, I lik't it fully. 'Twas well done, but this curſed Shorteſt-way is the Devil, he muſt be turn'd Rogue now, what ever he was then.

Why, this 'tis to oblige a Diſſenter, if you ſerve them a hundred times 'tis well, but once get your Head in the Pillory for them, and they'l be the firſt to palt you with rotten Eggs; what can't you ſet down one good thing and one bad, and ballance with him: You under⯑ſtand [10] Accompts well enough; but you Diſſenters, are like a Shop keeper I knew, who having traded 20 Year with a Gentleman, and ſerv'd all his Family and gotten a great deal of money by him, at laſt the poor Gentle⯑man fell to decay, and owing him 40 s. the Shop-keep⯑er abus'd him, and call'd him all the Knaves and Rogues for cheating of him of 40 s.

No, no, this has ſpoylt all.

Well, but wee'l go back further with you, There's the Reformation of Manners, and the True born-Engliſh-man; there he pleas'd you for certain, for he is for reforming your Magiſtrates.

I don't underſtand them, I am for Reformation as much as any Body.

But what ſay you to the Legion Paper?

Ay that was a good thing indeed.

Well, but if he had been taken in doing that, wou'd you not have call'd him as many Rogues then as you do now?

No indeed, ſhou'd I not?

But I don't find you call him one Rogue the leſs for it now, and that's hard.

Well, But you ſee he denyes it, and chal⯑lenges you to prove it.

Ay, deny it, I told you he was no Fool, indeed I am not glad I printed it, for tho' it is charged upon him by common Fame, I am not for hanging men upon ſuppoſitions as you do.

Well, you do well, and I think 'tis a little hard, the man is gone, and tho' he has done ill, he might mean no harm, and ſo let him alone, I reck⯑on you won't be long before you follow him.

And when I am gone, you'l call me as many Rogues as you do him, won't you?

No, it may be I ſhan't, but I can tell you of ſome that do already.

It's all one to me, common Fame like a com⯑mon Strumpet, jilts every Body, but methinks Slan⯑der and Reproach, out of the mouth of a Diſſen⯑ter comes with ſome more than common ill favour.

They think they have good reaſon for it upon you.

And I think not, pray what are their good reaſons?

For abuſing your Friends?

My Friends, prithee who are they? I know but very few I have, and I am very ſure I never abus'd them

They all agree you would not be permit⯑ted to write ſo long, but the party would have ruffled you before now, only you court them and pleaſe them by a Side-Wind, with your railing at King William's Friends ſometimes.

King William's Enemies you mean; look, Sir, I have as much veneration for the Memory of King William as any of you, and do but once prove them to be King William's Friends, and I'll own all you ſay, and recant all I have wrote.

It's eaſy to prove they were his Friends.

Pray Sir, don't you tax me with abuſing King VVilliam, and abuſe him your ſelf, I have prov'd ſufficiently they were the Nations Enemies: Now if you can prove the Nations Enemies were King VVilliam's Friends, you'l make a fine ſpot of work on't indeed.

The Nations Enemies! That is, becauſe be⯑ing in great places, they got as much money as they could, and ſo would you do, and ſo have all the Favourites that ever were or will be.

When ever Favourites did, do or ſhall get mo⯑ney by rapine or injuſtice, and oppreſſion of the ſubject, they were and will be the Nations Enemies and their Soveraigns too.

But what have you to do with it? 'tis none of your buſineſs.

'Tis every Mans buſineſs to diſcover miſchief, fraud and ill deſign, as much as every Man who firſt ſpies Fire, has a duty upon him to raiſe the Neighbours: I am a Subject, and am Cheated among the reſt.

You Cheated, why what have you to loſe?

Why, my Liberty, which you ſaid but now, every Man had a Right to, and my Money when I have it; what's that to you, how little, or much I have, and how do you know how much I may have hereafter.

Nay, they ſay you get Money by Railing, and ſo you may ſoon be Rich.

Then I Rail for ſomething, and you get none, and yet you Rail; pray who has the beſt Excuſe for it?

He that has the beſt Reaſon for it, not he that gets the moſt Money by it.

I believe if you could get Money by Rail⯑ing, you would count it the beſt Reaſon in the World.

Why ſo?

Becauſe you are ſo willing to Rail at any body, when you know not for what, nor why, and charge People with Crimes they never Com⯑mitted; of all your Chriſtian Dutyes, you make the leaſt uſe of your Charity.

Why, ſince you put ſo hard, I can tell the time when you abus'd King William himſelf, as openly as you durſt ſpeak it, or any body dare Print, particularly in a Poem of yours, call'd the Foreigners.

How do you prove 'twas mine?

Nay, they ſay 'twas yours, you were the Reputed Author, as you ſaid in another caſe.

I tell you, there's no People in the World ſo forward to Condemn a Man upon hear ſay, as the Diſſenters, when they have a Mind to ſlander a man, they take every thing upon truſt, 'tis their Shorteſt way.

Theſe Scribling People are always med⯑ling with things they have nothing to do with; what have you to do with Kings and Favou⯑rites, or that t'other Fellow with the Shorteſt Way: you Pamphleteers are always Quacking with the State.

Come let's turn the Tables, now it's my Play, what have you to do with Acts of Parlia⯑menrs; you Diſſenters are always thruſting in your Oar too; what have you to do to talk of Perſecution and Acts againſt Occaſional Conformity, you are Mountebanking with the State too in every Coffee-Houſe, pray meddle with your own bu⯑ſineſs.

We ſhall have to do with it, when we feel it.

I am perſwaded if you were put to it ſevere⯑ly, few of you would ſtay to feel it, at leaſt few of your Wealthy Members, few of Mr. Hows mind, few of ſuch Diſſenters as go from Meetting to Church, and can back-ſtroke and fore-ſtroke, Communicate on both ſides.

I wiſh they may not, but we are a⯑fraid 'twill not only be a Perſecution, but a very long one.

Why then you are beholding to the Author we talkt of, for you ſee he is for putting you out of your Pain, but I am of a different Opinion from you in ſeveral of your darkeſt thoughts about Perſecu⯑tion.

Pray what is your Opinion?

1. I am of Opinion that if your Enemies were true Maſters of Politicks, they would not Per⯑ſecute you at all, I take you to be a declining Par⯑ty, Toleration will be your Ruin; and if God in Mercy to you don't ſend a Perſecution among you, you are loſt, you will all dwindle back into the Church again; your old ſtock of Miniſters dye off, your Owens, Mantons, Charnocks, Clarkſons, Baxters, and Bates's are gone, and pray what can you name out of the new Generation of your Leyden Doctors fit to ſucceed them.

2. The Occaſional Bill at once carries off your Wealthy Members, who are the ſupport of your Clergy, and as Mr. William's very well obſerved at Salters-Hall, If the Rich ones forſake you, the party will be weaken'd ſo as to make you fear the Diſſolution of the whole. Indeed the Gentleman was in the right, if the Wealthy Members quit the Congregations, 'twill make poor work for the Miniſters, and they like other People Generally do their work beſt where they have beſt Wages.

I thought you had Lov'd the Diſſenters bet⯑ter, than to abuſe them at this rate.

I don't abuſe them, I wiſh them clear of all their Hypocrites, and that there were none among them but what were Diſſenters for meer Conſcience: [15] if that were ſo, 'twould make their Enemies at Peace with them, they'd never be Perſecuted; the Go⯑vernment would Cheriſh them, and be as tender of them as they would deſire. But to be plain with you, 'tis your own Pride and Puſhing at great things has made you Obnoxious, and withall your diſcovering by an Alternate double-fac'd Conſcience, that while you pretend to Diſſent, and to have ten⯑der Conſciences, you can nevertheleſs Conform, if you plaeſe; this makes your Enemies ſuſpect your Honeſty, and apprehend more trick and deſign in you, than I hope they need. Nay this gives your Enemies ſuch advantage againſt you, as you can never Anſwer.

I do not think any Man ought to be confin'd by Laws and Acts of Parliaments about his Religion.

It may be I think ſo too; but Men ought to be Honeſt to their own Principles, whether there were Laws or no; and if I ſee a Man pretend he can't Conform, and upon occaſion I find he can, it makes me ſuſpect his Honeſty, and if I once think a Man a Knave, I am not to blame to fence my ſelf againſt him by Laws: I tell you an Act of Parlia⯑ment to keep you Honeſt, can never be call'd Perſecution.

Ay, if there was no more in it.

If there be any more in it, I wiſh there was not, I'm ſure I know not what is in it, and I believe you don't neither; pray have you ſeen the Bill?

No not I, but I hear 'tis a very Terrible Bill.

True to the old way ſtill, always to judge be⯑fore you hear, Indeed I forgot to ask you, but on [16] my Conſcience I don't believe you ever read the Book of the Shorteſt way; Come, be honeſt.

Read it, why the very Out-ſide of that is enough for any man to read; I thank God I ſpend my time better.

I think you ought to ſpend your time better too, than to give your Verdict upon any thing be⯑fore you read it.

You are a ſtrange man, why every body ſays 'tis a horrible Book, and not fit to be read, but what's that to this Act of Parliament?

Why thus much 'tis, that you cry out Per⯑ſecution from this Act of Parliament, and there's not a word of Perſecution in it.

I think 'tis Perſecution, if I muſt not be at liberty to worſhip God as I think fit.

Still you are without Book, why you may be a Diſſenter all the days of your life, and go to Meetings as long as you live, and never be trou⯑bled by this Act.

I can't imagine what you mean, why I muſt pay, God knows what, if I am ſeen at a Meeting.

Ay, Sir, that's after you have ſtrain'd your Conſcience from the Meeting to the Church; after you have bob'd your Religion to be Sheriff of London, or the like; and then want to go back again; but if you, to keep your Conſcience, can be content to be without theſe gay things call'd Places, you may be a Diſſenter to the end of the Chapter: So that this will only be a Perſecution for Honour ſake, not for Conſcience ſake, and never fall upon you neither, till you bring it upon your ſelf.

Well, I hope it won't paſs for all that.

I hope ſo too, but if it don't, it muſt be the Lords doing, and it will be marvellous in our eyes.

The Houſe of Lords you mean, I ſuppoſe.

I muſt mean as you will have me, let it be how it will, but if I hope it will not paſs, it's from different reaſons with you.

Pray, your reaſons?

Becauſe I am againſt (and ever ſhall be) Im⯑poſing any religious Ordinance or part of Worſhip as a Qualification for any temporal Employment. Let the Princes be at full liberty to employ who, or what ſort of their Subjects they ſee Cauſe. 2. Such Impoſitions are a Bait to People to banter their Conſciences, and to comply with that for a Preferment, which otherwiſe they wou'd not, and ſo ſeem to lead them into Temptation: But I don't know the Contents of the Bill, therefore I'll ſay no more.

And I wou'd not have it paſs, becauſe I take it to be a Foundation of Perſecution; 'tis but pulling down the Toleration next, and then we are all undone.

You Faithleſs and perverſe Generation! Has not the QUEEN promis'd to maintain your To⯑leration? Beſides, what's that to the Bill?

Why ſhou'd not we be afraid of it, as well as ſome of the Church-party have the confidence to hope it? Nay, to condemn the Toleration as Anti⯑chriſtian, and threaten us with the having it over⯑thrown.

Why theſe are for the Shorteſt way; you ought to rail at them as much as you do at the man with the book Noſe, and ſharp Chin, and more too; and no doubt if you would but turn Informer, you might hook their Noſes into the Gazett too, to be ſure the Government would not allow of it; they would never ſuffer the QUEEN to be ſo affronted.

I don't know how 'tis, ſuch things are ſuf⯑fer'd daily. I heard our Parſon t'other day ſay at a Publick Dinner 'twou'd never be well with England till ſome Courſe was taken to reconcile all Diſſen⯑ters to the Church, Longeſt way or Shorteſt, 'twas all one to him; he ſaid he hop'd to ſee the Church flouriſh without them; and a great deal more, and worſe than this.

That was a topping high-flying Gentleman indeed, and why did you not acquaint the Govern⯑ment with it?

What do you think I am an Informer? My Name is not Bellamy any more than yours, but pray why do you make ſo ſtrange of it? Don't we hear daily People expreſſing their high-flying hopes that a Parliament in Scotland will reſtore Epiſcopa⯑cy there, and yet has not the QUEEN given her word, and publiſhed it in our Gazett, that ſhe will maintain the Presbyterian Government there.

Has ſhe ſo? Then tho' they have the impu⯑dence to hope, you ought not to have the ignorance to fear it. The QUEEN gave her word to main⯑tain [19] it! be not ſlow of Heart to believe. She has ta⯑ken up the famous Motto of Q. Flizabeth, Semper eadem, and can you ſo much as doubt ſhe will de⯑face it, for a few Scotch Biſhops.

I am ſorry for my Fears, I beg her Majeſties pardon, there are ſo many Turns and Windings in Law and State matters, that we know not what to ſay to things.

Say! Why a promiſe is a promiſe, and you may depend upon it, ſhe has never broke her word with us yet.

Ay, but what if the Parliament ſhou'd do it?

Nay, If the Parliament does it, we do it our ſelves.

Very good, ſo that we may be undone, and the Toleration Bill taken away; and yet the QUEEN be as good as her word ſtill.

Yes Sir, ſo you may, whenever an Act of Parliament becomes ſo without the Royal aſſent, and when do you think that can be?

Why then theſe high-flying Church-men are very impudent Fellows, to ſuggeſt ſuch things of the QUEEN, and to bully us with overturning the Toleration, and put us in ſuch fears of what they will do to us, when it can never be done with⯑out the QUEEN's acting ſo directly againſt her Royal Promiſe.

Well, and what then.

Why I think they ought to be us'd as they us'd the Author of the Shorteſt Way, Gazetted and a Reward for the Diſcoverer.

Or as you have us'd him rather, viz. Rail at them, for being of your own ſide: you Diſ⯑ſenters are rare Fellows for Puniſhments, if God ſhould have no more Mercy on you, than you ſhew to all Men that offend you, we ſhould have Plagues, Peſtilence and Famine every Year upon us; ſo now you are come about again, theſe high Fly⯑ing Church Men have bully'd you with the fears of loſing your Toleration, come confeſs.

Yes.

And made you diſtruſt the QUEEN's Veracity.

Yeas, GOD and the QUEEN forgive us.

And have Terrifi'd you with what things they'l do when they have pull'd down your Anti⯑chriſtian Toleration, have they not?

Ay, Ay.

And ſo you thought the Shorteſt Way was Wrote to make a begining with you, and to ſet the Dragoons of the Church upon your Backs; did you not?

'Tis very true.

And continued of the ſame mind like an Ig⯑noramus, tho' you heard 'twas Wrote by one of your own Party.

Indeed I did.

Now pray, after ſo much patience as I have had with you, have a little with me; and if I can, I'le ſet you right in your Thoughts of theſe things.

There are a ſort of People among the Diſſenters who can either Diſſent or Conform, as they find their Inclinations or Intereſt rather directs them, theſe by their Wealth and Intereſt have always put themſelves into good places, and qualifi'd themſelves for that purpoſe, by taking the Sacra⯑ment: of theſe People, even the moſt moderate Church Men have an ill Opinion, and truly ſo have Two Thirds of your own Friends, for it looks as if they were Men of no Principles at all.

Againſt theſe Men the Act againſt Occaſional Con⯑formity is principally deſign'd, and if there was no⯑thing elſe in the Bill, I believe no good Man would be againſt it.

Concerning theſe things, Two ſorts of Peo⯑ple have been very groſly miſtaken, and upon their Miſtakes have proceeded to Act very Foo⯑liſhly.

[22] Firſt, The high Flying Church Party begun to think, all was a going their own way, and that the Government would fall in with them, and do your buſineſs for you, and away they run with the Notion, and Preach you down, and Print you down, and Talk you down like Mad Men; there is Sermon upon Sermon, Pamphlet upon Pamphlet: One ſays you are all Rogues and Hypocrites, ano⯑ther ſays you are Enemies to the Government, one Flies at the Toleration, and tells the World 'tis Deſtructive to the Nations Happineſs, and the Politici⯑ans muſt pull it down; another ſays 'tis Antichriſtian, and we cannot be true Sons of the Church of England, if we don't pull it down; others like hare-brain'd Huntſmen that over-run the Hounds, roar you down with full Cry, till they run themſelves out of Breath; others are for having you depriv'd of Voices in Elections of Parliament, in hopes of Ar⯑riving to that Bleſſed Day, when they ſhall have a Parliament of their own Mind; and thus they Run before they are Sent, and without Reflecting upon their ill grounded Zeal, without examining any Authorities, other than their Paſſions, without regard to good manners, taking no Notice of the Preamble of the Act of Parliament, which De⯑clares againſt Perſecution, or the Honour and Sacred Promiſe of Her MAJESTY, given to make Her Subjects eaſy, they blow up the Fire of Perſecution and Deſtruction, whether the Go⯑vernment will or no.

You are the next ſort of People, who are miſta⯑ken, for being Naturally a little Hypiſh, as the Beaus call it, troubled with the Spleen, and Hypo⯑condriack Vapours, this Cloud of Raillery ſo dar⯑ken'd your Underſtanding, that you preſently take [23] theſe People and the QUEEN, theſe People and the Government, theſe People and the Parliament, to be all of a mind; and the QUEEN having diſ⯑plac't all your Friends, as 'tis but juſt, That all Princes ſhould employ who they pleaſe: And the Parlia⯑ment falling on your Occaſional Conformers, and this Book of the Shortest way coming out, altogether the high Church Party Thundred at you from the Preſs and the Pulpit: Away you run with the Notion that you are all to be blown up, that all theſe Things aim'd at your Deſtruction, and that Fire and Fag⯑got was at the door.

But the Government is ſteady, and the QUEEN ſtill has maintained her Motto, the Parliament ſteers in the middle way, going about to reſtrain, but not to deſtroy you; and taking no notice either of the heat of one party, or Folly of the other, they hold the Ballance of your Liberty between your own exorbitant Licenſe, and the other party's unchriſtian Fury; and in my opinion, thus far are you ſafe.

But then why has not the Government thought fit to diſown the Zeal of theſe High-flyers, by puniſhment, and make Examples of ſome of them?

I told you, the Diſſenters were all for Pu⯑niſhments and Examples, for the ſame reaſon that they have not puniſhed you for ſuſpecting the QUEEN's Honeſty to her word, charging the Parliament with going about to perſecute you, and the like; for this reaſon, becauſe they are more merciful than both parties deſerve.

'Twould have convinc'd us very plainly of two very ſignificant Things. Firſt, That there is ſuch a Deſign, and then that the Authors of it re⯑ceiv'd no Countenance from Court.

Good Manners and Common Juſtice ought to have convinc'd you of the laſt, and your Author of the Shorteſt way, to his Coſt, open'd your Eyes in the firſt, if you had not wilfully ſhut them againſt the Light.

1. Good Manners would inform you, not to doubt the Word of your Prince, 'till you had ſome reaſon from her MAJESTY her ſelf.

2. Common Juſtice commands us to ſuppoſe every Perſon juſt and honeſt, till ſomething appears to the contrary; and it is a very unchriſtian, un⯑charitable way of treating the QUEEN, That becauſe ſome of the high Church-men have had the Indiſcretion, without her Authority, to ſwagger you out of your Senſes; therefore you muſt ſuppoſe her Promiſe broken, and her Word of no value.

The Author of the Shortest way comes with a Lanthorn for you, and he ſumms up all the black Things this high Party had publiſh'd, into one Gene⯑ral, and if you had any Eyes, you might learn two Things from him, where he is like topay dear enough for teaching you.

Firſt, From the general abhorrence Mankind ſhew'd of the Book, you might learn that the de⯑ſtruction of your Party is a Cruelty not to be found in the Engliſh Nature.

[25] Secondly, from the Out-cry made againſt it by that Party in particular, you might learn who they were that were toucht in the Book, and where the deſign againſt them lay.

As to the Quarrel you Diſſenters have at the Book that's a myſtery no man can unriddle but your ſelves. 'Tis like Mr. Mead's Wheel within a Wheel, and a further Teſtimony to the World that you are a moſt unaccountable People whoſe ways are paſt finding out.

So that you would go about to perſwade me the Book was writ of our ſide.

Firſt, Sir, 'tis hard to know what ſide you are off, and

Secondly, Sir I know you too well to go about to perſwade you to any thing, whoſe peculiar Talent is to be unperſwadeable; but if you will pleaſe to anſwer me a few Queſtions you may perhaps perſwade your ſelf of ſomething or other.

What Queſtions?

Why are the high Church-men angry with him, while at the ſame time they openly declare 'tis the only way to deal with you, and what they would feign be at?

Truely you puzzle me a little there.

They are angry, becauſe they take the Book as the Author meant it, and you, becauſe you [26] take it as he wrote it, they as he meant, viz. to expoſe them, and tho' they are heartily willing to do you a Kindneſs that way, and have ſhewn their good will by their words, yet knowing they want⯑ed power to execute it, and being conſcious to them⯑ſelves that the Government was not of their Opini⯑on; they are enrag'd to have all their deſigns, laid open in Minature, and an Abridgment commu⯑nicated to the World in true Billinſgate.

There may be ſome truth in this, but pray why then is the Government ſo angry with him? I believe I have puzzled you now.

No, no, the Government may have Reaſons to be angry that you nor I know not off, nor have nothing to do with: But what if I ſhould ſuppoſe

That the Government not thinking any perſon could be ſo Barbarous as to harbour ſuch a villain⯑ous Deſign as the Book ſuggeſts; are diſpleas'd at it as an affront done to the Church of England to Father Principles of Cruelty and Deſtruction upon her Members, which they are not guilty off.

I ſay, if I ſuppoſe this to be a Reaſon, I believe you cannot ſuppoſe a better.

I confeſs, I begin to have better Thoughts of the Government than I had.

I'm glad of that.

I begin to hope they won't perſecute us now, and as for Occaſional Conformity what care I? I ſhall never be Lord Mayor or Common Council man; [27] If I am call'd to it, 'tis time enough to come off then.

God Almighty is wonderfully beholden to you, when he calls you from a middle State to a good place, you'l take it for granted He calls you from the Meeting to the Church, and you'l be ſure to come. But I tell you, you ought to be ſo far from the fear of a Perſecution, that if you have any reſpect to your Party, you ought to pray for a Perſecution upon them or ye are all undone.

Why thou art mad, thou art for the Shorteſt way.

No, no, I an't for ſuch Perſecution neither, but I told you my mind before, I am ſure you have receiv'd more damage in your Intereſt as Diſſe n⯑ters, and more weakned your Reputation as well as your Number, Since the late Tolleration, than ever your Enemies did for you by all the penal Laws, Informers, Fines, and Priſons of the laſt Perſecu⯑tion.

Well, but here's another danger upon us that we han't talkt of yet, and fear it will come upon us too.

Pray what's that?

We are affraid that this reſtleſs Party will overthrow our Settlement, for they do not ſtick to talk that way.

We affraid, who do you mean by we? Are not the Church of England as much concern'd in the Settlement as you and more too, as they are the major part of the Nation? and We (if you will [28] give me leave to talk your way) We Proteſtants fear nothing for our Settlement, and for this, I'll give you a Quotation from the man with the hook Noſe and ſharp Chin, it may be you won't like it becauſe of the Author, but his words are theſe.

Is this done by our Shorteſt way Man?

The very ſame.

Well, I ſhall love him the better for it: But there's one thing more ſtill, what ſay you to the Prince of Wales? If ever he comes again you'l be hang'd, that's for certain.

And if ever we let him come we ought all to be hang'd, I can do no better than refer you to the ſame Author.

‘"The Act of Settlement (ſays he) and the Prince of Wales are the two Bucketts, keep one but up and the other muſt be down, and put the one [30] down and the other comes up of Courſe: There can be no pretence made to alter or diſpoſe the Settlement, but the Bringing in the Prince of Wales; therefore whoever they are that mention it, we ought to ſuppoſe they wou'd be ſo underſtood.’

So that you are of Opinion we are in no dan⯑ger of our Settlement.

Indeed I am of the Opinion your Fears both of the Prince of Wales, and of altering the Settle⯑ment, and of Perſecution, are all groundleſs and e⯑qually ſo. I would only adviſe the Diſſenters to be honeſt to their own Principles; if they can conform they ought to do it, if they cannot, no body forces them; let them diſſent, and not for the deſire of preferment bring ſuch a Scandal upon their Integrity, as if they were Men of no Principles. 'Tis ſcandalous to the very Name of a Diſſenter and injurious to all the reſt of that Body who are honeſt and conſci⯑entious.

and ſo I bid you Farewel.