AFter a long debate with my Self, and many weary Minutes ſpent in hearing the Argument under Conſideration, banded Pro & Contra: I came to this Reſult, To Examine and Enquire (with all the poſſible Candor and Ingenuity I could) into the nature and merit of the Cauſe (ſo much noiſed in the World) lately depending between the King and Seven of His Biſhops; Deliberating upon which, I eaſily perceived, That thro the Sophiſtical Inſinuations of ſome Deſigning men, the Inadvertency of Others, and the Blind Zeal of an Unreaſonable Rabble (that neither can, not deſire to diſtinguiſh between Truth and Error, in matters Sacred or Civil) many a well-meaning man might be Impoſed upon; for which Reaſon. I conceived it a Duty to Repreſent to you and the World, an Impartial State of the Caſe, both Reſpecting matter of Fact on the one ſide, and the Right of Power Inveſted in the Prince, on the other; An Abſtract of which, take with all the brevity that ſo Important a Conſideration will Admit of: The King apprehenſive that multitudes of His Loving Subjects might be Ignorant of His Royal Inclination to the Eſtabliſhment of an Univerſal Liberty of Conſcience (in matters meerly Religious) Notwithſtanding His Declaration to that purpoſe had been Publiſhed Twelve Months before, thought fit to Repeat the ſame, with New and Further Aſſurances of His Reſolutions to Adhere thereunto; and ſignified His Royal Pleaſure to the Biſhops, that they ſhould Order the Reading thereof, by the Clergy of their Reſpective Dioceſſes, at the time of Divine Service; to the end, the whole Kingdom might underſtand His Majeſty's Care of, and Clemency to His People in general; Being a deſign ſo Heroick, and founded upon Principles ſo Primitively Chriſtian, that (perhaps) no Age can parallel in any Prince, ſince Chriſtianity hath flouriſhed in the World: However, a Juncto of Seven Biſhops, Petioned (or rather Remonſtrated) to the King, that the Declaration was Illegal, and founded upon ſuch a Diſpenſing Power as might at Pleaſure ſet aſide all Laws: (a heavy Charge) and that it was a point of ſo great a Conſequence they could not make themſelves ſo much Parties to it, as the Reading of it in Churches amounted to: A bitter Pill to be digeſted, tho an evident and laſting inſtance of their implacable Enmity to Liberty of Conſcience; how fairly ſoever guilded with plauſible and ſpecious Pretences.

The King's Soveraignty thus Arraigned, a Pamphlet to that purpoſe Printed (which ſome of the Clergy ſhewed no ſmall diſpoſition to read in the room of the Declaration) the Mobile •• eadfully poſſeſſed with the Popery of Liberty of Conſcience, It ſeemed high time for the King to Vindicate Himſelf; and therefore the Biſhops were Summoned to Appear before him in Council, which they did accordingly, and in Concluſion, owned and ſtood by the Paper preſented to the King; and being Required to enter into a Recognizance to Appear and Anſwer it at Law; they refuſed, and were therefore from the Council-Board, Committed to the Tower of London; which it ſeems they were not a little Ambitious of; for as they paſſed along, they Proclaimed to the People to ſtand faſt to the Proteſtant Religion, as if they had been going to Martyrdom for that Cauſe; an Ingenious way of courting the Rabble to abet their deſign of promoting the Ruine of two parts in three of all the Proteſtants in England; by blowing Liberty of Conſcience off the Stage at one blaſt: As much as if they had ſaid, Now good People look to it, Popery is going to be impoſed on you; Oppoſe it even to the Death: An infallible way to deceive the unthinking Crowd; for in the Language of the Ingenious Hudibras—

A Notion ſo naturally Swallowed by the hot-headed Herd, that they never conſider the Event; till the violent Opperation (like a doſe of Aqua-fortis) rages in their miſerable Bowels, to their unexpected Deſtruction. On the 15th day of June, being the Firſt day of the Term, they were brought to the King's Bench-Bar, by a Hab • as Corpus; where after the Councils debare on both Sides, they Entered into a Recognizance, to take their Tryals on the 29th day of the ſame Month, which accordingly they did; the matter they were Charged with, was, for making and Publiſhing a Falſe and Seditious Libel: Twelve Gentlemen being Sworn to Try the Iſſue; after a Long Tryal, they were on Saturday the 30th of June aforeſaid, brought in Not Guilty; and the Rude Multitude as well at the Tryal, as Afterwards, were not a little Uncivil, by Hiſſing, Hooping, & Hollowing; but whether it proceeded from the Church-of-England-Principle of Non-Reſistance, I am not able to determine.

One thing I may not Omit, That before the Tryal, it was an undoubted Truth among the Loyal Church-Party, That the Jury were pack'd, made up of Diſſenters, and Perſons diſaffected to the Biſhops; and ſuch as if it lay in their way, would hang them, if it were for nothing but their Laun Sleeves: But when they brought them in Not Guilty, they were all Good Men and True, and as clean from Sin, as the Syrian from his Leproſie, after he had been dipt ſeven times in Jordan.

Having given you a brief Recital of matter of Fact, I will add a few words reſpecting the Kings Soveraignty; whence it ſhall be manifeſt, That He is not only the Civil Head of the State, but the Eccleſiaſtical Head of the Spirituality, according to the Conſtitution of the Church-of-England, and de jure Metropolitan of all England, Scotland, and Ireland, and may at pleaſure, by vertue of his Sacred Function, be concern'd Circa Sacra, about Sacred Affairs; for when the Popes Supremacy and Headſhip was Beheaded by Henry the Eighth, to the end he might be Divorced from Queen Katharin • , he obtained a Statute for the cutting off all Apeals from Rome; and to enable the Kings Courts Spiritual and Temporal to determine the ſame, any Forreign Inhibitions, Appeals, Sentences, Summons, &c. from the See of Rome, to be no Let or Impediment notwithſtanding. 24 Hen. 8.12. That this King Annexed all the Eccleſiaſtical Juriſdiction to the Imperial Crown of this Realm, and the Pope never had greater Authority over the Church, then our Kings are Inveſted with, by Sundry Acts of Parliament; that which of Old was Papa, is no other now, then our Kings being Pater Patriae.

But doth it not further appear, That at the Coronation of our Kings, they have the Ordination of Clergy-men, as well as the Oath of a King; otherwiſe what means thoſe ſignificant words uſed by the Biſhop, with Unction, Anthems, Prayers, and Impoſition of hands, and the ſame at the Coronation of the Prince, as at the Ordination of the Prelate, Come Holy Ghoſt, Eternal God, &c? And among other things, the Biſhop ſays theſe Words, Let him obtain Favour of the People, (though the Clergy has ſhew'd him but little of late) Like Aaron in the Tabernacle, Eliſha in the Waters, Zacharias in the Temple; Give him Peter's Key of Diſcipline, and Paul's Doctrine. And in Anointing, the Biſhop further ſaith, Let thoſe Hands be Anointed with Holy Oyl, as Kings and Prophets have been Anointed, and as Samuel. The Arch-Biſhop and Dean of Weſtminſter, putting the Coife on the King's Head, and on His Body the Surplice; uſing this Prayer, O Lord, King of Kings, and Lord of Lords, &c. Yet for all this, His Supremacy will be no longer allowed, than it runs on all fours, to the utter Extirpation of all that diſſent from our Church; and he muſt by no means countenance a Toleration, upon Pain of His Soveraignty being called in Queſtion: And if His Majeſty inſiſt upon Obedience to His Royal Authority, though in a matter, preſumed on all hands to be innocent and juſt in the Sight of God, and good Men: Yet to colour the deſign of obſtructing Liberty of Conſcience, it ſhall bear the ignominious name of Popery and Arbitrary Power; and then our Work is done. And though we ſtile the King, God's Vice-Gerent, and ſay, Next unto Thee and Thy Christ, Supream Moderator and Governour: If he diſpute our pretended Prelatical Prerogative, the Church Rabble, in ſpight of paſſive Obedience, ſhall be Animated with the dreadful Apprehenſions of Fire and Faggot, to commit all ſorts of Outrages; as is evident by the late Ryots, upon Diſcharge of the Biſhops: Aut Caeſar, aut nihil. The Prelates are reſolved to be Os & Oraculum, Regis & Reipublicae; and the Voice of the pretended Loyal Party, is, that the King's diſpen▪ſing Power is clipp'd, and Liberty of Conſcience has received a mortal Wound, and is Breathing its laſt.

Well, Gentlemen; whilſt there is Life there is Hope; the King is ſtill Head both of Church and State; Your own Conceſſions allow'd him ſo once; 'tis not Three-pence Difference, if upon change of Circumſtances you have chang'd your Opinions; the better part of his Subjects believe it ſtill; and as long as he is inveſted with a Power to Command, all good men will be ready to obey his Lawful Injunctions; and (perhaps) to your Shame, and the Confuſion of all your Intrigues. 'Tis not to be doubted, but he is ſenſible of the Indignity done to His Perſon and Government: However, that ought to be left to His own Princely Conduct.

Thus much I preſumed would not be unacceptable, of the Tranſactions of the time, and the Sentiments of