RAlph, How is't?The Greet­ing. How goe all squares in this world?

'Troth, not well, I think the Devil's in the shuffling of the Cards.

What, because you can get ne're a Court one to turn up trump yet?

Thou say'st right, I can see ne're a good Face in the whole pack for me.

O ho, Ralph! thou must wait thy time, I war­rant thee promotion before thou dy'st, if thou wilt ob­serve my method.

Why, Ay, That's it I would be at indeed; but I want your pregnant parts, and that reaching, div­ing head-piece of yours. Thou hast got a trouling fan­cy. Ah Hodge! what a Prince should I be, and I thy Abilities—thy pate is just like an old Womans Lea­ther Chaps, that have lost their grinders, and is trou­bled with the Palsie, so far, that it never lies still, but is perpetually working; and there's always some good com­ing on't too.

Why, ye Rogue you, how dost think that is?—reading,What an e [...] cellent th [...] reading is reading, reading, man, has gain'd it—since this damnable Popish Plot has been discovered, there have come out so many notable good and bad Books on all sides, that I vow to thee I am become sublime like a Philosopher; can hold out pro and con with the best of them, and if I [Page 4]pleas'd, could make this pass for a meer sham plot on the Papists part, and effectually turn it over, and cast it upon the Presbyterians—Ah, Ralph, The world should see with half an eye, i'faith, they were all in't for Cakes and Ale, had I but once a mind to it.

Why, hark you, hark you, Hodge, is not the Popish Plot over yet? I thought only the Presbyterian was now on foot; we have had no talk of the other in our parts this I know not how long. [...]ey'd fain [...]ssess our [...]ads with [...] years of [...], &c. to [...]ake us for­ [...] these of [...]. 80, &c. —All our Fears and Jealousies of late have been lest we were running post to the years of Forty one, and those times; and I'm sure that has seem'd to be the design of most our Pamphlets for these two Months at least.

Nay, then I perceive thou understand'st no­thing —why so things should be carryed, you Fool you, if ever people mean to have their Designs take ef­fect. VVhat! would you have them plot and tell too?

No, but as I would not have them such Fools, if they were plotting as to tell, so neither ought they on the other hand, to be such Villains, such Devils Incar­nate as to hatch and hatch on, and in the mean time by such confounded lying Anticipations to make us believe they are innocent, and that those who really are so, are most notoriously guilty.

VVhoo! that's nothing with the Papists,—that man deserves a thousand Gibbets, and the Eternal Tor­ments of a Spanish Inquisition, that won't lye and swear, Ay, and damn himself too, if he should be put to't, for the promotion of any good Roman Catholick Cause. [...]ousands [...] rather [...]sent to [...]nn them­ [...]es, than [...]ay their [...]se.

O Lord bless us all! you scare me—why, will any man knowingly be willing to damn his Soul for the triflle of any earthly Cause in this World?

Ay, Ay, there be thousands that will, rather than have their Cause betray'd—what a goodly piece [Page 5]of business is't for a man designedly, upon a publick ac­count, and for the sake of Religion, For it is no­thing, the Pope can re­lease them when he pleases to run his Soul into Hell-sire, when he's sure to be catalogued for a Martyr and Saint here immediately, and after a little frying with the Devil and so, not worth the speaking of shall, with the least whistle imaginable of his holy and merciful Fa­ther the POPE, be releast out of those Torments, and sent to rights up to Heaven, and made a seven-fold more glorious Star in Paradise? O Ralph, this is the way to gain well in both Worlds.

Much good may do'em with their penny-worths, I will never envy them their imaginary Felicity— my good Genius make me plain, honest, and simple, I say, and let them be crafty, intriguing, and be damn'd, if they will.

Thou say'st well, and like a Christian, Ralph, Down-right honesty very unfashionable now a-days. and though it be an unfashionable thing now a-days, this down-right-honesty; yet I had rather undecently go to Court without my Perriwig, than I would appear there brave and gallant, and be forced to play the doublets of a Jonathan and a Judas.

I think so, o'my Conscience—but pry­thee now, why dost use that Unmanly Expression; can no body be a Friend there, unless they are Treacherous too, and supplanting?

Troth, hardly; that design greatness, and as the word is to make any considerable figure in White-Hall.

Oh strange!

They live by tripping up one anothers heels.— He that has the largest and most mysterious Politick fetch­es in him, that can Countermine smoothly, and manage his own private designs with the slyest and most insinu­ating Artifice and Address, is most likely to be THE man at Court. How Courti­ers are like meer Peggs.

Then Courtiers are just like meer Peggs?

For all the World: The One is driven out by the Greater Force of the other; and he's fast in for a while, till a stronger comes and bolts at him, and thrusts him out of his place.

Good lack!—but well, as we were talking before;—must not we believe the Books that are every day coming out, and proving it to us as plain as the Nose on our Faces, that the Presbyterians at the least have two Hands and a Foot in This (that they call the) horrid Popish Plot?

I know not,Somewhat ticklish to speak any thing well of Phanaticks. for it's a ticklish thing to speak the least word that may seem incling to favour them. They say, they have suck'd all their poison from the Jesuits, and are now grown up to be such Masters in improve­ment, that they out-shoot their Fathers in their own prin­ciples two Barrs and a half.

Indeed so they are look'd upon, to be most pestilent Enemies both to Church and State.—But how far they are concern'd in this Plot, methinks, I can't yet discover; and, I tell you but so, if they are in't, they are the Devil and all at managing their designs.—That they should n't be yet once trapped all this time!

Come, I know not; it may be I may be count­ed one of their Flock in having so charitable an Opinion of them as to this matter; but I can't help it, and I must say,Not sufficient yet prov'd to make Persons believe they are in this Plot. that nothing has been proved upon 'em yet sufficient to make me believe any such thing against them: and to tell you truly my thoughts of them at this present, I do believe, they never, generally speak­ing, (for you know there are some bad people of all perswasions, and let them that are so, whoe­ver they be,If they be, may they all suffer that deserve it. suffer in Gods name, as they shall be detect­ed;) I say, they never carried themselves more peacea­bly, and with greater guard and circumspection over all their words than now, since the Noise of this most Hel­lish [Page 7]Plot: But if any of them can be justly accused for covert evil Actions, in the least tending to the disturbance of the peace and quiet of the State, fiat Justitia, currat lex; I wish with all my heart, so impartial am I, not one of the really guilty may escape their deserved punish­ment.

Why then mark me: Thou art either very ob­stinate, and hardened in thy Unbelief, or else hast never met with those Pamphlets that I have read within these few days.

I think I am as easie of belief as thou art, of things that may rationally be believed: And to make it out to thee that I am so; You shall see, if any body can but half so clearly prove upon the Presbyterians, the third part of what has been fairly and undenyably proved upon the Papists, witness their own confessions after tryal, of a most Treasonable and bloudy design against the Kings most Sacred Person, and to alter the Religion esta­blished by Law, and to Subvert the Government: I say, if any of all this can be proved upon them, you shall see I will as readily believe them, as villainous Traytors as the blackest yet that e're have suffer'd: But do y' think I'll pin my Faith upon the Sleeve of every scandalous, idle Pamphlet, that is writ by some of their kept hirelings for that purpose, only to amuse the World, and, if it be possi­ble, to set us altogether by the Ears?

Is that their design? to divide us among our selves? The main drift of the Dialogue be­tween the Pope and a Phanatick, concerning the affairs in England.

Yes, yes, that so we might do their drudgery for them; cut our own throats out of a complying respect to 'em, because we won't put them to the trouble on't— This must needs be the very drift and end of that most pernicious Pamphlet that came out lately, intituled, a Dia­logue between the Pope and a Phanatick, concerning the Affairs in England.

The very same Book I was going to speak of to you; I read it Saturday night last, and it made almost my hair stand an end to see the abominable things the Phanaticks were there guilty of.

The Phanaticks! 'Tis an asper­sing of the whole Church of England. Why it is a perfect aspersing of all the Church of England, man: And though it seems to complement her, yet in truth it is only the more foully to bespatter her with greater fineness and subtlety: In my Judgment 'tis one of the most abominable pieces I ever yet read.

How can all this be,At the bot­tom of the Ti-Page. since it is writ (as he says) by a hearty Lover of his Prince and Country?

Ay, ay, the Title-page of a Book may now a dayes say any thing, that's only to make it pass more plausibly; what Origen sayes to Celsus speaking of the Egyptian's sacred places of Worship, may be very well applied here.Mr. Blounts Anima mun­di. pag. 6. When you approach their sacred places, saith he, ye shall meet with stately groves, Chapels and Temples with magnificent Gates; also with variety of mysterious Ceremonies: But when once you are entred and got within their Temples, ye shall behold nothing but a Cat, or an Ape, a Crocodile, Goat, or Dogg, whereto they pay the most solemn Veneration. So look upon the first leaf of the most dangerous Pamphlet that e're yet shew'd its face to the world, and you shall find nothing but the smooth­est and most delicate flourishes imaginable; but dipp further into him, and there you shall see ugly Monsters of Malici­ous fancy spitting out their loath some Venome to poison and infect the credulous: These persons very well deserve the same reproof that a late ingenious and noble wri­ter gave a rigid Praedestinarian, Id. ibid. affirming that God deligh­ed (as our Author must needs) in the death of Mankind; Speak worse of the Devilif you can, says he. I am confident none can speak worse, if not of the King, I'm sure of Parli­ament, Church, and People, than this rancorous Dialoguer.

Prithee good Hodge, let us take him in pieces a little, and see what he'll make then.

With all my heart; but we have had of late so many Drolis come out of this kind, that I pro­test I'm quite weary of that Vein, and therefore I'll betake my self to plain English seriousness, now so much out of mode, and turnd to Redicule.

And I'll as gravely lissen, as if I were to pass the definitive sentence upon your Discourse.

And first of all, to speak of the general de­sign of this Book; The general design of the aforemention­ed Dialogue. though to outward appearance it seems only to rail against the Presbyterians and Secta­ries, yet in truth it is a scandalous Libel, levell'd at the whole Circle of the Orthodox Clergy; and, no doubt is writ by a hearty lover of the Tripple Crown.

Of his Prince and Country, you mean.

No, No, that's a Sham, I tell ye; you for­get,Papists can act all parts for the better carry­ing on any wicked de­signs. why your great sticklers for Rome, can put on all shapes, act all parts, and are fit for all employments, and think nothing comes amiss to them, so they can by any wayes promote their own Cause. About two years ago, That Whitebread who was lately executed for being so deep in the Plot, was a mighty holder forth among the Quakers, as I have been told.Whitebread formerly a Preacher a­mong the Quakers.

What! will they become all things to all men?

Ay, if they see they can gain any thing by the bargain—But as I was saying;They'd fain stifle all talk of a Popish, to father a new Plot on the Presbyterians. the main design now is to put an end to all further discourse of this most accursed Plot of the Papists, and to Father a new one on the Presbyterians. They see that all sober mode­rate men of what titles or denominations soever, are fully [Page 10]bent against setting up of Popery, and would all una­nimously join in one body, to oppose and down with it; as they themselves are vigorous one way, so these push Devilish hard the other, as their common interest does strictly oblige them;They dare not too much o­penly asperse the Church of England, for fear of the Kings utmost anger against them. and therefore the Only course that's left 'em now is to try to break 'em: Now as it would be too bare faced publickly in print to desame and cry out against the Church of England as it is esta­blished by Law, and would not only too notoriously reveal them, but too highly (and justly) incense the King, be a means utterly to extinguish his Mercy to­wards them, and to awaken all his Laws, if not to sharpen them with new ones more severe, against them, they avoid that Rock, and content themselves with secret whispers at Coffee-Houses, meetings, and other Clubs, But they get into Coffee-houses; and there rail at 'em to pur­pose. where they will be sure to riggle themselves in and make One; there they'll tell them; ‘Well we see plainly enough which way all things are go­ing now; notwithstanding all our endeavours, Po­pery will get the better on us; Alas! our Bishops, what are they; but meer Romanists at Core, and the leading Clergy? (and you know they carry all be­fore 'um now,Sad times.) absolutely Church Papists: What makes them, d'ye think, stickle so else to get into Commissions and Justice-ships, but only that they might the more securely hamstring us? We may e'en very well shut up our Shops, and betake our selves to our arms, for trading is gone, and every thing else is sinking as fast as 't can; we are in­evitably ruin'd and undone, unless Mercifull Pro­vidence steps in, and almost works a Miracle for us.’

But hark you, can't a body easily find out such a Black Dog Ʋnderminer.

No, no, he layes the dawb of his Hypo­crisie so thick, it is impossible to see through it: he'd go near to trick the Devil at his own art of baldernoing.

Well, and I suppose this is to enrage the Secta­ries against the Church men.

Thou tak'st me right.They print any Lies in the world against the Phanaticks, to blacken them as much as they can. Then they venture to print any thing in the World against the Phanaticks, and rail like the Devil in Hell at them; they care not what damn'd Lyes they invent, and bespatter them with, to make them Odious: they tell you they are a hundred times worse than Papists, and especially more dangerous Enemies at this day; for a Roman Catholick, if he dares but to peep his head out, he's presently nab'd by some Zealously Officious Justice or other, and sent to Scurvy durance; whereas these appear like Swarming Locusts, almost covering the face of the whole Earth, and enjoy all the peace and quietness that any honest heart can wish for;And always endeavouring to bring them into the Plot. but yet they cannot cease from Plotting; No, this proud Beast [Hierarchy] must be brought low: No mess of par-boyl'd Popery, as a very ingenious Gentleman makes them call the Common Prayer Book, must be indured in God's Sanctuary, the Calves of Bethel and the High places must be taken away, and the work of the Lord must go on prosperously in their hands.

And all this is to stir up Commotion and Rebel­lion, is it not, Hodge?

Yes, Yes, to foment Fears and Jealousies in the people, to stir them up to mutinies and clash­ings [Page 12]one party against another, and to embroil the whole Nation. But I hope God Almighty will so order it that none of these designed libellous forgeries shall be able to disturb our Ʋnity. And I think, since the King hath commanded us,The King commanded us by the Act of Oblivion to forget things done formerly. by his Act of Oblivion, to forget the actions of the late former times, it would be put a piece of dutifull good manners in us to leave off contracting our hearts with envy and Malice to each other, by any sharp memory of what hath been unneighbourly or unkindly done heretofore. And therefore not to do so, is to rebell both against his Person and Example. For otherwise it is but to re­bel against the person of the King, against the Excellent example and vertue of the King, and against the very Act it self.

That was a very good Act, to put an end to all Differences and heats among persons, and to settle peace and love and concord.

Ay,The King calls it a Happy Act. Ralph, so the King thought, no questi­on, when he said, that happy Act was the principal cor­ner stone which supported this excellent building, that cre­ated kindness in us to each other; and Confidence is our Joint and Common security. Confidence our joint and common Se­curity. Therefore, sayes he fur­ther, You may be sure, I will not only observe it Religi­ously, and inviolably my self, but also exact the observa­tion of it from others: and if any person should ever have the boldness to attempt to perswade me to the contrary, How inviolably the King will observe it, and how angry he would be with any that shall dare to per­swade him to the contrary. he will find such an Acceptation from me, as he would have, who should perswade me to burn Magna Charta, Cancell all the old Laws, and to erect a new Government after my own Invention and appetite.

But why does he make the Pope and the Phanatick such Cater-Cozins? I thought verily they had been the most bitter Enemies one to another that were in the World.

O' my conscience so they are,The Pope and Phanatick bit­ter enemies to each other. the Pope hates the Phanatick, as much, as we say the Devil hates Holy water; he would damn him and all his Heretical Fry, Souls and Bodyes of them, if it lay in his Power. They are the most termagant Creatures, the veryest Bull-Dogs that ever yet he grappled with. O, his fin­gers itch to be at their bloods! and because he would have the World hate them as implacably as himself does, he has taken this Course of joyning 'em with himself, and has given them ten times the worse face of the two: all this is nothing but Masquerading, if he could, to gain over the Church of England men to him, and to make them join in the Concert, of damning the Presbyterians to the lowest pit of Hell. For if he cannot distract and break us, he will never overthrow and destroy us.

What then, you think the sober, All moderate men are pret­ty well agreed together. moderate party of the Church of England, and the peacable quiet party of the Phanaticks, are in pretty good Intelligence together?

If they be not, I'm sure they had need to be; for it is not the Papists aim, whatever their outward pretensions may be, only to purifie the Church from Enthusiastick Phanaticism, The Papists aim at the Pro­testant Religi­on root and branch. but it is to cut off the Protestant Religion Root and Branch, so as it is now established by Law.

Why all this while they would fain per­swade me, that it was only the Presbyterian Protestan­tism that they aim'd to root out.

You were a blind fool in the mean time then, I say their design is at Archbishop and Bishop, as well as at Jack Presbiter; English Lawn sleeves and Circingle [Page 14]men shall meet with no more favour, when once they are uppermost, than turn'd up Eye-lids, and your endeavouring Saints after a more thorow reforma­tion.

Why then, what will you make of this Dia­loguing Pamphlet?

Why what I should do, that it is a per­fect Mock Cant and Juggle, a meer trap-stick to bang the Phanaticks about. You see, the very first leaf of him presents you with his main design, to trouble the Waters of our peace and quiet, that so he might fish in them the more securely and pass undisco­vered.

Ay,If the Pope owns he's in this plot, to be sure he'll do what he can to make the world believe the Phanatick is much more so. but he owns himself to have a small hand in the Plot.

Very good; but it is with this proviso, that if he be found up but to the Ankles in it, he'll make the Phanaticks wading as deep as to the Loyns. I can proceed no further, sayes he, than the first scene of a Plot, but I see Fate will reserve the last Act to be your part; and then he mentions his Miscarage in 88. the Powder Plot, and that he should have had no better success in the late Revolutions, if He had not been greatly assisted by his Holiness the Presbyterians in carrying on the War.

Yes,The thoughts of a High Court of Justice re­vived. yes, I remember it; and he extolls mightily his high Court of Justice above that damn­ed cowardly way the Italians take, of Killing Kings by Poison and Pistolling.

Ah, Ralph, That's only to fling up more dirt on that party, they're sure somewhat will stick [Page 15]by it: but yet, methinks, there's one thing worth re­marking in't, and that is, That in all these Treasons the Pope is in to purpose, and he taxes the Phana­ticks but of this last, viz, The Death of King CHARLES the first; and God knows, that was too much, if it be true that they did take away his life.

Why, do'st make a doubt on't, Man?

I can say nothing to it, for I'm not old enough to make a competent Judgment of the trans­actions then: but this I'm sure of,This Nation smarts deeply to this day for the sin of the 30 Jan. 48. that the Nation smarts to this day for the sin of the Thirtieth of January in forty eight.

Ay, ay, we have not yet paid the full price for Royal blood.

No, so the Papists tell the Church-men; though if some Reports may be believed that are in print, I question much if they had not the chief hand in the Actual beheading of our Kings Father: but however, they have turn'd it off, like Crafts-Masters, upon the Presbyterians; as they would fain too this Plot, but all won't do yet.

Why, That's it so confoundedly vexes them.

True; but they do whatsoever they can to get 'em into the trap: Papists would fain have us fall out among our selves. Oh! they'd fain blow 'em up to a Flame; if they could but once make them rise, the work was done to their hands; but they find 'em such a company of Restive Curs that no trick or Malice can move 'em.

Oh! they are all enlightened now; and I [Page 16]warrant you for their ever offering to rise, unless they should see the Papists fall to cutting of throats once, and then I know not what they might do to save themselves.

In troth, Ralph, if we don't look very well to our hits, I know not how far they'll venture to it, for they're as busie Plotting still as ever; and if they find that none of their Designs will take, who can tell what dispair and rage may push 'em on to?

But If they should Kill the King at last, wo be to them.

I know where you are,To get the King cut off, they'd venture a Massacre. but, alas! they value not the Parliaments threats a Rush; No, no, if they could but by any means get the King once assassinated, they'd think it worth the adventure of a Massacre. And though they turn it to the Phana­ticks, yet how daringly and impudently do they talk of another High-Court of Justice, and quote the late sad and dreadfull president for an Instance? and be­cause we have had some of the Traitors legally try'd, cast, condemn'd and executed, therefore, forsooth, they would fain insinuate, we should not need to fear any want of Lawyers to plead for the Commons,Who knows for whom the Scaffolds in Westminster-hall wait? and to ar­raign the King. Horrid! The Scaffolds stand still at Westminster-Hall, and who knows for whom they wait? and so he goes on in such bloody Parallels, that for my part,This Dialogue very near to Treason, if not down right Treason. I dare not repeat 'em, but will say this, that if what he speaks there be not Treason, one may go to a very insolent height before a man shall reach it.

Thou do'st very well, Hodge; for you know, though it's a Common, yet it's a true Saying, That some Men can better actually steal a Horse, than others may venture so much as to look on. I should as soon dare to take a Leap from off the Monument, as be the Author of that damn'd Book.

Then he goes on, and says, though he may remark the hints of Providence, Eag. 5. or the signs of the times, yet he fears the event will not prove according to his fatal suggestions: and how there does he lash upon our Present Parliament, Ibid. as being of the same Genius with that of forty one! One would think, were not he cock-sure that the Parliament should never meet again, or ra­ther, that there never should be one more, he durst as well have set himself at the mouth of a mounted Cannon, as have discharged those base, reflecting words upon 'em; when how is't possi­ble their tempers should be known, when they have not once sate yet?

I find, Hodge, thou'rt a shrew'd Dogg grown.

Oh, h'has abus'd the Parliament in I know not how many places of his Book, he calls them in page 8. the un-Educated Commons of England; and it talks at a strange rate of this [Page 18]and the last Parliament. Sayes he, pag. 9. The very Burre of Popery will conjure up a Presbyterian Parliament: And in pag. 13. We are secur'd of a House of Commons of our own temper, for we have baffled the Gentry and Clergy, and are become the grand Electors of England.Vid. pag. 4. How does he laugh at our last Par­liament, for setting up that pittiful scare-Crow of a Vote, that, If the King should happen to come to any untimely death, they would immediately Revenge his Blood upon all the Papists in England? let me be hang'd if I don't stand like a Statue, when e're I think of his superlative boldness.

'Tis an Audacious fellow; but so they are all indeed: for no doubt he's a Jesuit, or at best, the spawn and breed of One; but we shall unkennel the Fox afore we have done, and to all discreet and understanding men, make him as odious as he really deserves to be.

I wish some persons, Ralph, would but believe what I could plainly demonstrate to them concerning them.

But you must never expect to convert all. — But proceed.

Well, I say this Book is all of an Entire Piece from one end to the other, wherein the Au­thor [Page 19]makes it his main business to take the Charge off from the POPE as much as he can, the more thun­deringly to Clap it upon the PHANATICK.

What, this PLOT?

Ay, of Killing the King, Cancelling the Laws, altering the Religion, and overthrowing the Government. Alas!The Pope a very harmless old Gentle­man, the Pha­natick is the Devil. he makes the Great God at Rome to be as poor a little harmless Devil, as a Whelp new puppied: But the Geneva Night-cap is the Roaring Lyon with him, the Apocryphal Spawn of Bell and the Dragon, the shame of humanity, the scandal of Christendome, the Plague of Governments, the Beast and the false Prophet, and his Numbers are the Locusts that came out of the bottomless Pit, the perfection of Impudence, Impiety, and Hypocrisy, p. 16. And so indeed he makes him speak all throughout, just according to this Charact­er.

But is not this damn'd Knavery, to rail and bespatter so?

No, no;Policy to les­sen the Repu­tation of an Enemy. he that can't abuse and lye for his Cause, never deserves the honour to be concerned in one: A Cause, Ralph, is a man's Mistriss; and what, wouldn't you have a man bestir himself bravely for the Conquest? but beside, you know who says, it is a lawful Policy [Page 20]to lessen the Reputation of an Enemy by any way in the world. Stratagem is accounted one of the most commendable Excellencies belonging to War.

But to write so notoriously false —

He knows there are Easy, believing Fools enow, let him say what he will.

But, prethee Hodge, let me ask you; what do'st think of that cruel Killing of the Arch­bishop in Scotland? The Death of the Arch­bishop in Scot­land discours'd on. I could ne're well tell what to make on't, but 'twas hush'd up, methought, a little too soon: And here the Rogue, for ought as I know, speaks the truth, when he says, He sees a Phanatick may Murther with less Noise, and greater Priviledg than a Jesuit. p. 5.

Who! the Case between that Arch­bishop, and their murther of Sir Edmund-bury-God-frey here,Not compa­rable to the killing of Sir E. B. G. is no more to be compared than Chalk is to Cheese: But I don't love to revive old stories, or rake in the Ashes of the Dead, or I could tell you what I have heard of the Former; The former was (as 'tis thought) some private grudg but however, he was kill'd by some private grudg for some Injury that they conceiv'd he had done 'em heretofore.

Ha, was it so?

'Tis thus credibly reported, but I won't assert the truth on't. But the murdering of that [Page 21] Worthy Knight was such a piece of Villainous Treachery, This to carry on the Popish plot: Scarce Matchable in story. that it can scarce be matched in story again; and so all the Judges, and indeed all England have said on't. And that was done to carry on the more securely this Hellish Plot; and they shew'd us by him, how they would have serv'd us all, from the King to the Cobler, They'd serve us all so if they could. if they had us once but at their Mercy. They are such blood-drawers as will give no Quar­ter.

But yet, let me tell you, they're damnable timerous of the last Parliament's Vote against them, and they dare not take away the King by violence, for fear of their own Bacon.

No, therefore they'd fain run us on to the times of Forty One, and so again:Fain drive us to 41. d'ye mark their hints? and all's upon the Phanaticks, as if it was only their Principles to cut off Prin­ces.

He'd have the world believe so.

Ay, you shall hear how he makes the Phanatick speak. When a Prince devests him­self of Royal Power and Prerogative by Concessions, and Condescensions; or when a Mighty Parliament have beaten or Dethroned the King, then to destroy him, is no more Regicide than to shoot through the [Page 22]sign of the King's Head, or stab the Picture of his Majesty, And to get this King to be brought to to the Bar too. pag. 5, 6. To which the POPE com­plimentally answers, Well, I will say you out-do the whole world in Politicks, if you can bring two Kings to the Bar in one Age. And the plain English of all this, is only to vizar-mask the business; and if they can any how procure the Destruction of Charles the Second, (as no question's to be made on't, but that they had the greatest hand in the death of Charles the First, then to lay it wholly again on his now seemingly most dearly be­loved Brother the Phanatick, if they should not be able to go on any further; or else (which they sorely thirst after) to make our streets an A­celdama with our own gore. And to fill our streets with our own blood. But I hope God Al­mighty will defeat all such wicked reaches, or, if it must light any where, will let it fall upon their own pates.

Amen, I pray God.

Than to work he goes with a Cer­tain Noble-Gentleman as he calls him,There's an unlucky Gen­tleman, that Cross-bars them in their designs. a person, it seemes, that out-wits them in all their Con­trivances, and whom, I warrant, they wish the Devil had with all their hearts, for his standing in their way so, and plaguily spoiling all their mis­chievous intentions. But I wish we had a hun­dred of e'm.

Prithee now, can'st tell who 'tis?

Nay, I bar the Dice there, Good Ralph. You know it's dangerous nameing of persons; but I would he had blurted out this Gentlemans name, (ift had not been a scandalum) that we might not be put so to the guessing at him, and it may be miss the mark after all.

Well, well, but I have a lusty long snout of my own.

Keep it to thy self then.

So I will; but do'st mind how he squit­ches the Church of England away too?Their squitch­ing away the Church of England, under the disguise of Phanaticks, to make them the more odi­ous. calling it that Church that is rude to the Saints, and will wor­ship nothing in Heaven but God, and nothing upon Earth but the King and his two Idols of Prerogative and Supremacy; those pagan Teraphims, to which, says the Pope, You and I will never bow; 'Tis the ruin of this Church, that I do chiefly intend; and if the King falls in the Quarrel, he dies by accident, pag. 6.

This is the same Haloo still: he'd fain set us together by the Ears, as I have told you, and then he'd come swimmingly in, and sweep away the stakes. But I'm apt to think his design there won't take for all that. Admit all that he says of the Churches Corruption were true, which You know is notoriously False; [Page 24]does he think the Phanaticks such Buffle-heads and Buzzards, Admitting the Church to be in some things corrupt (which must never be gran­ted) yet so long as it re­mains entire for substance, it ought not to be forsaken. as not to know that Gods Ordinances, remaining for substance perfect and entire, ought not to be forsaken, because of some faults in the Admini­strators, or in the way of their Administration. The Administration of God's Ordinances belong not to the People, but to the Minister; and if he fail in his duty, by Administring them in a way that is not fit, and it may be not so edifying; it is my grief, but his Sin. Hophni, and Phineas, were corrupt in their Lives; and brought in much corruption into the Ser­vice of God, and rudeness into his Worship: Yet Elka­nah, Hannah, and many others of the Godly did ne­vertheless attend that Worship and Sanctuary, 1 Sam. 1.2. And much Corruption was crept into both the Doctrine and Worship of the Jewes, as also into the lives of the Administrators in the Church; yet our Sa­viour, though he still cry'd down their Corruptions, and would not joyn in them, yet he never forbad Com­munion with them in God's true Worship, but joined with them in all the substantial parts, and injoin'd o­thers so to do. And I hope so we shall all, and never fall to pieces among our selves, only be­cause some of us cannot come up in all things to the height of the Church.

No doubt but we shall; and as for the [Page 25] ‘Furious Zealots, (as Dr. Saywel sayes in his Origi­nal of all Plots in Christendome, &c. the Epistle to all true English-Men) that mingle Religion with secu­lar Government,Such distur­bers of our Peace, are the common Ene­mies of Man kind. and go about by violence and bloodshed, to plant their private Opini­ons, and overturn Kingdomes and States; destroy men's Lives and Fortunes, Laws and Government, under pretence of Conscience and Religion; they ought to be subdued as common Enemies to Mankind.’

Absolute Dominion and Rule is at the bottom of all; Religion is only the Guilded bait by which they indeavour to delude People.

Ay,What, the Religion of the Papists is here. the Religion of the Papists is to have our Throats, that so they may the more infallibly possess themselves of our Mannors and Lordships. But we are too much awakened, I think, to be gull'd by them at this time o'day. There are Posted within the Established Church, Pag. 7. so many unconforming Ministers now, that we have, as it were, reduced many hundred Parish-Churches into Conventicles, and their Service and Assemblies scarce look like the Church of England as to the strictness of it.

Yes, and you believe him, I war­rant?Pag. 8.

Why, does he Juggle here too?

He Juggles every where; he's a great Hocus Pocus man all over. He knows, a house di­vided against it self cannot stand, and therefore he puts all his shoulders to the work of dividing us: He not only distinguishes between Protestants and Protestants, Their great Work is, to distinguish betwixt Church-Men, and to divide them if possi­ble. but between Church-men and Church­men; and there he has his high-Ropes and low-Ropes among them: Oh, says he, (pag 8.) ‘If any high Church of England man, wen he en­ters a Cathedral should pay the Homage of Adoration, if there be a Candlestick or an Eagle of Brass in the Quire, I make the world believe that he Worships the Brasen Serpent; or if there be at the East end some fine pain­ted faces with gilded wings, then I perswade my Proselytes, that the bowing that way, is the superstitious humility or worshipping of Angels, which the Apostle condemns.’ And then,Bl. Eaw. L. if He be a Gown and Cassock-man (which I hope he is not for the honour of the Clergy,) and any man of the Church be more peaceable and qui­et, a less mettled Cock-Sparrow, and hot-spur, more sober and moderate, than his fierce Worship; strait he's become a Mushroome, an Unconforming-Mi­nister, a Conventicling Preacher that gains upon the people with his Spiritual Fancies, well-sounding words, [Page 35]fine Enthusiasmes and Allegories, those prismes of Di­vinity. p. 7.

I find there's a great deal requisite to the right understanding of this Man; but you scent him perfectly.

This, he things, is another successful stratagem to betray and Confound the Church: Pag. 7. But he has a thousand of them; it is almost impossible for the Devit himself to reach and understand all the Finesses of one that is throughly Jesuit-ridden.

Well, and pray what's his next point?

Then he comes full drive to Popula­rity; Popularity is another great Stratagem with the Pa­pist. and (Oh!) what a sweet and excellent thing that is. His first Act to attain it is a form of God­liness, the only form he values in the world. Pag. 7.

Let me be a Jew if I don't believe him now, for I warrant he'll ne're come a near the power on't.

No, he finds that a dissembled Piety does more abundantly serve his interest, Which is first attained by a form of God­liness. (and it is In­terest he only drives at) than a strict sincerity, which is therefore justly called the simplicity of Religi­on: Pag. 7. it wins upon the Vulgar, and the Style and Formality of Holyness, he says, has done him as much service in England, as it does the Pope at Rome.

And what is his design with Popularri­ty? [...]ls design [...]ith popula­rity.

Why Ralph, his design with that, is, to set up the people upon the ticklish Pinacle of high Opinion: Oh! Liberty, Property, all is theirs, and what? Shall they give up their Birth-right Inheritances? Raising fears of Arbitrary Government. Shall they suffer tamely their dear Priviledges to be taken away from them; and become slaves and vassals to the Almighty Power of an Arbitrary will?

Prithee, Hodg, thou banters't now.—Ar­bitrary Government! Absolute Power! These are meer Figments, Castles in the Air, the sick dreams of Extravagant Fancies;—Why, these sure are ne­ver likely to down with the people.

Not down with the people? He'd near make use of them then. But he finds, he says, (p. 12.) This state Mormo of Arbitrary Govern­ment does still fright the populacy of England, for they are unconsidering Animals.

But not such Totty-heads yet, as to be led by the Nose by him.

The Monarchy and Church of England,Monarchy, & the Church but one work, and therefore to be blown up both toge­ther. as they are now Established, he says (p. 12.) are but one work, and stand upon the same bottom, and there­fore his great business is, to get the mine to spring [Page 29]well, for he knows then, both must blow up to­gether; Now you shall fee what he does fur­ther to effect it.

Ah! go thy ways for a Cunning Dog; Thou ripp'st him up most gallantly.

The Phanatick, you must know, He is to speak all the Roguery, to make him as odi­ous as he can to the Church; Pag. 8. and he is to tell you,What with him a High Conformist is. that the High Conformist is only qualifi'd with little Learning and great Immoralities, that he's Ignorant and Debauched, a great leaner to­wards Popery, Ibid. and the Church of England is so well a wisher to it,And then the H. Ch. of Eng­lands Man Character of a Phanatick by him. that she's advanced within one hours sail of Rome: To answer this, the high-flown Church-man must retort, that he is an Abominator of all Cant and Tone, that he is not Seditious, Re­bellious, and a Petitioner; but as he lives under a good and gracious King, so he is not dissatis­fi'd at the present times, nor has he any despair of better. This makes bandings, fewds, heats,This one great way to stir up heats and fends, and to wea­ken parties. Ibid. and divisions on both sides, and each becomes so much the weaker, by their Separation; the half-witted Gentle-man (as he calls them) are easy and credulous enough, and he can impose upon them what he pleases, especially in the fears and jealousies of Popery: so that if he should raise a Report, that [Page 38]the Pope had by his Conjuring Power of Transubstan­tiation Transformed an hundred Thousand men into Rooks and Crows, Pag. 13. and ordered, Another way to set the Gentlemen together by the Ears, or else to make 'em believe nothing of all this Plot. that flying Army to Randezvouz at Black-heath, and there to shake off their Plumes and appear in Arms, he is confident there are thousands would believe the story.

Ay, I remember it. But what a rank piece of Impudence is this!

O! 'tis nothing with him, so he can but gain his reach, and that is two-fold, to make 'em mad by affronting them thus, and so he hopes upon that score they'l go to Fisty-cuffs, and then he has his ends; or, if that won't do his business, to make 'em happily incredulous, and believe nothing of all this Plot, (as a recompence for their already believing so much on't,) until they feel the effect light upon 'em, and too late to their own cost find, they are utterly ruin'd and undone by such insensibility. What high affronts are cast upon his Majesty. And for the King, says he, it will not require so much of the black Art to render this King odious, as it did to sully the Repu­tation of his Father. pag. 12.

Oh Devilish!

And all this is to set the People against the King, and to make the King angry with his People, if he can; and that point gain'd, [Page 39]Good-night England. Thus you see, the King and Parliament, the Church and People, I mean, according to the present Establishment of Constituti­ons are all as the one single mark at which he so treacherously shoots.

Yes,Their aim is at us all, King and Parlia­ment, Church and People, to put us into a ferment a­mong our selves. I could not but take notice of his irreverent speaking of the King several times, e­specially about his Parliaments.

Ay, in pag. 4. he has this unmanner­ly Phrase, (I almost have a Horrour to repeat it,) the King's bold Proroguing and dissolving of Parliaments: and again pag. 14. he says, The King perversly retains that Reprobating Power of Proro­gation and Dissolution, and begins to learn how, and when to use it. Well, when he has said this of the King, on purpose to insinuate into him, as if this was the general Clamour and voice of the People, and so to stir him up against them; then he comes to the people, well, Gentlemen, here's like to be an end of all Parliaments now, for they won't do as the King would have 'em, and he is sorely displeased with 'em, and therefore you'd as good ne're expect their sitting more, unless you could find out some new contrivance or other; and I know not what that must be, for my part: There's no course to be taken as [Page 32]I can think of, except you can distress the King, and bring him into Necessities; Pag. 14. That way perhaps may recover us our Parliaments, for he can have no money without 'em; Ibid. and this is to urge the peo­ple into an Insurrection, and so into a Rebellion a­gainst their Prince, and then they have us at For­ty One again.

I am sensible now they have planted their Batteries with all the Artifice and Cunning they could devise, but yet they see nothing can make us take Fire.

No, the Nation is resolved to be quiet, let 'em Plot on to the Devil an they will.

Ay, ay, and though he sayes, he has already prepared the people for Rebellion by Fears and Jealousies of Arbitary Power, Pag. 12. yet he'll find himself cursedly mistaken.

In the next place,Next is, the Chapter of Petitions. he falls upon the Chapter of Petitions, and there he sayes, though I would not have the Nation agree in One Common Form of Prayer to God Almighty, Pag. 14. (for that would esta­blish Unity, and that is Hell and Damnation to him,If he can, to make half the Nation for 'em, and half against 'em still to divide as. and defeats his Stratagems indeed,) yet I will perswade all the Countyes of England to Combine in One Petition to the King for the Session of a Parlia­ment. And wherefore is he so Zealous for this, [Page 33]which would very much content many of the peo­ple of England, but only because he sees as yet the King does not think it fit (and he's the best Judg sure in this Case) for them to meet? So that he would have them be in the mean time, Tu­multuary and Mutinous, Petitioning and Noisy, disturbing the Peace of his Sacred Majesty, whom (like Hail fellow well met with him) he terms,Pag. 15. the Gentleman at White-Hall, in hopes that if the King (may I have his Pardon, if I use ano­ther of this Authors bold Words, only to shew his Impudent Irreverence?) shall affront the leading Petitioners, the whole Association will be Obliged to take the Field in Defence of Liberty, Property, Pag. 15. and Petitions.

Ay, ther's the Point he drives at: bring it but once up to another standing Army, and he'll be your most humble Servant, or what you will.

Well, to equipoise this, he sets up ano­ther Party, and they Damn all Petitions to the Pit of Hell for the sitting of the Parliament; and I pray what's the Reason? Why he tells you, be­cause that unless the Supream Wisdom of the King, Pag. 17. contrive some more quiet or safer Method of Elections, He must suffer the Eternal Affronts of [Page 34]Ill-humour'd Parliaments, He sayes, The King will never have a Parliament, but what shall be affrontive, & ill humou­red to him. The plain English on't is this, with submission to better Judgments, That, if this be not, all the other Future will be Af­frontive, Ill-humoured Parliaments to the King, and he must eternally suffer their Affronts, if he can't find out a way, to take the priviledg of Elect­ting from those people to whom it hereditarily belongs, and invest himself with it, and make it become a peculiar Prerogative to him. Whe­ther this be not a perswading of the King to an Invasion on One of the Fundamental Rights of his People I will not peremptorily Determine;Therefore, were his Ad­vice to be fol­low'd, the people should no longer in­joy their right, to elect Members, but it should wholly rest in the King. But I do think, if the King should in his supream Wisdom take this Method, the House of Commons could never be right called the Peoples Represen­tative, and when ever they should go up to offer him any Bill of Supply, their Speaker could not say, The whole Commons of England present Your Majesty with so much Money, The Conse­quence of that. &c. as Now it is generally said, upon such an Oc­casion.

Why, all this is spoke by an honest Cavalier, Pag. 16. Man, One that, as the Pope Damns for a Heretick, his Brother Phanatick Blasphemes for a Papist, but though the next Successor to the Crown should come from Rome or Leyden, he would [Page 35]never be a Rebel, nor should all the Power or Pre­rogative upon Earth, ever Oblidge him to be either Papist or Presbyterian: He is a friend to Bishop and Liturgies, decent Rites and Ceremonies in publick Worship.

Ay, but he is a Friend to all this of the Author's Make and Constitution. I believe a Right honest Cavalier, (such as he would fain have him Represent) would never have mentioned such an Oration, vvhich he sayes vvas made by Mecaenas to Augustus Caesar, where­in he advised him to Assume the Monarchy, The Oration of Mecaenas to Augustus Caesar cited for this purpose. but wisely suggested to him, That he should not make his sudden Passions and single Will, Pag. 17. the Laws and Edicts of his Empire, but to provide a Graver Senate, Pag. 18. that should be his Grand Council in the Important Affairs of Government, a Consulting with whom, would add Weight and Solemnity to his Imperial Sanctions, but then he added this Politick Caution (and this he principally intends, and hints at by this Sto­ry) That he should never grant the People that dan­gerous Favour to Elect the Members of this Se­nate (and it seems our People of England have had this dangerous Favour a very long time, and I believe would be very loath to have it taken a­way from them Now, vvithout some good [Page 36] substantial Reasons for it) For then, (sayes he) Your Empire will be exposed to popular Factions and Tu­mults; every Election will ferment the Humours of the Populacy, The Govern­ment of Rome, and Ours, not all one. (But that Government and ours, I hope, were not both alike) and occasion such Convulsions in the State, that you will never be secure of any Safety at home, or Glory abroad. The Application I shall not concern my self with.

No, it is easy enough for any one to make, without your further Expository Comments. But hark ye, Hodge; Do'st mind his Closing Touch?

Yes,He'd have the Court believe at last a Pha­natick Army was coming upon them. yes, he'd make the Court be­lieve nothing less is coming upon 'em than a Phanatick-Army: And (says he) if that should prove Tryumphant, nothing can be expected, but the Extirpation of the Monarchy, Pag. 18. and all the Loyall No­bility, Clergy, and Gentry. And nothing, o'my Conscience, at this day, is less thought upon by 'em, as far as any thing can enter into my Prognosticks. We do therefore declare, goes he on (right or wrong,And there­fore he'd have them to hast to their Arms. he would have it so; and if he can't make the Phanaticks, he'll pretend at least, that he is able to make the Cavalier-Par­ty rise; and it's all one to him, whither be­gins the Fray; for he is sure, either way to [Page 37]be a Gainer by the Quarrel) that we will speedily furnish our selves with Arms and Ammunition for us, and our Dependants: (Oh,Pag. 19. this would be Sack and Sugar to him!And upon the first Notice of a Rebellion (which I hope we all shall do if any should break out) re­pair to the Royal Stan­dard.) And upon the first Notice of a Rebellion, (if it be not of the Author's own Raising, and Gang of Papists, I think, we have no others to fear at present) we will repair to the Royall-Standard, &c. Here is Forty-One again just, as it has been all along throughout his Book: But since he has been so plainly de­tected, I hope we shall all as industriously make it our Business to defeat this his Arti­fice and Endeavour, in spight of all his Insi­nuations to the contrary;But I hope none of these his Artifices shall prevail upon any of us, to make us Mutiny. To keep the Unity of the Spirit in the Bond of Peace. And ‘There sure can be no likelyhood,’ (sayes the Ingenious Dr. Saywell, whom you hinted just now: pag. 311, 312.) ‘that the Government will be tempted to make any Laws of Indulgence, or to do any thing, that may look like a Tendancy toward a Complyance with their Novelties: (as indeed the Papists Tenets are no better.) For the Religion which they pro­fess, is so linked to a Forreign Interest, that there can be no Hopes of making any Composition with them, without giving our [Page 38]Selves, and the whole Nation, to be Vas­sals and Slaves to a Forreign Power, and with­out great danger to our Souls and Fortunes. All the possible Deliberation about them, is, first to secure our selves as much as we can,But that we shall all in­deavour to be obedient to the Church. from their Tyranny; and then to take the most effectual Course, to bring over the Soberest of them to the Obedience of the Church of England: And it is the Du­ty of us all, to do what we can, toward the Securing that Excellent Church, and that pure and primitive Worship of God, which by the Piety of our Ancestors was first fettled amongst us, and hath hitherto been maintained.’

But, Hodge, we forget one thing all this time, and that is, we should make a third Man come in, and quarrel with us.

No, we have talk'd too Honestly for that: But if we had been such ill Per­sons to the Government, as the Pope and Pha­natick were, I should have said nothing, if Mr. Loy­alty had stept in, and reprehended us as we had deserved. Now, Ralph, for a Closing Sentence, [Page 39]by way of Advice, and thou shalt never re­pent on't, if thou followest it: Do but Read that Learned Man, Bishop Usher's Power of the Prince, and Obedience of the Subject, and follow those Rules Religiously; and I warrant, thou'lt be a made Man for ever. And so, God b'w'ye.